Every night before I kiss my son goodnight, I tuck him in and say I Love You. With his teddybear by his side, I close my eyes for just a second, and express my gratitude because I am able to keep my baby warm and safe from harm. There isn’t any way that I can begin to imagine the horror of not being able to do just that: Keep my child safe.
The morning Lily Rose was diagnosed with Leishmania and her fate sealed, Georgie was at summer school. The house was quiet aside from my wailing. For a few moments I was able to pretend that nothing and no one else existed in the world. I was able to ignore the aftermath of her death and zero in on my emotions, my loss. For just a few moments though because soon I would have to face a little boy and explain what death means. I would have to help him deal with HIS loss.
If I want to eat healthy I must keep healthy foods in the house. And that is exactly what I do. Fruit and vegetables are on rotation depending on what’s in season but these 10 bad boys are always in my pantry or fridge come rain or shine. Some of them make snacking a really good idea.
Ginger: I have been buying fresh ginger and drinking it with hot water for years. I remember it helped immensely when I felt nauseous while pregnant with Georgie. I would keep it in my desk drawer at work. I also use ginger in cooking whenever I get the chance. Sometimes I whip it into a paste along with fresh garlic, coat a bunch of vegetables and stick them in the oven. Grate it, chop it, cut it or slice it, ginger is one of the healthiest foods you can have in your kitchen.
One day over the summer, my dad handed me a big cardboard box. It was packed with drawings and paintings, school report cards and birthday cards and even a diary I kept as a teenager. Memories and keepsakes from my childhood and a bunch of other utterly irreplaceable stuff were discovered during a cupboard clear-out and I could not be more thankful to my parents for saving every single piece.
On Saturday afternoon, after we celebrated my mum’s 60th birthday (Happy birthday mum!) papa had some business to tend to so Georgie and I made our way to the beach. Not a good idea. It was so windy I could barely hear my own thoughts and I actually felt quite cold, literally regretting taking out all those cardigans I had in the car. So there I was expecting it to rain at any moment when my son came running towards me for the millionth time, telling me how much fun he was having. Kids+water+sand=Quiet time for you and me. But to make the most of this time, read through this list of easy beach activities and games, show, teach and demonstrate and then RELAX.
