In 2018 there was Holy Week as a Deacon. Then there was Holy Week as a Priest and Holy Week in a Pandemic. Next, when pregnant during my first Easter at The Good Shepherd, there was Holy Week 2021. Last year, I did Holy Week with a baby. Today, for my first Easter at ASSF and my first Easter with a toddler, I’m going to do Holy Week 2023.

If you’re new to the blogs, I should explain that I keep a kind of online diary through Holy Week, describing life as a vicar in the busiest week of the year. Usually, there are some funny bits, some daft bits and some God bits. You’re welcome to read along. Here’s Palm Sunday.

8.10am Sophia has been up all hours and all mornings every day this week because of her teeth. The one day we really need our human alarm clock, she sleeps in.

9.50am Setting off late due to sleeping toddler. I think I’ve got everything I need. Freshly ironed robes, tick. Craft bags for palm crosses, tick. Changing bag, tick. Handbag with laptop, tick. Amber monkey, tick. Toddler, tick.

12.05pm What a lovely morning! The Archdeacon paid us a visit, so that was nice (and a bit of added pressure!). Our service involved DIY palm crosses, great music, communion and tea and cake afterwards. I was speaking about how the crowds recognise Jesus as King on Palm Sunday, but that they will turn nasty as we head towards Good Friday.

I had a couple of incidents with Sophia and my microphone, and her pot of sweetcorn might have ended up all around the altar, but it was still great! What I’m taking from the mess of tupperware, sweetcorn, pineapple and chocolate biscuits today is this: if we have all of the church family around the table, it’s going to get messy!

1.30pm We’re home for a brief snack lunch before I’m heading out for a funeral visit at 3.

5pm The funeral visit went well. It’s an honour to sit with people at this time in their lives. I’ve come home with a list of things that need sorting for the service, but they can wait until later this evening. I’m currently sitting with Sophia in the reading room, enjoying a couple of books while Daddy cooks tea.

6.25pm Nathan cooked ham, chips, pineapple and sweetcorn, and it was delicious! The question right now is, can I bath and settle Sophia in the next 35 minutes before the Holy Week food shop comes some time between 7 and 8? This is peak bedtime and it would normally be fine to have a shop arrive then but I had forgotten that Nathan is out at youth group tonight. Anyway, wish me luck!

7.20pm Hurrah! The food shop is here and the toddler is down!

8.15pm Nathan just came in with two slices of pizza and some chocolate for me. Youth group is having pizza tonight because it’s the end of term. I’m surprised there was any left for me, though, because apparently there are 17 kids there tonight! The youth group has been slowly building, and it’s great to see it really taking off!

9.20pm We’ve just had a hilarious conversation.

Me: you OK?

Nathan: erm…

Me: What’s wrong?

Nathan: well, I can’t find my car keys and I think they’re in the bar. But my keys to the bar are in my car.

Me: but the bar must still be open if you haven’t locked it.

Nathan: somebody else locked the bar.

Me: what about the spare car key?

Nathan: that’s the one I was using.

Me: where are your house keys with the main car key then?

Nathan: dunno.

Welcome to Holy Week with a key obsessed toddler and two busy adults, folks! AKA Holy Week 2023.