A mum's view on how to cope week 12

The now six year old had the best lockdown birthday thank goodness. I have never been so stressed organising an event, given his happiness in what is a truly bizarre situation was riding on it. I just wanted to do my best to give him a little slice of normal for a few hours.

We got Marios ice cream van to deliver all the mr whippy (the van even played happy birthday) and he saw some of his friends. I got hit hard on the hand with a piñata stick, he cried and bashed his leg up trying to ‘scoot one handed’ and we had a surprise movie night of Onwards with a delivery of donuts and ice cream from Farr's Event and Stadia Caterers which arrived still lovely and warm. He didn’t want it to end so we let him stay up til we were all flagging.

He got upset half way through the day about how his birthday was going to be over later and he managed to transport me back to feeling exactly the same when I was little. It’s the second time I’ve done this with him since lockdown and it makes me wonder if I would have seen things on that level before? Am I more in tune with them now to notice these things and really actually resonate with their little worries and anxieties?

Spending so much time with the kids has been brilliant but oh so hard sometimes. After his birthday the tired fallout went on for days. I think he thought it was worth it though even if he was a little toe rag for days.

I just keep thinking about his face when he saw the ice cream van to get me through the stroppiness. It was a picture and not for one minute did I want to get my phone to record it, I wanted to take it all in there and then. After six years they still make you well up!

I keep getting asked when we can have a movie night and midnight feast again but I’ll probably put that off along with the baking and the painting for as long as possible.

Find out more about our guest weekly blogger, Sara Witham owner of Evil Empire Marketing by visiting her website https://www.evilempire.co.uk.