Soil and water... ;)

Yesterday evening we had a party tea with decorations (playsilks pegged to everything in sight) and ate our picnic in the living room because it was pretty cold out by the time everything was ready! We ate the cake I'd made, with a maypole decoration in the middle (Jenna used it as a wand for a good while). One of those nice little family times that are forgotten so soon, yet make life seem magical again for a while.

Not long before we sat down to eat I recorded this little conversation I had with Jenna while calling her in for tea.
Jenna: I'm painting!
Me: What with?
Jenna: Umm... nothing...
Me: With mud?
Jenna: No... Soil and water!

Today we did a bit more of the kind of spring activities I planned for yesterday before I knew they were going out. We went to the park and found some may blossom, and put fallen cherry blossoms in Jenna's hair. We chased each other around, and I put my foot into a rabbit hole and miraculously managed not to wrench it! We made a daisy chain.

We were going to spend most of the rest of the day in the garden with Jenna's friend from next door. Tamsin had some friends round so they all ran around together for a while. I had one of those when-is-she-starting-school conversations and inwardly noted the mixed reaction (expressions ranging from "poor kid" through to "brave mum" and stopping off at "won't she be socially excluded?" along the way). I will probably come back to the argument another day (yet again) that children aren't socially capable unless they are deliberately "socialised"...

Anyhow, as if to prove that we're wierdos and the children are dreadful creatures, Jenna spent the next hour or so arguing with everyone about everything, sulking, and crying for no obvious reason. I admit, I fell a little into the trap of feeling that I had something to prove and wanting my children to be perfect in order to impress upon the doubters that I am a great parent. *rolls eyes at self* I didn't really act any differently, but I guess I did act embarrased and apologetic (guaranteed to make Jenna worse in any given social situation) and we ended up coming back over here to refuel with snacks, apologies, cuddles and a video.

On a much better note, Martin and I talked about our hopes and fears re the baby situation. He has agreed (I hope not in a giving-in kind of way) that we are ready to have a baby whenever that happens and that although I really hate being pregnant it's worth it and I can cope with it (all the more since I'm feeling right with the children I have most of the time now). So although we're not planning to "try" for a baby, we are not preventing and I'm not charting and there is every chance that there will be a sixth pregnancy at some point before the summer (fingers crossed).