Week in Words

A sure sign that I've either been busy, or anxious, or both.  Hardly any pictures this week.  But lots of things going on...

I have seen the bottom of my laundry basket - briefly - and had one of those short satisfied afternoons where I know that all of the clean laundry is neatly away in clothes baskets and not taking over a huge corner of the house.  Martin spent that day pushing a hired carpet cleaner around, so the carpets are returned to their original colours.  Logically I know that I would need to sweep every five minutes or so, but hard floors would save so much trouble in spills and trodden in food and glue and paint and playdough!

I have read aloud until my voice gave out (we all have another cold, and are cosily snuggled up in dressing gowns whenever we're home):  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Beowulf, Not Not Bernard, The Barefoot Book of Indian Tales, Goodnight Moon, and those are just from today...  Rowan has had the Oceans Encyclopaedia out for hours every day.  If I have to acknowledge that yes, that is a Walrus, I think I might run screaming and lock myself in the bathroom.

We made Viking helmets and swords, Jenna has some spelt-and-water bread proving in the kitchen, and all three of those bigger ones have been asking me all day to help them make Viking tunics.  I'm not going so far as to spin flax or weave the cloth myself (yet) but I do plan on cutting up some pillow cases in a little while.  Right now they are making bed pallets out of pillowcases stuffed with shredded paper from the recycling (in place of straw) and the baby's sheepy.  I am at once fascinated and terrified to think what they might come up with next!


Yesterday we were at the hospital until midnight.  A big sister who shall remain nameless helped the baby up onto a top bunk and then walked away from her.  Baby got herself down the quick way.  Even though she got straight up and seemed totally fine (even the doctor couldn't find a single mark on her - it took me until bath time this morning to find a tiny little yellow bruise under her hair just above her right ear) we took her in to get her checked over.

My initial maternal heart-in-mouth moment was very quickly turned to relief, and then boredom, as we waited the requisite four post-triage hours to make sure everything was OK with the baby.  We missed tea.  I was SO glad we'd make cereal bars earlier in the day, because tea was an apple, a home made cereal bar each, and later on a plate of toast brought to the girls by an extremely kind nurse.



All of the extra time outside is helping, as it always does, with how well I manage the day to day ups and down, triumphs and knocks, that life with small children includes.  We are feeling Spring in the air, all of us.  Today has been another good day.  Even if the small Vikings do seem to have decamped their long house in favour of chocolate oatcakes and an episode of Octonauts, leaving paper scattered across the room...