Little Pleasures

In my last post, didn't everything look so idyllic and cosy? And truthfully for that particular snap of our day, yes it was. It was very cosy and idyllic indeed. Yes it was warm and peaceful and intimate and creative and accomplished. And quiet. Yeah. I felt like I was reeeeeally doing great.

Today, not quite the same. Lots of griping and crying (no, not me, although I did consider it briefly), lots of pacing and soothing and cuddling and rubbing and patting and shhhhshing and harumphing and moaning and complaining (yes, that was all me that time). You know how it is. Baby is tired, oh-so-tired, but baby has a devil of a tummy ache. Baby cries, baby gets even more tired, baby cries some more. Baby finally drifts off into an exhausted, fitful sleep, only to wake up ten minutes later with that devil of a tummy ache again. And so we go back to the pacing and soothing and cuddling and rubbing and patting and shhhhshing.

Days like these are challenging for sure, and I am trying oh-so-hard to see the good in them, to try and minimize the harumphing and moaning and complaining. On days like these I make a point of seeking out the Little Pleasures in life, the simple rituals that I know will soothe my soul.

I find a cup of tea helps enormously. If in doubt, go make a cup of tea. And yes why not have a little bit of something sweet on the side? Essential in times of need. Sit a while in the Big Chair in the light of the bay window, sip tea and think calm thoughts. Breeeeaaaathe. It will be Ok. Keep Calm and Carry On.

At the tail end of a long and challenging day, a lovely, blissful soak in a hot, deep bubble bath works wonders. Oh how I look forward to this point in my day! Do you like the look of my new stripy flannel there, aren't the colours just so perfectly Attic24-ish? A gift to me from the lovely Heather, do you know her? She writes a lovely blog called Little Tin Bird, lots of b-e-a-utiful hooky goodness goes on over there you know.

The rather posh Clarins bath soak was also a gift from my lovely neighbour a few doors down at number 18. The same lovely neighbour who kindly took me and my three offspring in yesterday afternoon when I managed to forget my keys and lock us all out of number 24. You can imagine my face can't you, arriving home from school with two tired, hungry school children and one hungry, cying baby, putting my hand in my pocket and finding a one-pence piece, a hairslide, an old button and some snotty tissue, but no keys. Arrggghhhhhhhhh!! Yes my friends, we are having excatly that kind of week.

 

And lastly, possibly one of my biggest Little Pleasures at this time is my bed. Ahhhhhh my sweet, sweet, blissful, scrumptious bed, how I Love You! I'm not going to admit to you quite how many times a day I fantasise about my bed, but it's a lot. I go upstairs to fetch something and gaze longingly at the crumpled unmade bedding and my wonderful crumpled crochet blanket.

Some days (yesterday was one of them) I decide that for the good of my health I just HAVE to have some afternoon sleep. And instead of opting for a quick power nap on the sofa I decide to go the whole hog and take myself upstairs to bed. I have to time it right, have to wait until Little B is at the point of drifting off for some deep afternoon shuteye, then I take him upstairs to carry out his zzzzzzz in the above location. And in I climb too, and off I drift....ahhhhh, something so delicously naughty about getting in to bed in the middle of the day, but oh so good! 

So now I've written this post and I've thought about how lovely and reassuring and soothing these Little Pleasures are, and I think this :: life is not so bad. Could be a whole lot worse. I mean, despite our topsy turvy morning, Little B is now (finally) sound asleep and I am (finallY) enjoying a snippet of me-time. And I'm about to go make myself another cup of tea. With a chocolate biscuit to the side.

Actually, I think I'll make that two biscuits.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Comments

[Patty]

here I go again! I love those colors! I just saw the afghan on your bed and I will try to make it too with or without a pattern since it's all granny squares it should be easy to do. Patty

[Jillian]

Hi Lucy! :)

Take a look at the picture at this link...I think it will make you smile.
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/01/keep_calm_and_carry_yarn.html

Good luck with everything, and thank you for being one of the little pleasures in my life! <3

[Janet]

Can I just say that when my son suffered with colic, I found that my drinking chamomile tea worked wonders. It must have come through with the breast milk and settled his tummy. I love your blog.

[nintendo ds r4 card]

Hello
This is a nice post.According to me people should find little pleasure in life to become more happy.Thanks for such good post.

[George (Me!)]

ha ha, love that cup, I've got one too!!! Says it all don't you think. Stiff upper lips are so frowned upon these days, but really nothing like a bit of back bone at times.
It will get easier, I promise.
xxxxxxxxx

[borboleta serrana]

Sou eu outra vez, o meu email é fevereiro5@hotmail.com

[borboleta serrana]

Apaixonei-me por esta colcha:)) Será que podia partilhar as Instruções para eu tentar fazer uma?!
obrigada
Sofia

[Pernickitywitch]

Have you seen this months Livingetc? Fab stripy sofa on the cover (v v v expensive, but I have a plan!) and stripes stripes stripes inside. Has given me a great idea for crochet stripey "curtain" panels.....pw x

[hill upon hill]

Oh yes, there is nothing like those days of early baby and add in little people as well....but there is nothing like those days when your simple pleasures as you have described are so good...Enjoy them.....when you are up and running again with no little baby, will you go and snuggle in your lovely bed?

[Victoria]

Good for you with the tea, cake and daytime naps. I was just the same when number 3 came along, think its the only way I got through it. Very funny too that one of my neighbours bought me the exact same Clarins as a post baby gift for mum and the smell now takes me back to those strange and lovely early baby days. The link will be there forever in smell memories (not that I can afford Clarins smellies on a regular basis, but still!). Keep it up lovely, you're doing a grand job and blogging too! Now that was something I didn't really manage too much of.......

[PinkCat]

Sounds like you are doing so well with 3 little people. Enjoy your 'me' time. x

[nora halim]

oh poor baby... i hope he's ok now.. and take a lot of rest for yourself after the baby's ok... take care..

[Mihaela]

dear Lucy,
I simply don't know how can you manage alone....It is so much to do with three little children...I know that sometimes the sleep is so needful that give pain...So, the old advise "When baby sleep, mother sleep, too", is very useful at least sometimes...
Good luck!
My best thoughts for you!

[Lisa Hafey]

Never mind - half trm hols are just about upon us!

[Marie]

Ahhh, I remember those whirlwind days of grouchies and sleeping and grouchies and grabbing afternoon naps so well. I always seemed to find that I could never get to the bottom of a cup of tea while it was still hot though. Glad you're carving out a few moments of "me" time. It's the only way to keep the mummy brain sane!

xMx

[Claire Hilton]

I have great sympathy for babes with colic after suffering with bouts of it from age 16!! my eldest was terrible till my natropath gave me a product called baby tea basically a mix of herbs etc including chamomile I cannot stress enough how well it works I put my second on it from birth no probs at all I give it as my present to all new mums with a quilt :) your local health shop should have something similar seriously would be worth asking but good luck & keep having you time ps I still sometimes go to bed in the afternoon especially when Ive been up since 4:30 works for me :)

[Ulli]

Well done, Lucy!! Wishing you any more afternoon naps and alot oft cup of tees in between naps - and always a sweet treat aside it!!! Love, Ulli from Berlin

[siona]

Pequeños y deliciosos placeres ....
un abrazo,
SIONA

[corinna]

ahhh tea, a bath a short warm nap......good for you

one day your sweet liitle boy will be a teenager and sleep til noon and you will wonder if these days were ever real.....

enjoy and happy stitches

[susan]

I do love your mug. Some days we need to be reminded to keep calm, take a deep breath, or two, and carry on.

[Liz]

Motherhood - hard work, but good work... Mine are now nearly 6 and 2, and I am glad the colicky business is over, but that newborn smell is to die for! (is it wrong if I still sneakily sniff my little fellas heads and get nostalgic??)

With love and hugs and cups of virtual tea and biscuits from Melbourne.

(Have been lurking for ages - time to come out of the shadows!) xx

[Val]

Just found your blog and looked at the crochet review..now that's what I call a colour fix...lovely THANK YOU...I shall obviously now have to learn to crochet.(well I can try)
I sang what shall we do with the crying baby (to the tune of what shall we do with the drunken sailor)when my lambkins were babies..this allowed them to now be 7 and 8 respectively... kept me sane (well sane..ish)
Thanks again for the visual feast Val

[Cheryl in Pennsylvania]

Oh, I remember that feeling. Had my third child at age 30 so I can imagine how tired you must feel. The first few weeks are so tiring, but glad you are trying to catch the odd moment and take a nap, warm bubble bath,and cup of tea, along with the occasional blog. You will be fine. Your cup says it all.

[MarmaladeRose]

Good for you! Don't ever feel guilty, just do what feels right for you and your sanity.

[Marian M-S]

Hope you managed to get a little rest and maybe a nap in while the wee one was sleeping. I was thinking about a nap over here as I am trying not to get sick...and just a minute ago my littlest one woke up from her nap. Oh well...early to bed I suppose :-)