Well here we are again, week 13 and heading for Midsummer. Another new week, another weekend passed.

Saturday was a leisurely start, with some serious equine play to start.

Followed by mid-morning art lessons with Toby. They produced some magnificent pictures of pizzas and unicorns, everything they hold dear.

We decided to risk the possible showers and go for a walk in the afternoon. Despite this idyllic picture, the path was heaving with walkers and cyclists, so it all felt a bit stressful to begin with.

Once we wandered off the main path we found the less populated parts, with the tempting river for those in wellies. Despite Theo’s best efforts at wading in to swing from the vine, I managed to keep my eagle eyes on him and foil his plans.

Obviously there were ructions. The oppositional child had a strop every time we had to choose which way to go, because he was adamant that we pick the other one. There were arguments surrounding the Saturday Marvel film watching, when an older sister discovered we weren’t watching them in the recommended order, which was horrifying to the rule keeper. But this of course upset the order-chooser, who was adamant there were no ill motives of only watching their favourites at work.

At which point I considered suggesting that we scrap the whole thing as I could think of much better ways to spend my Saturday evening. However I knew that would be unthinkable in the already tense atmosphere.

So we managed some mediation and negotiations, and wandered out into the open field.

Where suddenly everyone was friends again and Theo stole a sister’s phone and shouted ‘selfie!!!’ at them all.

Then we made our way back, with a couple of crying children and seriously holding up both the speed and the peace of the people behind us.

We agreed we would slot back into the Marvel watching plan as best we could, and so the evening’s entertainment was Captain Marvel. It held my attention a little more than the previous films have, which could have been the plot or it could have been Jude Law. Liam suspected the latter, but I could neither confirm nor deny these accusations.

Sunday started with a stack of pancakes, and a table set by Maddie, who completely surprised me with her attention to detail including table mats and actually setting the knives and forks out. Given the normal table ‘throw it all one table setting standards here, I felt this moment should be documented.

The children’s Bible story this week was the Last Supper, and I found some cute play doh mats for them to create it with. Given that this was Micah’s, I think his special meal at the bottom there might have been crafted by someone else. I noticed Liam was looking quite pleased with himself.

As Jesus, the Servant King, had washed the disciples feet at the Last Supper, we also did a little hand washing activity, and told each other things we loved about that person whilst we washed their hands. The sensory seekers absolutely loved this, and insisted on moving on to feet washing too. Theo was especially engrossed in this activity, enthusiastically telling Maisie how much he loves her ‘shiny teeth and weird eyes’.

I think she was grateful.

I spent a portion of the weekend making mini garden birds. Because what else needs doing on a lockdown weekend?! I think Liam’s nervous about the growing numbers of crocheted creatures he’s being surround by, and may start petitioning the government to lift lockdown on those grounds alone.

And now we’re back to Monday again. I feel more positive at the start of this week. I don’t know why, but I’m grateful. My learners still took a bit of persuasion, but we made frog week maths into jumping on lily pads and that seemed to help a little.

Tonight I was out running, on week 6 of couch to 5k. I was feeling ok on the run, once I got through the first five minutes of everything hurting.

And then I saw ‘her’. You know the one. She was confidently running along, with her tall and slender frame wearing Lycra shorts and a cropped top, her black ponytail swishing magnificently, across the road from me. I was the red sweaty mess, my mum tum sucked into my years old Aldi middle aisle running gear, my short frame never looking elegant, especially not with lockdown hair and absolutely never when running.

And I felt all the comparisons and inadequacies rise up, and then I remembered. I don’t know her story. She might have been running every day for a decade whilst I’ve been eating brownies and chasing toddlers.

I think it can be easy in lockdown to glance around and feel inadequate or jealous of someone else’s perceived experiences or successes. But we’re all just plodding through this in the places we’re in, on our own couch to 5k quarantine life. Walking sometimes, running effortlessly some days, dragging our weary bodies and tired minds along on other days. There are the days no one sees, the hard and lonely ones, as well as the garden camping successes, or the bake off delights.

It just made me think, let’s keep being kind. To ourselves, to others. It’s proving to be a long slow journey, and we need patience and encouragement and to recognise it’s different for everyone, but we’re all the same too. And we’re not alone in it. There is grace for today, and hope for tomorrow.

‘Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.’ – Ephesians 4:32