Up at 5:15am. I know this, as Ellis practices his new found clock reading skills for my fuzzy brain. The light has to go on of course, so he can read the clock and I mutter under my breath about reading being overrated in children.
With Ellis up, all 3 children and Kevin are awake. (Note to self: must practice inside voices).
Kevin shepards them downstairs for breakfast (porridge) while I stay in bed and read emails and formulate A PLAN for the day. I secretively read one chapter of my book, wanting to spend my day lost in that world, but the real world finds me in the form of a 19 month old who calls me "DeeDee".
The smallest one and I head downstairs for coffee and left over cheeze-free pizza (me) and porridge (him). I wander ino the office for a morning of work.
First up, pattern emails. I am grateful in my foggy early morning state that there weren't many sales on Etsy in the night. Each pattern has to be emailed out individually and it's easy to miss one if I am not careful. Then, on to answering emails and tweets from Kat. It is a very big and exciting day for Capturing Childhood, with our courses and gift certificates going live. A bit of spit and polish is required for the lovely and newly designed site and a few images I had forgotten to send.
In between all of this, I pick up my new knitwear design. Realising that I have misjudged the ease of the item, I have added in 2 pattern repeats too many. Its ripped back and cast on again, then I decide I want to change the stitch pattern ever so slightly and a new swatch is made. Its better. Math is re-done and I am ready to cast on.
In the background, I can hear the rabble reaching a fever pitch. Tonight is the wedding of beloved friends and all 3 are bouncing with excitement. Kevin does his best to keep the calm and get them dressed, but it is hard to fight the wave of energy that is emminating from the little people.
At 8:30, Kevin and the babies head out to work and nursery, after Kev and I decide our plan of attack for getting everyone dressed and ready this evening. I finish rounding up the big boy to go to school. As we walk out the door and down the street, he tells everyone about the wedding and his desperate need for a haircut.
The trip to and from school takes about 25 minutes and as I walk back in the door, Kat phones to talk through the finer details of today. Work is divided up and I quickly write up my to do list.
Then, its off to answer emails. I have a list as long as my arm of people to get back to, all the while watching the weather anxiously. I am the photographer for today's wedding and rain is not welcome.
Once emails are done, its back to designing. I am designing a small collection of kits for Not On The High Street. The designs focus on big and gorgeous yarns for a series of home and personal accessories. I am currently working with Rowan Cocoon - one of my newly discovered loves. I have been trying to design a cowl for a solid week, but it is simply not flowing. I know it will come to me, but I get frustrated all the same.
Throughout the morning, a steady stream of parcels arrive. A few Christmas presents, but mostly supply deliveries and other designers' products for my other job as a photographer. Days like today are wonderful for their diversity, but frustrating as well. It highlights just how pulled I am in so many different directions, but this is the reality of a small business owner...a necessary evil to keep afloat.
10:30am and with only an hour to do before I need to start getting ready for the shoot, I take a few photos with the amazing rented Canon 5d mkiii and do a quick edit. Upload, spell check, then press publish...