The long-anticipated half-term week disappointed with events and plans being cancelled due to the rain. Boys were keen to lay low, stay home, hang out, watch TV, play games… the opposite of the out-of-doors activities I usually have in mind for time away from school. This time, however, I chose to go with the flow, follow the consensus and the initial disappointment on my part turned to an enjoyment of simple things. I took the opportunity to bake cakes, tend the garden, do things close to home. We borrowed some fabulous kids’ cookery books from the local library to satisfy the little chef and keep me busy. We cooked together, changed the recipes to fit what we had… banana and chocolate loaf became banana and blueberry. The heavy rain reminded me to sprinkle more seed on the bare patches of lawn and spend a little while attaching wire to fences, give the plants a helping hand. We put on our boots. We blew bubbles in the rain. The boys built a shelter using old bits of wood, chairs, then sat there for ages watching the rain. Simple pleasures. We went to visit my Mum. The boys worked together, my brother joined in, a castle was constructed from the pile of bricks in her back garden. And today, with big boy back at school, small boy and I turned to paper, scissors, glue and sat together at the table, making. Then, when we were done, we put on our coats and went for a walk in the rain. Home again, we baked courgette cake and ate it warm, just out from the tin and felt grateful for our cosy home, comfort food and good company.