An Ordinary Mum on an Extraordinary Day

I am amazed at how often the extraordinary seems to happen on my most ordinary of days. Like the day I found out that I would be going to Singapore as Childhood 101 had been selected as one of five finalists for Nuffnang’s Best Parenting Blog Award, or the moment I found out Art Not Craft was to be transformed and published by US education publisher, Gryphon House.

Last week I was having one of those extra of ordinary days. I had been up every hour or two with an unsettled bub all through the night. For the third night in a row. Dad 101 had left the house while it was still dark for a work meeting. As I couldn’t get back to sleep I decided to spend the time before the girls woke to finish the blog post I was too tired to finish the night before. As I pressed publish my computer chucked a major hissy fit, losing the last 40 minutes of work.

Before coffee. Before 7am. And, of course, now both the girls were awake and we needed to start the day.

Back from the school run and the baby was grizzly, she just wants mama. I eventually settled her for a nap but instead of her usual hour and a half she slept for just 40 minutes. Forty minutes in which I should have been washing breakfast dishes, folding washing, prepping dinner, tidying up but instead I set to wrangling with the darned computer again – sorting issues with a Word document, trying to meet a work deadline and re-creating that lost post from my early morning.

Before I know it she’s awake and needs mama again. It takes a while (a long while) but I eventually settle her to sleep again.

I return to the computer to find an email that brings tears to my eyes. We’re asked if we are returning to our only regular, organised activity as we have been missing in action for weeks. I love the fellowship of other mums that I find when we do go but I unfortunately just can’t seem to get my act together to get us there each week right now. They need the place for another family and while I understand their position, the timing of the email couldn’t be worse for me.

I am tired. Exhausted even. And now I feel just that little more isolated and a whole lot more down.

Then I hear a car in the driveway. I race to the door as soon as I recognise it as the local post delivery van as I want to open the door before the driver bangs on the screen door and wakes the baby. I am not expecting a parcel and wonder what it might be.

It’s a delivery of copies of Time to Create: Hands On Explorations in Process Art for Young Children from Gryphon House. The first time I have seen and held an actual copy of the real paper and ink copy of my very own book in my own hands. The feeling is pretty extraordinary.

As I look through and read my words anew, smiling now as I look at images of Immy and the children of friends and colleagues, of their artwork – their thoughts and ideas about the world expressed as only children can, the tiredness falls away and my excitement grows. I am bursting to share it with family and friends….

…and with all of you. I am so grateful for the loyal readers of Childhood 101. Whether you have been here since the very beginning or have joined us along the way, whether you read every post or just come here looking for something specific, whether you are a friend on Facebook or following a link from Pinterest, I am thankful for every single one of you as it is because of you that Time to Create came to life. And look you are mentioned right there in the Acknowledgements. That is how thankful I am 🙂

If you would like to own a copy of Time to Create: Hands On Explorations in Process Art for Young Children, it is now available in stores in the US and Canada (I would LOVE to see a photo of it in store if you find one!) and more widely around the world through online booksellers like The Book Depository. An eBook version is also available as a Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Book and from Amazon’s Kindle Store (currently for US and Canadian purchasers only). You can read more about the book here.

Have you enjoyed an ordinary day made extraordinary recently?