It’s definitely true that Mothering Sunday – like every other special occasion in your life once you have a child – can be full of disappointments.

Birthdays, Christmas, Holidays….so much hope, so little satisfaction. As with everything, once you have children, these ‘special occasions’ can so often become ordeals to survive, rather than special moments to treasure. (Just A Normal Mummy has the definitive guide to the realities of Mother’s Day, in case you’re not still sure).

And yet. every now and again, everything just comes together. Which is why I feel so blessed to have had such a special weekend, and a really wonderful Mothering Sunday. Here’s why:

• Munchkin, who has been waking at 6am every morning for the last two weeks, slept in till 7:15am
• This was followed by a cup of tea, a bunch of lilies and a card with some beautiful Munchkin scribble in bed
• A breakfast of posh croissants and lots of coffee was next, before my mother came over and we all walked to church in the sunshine
• The lovely service, during which we were all presented with little potted primroses, and listened to a sermon that talked about the important job mothers do, and how hard it can be at times, while Munchkin pottered about the pews smiling at everyone
• The moment when we were saying prayers for mothers and for children, and, unprompted, Munchkin climbed onto my lap, wrapped her arms around my neck, put her cheek against mine and stayed there, hugging me and sighing happily, for the entire duration of the prayers. It brought tears to my eyes.
• Then back at home, where we had a cup of coffee and fresh doughnuts from the Farmer’s Market, and my mother, R and I all nattered about everything from Beyonce to Borough Market, while Munchkin impressed us all with her chair-climbing antics, squealing in delight.
• Then later, when Munchkin went for an epic three hour nap, and R brought treat after treat out of the kitchen – oysters, melted Mont D’Or cheese, Parma ham, burrata and heritage tomatoes, the good wine – while I curled up on the sofa in front the fire
• A late afternoon potter through the village, finishing with a drink at our beloved local pub, and then a lazy night in front of The Night Manager, trying to control myself every time Tom Hiddlestone came on the television

I know that there are many years ahead of me when this day might not be so perfect – and surely when I have more than one child and they’re older it will look more like a battlefield than a lazy day at home – but this was a special, happy, relaxing, spoiling day, and one when I felt very blessed to be a mother, a daughter and a wife.