A good day

Today was a good day.

I woke when I was ready, which is always the best way to wake.

The Big Fella was at work so I made the most of my highest energy time of day and packed a few boxes, put some washing on, made breakfast for the Little Big Fella and myself, cleaned up the kitchen and got myself ready to go to a friend's Tupperware party (including painting my toenails).

I bought a new dress last week that arrived in the mail on Thursday.  When I tried it on, I felt pretty... until I looked in the mirror.  In the mirror, all I could see was a bigger middle than I want.

I tossed up whether to keep that dress for a couple of hours.

I ended up deciding that it was such a lovely dress and I wanted to wear it.  I wanted to be brave enough to wear something because it was pretty, even though I felt somewhat self-conscious in it.

I wanted to let go of the notion that I must continue to be my skinny twenty-something self.  Instead I want to embrace my not-so-skinny now self, who is beautiful in many ways, even if it's not physically in the way I was before.

So I wore this dress to my friend's today.  I was a bit over-dressed, and a bit self-conscious, but I didn't look in the mirror before I left, I did my hair nicely and I felt pretty.  

It was great to catch up with a couple of friends, have a chat, a laugh, and eat some delicious food.  The kids mostly got along really well, which allowed us to relax and enjoy the time together.  Somewhat unusually, the couple of little scuffles didn't involve the Little Big Fella at all!  

We hung around for ages because the kids were playing so well!  It may have been close to four hours that we were there!  Well, that's what the clock says anyway.  It only felt like one, or maybe two.  As they say, time flies when you're having fun!

When we got home the Big Fella was sleeping so we quietly went about having a very belated lunch/afternoon tea.  I hung out some more washing and moved my packed boxes to the pile downstairs.

The Big Fella had woken up, but wasn't really awake at all.  And the Little Big Fella was re-watching a cartoon he's seen at least half a dozen times this weekend (sometimes I love Netflix, sometimes not so much!).  So I grabbed the Little Big Fella and we went into his room and packed his books.

He was gorgeous!  We went through the books and picked out about a third of them that he didn't want to keep anymore.  We packed the rest (and a couple that I don't want to get rid of because of the huge role they've previously played in our lives) and he taped the boxes up and wrote on them.

Then we decided we were on a roll, so we went through his toys (which were disorganised after a couple of playdates over the past few weeks anyway).  He decided to add a bunch of toys to the giveaway pile, many of which surprised me.  We went downstairs and grabbed a box to pack all of the books and toys in and he wrote on the box, "D's giveaway box of toys and books".

I've left the box in his room, just in case some of the "giveaway" toys turn out to be "keep" toys, but we think we're going to give them to his school and the hospital, if they want them.

After a little bit of mucking around, it was time to let the chooks out and take the washing off the line.  The Little Big Fella decided he wanted to help with the washing, which we've not done before - partly because he's too short, and partly because I fold the washing as it comes off the line so that the basket doesn't sit on the lounge for the next week.

But we dragged a chair over and he took the clothes off and we laid them flat in the basket.  The basket is currently sitting on the lounge and will possibly be there for the next few days :-)

The Big Fella decided that he wanted to go to the next town and get some drinks for the evening, so the Fellas took off and I set the sprinklers up and went upstairs to check a couple of things online and get a start on the side for the pork roast (the Big Fella had already put it in the oven earlier).

I put the chooks away, filled their food and water and opened the gate just as the Fellas got back.

We finished preparing dinner and ate it watching Rango (on a school night!).  Then my best friend called and we chatted for a good while, mostly about the good stuff in life.

The Big Fella and I watched the end of Part I in a mini-series about Peter Allen then went to bed and chatted for ages.

Now it's after midnight and I'm thinking this day pretty much couldn't have been better.  Unless my family were here.  That's about all that could have been better.

The weather was beautiful.
I had enough sleep.
I achieved plenty.
My son was almost angelic!
I got to catch up with friends.
I ate delicious food.
I got to wear a pretty dress.
I got to spend good time with my husband.

That looks like a recipe for a very good day.  Now repeat that as often as possible for a VERY good life!