Snuggled up in bed, my son is squished between me and my partner, my daughter is curled up in a corner, having stolen my pillow, and our big black fluffy cat is purring and walking across the lot of us, searching for an empty spot to lie down in. For 10 whole minutes it’s a blissful, cosy start to the day. Nobody needs to rush to work or school, so we have rare time together to chat and laugh in the dim light of the morning. Then my son’s hungry stomach rumbles, the cat digs his claws into my partner and the magic is broken. It’s still only 6.30am. There’s no rest for the wicked – or parents it seems – so I take my moments of calm where I can.
Making a big pot of porridge for the family breakfast feels like instant cosiness at very little cost. Stirring the oats with a wooden spoon is hypnotically soothing and the sound of it bubbling gently, mixed with the enticing smell of warm porridge, gets everyone round the table faster than you can say Goldilocks. Each of us has our own favourite topping – maple syrup, bananas, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds – and we start the day full, warm and happy.
For us, cosy Sunday mornings are a lazy affair of reading, drawing and playing board games in our pyjamas. All the usual rules about being tidy and quiet go out the window and my eight-year-old’s Beanos, Michelle Obama’s autobiography and my 10-year-old’s latest Jacqueline Wilson book are strewn around as we compete noisily at Connect 4 and Cluedo. There are happy winners and defiant losers but spirits remain surprisingly high as we all take turns DJing from our Spotify playlists. The morning passes to an eclectic mix of The Greatest Showman, Little Mix and Christine and the Queens.
Eventually, restlessness kicks in and we pile on our clothes, boots, hats, scarves and gloves and head outside for a boredom-beating walk. Within minutes the kids have, of course, pulled off their hats, scarves and gloves (they have that enviable childhood power of not feeling the cold), dropped the football they’re carrying and asked if we’re nearly there yet, but we’re all still feeling pretty content as we head for the nearest wide open space. For big walks and dog-watching we go to Hampstead Heath, for a stroll through a farmers’ market we choose Alexandra Palace, or for impressive den-building sticks we head to Highgate Wood. The dens usually start out as half-hearted lean-tos made from a bunch of weedy twigs, but once we all get involved and uncover hefty fallen branches, they transform into Grand Designs-style creations that should probably have planning permission.
I’ve learnt the hard way that outdoor family peace depends on having food supplies available at all times. To make sure I don’t end up wasting money on overpriced snacks, I have a flask of hot chocolate and some apples handy in case there are any sudden meltdowns by the kids (or the adults).
When the cold finally starts to bite and tiredness creeps up on us, we head off to meet our friends for a pub lunch. Is there anything cosier than walking into a welcoming pub with a roaring fire in the middle of winter? We’re not fans of a formal, heavy Sunday roast; instead we’ll share a selection of starters and tuck into something spicy and light for our main course. The children are happy with anything as long as it involves chips. The adults chat and catch up over a bottle of malbec, while the kids muck around and play games on their phones together. It’s a stress-free chance to relax and recharge, then it’s all back to ours for coffee and cake. It’s just the best way to spend quality time with loved ones and fend off any thoughts of Monday’s back-to-work-and-school blues.
In the evening, it’s the four of us again, back in our pyjamas and settled down for a movie. The heating’s down low to save on costs and our sofa becomes a nest of cushions and thick, comfy blankets as we get sucked into the world of Fantastic Beasts, Minions or The Incredibles and share a bowl of homemade popcorn.
Bedtime for the children comes once they start yawning, and I’ll read them a chapter of Harry Potter or How to Train Your Dragon before tucking them into bed. The lights are low and our voices are quiet, but as we share the adventures of whichever story we’re reading I know that these tranquil moments of togetherness are the ones that will stay with me.
Finally, I head for my room and pick something to read from the stack beside my bed. My phone is off, our home is quiet and the cat is back and purring by my feet. It’s the calmest of ends to the cosiest of days.
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