a stormy saturday

Storms have hit us again, it's cold and wet and very windy outside.

The skies are heavy and grey, rain and hail filling their bellies. The wind roars through the woods and throws the sea back against itself and the cliffs. Over and over again I am drawn back to the window to look out, to watch the waves pushing hard against the wind, their tops ripped off and whipped across the bay. Every second it is different, so powerful and so very beautiful.

 

And I am grateful to be indoors, with the heating on, with these special little people of mine.

Every second Saturday afternoon I pack the kids up to go and stay the night with Andy fetching them home again Sunday evening. Every week day I pack the older two up to go to school, so it is only one day, this day, in every fortnight that we don't have to get dressed if we don't want to, where I don't need to watch the clock, where we don't have to get into the car and leave this cosy wee nest. And so on days like these, I breath it in deep: the peace, the creativity, the togetherness.

 There was so much we did today, we painted, we made bread and soup, we made biscuit cake, we did washing.

 The kids made a zoo in their bedroom with a cat area, a rabbit area and an armadillo area.

 We made smoothies,

 and a cardboard lifeboat.

 Rebe tried out the marble run in the bath using water to see if it works...and it does!



 

I brought the duplo lego into the living room and the three of them played together so beautifully, helping each other, telling the stories of their game, commiserating with each other when a tower crashed down.



 



 I did a little knitting

 The kids made this raft (do you see all the blue things that we own on the floor to be the sea, and there is a basket of logs for a camp fire) and they were dog explorers.

Garry brought the logs to us in case the electricity goes in this storm and we are without heat, and it was so good to see him just for a quick cup of tea, to have him here and to be a part of this day.

We read stories and chatted,

 we talked about our dreams,

 and dressed up as pirates. Rebe did this treasure map tattoo on Benny and he's been wearing the ear-ring all day. I catch him shake his head to feel it knock against his jaw, and I smile and my heart swells.

And Rebe learnt to use the machine...

What a special day, one of the days of simple, pure goodness. One of those days filled with moments that I will treasure and remember. One of those days that make me think; 'This is what life is all about'.