Everyone slept in this morning. I was vaguely aware of Ady bumbling around downstairs until later than normal and then Tarly came and got into bed with me. I woke again about 930am and had to wake both children at 10am. Neither of them had particularly late nights, just still really wiped out from The Bug Of Doom 🙁
Got everyone breakfasted and dressed and spent half an hour going through my diary planning various park visits, nature walks and other such stuff that we’ll enjoy alone anyway but I’ve opened out to local HEors if they want to come along. I like it when the schools go back after Easter and we have that whole summer term of nice weather and the parks and beaches to ourselves before schools break up, the weather changes and everywhere gets busy so I want to make the most of April and May. I’ve also had about 10 emails over the last month from potential new HEors and often these smaller park or walk meet ups are less daunting and more accessible than big groups I think so hopefully some of the will be encouraged to come along and have a nice introduction to local folk.
I spent much longer posting an email to the Worthing list, setting up reminders to go out automatically and trying to get them on the West Sussex HE group on facebook than I did writing them in my diary however and I’ve still not finished doing that.One thing arranging them with myself, quite another advertising them to the rest of the world! 😆
Then the doorbell rang and our very long awaited guests were here! Caz and Bid, with Archie and Elliot. These were the friends we met early last year and instantly connected with. They looked after Davies and Scarlett several times while I worked and the four kids get on like a house on fire. I really like both Caz and Bid and although Ady’s only met them a couple of times he got on well with them too. They went off on a big adventure WOOFing in the UK and then travelling abroad and have been in New Zealand for the last six months or so.
I’ve had regular envy-inspiring emails from them about what an amazing time they are having, all the interesting people they’ve met and what a life changing experience they are getting, then at Christmas they announced they were coming home via Australia. And they arrived back in the UK on Thursday last week.
The four children went straight out into the garden and stayed there for the full 3 hours they were with us. They were all barefoot, rather on the feral side and having a ball! We sat and chatted and they filled me in on their plans – they’ve sold their house here and bought a chunk of land in NZ and are going to be living fairly communally with another 2 families, also Brit HEors who have been out there for years. It all sounds utterly idyllic and the lifestyle they are planning is very in sync with what Ady and I would love except I don’t think I am prepared to move halfway round the world to achieve it really.
They are staying in the UK (although doing some more travelling and WOOFing here) for the next 5 months so we should see plenty of them while they’re here and I’m hoping long term that having two sets of very dear friends living in NZ will mean we will one day get there ourselves for a visit to see just what it is that has so captivated them all.
I love spending time with them as they are both great thinkers, very deep and spiritual and we always have really great conversations about stuff. I shared a couple of ideas I had about things with them including my life theory about decades, which Bid loved and it was just all positive and lovely :).
Ady had hoped to get back in time to see them and just about managed to pull up as they were leaving so it was a brief hug and kiss and hello with a promise to see them soon for a proper catch up. Looking forward to having them around again if only for the brief time over the summer.
We all came back in and had some lunch before loading up the car with various stuff to head up to the allotment. I’ve blogged about all of that over on Self Suffish so I won’t bother saying it again here but it was a lovely couple of hours digging and weeding and chatting together. Scarlett and I had an interesting conversation about new things being scary but worth being scared for. I remember Davies at about the same age a couple of years ago suddenly actively seeking out these type of conversations and he’s never really stopped – it’s great that Tarly is now doing the same thing :).
Everyone was really worn out by the time we’d finished at nearly 7pm so we came home via McDs for a quick tea for the kids, followed by a bath for everyone – we were all filthy! I read a couple of bedtime stories as we’ve not had any for a few days due to them collapsing at bedtime rather than needing to be wound down and relaxed – How to Live Forever (Red Fox picture books)
I watched the Apprentice which was real shouting at the telly stuff this week and now with my bones stiffening in a good ‘I have done exercise’ type way rather than an ‘I have felt ill and spent too much time on the sofa hunched over my laptop’ type way I am off to bed.