Photo source: instagram.com/nickikinickie

There are lots of parts of being a mother that you know you cherish; the first time baby walks and talks, grows a tooth, loses a tooth too. Those are given.

Lately, Savannah and me have accidently developed a 'thing' that we do together. A routine, a ritual, something that is ours. Hopefully a memory that she too will cherish. I didn't even realise it was a thing until she mentioned it. Every Friday after she finishes school at 1pm we go into town for cake. Simple as it sounds, I now treasure it.

The reason I did it first off was because I dropped her at her new school and had to leave her, I wanted to give her something to look forward to when I picked her up and an incentive to stay. She was absolutely fine playing with her new friends and looking at what toys were on offer but seemed to want me there as her comfort blanket. A little whisper of reassurance and the promise of cake later, she planted a kiss on my lips and I was able to leave.

1pm came around and she didn't want to leave. She showed me where she had been playing and her new friend Skye (who now comes up to her every week when she arrives to say hello! *heart melts*) she was so happy and content with her new school even I had forgotten we were going for cake after. She didn't though of course.

'Mum, are we getting cake?'

'Of course we are darling, let's go!'

And it has kind of become our thing on a Friday after school now. I promised it again the following week, again as an incentive and now we are four weeks in and she remembers. So we go.

I just love it. The place we go to is in our new town which is a lovely market town. All of the cakes are home made and the service is lovely. The place itself is lovely too. There are toys for the kids and sometimes there has even been another child Savannah can play with. I have a coffee and Savannah has a big slice of cake. She tells me about school, asks if I had a nice morning and then lists all the colours she knows (bwoo, owinge, lellow....)  and all of the people she knows (mumma, daddy, nanny, gaandad.....) Tells me I'm Anna and she is Elsa and then, half way through her cake she gives her tummy a break and goes to play with the toys on offer. I have even managed to read half a newspaper on one of our jaunts there.

It is so simple but so perfect. Especially as while she is at school I have most likely been rushing around doing the things that are easier to do alone like food shopping, which is a nightmare with a two year old who now wants everything she sees. Or housework because I can get it done much more thoroughly and feel less guilty having a good ol' clean because she isn't there. Then, come the afternoon we have our relaxing little mother  - daughter date.

I know that this little routine will be something I will treasure forever. Even if we still do it long after she starts proper school because I will remember how small she was when we first started our little cake and coffee rendezvous and why we started it. As much as it is lovely taking her to the park or on play dates or to soft play, you can't beat sitting at a table eating cake and talking about all of the colours your daughter knows.