time

It might seem like I've lost my blogging mojo a bit lately, I truly haven't. I just seem to be lacking in that essential ingredient called 'time'. I thought I would have so much more 'time' with Lily at school but it's just not so. I didn't factor in a couple of essential ingredients;

1. Two year-olds demand more attention and create far more mess than one-year olds.  Far far more! I cannot stress this enough! I am blessed that both my children were gifted with an over-abundance of imagination, but it does mean things take extra time when even doing a simple task like making the beds, I have to be some random character.  Often Alice or Max.

Toby really misses Lily when she's at school. So do I for that matter. They have a beautiful loving relationship and play really well, she really fosters his creative play. He constantly play acts now with everything. He has an amazing memory and often re-enacts stories we have read with his toy animals or trains. There is a dinosaur and a duck having a conversation at my feet at this very moment. The duck is asking the dinosaur, "are you my Mother?" Can you guess what we read last night?
Toby needs me to play with him far more now that Lily is at school and not filling that role, he is constantly wanting someone to play with and we're having to go down the road of organising play dates for him!

Two-year olds also try to raid the pantry and fridge a heck of a lot more, and seem to be constantly wanting something to eat. Or raiding their sister's room to get into all those things they're not allowed to do when she's at home. A two year let loose with the Sylvania family collection is not a pretty sight.

2. I insist on walking Lily to school and back every day; rain, hail or shine.  This takes a good 80 minutes out of each day; more if there is glorious sunshine and things to explore on the way home. I'm sure you know those things, unusual shaped leaves, new blossoms on trees, butterflies or gumnut things that are stangely shaped like witches fake finger nails and so much fun to collect. This morning we were nearly late for school as we spent way too long admiring a couple of spiderwebs in a bush all glittering and bejewelled with raindrops. On Tuesdays, I walk for over 2 hours total, once the walk to gymnastics and home is factored in.

3. Helping out in the classroom also takes up time, but I so love that and would not give it up for the world.  As an English teacher I really love the time spent listening to the kiddies read. It's startling how much the gap between the more advanced in the class and those beginning to struggle is, even at this age. It makes me quite sad actually that so much of a child's reading ability is already set in stone before they even start school.  Reading to kids when they're little really does create such important building blocks for their own literacy acquisition. You can never start too young.  Lily had her first book read to her at a few hours old, Toby the same.

I also love working with the kids in Investigation time when they get to explore their creativity to its fullest, such an important part of education. I love that our school offers this, I think it's so important for kids to develop their love for craft and creativity at a young age, along with the confidence to explore and try new things. That freedom of expression without the burden of expectation or societal pressure is not something we ever get another shot at really.


4. Having to get up early EVERY day for the school run means no more regularly burning the midnight candle. That was when I used to be at my most productive, once everyone else in the house was tucked up in bed and I had the house to myself to relax and ease into my craft.  Sometimes I'd have to shoo myself off to bed as the clock approached 2am.  It was do-able last year on two early mornings but five, no way!

But you know, I wouldn't change anything for the world. If it means this blog is not updated as often, or the floors are in desperate need of a sweep; I don't really care.  Time with the little ones is what it's all about, this staying at home being a mum stuff.