I Have Confidence in Sunshine...

Summertime has come to Wales, and I am enjoying it for more than one reason. Of course the main reason is that sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy, but also the arrival of summer means I am progressing further along in my pregnancy and things seem to be going well. With every week that passes, I feel more and more confident. I have even bought a few items of baby gear (since all of ours has been left in the US... nevermind though, baby shopping isn't torture!)

On Saturday evening we joined some friends at our local-ish pub and had a meal outside while the kids played in the garden. It was a completely lovely evening, and made me happy that there are only three more weeks left in school for my two little duckies. I am looking forward to more relaxed, summer nights when we aren't scrambling to bed when the sun is still up.


On Sunday morning we decided to have church at the local fruit farm. Emma, Sophie and I had a perfectly lovely girls' day out and returned with a heap of strawberries and raspberries. The good thing about berry picking with children is that you are able to be quite thorough. I was able to seek out all of the nice, ripe raspberries at the tops of the bushes, while Sophie found wonderful ruby red treasures down low, and Emma detected anything in the middle we had missed.

I am also enjoying being mobile and pregnant in this beautiful weather. How nice is it to throw on a sundress and not have to worry about sucking in your stomach? Pregnancy has other perks as well; Emma keeps informing me that my "boobs are really out there" these days. Yes, I do enjoy the attention...more than I did the first two times around, and I am thrilled anytime I hear British compliments like, "You have the tidiest bump I've ever seen!" Mind you, I have no idea what a "tidy bump" is, but it is apparently a good thing, so I smile and say "Thank you!!"

On a slightly sour note, summertime has also brought an unfortunate summer virus to our dear Sophia. She is tucked up in bed with a fever watching CBeebies this morning. Of course I hate that she feels poorly, but she has been so sweet and cuddly that being her caretaker is a pleasure. Emma, on the other hand, was a little less than thrilled when she left for school this morning with our neighbor Mrs. Li, while Sophie remained cwtched up in bed in her pajamas... but the sun is shining, and it's a beautiful summer's day, and she will get over it.

One final glorious announcement, on Friday I finished up my last (as far as I know) big obligation with the Radyr Primary School PTA. We pulled off a successful summer fayre in the rain. The majority of the stalls had to be moved indoors; the outdoor barbeque had to be replaced with kitchen-cooked hot dogs, but all in all, things went well... and we are finished for the year! Hooray!