Diary of a slightly mad, single mummy...

When I imagined workshops for children I pictured a scene familiar to the family film Kindergarten Cop, so when my sister suggested we try two classes this week I was thrilled.

She has porcelain doll features and big intelligent eyes - overall a sweeter, wholesome version of me.

The first was labelled ‘messy play’. I went along with Summer and her two cousins, Hope and Sienna, but 10 minutes after arriving the kids had finished all the activities on offer. I was rather disappointed by the unstaffed class that consisted of a table of paints and no atmosphere; I could have created a better environment painting with the children at home.

Day two and time for the second class, this time labelled ‘jiggle and rhyme’; a bit of music, dance, maybe even a tambourine thrown in? It sounded much more up my street. Conversely, as I arrived I was met to a completely different scene. Instead of ‘jiggle and rhyme’ the class should have been labelled ‘sit and sing’ as that was all you did. Huddled in the corner of the library sat two mothers and the class leader.

“Hello everyone,” the leader said to the small group. “Hello..hello...we’re here to say hello...” the group sang. To say I felt silly was an understatement. It’s a well known fact that I don’t now many nursery rhymes (Summer seems quite content with my version of any song that rhymes with her name), and don’t get me wrong, I’m all for learning nursery rhymes – but sat in a circle mainly made up of adults singing a version of ‘hickory dickory dock’ I never knew existed, was a different story altogether.

This week Summer also took her first step. As she let go of the sofa, balancing her body with all her strength, she slowly lifted her right leg - holding herself with balletic poise – and stepped forward. I grabbed her tiny body and jumped up and down in excitement. The sight of her walking was beautiful and shocking in equal measure. Beautiful as it shows how her personality and mind is growing by the day, but shocking as it shows just how quick she’s growing up; it feels like only yesterday when she first sat unaided.

I’ve noticed that every time I venture out I seem to get stopped by a stranger commenting on my daughter’s looks, ‘what big eyes she has’ they all say, but they’re right. As she’s getting older her look is really starting to form, with porcelain doll features and big intelligent eyes; and I would go as far as to say that she’s turning into a sweeter, wholesome version of me –a worrying fact, I know...

If you can’t wait a week to see what Laura has been up to, follow Laura on twitter @LauraPauley