11th Nov new norm

This is a household of early risers with Nicholas usually up before 6am and Simon by 6.30. Nicholas is as quiet as a mouse when he gets up so it was my 6.30 alarm that woke me, not him. He enjoys games on his iPad or cartoons on the TV (they have just got Sky) before everyone surfaces. 

Am super impressed with Simon as a single Dad (I would be even if he wasn't my son) he cooks hot breakfast for them both and does dishes before work, puts on the washing and leaves the house tidy before being out of the door by 7.40am. He drops Nicholas a short distance from school and he has recently started walking the last couple of blocks himself. This allows Simon to be in work just after 8am. 

It's wonderful to see them in their happy, orderly routine. Simon is very loving but firm and Nicholas makes his own bed, packed lunch and clears away the clean dishes (least he did til Nan arrives and she's managed to negotiate with them both that I will do the breakfast dishes). The agreement is, they will do it at the weekend so Nicholas doesn't get out of the habit.

This morning Simon dropped Nicholas and I off in his usual place and we chatted all the way to school, on this sunny NZ morning.

Nicholas was wonderful he took me into his school, showed me his classroom etc, introduced me to his friends and was even happy for me to have a cuppa in breakfast club - didn't seem one bit embarrassed. As we came out of his classroom Philippa was just walking across the playground, I hadn't realised Wed is the only day she's not working, so she helps at breakfast club. It was great to see her and have a hug, as its nearly two and a half years since she was last in the UK. She suggested I went and had a cuppa. She looked really well and is obviously happy, she was so good with the kids. I am looking forward to having a proper catchup with her soon. Here she is with Fiona who is a breakfast club legend apparently.

The school only has 135 pupils and is a church school with an obviously positive ethos. Nicholas spoke to every child by name as they came into the yard and they all seemed pleased to see each other. Simon explained to me in the evening that kind of individual care and encouragement is a feature of the school.

The school has great space and facilities something schools in the UK sometimes find hard to achieve.

After my cuppa I walked into the lovely town centre, I had forgotten how attractive it is with hanging baskets on every canopy and lots of sculptures/street art.

You can't see it in the photo but the fern is a fountain. Here are the concrete sheep,

and the iron bikes.

It was gone 9am when I left to walk to the local supermarket Countdown but still there were hardly any shops open, the place was so quiet for rush hour.

Now Simon warned me to just pick up what I could comfortably carry home on the 30min walk back but typical of me, I saw this and bought that and by the time I left I had 4 bags. That wouldnt have been too bad if I hadn't got hopelessly lost and had to walk for well over an hour in what was now hot sun. I know, serves me right I don't deserve any sympathy. It was such a relief to get back to 904, have a huge drink of water and my scrummy lemon curd muffin with cappuccino - best of all in the garden in my bathers yay!

I spent the rest of the day sorting my things, washing and then finally ironing in the garden - heavenly. Nicholas has tea with Philippa on Wed so when Simon got home we just got a Chinese for us. Nicholas was home by 7pm and I watched him play his favourite iPad games, then we watched a cartoon together before he had a bath. Later Simon and I chatted and I introduced him to the very funny British show Would I lie to you? Then we watched Inspector Blake an excellent Australian drama with one of the old Neighbours actors as the Inspector. Sooooooooooo nice to just do ordinary things with my gang. Thank You Lord for this special time, place and especially family.