Seven Days of Very Busy (and Sunny)

1: Sushi
2: Lavender Bunny
3: Newly dyed hair
4: Museum lift awkward loveliness
5: Big and Small beams
6: Park smile
7: Skating
8: Litter picking in the brook

Nine

Oh, Rowan. Nine times around the sun, and still such a small pixie creature.

This past year has been such a tough one for you. You often retreat into being a cat right now when the world is too frustrating. It's okay to get scared and sad. You aren't broken. You are strong and brave, and kind, and so smart.

We're half way through your extremely elaborate birthday plans now. You couldn't decide which of All The Things you wanted to do most, so because of a home ed group and some tentative plans we already had with Connor you are doing trampolining AND swimming AND rollerskating this year. And getting both sushi and curry, though on different days.

Your favourite things are still sea creatures (or in fact pretty much any animal at all). You really want a rabbit. Or a dog. You like to have your hair stroked when you are sad or tired. Your favourite colour is apparently pale pink (you told me a couple of days ago) but if there is a choice of coloured items you almost always want blue or purple. You love making potions and are really proud of mixing your own salve for your eczema. You have a huge shell collection. You're learning piano, and play scales constantly.

I will sort of miss the eight-year-old-you, though I'm already proud of a delighted by the nine-year-old-you. I am so very much looking forwards to this trip around the sun with you, and more adventures and sparkle.

Mainly a week-in-pictures of Alder

1: Asleep on the park
2: Potions
3: Sleeping again (but, I swear, it only *looks* like he sleeps all the time because I can't resist taking the camera out every time)
4: Chatty
5: Rock find
6: Post Office run
7: Sibling love

Easterish Week in Pictures

1: Multitasking sister

2: Something else to chew

3: Potions with Ashleigh

4: Cake

5: Tired out (early shifts/growth spurt)
6: Anniversary late night ice cream date for Martin and I - plus five adorable kidlets
7: Learning to roll allll the way over is also tiring

Here Comes the Sun

February and March have been sunshine and snow, adventures, flu, small quiet everyday beauty, and an endless barking cough. When we haven't been snowed in, we've had a series of illnesses that have cancelled most of our plans and disrupted my newfound sense of the world opening up to us again. 

Yet in a lot of ways it has been like a second babymoon. We're glorying in this new tiny sibling, and enjoying quiet crafts in our cosy, comfortable, ridiculously messy, nest. 

Our sapling is a week shy of four months old. Exactly a year ago I was starting to get sick, and thinking it would probably be a short-lived blip. I'm gradually mourning those lost months less. I'm also incredibly, ludicrously grateful for every cuddle with Alder. Every expression, every quirk, every little chat.

Four months has gone in the blink of an eye.

(Titled for Alder's favourite song.)