Baby Steps: Back into the Fray

Lift one foot, then the other. Add a smug smile ;)

Having just spent the last 36 hours or so intermittently dozing, sleeping, breastfeeding, attempting to entertain mini-me (everyone says she's just like me), dozing and sleeping some more, reading, cleaning up baby sick, breastfeeding some more... I am now emerging like a startled rabbit back into the real world again. Or attempting to, might be a better turn of phrase. In reality my brain still seems to be far off in the depths of mingled, disjointed dreams whilst my body continues onwards into the thrust of everyday life.


I'm not sure what the issue is this year; I (and the family) have been ill more times than in the last few years put together. I suppose 2 years of deprived sleep will do that on it's own, nevermind the myriad other stresses and difficulties.


When I get ill my brain often goes into overdrive during all that sleeping and dozing, so it very rarely ends up being restful sleep. The result is a feeling of bleary fractiousness and despondency where I struggle to deal with the world at large and feel the need to retreat into a dark hole for the rest of my days... The challenge is to to turn around my thoughts before they solidify and stagnate. To anyone else in my position I would say "Get out in the fresh air"; "Go see a friend"; "Do some yoga"; "Bake a tasty treat for yourself" or all of the above. But I am at heart a total hypocrite and all of those things seem as impossible to me right now as putting on a pair of running shoes and going for a jog (with or without mini-me, anyone who knows me knows I am not a runner!).


I have taken much heart today from one of my favourite blogs, Dreaming Aloud. Lucy, who I recently interviewed for the post of Super Woman, has been such an inspiration to me as a mother, creative and all-round sensitive person. Her posts on her "highly sensitive family" have really touched me this week and I hope to take a little of that candid positivity and put it to good use - for myself, for my own family, and for the little bubble that is my world, and all inside it.


One day I may break out of the bubble and spread the goodness both near and far. But for now baby steps are very much the order of the day.

Famous Five Friday

It's been a tough week at Earthly HQ. Father Earthly has been down with man flu, and Mother Earthly has been somewhat burnt out. Meanwhile Baby Earthly no. 1 has been his usual charming but slightly silly sensitive self, and baby Earthly no. 2 has been drinking all the milk.

It's times like this one wishes we had doctors like we used to. You know the sort - "oh a week in the Alps is what you need. Plenty of bed rest, good hearty food and envigorating mountain air. And someone to look after you." If only such a thing were available on the NHS!

Perhaps rather tellingly Father Earthly has been reduced to re-reading Five Get into a Fix (the one where they're all ill and must repair to a nice Welsh Farmhouse to recuperate) whilst I have just finished Chalet School instalment number 25 or so (The Chalet School and the Island) in which Jo tells of a marvellous little place for burnt-out mothers called Penny Rest. In fact, I was so enraptured by the idea I almost tried looking it up on Google. If only!

Nevermind. We can always use literature to escape. And special mention must also go this week to Camberwick Green which has been keeping baby no. 1 quiet whilst none of us have had the energy to play with him! Beautiful. They just don't make entertainment like they used to!

Now I'm off to curl up with a nice cup of tea and Peggy of the Chalet School...

Happy Friday everyone!