Last Friday I drove to Yarmouth and waited in a crowd of parents for my girlie-whirl, Piks, to emerge from the ferry. Merge she did. Looking extremely miserable.

“Oh dear,” I said to Naughty N (who was leaping up and down and waving frantically at her boy). “I think something has happened on the residential trip.”

As it turned out nothing dramatic had happened to Piks other than she was feeling poorly.

(On the other hand, something dramatic HAD happened to Naughty N without her knowing. Her iPhone – that she had very kindly lent her son so he could take photographs while he was away – happened to have a long-forgotten photograph of her naked bottom on it. This bottom shot had been discovered by her son, who then took great pleasure in showing it to every child in Year 6 and Year 5. Naughty N rang me a few days later utterly distraught that so many eyes had cast themselves over her before-shot rump – a rump that she is currently trying to sculpt with many a jogging session)

Anyway, what I was TRYING to get to – before Naughty N’s bottom got in the way – was that Piks came back from her trip on Friday really quite ill.

And she’s been poorly ever since.

Today we have spent the whole day hanging out together and I’ve got to say that secretly I love it. I love having her all to myself with no disturbances, nibbling toast and drinking tea. She’s got to this gorgeous age where we can curl up on the sofa together and talk about all sorts of things, laugh at the same jokes and draw Manga. (Having said that, I’m not allowed to hold her hand in public anymore).

Look! Here she is. The girl who won’t hold my hand in public or let me kiss her goodbye in front of her friends.

Sitting with my baby has made me think about how quickly the years have flown by. In another month or so she’ll be off to High School. The summer holidays stretch before us like a buttercup yellow bridge and once crossed, that’s it, my little girlie-whirl won’t be so little.

She’ll be cool.

And hip.

Or at least trying to be! Hehe.

This has actually been on my mind for ages. I’ve had in in my head that I want to use as much of the Summer Holiday Buttercup Bridge as possible to nourish Piks with energy and time. I want to equip her with everything she needs to become the happiest, most positive and confident she can be.

I’ve got this vision of me and her, over the summer, taking a little trip somewhere – like a Rites Of Passage – to honour and celebrate her transition from childhood into young womanhood.

Wouldn’t that be beaut?

I can see us strolling through mountain meadows with the long grass and the butterflies.

I also want to take her to London to stay with her God-Mama. These trips are like adventures into Juicy City Goddess Life for my girl. We eat at staggeringly swish restaurants, shop in Blackheath and wrap our mouths around global cuisine in the Greenwich food market.

And as much as I want Piks to eat high quality, cell-celebrating food I also want to nourish her mind and soul. By the time she gets to High School I want this lovely little lady to have everything she needs – right here inside herself.

Then, one night, I was lying awake thinking about how I could best serve my girl in this transition. Staring into the blobs of colour in the darkness (do you ever see them?) I was hit with an Inspiration Sandwich.

I thought, what about if I wrote her a new book? Just like I wrote her Unleash The Zoo In You to help banish negative thoughts when she was little, what if I wrote her a new book to learn all the secrets of Wild Gorgeousness and Sweet Success?

And that’s what I’ve been doing.

I’m so excited!!

The book explains in bold, rainbow colour how to feel great, aim for the stars and become wildly successful and creative. There are loads of interactive-filly out parts that she can write on herself. I remember having books like that when I was a young teen and just loved them. In fact I still have them today and sometimes, when I’m not feeling cringey, I will sit and read them and smile.

And think about how quickly the years go.

Just like with my girl.

Hope you have had a lovely day, Gorgeous Starcake. I’m off to draw more Manga and snuggle up before Piks gets better and doesn’t need hugs and has to go back to school. See you soon!

OH P.S! I don’t know what has happened with the design to this blog. I was just having a play with various templates when WHAM, my usual design vanished. Feel a bit dumb struck really but am taking it as a sign that it is time to shift the look. This is like our temporary accommodation before we can move back in.