50 days of River

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

parenting

  • It Was Never About the Costume

    Back to Reality First week back has gone OK. We all struggled with the mornings, too used to our 9am holiday wake-ups and late-night entertainment. Getting up and dressed in cloudy London is a sharp snap back to reality. River has upgraded his “NO NURSERY” to “I DON’T WANT TO GO TO NURSERY,” which we’re… Read more

  • holiday limits

    Poolside Battles A few tears today. It’s our last day and I’m ok with that. River has reached his holiday limit and, if I’m honest, I think we all have. We could probably do with seeing some different faces. After River point blank refusing to go anywhere near the pool all week, yesterday I put… Read more

  • Military Operation: Family Holiday

    Escaping January We escaped the cold and the rain and jetted off to the Canary Islands for half-term. The thought of finishing work only to spend a week planning activities, walking to them in the rain while Kike worked, just made me miserable. Why are we waiting for summer to go on holiday? I actually… Read more

  • January Is a Marathon (And Sometimes You Get a Map)

    January’s hard, isn’t it? The mornings all start the same. Knocking from River, followed by the inevitable:“MUMMY.” There’s no point setting an alarm. I lie there thinking it can’t possibly be morning, it’s pitch black, but of course it is. I check my phone. He’s right. Up I get. Dragging Summer out of bed feels… Read more

  • When One Email Tips the Balance

    It’s been an interesting 24 hours, the kind that sits heavy and needs to be written out. And since that’s the purpose of this blog, that’s what I’m going to do. Yesterday, I left work and walked to collect River as usual. I was in a pretty good mood, listening to music, half-scrolling emails. Then… Read more

  • Tagging Out (But Never Leaving)

    Pyjama Days and First Weeks Back Another pyjama day and honestly, this might become a regular Saturday thing. The kids are having the best day. River loves not getting dressed. The heating is on high, the TV hasn’t been off and we’ve had loads of snacks and cuddles. Sometimes this is exactly what we all… Read more

  • The day before we go back

    It’s the day before we go back.Back to routine. Back to work, school, nursery.Back to after-school clubs, figuring out dinner, birthday parties at the weekend.Back to reality. It’s been a good Christmas because we didn’t do it. The second part of the week has been more challenging. River being out of routine is a bit… Read more

  • Looking Back, Gently

    So it’s that time of year when we’re all encouraged, or forced to reflect on the last twelve months. Spotify Wrapped, Instagram reels, Facebook memories. All quietly reminding us what 2025 held, for better or worse. I asked my lot what they wanted to achieve in 2026. Kike said, “Make money.” (Always.)Summer said, “Eat more,”… Read more

  • Bye Bye, Holiday Home

    The last day was fairly muted. River had decided he wanted to go home and spent most of it saying “bye bye holiday.” We went to the playground where he fell off the zip wire, spectacularly. I felt awful for laughing once I realised he’d genuinely hurt his knee. There was a brief attempt at… Read more

  • Christmas, Slowed Right Down

    It’s 5pm on Christmas Day and I’m back at the playground, listening to Disney tracks in Spanish. So much for a traditional Christmas. I woke up at 4am and put a few little presents at the end of each of their beds. I was awake again by 7, convinced Summer must be up but no.8.30am,… Read more