Today was Stephen’s 38th birthday but unfortunately he was still suffering from Covid symptoms. We tried to celebrate as much as possible regardless.
The day started bright and early with both kids up and awake at 6am. It’s always a bit hardcore when they’re up so early as they won’t go back to sleep, but invariably they are tired and ratty and therefore argumentative.
James got himself dressed solo today which was brilliant and a little birthday present for Daddy. We came downstairs and sang happy birthday to Stephen. He’s still not feeling great but is making slow progress.
He opened his cards and presents which was nice and normal. From that perspective it was lovely to be able to spend the day all together, even if Stephen was chilling and taking it very easy.
After breakfast I tried something new in the kitchen while the kids played Lego together nicely. I was super excited to discover that Pizza Express had released their dough balls recipe for all to bake at home and, happy days, it was really simple so I had a go. The result? Yummy dough balls made from scratch for us to enjoy at lunch. Only slight snag was the strength of my homemade garlic butter. I could still taste garlic six hours later!
After lunch the kids and I made some models with a block of really old air-dry clay I found on my tidying and sorting whirl. We made: some smooth round shapes to paint into unicorns, dinosaurs and ladybirds (to then make into magnets); some tiny fairy houses; a couple of pinch pots; and two Olaf snowmen. Lots of mess but also lots of fun.
Then it was film time. We watched Star Wars: A New Hope in an attempt to widen the children’s cinematic knowledge. The viewing was enjoyed with mugs of hot chocolate (including marshmallows and squirty cream). Indulgent and delicious.
After the film it was time for FaceTime chats with Grandma Lindsey. I used this time very productively to remove the gel nail polish that I’ve been sporting for the last four weeks. Sadly my nails have been one of the lesser casualties of the lockdown – they’ve started to chip so it was time for them to go. Luckily for me the lovely lady who runs the salon I usually frequent dropped my own personal removal kit at my door. Result! Now I can try out the gorgeous purple polish my sister Daisy got me a few months ago. So excited!
We had yesterday’s yummy flapjack as a birthday cake for Stephen. Even though he’s ill we still had to have the obligatory cake and candle moment (as the children would have rioted otherwise). Strangest birthday ever but Stephen went to bed with an almost normal temperature for the first time in nearly two weeks. Hurrah!
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