My Broken Heart

Today a little piece of my heart broke, my daughter, my smallest baby started school. It was hard the first time round but second and final time round it has broken my heart!

My son walked her in to school, as proud as punch to be showing his little sister the way. They ran around the playground together until it was his time to go in.

A little bit early we headed to her playground, she was desperate to get in, we were early but her amazingly lovely teacher ushered her in with a smile.  As my daughter walked into her classroom, confident and proud, I knew her journey in school life had begun and she was as ready as she'd ever be.

It's funny, our school isn't classed as 'Outstanding' but the teachers have been amazing and I cannot wait for her to grow as my son has, she already had so many stories to tell and she's only been there a day.

I kissed her and left, having expected to stay for half an hour I felt a little forlorn, lost and sad that she didn't need me. As tears streamed down my face her teacher said I could stay, but I knew my daughter wouldn't need me, her teacher smiled and told my husband to take me for a cup of tea, we laughed and I walked across the playground with the tears rolling at an ever faster pace.

We got back to the car and my husband went to work, I chatted to another mum for a few minutes and then got back into my car, I sat and sobbed for ages, finally pulling myself together to drive to see my old next door neighbour for a few hours.

When I got home the house was quiet, normally there is someone in the house but no noise was strange, even when I am up before everyone else there is a creak or snore. For the last four and a half years my daughter has been with me Monday to Wednesday and it felt lonely. I know it will change, I will work more and i'll have things to occupy me but oh my heart aches.

I adore my children, they are kind beyond words and I couldn't be more proud of these wonderful little people. My heart will always ache but I will enjoy the time I have with them more, those special moments will be more special.

Here is to all those parents going through the same this week.

Cooking with Mother - Ladybird Tuesday

I saw this fabulous link up over on Being Mrs Cs blog last week and decided I would link up today with a recent purchase of a fabulous ladybird book.

Cooking with Mother is a wonderful book which goes through step by step how to make several simple  dishes, with instructions for what is in the kitchen to ingredients and how to make the dish.

I really think we should bring books like this back to give out in schools, not to just borrow but to keep.

With childhood obesity on the rise and so many children not even knowing what or where a carrot comes from I think books like this need to come back into fashion!

Who doesn't love a cheese and pineapple hedgehog?

I love this idea, if only I could get my son to eat tomatoes in any other form than tomato ketchup.

I love the ladybird series and think they should bring them back...in book form not as an app, reading is becoming such a thing of the past and I often wonder whether children really appreciate books and what they stand for.

I find it much easier to follow a recipe from a book than from a computer screen, but maybe that is just me?

I love finding books like this and reminiscing over the past whilst thinking about how it could help the future ;)