Today, when the house was quiet after waving the children off to school and I had some time to sit down with a mug of tea, I flicked through the text chat my daughter and I had shared this morning. It gave me all the feels, it had been one of those light, easy and smooth mornings, everyone happy and packed off to school on time. I appreciate those mornings as its not always like that and the pressure to get everyone out by 7.40am can be stressful, noisy and messy with a taxi arriving and a bus to catch.

The wearing of a coat for school has been one of those arguments that has gone on for the years my daughter has been at secondary school. My daughter likes to think that a blazer with a short sleeve blouse is an all weather look! So I was pleasantly surprised when she agreed to wear it without argument this morning and even more so when I got a text as a thank you. I love the way the conversation developed, her creation of the word wintinal, my mum inspired photo shop and her reaction.

With my current post op recovery, I’ve felt a pretty rubbish mum in the past few weeks. Half term was pretty dull with none of our normal visits and treats. I can’t go upstairs, so no tucking the children in their beds, I’m pretty much house bound, I can’t drive, so my daughter’s boyfriend’s family had to make a 30 mile detour so she could accompany them on his birthday treat last weekend, I really miss not being able to take my son to the skate park or for a hot chocolate at the local cafe. I know I’m no fun at present, so the text chat was a little reminder that a little silliness helps us all.