Riverside

I love Thursdays with my littlest.

Today we had a dander down along the riverside watching the ducks and the lonesome Swan and pretending to be Batman and Robin.

The day had started early with the swim club drop off after which I came home and faffed about abit before getting my act together and actually using the time sensibly.

The middle boy was in duty at the I-bike breakfast so he was up and organised and ready to leave at 7.45. I wandered with him along to school and then down to the pool to pick up the swimmer and take him back to school for the breakfast.

The I-bike breakfast is part of a series of activities and events that are organised by the Sustrans I-bike officer to encourage more kids to cycle more often. Of course in Aberdeenshire in January it's hardly likely that cycling to or from school is a sensible option. Today is was pretty icy on the roads and the sky is really only just light by 8am when folks were arriving. Still, it's a fun breakfast with healthy (ahem, that's if you supervise the amount of icing sugar sieved over the fruit in the waffles) food and a nice ambience in the hall. The middle boy did his job dutifully, welcoming people and moving chairs and tables at the end and the eldest rode a bike to power a blender to make a smoothie. I mean why not, you've already been up for three hours and spent two of them full on swimming so some more exercise is not going to hurt.

I had a cup of tea and a waffle with fruit, a catch up with some friends and got collared by the head teacher to deliver a section of the end of term assembly, so it was fairly busy for me too.

Back home once the bell had gone I found the littlest was up and dressed and ready for the day and therefore alas, there was no rest to be had.

Still, a wander to see the ducks in beautiful winter sun cheers the soul does it not. That and picking up a pot of Parma Violet Chalk Paint and later painting a scabby old cupboard and giving it new life.

Love Thursdays.