I mean, I don’t actually drink coffee but no need to get into semantics (although I’ll have a hot chocolate or chai latte if you’re ordering). Lemme just take my coat off and dither about which cake I’m going to indulge in, and I’ll be right with you.
That Covid finally got us… Because I feel the need to apologise for the coughing. Yes, we avoided it for nearly three years, but it finally came for us. Luckily, we are jabbed up to our eyeballs which is a good job because this breathlessness is no joke. It’s like being nine months pregnant again but worse because I lay down and have coughing fits which is just swell when you’ve got a sleeping baby two inches from you. Also, I momentarily lost my sense of taste and smell and was, of course, very stoic about it and didn’t mention it once….
About our Autumn… A few highlights:
- My mum and I went to a local book event with Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path which was so interesting.
- Had a catch up with one of my favourite people, Jordan, when it was just about still warm enough to sit outside, and we ate pizza and had plenty of conversations that started with ‘TMI but…’. It was such a tonic.
- Bake Off bake along didn’t really happen because, as much as I love Bake Off, the bakes were a bit ridiculous this series BUT I did have a go at making macarons for the first time and was pretty chuffed at how well they came out.
- Our friends Dan & Guus came to visit for a weekend and it was so lovely to catch up and explore the local area.
- We took a trip up north to see my Dad for the weekend and our visit happened to coincide with the water being very low at Ladybower reservoir which meant the remains of the lost village of Derwent valley was exposed. It was fascinating!
- We had our first visit to a pumpkin patch! For me or my child? Hard to say. Surprisingly fun. Involved churros.
- A weekend with my girls where they generously looked after the little one whilst I had a NINETY MINUTE massage. Bloody love ‘em.
- A lovely lunch at Lina’s in Kings Cross with my sister. Have really loved exploring more of Coal Drop’s Yard this year.
- Two festive evenings out with the NCT girls, so very lucky to have met such a brilliant bunch.
Alfie turned one… a whole year of our boy. A whole year of his crinkly-nosed smile, big brown eyes and fluffy hair. His first year involved soaring highs and crushing lows but our boy is an absolute friggin’ delight and I am so excited for his second year. Also, Gary and I have survived a year of brutal sleep deprivation so I presume we will be presented with a badge and lollipop sometime soon.
About Christmas… On the whole, it was far better then being in lockdown or being in hospital and there were moments of real joy. But, what with it being Alfie’s first birthday and his first proper Christmas, there was a pressure for it all to be very magical (partly external and partly from myself because I am ordinarily a very festive person) and what with catching Covid and facing the reality of what it means to have a child born at Christmas (it’s intense and busy), it felt a tad overwhelming and manic as well as magical and joyful. I had to have a few words with myself about how a one-year-old hasn’t the foggiest what’s going on so there was no need to feel The Pressure but, hey, we’re only human right? Still, there was Christmas trees and my mum’s cooking and lots of love going round and what more do we need at Christmas time? The lovely limbo time between Christmas and New Year has been a tad different from previous years (turns out one can’t lock the door and lie on the sofa for six days with a one-year-old) but we’ve still managed to forgot what day it is and eaten plenty of leftovers to the soundtrack of Only Fools & Horses in the background. I know it’s cliché but I’m really leaning into the new year reset this year, particularly as I’ll be going back to work in January. It feels like time for a refresh and I’m looking forward to it.
SO, tell me about your Christmas?
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