It’s been a rather quiet seven days for me, as I stepped away from the normal routine to care for Paul who was struck down last week with a combination of viral and bacterial infections. As the week went on though the cheery, cheeky toddler returned and I tried to make the most of the one-on-one time we had. It’s been a week of glorious weather, of subdued pottering and of heightened perception of the world around me.
This is how my last seven days looked…
MONDAY
Monday was the start of an unexpected week off for me, on account of Paul being sick. After not leaving the house for about three days, I felt like we both needed a bit of fresh air, so we headed out for a walk nice and early. It was really quite fresh when we left home and we were both rugged up. After 10 minutes or so of moving though, I could feel myself starting to defrost and get that lovely warm feeling that comes with exercising in cool weather. It was one of those spectacular autumn mornings: crisp and clear. I decided to take a route I’ve not walked before – a new path that’s recently had an overhaul as part of a major project by the local council. It was a delight and very much reminded me of the extensive public footpath network that I absolutely adored in the U.K. There was undulating countryside, spectacular shows of autumn colour, wattle almost glistening in the morning light and lots of birds to spot. Paul’s almost constant babbling was evidence he enjoyed the outing too.
TUESDAY
Tuesday was another quiet day, though after a solid night’s sleep it was easy to see Paul was starting to spark up again. When he went down for his nap , I took the opportunity to sit outside in the warm sunshine to have my lunch (leftover cauliflower cheese with a couple of pieces of warm, buttered toast). Afterwards I had a little meander around, noting that I need to pull out some weeds that have sprung up over the last few weeks, and admiring our lemon and lime trees which are heaving with fruit which are nearly ready for picking. It was a nice little break and it got my brainstorming about all the lovely citrus things I want to try and make/bake when we harvest our fruit.
WEDNESDAY
The mid-morning light was absolutely gorgeous on Wednesday. It captured my attention whilst I was standing in the kitchen with a cup of tea, while Paul sat in his high chair having a snack. The window in our kitchen is north-facing and at this time of year the warm, golden glow of the sunshine it brings to the space is just divine. Apart from that, the day was really very quiet. Paul slept for nearly 13 hours overnight and then again for a few more hours during the middle of day – his body was obviously craving the rest as it continued to heal. I took advantage of the extra alone time to get on top of a few jobs and make the night’s dinner. Toddlers are great company, but it is nice to succinctly get through a few things on your to-do list without them from time to time ;).
THURSDAY
After about three years of siting rather idly in the garden, Adam this week spotted the first buds on our Protea bush. We planted our Protea after having a wonderful holiday in South Africa where they dot the landscape by the thousands. I’ve always loved their big, distinct flowers and our next door neighbour has a couple of bushes in her front yard, so I knew they could be grown locally with success. I’m not sure how long I’ll have to wait for the flowers to actually bloom, but I’m hopeful it won’t be too long. I have read that some plants bud, and then never flower properly so fingers crossed that’s not the case with our plant!
FRIDAY
Paul loves Paddington. There is a new animated series of Paddington Bear, based on the live-action movies of recent years, which has just captured his attention like nothing else. A couple of weeks ago Adam found a Paddington book and since then it’s become a firm favourite. In fact this week when Paul was feeling under the weather, it was the only story he wanted. So some days we read it maybe three or four times. Thankfully it’s quite a lovely story. Adam’s off to Sydney next week for work, so he’s going to try and find a few more Paddington stories while he’s there. We’ve searched high and low in Wagga Wagga and can’t find any of the books, but we’ve had a look online so we’re pretty confident they should be easy enough to pick up in one of the larger book stores. I can’t wait to see the look on Paul’s face when he discovers he’s got a new Paddington book to look at.
SATURDAY
On Saturday morning the entire family headed into town. Adam was after a few bits and pieces before his trip to Sydney, so we thought we’d hit the shops early to avoid the crowds. Right in the centre of Wagga Wagga there is quirky mix of old heritage homes and businesses. As the CBD’s grown, some of the houses have been converted into offices, while others have remained as is, while commercial buildings have sprung up around them. We parked in a carpark I don’t use all that often and walked past this cute little gate, surrounded by hedging. It looked like a magical entranceway, to a secluded space that I envisage had a beautiful garden. I’ve lived in Wagga for a long time now and I’ve never really noticed this gate before – I always think it’s nice when your town surprises you with sweet unexpected scenes.
SUNDAY
Sunday turned into a rather busy day, with Adam tackling a job he’s been putting off for ages – reorganising his office. It ended up being a whole family affair, as Adam’s office not only contained his desk and all of the equipment he uses, but also just boxes of ‘our stuff’ – like old photos, a few items of sentimental value and paperwork. Paul enjoyed the chaos and ample boxes to play with, but took a liking to a small red paper bag that contained some cards. He found a packet of baby wipes, put them in his bag and proceeded to wander around the house with his ‘purchase’, pulling it out and putting it back in again multiple times. Once we’d finished though, the office looked so much neater and I hope it’ll prove to be a much more calmer environment for Adam to work in.
How have your last seven days looked?
Have a wonderful week.
M. x
Wattle and Ash 