1. Seeing the pure joy on Kirsty’s face when it comes to the Sleeping Bunnies song at playgroup and she gets to jump around.
2. Isla makes a Frozen-tastic picture at the Sharpe’s house.
3. Mat cooks a simple but delicious lemon and herb risotto for dinner.
1. The pleasure of hot chocolate and a cake for elevenses.
2. To the coast for a bit of winter sunshine, wind and culture at the De la Warr pavilion.
3. Listening to Desert Island Discs in the bath.
1. Pleased with my fairy cakes (inspired by Isla calling them this name the other day, I am refusing to call them cupcakes and instead reverting back to the year 2000 and earlier name.)
2. It’s 1988 on pick of the pops. I sing and dance along to all the tunes (much to the girls’ amusement) and am taken right back to my 14 year old self! Tiffany, Taylor Dane, Kylie et al.
3. Doris’s friend Tilly comes for a sleepover and the girls form a ‘posse’ as they call it.
Mat and I are out in the evening so we leave the getting them to bed bit to the babysitter!
1. Bunches for Isla and Kirsty
2. A chip shop chip butty with fresh bread and butter for lunch.
3. Isla designs a picture of various CBeebies characters for me to send in to the TV channel.
1. Isla’s first written sentence at pre school gets her a mention in the newsletter.
2. Another week, another family portrait by Isla.
3. While Mat’s out for the night, I allow myself the guilty pleasure of watching Anne of Green Gables in its entirety.
1. I love going into Doris’s classroom on a sharing learning day. She is so proud to show off her books (and her sisters!)
2. I am awe when the ready steady sport pulls a volleyball net out of his tiny bag, a la Mary Poppins!
3. Girls dinner at Jen’s. So lovely and check out the healthy but delicious dinner…
1. Kirsty goes for the two headband look.
2. Pretending to be statues on the school run
3. The satisfying ‘cracking’ feeling when stretching out my back in a reverse curl in Pilates.
1. Isla and I hear a woodpecker on the walk back from school.
2. I don’t have a raincover for the double buggy so Kirsty and her pal Toby hold hands while I balance a large umbrella over the top of them. It looks very comical.
3. Doris is very pleased the swimming teacher at school singled her out for a back stroke demo and Isla’s teacher tells me how carefully she worked on writing out all the numbers 1-15.
1. Doris and Isla set up DI, their own detective agency, in the spare room.
2. While Isla’s at her friend’s trampolining party, the rest of us head to Uckfield leisure centre for a swim. The slide’s a good one because you make the descent in complete darkness.
3. A post party trip to mucky D’s.
1. Miserable out but still ok for a quick play in the garden.
2. While Kirsty is asleep after lunch, I sit in bed with a cup of tea and the iPad. Lovely.
3. 1990s style Drinks and dancing out for Dawn’s birthday at the Forum – Britain’s best small venue, according to the NME. Takes me right back to student days.
Three Happy Thoughts 