Life at the moment

I don't get to write here as often as I would like any more.

But instead I get to cuddle our girls while I read them books from our collection. Mostly the books are gifts, yesterday I read Goodnight Canada (and told the girls about our far away IG friends), the elephant and the bad baby (another IG friend in the UK), and Kissed by the Moon from a real life friend!

Or I get to lie on a picnic blanket with the girls while Rob plants out an oak forest grown from acorns he collected; a legacy I hope our girls will appreciate one day. Today we spotted a goshawk and the resident pair of Wedge-tailed eagles. They have recently learnt to point out the clouds. Nigella and Claudia lie down on either side of us, their warm fur a comfort when the winter sun slips behind a cloud.

Or after visiting our accountant all together to do our tax return (Maggie hilariously started mimicing him, picking up papers and pointing at the numbers while shaking her head saying "no, no"), we head out for brunch at our favourite cafe. Familiar staff and menu items. Coffee just the way we like it. The girls share our food, and then wave goodbye to everyone as we walk out.

Or we spend the afternoon planting out pink eye potatoes which will hopefully be ready by Christmas. Maggie was keen to help poking the seed potatoes into the holes Rob created. Elisabeth was keen to play hide and seek around the corner of the shed. The girls watch us so carefully now, copying and so pleased to help us with everyday chores like feeding the dogs, putting dirty clothes in the washing machine. They beam as we tell them what a good job they have done.

Or heading inside together to prepare a chilli for dinner, the girls helping to crush ingredients in the mortar and pestle, dancing to latin music as we do so. 

On the flip side, the juggle of part time work, the morning rush to get us all ready for the drop off to family day care and commute to work. The packing of lunches, cooking early dinners, struggles to get them to sleep during the day (and to be honest the night), squabbles over toys, the crazy bath times and melt downs when they are too tired. Another head cold to endure, as we chase Maggie with her dripping nose, a cough that causes a night time vomit that ensures a change of clothes for her, myself and the bed. The constant feeling of tiredness, and missing the chance to just be us for a moment.

Despite that last paragraph of reality, I wouldn't have it any other way. Life is busy. Life with girls is fun and in some ways very simple, in others complex.

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Maggie: both girls have perfected their downward dog yoga move. That cheeky grin is classic Maggie.
Elisabeth: we visited a local market today and couldn't resist a small knitted duck for each of the girls. They kissed them all the way home!

Caught up with the 52 portrait project at Jodi's Practising Simplicity.

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Maggie: whilst the post is a week late, I took these photos last Monday on a morning walk down our drive. Wish I'd managed to get Nigella's head in the shot too!
Elisabeth: she's had a clumsy week, you can't quite see the scab on her chin from when she took a tumble. Yesterday she hit her head falling out of the pantry, so she is now sporting a big bruise.

Better go so I can take some photos for this week!

Joining in with Jodi at Practising Simplicity.

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Maggie: has been feverish all weekend, again. Hoping we're not about to head into another month of sickness.
Elisabeth: rocking her first pig-tails.

Joining in with Jodi at Practising Simplicity.

To my anonymous reader, thank you for the feedback regarding the content of my blog. The garden is in resting mode over winter, and the dogs are doing fine. Blogging is at the bottom of my to-do list at the moment, and I am lucky to grab the 10 minutes to take the photos and then another 10 to post them. If it wasn't for Jodi's link up as an encouragement I probably wouldn't be blogging at all.

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Maggie: It rained so much this week the wheelbarrow in the garden filled up with water. Before I realised what they were up to the girls decided it would be fun to plunge their hands in the water and splash about. They were having so much fun, I couldn't stop them, but a full change was needed afterwards.
Elisabeth: She is still struggling with the stupid cold (as am I), and has spent most of the weekend on Rob's chest sleeping. Even though it probably wasn't a great idea to let her splash in cold water it made her smile for the first time in days so I thought it was worth it. A quick towel down and change of clothes and they were toasty warm again.

Joining in with Jodi at Practising Simplicity for the 52 portrait project.