Happy, sad, peaceful

Caitlin's assembly went well this morning and was very cute. She had to say a prayer thanking God for the gift of sight. Caitlin read her part beautifully and Hannah sat on my knee the whole time, aided by a banana, a biscuit and a pen and paper. They also sang 'Prayer is like a telephone' which left Hannah singing her own versions of it for the rest of the day.

After that Hannah and I went over to visit Angie and Adam at BCH. Adam had an endoscopy yesterday which went very well, thank goodness. We met up with them for a couple of hours before they flew back to Northern Ireland. Adam is a lovely lad and so full of life and energy. He and Hannah got on so well even though there is such a big age gap between them, I think it's because they have very similar personalities! It was wonderful to chat to Angie and also to meet her mum Maureen.


Adam scoots Hannah round in the car



Adam and Hannah on the roundabout



Angie and me



Adam, Angie and Hannah


Unfortunately about 3 miles from home was when the crap part of the day started. The dual carriageway was coned off on the right hand lane. I was queuing up in the left hand lane, the one that was open, and just as I got to the part when the right hand lane finished the usual idiot came belting down the right hand lane and tried to jump the queue. This was a new breed of idiot though, who thought it would be a good idea to try and fit side by side with me in one lane. As my car began to be forced into the crash barrier I beeped my horn, to be told through the open window that I was a f***ing b***h, for trying to warn him he was about to kill me and Hannah. There really are some lovely people about.

Somewhat shaken, I arrived home to find that the food which I had allowed Hannah to eat in the car on the strict promise that she DID NOT MAKE A MESS had been crumbled into small pieces and spread all over the back of the car. Tears and tantrums followed, from me as well as Hannah. Eventually though the mess was cleared up and calm was restored.

A quiet couple of hours before we had to pick Caitlin up (she did an after school club, a gross motor skills development thing for the little ones) lulled me into a false sense of security. While I was waiting for her to come out her teacher came and spoke to me and said she had been very badly behaved that afternoon and hadn't done anything she was told. I had been so looking forward to seeing her and praising her for her assembly and how well she had done, and finding out if she enjoyed the after school club, and that totally took the wind out of my sails. I felt so down when we got back. The one thing I really wanted was to talk all these trivial but at the same time upsetting and annoying things out with Mum. She would always listen and give wise advice and most importantly she would make me smile again.

Something else happened though, to stop me feeling so sorry for myself. I checked my emails and saw that one of my friends who lost her precious child had updated her blog. I read her latest post, and some of the older ones too. It made me remember that I should never feel too down when I have both my girls to hold close to me whenever I want to, and that even when they are naughty and exasperating that they are the most important things in the world and I am truly blessed to have them. So no more tears; we had a quiet teatime and bathtime, and I got the time to sit down with Caitlin and share with her how well she did in her assembly.