Stelmaria

Saw this beautiful cat when Al and I were playing together, during Betsy's swimming lesson. She had beautiful blue eyes and was light grey and white, with dark grey spotty markings like a leopard. She make me think of Lord Asriel's Daemon in Northern Lights. But I am having a His Dark Materials moment right now due to a piece of embroidery I am thinking about. Anyway, she was very lovely.

Whilst Al was having his swimming lesson and Betsy and Al were playing catch in the playground, a busybody parent came bustling up and asked us to stop playing ball as it 'isn't allowed'. In a playground? I'm not very good at being told what do do, especially if it's just silly, and particularly by people who just take it upon themselves to be the guardians of everyone else. ( I once nearly had a stand up row with a woman in John Lewis who told me I was queuing 'the wrong way' when we were the only people in the department. I just stopped myself in time by remembering that it would have been obnoxious). Anyway, this person attempted to explain to me the reasons why ball playing wasn't allowed (I knew the words, health, safety and insurance were coming) but I just couldn't bear to listen. Especially as every time the children have had swimming lessons there the playground is always thick with children playing football, basketball, cricket, catch, on bikes, scooters etc. I asked him if he had anything to do with it whatsoever, and he had to admit he did not. So we carried on. How silly that it's okay for children to wait for their swimming lessons sitting indoors on their fat bums playing with a DS, but not running around outside in the sunshine playing ball with their Mum.

It's been a lovely sunny day, and Betsy and Al played out in the garden most of the day, they were really great. I did tons of cooking, washing and ironing, trying to get some jobs out of the way so I can spend more time doing stuff with them for the rest of the week when the weather isn't going to be so nice.