I had great ambitions tonight of getting the younger three in bed to watch Phantom of the Opera. But I’m sitting in the boys bedroom listening to Micah whispering ‘five little monkeys jumping on the bed’ to himself instead. He intermittently jumps up and looks around, at which point I growl ‘lie down!’ in a stern tone. And he goes back to singing. I should have known my ambitions for bedtime were doomed, when I asked him to pick a book and he collected up the entire Little Miss collection, and one by one picked them up, looked at them, and threw them on the floor. Finally he picked up the one I had just finished reading to Theo, and said ‘I pick this one!’

Bedtime fun aside, today was good. I don’t know what the formula to a good day is, but I’m grateful for them. Maybe I lowered my standards. I looked at the piles of clothes in my bedroom waiting to be sorted out and walked downstairs. I was given a baby doll to look after, so I dutifully did that very well, sitting down so I could give baby ‘Nothing’ my full attention. Micah’s imaginative name choice doesn’t give the poor baby much self esteem.

In an organised and enthusiastic moment I bought a tuff tray to keep the sand/play doh fiascos more contained. The play doh immediately got chopped up, put on plates, and went into the toy oven. I don’t think I achieved my aim.

After a brief stint where Theo and Micah were tormenting Maddie and I helped her hide whilst Liam took them out in the rain to see the river, we FaceTimed Grandma, Grandad and the aunties. This always buys me a bit of peace because the kids run off with my phone and talk rubbish to my family. And my family seem eager to play – pretending to eat play doh cakes through the screen, being offered drinks, and singing various songs. It appears everyone is going as mad as each other, so I’m hopeful that we’ll all be equal in craziness once we’re free. Although I think I’ll win for the greatest increase in grey hairs.

A little later I was on the phone to Esther, an old style phone call with no screens, which completely threw Micah, who insisted on shouting ‘Esty! Look at me!’ as he did tricks on my bed. Whilst we were chatting I suddenly realised Alexa was playing Bob the Builder, clearly under Micah’s instruction. He left the room and I was left sitting listening to the Wheels on the Bus. I remember being horrified that Toby could use a touch screen-having my music dictated by a three year old is a whole other level.

Maddie needed a bit of space from the boys today so I dug out an embroidery kit I’d put away, and taught her how to back stitch. She got it straight away, and absolutely loved it. I had to convince her to have a break for lunch because her fingers were aching.

Micah’s been missing his Friday gymnastics where he burns off a lot of energy, so he had an impromptu handstand session, in which Theo and Toby both decided to start crawling under his legs, much to all of their amusement. Micah called me to the toilet earlier, and said ‘I’ve done a huge poo! Like you-you’re huge!’ I didn’t know whether to be offended at being huge, or glad I’m not a poo?

Toby and Liam decided to have a go at hydro-dipping, practising on a bottle and then doing an impressive job with a spud gun. I’m a little concerned that any of my belongings may now be deemed too boring and turn up randomly painted in neon patterns. And of course the other issue with this particular activity is that Toby is now in possession of a spud gun. Much to his sisters’ despair.

After lunch the boys picked their chill out movie and Maddie and I sat together whilst she finished her rainbow and I carried on with my crochet. I often feel bad when people suggest giving your children one to one time every day. That just isn’t possible when you’re on crowd control, but it definitely makes those moments sweeter and more special when you can achieve them.

Warning: there are images below that may be a trigger if you are of a sensitive nature and prefer order to be maintained. These pictures are not Instagram friendly…

But perhaps part of the reason for the calmer day was me just relaxing over the house. In reality, it took no longer to tidy up than on a day where I’m stressed about it. I’d like to say I’ve learnt from this, but no doubt in a few days I’ll have another moment about the state of the place and how no one else cares. I’m sure they’ll all continue to look blankly at me and the great order/disorder cycle will continue. For today, though, I accepted the mess in favour of peace. And it was good.

And whilst Megan and Maisie let Maddie and Micah run riot in their bedroom, Theo had great fun watching the mixer going round. Cheaper than a tv license and almost as entertaining. Especially when he worked out how to speed it up. Can you over beat batter for toad in the hole?!

Whilst I cooked I was preparing for watching the Phantom, so called up some YouTube numbers. I found myself somehow falling down a YouTube rabbit hole involving Gerard Butler (not sorry), the Pogues, and Ellie Goulding. It’s amazing where YouTube can take you.

I did eventually get my smallest to go to sleep, and we continued the older one’s musical education. Liam and I sang beautifully, the girls appreciated it, Toby is perhaps slightly traumatised. And I’m wondering if it’s too risky to buy tickets for December?

I hope these are the days we’ll remember when life starts to get back to it’s busyness. These gentle days, of making and sitting together and watching new things. Of slowing life down and choosing to sit and play. I’m not very good at it, but this is an opportunity that has been given to us, and I pray I’ll learn from the slower days, to remember what is important.

I was thinking about 1 Corinthians 13 earlier, the famous verses on love.

3 ‘If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things’. – 1 Corinthians 13:3-7

More than ever, I’ve been give the opportunity to love those closest to me. Some days that’s going to require a commitment and decision and supernatural help. But it will be worth it. Because love never fails. And what I invest in my family now in these days will last, because love never ends.