50 days of River

Fifty days of River: Connection, isolation and everything in between.

life

  • Day 44: Finding Balance

    A Bloody Start My glamorous life began at 7am with dragging rubbish out of the shed for the council pick-up: River’s old mattress, a broken dryer, a sand/water tray past its best and more worn-out shoes than I care to admit. River woke up not long after and something about him looked different. Under the… Read more

  • Day 43: First Steps Back to Nursery

    A Rocky Start River had a restless night, waking upset and by 6am I was up changing his soaked clothes and bedding. He lay quietly under his red blanket, clearly shaken, while I tried to balance getting him calm and ready with also preparing Summer for her first day back at school. The mention of… Read more

  • Day 41: First Day Back

    My alarm went off at 7am this morning – yep, an alarm. The first day back at work for me was the first day River decided to sleep past 7am! I crept into his room to check and there he was, fast asleep… only for a few minutes though. He must have sensed my presence.… Read more

  • Day 39: A Night Away

    The weekend started as it always does. Kike gets up first as he takes Summer to Jiujitsu. They leave and River hops into bed with me. “Mummy not sleeping.”No sweetheart, I’m not sleeping.“I’m very hungry.” OK, that’s my cue to get up, even though I know Kike would have already given him Breakfast Number 1.… Read more

  • Day 38: Forced Rest

    Morning Adjustments Kike took the day off so I could start recovering. When I’m in a flare (that’s when everything simply stops working), there’s not much I can do except rest. He managed to get River up and give him breakfast but last night caught up with him too and he went back to sleep.… Read more

  • Day 37: Nostalgia, Preparation and Limitations

    Slow Morning Recovery Well, I was broken. I stayed in bed till 11:30am, leaving the kids to their iPads and snacks, only getting up to make them lunch. I slowly worked through the chores: dishwasher, kitchen, laundry – the usual. I was determined to preserve my energy, as I had plans later. River entertained himself… Read more

  • Day 35: Pyjamas, Pirates and Puppies

    I asked Kike to get River up this morning. I was just too tired and knew I’d need my energy for the day ahead. Those two extra hours in bed were pretty nice. When did 8:30am become a lie-in? It’s funny how parenthood completely resets the definition of “rested.” A Pyjama Day I took the… Read more

  • Day 34: Dino Parks, Soft Plays and Party Invitations

    Morning Wake-Up Bank Holiday Monday and I had my friend come to visit with her daughter. Long-time readers might remember her – my friend from Day 9, the one who met me for drinks in ‘Big London.’ I had my usual 6.30am wake-up call from River. He still hasn’t realised he can just climb out… Read more

  • Day 31: Mummy Bed, Blue iPad

    A Late Night, A Lazy Morning Last night ended up being a late one for everyone. River had a late nap so there was zero point trying for his usual bedtime. Instead, we discovered Fortune Hotel on ITV and all watched that until just after 10pm before putting the kids to bed. It’s lovely when… Read more

  • Day 28: Balloons, Beige Snacks and Social Media Pressure

    Morning Calm The day started slowly, Summer asking for new games to be downloaded on her iPad. River was content with his usual. At 9.30am the mood became more energetic, the iPad had died! Suddenly, it was lots of ‘Monkey on the Bed’ and acrobatics. I split my head open when I was little doing… Read more