Simple pleasures of ordinary days

...some pretties for the balcony
...from the markets, the creamiest yogurt to pass my lips
...we waited for dada at the bottom of the road to greet him on his first day back at work after holidays
...peepo
...my favourite sculpture in town
...box city: oh to be a child again
...golden tiles
...this would be my last supper: cheese and bean papusa with a mountain of chilli sauce
...we took the Little One for a morning out in town; no trip to the city would be complete without a ride on the carousel (her first)...
...and, she couldn't get enough. And I couldn't get enough of her not getting enough. A lovely memory.
...an outtake from the 52 project
...Happy 100 Canberra. Gosh you look good
...there's that dress up bag again
...but yesterday it was all about the wand

Joining Em and creating a collection of weekly images, recording simple pleasures of ordinary days.

Change

In a month's time I return to work. For two days a week Saskia will be looked after by others: one of these days she'll be spend with her JanMa, and on the other she is going to a childcare centre.

I work in gallery education and know I'm lucky to have an arrangement where I can return to work part time. My job is intensely rewarding, varied and the best kind of mix of challenging and familiar. But right now, the return to work countdown is making me feel awfully sad.

I know she'll revel in the attentions of her doting grandparents, cooking pikelets and exploring enchanted gardens; I know she'll learn valuable lessons about sharing spaces with other children and waiting a turn; I know I'll embrace our days together with renewed enthusiasm, and will marvel at how grown up she seems.

All this I know will be true, but I still feel a heavy weight of sadness. Our weeks will soon include days together - and days spent apart. I will juggle paid work, and the glorious and not-so-glorious unpaid work. I will feel torn. I will wonder how you are feeling, whether you ate your yogurt, what you were like when you woke, and whether you have called my name. I will miss you Little One.

*These photos were taken on a recent outing to Sculpture Garden Sunday. Such cleverly crafted outdoor art activities for little ones: tape graffiti on garden walls, sculptures crafted from venetian blinds, bright texta drawings on plastic sheets, etc. The highlight though, was most definitely the musical entertainment, Doctor Stovepipe (an old favourite from way back here!). She twirled and bounced and clapped until we dragged her away.

Simple pleasures of ordinary days

...this week saw the first signs of a moody Autumn. Cool winds whipping in the afternoon mean it's time for Minestrone (K calls it Miiiiiine Strone in his best superhero voice)
...In, and
...Out
...It seems as though all her leggings are morphing into pedal pushers
...We took her to a beautiful toystore in town on one of the last days of K's holidays to choose a small treat: a little animal to add to her collection. She chose a bunny. Like the ones at her new childcare centre (oh, that's another post)
...a handmade bag of tricks for a new baby born near the sea (the son of a good family friend)
...I've started working on Saskia's handbound baby book (I go weak at the sight of that stack of deckled edges).
...Another favourite from Sculpture Garden Sunday
...Finally! A nasturtium bloom!

Joining Em and creating a collection of weekly images, recording simple pleasures of ordinary days.

Simple pleasures of ordinary days

From the last two weeks...
...I was surprised by her sustained and genuine interest in the animals at the zoo (especially as my mum kept laughing about how 2 year old me was more interested in the chains and fences on my first trip to the zoo)
...A different platform (a vinatge tray table) inspires a whole new way of playing
...She begs to go higher
...Are we really entering the dress up phase already? (secretly, I love this)
...A local park by the lake...
...with mosaics to unearth, tiled photographs to dust down, casuarina seeds to collect
...I love knowing she's there by my side
...Granny's gardenia: her beautiful perfume now greets us at our front door

20/52

A portrait of my daughter, once a week, every week, as a one year old.

She's spent a good chunk of this week on a swing. Having Dada at home (on holidays) we've settled into a lovely routine of a park-a-day.

Taking part in Jodi's weekly portrait series

Simple pleasures of ordinary days

...so much choice (how great is razzle dazzle rose for a crayola name?)

...I could eat 'em

...dinner with a special lady (we ate this)

...can't keep her out 

...water play on the deck...

...and her (hideous) dress up handbag is never far

...a gift from an old family friend in Adelaide to celebrate our engagement years ago

...she twirled and swirled with this ribbon, and delighted in the silky touch on her bare skin...yet another reminder that 'toys' needn't be fancy

...some things just go together, like sandals and trikes

...her space in our little 1960s south coast rental 

...two books at once...genius, I tell you

...a walk out to Bingie Bingie Point (I love this photograph that K took)

Joining Em and creating a collection of weekly images, recording simple pleasures of ordinary days.