My chubby ol’ fingers thought it was 2032 today. Well then. It took three attempts to type the correct date. Well well then. I wonder if this is an indication of how this blog will go? Well well well.
I asked Wee Daftie where she wanted to go for our walk today and I gave her a few options. Her most excited response was to the suggestion of heading back to Corstorphine Hill for a ramble and an explore. I really wanted us to go somewhere fun, new(ish) and interesting today. So after a fully fuelling porridge brekkie, we wrapped up and headed out.
There was still a chill in the air and a meagre frosting on the ground but the paths were much clearer. We could actually see where our feet were going and not just where they had been.
We had a lovely ramble and explore. She is so brave and adventurous, reaching heights higher and closer to the edge than before. Running up hills and wanting to see everything, be everywhere.
It can be a test to let your little one run away and see how far they get, walking a fine line between keeping her safe and not holding her back. I want her to feel brave every day and not just when she’s climbing up rocks.
We headed home for lunch after poking through the Walled Garden. We didn’t manage our all steps before we got home but Wee Daftie wanted to take her baby doll, Alex, out for a walk. She also wanted Daddy Daftie to come too so the three of us headed out to take Alex, and the buggy, off to see the ducks.
The second wander flung our steps well over our target and we celebrated with more apple cake and Aladdin. (The classic one, naturally) We are both feeling very excited to be on the final walk tomorrow. We’ve had a few more donations and our total is creeping close to £700 which is beyond anything I imagined. And it is just wonderful. And I am so grateful. Refuge do even more amazing work and it’s an honour to be a small part of it by raising this money for them.
One day to go!
#TeamRefuge
https://stepup.refuge.org.uk/fundraising/step-up-by-stepping-out-a-lot
I wrote a thing a while ago, not long after the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, inspired by a comment Nicole Byer made about how parents need to teach their kids about it and the BLM movement. I’ve been thinking a lot about how I teach Wee Daftie and what I teach her today. So I’m posting it here too.
I won’t teach my child to be colourblind.
I will teach her to see the spectrum
And celebrate
Collaborate
Resonate
With all the tones and hues she sees
And she will know their worth
Value
Brightness, depth, uniqueness.
I won’t teach my child to be silent.
I will teach her to be proud
And loud
Allowed
Not cowed.
To be who she needs to be
To stand by that
And for that
Honesty, realness, truth.
I won’t teach my child to hate.
I will show her, instead, to care
Share
Emphasise,
Not sympathise,
To give her patience and love
To understand
To stand
For what is right.
I won’t teach my child not to see.
I will show her when things aren’t fair.
To prepare
To shout
To let it out
That she won’t stand for it
That she has had enough of it
That change
Is needed, today, forever.
I won’t teach my child to fear
I will teach her to be wise
And rise
Stand
And demand
For fairness, equality, unity
She will know your struggle
Isn’t hers
But your fight
Is OURS.
I will not teach my child to be colourblind.
Travels With My Daftie 