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Thank goodness for friends and family. Yesterday, out of choice, I stayed in the house (and garden) with my Boy all day. I was most grateful to a friend and her family for coming to visit in the late afternoon, but by the time they arrived,I was already quite stressed as Boy was so very bored. I have now realised that even if it is physically tiring and not very good for me to get out, it is truly emotionally exhausting to have to entertain a small boy indoors for 12 hours, and I was really in no hurry to repeat the experience. I had arranged with a friend to go together to "jumping beans" group today, so that I could get some help while there.

So imagine my utter frustration and my fight to choke down the tears when I noticed, 15 minutes before ETD, that the carseat was 50-odd miles away in HID's car at work. He never forgets to take it out. And I'd stressed to him what a terrible day I'd had yesterday stuck inside. I tried to keep my panicked text in a neutral tone: "have you got the carseat?". In my head it read: "have you gone to fucking work with the fucking carseat???!!!". Reply came: "Cock. Yeah, sorry.". I text my friend to cancel our plans: he read between the lines and instantly called me, offering to utilise his one carseat by dropping off and setting his daughter into the group, to be watched by a friend of his, and coming to get us. I just manged to keep the tears out of my voice, I can only hope he realises the extent of my gratitude. We spent a happy hour and thirty minutes outside the house.

During lunch, my mum text to suggest we come round if we're bored. We are bored, I reply, but no way of getting to you without a carseat. A while later, when in the garden having just finished huffing and puffing to erect a trio of children's play tents/houses that HID had handily located at the back of the shed a few nights before (anything to keep Boy entertained), she wandered into the garden bearing a new paddling pool (ours had previously popped) and announced she was taking Boy out in his pram for a walk to the woods at the bottom of our road. Brilliant! I started to tidy up.

During which, I got a text from a friend I had not seen for months, who I met in the very early days of attending baby groups, suggesting we meet for coffee that very afternoon! I explained the situation, and we arranged for her and her son to come for a play later that afternoon.

So, what at 9.15am was looking to be a pretty dull day, turned out to be a fun and friend filled day of activity, the only downside being an afternoon shower needing me to bring inside the play tents (which have taken over our, admittedly large, dining room). So thank you everyone.

Also, must tell you about a very cute thing that happened with my Boy and my friend's 4 yr old: as 4yr old was leaving, Boy showed actual signs of giving his new friend his very first, ever, spontaneous and willing hug. Although it did not happen, they curled up in a cute manner on the couch, and with tummies on show, I could not resist giving my Boy a little tickle and saying "grrrr" while I did so, which he loves. 4 yr old picked up on this and shouted "rar!" into Boy's face. My friend jumped in, suggesting Boy was too little and may get frightened, but Boy laughed, and then: shouted "rar!" back at the big boy! It was so funny to behold, and this game carried on for some minutes. I was really pleased, I think it may well be the first time Boy has successfully shared a joke with a near age-mate. (I always laugh at his "jokes", so that doesn't really count). He's never interacted with another child like that before! And it was just so funny.
:-)