Spoiled. More sunshine!

A glorious day.  Loads of fun with the kids and real sense of rejuvenation and energy.  I feel so alive, hadn't realised just how much the hibernation instinct had enveloped me during this particularly cold and snowy winter.  First thing there was lots of fantastic play, making fruit stew and practising our slicing skills.

Hehehe, tasting the stew and of course trying it with some "baguette". I love the effect of the sun shining through the window behind Rye, so pretty.

 Playing with his car; and for once, no squabbles, C was playing further to the left out of shot with the Hungry Giraffe.  But just to be on the safe side I took the kids into the garden; and it was warm enough, in the sun, not to need a coat, fantastic.  C finally mastered "climbing" up onto the decking.  It's only a few inches off the ground, still it's a combination of getting use to the wellies and finding her balance.

Anyhoos, decided to take the kids over to the park and we took the football with us.  Great fun; and much to my utter shock I was sort of running around chasing the ball with Rye, hehe, and little C following after us, playing on the swings with them, helping C on the slide etc.  Suprised me, normally I sit down on the bench and just watch the kids; today though I was full of energy, my knees aren't hurting and I almost felt like I could run, (not quite, still a bit too big; but give it amonth or two then perhaps :-) ).  Rye loved playing football with me and squealed and laughed with joy.

My rumbling tummy indicated it was probably getting near lunch time; astonishingly it was nearly midday; we'd been out for over an hour, a goodly amount of activity for me.  Now of course it could just be psychological in that the mind programming I'm listening too is encouraging me to be more active and to find it easy to be so; but I do suspect I've lost some weight too, I am curious to know how much; but weigh day isn't till.. um, Friday I think.  At the end of the day though, my goal is to feel healthier and have more energy; I'm not really interested in what the scales say.

Lunch was a bit hotchpotch - we had the rest of the lasagne from yesterday's tea, and the kids had a boiled egg each and a couple of the flakey pastry buscuits I bake, cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes.  Still, they scoffed it, so I guess it was enjoyed. 

While C napped, Rye playing some more in the garden on his tractor - and yes look!  Washing out on the line

and virtually of it was dry by the time I brought it in this evening!  Anyway, while Rye played in the garden I made bread and Leek and Potatoe soup for tea.  I decided to do a pudding too; the other day I saw a receipe of a Microwave Steam Maple Syrup Pudding.  Decided to adapt the receipe to make treacle pudding; I also halved the quanitites... and you know, it wasn't half bad.  I guesstimated how long to pop it in the microwave because Rose Elliot in receipe said she cooks her pudding for 10 minutes.  So I thought, "Ok five minutes then..." but it dawned on me my microwave is more powerful; so I lowered it to 3 mins.  And yes in 3 minutes the treacle pudding was done -  think 2 1/2 minutes would probably be better or maybe 3 mins on medium high rather than high?  Have to play and see what works better.

Nontheless, it was nice; treacle steamed puddng has always been my favourite, although I can't remember the last time I ate it, and to the microwave version I added some lemon zest, which was seriously tasty!  The kids seemed to enjoy it too; Rye ate all his, and my charge had a good munch; although she did leave quite a bit.    The pudding wasn't the same as the real deal of course; but for a quick tasty pudding I have to say it was pretty impressive.

Then once my charge had gone for the day I completed a few chores and then discovered Rye had fallen asleep.  6pm is far too late for a nap; so I woke him up and we sat on the floor and played snakes and ladders - first time we've played it; Rye won one game and I won the other.  Not sure he really understood the concept; but hey, we had a giggle.  Then we played a memory game; and he was pretty good at that.  Again not a game we've played before, I just discovered that the games compendum I picked Rye up from Asda, at Yule, included the game.  I think though, I will pick up some better cards for it.  That game though, Rye seemed to enjoy.

Then into bed and I was back down at 7pm.  Although, tonight Rye's been a little restless and we had a few tears; so I went back upstairs gave lots of cuddles and kisses and about 15 minutes or so later he was asleep ; although a few more tears inbetween.  Hmm, the jury is still out on whether I move Rye's bed into my room or not - at the end of the day all I really want is for him to sleep in his own space and not be waking me up so much during the night; that can be accomplished by him sleeping on his bed in my room; and if it means he's happier, well it's a no brainer.  I'll give it another few days because along with sleeping in his own room, he's also having to get use to a routine; whereas recently I've just been letting him stay up with me and he either falls asleep on the sofa beside me and then I  wake him and we go up tto bed when I'm ready to go.  Or I'm upstairs and he's watching dvds etc and eventually he will cuddle down and go to sleep - usually pretty late. 

Lone parenting isn't really that hard with Rye, he's a delightful little boy; generally very laid back and sunny natured and fairly independent.   Any difficulties are, 90% of the time, down to me being frustrated I can't do what I want to do when he'd demanding my attention; and Rye isn't a little boy who will be ignored.  And it is a pyscological thing in some respect; because if Rye's asleep on the sofa beside me, well it's no real difference to him being in his own room and asleep, like he is now.... but it feels different, it feels like this is my time... and every so often I am reminded; generally after I've had a prolonged period of feeling grumpy with him and parenting begins to feel like duty, that I need to feel like I have some time to myself.  Just because he's in bed doesn't mean the parenting is over for the night - he could of course wake up - but it feels like its wind down time for me.  I can jump online and mooch without feeling guilty, I can read a book, crochet, potter in the kitchen, or just sit on the sofa with the a blanket over my feet and daydream.  I do love to daydream, and it is a bit of a luxury these days. :-)