7.23am Morning! We’ve just woken up and this is a positive lie in for us! But now we’re a bit behind. We all need to get up and dressed, Soph and Aidan need breakfast (as do we, preferably). The bags need sorting (Aidan’s changing bag, toy bag and food bag, my knitting bag, Aidan’s travel high chair and play mat). I’d like to sort the laundry that was on overnight and empty the dishwasher.

9.08am No matter how prepared I feel, it’s always a rush! Anyway, we’re now on our way to Formby for the day.

11.45am Aidan is asleep in his pram and snoring very loudly in this meeting! He’s had a lovely time smiling at people and playing with his Spot the Dog toy.

4.10pm We’re back home. We also did a big shop on the way home. I’m feeling a nap coming on soon. But before that, I’ll just say a little bit about the meeting we had. Essentially, we’re looking at the way our churches function and if our local group of churches (deanery) would like to share resources and work together more closely. The governing body of each church will decide if they’d like to become part of a larger parish, which could mean fewer meetings and more time on the ground for serving the community. What’s not to love?!

But, it’s not that simple. This process is called Fit For Mission and I was involved in the same process in my last church. The immense workload involved, as well as other factors in my life, such as having a young family, were some of the reasons I decided to move.

Here in Crosby and Thornton, I think feelings are mixed. I know a lot of the volunteers at ASSF are unsure. Although the Fit For Mission model paints a way of doing minustry that I long for in terms of my own role, I wouldn’t want to be involved at the expense of the rest of my team. So there’s lots to consider. These are big conversations and decisions made now will have a long-lasting impact. That’s why I’m engaging in the process even though I’m supposed to be on leave. I thought I might be needed at PCC tonight for a discussion about it, but they have wisely decided to wait until after the annual meeting to have a discussion.

We will be voting on this eventually, and it could be as early as a couple of weeks after I get back. It’s a bit like deja vu because in my last parish, we voted on the same thing within a couple of months of me getting back from my leave with Sophia. Anyway, time for a little snooze, I think!

5.05pm Aidan and I have had a nap, and now it’s time to cook. Soph is on her way back from the zoo with Nathan’s Mum and Dad, and we’re all having halloumi dalh with tice and naan bread. It’s one of my favourite dishes!

8.20pm Aidan is down, but Soph is still up. We all thought she’d go to sleep quickly because she’s been walking around the zoo all day, but apparently not! Nathan’s settling her so I’ll crack on with the kitchen.

10.05pm Both kids down. Sophia’s sleep is a long and ongoing battle, but three and a half years in, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s just part of who she is. She managed to settle herself in bed at a fairly reasonable time last night, but tonight, she couldn’t. It’s not fair to expect her to suddenly be able to settle herself every night when she has needed help getting to sleep almost every night of her life. But if I had a magic wand, it’s probably one of the things I’d like to sort out.

There’s not a lot in the diary for tomorrow. It’s just me and the kids, so we’ll have some fun, do some jobs and I’ve promised Sophia she can go and pick her Easter egg. We also find out what school Sophia has got into in the morning! The deadline for submissions was January and that feels like a long time ago! Let’s hope we all sleep well and that the morning brings good news.