New post

New post up at A Random Act of Kindness

Jump in and get wet

Since Saturday we have had cool rainy days. It’s still school holidays here and even though Dirk has to go to work the kids and I have been doing indoorsy things. I can see the work out in the garden multiplying before my eyes as I peer out the window, but it doesn’t matter. I enjoy having both the kids with me and I love this time.

If it wasn’t that the kids would insist going out with me in the rain, I’d work happily in the garden in the rain. I generally don’t mind getting wet. Dirk hates it and he’s the one making sure that we have umbrellas whenever we go out..

I always reason that by the time I have the umbrella open – without poking myself or somebody else in the eye with it – I’m thoroughly soaked anyway. Then I have to carry the umbrella, trying to slant it so that it covers me and, invariably, one of the children and ending up having no free hand to open doors..And after I’ve used it, I’m stuck carrying it around with me. I hate wearing a rain coat, especially in our hot weather.

No, I run for it, get wet and get dry again, and that’s it. (I must add that we live in a summer rainfall area and that I might not be so courageous in winter rain…)On Saturday I purposely went out in the rain to put a nitrogen compound on the plants without it burning the plants. Within five minutes I was soaked and I forced myself to feel the small tracks the cool rain made against my skin. I lifted my face to the sky and tasted the raindrops on my tongue. It was wonderful.

I seem to have either badly sprained or broken a toe. I remember stubbing it against the table leg and the nasty sound it made, but didn’t think much of it until a day later when I couldn’t step on the foot. It’s already a lot better (even though the toe still looks awful) after I taped it to its neighbour iced it and spent most of yesterday with that foot elevated. If it is broken, that would be the very first time I’ve broken anything. Which, I suppose, is something to be grateful for. Of course it’s in no way due to my tremendously strong bones, but more because I’m actually incredibly lazy and never do anything remotely risky.

Friday was hot and after work Dirk and I took the kids for a swim. The swimming pool is at the bottom end of the garden and so swimming becomes something of an outing. Later we should really erect a pool house of some sorts. At the moment it is fine to have the pool far from the house, fenced and netted. (And oh, I realize that drownings happen despite safety measures. But life is simply never risk-free.)Marco has been taking swimming lessons since he was six months old and he’s still not really watersafe. Nevermind being able to swim. He’s therefore using a polyotter or inflatable armsbands. With those he’s able to “swim” quite independently and I’m thinking that he’s probably just not confident enough yet. Magnus has also been wearing the polyotter a lot, but we found that we needed to keep his head above water anyway. So one of us always had to have our arms around him in the pool. I’ve noticed lately that he seems to have gotten the idea of holding his own head out of the water and on Friday (still wearing inflatable armbands)I quietly let go of him. He gave me a beaming smile and off he went, kicking underwater and using his arms to keep himself upright. The freedom was wonderful (even though I was one step away all the time). Though he swallowed water a few times when he forgot to keep his mouth closed, he really enjoyed the swim and wouldn’t get out of the water. I’m guessing that he’ll find learning to swim much easier. Marco was a bit jealous with his brother officially joining him in the ranks of the independent.

I was kind of sad, looking at him. I was thinking of how he’s slowly but surely easing his way into toddlerhood and how he’s not really my baby any more. And I couldn’t help thinking of how I would never take anything for granted again. Glad about the development. Doubly glad, because of the difficulty Loren had with even the simplest of things. And yet sad that Loren never got to taste this.

There’s not much else to do but jump in, get wet, take life on the run, dodge the punches and try and stay upright if you have to take one or two on the chin.

C’est la vie.

Coming together slowly but surely

Area between front door and TV room

Magnus’ room with its little bay window.

The TV room – part of which we use as a study

Dining room corner

Little stove in spare bedroom

Fireplace with stove

Study area in TV room

Corner in lounge