Puppy Love.

I know it's not the best photo in the world, but I love it. We were having a moment where Ro was full of extra cuddles for me and I asked Bryan to capture us, just as we were; with me stealing a kiss and Roman directing his love towards his puppy ;).

Boys Who Bake...

I come from a family who bake, this means that Roman does too. It's in our genes, in our blood and to get it out of our systems we must bake something yummy every week...or at least me and this boy do. I normally bake with him on a Friday morning and then we spend the afternoon swimming, you know to work off those calories ;).

This morning it was a well rehearsed baking session as I've become so practiced in the art of distraction and removing items I don't want a little mouth venturing near - I failed on this when I turned my back to wash the spoon from the icing...Roman was drinking the 'last bits' of the icing. 

The photo is when I handed him the whisk, after I'd used it, and let him have at it. Not adding eggs to the ingredients brings me back to my childhood; before people knew all the ins and outs of salmonella poisoning and children licked the bowl/spoon/whisk very happily. That is the one joy of cooking egg-free.

It's still a bit of a task to bake stuff in the time frame I'd like to - for instance it took us 20 minutes or so to get these from the packet to the oven because of so much stopping and starting, but we're getting there. It's getting easier as we practice, it's getting easier as I let him be more involved (that's hard, I have my compulsions, rituals and I am a perfectionist to top it all off) and the emotional outbursts from both sides seem to be less and less. Today I even enjoyed baking with him, it didn't end in tears, shouting or hair pulling (Roman.) Nope instead it ended with me laughing at the boy who was drinking the 'last bits' of icing very greedily from the bowl.

Stolen Cereal.

A dirty face and a box of stolen cereal. 

When I picked Roman up from Bryan's parents home he was running around with his cousins  and I fully expected that he'd be stuffed with food and other treats (and he was.) The minute we got home we were in the kitchen - Roman making a beeline for it as soon as he was free of his buggy straps. He begged for food; rice cakes, lollipops, nice drinks, even a strawberry jam roll that he normally eats for lunch. Figuring that he must be growing I offered him a rice cake but he only ate half of it.

"CEREAL!" he chanted, very excitedly, once he spotted the box. When my back was turned he took this as his cue to grab the box while standing on tip toes. He ran to the living room, box in hand, and dug deep until he got a nice handful of the stuff. "Roman," I said gently. "Did you take the cereal without asking?"

Roman: "Chocolate cereal! Mmmm!" 

He certainly wasn't apologetic or guilty about his thievery and even when I caught him in the act he kept digging into the box and stuffing his face with cereal, cheeky as you like ;).

Being A Boy.

When I discovered, on the day he was born, that I had a son it felt right. Internally I said to myself, "this makes sense, it's right to be this way." And since then I haven't looked back.

I'm glad I have my boy to brighten my days, to challenge my patience, to guide me through motherhood and entertain me constantly. Today was a happy day, a day full of sleep and a day where he was a little bit cheeky. After he'd done something particularly cheeky in the living room I turned to Bryan and said, "he's just so cute, even when he does his naughty things. You want to be angry but most of the time I just pretend to be angry because he's so cute." He knew he'd been cheeky - he kept running between us both saying; "cuddle! Kiss! Sorry, good boy!" ;).

He then scaled the couch with his helicopter in tow and began to laugh about the whole thing.

Mothering.

136/366

This is the subject that I could write and write about forever.

Mothering. Being a mother.

It's about many things for me; a messy kitchen (not through choice), struggling and struggling to say 'help', sometimes feeling isolated in my little community of 3, a day stretching ahead and wondering at the end of it 'where did all that time go?' and mostly trying to fit everything into those days. 

Life before Roman; I think about it often but not often fondly. My life before him wasn't horrible, it was filled with purpose and with promise - a promise of all the things in front of me. I'm 26 and still so young with that age. Life was also easier in a sense that I didn't have to think ahead or worry that I'd spend 9 hours of a journey entertaining one person. In some aspects being a mother is far easier, but also far harder, than I ever dreamed it would be.

He is my life now but he doesn't consume my life - if that makes sense. We haven't spent a night apart but nor do I feel anxiety or pressure to make that happen. When it happens, it will happen just like everything else. Since the day he was born I've been sure of a few things; he has his own set of rules, his own personality and that he was and is loved by many. 

Love grows as your children grow, that's what I know. Even if they are two and a bit years old, squirming on your lap shouting 'CAARRRR!' while you're trying to document motherhood through photography with them. 

Another thing I know? Roman really likes his ride-on car toy ;).

* my hair is wet in this photo, not greasy. 

Bed.

124/366

Roman putting Iggle Piggle to bed with his 'blanket' and of course a little friend (elephant) to cuddle - he then crouched down to cuddle and kiss Iggle Piggle in his bed. "Night, night Giggle Piggle (Iggle Piggle). Good BOY!" he said, walking away from his Iggle Piggle in his 'bed.'

Popcorn Lovin'

121/366

Right now you're popcorn mad. "More popcorn!" you'll demand, after finishing a full bowl of the stuff. Today when I said "I think you're all done with popcorn, Roman," you immediately understood this was my way of saying 'no' to you and you threw yourself down in protest - you really like popcorn, I guess.

It's funny because you have these little upsets (rarely) and they're over in a few minutes - just when I want to say "okay," and give in to your demands, your upset is over - thankfully for me as I am a bit of a flake and would probably cave when your first crocodile tear is shed.

Cheeky Thing.

101/366

As I was washing out the breakfast bowls, this little cheeky boy was reaching up on the work-top for Bryan's chocolate bunny. He succeeded in his attempt to steal it, unwrapped it and proceeded to chomp down on the poor bunny.

Sorry Bryan, I had to take a few pictures before taking it from him - which he was not pleased about at all.