When I’m not ‘being’ a Mummy, I do try and get involved in a few grown-up things. These can vary wildly from day to month to year, but a few I try and keep constant. These are:

Meditation: I am very new to meditation, and find it a huge mental challenge. Apart from the sheer joy of being made to sit still for an hour and a half without ignoring the ironing pile, the smears on the windows, the toy clutter and the pitter patter of bed-hopping feet, it has opened up a world of selfless contemplation, of an open spirit and inner calm. It works for me….

HUSH: This an amazing organisation, which I support in a very small and inadequate way. It exists to support families whose children have contracted Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome as a result of infection with the eColi 0157 bacteria. Both Wee1 and Wee2 were unlucky enough to be infected, but Wee1 went on to develop HUS and acute kidney failure. It was a traumatic time – ambulance transfer to Glasgow Sick Kids Renal Unit, 24 hour kidney dialysis, blood transfusions, drip feed, tubes everwhere and a very small wan 3-year-old lost in the middle of it all. The family also suffered, of course: we were 31/2 hours from home, my husband was working long hours to support us and Wee2 had to go to stay with my parents on Orkney. Anyway – we all came through it and my tiny contribution is to be available by phone or email to any family going through the same thing who just want to talk. I wish I could do more.

Amnesty International: This is a new one for me – but I know it is one that I will love. One of my jobs when playing Miss Corporate was to lobby the government, and when I quit the rat race to try and make babies (not as daft as it sounds: I was abroad at least 5 nights a week!) I worked as a volunteer advocate for adults with learning disabilities: basically making sure they got whatever they were entitled to, rather than what they could be fobbed off with. So – the battle for the little folk against the big bad monster of the system is right up my street.

Open University: I started this a couple of months before Wee1 became ill, and had to write the last essays to complete my module by his bedside – not ideal. I passed, but I couldn’t see how I could ever fit anything other than tending to my babies every need ever again. Still, I’m back in the land of some kind of reality now and feel able to start studying again. The degree will eventually be a BA (Hons) in Criminology and Psychology, and I hope to be able to put it to use before I shuffle off this mortal coil!

The less constant crushes have been on sewing (clothes – fine until I get to the hem, then I lose all interest; patchwork; baby clothes; penants; curtains and many many cushions); knitting (I can do the knitting bit but my casting on is truly dire); vegetable gardening (reasonably succesful: I was found by the midwife hoeing weeds the morning after Wee2 was born); crochet (unmitigated disaster, and all I want to be able to do is crochet a little flower) and jam and chutney making of every conceivable variety.

I have also become enamoured of the thought of making ribbony-beaded bookmarks. However, my bipolar pocketguide (a bit like the wallet insert AA gives you), tells me that I have to wait for two weeks before embarking on any new project: and I know that ‘making things’ is one of my manic triggers – so I am being a good girl:)

On rereading this, I realise that my introduction of ‘a few I try and keep constant‘ is a total and utter delusion: they are all either relatively new or not even started. Ha! I can do this because I am me and being me is what I can do… fab isn’t it?!