Time spent in quiet contemplation.

Sunday.

We decided to hit the park early this morning for the family photos. We all have to contribute to a family page for Paul's Grandmother's 90th present - a family album. I am pretty happy with the samples I have posted today I hope my sisters SLRs turn out much better though. I could only get 12 photos on the digital then the batteries went flat and the spares hadn't been charged properly. The park is magnificant at the moment, after the rain the purple of the jacarandas and the brown of the tree trunks and the green of the lawn are much more vivid. It is time well spent when you are there.

I have a habit of closing my eyes and kids what can I say a family photograph would be very easy to take without them. There was virtually no cooperation from Gabriella but what do you expect from an almost 12 month old...but Elliot. He decided to put on the cheesiest fakest smiles which we asked him to refrain from doing. I would rather not have him smile than the fake smiles he puts on. The non-smiles quickly turned into full blown pouting and then he was as non-cooperative as possible after that. It was just infuriating. We coaxed and then we threatened. What works best with him though is to completely ignore him. I have worked out with a little help from my book that he thrives on negative attention from P and me. My sister even found herself drawn into an argument with him. I decided because he loves to argue that I have to have the last word which today was "Stop talking nonsense I am no longer going to speak to you". After that he came around very nicely.

I took my sister to Yum Cha for late lunch to thank her for her help with the photographs - no kids and P. It was great I love the steamed seafood dumplings and we always keep room for the Mango and Cream Crepes. After that I decided to indulge in a child-free video with my sister at her place and watched "Mona Lisa" smile. I think that's what got me in the mood for this evening.

I was supposed to go to my sister's return performance tonight while P, Elliot and Gabriella went to my brother-in-laws place for dinner. I decided to stay home instead. A bit of a piker on both counts I suppose. I really wanted some time to myself. Not to sit with a glass of wine and contemplate life but to sort out all of our clean laundry and get a good start on the ironing. Mundane I suppose, but I love my home life to have some semblance of order I feel like I can then cope with whatever the week throws at me, in case of sick children, sick husband, sick me, lots of work and meetings, school for Elliot and then by the end of the week a birthday party for Gabriella. Plus I just really wanted to potter around in my own space.

I finished putting away all the laundry that doesn't need ironing and gave myself a much needed face mask. I think it has been six months since I last found the time to do that must have been before I returned to work in May.

Now a bit of Australian Idol in the background, a long shower and then onto the ironing... Bliss.