Quality Time

It has been a very strange week, Marc is away on a lay pioneer training residential course so I am home alone juggling work and Daniel..my folks as always have been fab but it is still a strain...I absolutely hate being home alone...I have never actually lived alone and therefore do not like being alone...obviously I have Dan here but that kind of makes it worse as every noise and creak makes me anxious! ( maybe something to do with the last time I recall being left home alone we were burgled!)

With still having work to juggle and Dan I made a promise to him that today after pre school we would do something together that was a bit different to the norm..his choice..Go to see the secret war tunnels at Dover Castle!
I desperately tried to dissuade him from the idea as its a bit of a drive but it was all he wanted  to do so this afternoon we trekked down the A2 to Dover.
Despite a hot sticky car journey we had a lovely afternoon, it was pretty quiet and so we had the chance to see everything again  ( we have been several times before!) The secret tunnels were a gamble though as they are very dark and loud and once you are in there is no getting out until the tour is over. First off he chose the hospital tunnels and he struggled with the loudness of the mock bombs and the flickering lights but impressed the guide by choosing to walk up the huge spiral staircase rather than take the lift! (stubborn like his mum!) After a look around the castle and the grounds we decided to brave the rest of the tunnels which was a much longer tour...after the initial anxiety he was engrossed...he was constantly asking questions about how and why the war started, which were the good soldiers and which were the ones trying to hurt us and was fascinated by the Dunkirk landings.
Daniel is fascinated by castles and the history behind them already at 4 and it was so lovely to see the concern and passion in his face and the eagerness to know more.

Not that long ago on days like today I would have spent the afternoon feeling totally guilty, worrying about al the things I should be doing I haven't, stressing about the late night that will be needed to catch up and feeling generally anxious about what people will think about me sneaking off on a work day! But today I felt elated, happy to have the chance to spend some quality time with Dan doing something a little bit special that he truly loved and also very aware that in a matter of weeks afternoons like this just wont be possible as school will have taken over.

So tonight I am cramming in pastoral calls, sermons and 101 0ther things and tomorrow we are back in the madness of parish life but this afternoon we made special memories and I don't feel guilty one little bit :)