Syringa's and Secrets

Just a slice of family life today, it's Spring and we've been home working and enjoying the garden. Too friggin' hot!! Can you Adam and Eve it? We've been moaning all winter about the cold and today we were complaining it was too humid and hot. I was mighty jealous of my two little boys and their laundry bucket paddling pool this afternoon, and get me - I used to live in the UK you wouldn't think I'd ever complain about the African sun. My UK family and friends will be grumbling about me right now if they're reading this ....


Spring has definitely sprung, aside from the weather we have a garden full of flowers and nesting birds. We're so lucky to have a large garden with lots of trees, the boys love finding nests and listening to all the bird calls at sunset.

The Syringa trees are hated most of the year for their ability to take over the garden and for dropping (quite forcefully - you don't want to be under a tree when they drop) their rock hard and toxic berries all over the place. But right now, they are full of very beautifully scented, delicate little lilac flowers.

For a few months, we'll forgive the pain of standing barefoot on a berry or one dropping on your head, the fear that one of the kids will eat a berry and the choking of all the other plants in the garden and enjoy the scented flowers instead. With all the open windows, the house and garden has been full of the scent all day.

Hubby and I have been working around the boys, always hard to work from home but we like the challenge of balancing running a small business with raising our family. We are all together most of the time which more than makes up for the difficulty of juggling.

Again and again, I witness hubbys relationship with our sons and am so thankful that we are able to live and work in the way we do. He would have missed out on so much if we had been unable to work and raise the children together.

Sat down with our four year old this afternoon, he produced a key from inside his toolbox and holding it up to said son said "aha, Gargamels key - I've been asked to look after this for you. It's Gargamels very special key, it unlocks the room that has absolutely nothing inside". Son giggles and grabs the key off Dad and I smile to myself, glad they both know who Gargamel is and happy they have secrets, like keys and empty rooms. I have no idea what room they were talking about, but I'm happy not to be the only one who knows.

Peyo

I read once somewhere that Mum (traditionally) is the one who knows her kids. She knows their likes and dislikes, school reports and best friends names. Dad is vaguely aware of some small people who live in the house ..

Okay, that's funny but not in reality. I'm so glad our boys Dad has much much more than a vague awareness of his kids.