Me On Monday

It was a list making, passport finding, money changing, thermal vest checking, last preparations kind of weekend. Because she's off to Romania next Saturday.

We went out to buy a final few toys and bits and pieces for her to slip into her suitcase and pass out to the children she meets when she gets there. We shopped from the list - warm gloves, colouring pencils, teddy bears, little toy cars - and on Sunday morning, as we were sorting what we had, the phone rang:

"Hello Auntie Sian," said a small, clear voice. "I have some very important questions to ask you for my homework. They're about TOYS FROM THE PAST. Are you ready?"

"Hi Little E," I said. "Fire away. I'm all ears."

"Why did you say that thing about ears? Here are my questions:"

and he asked me about my favourite toy when I was little, and whether I still had it, and I told him about my dollshouse and how it was still on my shelf, and then I heard his mum in the background, telling him to ask me who made the dollshouse. My Grandpa made it, I told him, for your Granny when she was a little girl, and it's nearly eighty years old.

"You know what, Auntie Sian?" Little E said. "You know what? I think that's really pretty awesome.."

And he's right. It is pretty awesome. I had been looking at our collection of things and hoping it was enough, knowing it'll never be enough.Little E brought a child's voice back into our plans. Know what I mean? I'm glad he phoned to talk about toys.

So Me On Monday? Running out to the shops for some final suitcase extras, and finding some time to work on Little E's blanket, with love.

Last week Becky, Deb, Helena, Alison, Ladkyis, Rinda, Jane, Karen, Rachel and Susanne all gave us a wave and a peep into their Monday. Go on, give them a wave back! Happy Monday.