the first weekend of spring

Finally a weekend without rain or grey skies. We’ve been busy, it feels like we are always busy. But today for Father’s Day we took it slowly, well, as slow as you can when a certain small person thinks 6:15am is a good wake up time (and after waking multiple times in the night - ugh). We gave Matt some gifts including a little handmade one Elroy made at school, had our favourite bake at home croissants from Pigeon Whole bakers. Rufus had a sleep, Matt had a bike ride, Elroy played with the lego and I read the latest editions of my favourite magazines. Then we went to the beach for a picnic. I really love days like this, both boys love being outside (I feel like there hasn’t been enough of that lately). It’s a bit wild at times, neither listen, Rufus was saturated and needs to be a little more wary of the water, but they are playing pretty well together and everyone is happy. 

east coast

This year. Yeah. It’s no one’s friend really. I went back to work in June, and between that, looking after children and some really crappy sinus issues there hasn’t been much left in my tank. Oh and winter. I don’t love winter.

I’m slowly getting my sinus in a better place, settling in to work and figuring out the new routines. It helped that we took a little break to the East coast for three nights, a change of scenery was much needed. It was our first time away since December, I can’t quite believe that. Unfortunately we didn’t get the greatest weather, but we did some exploring. Elroy loved the sand dunes near St Helens, jumping out of them like in one of his favourite books (Greetings from Sandy Beach by Bob Graham). Rufus loved just hanging out on the beach, and climbing everything (oh and switching on every appliance at the air bnb). We visited Freycinet and did a few short walks, we would have done more but the rain made it tricky. We had some great fish and chips from the gulch, and I wanted to try the patisserie in Bicheno but unfortunately didn’t check the opening hours properly and we missed out, so we will have to save that for another time.

One of the things I enjoyed was taking photos again, hence there are a lot here, it reminded me that I should be doing a lot more of that, and all the other things that make me feel more satisfied creatively. Holidays are good for perspective.

one

My baby is one. How did that happen! From the moment he was born I have felt completely besotted. He’s a sweet boy, and even though there have been so so many challenging moments due to reflux/colic and him feeling generally uncomfortable in himself, at some point a few months ago we turned a corner and he is delightful. He makes me happy and I can’t imagine our family without him. He started walking properly a few weeks ago, and now he is most confident and swift on his feet. He loves cuddles and gives kisses, playing with Elroy and climbing over him, rolling around in his blanket, Jerry, music - he’s a great dancer, eating/putting everything he shouldn’t in his mouth, plays beautifully on his own, chats, says mama dada, bubba, and some times ta. Makes elephant noises. Has started to wave, does the open and shut hand movements when we sing that song. Rufus is the messiest eater, still prefers purées, loves his milk, has particular books he likes, enjoys day care, makes it incredibly clear when he wants something and makes a loud fuss when he doesn’t get it. Loves it when people visit. He had the best time at his little birthday party. Oh and importantly for me, just had his first sleep through the night, well 7ish to 4am ish, then back to sleep after a feed. This is huge, not that long ago I was still feeding him up to 4 times a night. He has the sweetest little curls at the back of his head, his quaff-y bit is so long it’s almost a combover, he’s a dumpling and our bubba/honey boy.

eleven months

Eleven months already! That first birthday is coming faster than I think I’m ready for. Rufus has come along so well in the last few months. He’s starting to show us more of his rather strong personality and quirks. He is very sure about what he wants and doesn’t want, and is loud about it too. He talks a lot, says Mammmmmma a lot. He is still quite dependent on me, but when settled is so good with occupying himself. He loves playing the keyboard we have and dancing (bobbing up and down) to music, there are certain songs I can play to calm him when he is upset. He plays more with Elroy now, loves rolling around on the blanket from the sofa, can stand very firmly on his feet and would be able to walk with no problem, but he is cautious and wants to hold on to something. He’s getting better with food, but still wakes for milk three times a night (too much for me - but we have been slow with the sleep training and he is loudly resistant).

Last week Rufus started daycare, he had two nearly full days and I think he will like it once he gets used to it. It’s so hard for me to let go, especially with the world the way it is now, and he’s my baby. But he needs to be able to spend time with other children, and I think it will be good for him to have some independence from me. It’s bittersweet, I can see the shift in him from baby to toddler.

stuff

Isolation pretty much looks like this (oh and a whole lot of mess). Sometimes it does feel pretty much like groundhog day. It’s difficult not to be, but then it is also nice to be together. It definitely is easier on the days when the sun shines and we can get outside a bit. It’s going to be interesting this weekend with the weather turning.

I have all these ideas in my head of (mostly crafty) things I want to do. So far I haven’t been so good at making them happen, but I’m going to try to get it together. I’m down to a month left of maternity leave, which mean things will change a bit. For at least two days a week anyway.

Things we’ve been doing with Elroy:

Lots of Oliver Jeffers activities- watching him read his stories, following as he draws, playing go fish (these cards are so gorgeous- also it’s cute to say ‘have you got the house across the street?’ or ‘have you got the curious whale?’), and watching Here We Are on Apple TV.

We started a stay at home journal where we past some of our activities and write about what we’ve been doing. I think this will be a nice reminder of this time.

Homeschool work - this has been good for additional activities, fortunately Elroy is only kinder so it’s not too full on, also the school has a very realistic approach. He’s also been FaceTiming one of his friends and that has been really great.

A bike ride/walk every day. I think we are so incredibly lucky to live where we do. Even though we are pretty much inner city we have a few great walking spots close to home and we are making the most of them.

Things for us:

The timing was impeccable, my mum got an Apple TV for my grandmother because they thought hers was no longer working, turns out it was fine so she gave it to us. It has made watching things so much easier. Despite being in a bit of a Friends/Seinfeld rut, we really enjoyed Motherland, watched the new Beastie Boys doco, have started Normal People (I sped through both Sally Rooney books ages ago now), we might even watch a few movies we didn’t get to catch at the cinema over the last year!

Lots of cooking. Buying food has been a big shift for us. Normally I’d go to the shop every few days and I was never organised with meal planning. But now we are ordering a weeks worth and I have to think about it. So every Sunday we’ve been making Alison Roman’s slow roast chicken (so so good and easy) and have been making a cake (generally chocolate- this one is good as a cake, I just pour the batter into two sponge tins) once a week, I’ve pickled cucumbers, made spinach and cheese scrolls and the boys made me a lovely birthday cake this week.

Occasionally listening to music that isn’t for children, enjoying the new Strokes album and Ed O’Briens album, a bit of Paul Simon throwbacks- mostly You Can Call Me Al, Tame Impala, the new Avalanches tracks, and countless random Spotify playlists.

Um not much else, there isn’t a whole lot of spare time with two young children!

42 and 43

42
Bit of a serious look here. He can be serious, but I think that is his observing face. You know sometimes you have a sweet spot with babies, things get a bit easier, they sleep better, can occupy themselves a bit. Generally life with them just feels a little bit less full on. You might not notice the sweet spot until you’ve move into a few fussy days. Anyway we had that sweet spot with Rufus over Easter and it was lovely. After such a challenging start and following months, it is nice to know that he’s a happy boy.

43
This photograph is a pretty good summary of Rufus at the moment. Always, always, with something in his mouth. Most always something it shouldn’t be. He loves the little rocks in the garden, the dirt from the fiddle leaf fig pot, the smallest bits of duplo he can find, random fluff on the floor - you name it he will find it and in it goes. I think he would have liked a dummy, except I did try that when he was a tiny screaming ball of fury and he wasn’t interested then. So instead he crawls around the room with random toys in his mouth. He is impossible when it comes to changing nappies or getting dressed. He will roll away immediately and protest very loudly if you try to get him to lie still.

easter

I’m so behind with things. How it is that I’m home constantly and not getting time to do things? Oh yeah, two kids!! Also since Matt’s working from home my computer has been abandoned in a corner on the floor.... but today I got it together and uploaded my recent photographs and edited them. Easter was actually a really lovely long weekend, I think the trick to being home is having holidays, so you can switch in and out a bit as parents. During the week it’s me and the boys (with Matt working in the bedroom), and it can get pretty monotonous, even with a good big walk/bike ride in the middle of the day. But Easter was good, especially having the joy of the Easter bunny delivering a few gifts and leaving the eggs in the garden, it did feel like a special day and we had a lovely breakfast too.

Sometimes I know I am far too organized, but it worked in my favour this year. I’d ordered the most lovely personalised name baskets from Pretty Snippets (the boys got the wire names for Christmas and they are lovely too), a little Astrid the astronaut for each, a Maileg bunny and bowl for Rufus, Oliver Jeffers go fish cards and a puzzle for Elroy, as well as the traditional Humpty Dumpty egg. It was maybe a little bit much, but gosh I think we all need a little treat at the moment if we can.