A weekend in Spring

We've just experienced a perfect Spring weekend here in London. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, birds were tweeting, planes were streaking the sky, seeds were being sown, lawns were being mown, BBQs were lit, children were out playing, alot of DIY was being done, the parks were filled...

Saturday morning began with breakfast in the garden. Then we headed over to Coram's Fields - a children's park in the heart of Bloomsbury that is an oasis of calm first thing in the morning. Little Planet chased the goats, quacked at the ducks, stood in awe of the huge black sheep and chatted to the rabbits before running over to the sandpit.

Then we piled into a taxi and headed over to John Lewis on Oxford Street, where Little Planet had her feet measured and then met Peppa Pig in the toy department. Peppa Pig was rather big, with slightly scary, crazed eyes and huge feet. She towered over the children and though Little Planet was mesmerised and awestruck, she was also a little timid and kept her distance. But she obviously enjoyed the experience because she now can't stop talking about Peppa Pig whenever we ask her about her day yesterday.

Afterward, we bought wine, fresh fish, fruit (including rhubarb) and vegetables (including samphire) in the Food Hall before returning home. During Little Planet's post-lunch nap, M made bread and I went to the gym. I've been working out most of my adult life - waking up at 6am to do yoga or go to the gym since I was 16 (on and off). But when I got pregnant in 2007, I stopped and had not stepped back inside a gym until yesterday (on maternity leave, during Little Planet's first year, though, I did walk 3 hours a day pushing the buggy through heat and cold just to get out of the house). At the gym yesterday, I did 45 minutes cardio and 15 minutes weights and I felt terrific - exhilarated even. My plan is to go 3 times a week but cut down a little on the cardio and increase the weights session as I love feeling strong.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at home in the garden. Little Planet played, I read the papers and M planted seeds: four varieties of squash and pumpkin, kale, broccoli, radish, spring onions, rocket and salad leaves. Once Little Planet had gone to sleep, M seared the tuna steaks we had bought earlier at John Lewis and served them with lightly steamed asparagus spears and samphire topped with dry-roasted black sesame seeds. For dessert he made rhubarb flan which we ate watching the beautifully-filmed Control - a movie about Joy Division's Ian Curtis who killed himself in 1980.

Sunday began with M going out for a run, me dusting and hoovering the house and Little Planet pretending to dust too. Then breakfast and a long read of the papers outside in the garden, shopping for meat and vegetables, then more time in the garden including lunch, then more time in the garden... you get the picture! I also slow cooked a chile con carne from Thomasina Miers' Mexican Food Made Simple, which we'll eat for one of our dinners this week.

It's nearly 6pm now. After we put Little Planet to bed, M will cook paella with monkfish, prawns and saffron from the Moro Cookbook for our dinner. It sounds yummy! Then we'll settle in with another movie.

I hope you also enjoyed good weather this weekend.