The Gallery - Mother Love

My first Mother's Day without my Mum wasn't any sadder for me than any day in the last few months. I didn't really think it would be, because in my experience grief doesn't really work like that.  A good friend told me it isn't easy to know how to grieve.  I think that's very true, and that sometimes people expect you to grieve in certain ways and at certain times, and it doesn't always follow.

I had a small wobble on Friday as opted out of Interflora's email reminder system for Mother's Day, which annoyed me as I know my mum found the commercial side of Mother's Day completely bemusing.

Perhaps it helped that we spent Mother's Day on a campsite. It  reminded me of the things that I enjoy best about being a mum, the things that my mum enjoyed too.  Being outdoors, playing in the sun, chasing chickens, tickling cats, waiting expectantly by rabbit holes, fishing with sticks, spying wildflowers, collecting stones and feathers and making pretend campfires.  My mum taught me to love nature and I am passing that lesson on.

I can't watch my children and not think of me and my little brother, we share the same birth order, the same age gap.  I watched my two play and thought about all the fun we had with mum.  While they were busy playing I picked some tiny wild flowers in her memory.

Then we returned to the caravan to a fry up cooked by Mr A.  

It was good to have a little bit of time and space to reflect on Sunday.  And to find a way to feel close to my family and my mum away from the hype.   As we drove back into suburbia there were lots of families spilling out of restaurants, all dressed up, carrying helium balloons and bouquets.  Maybe another year I'll be up for that, but this year simple was perfect.

Ths week The Gallery theme is Mother Love

Heaven is being stuck in a tin can, in a muddy field, with my family

Five of my very favourite things.  Can you spot them? 

We went away in the caravan this weekend.  It rained nearly non stop, probably because it was half term.  But we had a great time.  It was a weekend of simple pleasures.  I love our caravan, it's where we go to recharge and reconnect as a family and escape suburbia.  I know there are cynics who say being trapped in a tin box, with your nearest and dearest, over a wet weekend, sounds like hell.  But it works perfectly for us.  In fact I think it has made a huge difference to our life as a family.

Looking for the blue sky

After a day out exploring somewhere new, I love being tucked up under my tartan rug with three of my favourite people, admiring the view out if the window or listening to the sound of rain on the roof.  Small pleasures that go a long way.  We have tried tent camping and a campervan, but with small children, and the amount we wanted to get away, a caravan was the ideal solution.

The caravan has brought us closer as a family.  When you are living in a small space you talk about things more, you are physically closer, you notice the little things about each other's lives and you have to be more patient.  You have to be organised, but then possessions are minimal and so much less distracting than at home.  Being in the outdoors recharges your batteries, as does a simple change of scene.  Caravan living is a learning curve and it takes adjustments to make the most of it, but I think it is a very worthwhile mindset.

This weekend we got together with family at Titesworth Reservior.  After a long lunch in the cafe overlooking the reservoir, the rain finally gave in and the sun came out.  All six kids, dressed for mud, ran round chasing balls, rolled down hills and collected sticks to make pretend campfires.   There's a different mentality when we are caravanning, we have more adventures, explore more, we say 'pah' to bad weather stopping us from playing.

Initially I posted the picture above of Mr G and the window pane, as my Silent Sunday.  But then I decided this one sums up my Sunday better. 

cat girl

Ok I admit there was a simultaneous tantrum when they both got back to the 'van cold, wet and muddy, but how much did they enjoy snuggling back under the blankets again when we got back.



Ok, so it's not quite the vintage Cath Kidson caravan of my dreams yet, but it's so cosy.

Lo and behold I just visited Tara's The Gallery and the theme this week is simple pleasures.  It depends which side of the camping fence you sit on, but for me it's full of simple pleasures.

Silent Sunday

Listography - Top 5 places

Kate Takes 5 has a fab linky called Listography. The theme this week is top five places. I'm going to struggle here as I haven't travelled anywhere near as much as I would like. So there may be a few cheats.

1. Our Caravan.

(I'm a caravanner and proud - Top Gear get lost, ironically Mr A is watching an episode where they ridicule caravans as I type).  It's taken us to so many places, most of them very local. But give me waterproofs, wellies, countryside, my family followed by snuggling up in the caravan, the whistling kettle, hot chocolate, my tartan rug, a film, popcorn and anywhere could be my top place.

Our caravan antics, just like this

2. Brighton.

I lived here for a summer as a student working as a chambermaid at The Grand Hotel, and again for 2 years with Mr A before we had kids. It's leftie, seedy, bohemian, cultured, veggie friendly, green and by the sea. Everything my current suburban locale isn't.  Grrrrr!

Saltdean beach, down the road from Brighton

3. New Brunswick Canada

We went their on honeymoon to discover Mr A's birthplace. Kayaking around loads of tiny islands amongst seals was my favourite bit. Quebec and Montreal rocked too, Canada is just a very cool place.

4. Bewilderwood is my top family place to visit. 
It's a theme park in Norfolk without the tack, the only one that as an adult has made me feel the magic behind the theme.  The only one where the whole family can do everything together (even the nearly 2 yo took part and I saw lots of grandparents).

5.  Bed
Tops them all as a place to visit. And it's the one room in our house where (in my opinion) our complete lack of interior decorating nous failed.


Butterfly themed bedroom

Go and check out the other lists, I'm looking forward to adding some more places to my list. Click the picture below to visit Kate's top blog (ooops that's 6 top places to visit sorry).