Having promised publicly to be more grateful, I had better get on and link up with my reasons to be cheerful this week! So without further ado, here are three things I’m grateful for this week.

1. Duvet Days. Little Chap had a particularly hectic weekend and woke on Monday morning a little off colour, borderline feverish and clearly shattered. He didn’t respond to the grown-ups stirring at 7am, saying he wanted to stay in bed with a book please. Later this turned into staying in his pyjamas. So we had a lazy start, ate breakfast together, a luxury I can’t afford on working days, and later indulged in cuddling up on the sofa in front of CBeebies for half an hour before lunch.

We made Fuzzy Felt pictures and cuddled some more. I read him one of my favourite poems, Wordsworth’s Daffodils, which made me a bit tearful (I was hormonal!) as it made me think of my grandmother, and he launched himself at me in the most amazing hug, smiling in that “It’s ok Mummy, I’ll cheer you up” way that I love. We then sat and did some late Easter crafting, when suddenly it was tea time!

Sometimes we all just have to slow down and it’s always nice to be appreciated! I’m grateful Little Chap has developed an instinct for when this is a good idea already. Happily, he was up and at ’em again in no time as a result.

2. Mayfair Dad. He picked up the slack this week when I went back to work. At first, when I read his text listing all the things they’d been up to, I felt a little inadequate. Why don’t I manage to get all that into a day at home with Little Chap?!

Then on Friday, it was my turn and my list, while hopefully a different kind of fun for Little Chap, was, when I actually wrote it, just as long as Mayfair Dad’s and also incorporated the less glamorous but no less necessary tasks like emptying the bins and cleaning the basins!

Still, I’m grateful that Little Chap enjoyed a dry day to get outside and run about with his Daddy – it’s been too long coming this winter and it saved me from feeling obliged when the weather worsened later in the week.

3. Warmer weather. While we haven’t exactly been basking in glorious spring sunshine this week, the temperature gauge has at least decided to move from at/near zero at long last. This has finally put an end to my chilblains (I hope!) for the year and means it is no longer so crucial that I remember to put on my slippers as soon as I take off my shoes! I can even see flowers in my garden and leaves coming on the trees *makes happy face*.

What’s made your week better this week?