I feel incredible today, I think the feelings of bliss from yesterday’s beach and sea session has carried over to today. I’m also on day 1 of my bleed and I love this time in my cycle, it’s a time for me to truly let go and relax into myself and throw away all the to do lists and instead just be in the flow. I even had a really beautiful cosy start to my morning, I woke up with you, Forrest wanting some numnum which is becoming less and less. I'm almost surprised when you ask for it now so when you do it’s a treasured moment of calm. I also woke up with you, Nixie snuggling me from the other side. We all took our time waking up properly relishing in these morning snuggles, getting them to last just a bit longer before we all got up to begin our day. Daddy seems to have been kicked out of the bed and has been sleeping on the sofa. You, Nixie, think your room is too hot so you want to sleep with us and Forrest, you just haven’t mentioned sleeping in your own bed that even I forget about it! Since we finally got our proper bed, it feels super luxurious but it’s smaller than our last and we cannot fit all of us so when you, nixie want to sleep with me then daddy sleeps on the sofa. Although he doesn’t mind in the slightest because the downstairs feels nice and cool in the evenings!

As usual the two of you went downstairs and began your day with playing some star wars. I needed to get some ingredients from the shop so I did this while you played and had a half awake daddy next to you. When I got back I made us breakfast and I love this time of year because the strawberries are in abundance and it’s your favourite thing to have in the mornings.

When daddy woke up he spent a little time on the computer doing things where he discovered some more of your doodles that you do around his doodles. It’s the sweetest thing ever because you love to create pictures out of his pictures and you’re always leaving them as little surprises for us to find. 

I had wanted to have a weekend of big adventures and paddle boarding(we just got them earlier in the week) but because I’m day 1 I need to stay a bit closer to home. On one of our outings the other day we had spotted some mugwort along the side of the road so I really wanted to go and forage for some and daddy had been wanting to go on this particular walk for a while now so we decided to do that. On our way out though as we were searching for our big mama frog (we don’t actually know she’s a mama but we like to think she is) but instead found many of our little froglets which made us all super happy. 

You, Nixie, had brought your new Kids National Geographic with you into the car to read on the way even though it was no more than a 5 minute drive. We parked right next to the tip and it felt really fun exploring new paths. First we headed down a cycle path because daddy wanted to check it out where we found some mugwort straight away along with sooo many ladybird larvae. After a short while we turned back in the opposite direction and went along another path which takes you through a field, then next to the road and across the bridge where we all amazed at all the fish we could see and then finally to a properly signed stour valley walk. We wanted to have a walk along the river. 

This ended up being an even better adventure than I could have ever imagined. At the start of the walk it felt like we were entering a jungle with narrow paths with green all around us, we could hear the river flowing next to us and then the path opened up to overgrown fields of stinging nettle, they were everywhere, it really felt like a proper challenge to make our way through without getting stung and none of us made it unscathed. Even you, Nixie, who was wearing trousers managed to get stung through them. And Forrest, you also got stung and it made you cry but daddy made a plantain poultice for you which took the stinging feeling away super quickly (he was looking for dock leaves but couldn’t find any so plantain had to do). Even though we are not a huge fan of being stung by stinging nettles they brought with them the most spectacular sight of damselflies! Never in my life have I seen so many together! All of us were in absolute awe. Forrest, you were on a mission to find some ladybirds which were all on the stinging nettles so we helped you get them off so that you could hold them. They seemed to really like you because they chose to stay with you rather than fly away. You had also seen what looked like a giant dandelion wish and shouted “a giant wish! Can you get it for me?!” (we learned it was actually called Meadow goatsbeard and you Nixie brought some home with you so you could plant them because you wanted to fill our garden with giant wishes)  which i happily did and then you made your wish and blew and told me that you wished for a dog! You are tugging at my heart strings at the moment with your love for doggies, whenever we are out and about and we make friends with some doggies I can tell you are in your happy place and just instantly fall in love. I also really want a puppy and I feel we are getting closer and closer to actually getting one.

Our walk continued with us being surrounded by even more damselflies, dragonflies, beautiful flowers. Beetles, herons flying overhead, wildlife was everywhere! We even finally discovered peacock caterpillars! They were everywhere!  I don’t think I could have gotten anymore excited!! A couple of weeks ago we were on a mission to find some and had no luck whatsoever so today definitely made up for that. I hadn’t brought anything with us to carry them home other than a tupperware container used to hold our snacks so we continued on our walk to have our picnic and decided then and there that on our way home we were going to bring some home with us. 

Nixie, you spotted some pineapple weed and were so excited to be able to share the yummy smell with daddy and then you also managed to find some yarrow! I was so impressed because it was hidden under long grasses so you and I managed to pick quite a bit. Then we continued along the path until it brought us up to a fairly steep hill but daddy needed to know what was up there. Along the way we even saw and heard a mini waterfall in the distance, it looked beautiful but we didn’t know how to get to it. At this point we were all pretty hot and sweaty but as soon as we climbed the hill the temperature dropped and there was the most amazing breeze. We followed a path that eventually led us to the Dudsbury Iron Age Hill Fort where we got to read and learn a little bit more about the area. Right next to the sign there was the most perfect picnic spot with a view. From here we could even see the gym i go to.  Love discovering unexpected spots like this!  We hung out here for a while recharging ourselves with food & water before heading back with a mission of finding the caterpillars again. Luckily daddy had used what three words to help us and Nixie, you loved being in charge of the map and leading the way. 

Just as we were about to reach the caterpillar location a couple went past us and asked us if we had seen the waterfall? I said we did but didn’t know if there was a way to get to it and they told us there was and that it was just about a 2 minute walk from where we were so we obviously had to go back and find this spot and we were so happy we did because it was a gorgeous little spot and we declared it as our new family picnic spot! Also on our way there we found the perfect batch of caterpillars which were the ones meant to come home with us. After a little while of enjoying the view we headed back home. 

The first thing we did once we were home was put together the caterpillars new home and go across the road to collect some more food for them and hang up our mugwort to dry. Then Nixie, you helped me forage some borage, calendula,chamomile and lemon balm from our garden and you helped me with wrapping yarn around the lemon balm so we hang it to dry. Then you went with daddy to the range so that we could get yet some more Kilner jars! I think me and daddy have a bit of an obsession with them. While you two were doing that, Forrest had some extra time to play Star Wars while I made us dinner.

After dinner we wrapped daddy’s fathers day presents and Nixie, you helped Forrest with his card and then you went back downstairs while Forrest finished it off and during this time I guess Foxy came and you and daddy fed him without even letting me or Forrest know. 

Once you, Forrest finished it was pretty much time to get ready for bed. Well for you, Forrest because You, Nixie and daddy had your star wars night. But as I went down to say goodnight to you after putting Forrest to bed you were busy making Forrest a surprise, you had made you both signs to hang up on your door, it was sooo sweet and you had gotten him some mario pez treats. I love your little big heart. I ended up just going to bed and leaving you and daddy all snuggled up on the sofa.