Oh, My Little Heart

Happy birthday to me!

I got the most lovely gift from my class today... A few of them said gorgeous things about me (one of them even thanked me for being firm with her) and I cried like a baby when they proudly showed off this little slide show that they put together.

My heart is full. What gorgeous children.

Letter To My Baby

I wrote this a couple of days ago - now that Miss Two-And-A-Half is learning to put herself to sleep, I am filled with irrational sadness... this was the goal, wasn't it? To have her self-regulate, without tears? To put herself to sleep so we didn't spend hours putting her to sleep each night? I am so happy at her success, but so sad at the same time - how is time going so fast? I know I'm not alone in this feeling...

So I thought I would share.

Today you fell asleep on me, baby.
It's been such a long time since you've fallen asleep in my arms at night - not for wont of you trying. We're always trying to get you into bed, to cajole you in with cuddles and promises of more stories, in the hopes you'll start putting yourself to sleep... because "You're a big girl now."
But today you snuggled in for our cuddle and sighed so sweetly - after a minute I felt that telltale heaviness and heard that change in your breathing, and I knew you had drifted off to The Land of Nod.
And I loved it.
I held you for a while and enjoyed the feeling of your weight in my arms, the heaviness of your head on my shoulder and your little arms entwined around my neck.
I felt our love all around us, filling the room.
I savoured that moment, because I knew that would probably be the last time it happened.
They tell you that the hardest thing is that you don't realise it'll be the 'last time' and you forget to enjoy it.
So I like to think that you gave me that 'last time' as a gift, because you seemed to know that I needed it as much as you did.
Thank you, baby. 
It's a moment I will never forget.

Love you,
Mum

via

How Do I Love Thee?

It has been a bit of a hard month, so some gratitude won't go amiss today. 

Eight years ago today, we got engaged. Every day, I am grateful for our love, our life together and our baby. 

Purls of Love

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The other day the owner of daycare asked if I could find a bit of spare time to knit a couple of beanies for the kids that come to school without hats on these chilly winter days (for a range of reasons, but a number of them just don't have enough warm clothes.) There are a lot of children in that class. I don't knit very fast, nor do I have heaps of knitting time, but I am keen to do what I can though.

So I asked on my FB knitting page and a number of people have come back and volunteered to do hats for the children - some are doing socks and slippers too!

I am humbled by the generosity of these gorgeous knitters I have never met... I have tears in my eyes just thinking about it.

I Wore A Yellow Dress Today

Because you are bound to have a good day in such a happy colour. 

Not so today. 

Days like today are most important to practise gratitude. 

1. A wonderful, wonderful co-worker turning around (while driving home) after I rang him to come help me change my flat tire. 

2. An equally as wonderful co-worker seeing me at the side of the road and stopping to see if I was okay and jumping in to start changing my tire (he even got his pants dirty.)

3. My baby, who was delerious with joy to see me when I finally made it to daycare to get her. 

4. My students giving me hugs when they came in today and telling me that they missed me. 

5. A beautiful sunrise and the hint of a rainbow. 

It was a hard day... But I still have so much to be thankful for. Things do happen for a reason...