Things I'm thankful for... the weekend away edition

We did some really good weekending this weekend. It was so good I forgot to blog, or even think about blogging, one of those ones. It reminded me of all the things I'm thankful for, and in a week that's also been a bit mixed and had some not great things happen I feel like it's more important than ever to be thankful and remind myself of all that's good - for me, that list includes:

• Old friends. The really comfy ones. Where you chat, or not chat (and that feels totally OK and not-at-all-awkward) and it's easy and comforting and you remind yourself why they're such good friends and that you really bloody need them around to remind you who you are and what's important.
• Cake. Because really and truly the hunk of carrot cake pictured above saved me from a terrible hangover on Sunday and for that I am eternally grateful.
• The sun (who has since departed) for making everyone altogether more happy.
• My trusty Saltwater sandals. For going with everything and being just so comfortable that I never want to take them off because all of my other shoes all of a sudden feel just too warm and stuffy.
• Arlo's brain cells. Bear with me on this, but after a particularly difficult week, where we cursed the 'terrible twos' and wondered who'd come and swapped our usually sweet and caring boy with an irrational, tantrum-throwing goblin child, something's clicked and the Arlo we know and love is back. Not only is he happier and more rational since the weekend, he all of a sudden knows loads of new words, so I'm putting it down a developmental leap that was going on in his brain that he's now worked past. Yay for brain cells!
• Having a bit of a think. Was so interested to read this collection of thoughts from atheists sharing how they find meaning in a 'purposeless universe' - I was struck by the reoccurring themes running through them all as they listed the things that make their lives meaningful - friends, love, learning, teaching, being creative, enjoying the simple things. SO true, and all things to be thankful for. Today and every day.

The barrenness of busy

"Beware the barrenness of a busy life" - Socrates. I saw someone post this on Instagram yesterday and it's been popping into my head ever since. I reckon he was on to something. This last month has felt very busy, and now I come to think about it, it's felt a little barren too. Lots going on, but not so many things that I actually want to remember. Many things happening, but few lasting memories. Alex and I have both had very busy work months - he's been working weekends to make up time on a big job that's just been finished, and I've had a lot of long days in London which have seen me creep out of the house before anyone wakes up, and creep back in again to find everyone tucked up in bed already.

So July's felt like a bit of a hard slog, but I'm so hopeful for August to come and be all kinds of nice to make up for it. Alex's big job is now finished, so he gets his weekends back, and we're both on official count down to our holiday at the end of August - two whole weeks of not very much stretching out in front of us, not very much 'busy', but more 'lazy', which I think are the best times of all.

Today was our first family day together for weeks, and we made the most of it. I'm writing this on the sofa next to a little boy who's snoozing away, totally knackered after a morning spent on the beach. Considering we live on a little Island surrounded by beaches, we hardly ever go. I plan to rectify this from now on, because we had so much fun today. Buckets and spades were purchased. Sandwiches got sandy. Body parts were buried in the sand. Lots of giggling happened. All the good beach things.

Then this afternoon we hung out with the type of friends that crossed over from the 'friend' category into 'family' years ago. Friends with lots of kids that all became a little gang of pals of various ages, with Arlo the littlest trailing along behind them, trying to keep up. More giggling happened. And some swimming. Also a below-par attempt at completing the Observer cryptic crossword. And now we're home and Arlo is snoozing and we're making burgers. Beat that July, you long-and-fairly-boring month! And hello August, very happy to see you, let's make this month less busy and more lazy please. Because that's when the best stuff happens.

Why good friends are just the greatest

I spent the happiest morning I've had in a while this weekend, just watching these two play in the garden. They've known each other since they were teeny weeny, probably about two months old, where they met in a baby massage class that Arlo used to fart his way through like a trooper. Luckily it didn't put little Isla off, because they've been best buddies ever since.

Over the last two years they've had all kinds of fun together (you can see some of their escapades - and marvel at how much they've grown! - here) but I don't think they've ever got on as well as they did today. They shared and helped each other, chatted and bossed each other around, it was so sweet. And particularly nice for me and Isla's mum because we got to have a proper catch up without having to stop to yell things like "DON'T EAT THAT!" and "SHARE!" every five minutes. I hope these two will be buddies for a long time, just like I hope me and Isla's mum will be pals for a long time, having shared many a bleary-eyed, sleep-deprived day together in the early baby days. The days where all we could do was mainline coffee and tell each other "this won't last forever" (which it didn't, thank absolute F).

In other friend news, I met up with an old friend from school this week. Soz for the cliche, but he really is one of those pals where "a year can go by and you feel like no time has passed at all". Wanky as that sounds, I know this to be true because it HAD been over a year since we'd seen each other, and it WAS just like  no time had gone by. It was brilliant. I left our dinner with a spring in my step, big smile on my face, and little hearts where my eyes should be. It was this, plus watching Arlo play today that made me realise so acutely what I want for him when he grows up. And it's not necessarily a good education, well-paid job, blah blah blah - I want for him to have brilliant friendships. People he can be 100% himself with. That he can share the dark times as much as happy ones. Mates that pick him up and make him smile. And that allow him to be a brilliant friend back - to listen and support and look after when they need it too. Because aren't good friends just the greatest?

Sometimes you teach your kids things along the way, just by being you, and they pick up on them in the magic way that they do. Other times I think it's worth stopping and telling them straight the things that are important. This is one of those things that I want Arlo to know, and plan on telling him just as soon as he might answer me with something other than "choo choo!". So I plan on telling him: Good friends are important. Be one.