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.