I’m flying solo this week as my husband is away for eight days working on an event. It’s been a while since he was last away for that length of time. I’m quite glad it’s this week rather than last week though – I’m not sure how I’d have managed to juggle everything last week had he not been around!
It’s been good to have a calmer week after the hecticness of last week and a little time to myself with Sophie and Thomas back at school and preschool. We have a weekend ahead with very little planned and I’m looking forward to a little lull over the next two or three weeks before all the festive activities begin.
What I’ve been grateful for this week:
![Two pumpkins, one carved with a face, the other with a heart; Sophie practising the group number for her dance festival; Sophie toasting a marshmallow over a fire pit; Sophie and Thomas standing on a wooden bridge; Thomas walking through autumn leaves; Sophie's piece of paper saying 'he [Daddy] makes me happy by telling me jokes, he gives me hugs, he gives me kisses, he has wishes, he dreams of my sister, he hopes she can come back, he loves me all the way to the last dwarf planet and back, just like me'; pink and white cosmos flowers in Jessica's vase next to the wooden carving of her on my piano - "#365daysofgratitude 2021 - Week 44"](https://littleheartsbiglove.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/366daysofgratitude-2021-week-44.jpg)
- Day 302 – I am grateful that the pumpkins are carved and I don’t have to do it again for a whole year!
- Day 303 – I am grateful for the joy of watching this little lady dancing in the festival this week, finishing off with a third place in the group dance.
- Day 304 – I am grateful for a wonderful outdoor birthday party for Sophie at Iver Environment Centre doing shelter building and campfire cooking. Sophie and her friends had so much fun.
- Day 305 – I am grateful for an inset day to finish off the half-term break.
- Day 306 – I am grateful for the simple joy of running through crunchy fallen autumn leaves.
- Day 307 – I am grateful for Sophie’s beautiful list of reasons why Daddy makes her happy.
- Day 308 – I am grateful for a vase full of flowers from the garden.
Other things that have made me smile this week:
- Thomas sitting on the sofa pointing at himself, me, my husband and my sister saying, “Thomas, Mummy, Daddy and… this one!”
- Sophie’s joy at having a sleepover with her cousin.
- Making a unicorn cake for Sophie’s birthday party.
- Going to a Halloween fundraising event organised by a friend from work. He’d got together with his neighbours to decorate their road and set up some stalls with mulled wine, cakes and sweets and it all looked amazing.
I hope things go well while your husband is away. It looks like you had a great week. Sophie looks so grown up in her dance outfits and what a fabulous cake!
Thanks Kim. She did look so grown-up doing her dance festival!
Good luck for things to go as well as can be expected while you hold the fort.
Thank you, so far it’s been ok!
I love Sophie’s cake, it’s brilliant. I so miss crunching through the leaves with my little ones. I remember when I used to take them to primary school and we’d spend half hour longer coming home because of the leaves. Then we’d bring a bag home and make lots of leaf art. Oh, it seems like yesterday. I’m sure you’ll be fine while Michael is away, it has been a long time hasn’t it.
It has – I’ve quite enjoyed having him home more often over the last year or so! I like the idea of bringing leaves home to do some leaf art – might have to try that with Thomas.
“…this one!” that made me laugh 😀 Kids say the best things. Love the cake! I also love your friend’s fund raising idea 🙂
They do say such funny things. Thomas does make me chuckle at times.
I’m with you on the pumpkin carving from! love the look of Sophie’s cake. Hope this week goes ok parenting solo #365
Thank you, it’s not been too bad.
What a great unicorn cake! Your little lady did so well – third place in the group dance! A vase of flowers from the garden must be very satisfying.
Thank you. I’ve been trying to grow a cut flower patch but haven’t had much success so it’s lovely to have managed to get a few for the vase.
wonderful list of thankfulness – Sophie looks so cute and I love the unicorn cake!
Thank you. She was really pleased with her cake.
I love Thomas’s name for Sophie, I assume ‘this one’ That’s a fab unicorn cake you’ve made for Sophie, hope she enjoys it. Love the halloween decorations, lovely photo of you all
Thank you, she loved her unicorn cake.
Is that makeup Sophie is wearing, she looks so grown up! Love the unicorn cake especially the gold horn. #project365
She was wearing make-up for her dance festival and yes, it does make her look very grown-up!
The pumpkins and unicorn cake look great!
Well done on third place in the group dance!
Thank you.
Well done Sophie on third place in the group dance. Love her unicorn cake too. Hope the single parenting continues to go well
Thank you, it went well but nice to have my husband home again now.
I feel your pain my husband was away last week and it is such a juggling act. Love the pumpkins although I feel like you, I like them when they are done… but doing them! Sophie’s cake looks amazing well done you and I hope that she enjoyed her celebrations.
It is a juggling act although I settle back into it fairly quickly having been so used to it happening regularly pre-Covid.
Big well done to Sophie for finishing in the third place in the group dance! She looks so happy in that photo. The pumpkins are cute. Hope the week without your husband wasn’t too overwhelming.
Sophie’s cake is amazing!
Thank you. The week went well overall – it’s nice to have my husband back home again now though!