Early start today. We all had to be up and out to catch the 8.45am bus into town. I was taking Charley to the dentist and the others had to come into town too (they passed the time at a playground) so that Steve could make his getaway towards work afterwards instead of waiting for us to come home.

I am so proud of all the kids for how cooperative they were this morning getting ready! No cross words, no stressful chivvying, no panic, no dramas or trauma on either of the bus journeys, and Steve had even got up early enough to light the fire and load it up so that it was still burning slowly and happily when we got home. (Charley is not entirely reassured by the dentist despite her best efforts – it’s pretty traumatic to remember your first tooth extraction when you were sedated enough to not be able to move but it hadn’t quite been working in your system long enough to provide the additional amnesia. Lots of talking therapy to do before he has the other pesky tooth out, and then he can enjoy food again.)

Another slow day for the rest of the day, recovering from yesterday’s sickness. The boys played with lego, on Minecraft, read books together, remembered to eat, and when – miracle of miracles – Erika fell asleep, and after I’d been out to pick some snowdrops to press I was persuaded to play Minecraft with Ben for a bit before sitting down with my wool for an actual real proper coffee break. It was LOVELY. Even with the near constant getting up to change game modes for Charley!

And when daddy’s bus was nearly home Erika climbed up to the window to wait for it and cheer as it went past, she loves looking out for him and it’s becoming a daily ritual to run from one window to the next as he heads towards the front door, then ask to be let out into the hall to welcome…. no, not Daddy: the SHOPPING. Shrieks of excitement as she pulls out cucumber and tomatoes and chicken and milk. Funny girl.

Somehow the evening got filled with Stuff and it was bedtime remarkably soon, time for snuggles with the boys (and Aliens Love Panta Claus) with regular interruptions from Erika evading Steve, then swaps so the boys could listen to Steve reading some more of Dragonsbane to them as they fell asleep.

The house was a state. Utterly Erika’d. She was full of beans (as opposed to shattered hyperactive) from having had an actual decent nap, but I’ve found that Charlie & Lola is transfixing enough for me to have just long enough to get the kitchen straight and the living room sort of tidied up a bit before I sit down to be with her. She wanted me to read Aliens Love Panta Claus to her too, so we looked at all the funny pictures together before she wanted the sofabed pulling out to practise her jumping. Thankfully naps mean bedtime is less frazzled. I turn the lights off one by one until it’s fairly relaxed, and once I’d put the tv away and we were just lit by the fairy lights over the window she was more than happy to snuggle in and go to sleep.

Yeah yeah at that point I should have gone to bed but y’know…. there was pancake batter to make (definitely become a friday night ritual, that) and crochet and all that… at least I’ve got the neckline of Erika’s jumper finished! (Hope it fits over her head haha)