Babies – First & Latest

So, um, hi. Long time no whatsit. You know it’s time to drag out the old blog and dust it off again when even your mum mentions it’s been a while! Thank you for the ‘Welcome Back’s, I ‘preciate it 🙂

So, where the hell have I been? I wish I could report that a hip, cool and exciting life has kept me from the blog, but frankly that would be a lie. We were busyish through January, trying to make the most of that ‘one last chance’ (before school) without overdoing it. We squeezed in Heidi’s birthday party, a visit from my little sister, a Healesville sanctuary day trip, two weeks of swimming lessons, a weekend over at Grandpa’s just for Finn, a folk festival (yay, camping!), the assembling of a new garden shed, and the shopping for a new car. Whew. Okay, perhaps we failed on the not-overdoing-it part. Anyway, it was difficult to avoid the approach of school becoming a Big Issue, since everyone everywhere wanted to question Finn as to his level of excitement, etc. I tried to be all matter of fact about it, but leaving a number of things until the last minute then having to dash madly to the finish line (see: still hand-sewing buttons onto an Art Smock on the morning of the Big Day) was probably not so wise.

At any rate, the day did arrive, and miserable and drizzly it was too. Obligatory photographs were taken inside in poor light (the next day, I took more in too-bright light. My Photography Skillz they is few!)

I am so divided over Finn ‘leaving’ me to go to school. 32.5 hours away from home per week! It seems like I’m sending my baby off to full time work already! I do miss his company so much already. But on the other side of that, I have (quietly) looked forward to this time – to being able to give Niamh a bit of undivided attention, to being able to have a break when she naps in the afternoon. Which of course gives me a case of the guilts because I feel like I’m enjoying myself while he’s still struggling to make friends and come to terms with the big new world he’s been pushed into. Most of all, I wish I could have a do-over on the last two years of parenting Finn. I haven’t always managed to be the mum Finn needed me to be in that time, and that’s causing me the biggest heartache of all. I’m sure we’ll both get through this ‘stage’ intact in the end though.

Much happier, for me, was the previous day’s Goodbye to an old friend (of the ever so slightly mismatched bumper):

And Hello, new arrival!

I am ever so slightly smitten with my new Peugeot (actually 3 years old), which is perhaps an embarrassing confession, but ‘the boys’ (being Dermot and his brother and father) were equally fascinated – moments after this shot was taken, the bonnet was up and three heads were examining the goods! (Btw, the Peugeot (407, for those interested) is not really smaller than the Camry, it just appears so from the different angles they were photographed at.) Anyway, we’re very happy together, and hopefully will continue to be for some years to come. Now, if anybody needs me, I’m out driving…