Will Dig Life

My kids have never been fond of 'clubs' - half term activity clubs, for example - where I leave them for the day. D(8) in particular much prefers having me nearby, like at co-op, as he is much more cautious and reserved than N(10) who immediately dives in and makes friends. So, knowing this, I was not too sure how they'd feel about the local 'home ed club' that meets once a week; but I thought they were old enough to try it. D wasn't hugely enthusiastic about the idea, but I convinced him to at least give it a try. And guess what - the first day, when I picked them up, D bounced out of there with the words, " I love this!! " So they're having a fantastic time each week now, doing Pawprint Badges and challenges, BBQing, building friendships, and they even had an outing to the local fire station! And what's amazing is that this setting is in walking distance for us, so they can even go there on their own which N has been relishing: that sense of ...

So... this amazing girl just hit double digits. There was a time, when I was pregnant with her, that I really had to work through my feelings about becoming a mother at all (I've linked some blog posts here). I had never been all that keen on motherhood - from my own growing up experiences, I saw children as nothing but needy and motherhood as a trap . How different it all has shaped up to be... I guess like the baby inside me during pregnancy being unable to imagine life outside, nothing I imagined was anywhere close to the reality. Because what I was surprised by wasn't the drudgery of changing nappies and constant feeding - which turned out not to be drudgery at all - but the joy and love this little being filled me with. I felt like I was coming into my own, I never felt lost or 'not enough' as I heard other new mothers lament at times... against all expectations, I felt perfectly equipped and was loving every minute. Tired as I was, I loved it and I embraced it ...