Daddy and Lucy time

This afternoon as I cycled home from work I got a call from Hayley. She was trying to load her car with equipment for her playgroup with Lucy in tow. There was a lot to shift and after carrying a few small parcels Lucy had lost interest and wasn't helping. At all. In fact she was trying to join the 6 year olds in the playground at the school where this was all taking place.

Once home I jumped into the car and collected the little lady. So we had some unexpected Daddy and Lucy time. As it was perhaps the nicest day of the year so far, I decided to take her for a ride on my bike as I often used to do with Oliver.

Already she is really too big for WeeRide carrier, so I put her in the Hamax seat behind me on my On-One. We had only gone about 10 feet down our drive and then stopped to get round the car when I heard her chuckle. I wasn't at all surprised to find that Lucy really enjoyed riding on my bike.

So we headed off to Pokusevski's, a local deli often visted by me and Oliver. Despite the nice weather they hadn't sorted out the seating in the rear garden. Nonetheless we stayed, as they had seating in the shop part. I had a cup of tea and we each had some cake. I had a piece of carrot cake while Lucy had a piece of rich chocolate cake.

We sat with a gentleman in his eighties, Lucy being charming as ever. All three of us chatted away. I told him we were going to collect Oliver shortly from his nursery and discovered that his own children went to the same nursery 50 years ago when it first opened. He said that from the start it was a charitable trust and was inclusive of children of all backgrounds and welcoming to children of all abilities and disabilities, just as it is today.

A little later we pedalled our way home, the little lady staying awake all the way, despite being tired. With a little persuasion I got her into my car and we went to collect Oliver.

I really enjoyed having a bit of quality one-on-one time with my daughter (even if she spent the first couple of minutes telling me "want Mummy"!). It is something I look forward to repeating. Hayley and I have been trying to make sure that in addition to time spent as a family, we each have a bit of time with the kids one-to-one like that. It's at least as important with Oliver as the little lady doesn't have his restraint and so can be disruptive to the sort of things he likes to do.

The rest of the day was equally lovely. We went to the park. Hayley took the kids down there while I showered. She said that they walked into the park hand in hand, producing suitable cooing from the other Mums.

After I joined them, Oliver and I went to get the fish and chips on my bike. Back at the house, eating our dinner, Oliver's manners were immaculate, he even corrected Lucy ("don't forget to say Thank You, Lucy"). Perhaps good manners were the subject at nursery today. Whatever the reason, he was about as perfect a little boy as I could imagine, laughing and chatting away with us and playing nicely with Lucy.

Tonight I'm feeling quite tired, but perhaps my most tired muscles are the ones I've been using all afternoon to smile.