- - FIN - -

In a few hours, the movers will be here. By the end of today, our things will packed away and sealed in carton boxes.

In the same way, so will our lives in London.

Has it really been two years? Sometimes it feels like we've been here much, much longer yet I remember incidents like they were yesterday. Then I take one look at Cheeks and instantly I'm snapped back to reality...

Time has flown by.

Cheeks, walking down H road,
on her way to her FIRST day @ nursery

I started this blog to jot down bits of our lives here. I wanted to document the trials and tribulations of Motherhood, my struggles at cooking (ha!), my experiences as a first-time SAHM. I wanted to have something to look back on - the good, the bad, the tears, the fears, the joy and laughter. I wanted to remember what we did, no matter how trivial or banal they were, and track Danielle's development and milestones.

I've been thinking how I should end my last posting from London. A summary perhaps? So here goes:

Hi. My name is Saggs. Welcome to my blog.

For the past 2 years, my family and I have been living in Southwest London, in the borough of Wandsworth. Some people call these parts, 'The Nappy Valley' because of the droves of families who live here. Our move from Singapore (where we're from) to the UK signalled my first time as a SAHM. If you didn't already know, that stands for 'Stay At Home Mum'.

When Cheeks first arrived to London, she was a month shy of 2.

This is Danielle then:

the day we arrived at Heathrow

Cheeks today:

at Tooting Bec Common

Well, obviously, she's grown. We all have. Not just older, taller, or wider (guess who? Heh heh.) but as a family. London opened a new chapter for us. It gave us our first glimpse of real family life. Our first taste of solid family bonding and togetherness. Before, family time in Singapore was always confined to the weekends and even those were often marred by Papa's frequent callbacks to the office. But here, with the English guarding their personal/family time, their holidays and weekends so possessively, work-life balance vastly improved for Dee and we had him wholly to ourselves. We relished every moment having him with us, and doing things as a family.

When I think about going back to the hustle and bustle of Singapore life, the long hours Dee has to put in for work, the time he has to spend away from us, I'm filled with immeasurable dread. I don't want to seem like a single mum again (it felt that way before). I want our family to be as it was here. I want the three of us, not just two.

Whether it'll revert back to what it was before is still left to be seen. What lies in store for us?

I don't know.

But I don't want to be afraid. So I pray, and I hope you'll pray for us too...

I should end this soon. The computer needs to be shut down and I need to clear the computer table in preparation for the move tomorrow.

But before I go, I want to thank you all for joining me on this wonderful journey. I've enjoyed spending time updating my blog with UK anecdotes and I look forward to more updates of our lives back in Singapore.

Until then...

Goodbye London, hello Singapore!

+++

It seems a shame my last glimpse of London will be from the plane, at a rather shabby Heathrow terminal.

Perhaps more befitting would've been this view of the city from the summit of Parliament Hill, Hampstead - with woodland all around us, the sun on our faces, the breeze carassing our cheeks.

Scenes of London, I think I'll have plenty. But if asked to choose how I'd best remember the city, this would probably be it. It's the scene dearest to me. The one I want etched in memory, and embedded in my heart... forever.

the street where we lived...

Goodbyes and... Hello? Are you an Academy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated actress?

Today was Cheeks' last day at nursery. I brought the camera along (like I'd ever leave home without it. Pooh!) to take snaps of Cheeks with her teachers and friends.

Suffice to say, it was bittersweet.

We were inundated with kind words from mothers wishing us the very best, bidding us farewell. Cheeks was smothered with cuddles from classmates, teachers and other non-teaching staff at school. Everyone was lovely.

Cheeks wanted to take pictures with EVERYONE. Unfortunately, some children were not at school that day, their mothers opting to start their summer holidays earlier. Sorely missing were pictures with Poppy, Sebestian, Boyd, Amelia and Maddie.

Cheeks went around announcing excitedly that she was 'going to Singapore!' and that she would be 'leaving London!' I'm glad she seems chuffed by the idea that she's going home soon. I just hope she knows she's not coming back. It's not another holiday. She won't return to this nursery after Summerbreak, nor will she see her friends, or walk through our big red door again.

+++

And now, I'd like to tell you what else we did today! I brought Cheeks to Hampstead to meet children's author, Lauren Child, of 'Charlie and Lola' fame. We trundled bumpity bump (with Cheeks in her buggy) to Daunt Books at South End Road for the book signing. It was publicised as an event to raise funds for UNICEF so I showed my support by purchasing the enhanced copy of 'That Pesky Rat'.

Cheeks meets her favourite author, Lauren Child! Woo hoo!

It was a thrill for us to see a 'minor celebrity' - albeit a children's author - so up close and personal. And Ms Child was utterly charming and down-to-earth. But very tardy! She showed up an hour late for the event. Tsk tsk! But everyone was all smiles the minute she arrived.

Hello? Hang on! Who is this I spot decked in a Vivienne Westwood-esque gingham skirt and dark glasses? Can it be? Have my prayers of finally meeting a star in celestial London been answered?

It had.

It was. Her.

I flubbered like an idiot. I asked for a photograph (what's the camera for anyway? I ask you!). I was as happy as a pig in muck because lo! She may not be Dame Judi Dench, Gwyneth Paltrow Julie Christie, or Helen Mirren Taylor (all Academy award winners), but she's still a star in her own gothic, quirky, movie right.

Behold! I present to you...

Me (grinning like a Cheshire cat) and Ms Helena Bonham-Carter!
Oh Ivory Merchant, Oh Sweeney Todd, Oh Oh!

Here comes the summer sun!

(yet another b.p)
Hot on the heels of Summer are long lovely maxi-dresses, flipflops, sunbathing in parks, splashing around in paddling pools, tall gorgeous glasses of Pimm's, and of course, hot, flammin' Barbeques!!!!

We were invited to one at the end of June. Our hosts were the very lovely Ongs who organised a mini housewarming shindig at their swanky new pad a stone's throw from their previous apartment.

Val looking gorgeous in her polkadotted green dress
& Alan the BBQ extraordinaire!

With her new bowls
We got them as a housewarming gift for the Ongs :)

Dearest Ros with her new Cath Kidston oven mitten

The Ongs - they ALWAYS spoil us rotten with their smorgasbord of delectables! That day, we were treated to thick slabs of chargrilled beef from M&S, well marinated chicken pieces, bamboo clams from their local fishmonger (Steve Hatt, I think?), succulent lamb kebabs. We imbibed glass after glass of red/white wine and tumblers of juice as we sat chatting under the warm blanket of the Saturday afternoon sunshine. (Well, at least the men did. The womenfolk opted to keep fairskinned by escaping indoors. Heh.)

Everything was pretty darn awesome.

Dee, Alan, and Adrian

Jac, Val, me! (in mirror) and Ros

While we tucked into BBQ food, the kids, in the meantime, got busy upstairs with Luke's toys. The poor little tyke, however, was a tad unsettled by the sudden surge of estrogen in his house so spent most of the afternoon napping downstairs.

ducking the gaggle of screaming women by snoozing.
Wise choice! :P

Later however, all the children got into their swimsuits and played at the fountain located in the apartment compound. They ran round in circles, splishety splashed in the water, and had themselves a swimmingly good time.

the bevy of beauties in their bathing suits!

Now this is going to sound rather odd - especially coz we're moving back to tropical weather - but we'll miss Summer in London. It's the ability to experience the 4 seasons, really. Makes one appreciate hot summery days knowing full well temperatures will dip the rest of the year...

Gao Tu (The Art of Procrastination)

(yet ANOTHER backdated post)

Heh heh heh.

Ho ho ho.

Kekeke.

Oh please let me tell you why I'm chuckling to myself. Please please please? I'm just dying to tell y'all.

...

Okaay. Am deafened by the deathly silence from the other side (yes, I do mean you lot). What's that phrase? I can cut the silence with a knife? I can hear a pin drop? The silence was broken by a slow, fizzy, poofy noise because someone failed to raise a buttcheek?

I feel déjà vu-ish.

This feels familiar.

Ah yes. It's reminiscent of the MANY times MOM (how's that for a reference, QL!!!!) does a strange little soliloquy over MSN whenever I skirt off from the IM without telling her. Ho ho ho.

Anywayz, I'm wonderfully adept at changing the subject so let's get back to it already.

Chuckling. Why? Because I have a whole backlog of entries which I am looking at in utter disdain. Oh, the tribulations of tu-ing!

So excuse me while I gather bits from here and there and try to piece my life - as of last week - together...

Thursday:
Dennis' cousins, Enrica & Eudora, who were in London/Paris for a 2-week holiday, treated us to a night off and tickets to see Avenue Q.

It was a riot! (the musical that is, not that Hubs and I staged one. Although quite frankly, I wouldn't mind protesting the need for more nights off ! :P)

Critics hail it as 'an irreverent parody of Sesame Street'.

Spot.On.

Brash, totally un-PC and absolutely unapologetic about it, I soaked up the ribaldry, gawped at the salacious scenes, and marvelled at the skilful puppeteering. And all the songs were catchy and rip-roaringly hilarious! A must-see on Broadway!

I was happy to enjoy a nightout with Dee. Occasions like these are so hard to come by, so few and far between. Sometimes I forget how it is to be just us - where conversations are not laced with anecdotes about Cheeks, work updates, or family. We walked hand in hand, snuggled in our theatre seats, finished each other sentences, enjoyed us.

That night, we were simply Saggs and Dee, not Mummy and Papa.

Shiver Me Timbre(s)!

Astounding but true.

Hubs and I LOVE the way the Prince of Wales speaks. Yes, I do mean HRH Prince Charles, the Heir Apparent, husband to CPB, father to Wills & Harry, The Royal who advocates talking to flora etc etc etc.

And now, I'd like to give you all a moment to gawp like freshly caught fish.

...
...
...

Done?

...
...
...

As we explored the grounds at Windsor Castle on Saturday, we found ourselves unexpectedly 'seduced' by HRH's crisp, private school influenced, ultra-polished, Queen's English- accented voice through our hand-held audio guides. So beguiled were we that we actually replayed his segment twice. Ok, thrice, but who's counting?

I think neither of us remembers what he rattled on about. He was waxing lyrical about something. What was it? The splendid tapestry hanging in the staterooms? The proud history of the castle?

I don't remember! All that comes to mind is the rich timbre of his voice, the beautiful way he enunciated his words... *sigh*

Oh. Help. Me. God.

Now here's another man who's been equally successful - if not more - in bowling us over with his verbal delivery - Simon Woods. He played the v dishy Dr Harrison in BBC's successful adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's 'Cranford'. This man's elocution is oh-my-gawd-I-can't-even-say-it -- pure, molten chocolate. Rich, smooth, utterly irresistible. *swoon*

Please, allow me to convince:

+++

In related news, we've done it. We've visited every royal castle in London. Windsor's the last.

The Sun wasn't in its most cooperative mood that day but we went ahead anyway. We weren't going to let a little weather blip scupper our plans, come hell or high water!

We weren't particularly impressed with the Queen's actual residence though I suspect it was a case of 'you've seen one, you've seen them all'. Cheeks did enjoy Queen Mary's Dolls' House though. The lavish opulence of the Doll House was dumbfounding. Besides the meticulously crafted furnishings and ornaments, the Doll House is equipped with electrical lights and plumbing - hot and cold water run in all the bathrooms!

There was a strong sense of déjà vu as I traipsed over the cobbled pavements. I watched Cheeks quietly listening to her special audio guide and marvelled how much she's grown. Before, she was a mere tag-along. Now she's an active participant who's able to follow the audio guide and walk through staterooms and galleries without too much complaint.

Anyway, here's a look at us - then and now. Our 1st palace visit (Tower of London) and our last (Windsor Castle).

Same people. Same jackets (me and Papa! totally unpremeditated!). Same photo taken with guard wearing bearskin headgear. But how we've all grown... in big and small ways. :)

Tower of London Sept 2006

Windsor Castle June 2008

On the goodbye trail

There are so many things I want us to do, so many places I want us to visit and re-visit before we leave London. On my lengthy list:

• Hampstead Heath (never been, would love to bring Cheeks to see the bathing ponds. Heard so much about them)
  
• Windsor Castle (to catch a glimpse of the Queen (!) who actually resides there, and not Buckingham Palace as is the popular belief)
• Richmond
• Brentcross
• Browse vintage boutiques at Angel/Covent Garden
  
• Brighton (walk on the famous pebbled beach)
  
• Climb to the top of St Paul's Cathedral for the breathtaking view of London
  
• Catch another musical/play
• Visit Columbia Road Flower Market
• Stroll down Portobello Market/King's Ave/High Street Kensington/Hampstead/Regent-Oxford Street

Truth is, I know I'll be unable to complete the list even if I were to stick to it slavishly. I'll have to be content with whatever I can manage within our limited timeframe. As it is I'm already feeling the stretch - a classic case of wanting to do too much in too little time. Besides the list, I'm feverishly trying to set aside time for friends who've been so much a part of our lives here.

Because I want to, and because I think they're important.

Surprisingly absent from the list is perhaps a visit to the museums. I took that out because I managed to bring Cheeks to the National Gallery on the spur of a moment today. I'd love to bring her to all of them again if I could - the Tates, British Museum, Horniman - but I can't.

So I picked the grand old dame. She who houses almost everything.

We made a beeline for the Impressionists.

They were all on proud display - Monet, Pissaro, Cezanne, van Gogh, Degas, Seurat, Renoir - names that have, in recent times, become familiar to Cheeks because of the 'Katie' series by James Mayhew. She paused to ask questions about Henry Rosseau's 'Surprised', Degas' 'Ballet Dancers', Seurat's 'Bathers' and Renoir's 'An Evening at the Theatre'.

But the painting she lingered at most was one by Paul Delaroche, 'Execution of Lady Jane Grey', one of my favourite paintings at the Gallery. This was the running dialog while we stood gazing at it: (pardon the lengthy exchange, i'm writing it all down so I don't forget)

D: Mummy, why is the lady blindfolded?
M: Because she is going to have her head cut off.
D: Why?!!!
M: In the past, when the king was not pleased with someone, he would give an order to have their heads cut off.
D: That's not very nice!
M: No, it isn't. But because the king was very powerful, he could do pretty much what he wanted. I think this was King Henry the VIII.
D: I think he is a very evil king! We should cut off HIS head!
D: (scans the painting) Mummy, why is that lady on the floor?
M: She fainted, I think.
D: Why?
M: I think it's because she was overcome by sadness that the young lady is going to have her head chopped off. I think that old lady is her lady-in-waiting.
D: And what about that man at the pillar? What's he doing?
M: I don't think that's a man Cheeks, it's another lady-in-waiting.
D: Why is she turned away?
M: I think she's crying against the pillar, sweetheart. She's probably very sad that the young lady is going to die.
M: How do you think the blindfolded lady feels, sweetheart?
D: I think she must be very scared.
M: I think so too, Cheeks. Look at that big axe. (we both turn to look at it)
D: That king is an EVIL man. I don't like him! He should NOT chop off people's heads! *growls*

Before we leave, we browse the Gallery bookshop. I buy Cheeks a chocolate coin, a 'Katie' book, and a print reproduction of Picasso's 'Child with a Dove'. As we descend the stairs at Charing Cross station, I find myself... a little overwhelmed.

These museums will no longer be at my disposal. I can't amble through gallery after gallery any time I want to, or bring Cheeks on mini excursions to see 'the Greats' on a whim.

I guess it's true what many friends have been telling me of late - that it was good while it lasted.

In our case, perhaps a little too good.

Craft

Cheeks striking an awkward pose with her
newly sheared fringe - courtesy of barber Papa.

Ha.

In a bid to inject a worthwhile activity to her otherwise humdrum termbreak, I whisked Cheeks to my favourite London museum, National Portrait Gallery, to participate in their 90-min family art workshop.

Completely gratis. Did I mention how much I love museums here?!!!

It was, as always, brilliantly conducted. Using one of its current exhibitions, 'Brilliant Women', as a backdrop for today's activities, the workshop began with a short introduction to portrait painter, Angelica Kauffmann - who she was and the painting styles she favoured. Next, the 16-or-so children (number of, not age group. But you knew that already, didn't you?) were asked to try their hand at silhouette drawing, similar to the one featured on the exhibition poster (see below) .

Children - heads bent over their drawing pads

Cheeks' 1st 'silhouette' pix.

The final activity, which lasted an hour, took place in the basement of the museum in a fairly large room frequently used for their family activities. The children were given step-by-step instructions on how to make a journal using felt fabric and paper. The task involved:

* Sewing paper onto the felt fabric (I had to poke the needle through the fabric/paper for Cheeks while she helped pull the thread through)
* Designing a booktag (drawing, cutting, pasting a design then sewing it to the end of the journal)
* Drawing a silhouette of a person, an animal, or whatever the children wished to include on the cover of their journal
* Cutting and pasting a label onto the 1st page of the journal.

Here's Cheeks, to demonstrate:

And voilà!

Cheeks' 'silhouette' of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.
Methinks it resembles a wriggly spaghetti strand making a slow descent into water. Ha!

While we were busy getting arty crafty in London, what of my sis? Why, the intrepid mother of 3 is currently flying solo in Rome, exploring the ruins of the Palatino, sticking fingers into every orifice at the v holey Colosseum, and more importantly, checking out the suave and dangerously irresistible Italian men! (Now we know the real reason why she chose to travel alone! Hohoho!) After Rome, she's off to the epicentre of Italian Renaissance, Florence, followed by the Chianti region. Her final port of call will see her ensconced in the shell of her gondola as it plies through Venice's famous waterways.

And that's where we'll join her.

With any luck, we'll be cruising down the Grand Canal together - a glass of bubbly Prosecco in hand, listening to a soothing serenade, a warm breeze through our hair. With the breathtaking Venetian skyline as a backdrop, our brawny gondolier will push the oar through the quiet waters and sail us towards the golden sunset...

I've never been. So I can dream, can't I? :)

Through my eyes

A walk down my favourite stretch between Leicester Square and Covent Garden.

I exit Leicester Square Tube station. Clasping Cheeks' hand tightly in mine, we cross the bustling street, onto Great Newport Street. We stride past The Arts Theatre ('that's where we saw Gruffalo's Child!' pipes Cheeks, every. single.time), Bureau (purveyor of lovely, expensive stationery supplies), the Photographers' Gallery, pizza joints. I tut-tut with my eyes as trishaws tear down the narrow streets, ringing their bicycle bells to draw attention.

At the junction of St Martin's Lane, walk straight ahead and this leads us to Long Acre, a shopping stretch that's home to many a high street store - NEXT, Reiss, GAP, Zara etc. Turn left and that brings us onto Monmouth Street.

Ah. Monmouth Street. With its melange of independent boutiques and shops - how I adore thee. We pass interesting cosmetic shops - brands I've never even heard of, peer covetingly into vintage boutiques with gorgeous shop displays, busy pubs, intimate cafes, a florist, finally arriving at Orla Kiely... Oh Orla, how I love browsing through your irresistably beautiful store (note operative word). I love everything. The store decor, the products sitting prettily on shelves, even the gorgeous lampshades. I do not know how best to say goodbye... should I buy me a mug, rainy day wellies, a bag?!

And then there's Candy Cakes, a cafe with a facade so sweetly-hued (pink, turquoisy shades), it's hard to miss. I'd go there every week if I could, just to have a milky cup of English Breakfast tea, enjoy cupcakes with brightly coloured frosting, and look at the rainbow display infront of me... I'm instantly transported to a happy place.

Cheeks and I thoroughly enjoyed our lemon poppy seed and blueberry cheesecake cupcakes today. They added an extra inch (possibly 2) round our waistlines/hips, but darn it, we were happy.

tea with Jo and Becky

Round the bend

Blogging will be at snail's pace over the next few days. Besides obligating myself to finishing that infernal ditty (you know the one *roll eyes*) and a gazillion other incomplete posts, I am also surfing the internet, trying to do some research for our upcoming Big Apple trip.

Yes, another holiday. Please don't hate us. We are blessed, I know. But also very broke. The number of money transfers that have been ping-ponging from one savings accounts to another is, quite frankly, spiking my heartrate.

We leave next Tuesday. This means taking Cheeks out of nursery during school term. And we've just started a new term after that 2 week break!

While I'm not too perturbed by her skipping nursery - it's not like she's missing out on REAL lessons or anything - I am a tad concerned about the disruption these holidays are causing to our daily routine. And I like routine.

Afternoons are pretty much free and easy with walks, playdates, trips to the Common/library. But these are what we do, mornings:

• Rise and shine, loo visits, et cetera et cetera,
  
• Cheeks has breakfast. Sometimes she watches telly. Or not, depending on her mood. Sometimes she doodles during breakfast.
  
• I potter around the kitchen. Have myself a mug O tea! mug O Tea! Begin preparing lunch.
  
• At 9:30am thereabouts, we begin 'Lessons'. This is when I go through the alphabets, numbers, mandarin vocab, learning to tell time with her.

--> Not all together a very pleasant exercise, I have to admit. She absolutely ABHORS lessons! And the more distracted she is, the more irritable I get, and the more our neighbours HEAR ME. Seriously, I wonder why I even bother? She'll learn all these at school, no? Each session leaves us visibly upset, our chests heaving in frustration. Still, there are SOME good days. Thank God!

• After lessons, it's bathtime for the both of us - she suds in the tub, I lather in the shower.
  
• Lunch! chomp chomp chomp!
  
• If there's still time, we play for abit. Else we get ready for school, or get ready to go out.
  

So yes, this routine will be disrupted. Oh I know, it's a holiday... heck?!

The weather has been tottering on wonderful these past 2 days. Despite the morning showers, I was able to walk Cheeks to school clad in a top (only!) and jeans. OMG OMG! Does this mean I can finally relegate all my winterwear to storage?

On Monday, seeing how school was having an inset day and wasn't open till Tuesday, I decided to bring Cheeks to the One O'clock Club at the Common. It's been ages since our last visit. Cheeks' nursery session falls smack during the opening times of the Club and by the time she finishes, the Club is ready to close for the day.

Seeing her play at the Club made me realise how much she's grown these past 2 years. She used to relish the sing-along sessions, used to trot all over the Club - looking for new toys, preferring to spend more time in the outdoor area. Now, she's content to sit quietly doing craft, or roll out the Playdoh. She plays by herself, unconcerned whether I join her in the activities or not.

Cheeks at the One O'Clock Club, aged 2 yrs 3 mths

Cheeks today, aged 3 years 8 mths

I'm also making a conscious effort to pop into shops/cafes/boutiques around our suburb more. I don't want to neglect them, especially when Time will abate my ability to frequent them soon.

So yesterday, I brought Cheeks for a walk around Northcote Road. We browsed inside gift shops - Huttons, All Good Gifts, we sauntered into La Cuisiniere and La Cuisiniere Too to look for a butter knife I've been hankering. We didn't sight any (I'm so regretting I didn't buy the cute polka-dotted one at Mousehole, Cornwall!). We shared a Ribena Light purchased at a newsagent's, continued to hop in and out of shops as they were closing, saw LOADs of 'Charlie and Lola' stuff that I want to buy but didn't. We went to Woolworth's, where I got Cheeks a 'Beauty Playset' for 1.99 pounds (she been spending hours playing 'Beauty Parlour' with her toys since, pretending to be their beautician and dolling them up for parties, picnics and other 'exciting' occasions.) Our last stop was ASDA. I browsed through racks of GEORGE clothes (all bleh), and we spent time flipping through kiddy mags.

Powerpuff girl, Buttercup, gets a makeover

teddy gets a combo: cut/wash/blowdry

It was close to 7:30pm by the time we got home. We were held up by a MASSIVE jam while on the bus and because we couldn't catch the connecting bus home, we had to walk 20 minutes back to our place. The walk did us both good though.

And so, another day passes... and I feel the need to cry. Just to let things out.

Not helping (or perhaps it is?). This:

Only the mummies...

(this should've been last saturday's posting. Infront of me STILL stands a snake-like queue of backdated posts. Good Gad!)

Armed with Waitrose cupcakes, grapes and a punnet of strawberries, we commuted to North London for brunch at Val's. With chef du jour, Alan, at the helm of the kitchen, our tummies rumbled hungrily, eager to sample his cooking for the first time.

Alan, it seems, does not only possess a flair for cooking, he also has a flair for blogging his cooking adventures in a way that titillates our tastebuds. By the end of his food postings, we're sucking in GLOBS of saliva, and voraciously wishing we could join him on his gastronomic journeys.

Discontent with eating vicariously through his blog postings, we badgered Val into asking Alan to whip up something (anything!) for us shameless folk.

And dazzle us, he did.

We were treated to an amazing spread - oven-baked ham with curdled milk gravy, chicken liver pâté served with warm sourdough, and sauteed mushrooms. Val made a delicious tuna pasta tossed in pesto, and a refreshing fruit salad. The ham, soaked in its milky gravy, was succulent and baked to perfection. The chicken liver pâté was smooth, creamy, and oh-so-decadent. I'm sure our cholesterol levels sky rocketed that day, not that any of us cared. Alan suggested countering the richness of the chicken liver pâté with pickled cornichons. The saltish sourish flavours from the vinegar-soaked cornichons worked perfectly with the slightly bitter aftertaste of the liver. Divine!

Kids at lunch

After lunch, Val, Ros & I scuttled out of the house, leaving the daddies to take full charge of their scion. We'd negotiated a 'day off' with the dads and were keen to enjoy some 'girly time' with each other, sans kids.

We chose the lengthy shopping strip at King's Road, Chelsea, for our girly outing. With its panoply of high street shops, it was the ideal place to engage in some retail therapy.

Papas United

Mama Sisterhood

Despite the bizzare sunshiney rainy weather, we trudged on, unfazed. We visited VV Roleaux, a craft shop that sells all sorts of notions, we browsed at Warehouse, Oasis, Monsoon, but lingered most at Zara. We stopped for a teabreak at Patisserie Valerie, where we shared family anecdotes, giggled and guffawed, and complained to each other over tea and cakes. But all too soon, it was time for us to return to our familes, and slip back to our mummy roles.

We weren't greedy. A couple of hours was all we needed to rejuvenate, recharge, and rediscover ourselves. As we stepped into Val's house, arms laden with supermarket dinners, I felt (in fact, I think we all did) incredibly moved when our kid(s) charged towards us - leaping into our arms for a cuddle, screaming 'Mummy, Mummy!' - their round faces beaming, genuinely happy to have us home.

It's certainly nice to go out and do things the way we used to before we became mums. Every once in awhile, we need to reconnect ourselves with the other roles that help shape our lives - we're also friends, sisters, wives, daughters.

But of all the roles I've taken on in my life, this 'Mummy' role? It remains my most rewarding to date. And I pray it will always, always be.