It was supposed to be a full day of school.

Some plans are made simply so you can change them and thats what today seemed to be about. It just was not meant to be. I fought for it though, I kept trying to focus but first it was an early morning for Lily and I and then it just seemed like every time I’d try and get stuck in to the work, I needed to do something would pull me away from it, something outside my control. So I gave up and started doing farm chores until it was time for lunch. Thinking the afternoon was going to be much the same I asked Denis if he wanted to go to Fougeres to get a postcard or two from Lily’s birth town for her baby book. We were gone as fast as we could get out the door.

We took photos of the hospital and then went to the town centre and parked so we could walk around. It is a beautiful old city with a castle complete with a moat. Lily was in a fabulous mood, she really enjoyed the playful mood her daddy and I were in taking it up a notch herself. We got the postcards I wanted at the Tourist Info Centre and we carried on to the castle. We wondered the streets, played in the park, got Lily two little souvenirs for when she is older and shared ice cream outside the castle walls. It was absolutely perfect. Lily giggled and made many strangers turn and look and smile at her big grin. Lily’s knack for making eye contact and smiling really engages people. A few even came up and spoke to her, which she loved. They did not seem to care that we could not have a chat with them, Lily held the space herself.

Just before leaving we popped into the shop that we’d parked beside, and I got a dress for €15.00. It is a great little all purpose dress. I think it will be my grad dress, my party dress and my summer dress this year. We got Lily a dress in the same shop for €4.00 but she will have to grow into hers a bit. Both dresses are cotton and from Nepal. I think it has been five years since I last bought a dress, not kidding. Denis has got me two since then, one he designed and had made specifically for me and one he got for me while I was away at summer school the first year. It was time to get a new one.

One last stop before heading home and we had our groceries and one little bouncy ball the perfect size for Lily. Our evening carried the energy of our afternoon forward and we did chores side by side, literally relying on each others strength when moving a round bale to the barn for the horses to feed. It felt good and it feels good to be such a close little family.