Today I am twenty-nine. I have had a glorious birthday, enjoying all the little pleasures the day has brought. I'm really glad I started this little blog, because it gives me the opportunity to pause and take stock. I take time to notice the moments that make each day special. I have a way of recording them, which means I revisit them as I upload the images and write about them. I genuinely think having this space to analyse and celebrate those moments has made me a happier, more fulfilled and optimistic person. Gratitude is, according to many people, the key to happiness, and I totally agree with that. So today, as I turn twenty-nine, I have tried to notice twenty-nine things I am grateful for.
1: A clear blue sky. This is extremely rare on my birthday. I actually can't remember it ever being so gloriously clear on my birthday EVER before. Rain, yes. Clouds, almost inevitably. Snow and ice, yes! But sunshine?! That really has been a treat!
2: Hanging clean laundry outside with wooden pegs that work. I'm especially grateful for the wooden pegs because all of last year I battled with plastic pegs which kept snapping into multiple pieces, which would then fall on the floor for me to step on, barefoot. This resulted in lots of crazy pained hopping around the garden, and a fair bit of cussing. So yay for wooden pegs.
3: I'm grateful that Little R is becoming independent enough to amuse himself in the garden while I clean out Honey's hutch or deal with laundry. He happily potters about looking at this and that, moving pebbles here and there. Nibbling the odd bird fat ball. Today he enjoyed sitting on wet, dew-drenched patches of the lawn watching me. That's ok. A fresh pair of trousers and all was well. That's what outdoor play is all about. It's the good kind of dirty.
4: Signs of spring all around. I'm anticipating my daffodils opening soon!
5: Baby yoga. I look forward to Tuesdays, because Little R and I go to a nearby village pavillion to enjoy baby yoga with lots of other mums and tots. It's always lovely - familiar songs and actions which the children enjoy, time to relax and play together and a cuppa and chat afterwards. Today was particularly hilarious because Little R was in explorer mode and spent the entire session charging round the room trying to push open doors, stealing shoes and attempting to remove the plug socket cover every five or so minutes. Challenging? Yes. Cute? Undoubtedly. Especially when he snuck behind the curtain and peekabooed the entire room with a smug grin. Man alive, that boy knows he is cute.
6: Peppermint tea. Delicious, leaves you with fresh breath and naturally caffeine free. A wonderful discovery.
7: After baby yoga, I'm always delighted if Little R falls asleep in the car. This means I can cook and eat lunch in peace. I mean, yes, I love to enjoy a meal with him, but now and then it's nice to just GET ON with out a toddler hanging off your leg begging for food or playtime.
8: I'm grateful that I had the patience to persevere with these chickpea patties. It isn't an easy recipe. On one particularly dark day last year I totally lost my rag with it and threw the whole lot on the floor. It was a stupid move, because then I had to clean the entire kitchen floor before making lunch again. But today, despite accidentally making the mixture up with half the required chickpeas, I bothered to correct myself, fought to beat the gooey slop into patties and cooked it up. Yummy. (I'm trying to forget that Little R refused to eat it and thus was hungry later, when all I had to offer him was ginger nut biscuits. Parenting fail.)
9: I love this patch of sunlight. From mid-morning til mid-afternoon, on sunny days, this is my favourite part of the house. It's warm. It's cosy. And I got to sit down and enjoy my lunch all by myself. Delightful.
10: I am lucky and grateful to have such good friends. I've really realised that today, as I've been treated to lovely messages from my friends and really thoughtful gifts. It's humbling to find out that my family and friends have been noticing little things that I like and storing the ideas away for my birthday. Books that I've mentioned. A new type of tea I've got addicted to. My favourite chocolates. Toys I'm childish enough to enjoy, bulbs for plants I yearn for when I see in the gardens of other people, jewellery very much in my style. I am so thankful to everyone who was kind enough to think of me.
11: A kind message in my birthday card from my smallest sister. Really made me smile.
12: Fabric. I am grateful that I live in a world with such beautiful fabric.
I'm especially grateful that my wife is kind and generous enough to give me all these gorgeous fabrics for my birthday. They are SCRUMPTIOUS. Would you like a closer look?
Of course you would! Here you go:
Ooooh - a rainbow of colours. Deliiiiiicious!
13: My poor memory. See, I picked out this beautiful bracelet and earring at THIS Christmas Fayre in December. I joked that I would have forgotten about it by my birthday. Guess what? I had! And I was overjoyed to discover that they were MINE to keep! I've been admiring my bracelet all day. I'm not ashamed to admit I feel VERY COOL in it.
14: Hobbies. I'm so grateful that I have the time and resources to enjoy hobbies. And the friends to support and encourage me. This wonderful book from my good friend Chris is chicken soup for my soul. I am SOOO inspired. I've already picked out my first project, which will involve the last beige cushion on our sofa and my new fabric. Oh, I'm plotting patchwork plots. Bwah ha ha!
15: Breastfeeding. I'm so thankful every day that I was able to carry on despite the struggles I encountered. Because when Little R wakes from a nap, confused, thirsty and too tired to eat, I can calm him down within thirty seconds. Now that IS magic.
16: My Knit and Natter group. I love that I am part of the village community, frequenting both the Toddlers group and the Knit and Natter group. Although I spend most of the two hours chasing Little R around the library, trying to bribe him with books to stay in one place long enough to crochet even one treble, I enjoy the conversation and the sharing of ideas.
... which leads me onto...
17: My friend Clare - I'm grateful for her energy and cheerful character - I feel lucky that we bumped into each other at the library that day. (I'm also grateful that she always tries to entertain Little R for a while so I can do a little crafting on a Tuesday afternoon. Also, the fact that she refers to me as her pixie friend. That makes me smile ^_^)
18: Washing machines. We cloth nappy. Enough said.
19: Pancakes. This is the second time in my life that pancake day has fallen on my birthday. What a spectacular treat. Dinner tonight was YUMMY!
20: Surprise birthday cake. I didn't expect a cake today, because neither of us had time to bake one, but Rachel produced this from her work bag - a tasty looking pecan pie which she'd acquired at lunchtime.
21-24: Comfy slippers, curtains to shut out the dark night, the radio which I sing along with and talk back to each day and our rabbit, Honey-bunny, who does make me smile quite a lot, despite constantly messing up the house.
25: A hug. Before his bath, Little R rested his head on my shoulder and lay still, tucked into my shoulder for a good minute. It was the longest he'd stayed still all day. We smiled at each other in the bathroom mirror. Moments like that make my day.
26: The Great British Sewing Bee. I'm enjoying watching it right now - how lucky am I that it is on today! Love it! I'm constantly torn, because while watching it I have to fight the desire to rush upstairs my sewing machine and sew. It's very inspiring.
27: The internet, and specifically the blogs of other people, without which I'd never have discovered the real joy of crochet, started this blog, learnt to use my camera properly, started documenting Little R's life in photos and videos better and learnt so much about parenting and myself.
28: Motherhood. How lucky I am to have fulfilled my dream to become a mother? For so long I thought it was just a dream that would never come true. So much waiting, yearning and heartache. And now, every morning I wake and snuggle close to my son. My own little boy who grew day by day inside me. It's the greatest gift anyone could ever have.
29: My wife. I am constantly humbled and astounded that Rachel has chosen me to spend her life with. She is the kindest, most constantly generous and patient woman I've ever met. She's also the smartest person I've ever met, with a wicked sense of humour. She has been more understanding of me that anyone will ever know. She makes me smile every day. Rachel, I love you to the moon and back, in a rowing boat.