We have a bake!

Well my friends, I have actually managed to make a cake this week. Admittedly in an embarrassing number of stages and it took me all day but I did it. There wasn't even a recipe to follow. It was one of those..."what do I have, what can I make" tray bakes and involved apples, cinnamon, walnuts and sugar. It's a bit dry and over-baked in a kind of a Paul Hollywood critical sort of way. Just needs a splash of cream..oh go on then. But heck, I managed to bake a cake and I am celebrating that fact. Ching Ching.

On the LBM front, he's OK.  It's been up and it's also been a bit 'Pete Tong' but then that's parenting for you, I guess. The Fraigs visit went fairly well. He was a little overwhelmed by their boys but I think he handled it all right actually. Especially as they played with all his toys. Right there in front of him. It was so lovely to see them. And listening to their tales of the boys Christmas morning excitement was just so special. Such a shame they don't live closer. But it was good to quiz Mrs Fraig over the logistics and the highs and lows of having two siblings 11 months apart. We still have lots to think about on the Jellytot front. Mrs Fraig, like us, has no family nearby to fall back on. Just something to add to the mix of thoughts and emotions.

LRUN is back to work today and now won't see LBM until Friday night. But he's going to go into his room tonight when he gets home and say goodnight anyway. I have photos of him in his toy box and we look at them often saying 'That's Dadda, he's at work. He'll be home soon.' Whether it works or not, who knows but I'm going with that for now. I can't wait to get back into the routine we had before. And to be honest, I think LBM is desperate for it. His regular toddler groups. Just being out the house and doing our usual stuff. Seeing the usual folk. Yes, we have friends but these friends have lived here for years and they all had family commitments over the festive season and so we never saw any of them. Our families are so far away that unless we travel, we never see them. Something social services always mentioned but I never realised, until now, the significance of. So, the tree is packed away, the decorations are boxed up, the Poinsettia needs watering and we are ready for a new year with new beginnings.