NaBloPoMo 29: sunday

Tom got up with Lydia today and read her stories and then we swapped about 7.30am and I took her downstairs for breakfast. She asked for pancakes again, and carefully helped me mix together all the ingredients. Then asked me to make a bunny, a rectangle a circle one. Which I duly did and she was very pleased indeed. I also had to make a L for Lydia, M for mummy and D for daddy ones too.

Once breakfasted, we went upstairs again, having coaxed her with the promise of a shower together. Normally she hates the idea of a shower but was in to it today. Much too-ing and  fro-ing choosing her outfit for the day, she surprised me and chose a dress that had been my sister's, made by my mum. A traditional affair in tiny brown and peach sprig print on a white ground, smocked at the chest and with a ruffle collar. Worn over a t-shirt and with navy shorts and black tights with a heart motif for that 21st century toddler look.

She cowered in the corner of the shower, shrieking if the water hit her directly, but did wash her hair and the rest of herself in the drips from the run off from my hair. Then insisted on getting out before I'd finished, watching me forlornly through the cubicle in her too big towelling dressing gown whilst I washed my hair. Whilst I dressed, Lydia was pretending to be a tiger and I was phoning the zoo saying they'd lost a tiger and please could they come and pick it up whilst Tom 'hid' under the covers.

Once dressed, downstairs to watch Strictly and do jigsaw puzzles until to got to about 10am, and I took Tom's pancakes up to him. Then all off out for a walk to successfully drop off flyers for Carols on the Doorstep for Dee and unsuccessfully to pick up a poster for the Nativity trail. Lydia was very sad that Dee and Sam didn't answer their door as she 'wanted to see their faces!'

Home for lunch, vegetable sausage sandwiches today. Called my parents and had a long chat over lunch and into playtime. I went back out to successfully collect my poster again after that, and enjoyed seeing people putting together their Nativity trail displays. Tom and Lydia had been to the park and had brought me back some holly to make our advent wreath. So Lydia passed leaves to me between making smoothies in her toy kitchen whilst I put the wreath together.

Next up was putting away some clothes and some more puzzles before dinner, which we ate by candle light and fairy lights up to the dining room table today. Advent hymns on and looking at the first picture in my Art of Advent book. Felt very festive and calm which was lovely. No substitute for the usual candle lit advent service we'd normally go to, but restful. I loved watching Lydia watch the lights in the mirror.

Stories for Lydia before bed, and I did some church website admin, before joining Tom downstairs to write radio station info on my Carols on the Doorstep flyers. Bed time now!