...i'm not saying i never make a mistake...but i have a very healthy sense of my parenting skills
...but just this week i am questioning a little
...you see the weather has a HUGE influence on my daily life
...as a coastal girl...brought up with sand between my toes, counting my freckles at the end of each summer holidays...i have *issues* with the lack of light & sunshine that my kiddos are experiencing...
...just sometimes it *falls* out into my parenting
...i'm not quite so *relaxed*
...i'm not quite so *happy*
...i'm not quite so embracing of our life here
...& i need to pull myself up on this...as the kiddos are happy to embrace it if we continue to show them how incredible it is...
...on the other side of the globe..on the doorstep to europe
...in the beautiful clean gorgeous english countryside
...there are few downsides to our choosing this life for a while
...but this summer weather that is lacking in anything i recall being the backbone of what makes up a summer school holiday is getting to me
...it's at times like this that we can learn soo much from our children
...they just love you regardless of the weather, regardless of the light & because life is not too complicated if you just live in the moment..
...so yesterday i took hold of the summer
...i decided that an aussie beach-loving girl who has gorgeous sandy kiddos can embrace the english countryside, weather & all...
...if she just lives in the moment again
...so a house full of flowers & open windows later
...a house full of music & baking later
...& a trip to the cinema to see our all time family favourite's third instalment later
...& i was almost back to myself
...the beauty of parenting in all weathers...
Was it Toy Story??
ReplyDeleteI know that English weather is not that great but if it makes you feel any better it has been raining most of the week here and it is cold! School pick-ups have not been much fun and tennis was rained out after school! OK are you feeling a little better? Open those doors and let the neighbors smell your baking! Love Leanne xx
ReplyDeleteI have doubts sometimes about my parenting also; i think we all do. But you know, all you have to do is watch the news one night to know that we are fabulous parents!!! Everyone has their bad days .. its just normal! I think its good for kids to see that also. I think that they need to learn that its okay to not be totally happy and on top of the world every day, and observing us deal with that is how they learn to cope with their own negative emotions. Dont doubt yourself for one second; you are an awesome mummy!! I can tell just by the loving photography of your little ones; each picture is just so full of ... well, love. Your kiddies are so fortunate to have you! (dont get my started on my upbringing!! - thankfully things have changed so much in the past 30 years!!!!) But i can sympathise with you re. the weather! I would be in a total depression if I had to live with UK weather again. I am NOT a winter person at all!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are having a gorgeous day today beautiful lady!!
hugs from Lauraxx
And the bonus? I bet you could SLEEP!? (As opposed to that tossing turning oh my god it's 4am and its still forty degrees weather?).
ReplyDeleteGive yourself a wee break Mum and you're absolutely right - let the kidlets show you summer.
We all have our off days. Sometimes the school holidays bring out our 'emotions'. It's all that quality time together! :)
ReplyDeletemelissa-
ReplyDeletei love this and can so relate because weather (and lack of sunlight!) has a huge affect on my mood! you sound like a wonderful mother that is doing an awesome job at giving your kids so many cool experiences, i wish i had just half of the courage you do!
gorgeous pictures!
The thing about children is they don't care about the weather. They are just as happy splashing in puddles as they are splashing in the pool. I remember begging my mum to let me go and play in the garden when it was chucking it down with rain. If you are an outdoors sort of person then don't worry about the weather, just go outside and enjoy. I actually think the weather's been OK this summer in the UK! Much better than last year!
ReplyDeleteA bit of blummin sunshine would be nice, but as it's the school hols it's more likely to rain and make us all a bit grumpy.
ReplyDeleteHello there, I can so relate, the weather is a complete mood-maker or breaker for me. Hence why it always forms a comment when I blog! I am slightly obsessed! School holidays are strange though aren't they? When we have good days I congratulate myself on being a 'good' parent but then those less than good days sneak in and I wonder where I am going wrong. The key is to keep it simple...but that's easier said than done. One year we went to Cornwall and it rained and rained all week. The kids had the best time rock-pooling and I realised they genuinely DON"T CARE when it rains...Good for them, Lou x
ReplyDeleteHi Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI would like to give you a blog award, if you would like it, please visit my blog!
Hope you are having a great week,
Mel xx
I'm sure you couldn't get two more different summers than an English summer and a Sydney summer. I still remember when I lived in London, when there was the merest glimmer of sunshine, and I mean mere, and all the locals would strip off and lie in a deckchair in Green Park. And it was freezing - and I come from Wellington, so that is saying something! You're right - the trick is to embrace it!
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