Sunday’s Fostering Blog
It’s Mother’s Day today! There is always that very small glimpse in the back of your mind that hopes today will be different, that today will be an extraordinary day, without the usual shenanigans and dramas. It was fair to say that for most of the day it has been really lovely. Lauren and Annie have gone out of their way to make sure that today I have been celebrated. Yesterday, they went out with Charlie to buy cards and very thoughtful gifts. When I woke up this morning they have prepared a lovely breakfast, my favourite of fresh coffee and croissant’s with apricot jam. After breakfast we went to church and then Charlie had booked a table in a local Italian restaurant
As usual when out with Alice, she is hyper alert; on the lookout for any attention that can be got from anywhere and anyone. We knew that going out today she would get quite a lot of attention. This is a usual thing, but today she was in her new wheelchair with shiny new wheels with butterfly pictures on the spoke guards. Somehow this mini wheelchair draws in a lot of attention, and Alice laps it up.
Charlie encouraged me strongly not to take the battle of food on today, so I took a deep breath and ignored what went on at the dinner table and tried enjoyed my meal. En route home we went to visit my Nana who lives in a local care home. Again, Alice was the centre of attention. She managed to draw in a crowd within minutes. Even though the older girls understand what is going on, it is always hard for Lauren and Annie on the sidelines being ignored again. Charlie and I however give them the attention they really crave. Unlike Alice they don’t actually need the attention of strangers, it’s those that are closest to them that they need. I take them off for a few minutes into the garden and we go see the chickens that live in the grounds. Lauren can’t help herself but run around after the chickens, finally getting one in her hands to hold and pet. Not sure the chicken was quite so please about this as Lauren was!
After an hour we return home and watch a movie together it was lovely having time together before bedtime and that’s when the antics began. Alice didn’t want to go to bed. She was upset about the clock change and didn’t think it was fair. I didn’t really want to get into a debate about the merits of the daylight saving hour, so I took her to bed in a grump. Tomorrow will be a new day and she will have forgotten all about it. It’s fair to say that some days bedtime cannot come soon enough! Am always so grateful that once Alice goes to bed she is a good sleeper. We still get some of the evening to enjoy together before the older two go to bed. And we know we can look forward to a fresh start tomorrow!!
A Less Ordinary Family Foster Care Blog
