A few Fridays ago, I had the most blissfully relaxing day I have had for some time. Possibly for three years, in fact.
The thing about living with small kids, I find, is that no matter how many wonderful, cute, endearing individual moments there are, day-to-day life can feel a lot like a repetitive slog.
Well, I speak only for my own small kids, of course, who both still need post-lunch naps to avoid serious meltdowns, and who will both only contemplate taking post-lunch naps in their own beds, which ties us close to the house at all times, and mostly on a merry-go-round of park visits / singing classes / soft play excursions, all accompanied with a never-ending soundtrack of “why haven’t you put your shoes on yet to go out when I’ve asked you ten times?” or “can you please eat something from your lunch plate that’s not just grated cheese” and “why are you throwing that bouncy ball at your brother / the priceless Ming vase / my head”…
Anyway, a rather exciting development at the end of August was that both boys started to go to nursery two days a week. Leaving me with one day a week to attend my garden design course and one day to… …do whatever I like!
This particularly blissful Friday a few weeks ago, was the very first of my child-free days. I left the boys together at nursery, sitting next to each other at the breakfast table, eating rice crispies and looking very happy and not at all sad to see me leave, which was completely wonderful.
Then I had to pop to Regent’s Park to take some photographs of one of the flower beds there for a garden design assignment.
After which, I went and had lunch with the hubby at a French wine bar in Farringdon. I had pâté and cured ham and drank a kir. Oh my days, I tell you, I felt so carefree and relaxed!
The sun was shining, I travelled the tube unencumbered by prams and without any deadlines to arrive anywhere, I had an actual conversation with my husband without being either completely shattered or interrupted. Well, all in all, it was a pretty heavenly day. And it made me realise that having a few more days like that would no doubt do me (and the rest of the family) the world of good.
All pictures here, by the way, are from Regent’s Park on that day. One of our assignments for my garden design course is to photograph the same flower bed each month of the year to see how it changes. The bed I chose is known as the “sausage border” because, erm, it’s sausage-shaped. It has some really lovely herbaceous plants in there and at the height of summer is an exuberant riot of abundance. If you’re ever close to the park, head over to the Mediterranean garden, just past the rose garden, and you can find the sausage bed a little further north from there, just next to a small pond. It’s a great space to sit and think on a sunny day…
So here’s to days for relaxing, days to yourself and days of sunshine. May we all have at least one of these this month.
Wolves in London 
I remember so well those exhausting days with toddlers even though it’s been a very long time. Just looking at your beautiful photos relaxese…and makes me want to be in London again.
Oh that sounds like complete bliss! It’s wonderful how much good even a few hours peace can do to reboot your spirits isn’t it!
Glad you had such a lovely day, I’m wishing you many more of them. CJ xx
What a wonderful day and none better than to spend it in a garden. How exciting to be starting a garden course. It looks like you know where to go for inspiration.
these are absolutely beautiful pictures. and it is so good and so healthy to have days like this. no matter how much we love our children, it’s nice to break free
oh,it’s Claudia from LilmuseLily
A place for inspiration and relaxation – what a perfect combo. Yes, there’s something rather divine about enjoying a ‘peaceful’ day out.
Sounds like you had a great day – and glad the sun was out. It’s been so dreary since, although tbf today was much nicer. Fab pics and you can’t beat London on a sunny day #hdygg
Sausage border – haha! I don’t know why I find that so funny but I do. I didn’t realise you could get white echinacea! We have some pink ones in the garden and I think the two colours with those bright centre cones would look good together.
That really does sound wonderful. My little girl just started preschool and as a result I now have four mornings a week to myself. I haven’t managed to get my head around this fact sufficiently yet to really make the most of it, but I will 🙂 Gorgeous photos. I hope that you have many more days like this x #hdygg
Ah it sounds like bliss – and I can imagine the difference it made for you, the feeling of the opulence of being able to totally suit yourself for a few hours.
The shot with the water dripping down is so good, heck they all are. I feel like I was popped in your pocket and taken for a walk!
Thank you for joining in again – and here’s to many more days like those!
I know what you mean about having a relaxing day – my boys are older but I am now tied to animals on the farm instead, the gite and the school runs/teenager taxi service so a day with a friend at a garden is a treat indeed and all too rare.
I love the idea of your gardening assignment – good luck with that … oh and your second picture down is wonderful – I see dragons’ tails fighting for supremacy!
glad you enjoyed your day child free and that were happy for you to leave them, i’m assuming this was much more relaxing for you