Days Like This

“Well, my mama told me, there’ll be days like this.”  She’s not wrong, Van Morrison’s mama.

When I woke up Tuesday morning, the day didn’t start too great.  For starters I had a headache and felt strangely, hideously hung-over.

If I’m going to feel like this, I remember thinking, I want to see several empty bottles of wine when I go downstairs.

It being a school day, that wasn’t going to happen.

Then Smallest Boy, having been freed from the confines of his cot, came wandering in, tights clutched in his hand.

I got a big forehead touch and a nose rub before he proceeded to scramble in beside me.  I was then treated to a “go” of his tights which involved having them rubbed along my nose and cheek.  His little way of sharing his comforter with me.

The headache lingered until I finally gave in and took a pain killer.  After that everything just perked right up.

Every cloud has a silver lining and my headache had a lovely, glittery edge.

Because I had been feeling so awful I decided to do just what needed doing.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.

So I took a moment.  Actually I took lots of them!

I drank cups of ginger and zesty lemon tea.  I ate scrambled eggs.

I went for a walk around the garden. 

Smallest Boy was having a decadent early morning nap and Lovely Liam tagged along with me.  We walked amongst the swooping, chattering swallows and kept an eye out for ladybirds.  They are definitely not as plentiful as they were last month.

We went back inside and I made some mini-buns.  The recipe yields around 30 so I put some aside for Lovely Liam to take to school that afternoon.

We watched The Gruffalo.  A gorgeous half hour of animated loveliness and we made a pretty good attempt at reciting the lines ourselves.

Shy Boy came home from school and ran straight into my arms for a hug. 

He had homework for the first time since going back to school and because Oldest Boy was on a play date, he had me all to himself.  He took out his pencil and work sheet and we sat together for ten, Zen minutes as he finished his obair bhaile. 

The day could not have been as chilled had I put in a personal request.  Fights were few and far between.  I had one less school run to do, the one that is usually the most stressful as sometimes I need to wake Smallest Boy and I really, really dislike this.

I believe your body sends you little signals, advising you, encouraging you to slow down and take it easy.  If you don’t listen to them, they get more persistent.

Mine was only a headache.  But I never get headaches.  It was my second one in three days.

I’m glad I listened.  I could have gone hell for leather after taking pain relief but I chose not to.

I’m glad I listened.