Enjoying peace while it lasts... and a guest post

The moments in my day that make me smile and reach for the camera are the moments where peace comes to visit. Like when Oesch is eompletely engrossed in a new puzzle. One of the (countless!) things I love about him is that he doesn't stop until it's finished. No frustration, no help needed, just pure drive to put it together 'by self'. Love it.

When peace comes to visit, the children love each other, in that moment. Who'd have thought they could both smile at the same time (unprompted) while looking at the camera? 

In a wacky moment after dinner, Doots shares one of her little jokes. She has an absurdist streak and the most unexpected things have her laughing uncontrollably.  

Here, she's laughing about her invention of 'heaven in a teacup'. If you read my last post, you'll know that we've been talking about death in recent days. Those ideas have featured in her play, and here, she'd buried a stillborn lamb in a playdough grave, and sent his little spirit spiralling through the air to land in a teacup, which she dubbed 'heaven'. And then thought it was hilarious. I think I can be confident that she's not traumatised in anyway by our visit to the cemetery!

A tidied-up drawing table makes me feel peaceful. This has been a productive little space lately. It's been interesting to see both children begin to draw with enthusiasm again as the weather turns cooler, and our days get shorter.

A bucket of water, paintbrushes and a bowl of chalk on a warm afternoon after kinder. Peaceful moments in the making...

Of course the happiness doesn't last long. One tired-out kinder girl + one grumpy post-nap toddler + a dinner that won't cook itself = one stressed out mama and a little too much shouty-shouty.

My mum tells a story about catching the bus to school when she was 4 or 5. She got on the bus one morning, went to the back seat and to her horror saw her mother out the window chasing the school bus waving her (my mother's) knickers in the air. I loved this story, and I asked her to tell it again and again. I couldn't imagine the horror of forgetting your knickers.

We were at the library this morning for a regular Wednesday story time session. Doots always fidgets about and struggles to sit still. It has always irked me, especially when I see the other children sitting beautifully, listening to every word.

Today, it was even worse than usual. Oesch was busy spotting passing cars out the window with another two year old. Doots, as usual, squirmed and wriggled on the mat. But then she did a somersault, right on the carpet, and flashed her BARE bottom to the entire story time crowd. I was breathless with shock.

One of the dads reassured me: "Don't worry, we're all parents here". 

This gorgeous parcel arrived in the mail yesterday. Melissa, of Miss Sew & So and I did a swap across the oceans. I was so thrilled to open her parcel. And the message printed on that red post card is absolutely just what I need today!

How's your day? 

I'm guest posting over at Childhood 101 today. Head over to discover why I don't want to share (my computer with my children!)