Things I’m Loving

Loving sunshine breaks on the beach after a morning of housework – even if the break is short and there’s sandy children to care for.

Loving the ‘realness’ of this photo my six year old, Sophie, took at the Zoo on Monday – of me enjoying a moment of meditational drum beating before being asked to hold a ‘magic stick’ by my six year old and then finding myself having to be ‘available’ to my two year old, Alice.

Loving the free-spirited daring and adventurous spirit of my six year old, swinging high from the trees on a rope swing in a public park just outside the zoo.

And the ‘Look! One hand only!’ bold exhibitionist (that can sometimes be very demanding of her audience’s attention) making the most of a Monday where we ended up not having to rush to collect big sister from school, on the other side of town.

And also loving her enthusiasm for a fast approaching summer – that is giving us the occasional day worth togging up at the beach for (but is mostly still wetsuit temperature!).

Loving Charlotte, my nine year old, being so enthusiastic at school this week and how she’s enjoying all the ‘craziness’ of choir, pantomime rehearsals, dance shows and sports events, as the end of the school year approaches (only two more weeks till she breaks up for her loooooong summer break).

Loving that she wrote a letter to Santa Claus (even though she says she knows who Santa really is) and was so generous with gift giving for the ‘Pack the Bus’ gift gathering for those less fortunate than ourselves in our community.

(Not loving that I had to call my two eldest daughters into the house one evening this week for their full-blown arguing – which sounded atrocious and was utterly embarrassing… I felt awful for the neighbours!).

Loving seeing my two eldest not fight and actually manage to play a board game to the end without an argument.

Loving that though I worry about my ‘natural learner’ falling behind in comparison to peers her age at school (difficult not to compare when I have a nine year old thriving at a very high achieving private school) – she surprises me with reading about current affairs (CBBC News Round), hand-writing a song of her own composing and writing a blog post, including photographs she took herself, about a visit to the rose gardens earlier in the week.

She also took this photo, capturing a Tui enjoying the nectar on a Harakeke, which I love.

Loving that this spring my children are ‘letting’ me go out for a walk/jog in the evening without any feelings of guilt. There’s no tears, no clinging and pleading me not to. Last year my five year old, who was suffering terrible anxiety at the time (which led to the ‘natural learning’ journey of homeschooling that we’re now on) was needing so much reassurance. The girls are now happy to ‘let go’ and noticing the happier Mummy that returns after seeing sunsets like this…

Loving my husband for bringing me home divine tasting wines (though they taste far too good to worry about the waistline!).

Lots to be thankful for indeed (and if my older two children don’t get on a little more on the Christmas countdown they’ll find their Christmas funds being donated to a much worthier cause than their stockings!).

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