There was a full moon last night. A full moon in Leo, opposite Pluto. Did anyone else start howling?

I’m delighted to announce that we are all back on track and fully recovered, even my Mum who definitely had it the worst of anyone and whose cough sounded like she was chain-smoking 50 fags a day. I can, with quite an irritatingly smug smile, confirm that I stayed in my full health the entire time despite being repeatedly coughed on/sneezed at and generally living in a thick cloud of the illness for the entire week.

I seem to have a ninja warrior-style immune system. Black belt level.

In other news, my little boy and I went for a walk the other day, up the hill nearby with little baby in the sling fast asleep. We brought carrots for the horses we hoped to meet (they aren’t always there). It was the ideal wellies day for my four-and-a-half year old with an abundance of streams he could splash in en route.

The horses weren’t there this time but that’s never stopped us before (Bowie ate the entire carrot himself the last time it happened). Unperturbed, we strolled a bit further on to a home with approximately 15 hens and several large, sleek ducks. We munched on the crunchy orange vegetables ourselves and then threw the morsels into the garden with the feathery clucking creatures racing over towards us. Have you ever seen a hen running? It’s the funniest thing. Like a waddling duck on speed.

There’s always something special about going on these walks with my little boy. Last time we did it I realized half-way up that baby was due her afternoon feed, I’d completely forgotten the time. Never fear, that’s the joy of breastfeeding: once we reached the field with the horses, I sat myself down on the grass by the gate and baby had a picnic. (While my little boy ate the horse’s carrot!)

It was incredibly peaceful, sitting in the quiet countryside, my son leaning up against me, one arm draped over my leg, and my baby guzzling her milk as we listened to bird song, the rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze and Bowie crunching away on his carrot.

I felt extremely lucky in that moment and it’s important to have moments like those. When you’re in the throes of sleepless nights and never-ending laundry while yearning for your old gym sessions and some semblance of a social life, it’s important to gift yourself something precious: time out.

And as you can see, it doesn’t even have to be away from the kids. (And costs less than a bag of carrots.)

I went home refreshed that day. Holding my son’s hand (how much longer will he allow me to do that I wonder?!) as he waded happily through the puddles (and didn’t fall into one like last time) with another warm little body snuggled up inside my coat, I felt all the love I have for them in its totality.

I have a continual sense of impending doom each time I think of my to do list so moments of parental bliss are few and far between. But a simple walk in nature reopened the channel to the immense love and devotion I have for my two little humans.

That’s special.

And yeah sure, I was back to tearing out my hair later that evening when my son threw his lego all over the floor in a temper and my little baby decided she’d had enough of EVERYTHING and vented her irritation at a pitch designed to break glass.

But hey, who needs hair? Or their sanity? Or just five minutes of peace…..Oh wait. I had that.

Parenting is hard man! Immensely beautiful and enriching, but hard.

Thank crunchy for nature walks. (And carrots.)