Dear Lola & Maeve,

Week 8 favourites.


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3.

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5.

6.

7.

1. My loyal kitchen hand.
2. Front row seat to the art show.
3. Food! I love it!
4. Sunny afternoons are spent here.
5. Lola - "Is papa home yet? We need to start our band."
6. I can sit! And I'm a little unsure about it!
7. Happy 40th wedding anniversary Omi & Opi.

Your mama

Dear Maeve,

5 months. 
Really!!
I feel I may be repeating myself, but honestly where did the time go?

This month you have discovered and fallen in love with the jolly jumper & walker. With Lola cheering & clapping with great enthusiasm, you think you are pretty clever.
You have semi mastered sitting, and with the support of your arms you can sit monkey style, for quite a while.
You watched with great interest as papa ate a pear, only to offer you some and have you latch on and NOT let go. Avocado & cucumber also got a thumbs up. Rice cereal is bit mushy and plain for your liking, but you won't say no to it either. I think your food journey is going to be an exciting one!
You discovered you can squeal and make one long constant sound, that both delights & irritates your big sister.
You spend lots of time at the beach, and know the drill when we get home - nappy off, and a hose down in the yard to wash off all that sand you smuggled home.
The ducks at the gardens have caught your attention, and you like them very much.
You love grocery shopping just as much as your Grandpa... which is an awful lot!
Story time before a sleep always gets a huge smile.
As does milk time. 
In fact your smile is pretty infectious.
You are a happy kid, a real little ray of sunshine.  

Papa calls you possum pants.
Lola calls you her Maevie baby.
And I call you bubba girl. 

Happy 5 months my love.

Your Mama

Dear Lola & Maeve,

Week 7 favourites feature a lot of you little petal. Perhaps it's the fact that you stay reasonably still & that I don't have to chase you to get a shot... not just yet anyway. In fact, your immobility is something I'm really enjoying & appreciating! Because I know with a blink of an eye, you'll be up and running right there alongside your sister.

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2.

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5.

6.

7.

1. You perch yourself here and write & stamp letters "to everyone in the world you know"
2. You're teaching Maeve her body parts. Tummy & nose were first on the list.
3. Looking slightly scared that you'll be sat on. 
4. You ask to help every time we enter the kitchen. 
5. Thanks for the toys, but I'd much prefer to watch the rain.
6. We are officially a lego obsessed household.
7. Even your grumpy face is adorable.

With the Autumn like weather we have been experiencing, we practically live in the garden. But with the forecast of warmer days ahead , we hope to go back to the water. To soak up that sweet summer sun for one last week.  Here's to a wonderful one. 

Your mama

Dear Lola & Maeve, 

Week 6 favourites. 

1. If I squint my eyes, it's like looking into the future.
2. Full of marvellous expressions.
3. Lola, our new obsession - washi tape. We use it everywhere. This, you did all by yourself.
4. Our German doll.
5. Resting with the washing.
6. Three amigos hanging out above mentioned washing.
7. Discovering your tootsies.

Your mama

Dear Lola & Maeve, 

Over the last few weekends, and during the weekdays when I have a spare moment, we have been getting elbow deep in stuff. Busy sorting, boxing, recycling & fluttering from room to room, with the aim of  decluttering and parting with things we no longer use, haven't touched in months or perhaps even years. I've always found it difficult to part with our stuff, but get me in the right mood and I can fill 5 garbage bags in 5 minutes.

A few photos from around the home..

pretty flowers from a special celebration.

With you Lola, I had a thing for collecting vintage dresses, all of which Maeve will also have the pleasure of wearing (thank goodness for that). 

With Maeve, I've found blankets are my weak point. 

Florals, clouds, foxes, crochet. Wool, heavy/light cotton, silk. Quilts, wraps, throws. 

We won't be parting with these... but we did wash them & stack them together.

Indoor garden & a lone pine cone

I made you these curtains Lola, with enough material left over for an Autumn frock.

Lola, you're always picking flowers for Maeve.

We'll have to pull out the highchair again soon for Maeve, but I've loved how you have naturally upgraded to this chair Lola.

 

I love straw flowers.

It's funny how a less cluttered life can fill you with an instant sense of calm. Something that is always welcome around these parts.

Your mama

Dear Lola & Maeve,

 Week five favourites.

Most memorable moments from this week ~

Lola - Seeing your face as I dressed you in your tutu, ready for your first ballet class. 
Maeve - Hearing your first real laugh as I sang you gallop went the little green frog.

1. At the gardens you always seek out the marigolds.
2. A baby sitting up in a chair is worth smiling about.
3. These, blueberries & watermelon never last long around here.
4. The anticipation, excitement & look of concentration as you stand on your tippy toes.
5. Must. eat. pear.
6. Lola - "She wanted to make me a glittery tiger, but I said no."
7. The everyday.

Your mama

Dear Lola, 

For 3 years and 3 months of your life, each and every day I would read to you before tucking you under the covers for a midday nap. 

And then 3 years, 3 months and 1 day came along. And as I closed your door like I have done so many times before, and headed to the kitchen to pop the kettle on, just as I was pouring my tea, I turn around and there you are standing right beside me. 
"I'm not very tired anymore".

And just like that, nap time was over and out.

You have been a colossal napper, with your astounding ability to have some shut eye in every situation imaginable. From crocodile riverboat tours in Darwin to the skyline gondolas in Queenstown, New Zealand. From racing tuk tuks and wild animal safari jeep rides in Sri Lanka, where I might add, we experienced torrential rain, severe lightning and the bumpiest of roads. You slept right through it all.

What I'm getting at is that I can't complain one little bit that nap time is out... especially as it's been replaced with rest time.

And as we navigate these new rest time waters, I can't help but laugh.

Deal is, you stay in your room and read stories or play quietly, and you can have your dummies as company.

Deal is, if you leave your room, dummies stay behind and you must play quietly in the living room. 

Naturally, you're testing your boundaries. Quite literally.

 Me - stay in your room lola.
 L - but I am in my room. 

 

Me: Okay, now you're out of your room, and in the hall. Hand over the dummies.

 - Rarrrrrr! (cue - crazy eyes)

It's a work in progress, the days are slightly longer all around, but the extra company's pretty good.

Your mama

Dear Lola & Maeve, 

Even though neither of you are at school age, (thank goodness for that!), the school year dictates a lot of things. So with school back, so are our weekday activities. 
And therefore, as I lay in bed this morning, I went over all we had planned this week. 
Monday - play date. 
Tuesday - dance (your first class Lola... to say you are excited is an understatement)
Wednesday - play group.
Thursday - kinda gym.
Friday - play date.

I felt a sudden surge of exhaustion wash over me just thinking about it. But then I got excited. And then I rolled out of bed, otherwise we were going to be late for our play date at the beach!

Life is busy. But good busy. Fun busy. And when we're home by midday for a rest, and the remainder of the afternoon is open to all sorts of experiences, I can't help but feel incredibly blessed.

We'll squeeze in the groceries somewhere along the way too... because although papa is happy to do them, I quietly, really, truly love taking you both.

Your mama

Dear Lola & Maeve, 

I thought it was about time I changed things up around here. 
When I first started this blog, I had my doubts I would be able to write you 12 letters, let alone 268, which is where we stand now. I also didn't ever envisage I'd be writing not only to you Lola, but to my second daughter also.

And so in saying this, Dear Lola, a place where I've come to scribble my thoughts, reflect & record some of my most favourite moments with you, now becomes Petal & Peach. 

Petal - named after my sweetheart Maeve. With the middle name Marigold, it was always going to be fitting that your nickname be petal. 

& Peach - those rosie red, velvet appearing, plump little cheeks of yours, always reminded me of the most delicious ripe peach. And thus peachy was born.

Similar to the first day I started writing here, I haven't a clue where these letters are headed. The only thing I am certain of, is that they are written with a lot of heart and hope that one day you will both enjoy reading them, just as much as I enjoy writing them to you.

Your mama