LOVE AND LIGHT: Busy day

We've had a smashing day today, which suprises me as Sylvie and I were both really tired this morning. She didn't go to bed until late last night and was up at 7. Bea, on the other hand, was in bed at 6.30 last night so she was bright and breezy when she popped her eyes open at 6.30 this morning!

Annabelle has slept in the sling most of today, as usual, though I am a bit worried about her as her bum is bright red and looks so sore. I'm using some Weleda Calendula cream to help soothe her. I've been considering ECing, but I don't think it's for us. Some mornings I'm so overwhelmed by mothering three small children that I think adding another thing to the scales would send me flying off into space, never to return!

My mission for this week, (and hopefully for the future) is not to shout at the girls. I hate doing it, they hate me doing it and it makes no sense to do it as it's totally counter productive. I flare up so easily - paticularly when living on such a small amount of sleep.

Naomi Aldort has been my constant companion for the last few days. I managed to read a couple of chapters of 'Raising Our Children Raising Ourselves', and I'm trying to put her SALVE method of staying calm and sensible to good use. So far so good - most of the time. Other methods of dealing with stuff that annoys me challenge my personality too much however, I think what Naomi suggests is effective and easily accessible.

Anyway, back to today.

By about 10am I thought that the day was never going to end so I chucked the little ones in the car and we headed to the Botanic Gardens for some fresh air and a good run around. We had a fab time until Bea filled her nappy and Sylvie decided that she needed the loo... not the kind of toilet stop that could be done behind a bush! We headed back to the toilet then decided that we might as well leave as we were right next to the exit, (we'd been there a couple of hours anyway).
I called at the garden centre to buy a couple of lupins on the way home. I've got some seeds doing their thing on the utility room windowsil but I don't think they'll make much progress in the garden this year so I've bought some decent sized plants.

Bea and Annabelle were asleep in the car so I decided to take the girls to Finachle Abbey which is just down the road from us. It's a National Trust place that I remember from my childhood.
It was really nice - we had a good walk along the river side, Sylvie and Bea played in the sand and thoroughly enjoyed being in nature. A very satisfying afternoon for all of us....

The girls throwing sticks into a waterfall at the Botanic Gardens

Sylvie admiring the flowers. Note the 'hood hair'. Miraculous tats form when she wears her hood. It only takes seconds for them to form but a bath and loads of conditioner to get them out again!!