Love where it’s due

Nicolas turns 3 in 4 days and Eloïse is 8 months and 3 weeks.
With Eloïse’s teething (she’s grown 2 bottom incisors in the last month) and our colds and sniffles, I’ve had even less sleep than I normally get so I’ve been feeling a bit grumpy miserable lately. However today Eloïse has been back to her normal smiley self, the weather is sunny and we’ve had a long week-end. Time to reset my mood back to where it should be, and recognise that despite the fact that I’ve had more than my share of washing to fold and less than my share of rest, I still love:

• Eloïse babbling away when examining a toy, a nappy, or yet another strand of my unceremoniously plucked hair.
• Eloïse beaming her gummy smiles and excitedly flailing her arms about at me for no reason other than the fact that I’m her mummy.
• Eloïse falling asleep peacefully in my arms, with or without drool on my top.
• Hearing children’s songs and rhymes mumbled sang even when the iPod is switched off. Sometimes out of tune, sometimes with the wrong words, but always recognisable.
  
  

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• Huggles, cuddles and snuggles
• Looking at Eloïse’s cot in the morning and seeing her stuffed toy poking over the edge of the cot while she happily lays there, playing.
• Nico bringing me flowers from the garden. Even though he sneaks out of the gate to pick them from Camilla’s garden.
• Nico coming to me for an injury and happily resuming his play after I’ve kissed him better.
• Nico coming to snuggle up in bed with us during the week-ends, after several trips to get his bear, and his lion, and his dog, and his sun, and his chicken, and whatever flavour of the month toy it is. This month, it’s the push-on Thomas the Tank Engine we got him for his Christmas almost 2 years ago.
• Nico helping me out by loading/unloading groceries when we go shopping. Spontaneously and sometimes over-enthusiastically…
• Papa reading books and making all the right noises.
• Rough and tumble after dinner time - with Nico on Papa’s shoulders, Eloïse in Maman’s arms, and Loki’s butt at the end of a boot.
• The kids playing together and giggles are heard throughout the house.
• Tickles and giggles, anytime and anywhere. We’ve made a few heads turn during our trips to Pak ‘n’ Save.