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Reflections
As the year heads for the final stretch I have spent some time reflecting on it. In many ways its been a year of lots of small and big milestones. I turned 40 this year, and had a wonderful 2 nights away with Duncan which was so good for both of us. A time to just be and chat and connect in a way we seldom get to.
I stopped breastfeeding in July, which maybe doesn’t sound like a biggie but it was the end, the final chapter in that book of babies. I loved breastfeeding my 3 kids, I loved the time together, I loved that in the crazy of life I got to be still and just enjoy the little person, watching them be happy, content and falling asleep. Okay to be honest that definitely wasn’t all the time, I also had wriggling and squirming, distracted and talking to me with a breast in their mouth, but I mostly loved it and found it such a privilege.
Adam started school this year and moved from the toddler class to the 3-6 class. When he celebrated his 3rd birthday in October it wasn’t a massive milestone in my eyes, what I was more acutely aware of, was the fact that I wasn’t pregnant. When both Grace and Eli turned 3 I was pregnant. I definitely don’t want any more children and feel our little family is complete, but again it was that reality that my days of babies are done.
With Adam being at school it has given me the opportunity to focus more on me, Donné the individual and less on Donné the mom and wife. It has been good for me and I have started using my OT / mom learnt skills to do two things I really enjoy; helping with handwriting and offering cooking classes to the children at school.
Although both Eli and Grace move up to new classes next year, bringing Grace’s time in lower elementary to a close, I think the most difficult thing for me this year has been coming to terms with Eli going to Grade 1 in a few months. Sometimes I close my eyes and still picture the little 2 year old he was when we moved to Somerset West. I am so proud of the little man he is, he is a kind, sensitive, happy and lets not forget loud soul and is able to argue his way out of anything even if it follows no logic whatsoever. I love him so much and enjoy that he still wants to be my cuddle bunny. I am excited for his new adventures next year in lower elementary, which he is so excited about it, but come 5 December (his graduation ceremony) and this mommy is going to shed more than a few tears.
The last ballet recital
Grace has decided that she is ready to stop ballet and would rather learn to play an instrument, so Saturday was her last demo/recital. She started when she was three, so six years later this era is coming to an end. She enjoys it, enjoys shows and performing, but over the past few months she has had a dip in her energy to go to classes and practice. It just seems like her time for this is now done.
Eli’s hospital visit
When the doctor gives you frightened eyes and says you definitely need to take your boy to hospital, then it’s time to pack, make sure you have enough to entertain Adam (because hospitals are always slow) and off you go.
Donné was giving her baking class, so I had the two boys and after a night of Eli coughing and wheezing we had an appointment to see the doctor. She thought he may have pneumonia.
After chest xrays at the hospital and a visit from the paediatrician it was looking more like asthma but with his rapid breathing they kept him overnight.
Eli was super excited about the bed and his own personal bathroom…
He’s doing much better today and was discharged this morning.
Doing the dishes
I’m having lots of these moments where I feel like my children are growing up, becoming more of themselves, doing the unexpected.
Today Grace arrived home after singing, while Eli was at swimming with Donné. Adam was watching some TV and I was working in my office. I went downstairs for some reason and see Grace filling up the kettle, so I asked her if she was making tea or hot chocolate for herself.
No, that’s not what I’m doing. Okay, so why are you boiling the kettle? I’m going to wash the dishes. Oh, okay – thanks Grace. What made you decide to do that? They’ve just been here for too long, so I thought they needed to be cleaned.
That was certainly surprising, and very kind of her to do. I can’t quite say why, maybe it was just because she did a chore without any prompting, but it made me feel like she is growing up and becoming even more of her own person.
New class
Adam moved up to the preschool class (from the toddler class) today. Now he is in class with Eli for a term which they are both excited about.
Eli says he did “the frog cycle,” built a puzzle and licked some people. We’ll call it a win.
Eli turns 6
Eli turned 6 and got to stroke a cheetah.
He also had his birthday circle at school yesterday
Eli’s Lego Party
Today we continued to celebrate Eli’s birthday with a Lego party and some friends
Eli’s invitation
Because you can’t have too many clues that it’s a Lego party
Fondant work doesn’t bring me joy so I don’t do it as a general rule for other people, but for my kids I’m willing to try and Duncan is king at rolling it out and putting it on the cake.
We played a sort of Survivor style game where they were divided into groups and had to collect bags of lego blocks, and then using those blocks replicate built Lego structures. The trick was they had to look at the structure which was hidden and then go to their group and try and build it from memory.
We all had a wonderful afternoon celebrating Eli
Race day! (First MTB race)
Grace and Eli to pay in their first mountain bike race…
Sunday snow-venture
We went for a Sunday snow adventure in Matroosberg.