We’ve been enjoying quality time as a family and with friends over the last week. Last Friday’s snow day meant I got to enjoy an extra day with Sophie at home. We had so much fun out in the snow building a family of snowmen and making a colourful igloo.
One of my Christmas gifts to hubby was a box containing one or two envelopes for each month of the year. The contents of the envelopes are all about spending time together. Each contains a note or an object relating to an activity that we are going to do that month. At the end of each month, he opens the envelope for the next month to find out what I have planned for us to do.
February’s activity was a family board games evening. On Saturday, we sat round the table together with pizza and nibbles and spent several hours playing lots of different games. There were classics from our childhood, such as Ghost Castle and Guess Who? and more recent favourites such as the Magic Cauldron Game. It was so lovely just to have that focused time having fun together. We had party music playing in the background and also ended up teaching Sophie the YMCA dance which was great fun.
One of our friends from our university days came over for dinner on Monday night. It was so nice to spend the evening with him and have a catch up. Sophie also enjoyed spending time with one of her friends this week and having a play date together.
I’m making more of a conscious effort to be gentle with myself and slow down at the moment. It is lovely just to stop and enjoy the snuggles with Thomas and remind myself that the to-do list can usually wait and one day I will miss the opportunity to just sit there and cuddle.
I also took some daffodils up to GreenAcres this week and spent some quiet time talking to Jessica and singing some of her favourite songs to her.
Things that have made me smile this week
- Thomas enjoying his first ride in a supermarket trolley.
- Sophie teaching me how to do yoga.
- Thomas being at the table for meals and the way he opens his mouth like a little bird when he sees the spoon coming towards him.
- The way Thomas snuggles into me when I cuddle him.
- Sophie having a go on Daddy’s trumpet and managing to get a few notes out of it.
- Sophie making Thomas laugh.
- Thomas’s fascination with his feet.
- Hearing “you’re Jessica’s mum, aren’t you?” from someone at school – it means so much whenever someone talks about Jessica without any prompting from me. I will always be Jessica’s mum but to be reminded that I am still Jessica’s mum in the eyes of others is a precious gift.
What a fabulous idea for a gift, we sometimes struggle to think of things to do at a weekend so this would be so helpful for us too. I had ghost castle as a child, it was my favourite game, really wish I still had it. The flowers you took for Jessica are lovely & bright. Thomas always looks so happy and content and that laugh is just adorable, Sophie is so good with him. #wotw
Those envelopes for your hubby are such a fantastic idea and the board games sound like a lot of fun!
Good on you being gentle with yourself. Enjoy every moment when your children are little.
hehehe! Thomas looks so happy to be doing a bit of shopping and Sophie playing the trumpet did make me chuckle. It’s nearly as big as her. #WotW
Great photos of your kids. They are absolutely adorable. I enjoyed seeing your little girl trying to play her daddy’s trumpet. She looks like a budding musician!
I am totally grabbing your idea of a board game evening with food and music. Why have I never coupled it with food? Thomas in the shopping trolley is so sweet. You are totally right about taking time to enjoy the moment, whether it’s with Jessica or Sophie blowing the trumpet. It goes to fast. Hope you have a lovely week, filled with just as wonderful moments. #wotw
Time is so precious and I’m so happy that you are taking time to do all these things. I see what you mean about Thomas looking like a little bird, he’s so cute. I love the photo of Sophie with the trumpet, and playing the board game. thanks for linking up to #Wotw xx