This morning I did a bad thing. I really should have known better. In fact, even worse than that, Abbie warned me. “Don’t do it mom”, she said. I should have listened.

In a bid to get my family up and out of the house before the threatened storms arrived, I decided that I should wake Josh. Now I know nothing good has ever come from disturbing my boy from his slumber. But the sun was shining and storms were due to arrive later in the day. I thought that, just this once, I should take the risk . Bad decision. Within a minute I knew that I really, really, shouldn’t have done it. The blackness enveloped him in seconds and I knew I would spend the day being punished for my crime.

But I had to do it. Because getting out of the house at all feels like a family challenge some days. It’s a bit like herding cats. We have my husband’s dad and step mom staying with us for the next couple of months – on their annual pilgrimage from USA to escape the heat of their summer. So at the moment there of 6 of us to get up out of our pits, showered, fed and out of the house. It sounds easier than it is.

Today we managed to be out of the house and hanging around the cars before 12 noon. Some kind of record for us. Ok, we did have a further 10 minutes where one or the other of us needed to venture back inside to retrieve forgotten items. But pretty good for us and the sun was still shining. Result. Well, kind of – if we ignore the black cloud following Josh around and the daggers he is shooting into my back.

My plan for the day? Chasewater. Just a few miles from where I grew up and I don’t think I have ever been before. In the sunshine (yay) it’s a gorgeous place. But it’s hot – high 20’s centigrade. And oh so humid. These are not good conditions for a tired 10 year old boy. Everything (as he likes to keep reminding me in between deep sighs and huffs) is all my fault. Bad mom. I’m now paying the price for my earlier recklessness. The 4 mile walk around the lake suddenly looks very long indeed. It really did seem like a good idea at the time! 

But then 2 miracles happen.

The first high five moment came when the clouds (real ones – not Josh’s moody ones!) came over and there is some welcome relief from the heat. I love the heat usually but even I concede that the humidity made for an uncomfortable walk. Or maybe it was the relentless grumping from the boy that created the most discomfort.

The real turning point came when we reached Chase Watersports Centre. It turns out that a 10 minute speedboat ride was all that was needed to blow the cobwebs and (Josh’s) dark clouds away. It wasn’t quite on a par with our rib ride around San Francisco Bay (Cruising the Bay)- but not bad for a Saturday morning in the Black Country. And a bargain at £3 each!

The final stage in Josh’s transformation came when we booked him a wakeboarding lesson for next weekend. Finally, I’m a good mom and all is well with the world. I am, once again, loved. It’s only taken around 6 hours for total forgiveness. I’ve known Josh hold a grudge for days so I am totally happy with this.

I feel like I’m on a bit of a roll now so I take the risk of suggesting we pop to nearby Lichfield. I must be right about the roll because, shock horror, the suggestion is not met with the tirade of objections from the children that I expect. So we check out Lichfield. I’m sure I must have visited Lichfield as a child but I have no memory of it. I admit that it was fairly difficult to take in the beauty of the cathedral as we sprint to find the loos, but once the emergency was over we could take it in.

Our Davies Day Out certainly had its ups and downs – but not a bad start to the weekend.

Josh when you eventually read this remember I love you – and your clouds xxx