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Glorious Gower

by with 14 Comments PersonalPhotographyUncategorized
We got lucky last week, and had some glorious sunshine on one of Steve’s days off from work.  So we packed up a quick picnic and headed out for a little trip to the Gower.

Now, I love Swansea bay, I really do.  The beach is fab for the children to run around on, and I love the view out towards Mumbles.

But there is something extra special about the beaches on Gower.  I’m always filled with a child-like sense of excitement when we drive out and suddenly get that first glimpse of the sea.

For our first trip of the year, we went to Horton, which Steve’s got a real soft spot for.  It tends to be quieter than some of the other beaches, and it is so, so pretty.  And Rhys had an absolute blast exploring the rock pools, and playing pirates.

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With the sun shining, you can almost believe that Spring is actually on its way!

Oh, and now I feel really awful for ever taking any of this for granted!

 

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What Katy Said
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A quick trip to the beach

by with 20 Comments PersonalPhotographyUncategorized
I wrote a few days ago about how we live really close to the beach here in Swansea, and that we often take that fact for granted, with weeks passing without a trip to see the sea.

Over the last few weeks though we’ve started going back.  Making a nice little habit of popping out for a walk on the beach at the weekends.  Last weekend we were down there at about 4 in the afternoon, just as the sun came out and the tide came in – beautiful!

I made a point of handing the camera over to my husband so that I could get in some of the photos and I’m so pleased with the results!    He’s a fab photographer and I love having photos taken from his perspective and in his style (although these are edited by me, in my style!).

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After a while though, I was itching to get back behind the camera, and I love these shots of my little explorers, splashing in (and running away from) the incoming tide.  They love this game, especially with Daddy there to scoop them up out of the way of the water!
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I made a point of getting in some photos that day, as part of my mission to be in a photo every day for the month of March.  How often do you get in photos?  When was the last time you had a picture taken of you with your children, rather than being the one taking them?

I’m sharing my photos that feature me on my Instagram and Facebook accounts with #showyouwerethere.
I would love people to join in and share their photos with them in using that hashtag!

OneDad3Girls
What Katy Said
Things I've been grateful for while feeling poorly

Can I just call in sick?

by with 6 Comments Family lifePersonal

I’ve been feeling ill this week.  Which is nothing new really, I mean, I’m not sure I’ve actually felt ‘well’ at all this year, between coughs and colds and sleepless nights thanks to small children with coughs and colds and sleepless nights.

But this week, I’ve been feeling really quite ill.

I finally caved and went to the Doctor on Wednesday who said that my sore throat wasn’t tonsillitis (yay!) but it was pharyngitis caused by a virus, so there was nothing he could do to make it better (boo!).  His advice was just to keep dosing up on painkillers and get some rest.

To which I laughed, and asked if he could write me a sick paper from my kids, so that I could get some rest.

And I was only half joking.

I really wish some days that I could call in sick to being a parent.  When every part of you aches, and you can’t even swallow your morning coffee because your throat is so sore, it’s just really hard.  Because you don’t really have the option to just stay in bed and rest.

The children still need to be fed, and watered, and dressed, and taken to school.

So I’m really thankful for my in-laws who live close by and look after the children for me one day a week.  Knowing I had a day this week where I could get back into bed and try and give my body a chance to fight this bug has really helped.

Here are a few more things I’m thankful for while sick this week:

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  • Tea.  And hot honey and lemon.  I have drunk a lot of both of these this week, and it’s been very comforting!

 

  • Painkillers.  I’m thankful for ibuprofen and paracetamol that have taken the edge off the pain this week enough to be able to eat and to generally keep going.

 

  • The NHS.  Whilst my doctor wasn’t able to do or give me anything to get rid of this virus, I am thankful that I was able to see a reliable GP when I needed to, who took time to listen to me, reassure me, and offer advice on what I could do to lesson my symptoms.

 

  • My children.  Bit of a contradiction here, seeing as I would like to call in sick from them, but they’ve been lovely this week.  To hear your 4 year old (and your 2 year old) say they’ll look after you is just so sweet.

 

  • My husband.  Knowing that he’ll be coming home from work and can pick up the slack for me when I’ve not been on top form is a huge relief.  I am very grateful to him.

How do you cope when you’re ill but still have to just get on with things and parent?  I’d love some tips for next time a bug hits!

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Living arrows – 12/52

by with 8 Comments PersonalPhotographyUncategorized
Every now and then we start taking for granted where we live.

And, even though the beach is a 5 minute drive from our house, we go weeks without going down to see the sea.

This winter has felt like a long run of wet weekends and one or another of us feeling poorly.  And getting out and about has felt like too much after a week of school and work.

But then a dry, sunny weekend comes along and we start to feel that pull again.

The need for sand under our feet and salty sea air in our lungs.

So we jump in the car and nip down to the beach.

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The children run free.  There is time to stop and just breath.

And all is right with the world.

And we remember how lucky we really are.

How lucky our children are to have this on their doorstep.

And, just like that, the routine of regular trips to the beach is resumed, and I can’t imagine living anywhere but here.

 

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth”

Living Arrows
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Living arrows – 11/52

by with 4 Comments PersonalPhotographyUncategorized
I was busy setting the camera up the other day, to take a photo of me and Rhys together as part of my project for March (to get in a photo every. single. day).

So I took this test shot to make sure the camera position and settings were right, and I just love it!

For one, with the way he’s looking right at the camera, it feels like he’s looking right at ME.  And I love the slight questioning expression on his face.

I also love the quiet, everyday moment that’s been captured.

My not-quite-five-year-old, sitting (well, kneeling) at the kitchen table doing his homework.  We’re lucky that, for the moment at least, he enjoys sitting and doing his writing.  I’m sure all that will change in years to come!

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I really like having these kind of lifestyle photos of my family.  The everyday moments that we’ll otherwise forget.

The little details of our lives, like the hoover in the background, the clothes drying on the radiator and the spotty tablecloth on our table.

This is life, and I love it.

It does look a little bit better in black and white though!

 

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Living Arrows
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A letter to my daughter as she turns two

by with 30 Comments PersonalUncategorized
To my beautiful daughter,

It feels like only yesterday that you came along.

As is typical of a child of mine, you came in your own time.  7 days past your due date you finally came, on your own terms, which was just fine with me.  You caught us all a little bit by surprise, making your appearance while we were still in the triage room rather than on the labour ward.

And there we stayed most of the day.

While Daddy went home to get some sleep you and I got to know each other.

In that little hospital room I studied your perfect face and knew in my heart what your name was.

Not the name we’d loved for the past 9 months, but one that we hadn’t even considered until the midwife who delivered you introduced herself with the words “Hi, I’m Nerys”.

Nerys.  Perfect.

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And now, 2 years later your name suits you beautifully.  I can’t imagine you being anything else.

You are loving.  So, so loving.  Some evenings I sit by your bed before you go to sleep and you ever so gently kiss my eyes, my nose, my ears, my mouth.  I hope you keep that gentle, affectionate part of you always.

You are chatty.  Oh my word are you chatty!  And you’re so proud of yourself when you’re able to tell me something.  And you make us laugh so much when you catch us by surprise with a new word or expression.  The look on Nana’s face the other day when she thanked you for something and you replied “You’re most welcome” was just brilliant!

You are independent.  “Me do it” is one of your favourite expressions, and to be fair, most of the time you CAN do whatever it is you want to do.

You are curious.  You ask me “why?” 100 times a day.  And while this gets exhausting after a while I hope you stay curious.  I hope you never stop questioning the world around you.

You love Peppa Pig (much to Daddy’s disappointment), Fig rolls and Jam Tarts, oranges and bananas, jumping in puddles, eating hoops with Nana and Pops, copying anything and everything your brother does (oh how you love him!), looking at books and pretending to read them, singing along to the wheels on the bus, sleeping in your own big girl bed (after nearly 2 years of ending up in Mummy and Daddy’s bed most nights) and telling me proudly in the morning “me slept in my bed, ALL NIGHT”.

You are a joy to have around.  You and your brother bring so much light to the world.

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You are my baby girl, who’s not such a baby any more.

You are Nerys.

 

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A little trip to the Swansea Community Farm

by with 8 Comments ParentingPersonalUncategorized
A good friend and I had been trying for about a month to get together for a play date with our children, and we finally managed it!

She suggested we take the children to Swansea Community Farm in Fforestfach.  I’d heard of the farm before but had never actually been for a visit and, honestly, was a little bit nervous about going there as it was somewhere I’d never driven to before (I’m still not great at driving to unknown places).

I’m so very glad I went though, we all had a really lovely morning there, and the drive was really quite easy in the end thanks to Google maps and useful information on the Farm’s website about how to get there!

We got to the farm at about 10.30, which was just in time to help the staff herd the sheep (and one lamb) out into their field.  I love that, as it’s a community farm, the staff encourage visitors to get involved.  The children loved seeing the animals come past them and then they ran after them to have a little look at them in the field.

After that we had a good wander round the rest of the farm, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much there was to see.  We saw pigs, ducks, chickens and geese and wandered past the bee hives, the compost station and the allotment plots.

The children had a great time running round and exploring, and we all enjoyed a little visit to the cafe for some cake!

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I’m really looking forward to more visits in the Spring and Summer when there are more plants springing up and more animals roaming around.  I’m strangely curious about seeing the bees in particular, and hoping to be able to buy some honey at some point!

If you’re looking for something free and great fun to do with your children in Swansea then I highly recommend a visit to the community farm.  We all had a lovely morning there.

Do you have a community or city farm near you?  Do you visit it very often?

 

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OneDad3Girls
Super Busy Mum