Hiya! Another Monday, another week of ministry mum life.

Last week’s headines: Meetings with clergy colleagues, Sweaty Mama, sermon writing, leading a prayer service for local churches, toddlers, forward planning, time with a poorly Aidan and a special Sunday morning yesterday.

Ministry: Is going pretty well. I can’t say I love having such a full and busy mind again, but it definitely drives me.

Mum life: It’s so heartbreaking when your children are poorly. This week we’ve been blessed with the long-awaited chicken pox (we think).

Aidan has definitely got something viral that looks like chicken pox, but the spots are clearing up without blistering like chicken pox normally do. Anyway, either way, it’s nasty and he’s not been his usual self. It’s been tricky to settle him, especially between the hours of 2 and 4am…

Drama: Is it chicken pox?! Is it impetigo?! Did Sophia have it very mildly a fortnight ago?! Will she catch it off Aidan and be ill over half term?! Who knows!

Our day off: With Aidan confined to barracks, Sophia and I went out to the soft play on Saturday morning. We decided to play ‘Elphaba and Glinda’, with her going down the green slide and me going down the pink. We were saying ‘This way Glinda!‘ and ‘Do you need a hand, Elphaba?‘ to each other. It was cute, if somewhat intense.

What Sophia said: She was at her after school club and she won a game twice. Each time the kids won, they got to pick a little prize. Sophia got a packet of Haribo for herself and a little plastic basketball toy… ‘for my brother’.

What Aidan said: Aidan is enjoying being picked up, pointing and saying ‘ahhhhh’, ‘dat’ or ‘dis’ when he wants to reach out and grab something. His current favourite items are; cups of coffee, whiteboard erasers, pens, his toy monkey, all light fixings, shiny utensils, every single remote control and scissors. Obviously, we don’t let him get everything he asks for!

Highlight: Sophia sleeping from 7.30 until 6.50 last night, having fallen asleep on her own!

I’m grateful for: Nathan’s Mum, Polly, who has been amazing stepping in to look after Aidan when he’s been too poorly for church or childcare. Somehow, in all the chaos, she also taught both me and Sophia how to spin wool on a spinning wheel!

Coming up: half term off!