52

Matilda: In the garden, in the snow! Such fun. We played outside together while George had his nap. You are the best little companion. If I could be small again, I would really want a friend like you. We had a cold snap earlier this week, followed closely by a storm. Now we're back to beautiful early winter weather. Warm sun and crisp, cold air.

George: Dancing his way up to the top of the stoney beach.

Joining in again with the lovely Jodi's 52 project.

home: procrastination, dust & progress.

This October just gone marked three years in our home. THREE YEARS?! Woaaahhhhhh... A lot has happened in that time. Matilda has grown from a dribbly crawler to an actual small person and I have borned her a friend by the name of George who is actually an actual person now, too. And plenty of living and doing and so on and so forth. That's enough isn't it? It is quite a lot really. Because not a lot has happened in the decorating department here. I'm pretty ashamed of the fact that we've been living in these wood-chipped walls for so long. (Wood-chip is a NIGHTMARE, by the way - we first started trying to remove it when we moved in, bleurgh.) So embarrassed in fact that very few humans besides Tom's parents have come over to visit. Yes so that's the truth. Enough is enough though. We're now making a huge push to really make this house our home. One that we love. And our little people love and that we really enjoy. Looking back, a great deal of procrastination has been going on, obviously but I'm going to allow myself one (or two) excuses. First of all is the eternal excuse of time. Everyone's short on time, there's never enough time, is there?. Tom's busy doing a brilliant job of running a busy hotel here on the Island so I am mostly just me. Second of all I should add that it's been only within the last few months that I've started to get some proper good sleep. When I had George and Matilda was 23 months old, she was still waking often through the night and then George's night time antics, since being a real newborn to maybe three or four months ago have been like that of a newborn, waking every couple of hours and never particularly keen on going back to sleep. Leaving me feeling pretty rubbish a lot of the time, in all honesty. These are just excuses, I know I could have got a lot more done, hey we live and learn. But enough with the excuses, that's all done and been and gone. And for now most of our furniture is squashed into one bit of the house and there's plenty of dust and debris and tools and ladders lying about but I'm very, very much looking forward to some results emerging. Because wood-chip certainly doesn't suit us. The thought of clean lovely crisp walls to fill really has me excited. I'm not embarrassed about that bit at all.

Matilda style

Long gone are the days when I could dress my little doll girl however I pleased. Putting together outfits for my lady small is fun (any mother who says otherwise is a liar) and I used to really love this part of getting ready together in the morning. Since she began dressing herself, however, there is absolutely no chance. She is very much in charge in the style stakes. Occasionally (very occasionally) I may be able to sway her on a practical level. "Hmmm, Matilda, It might not be a good idea to wear just pyjama trousers and goggles to nursery today." Says I. "Why?" (Oh the never ending "why?") Says she. "Because it's cold and everyone else will be wearing proper clothes." "Why?"... And so we continue but sometimes we do find a passable compromise. To be honest, although at times I'd rather she just went along with me, purely for selfish convenience that is, on the whole I love it. I love when she makes confident decisions and is proud of herself for doing so. I'd much rather walk along with a happy little girl who looks a bit silly but is delighted to be wearing all of her favourite things at once than one who may be understandably upset and refusing to cooperate because I don't appreciate how important it is to her. And on this particular Sunday, her ensemble was just too spectacular to not share. As you can see her theme was pink, all of the pink. Underwear on head and on bum, trousers, top, wellingtons, tutu, dressing gown and rain jacket.



>


Incidentally, this was also the day I discovered how difficult it is to travel a couple of hundred metres back to our house with a giddy dog, a toddler who will not go back in the buggy but will also not walk and a girl who  also refuses to walk because she is upset that she is getting wet in the sudden downpour and a three wheeled buggy with a puncture. Ah, the perks!

little things

1. Bubbles
2. When in need of stuff and the stuff is on sale, it does make for a good day.
3. Unravelling
4. The mornings are getting crunchy
5. So much of this kind of thing, all over everywhere. It'll be worth it!
6. Very pink and very orange.
7. Headwear flair.
8. Breathing deep by the water's edge. So restorative. I am so thankful that this is at the end of the street where we live.

This week the stripping, painting, sawing, hammering etc.. continues and the house remains in disarray. Slowly we can begin to see things coming together. It will be worth it! I am so grateful for Tom's patience among many things, especially so lately. Reminding myself of these little goals and trying not to get too cabin crazy amongst it all.  I hope your weeks are excellent.
Joining in with the ever lovely Em's 'Stills'

52

Matilda: Ocean light dances when you wear a dressing gown to the beach, it seems. (Along with a tutu, pink knickers on head and every other pink item you could manage to wear in one go.)
George: Throwing stones in the sea, a very happy thing.

The weeks are flying by, aren't they? Winter is surely creeping in. I hope your weekends are good to you. Joining in with Jodi's lovely 52 project.

anniversary

Somehow, this wonder of a human has stuck around for another year and I am extremely happy that he has. He is brilliant, no doubt about it.

A while ago
This guy, I wed
With a perfectly
Formed head:
A nose,
A mouth
where they should be
Two eyes,on top,
For, to see me (of course)

And just below,
A chiselled chin
To hold the most
Contagious grin.
And that might be
Plenty enough.
That formula,
Is winning stuff!

But there's more
For me to say,
He does things
In a certain way,
With pizazz and
Plenty flair
(Let's not forget,
full head of hair!)
I'm sure I'm not the only one
Who does appreciate
Him some.

Each day
I laugh
Until I cry
(Because you are hilarious)
I love you Tom
Yes
We do
Da dee
Da dummm

xxxxx

little things

1.Many a grey-blue day.
2. George and Mummy and Mummy's giant eye.
3. We've been tearing the house apart and reassembling in favour of bright clean, colourful space. Hooray to that! Making this house a home.
4. Dog shaped house guest for a month while Granny and Grampy go adventuring.
5. I never want to forget how she held his little hand while we watched fireworks from their window.
6. Muddy splosher.
7. Little toes.
8. The sea mist swallows us whole.

Ah, another week. A lot going on in the way of stripping, painting, ripping, fitting, etc. It's all good stuff. I'm thankful for Tom's seemingly endless talents. If it can be done, then he'll do it! The weather's shifting and that lovely Scottish sideways rain and wind is visiting frequently again. It's bunker down and 3 pairs of socks to bed, time. Hope your weeks have been lovely.

Joining in with Emily's 'Stills'.

autumn bright

I was reminded again why autumn is my favourite time of year. It's been bright and crisp and all that it should and while I feel as though I probably haven't made the most of it, (I always think this though, of most things) It has been one to remember. Especially with our mini escape to Harris with our lovely Granny and Grampy. Next autumn, my little favourites will be another year older, (I know, 'cos that's how time works, almost all of the time...) and It'll be even more fun and we'll have even more adventures, fo sho. Winter is here now, the air has certainly changed in the last week or two and the early morning ground is getting a frosty crunch. There's plenty afoot to make it a good season for us, too. Enough to stave off the winter crazies... hopefully.

52

Matilda: Helping Daddy to remove old nails and staples from the stripped staircase. I am always amazed at how capable children are when we give them the time and patience to say "yes, you can." It can be all too easy to say that It's a job for 'grown ups' when really, there's rarely a good enough reason to say no.

George: Mud, mud, glorious mud.

Joining in with the lovely Jodi and many others over here.

little things

1. Mr Excellent making the house smell edible with this pan of syrupy festiveness. (Infused sugar syrup for making hot mulled drinks in the Hotel.) Just in case anyone didn't know - he is indeed, excellent.
2. Busy hands making little fish.
3. Rainy, rainy window paney.
4. Hey there, me.
5. I want to eat those wriggly feet. Just about the only clean(ish) part of him during that particular meal time.
6. Choosing paint for the sitting room. No offence Matilda, but we're not going orange.
7. Little friends.

Joining in this week with Emily's 'Stills' collection.

little goals.

It's around about now that I really look back and mull over what the year has been and brought for us so far. Where we're up to in our little lives and what I and we want to achieve still. Right now and in the way-off-not-quite-yet-but-soonish future. (Because I'm not obsessing/procrastinating/extra obsessing over my own goals all the time anyway....Hmmmm, well.)  I'm not one for new year resolutions but I've set myself four little goals to begin with now, before 2014 - all small and simple ways of making a bit of good change/bad habit breaking and being a bit kinder to myself. I'll tackle the big stuff still, in a bit.

1. Practise Yoga every day (even just 5 minutes before bed).
2. Prioritise creativity.
3. Never skip meals, especially breakfast and drink more water.
4. Get to bed at a sensible time every night.

52

Matilda: Every single morning, without fail, the very first thing you say to me after you wake up is "Mummy, I want to go and find those silly cats. I want to go and see Mog." You adore her. When you get home from Croileagan, you spend a little while quietly giving her a love, too. BFFs forever, fo sho.

George: Two things you are always doing, eating and playing with hair. Usually mine, but when I'm out of arms reach you make do with your own.

Joining in again this week over here.