Butterfly kisses...

Although we had a party on saturday for Avalon's first birthday we decided to wait tunil the Monday to give her our gifts and blow out the candles on (another) cake.

Along with some bits and bobs we had bought her; clothing, an art crayon roll... we wanted to get her 1 big gift from us. Something she would always have from her Mum & Dad...

We decided on a dolls house.

THIS dolls house.

We got this one from eBay and I absolutely love it! Firstly that it is wooden, secondly that it is preloved, thirdly that it is intended for little hands and last but nowhere near least... it was a bargain!

We picked it up a few weeks ago from a beautiful manor house in Reading and being that Avalon has slept with us we kept it hidden from her in the nursury.

Her birthday morning she loved playing with it, and I am sure as her imagination develops she will get much joy out of it as well. Oh yeah, I think it is pretty darn neat too.

Deja vu

I preface this blog with the fact that I absolutely ADORE my life as I have known it for the past 12 months.
I wouldn't change it for the world, and enjoy my Avalon filled days; we play, we walk, we eat together (I eat, she plays with food) We enjoy loooong (and sometimes very short) milky cuddles and we see our friends. But last week we had a 'shake up' to that routine.

Between the hours of 8am and 6pm, Tuesday and Wednesdays, I don my best pressed trousers, high heels (after the Chuck Taylor's), a good slap of makeup and I become 'K D. .....- Office Worker.'

Yeah... ok, that doesn't sound so great...but hear me out.

So last week I started back at work two days a week. It was/is incredibly hard to leave 'A' on a Tuesday mornings but I am hoping as time goes on it will get a little easier- she is in trusted hands and the additional income will help our family.

I won't lie, there is a part of me that relishes the time also, particularly the to and from work commute. It affords me the opportunity to make more time for two things I haven't done as much of in the past 12 months... listen to music and taking some time out to read.

Ok, yes, the music part is pretty easy and we can do that at home, but plug in my iPod and turn the volume up so loud it probably bothers fellow commuters? No... I can't do that at home with 'A'.

I love getting lost in the song; blocking out all else around and... chill....

My music selection is pretty wide and varied but this morning it was early 90's Metallica, a bit of late 80's REM and a touch of angsty Alanis Morisette.

My ideal living situation at present would be close enough that I could walk to work; a good mile or two.
I walked to work everyday for 2 years when I was living in Central London, 40 minutes each way and it was truly my mediation, even now when I listen to Metallica's S&M album I find myself figuratively transported back to Green Park in the Summer.

I relish routine (I know, weird, hey?) and my routine for the 2 days I am at work involves that commute with a coffee firmly in hand; none of this bring your own from home mess (What is the fun in that?) I figure I can treat myself to a barrista's finest...

For these fleeting moments, I am not just Mum... I am the 'me' I was pre-Mummyhood and sometimes that feels grand.

K