Daybook when life is busy but sunny...

Outside my window - the sun is shining brightly, lighting the contorted branches of the willow tree with silver and gold. Shrieks and laughter from the children filter into the house as they put on a show on their "stage" (an old blue-painted pallet). Even the little one is running around out there with them, wearing a purple knit pleated skirt and an orange tie dye tshirt. Her fuzzy blonde hair toddles in and out of view as I stand in the kitchen with one eye on the peach muffins in the oven.

I am thinking - how necessary it is for children to get to know and love an animal. It's such a blessing to have my mum's dogs staying again. Talia hugs Lucy-dog soundly, and Lucy comes to her when she calls. (Tali calls both dogs "AMA!" but Lucy doesn't seem to mind.)

I am thankful - for the perfect golden glow of this morning, and the smell of earth, and the promise of Spring.

I am wearing - brown yoga pants and a black dress with a paint mark on it. It's that kind of day. I have my hair tied back because there wasn't time to wash it this morning. I feel slightly grey, and very sleep deprived. The first and major impact of the baby sleeping through for a few nights is that when she doesn't it feels *so much worse* than it ever did when she was waking every night!

I am creating - a blue cotton knitted cowl. I need to get on with gnomes. I'm procrastinating.

I am going - to spend this afternoon creating chaos and colour with the children. We took a magical walk in the woods this morning before Martin went to work, so beautiful and peaceful, and we were lucky enough to spot two woodpeckers (and a robin, though that was hardly an achievement since he sat on the path practically where we'd step on him, showing off and singing his heart out)! It's tempting to let this afternoon slide into another nothing day, but I've had a bit of a nothing week and I need to plan some more fun stuff.  :)

I am wondering - why at certain ages there is nothing I can do to fill these girls up! Morgan just came to whine to me that she's SOO hungry and why is food taking "for ages"?

I am reading - The Ashes of Eden by William Shatner.  Don't judge.  ;)

I am hoping - all of the happy little parcels of colour I posted off early this morning speed their various ways to their new owners.  :)  (I am also hoping like crazy that the poor pathetic broken car doesn't give us any nasty surprises, the MOT is on Monday and the work that we know about will cost about £400.  *sigh*)

I am looking forward to - finally not having to worry one way or the other about getting the car through its MOT.

I am learning - how far it is possible to make basic storecupboard ingredients go in order to scrape together car repair money. I am quite sick of pasta. On the other hand, I've been baking quite a bit to use up flour and dried fruit and seeds and tinned fruit.

Around the house - the bedrooms are feeling fresh and comfortable, somehow this morning I woke up feeling rather energetic and did some yoga (!) before putting away two bags of laundry, tidying all the bedrooms, and changing all the bedding (yes, not surprising I feel a bit crashed out now). 

The living room looks pretty much the same way it usually does, with discarded coats and books, a dressing gown, a scattering of baby toys, a couple of bits of paper, all of the tipped-out crayons, a brick trolley, the rocking chair pulled out into the middle of the room, and the red tractor abandoned where Tali gave up pushing it up and down to go play with her sisters outside.

One of my favourite things - is hearing Jenna and Morgan read aloud to themselves, to each other, to me, and to the little ones.

A peek into my day - 


Simple Woman's Daybook