It's still only 8.30pm and the children have ALL been in bed asleep for about and hour and a half... it feels very strange, especially as I didn't have anything in particular that I felt I had to do this evening having sung lots recently and put one load of washing in the dishwasher and one lot in the washing machine....
How did it happen?!
Edward was very tired, having only - as normal at weekends with the other two around - slept for a short time today. So by tea time he wasn't sure whether he wanted to eat or go to sleep, and then didn't want to go to sleep because (as we found out a bit later) he had a dirty nappy. As soon as he had a clean nappy, his pyjamas on and some milk he settled down and was soon slumbering peacefully.
The others had been fairly horrendous all day, partly due to lack of exercise, so we told them at about the same time to put their pyjamas on and go to bed. Alex settled down relatively quickly and without complaint, having had 'hot sausage' heated up for his cold feet followed by a cuddle and a kiss. Isabella as usual took a bit longer but was finally convinced that bed was a good idea when I told her it was too late for a story and that I'd come back up only a little while later to give her another cuddle. At the moment the call of the Bella Bird is that she doesn't like sleeping on her own, which is probably in part true but with Alex and Edward in nearby rooms she's not really that alone either. Fortunately neither Alex nor Bella had cottoned on to the fact that it was in fact still quite early for them, and both were asleep before 7.30pm. They probably needed it as they stayed up until 9pm on Friday night and goodness knows what time last night when I was out singing in a concert.
I had two Solway Singers concerts, including two solos and one duet. I still don't think much of my own voice but I got lots of compliments, particularly on Friday night, and then having a chat with the choir master (my ex-singing teacher) and his wife last night I felt again that perhaps I could get more from my voice, something I keep thinking on and off. I like my current singing teacher a lot but I have to say that if Tony started teaching again I think I might go back to him. I'm not sure he'd help me get through exams in the same way that Lyn does though.
Today we met Gavin, Gail, Ewan and Jake at Kirkharle Courtyard. It was great to see them - I like Gail more every time I meet her - but whilst I like Kirkharle Courtyard, I'm not sure how well it does. There wasn't much in the way of christmas cheer or promotion, and whilst the cafe is nice and many of the things in the shops are beautiful, they're not really the things you might buy that often. I did however get a couple of small things as part of my Mum's christmas present: things which I think she'll like but especially because she has been up there with me. I guess it was the sort of place where if I was earning quite a bit of money I'd just splash out on generous but useless gifts for people: of William Morris' saying 'do not have anything in your house you know to be useful or believe to be beautiful' the items would definitely fall into the latter category.
David and I have also just spoken to Sophie, a friend from Bristol for me, but whom David has known since birth, on the phone. That was lovely as we don't speak all that often whereas when we lived in Bristol we used to see her and her husband, Allan, quite often - I used to go running with them and I seem to remember that the last run I did when I was pregnant with Bella, at about 25 weeks, was up on Bristol Downs with Sophie. Sophie is one of those people with whom I feel a link even if I don't see her for a while. I also remember when I first met her, at a party we had in our flat in Bristol just before Christmas 2004. I was pregnant with Alex and Sophie was laughing about seeing David about to be a father, having clear memories of him as a small boy!
So, the evening has passed and it's now 9.30pm. Just time to sit down with my husband and watch half an hour of television and then go to bed at a sensible hour - ready for the week ahead, which will involve school nativity plays, carols, and christmas meals. I love Advent: but I'm sure I enjoy it all the more because it's only once a year. Will snow arrive soon?!
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