The first day of Spring

A hole in one on the first hole

Yesterday as the sun shone and Spring became the official season, we celebrated Father's Day with mini golf and a family lunch. Mini golf with two little ones and my golf loving husband was such fun and so amusing. Emerson tottered about the course, ball in hand, dragging my putter behind her. Cohen took great delight in the challenges of the game and was quite pleased to have the highest score at the end. While my gorgeous husband only beat me by two shots - with a minimum of cheating on my behalf, that I choose to call a handicap. (He had to sink the ball in the black holes, which were the most difficult, while I could choose which ever of the three holes I could get the ball closest to.) 

It was such a beautiful day. My heart was so full of love and pride. Dave couldn't have been happier with our choice of celebrations (unless of course he had been able to squeeze in a surf first).

I hope my fellow Aussies had a wonderful Father's Day and first day of Spring!

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It seems not so very long ago that we celebrated our first Father's Day.

Weekending

It was warm enough to abandon our cardigans for awhile yesterday as we played on the beach. The water was still too cold for all but the bravest, or craziest, to endure. Dave wore his wet suit in, determined to get his new board wet. His father's day wish. We watched from the sand. Making sand castles, collecting shells and standing on the shore holding hands, before running from the approaching waves, the cold water lapping at our ankles. It was a day of firsts for Emerson. Her first Spring, first Father's day, first time sitting on the beach and dipping her toes in the water.

We walked the path along side the shore. I left the boys waiting a few moments each time I stepped into the small home wares stores on our way to buy ice-cream. Beach, French and vintage inspired goods artfully rubbed shoulders and I dreamily imagined a beach shack full of such comforts before stepping back out into the sunlight.

We lunched with Dave's father. He and Dave received home made tool box cards and mugs decorated with Cohen's drawings. And in this way we celebrated fatherhood and family.

How was your weekend?

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Snippets from the weekend. 

Hoping you had a lovely Father's Day.

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I remember when I was pregnant with Cohen and waiting to meet my baby, my mind was so full of dreams and wishes for him. Health. Love. Happiness. I would try to imagine how he would look. What he would be like. Who he would grow to be. And of all the things I wished for him, there were two things I secretly hoped we would share a love for, art and books.

From the first day we brought him home, we would read to him. Whether during tummy time, or as he was falling asleep, I read to him each day. As he got older we would sit together and I would read to him. Books from my childhood, books gifted to us by loved ones, library books. But by the time his second birthday came, he was no longer interested in reading with me. He would take the book off me and play with it or put it away. He would shut the book while I was reading or simply walk away. I hoped that it was just a phase and not a sign that he really wouldn't love books after all. I know it is probably too soon to tell. But I was concerned none the less. There are always so many little things one can worry about and I am one to over think...

Recently though, Cohen has fallen in love with a book called 'Grug has a birthday' by Ted Prior. I read it to him and he asks me to read it several more times and points to everything in the book. I ask him to read it back to me and he flicks through the pages making sound effects for the actions or asking questions. He carries the book around with him. He takes it to bed at night. And will even hold that book while I read another book to him.

Funny how quickly they change and how soon you have something else to worry about.

His love of art though has never been a concern.

Cohen's first canvas. A special gift for Dada for Fathers Day.

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Happy Father's Day Baby from your number one fans.

Fathers Day...

From my arms to yours, when you first held Cohen, he was only minutes old. His face wrinkled, puffy and bruised. His right eye clamped tightly shut, only one tired eye looked into yours. We had waited so long to hold him, yet we held him only briefly and then the nurses took him away to the special care nursery. I cried for you to go with him so I knew he would be safe. I knew you would not leave his side.

I saw you, as you first held him. Your eyes shone.

It was then that you fell in love with him. It was then, I think, you became a father.

I love you Dave.

Happy first Fathers Day.