Happenings 16.5.19

DOING: sitting at my desk. It’s Saturday the 11th May. Walt is napping behind me on the bed and Joan is resting on the couch with Mary Poppins playing on the tv. She’s unwell with a virus, the poor thing. Ben is outside painting a chest of drawers my mum found for Joan (for just $15!).

HEARING: Bob Dylan. It’s grey and peaceful and feels like a Bob Dylan kind of day.

DRINKING: lots of water. Walt has been feeding more and more lately, as I try to get him to clear all these blocked milk ducts. As a result, I am THIRSTY and HUNGRY.

EATING + COOKING: scrambled eggs, toast, heaping spoonfuls of nut butter, hummus, soup, lentils and cottage pie. Lots of honey, too. We’ve all been a bit unwell and honey goes down nicely when you’ve got a tickly throat. The big news is that Walt has been eating with us! He’s had avocado, (well) steamed broccoli florets, hummus, quinoa, beef casserole and dahl. He’s all business, reaching out for his food (‘lunging’ is probably a more apt term) and figuring out how to feed himself. He actually eats a decent amount. When he’s had enough, he plays with the placemat and tries to gab my fork. It’s really very adorable.

WANTING: these blocked ducts to clear and never return.

LOOKING: forward to lunch. I’m hungry. I think I’ll make a quick soup.

DECIDING: what to put in the soup. We have half a cauliflower in the fridge. And a whole pumpkin. Cutting up a pumpkin feels like too much effort right now, though.

WATCHING: Fleabag! I just finished season 1. It’s brilliant.

ENJOYING: baths. I’ve had a few this week, in an effort to get these ducts clear. I had forgotten how marvellous a hot bath is.

READING: I’m still making my way through Say Hello and First, Catch.

WEARING: leggings and jumpers that are loose for easy breastfeeding access (never not breastfeeding at the moment). And no bras! Most of the time, that is. Because of the whole blocked duct situation, I’ve been avoiding anything remotely tight across my chest. It’s kind of awkward in public, so I may put one on when leaving the house. Or I’ll wear Walt in the carrier or put on a big, baggy jumper so you can’t notice. I guess I shouldn’t care about people noticing but, for whatever reason, I do. I usually wear one all the time, so to be free and out there feels odd.

BUYING: a new, well-fitting bra. That’s the plan, at least. Clearly I haven’t gotten around to it yet.

CRAVING: coffee. Soup. Veggie curries. How good are veggie curries? I have a quick curry recipe coming to ABC Life soon.

PLANNING: when we can have our family restaurant date. On the last night of our recent camping trip, the three of us (Walt was asleep in the carrier) were sitting on a picnic rug (actually, it was just a blue tarp) eating dinner. We had olives, an avocado, which we ate mashed as a dip with crackers, plus a packet of rocket and some meatballs from a local restaurant. Joan isn’t a big meat eater, yet she pierced those meatballs with a fork and devoured them. Midway through her second serving, she came up with the idea of having a family restaurant - a dream I also had as a child (in my mind, Mum would do the cooking, David would wait tables and I would greet people at the door. I can’t remember the jobs I delegated to my Dad or younger brother, but surely they were involved). “I love that idea!” I said to Joan. The three of us then planned the menu: radicchio salad (Ben’s favourite), spaghetti with meatballs and tiramisu (I’ll use decaf coffee and skip the alcohol). Finally, Joan came up with a name - the ‘Flamingo Family Restaurant!’. Anyway we’ve all been a bit sick, busy and distracted, so haven’t been able to dedicate the time to cooking the food and drawing the menu, but I really hope to do so one coming weekend.

LOVING: the cover of my book. I just saw it this week and I am so happy with it. It feels like home.

SAVOURING: the moments when both my kids are napping. Joan has had two naps this week, as she’s been unwell, and for at least thirty minutes they’ve crossed over with Walt’s nap. Granted, Walt is asleep in the carrier, so I’m not completely alone, but it feels so good to have a moment to sit, regroup and let my mind wander, uninterrupted.

PLAYING: Joan is really into letters at the moment. She likes finding the letter J wherever she can. She also likes to practice writing. This is something I haven’t pushed, it’s all come from her, and it’s so neat to see. I love the way she writes A and N - the A is like a leaning H, which she joins at the top (almost like she’s giving it a hat), and the N is a complete squiggle. Anyway, we’ll often sit at the table with notebooks and pencils while Walt naps - drawing, writing and chatting. Those are some of my favourite moments.

FEELING: Tired. Clearing these ducts is exhausting. Being a mum to two kids is exhausting. I also feel grateful for my three loves. I’m never not feeling grateful, to be honest. Finally, I’m feeling hungry. Best go make lunch.

Happenings posts inspired by Pip.

Heidi xo