A day out of the house makes a difference

Yesterday I cleaned a lot (with a brief late afternoon escape to our local zoo). Today I had fun (except for a morning appointment to see the doctor for a warrant of fitness – but even that was plain sailing).

The sun shone. The wind didn’t hamper my every step. Nature played ball (and threw in a real life seal on the waterfront for us to ogle at).

Alice drifted off to sleep, peacefully, in the buggy at midday, giving Sophie and I the opportunity to meander slowly, and calmly, around the wonderful ‘Oceania: Early encounters‘ exhibition at Te Papa (we’re heading to the City Gallery tomorrow to see the ‘Imagining the Pacific‘ part of the exhibit).

We enjoyed counting flags and admiring this boat, completely adorned with flags – which we later found out is the home to one of the girls in Charlotte’s class!

Around 3pm we picked up a very happy girl from school. She’d been across to Matiu-Somes Island, in the middle of Wellington harbour, on ‘The Dominion Post Ferry‘. Her third trip – out of five, for the term!

She had a really fun and interesting time. It’s so great her new school does so many fabulous trips.

We enjoyed afternoon tea without any accidents or upsets (except Alice did fill her nappy – but later lay down, before I even asked, so I could easily change it) and then headed home.

And when we arrived home I felt like the house welcomed me. The floor was free of obstacles. The kitchen bench-top had space to put a plate on it. There were no dens taking over the lounge, no signs of play-dough traps on the kitchen floor, the hallway was nearly just that – except for a little ‘play shop’ at one end. I dumped down my bag and thought how nice it was to not be covered in paint, flour, glitter and glue. My hands were free of ink stamps. My feet actually ached, in a satisfying way, from wearing my ‘city shoes’.

In the next two hours we had music, singing, a den in the garden (that lasted for five minutes and lacked helpers when it came to tiding up), play dough, cat biscuits poured in water and then the entire contents poured out on the kitchen floor – which Alice then slipped up on whilst I was cleaning them up, but it was fine and I felt calmer than I’ve felt in a while.

Dan got home about 6.30pm and I took Alice up around 8pm, leaving Dan singing with Charlotte and Sophie and trying to steer them toward bed!

They crashed soon after 8.30pm, with a session of guitar and piano playing.

It’s been a good day and I’m so thankful to my wonderful, supportive husband, my folks and friends – who I know I haven’t seen a lot of lately – but I really appreciate your messages and words of support. I’m revving up to make 2012 the year I ‘get out for me’ a little bit more – and grow my hair a little longer again – what was I thinking (Alice still wakes up every morning, looks at me and says, ‘Mama, cut, cut! Hair!’)!

Night all xx