Around here lately: Part Two

It all happened at once, all the end of term stuff plus everything else. Sports days, trips to the safari park and monkey forest, receiving football trophies and would you know, that crazy hectic distracted little one of mine received a 'goalkeeper trophy' too and yes, we were super proud ... especially his older brother for whom I thought it might sting a little but no, he gave his little brother the glory! Longer days were spent outside in the sunshine, extra long play dates to make up for the absence of friends over the summer holidays and for my two boys amidst all of that, two birthdays to celebrate two days apart. 

There was the traditional opening of presents in mum and dad's bed, meeting up with grandma for lunch, a trip to the cinema on the eldest's special day to see despicable me 2. Family came and celebrated with us, cousins brought big, big smiles and a special Aunty Eli found time in her crazily busy schedule to bake two chocolate cakes for her nephews! I love it when the family all gets together and it's wonderfully hectic and you try and get a picture of everyone but you somehow miss capturing your beautiful niece Jessica as she lay reading on the floor next to the bookshelf, you also miss your eldest boy blowing his number eight candle out too but it's all ok because some things leave you glowing, the sentiments captured in your heart forever or so you hope. 

At even the busiest of times you try and catch the smiles of the littlest ones present, those just starting to roll and crawl and those newly walking and when they allow you to sit them on your hip and you feel their arm hook around the back of yours and they lean in, there are no words to quite describe that comfort. You glance over to an older niece and nephew and morph into that generic Aunt, when did they grow this big? When did they learn all of these ways to express themselves? You quietly hope that someday soon, you'll find time to connect with that nephew who just turned eleven and you whisper a reminder to yourself to not become that out of touch Aunty that has no clue what goes on in her nephews life, what he likes, what he hates, what he gets up to. You smile that for now it's easy to please some and the smile I'm flashed when the play dough comes out by a girl with the loveliest of smiles is sheer joy. Then, there are days out along canals, walks amongst trees, fresh air and long drives and picnics and late starts and breaking out of routine and long days and no time to blog, to think or to be and for summer this is perfect and just as it should be.

Around here lately: Part One

Homemade chocolate milkshakes spells summer!

The tandem space hopper brings smiles

Looking back at an old photograph before that new front tooth grew

Lego, lego, lego, never enough lego.

Hot days and ice creams, ice lollies and jublees

Falling asleep on mama's bed

Bare feet and sunshine and our back yard

Celebrating with my three boys

Daddy's June celebrations that got lost in the iphone in the crazy build up to the end of term

Birthday postcard for my beloved

Elliott with his dear friend 'elephant', one sunday morning a few weeks back

The morning that this little guy woke me up at 6am humming ... loudly!

Sometimes life is still enough to notice the dancing shadows

Sometimes, life is still enough to notice the dancing shadows and I love it when it's like this even if it's just for a little while. To feel heat on the soles of your feet, to drink in the smell of the head of your little ones, to sit side by side in silence with each party deeply caught up in their book, their story, digits  and skin occasionally touching, making happy goosebumps as they make contact.

We've had many seasons in a short time. A nasty tummy bug took the eldest boy out for five days over half term. He wanted only me close by his side and he talked and talked, through fever, through pain, he talked and talked. We found a rhythm of old and I quietly enjoyed the memory of early baby days. Waking to check them. Waking to check them. Waking and being woken.

Rediscovering a joy toy from my childhood - the speedball. The eldest and I played this for hours in our backgarden on those generous sunny days we were bestowed as he regained his strength. Those other members of our clan escaped the confines of our house and headed out on adventures of their own. Apparently that youngest boy of ours smiled the biggest of all smiles when he got to ride alongside his papa in the front seat of the car for the first time. He made his first trip to the tip and completed his first solo weekly food shop with his dad - no mean feat I tell you, initiations into manhood for sure!

There was an impromptu mother/son date on a rainy day when two boys were experiencing cabin fever. They were circling and dancing round one another ready to attack like two cocks in a sand pit readying to fight till the death or at least in the moment it felt that intense and in any case there's nothing quite like a little one to one time and especially when it involves maple syrup and american pancakes!

There have been quiet times. Some time all alone with my man, plotting and hoping and chatting and praying about the future, precious soul time with my soul mate. Quiet times alone, reading and writing and taking notes and thinking, processing. Lots of time with dear friends, catching up, listening in, being supported and leaning some their way too. Time spent considering the hardships and trials either faced by me or those around me. I started to think about all of this and I realised that sometimes life is still enough to endure the hard stuff. The stillness leaves enough room for you to step back and notice all the of the crop that is ready to harvest. There is plenty in the fields and plenty more to gather and there will be a feast people, there really will be. So go and gather and bring the feast to the table and share it with those around you and with those that you hold dear.