Browsing Tag
motherhood
There’s one place in Larnaca I love visiting. The thrift shop. Sad fact about Cyprus: We don’t have many. Don’t get me wrong, they exist! But not to the degree they exist in other European countries. This one is owned by an English lady who has turned this joint into a very popular spot with the locals. Granted, not many treasures are here to discover – isn’t that the case with most thrift shops anyway?-but I have gotten lucky. Besides, nothing beats buying five books for 4 euros and 60 cents! I can’t imagine handing over pennies in most bookshops. There’s a quiet corner in the thrift shop where shelves are tightly-stacked with books of every genre. Georgie enjoys reading time so he loves rummaging through them and flicking through the pages looking for tigers and dinosaurs. I love seeing the names of the old holders and little notes. There’s a sense of greatness being able to show my child that not everything beautiful and inspirational has to be brand new…and come with a hefty price tag.
I am wearing slipper booties right now, so I am officially saying bye to summer. It’s been a blast. The festivities and events, barbeques with friends, late afternoon swimming in the sea, daily excursions and weekend vacations with my little dude in tow are moments I love and live for. Looking forward to so much more in the coming years. But right now, give me cold, dreary, wrap-up-type-of weather. Apart from new warm clothes and accessories I’m dying to put Georgie in -not to mention Christmas songs I am extremely patiently waiting to listen to-, I am really stoked about using our new fireplace and spending our first Christmas in our home. Bring it on, autumn!
The transition from holiday to routine came abruptly to Georgie. He misses his daddy after spending three weeks of morning chores, long breakfasts, naps together and afternoon swims. While I was barely hanging on to the last days of the summer vibe, the little man needed to be entertained. With kids, entering new phases is a crazy time but get it right and it can be magical. He wants to ride a dinosaur and go to school. On his own. Needless to say, there’s a massive improvement in his speech! Dude, we talk to each other! I ask, he answers. He asks, I do my best to answer. Why are you cooking, mummy? Because you have to eat. Why do I have to eat, mummy? The questions come like an avalanche with the sweetest force ever. Which ultimately means that it’s crunch time for Georgie and his ever-curious mind. I scour Pinterest for ideas on toddler activities and interests. Georgie absolutely adores his big cousin but there are times when a six-year old and a two-year old don’t mesh. They need stimulation and something to do other than annoying each other. Enter car wash. They had so much fun they ended up washing every single outdoor toy and themselves, of course. Tents, teepees, they all work when it comes to a pop up house in the garden. With Lily Rose as the house guard.Fruit and vegetable stamping. So simple, so pretty. Papa’s work has been supplying us with cardboard boxes. Yes! The possibilities are endless. So far we’ve got a car going-albeit with stockings as seat belts- and a race track and tunnel for his Hot Wheels. It’s no wonder I baked twice last week.
Living in Cyprus, where the sun shines most of the year and water is the only escape from the (often) unbearable heat, means that swimming is an essential life skill. This skill is a particularly important one when you have kids. It’s a worldwide fact that little ones love the splish-splash feeling but when you’re faced with a pool or the sea, it can spell danger, fear and stress. Certainly not feelings you want to deal with. I can never relax when Georgie is circling a swimming pool or playing on the beach. However, since we became adamant about teaching him how to hold his breath and kick his legs and wear armbands at all times, I am happy to report that we are both having more fun, waterside. We are lucky Georgie loves the water and doesn’t seem to be afraid of the depth or magnitude, which has made our job much easier. There are lots of tips online to get your little ones used to the water. Try having them put their mouths under the water and blow bubbles. You can do it in the bath if the ocean or pool sounds too scary. A day at the waterpark has become a summer tradition in our family. We had so much fun and with Georgie all set on his ‘safe water behaviour’, I loved every minute of it! My parents, siblings, nieces, nephews and friends get together and head for Waterworld in Agia Napa, which by the way has great discounts over the summer-pity food and beverages can burn a hole in your pocket by the end of the day.I hope we keep this summer tradition alive. If anything, seeing my parents lounging on the Lazy River is something I like. Being with family and friends on a beautiful summer day surrounded by ALOT of water, rocks!