The other day I wrote a post about the 10 foods I always have in my kitchen. One of those foods are dips. Do you, by any chance, remember how I mentioned that Georgie likes hummus? Well, surprise surprise now he doesn’t! Isn’t that peculiar? I don’t get these swift changes my kid goes through! Do any of you experience this with your kids?
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.
After I pick up Georgie from school, I like to surprise him with a small gift. Sometimes he gets a cookie or a muffin, other times a toy or a t-shirt. It could be anything! New or used, with sugar or not, he looks forward to that specific moment. On Monday, I gave him a bubble bottle. Always a winner with kids, received with claps and giggles by my little dude he couldn’t wait to get home and give it a go. Five bubbles later he’s dropped the bottle and is demanding a refill. As most of you probably know, plain water and plain washing up liquid will not work. And that’s why bubble bottles are almost never received with claps and giggles on my behalf.
I’m a huge fan of classic games. Especially outdoor ones that meant the world to me growing up. Hide and Seek, Marbles, Simon Says, Jump Rope and of course, Hopscotch. I have no memories of playing hopscotch as a child in England but fast forward to our move to Cyprus and there are plenty. At school, at the playground, at home, in the middle of a dead-end road I have fond memories of a chalk in my hand and hopping to and fro with my friends for what seemed like hours!
Yesterday afternoon, I followed Georgie around with my camera. He drove his tractor around the house, stopping every now and then to observe birds in the trees and dogs playing outside. He rubbed Lily Rose’s belly and then grabbed his watering can before heading to the vegetable garden without so much as looking for me. These are moments I dreamt of when Georgie was just a wee baby, when he would cry for hours on end and need my constant attention. There was a yearning for quiet times with a book, long showers with no interruptions, movie nights and drinks and conversations with friends all through the night. It’s been a while since adult normality has returned to my life but you know what? It’s SO much sweeter now. With everything I do, there’s a sense of pride, a mother’s sense of pride, i guess. All these independent moments are now filled with thoughts of my baby singing me songs, hugging me in the morning and kissing me so I can get up and make him toast with jam, counting to himself as he plays with his puzzles in his teepee snacking on rye crackers, little conversations we have throughout the day that make me smile and feel blessed that I am his and he is mine.
