November has been a much quieter month for us as a family – a month of calm before the busyness of the festive season is upon us once more. A month of enjoying the little moments of every day family life – the ordinary mundane moments, uneventful in themselves but bringing a sense of contentment nonetheless. Pottering around the house, sitting on the floor and building Duplo towers or just snuggling under a blanket on the sofa and watching some TV together. Moments of just enjoying together, with that sense of completeness that is always there when all four of us are together.
Having hubby around more makes me so much happier – parenthood is easier and much less stressful when we are able to work together as a team and grumpy Mummy doesn’t make quite such frequent appearances when Daddy is home more regularly! Having the opportunity for couple time this month has also helped hugely – we enjoyed a spa day together at the beginning of the month and then had a day together performing in a fundraising concert. Being able to reconnect as a couple is so important and to have been able to have two days of doing this was utterly blissful.
This weekend and the start of Advent marks the start of the Christmas rush. From here until the end of the year, the calendar is jam-packed with events – visits to family and friends, Christmas parties and days out. We attended our first Christmas party of the season yesterday – the Families of Ocean Ward Christmas party, which is held each year for heart children who have been treated on the ward, and their families. It is always an amazing event and it is such a joy to see how much more Jessica and Sophie enjoy it now they are a little older. I always find it quite emotional – watching Jessica dancing and having fun makes me realise once more how very lucky we are that she is here and doing so well. At times like this I am always acutely aware of how important it is to enjoy the little moments and the here and now.
Heading down to Southampton and the New Forest for the party also gave us a good opportunity to catch up with some good friends of ours who live in the area (and who kindly took a couple of family shots for this month’s Me and Mine photos).
Hi Louise, it’s always good to have quiet time to recharge your batteries, it makes us more able to cope. It’s great that you’ve had time with your Hubby, not just to reconnect as a couple, but to be able to share parenting too.
It’s nice that Jessica and Sophie get the opportunity to go to a Christmas party with other heart children, it must be nice for Jessica to know that she’s not the only child with a heart condition.
xx
Love to hear about those little ‘uneventful’ moments – I believe that all those moments we think are perhaps insignificant as parents are the foundations of a happy secure childhood and thus a happy secure child. All the best to you and the family and long may you continue to enjoy those together moments! x
Great photos. It’s so nice to hear you got some couple time, it’s so important and something we are only just starting to do ourselves. Enjoy all of the Christmas things you have planned this month x