Getting the band back together

It’s been a day. A lazy start prefaced a frenzied muffin baking session in anticipation of The Eldest’s afternoon arrival.

It was so nice to see her after our brief socially distant walk the other week. Her mum and I agreed that we were within the rules/guidance/law and on the basis that neither household had effectively been anywhere, we agreed that we could bend on the social distancing.

In a sign of the times and a clear indication of the message being hammered home, there was an initial moment of hesitation from the wee ones as they looked to me for confirmation that they could hug their big sister. Receiving the nod, they pinned her for their first cuddle in over two months. 

I won’t lie, there was a stinging sensation behind my eyes and a lump in my throat watching them embrace (I’d already got my fix at the front door).

We later had tea and cake over a zoom with my family in an early mini-celebration of her forthcoming birthday. The wee ones then whisked her off for a Mario Kart session from which there was much trash talking, fun and laughter.

The muffins were the best batch I have made to date (always struggled with getting the mix right - mix it too much and the muffins will be tight and tough, not enough and you’ve got globules, my friend) and to cap it all off I made a chicken pie and THAT went alright too! Crazy days indeed, but a long overdue hug with The Eldest, family time and some good food have made this one just that little bit easier to get through.

Stay healthy.