Embracing the messy, mundane & momentous
Many bloggers do this thing called “Wordless Wednesday” and today I am getting on board. As the name suggests, it’s a post with few words. Today I’ve decided to let my pictures do the talking. Here’s how Miss A and I spent our morning.
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Fun in the sun
We’ve just arrived home after eight glorious days at the beach. This beach is the most magical place. Regular readers of this blog will know my deep attachment to it. It’s a special spot on the mornington peninsula where life slows down; a place of rest and reflection.It draws me in the moment I arrive and smell the pine and salty air. I am my most relaxed self when I am there with my extended family. I feel so lucky that I get to return to the place that filled my childhood with so many happy experiences. And now I am creating new memories with my own children. A generation on, it remains my “happy place”.
I think the best part about a holiday is slow mothering. Having Mr NASD to share the load means that I can switch gears and shed some of the frenzy that usually accompanies solo parenting. Being on holiday also means relaxing the rules a bit – later bedtimes, meals thrown together at the last minute, a quick hose down instead of a bath, and generally less stress about routines. As someone who likes to be in control all the time, and a self-confessed routine enthusiast, I love how I relax when I am not moving or mothering to a schedule….
Beautiful Coastal Natives
Life as a stay-at-home mother of three pre-schoolers is tough. It is also very busy. My three children are heavily dependant on me and they shadow me all day long. Life is spent primarily at the home and it’s a fairly domestic existence. Ground Hog Day is a common syndrome in an endless cycle of feeding, washing, nappy changing and sleeping. And, as every mum knows, there is no such thing as ‘free time’.
These days I do everything fast. I eat fast. Drink fast. Talk fast. Email fast. Walk fast. Shower fast. There is nothing leisurely about my day at all. It can be hard to enjoy your kids amidst the noise and business of daily life. At the moment I am focusing on meeting their primary needs and there’s not a lot of time leftover for anything else. A friend of mine recently asked me how I make space for ‘slow mothering’ as opposed to ‘fast mothering’.
I have just enjoyed four tranquil days of slow mothering.
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