in the interests of honesty

The sunny beach photos are true of course, but so is this:

life is a bit strained at present.

Have been Solo Parent for 3+ weeks now, due to partner's crazy April work schedule, which means that even when he's here, he's not Here, you know?

While I don't mind that, the tension in the house has been palpable for a while now, and it's just not fun. I'm ready for life to swing the other way - towards easier. To match all that sunshine, please.

And the laughter from little one, who is suddenly signing like a fiend and singing and dancing, generally being the light of the universe through any and all darkness.

(Just as I wrote that, she growled like a tiger and then laughed. Proof of hope.)

sunny days

In spite of the apparently looming cloud of ash from Iceland's erupting volcano, our weekend has been sunny and glorious... so we celebrated at our favourite spot with some new friends, and in spite of any looming clouds, had a lovely time.

Sandy toes

First beach day.

It feels like summer.

We had lunch down on the beach with friends, and then played in the sand.

My favourite season commences.

What makes a good week

Partner's been away, doing outdoory-youth-workery things like camping and kayaking and that's left me doing the solo parenting thing with little one. And actually, as someone who loves her Alone Time and has an (overly?) high solitude quota to meet, this is a good thing.

The week's been lovely. Lots of this:

And this is her about to sign 'more' - which means that after nine months of work with no outcome, she's finally decided to do little British Sign Language. (Which, might add, is still a newish idea over here, and smells a bit like yoghurt-weaving hippiedom to the Brits, so I've received quite a lot of 'What the hell are you doing' looks as a result. Thank god she caved, or I'd look a real ass about now.)

The downside is that 'more' is the only sign she's decided to do. And it means all of the following things:

'I want' - as in, anything that she is reaching for.

'Do it' - as in, make the phone vibrate, read me this book, etc.

'Hungry' - as in, feed me these crips (old empty wrapper from the trash) instead of the banana you gave me for breakfast. Honestly, it took her 3 tries to get me to figure out what she was saying.

And we've had a lovely week of mum-daughter time, romping about and going to lots of places to play. She's got new wellies, so we can go do the vegetable garden up the road in the summer and go visit the new baby calves there.

All that said, even on a good week, everybody gets cranky. She woke up this morning whining like a professional, and hasn't really stopped since. It's at moments like this that I'm glad I've got a two-parent house, and that the second parent is due home tonight. Phew! Respect to those single parents who stay sane out there... they're superheroes.

ludite farewell

I used to be really anti-technology, party because of an ethic that thinks we just roll too fast for our own good these days, and partly out of Good Old Fear, just because I didn't understand it. I'm of that in-between generation, born in 1980, who was raised without email and with the most basic of computer games... think Oregon Trail, where the biggest excitement was shooting poorly animated deer, which for this vegetarian is saying something!

So when I went off to Uni, I had to learn it All. And did so with a great deal of whining, resentment and very little grace, I might add.

Since then, tho,

it's been a slipperly downhill slide.

So much so that I admit to being 'in love' with the new computer. (Romance still going strong) and have just bought a (whisper) blackberry phone. Nerd, I know. But for someone who loves to type fast, texting on a regular phone feels like walking through syrup. Oh, sigh.

Better go knit something or bake some bread to make up for it.

Acts of creation and Big Huge Messes require a bit of glitz to sparkle up the process, don't they?

luck

I'm superstitious to a fault, attributing good energy to the strangest of things - whether the leaf in our table is in or out, the perfume I'm wearing, which handbag is in use, shoes, whilst I know that its silly, I can't avoid it.

That said, all fingers are crossed, spit's in the wind, and salt over the shoulder. All those praying people pray, all hope to the gods and goddesses and little fishes of the earth. May luck be with us.

New raincoat, from Jojo Maman Bebe, the sweet little boutique on Gandy Street in Exeter, which is usually too expensive for my frugal bones, but I couldn't resist the children's storybook look of this one.

Reminds me of reading British stories - The Saturday Children? - and all those strange glimmers from my own childhood that looking back are part of what has brought me here today.

Also loving this... Keri Smith's 'Rebel's Manifesto'.

And this...

Our new toy cupboard, which used to be the bookshelf. Love love love having the toys tucked away, so that the lounge can be reclaimed for us when it needs to be.