I am slowly resurfacing after being knocked for six by a particularly vicious bout of flu. Excepting childbirth, that’s the worse I’ve felt since I had Covid.
Here’s a book of bats – I opened my work notebook on Monday morning to find it full of these little creatures, courtesy of Auri.
Quite the haul of chanterelles!
Family portraits don’t come much cuter than this.
Euan is back from a few days undertaking fieldwork for his elm work in Skye, so I am fortunately no longer the only person at home to do things like clear up half a tube of toothpaste smeared all over the sink and the bath, and wipe down toys which have been attacked with unicorn slime. Oh, the glamour of my life.
Somehow, today was Auri’s first day at school. Already.
As I did when Elfi started nursery earlier this month, I spent half the day flinching, thinking I’d misplaced a child somewhere.
Euan and I dropped Auri off in the morning, then went for a very civilised coffee and breakfast pastry in a mildly shell-shocked daze. Later, there was lunch.
Last night, Euan and Auri nipped along to Chanonry Point to meet some friends and watch the dolphins as the tide and the weather were both perfect. It was Elfi’s bedtime so we couldn’t join them, but it was a magical evening, and listening to Auri chattering away excitedly as she got ready for bed when she got back (waaaaaaaaay past her bedtime!) will be something that will stay with me forever.
Remember the other day when I thought Auri might be worn out from a busy day and go to bed on time? Well, this was what she did instead.
Today, Auri and I had An Adventure Day, featuring buses, a bank, a museum and art gallery (including a Highland Cow treasure hunt!), a trip to campus, and coffee and croissants. A tiny, tiny part of me thought Auri might actually be worn out tonight and go to bed on time, but no.
“I’ve got combs in my hair and they won’t go,
The lyrics to “Spirits” by The Strumbellas, as sung by Auri.
Spirits in my hair and they won’t go…”