#3027 Family Saturdays

I used to feel like I HAD to be doing lots of busy, social, outward things on the weekend to feel good, productive, happy about myself and my life.

And while being social and seeing people IS fun, I have learnt to embrace this quiet, routine, family part of my life, on Saturdays.

The trip to the shops with the kids – coffee, treats, groceries, and baby boy running amuck.

Chilling at home/walks around the front and back yard with baby boy.

Doing some kind of ‘passion task’/house stuff as baby boy naps.

Then a homecooked, or junk food style homecooked meal made with Hubbie when he gets home from work – tonight, spaghetti bolognaise. 😋

Lots of fun, games and craziness ensues. Music, dancing, clapping (ALL OF US NOW!)

Ice cream with chocolate topping on the couch.

Talking, connecting, bonding. Tickles and laughs too.

(Come to think of it, we get less ‘quiet’ as the day goes on!)

They are the best days/nights. 🥰

#2971 No more hermits

About a month ago, the invites started rolling in.

Birthday parties… it looked like end of Feb to March was going to be busy.

With the super low-key last year we’ve had in relation to attending parties like this (as in, we rarely attended), it was no surprise then that we said we’d had enough.

Baby boy was now 1. Sure, he still had a routine, but we were over hibernating.

With the first invite we received, we looked at each other and said to baby boy “buckle up, you’re gonna get a lot more flexible.” 😅

Tonight we attended the first of those party invites. We drove far, but we entertained baby boy in the car with snacks, toys and YouTube. 

I followed baby boy around the party, but I was surrounded by people and making conversation and being social.

Baby boy was overtired and crying by the end of the night, but he’d also had a great time, and we’d had an equally great Saturday night!

Then driving home late, we pulled into Maccas drive-through (I needed a hot tea, so Hubbie got a cheeseburger 🤭) and all of a sudden, it was feeling very Saturday night like.

Going out with kids, albeit one of them a baby, requires so much planning, but it was all totally worth it, and we are now so here for it.

Bring it on! 🎉❤

#2964 The holiday main event

Saturday. The best day of the week. Also a couple of days before Hubbie goes back to work…

Hence, ‘The Main Event.’

We went to a local market in the morning. Had coffee cart coffee, plus cinnamon-covered doughnut holes.

Bought strawberries and blueberries from local farms, you know the kind that actually smell like berries and are like, BIG.

Our curious eyes led us through stalls amongst the tall trees.

We relaxed at home after midday. Two radios playing, and the TV was playing music too.

Pottering about here, there.

Opened the last of baby boy’s birthday presents.

Did a small outdoor barbeque for dinner.

Took one (or two, or three), shots of the most picturesque sunset.

And now we are content at the end of the day.

Nothing overwhelmingly huge happened. It was just a simple, sweet, relaxing family day.

🥰💖

#2943 I’m the happy errand girl

I find ‘me time’ in weird places.

In the car when baby boy falls asleep.

Pushing the pram uphill in the mornings when baby boy falls asleep.

Between the hours of approximately 2-4pm when baby boy is… asleep.

(There’s a pattern here 🤣)

But lately I’ve found a new way of getting some me time in, that doesn’t involve sleep.

Doing the takeaway run.

When we get takeaway it’s more likely than not on a day that Hubbie has just worked, and the last thing he wants to do is jump back in the car and go driving somewhere. And now that baby boy is older, more adaptable and not so reliant on me being there 24/7, I am able to get out a bit more.

Every time there is a need to duck out, I’m like “me, me!”

I love it. I get to listen to music. I’m alone with my thoughts, just thinking about random things. Also I get a chance to breathe, time to myself where I don’t need to entertain or sing or constantly talk to a little someone to keep them from getting upset.

So tonight I was more than happy to head out and get the Saturday night take out.

And the other great thing about doing this? I get to snack on the food – hot chips – all the way home. 😁😋

#2894 Routine Saturdays

These are the days I’ve come to enjoy.

They are easy, they are simple. They usually involve a lot of routine, but they are GOLD.

A car morning drive for baby boy.

Parked by the water views for his nap.

A spot of grocery shopping with the kids, then coffee/milkshake and scones with my baby girl as baby boy munches on bread and apple. 😁💙💖

Relaxing at home, catching up on odd jobs.

Playing ball with baby girl in the afternoon.

Wrestling with baby boy on the couch before bedtime.

Eating dinner together as a fam.

Sharing music with Hubbie.

Relaxing on the couch at the end of the night – sipping tea alongside baby girl and commenting, “ahh it’s good.”

It’s the simple things, it’s the best things. 🙏🥰

#2856 Baby talk

I’ve forgotten how friendly people can be when you have a baby with you.

It happened a lot with baby girl. Mostly older people – they loved stopping to talk, giving me friendly advice “they grow up quick, enjoy every moment!” and commenting on how cute, amusing or funny she was.

The same has been happening of late with baby boy.

I noticed it a few months ago. There’s this place we get our regular sushi, and one of the women who works there always has the most sour face. This pissed us off on many an occasion, as they kinda have the best sushi. 🙄 But for some reason, she could not crack a smile. Always seri-arse, flat, almost annoyed that I was giving her place of business work with my money.

But then one day when baby boy didn’t want to stay in his pram, I was holding him as I got some Saturday sushi, and this same woman was serving me… and as she looked over at baby boy, her whole face broke into a smile.

I nearly fell over. I was sure her face would crack AT ANY MOMENT.

But it didn’t! She was happy to see him, a baby, and I absolutely couldn’t wait to rush home and tell Hubbie, “guess what, the sushi lady can smile!”

People talk to me in supermarkets. When I’m standing in line, I hear them behind me, commenting on baby boy, talking to him in a cutesy voice. The bakery lady comes over and asks how old he is now, and the other bakery lady takes a peek too. The lollypop man at baby girl’s school talks to him EVERY TIME I cross at the crossing, but then again he loves kids. 💓 Still, it’s adorable.

Today Hubbie and I were getting a coffee, and as the barista, who I have ordered with plenty times before came over with our orders, she started talking to baby boy.

“You’ll be having babycinos soon!”

And so it happened again, that another person who was usually straight, busy, and not that eager on small talk, was suddenly engaging and telling us about her own kids and how making frothed milk is really annoying. 🤣

I like this stage of life with baby boy, and finding out that some supposedly serious people are actually nice, they can open up and smile and become soft at the sight of a baby… well that is really, very sweet.

That is the way things should be. If you don’t soften at babies, you must be a very hard person.

I like finding out that there are nice people around, more than I expected. I like to be surprised by this, as it gives me hope. 🙏

#2845 Photos of cafe memories

The photo may look good, but sometimes I wonder, why do I bother?

I’m usually trying to have my coffee and eat something while baby boy goes “eh, eh, eh” next to me, reminding me to keep feeding him too, while baby girl talks to me in a steady stream, and my attention is pulled in 3 WAYS AT ONCE.

But then I breathe. Remind myself I do this, to give her memories. Me, for some kind of time out. 🤦‍♀️

Also, that I’ve always wanted this. 🙏

Let them want me. Let them talk to me at the same time. ❤💙

#2810 Saturday night tea

Far out.

I think I’m officially old.

Oh, hell no. I’m not old. I just sound old. Difference. 🤣

I’ve had a full day with the kids, doing stuff around the house, heading out, a long arvo walk to try get a certain someone to nap, and then a super quick dinner out to make baby boy’s bedtime (which was still late 😒)

And I am sitting here on the couch in my pjs, absolutely pooped, considering an earlier than normal bedtime than even a weekday!

It’s Saturday night. There is a tea on the coffee table for me.

No wait. It’s lemon and honey in hot water.

Not even tea!

Omg, I sound so olddddd (but I’m also so, so comfy right now 😊).

#2803 Morning nap views

Saturdays, we try to do baby boy’s morning nap on the go.

In the car.

And why not, when you have views like this?

Baby girl brings her book to read, and we chill for a bit, before moving on with our day… ❤😍

#2733 My baby phase

Saturday morning, rain is falling.

The room is dark. Baby boy lies against my chest, falling into a deeper and deeper sleep after his recent feed.

I relax. Surrounded by dim light and doona.

These are the days. This is my baby phase.

This is all I need to do. I worry so much about how much I’m getting done, and try so hard to go back to how it was…

But I shouldn’t. That time will come, and it won’t be like it was before, it’ll be better.

These are the days I’ll revel in… in warmth.
In snuggling.
In feeling safe and being his safe space.

Let it rain.