Stealth

Sofia

I download photos from my phone, my digital camera and Dad's digital SLR. And then I occasionally remember to have a look at the photos you've been taking on your little digital camera. There are always plenty of photos of your dolls, the floors and random shots of furniture but sometimes there is a sneaky gem in the mix.

Here is one shot, which I'm using through stealth. Natalie flew in from a week in Bali and drove straight up to the forest to join us. Her arrival was a welcome diversion from the fact that the night before you and Daddy had been in an accident in my car. You scrambled out of the car, unharmed, but we needed a tow truck to take the car off, never to be driven again.

Snip

Sofia

Yet another visitor came to enjoy our forest, but this time you and I both enjoyed an open air hair cut. Thanks for the matching bobs Amanda No 2.

Mandy

Sofia

A friend of Daddy's, Amanda, came to visit. You love it when we have company; sharing, expressing, relating. We are always so busy caught up enjoying the visit that I forget to take photos. 

The day after Amanda's visit you painted. 

'Who's that?', I asked, assuming it was me and you. 

'It's Mandy and me, mummy', you declare assuredly, as if it should be obvious. 

'Oh yeah, of course', relaxing into my seat, happy in the knowledge that I'm not always the centre of the universe. 

Sock It

Sofia

I've always prided myself on my laundry skills. And I enjoy doing the laundry - sorting, washing, hanging, folding, ironing. Most of all I've never suffered from odd sock syndrome. You changed that and you love this little pair of odd socks so I just keep partnering them up and you keep pulling them on.

They look great with your gum boots, running shoes, dancing shoes and sometimes your thongs. But most of all I like them when you are playing around the house on the wooden floors. Or on the front steps enjoying breakfast with a view.

Settling In

Sofia

We moved house seven weeks ago. We've been busy, unpacking boxes, assembling furniture, working through a long list of things to do and fix. I've been writing blogs in my head for weeks. Tonight, sitting at Nana and Grandad's I find some time and space to write. 

As I look through some photos I took on the day of settlement I marvel at how well you've handled the change. New home, new bedroom, new routines. Changes to your child care arrangements and our social network. Commuting to Brisbane for three days and then back to the property for more busy days as we work through an endless list of tasks. Just getting ourselves settled is challenging. On top of that we are planning new additions and there is a lot of work ahead. 

You've lost your one on one days with each of us and I miss it. Maybe it is time to again adjust the routine to again capture some of that mummy-daughter and daddy-daughter time as it is only months before you start school. 

All of these thoughts float through my head as I rediscovered this photo of you from 23 June. I'm reminded that I need to pull the table you are carrying out of the shed again. It feels like this phase of your childhood is quickly coming to an end and I don't want to miss any more of it. I need to divert my attention from those packing boxes, paperwork and hardware and get back to some painting, play dough and pretending.