It could have been the Algarve. It wasn't. We were in England. Lounging on The Lizard. And Carbis Bay was a delight. Palm trees. Clotted cream. Daily triple chocolate ice cream. An open view of St Ives and flat, turquoise seas from the decking.
But Little A was in a grump. Insistent whining. She just pushed and pushed....
"What's up Little A? What's upsetting you?" I asked kindly as we walked down a slope towards the beach.
"You're upsetting me mummy... you're annoying me."
"How am I annoying you?"
"All you do is go blah, blah, blah."
Pardon? What had my three year old just said to me? Blah, blah blah?
Her cheek was out of the ordinary. I knew it, and I knew what it was. Anxiety. Apprehension. The lack of structure over the summer. That Younger Dad would be returning to working away from home the following week.
Little A has had a landslide of change thrust upon her this year. A new home. A new school. Younger Dad's absence five days a week - Sunday evenings regularly infused with bedtime dramas. And if she needs a target for her confusion, I will happily play the bulls eye to her angry darts, reassuring her that all is well in her world.
This summer has notched up a tally of new experiences.
Play dates with friends (that's Little A, not me).
An ant invasion. An army of pesky crawlers over the hallway and kitchen work tops, found behind cereal boxes, on top of the microwave, in between supermarket coupons. Younger Dad enticing them with noxious, sweet, sticky stuff. Then one day, they were gone.
Wasps. A first sting. Little A screaming for her Daddy. A remedying cocktail of vinegar and anti-histamine. Soft cuddles from Grandma and Mummy.
A little wooden garden house. Painted in sea grass and holly. A new secret hide-away. Home to special treat tea times and clandestine talks with teddies and rag dolls.
A very steamy stroll through the rain forest biome at the Eden Project. Electric blue butterflies gliding like gulls.
And such precious time with Little A, a budding comedian and philosopher....
"Mummy we have to drink lots of water or our pee-pee will turn like Daddy's beer."
"When someone dies they go to the moon and stars."
And at last, she has reverted back to addressing me as Mummy again. Answering to my first name was starting to grate....
I guess it's time to close the curtains on summer. The heating's already on. I've already worn the first woolly jumper of the new season. Summer 2013 was a good one. Not vintage I don't think. Just good. And that will do for me.
This is the third and final day of the seasonal linky One Week. I wanted to say a big, big thank you to all those lovely bloggers who joined in, and those who commented, and tweeted, in support of this project.
One Week will return this autumn 18-20 November. Get your cameras at the ready and imaginative hats on! For more details about One Week, take a gander here. You can join in for one, two ... or the full three days...
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Wow! This sounds like a fine summer on so many levels - glad your writing is going so well and that you're enjoying your new garden (there's a book out called 'What to do with all those Courgettes' - coz they're rampant, arent they? and am particularly pleased that your rightful name is being employed at long last :) Stunning pics as always and really enjoying the meme as usual :) xx
ReplyDeleteThank you.... it was! Writing has been going very well and The Writer's Festival was brilliant. I think the courgettes are finally stopping but we've had so many of the things (still piled up in the fridge). Thank you. X.
DeleteI love these series. A great reflection as usual. holiday is never enough, summer sometimes seems never enough. It was too good for us. Autumn has a lot to stand up to!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Not long enough eh? And glad you enjoyed yours! Yes, Autumn better be good!
DeleteWe always get interesting behaviour in the summer, it is as if she is testing the boundaries when she has the time.
ReplyDeleteThe guardian did a great post courgette recipes, their courgette cake is great - speaking as another glut owner.
So glad the writing is going well - wish I has a novel as an excuse it is just plain exhaustion / laziness.
Have fun in York!
Interesting that she particularly started testing the boundaries a week before going back to school. Now she is back there, she's fine. And I had a great time in York!
DeleteAh Sarah, I too have experienced the toddler cheek recently accompanied by squinted eye face pulling. I'm hoping it passes soon!
ReplyDeleteWonderful words and pictures again and well done on growing your own. It's a really satisfying feeling.
Summer is sadly definitely over here too, my heating has been on :(
Huge well done on the writing too, that is really impressive. Good luck for your writers festival, I hope you love it. xxx
Some how I don't think the cheek will pass... it will change and grow in the middle years and bare horrendous fruit when she's a teenager! The Writers Festival was brilliant - I learnt a sill amount. X
DeleteOoo good luck at the weekend - I saw on twitter that you were going, exciting times :)
ReplyDeletexx
Thank you... I had a great time, met some lovely people, and learnt tonnes. And I really mean tonnes! X.
DeleteTotally feel you on the young-person attitude! My 5 year old son has just started shrugging his shoulders and saying 'whatever' when he doesn't want to listen to us. Thank you, school...
ReplyDeleteAs you put on your first woolly sweater, we're just surfacing from winter down here in New Zealand. Feel free to live vicariously... ;-)
'What ever' at five years old - ha! I can just see Little A saying that soon. Mmmm, yes, indeed, schools have a lot to answer for! Hope a nice spring while we start shivering over here :o).
DeleteIsn't it sad the heating is already on? I hope little A is feeling more settled soon, thanks for the reminder that we need to be their dartboard sometimes, my little ladies have been having similar wobbles too. Mich x
ReplyDeleteTell me about it! Does give a feeling of cosyness though... Little A is feeling much better now she's back at pre-school, back to the old routine. I'm relieved too! Hope your ladies have settled too! X.
DeleteBeautifully written words, accompanied by some lovely writing, wish I had joined in this, I shall keep my eyes open for the next one x
ReplyDeleteThank you very much! Yes, please join in the next one - I will try to remember to give you a nudge :o) X.
DeleteWhat a gorgeous mother you are - love how you say you will glad to be the target so you can help her - so sweet. Glad you had a good summer and well done on your writing. Good luck with York.
ReplyDeleteWell that is very kind of you. Summer was lovely thank you, as was the Writing Festival - I had a great time.
DeleteBest of luck at the Festival and great news about writing progress! Sounds like you've had a very productive summer in the garden too - and I've loved your photos this week, so bright and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteReally glad Little A is calling you Mummy again, can imagine the relief! x
I had a great time at the festival - lots of positive feedback. And I have really enjoyed summer in my new garden - it has been such a delight... and yes, so glad she's calling me by mummy again! x
DeleteI adore the line 'I will happily play bulls eye to her angry darts'. Just sums up that element of motherhood perfectly. Another gorgeous post - beautiful on every level x
ReplyDeleteThank you very much..... yes, being a mum does incorporate being a bit of a punch bag too! Thank you. X.
DeleteSounds like a fab summer. Glad you are enjoying your garden. All four of my kids called Me & Hubby by our first names. Sometimes the younger two still do, we laugh about it, especially when we get odd looks from visitors xxx
ReplyDeleteWe did thank you, and so nice to spend it in our new home too. I did like Little A calling me by my first name BUT I am happy I'm 'mummy' again.... I used to get funny looks too! X.
DeleteGood luck at the Writer's Festival - very exciting! Sounds like you've had a brilliant summer. Not given in to heating yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. There has been no gentle lead in, just a huge drop of 15 degrees or so. Takes a bit of getting used to. x
ReplyDeleteThank you. It was great, leaned so much, met some lovely people, had some very positive feedback.... the drop in temperature was too much for me - the radiators had to go on! X.
DeleteA wonderful post and it sounds like you had such a great summer. I love the photographs, just fabulous. I hope you're settling into the new place alright. My toddler is also getting cheeky, I guess it happens doesn't it. She's such a mimic too!
ReplyDeleteThank you, and yes, I did, calm and relaxed with cold beers and sunshine. We are now settled in nicely into our new home - a lovely, first summer. And I think toddlers are hilarious with the things they come out with!
DeleteOh, wonderful catch up post! Loved reading all your news and hearing about precocious Little A...SO adorable!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed your holiday and that the words gushed forth for your book. Best of luck with the Writers Festival :-)
And I haven't worn a woolly jumper yet. Summer 2013 is NOT over until I wear my winter boots ;-)
xx Jazzy
Thank you very much. Precocious doesn't begin to describe her - does make me laugh though. The Writers Festival was great.... and my Uggs are good to go as far as I'm concerned :o). X.
DeleteHow I've loved #oneweek this time round. Summer has been wonderful, as have all the posts been! Today's surpasses itself. Just lovely and makes me what to sigh contentedly at the end! Thanks for hosting (just squeezed in another one!).
ReplyDeleteThank you very much my dear! It was a lovely summer this year (in the end).... glad we had some sunshine. Now it's like it never happened with all the damp and the cold. Thank you for joining in! :o).
DeleteHave a wonderful time at the festival! I admire you for writing so much over the summer, as well as blogging, as well as being a Mum....good on you! Sounds as though you're being an excellent role model for little A.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, and I did have a great time at the festival. I hope I'm being a good role model - sometimes I think I'm on the computer far too much though :o).
DeleteWhat a summer! I hope Little A will feel more settled again in the autumn.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on writing 30'000 words! And again, enjoy the Writing Festival. I hope to read all about it and I am keeping my fingers crossed for you that it will bring opportunities. xx
It was great thank you, and Little A is settled again now she has returned to the normal routine of pre-school. The Writers Festival was great, and it was fab to meet so many like minded people! X.
DeleteI am secretly very glad that Little A is calling you Mummy again. I've loved all three of your posts this #oneweek. You sound so very contented.
ReplyDeleteGood luck at the writer's festival. I really admire you for going. Don't hide your light under your iphone/ laptop! Get that manuscript OUT THERE! x
So am I.... she just suddenly switched back again, glad it was just a phase. I have had a very nice summer thank you, topped off with going to the Writers Festival which was a great experience - learnt a ginormous amount! X.
DeleteSounds like a very lovely summer - it did make me chuckle when Little A said "blah blah blah" but love your reaction back. Completely understanding and handled it in a go with the flow way. Not in a "that's naughty" way which is sometimes too easy to do.
ReplyDeleteIt was a lovely summer. And I was laughing inside when Little A said that... the audacity! I did have a little word with her afterwards to say that we don't say things like that - but I wasn't overbearing. :o).
DeleteBeautifully written as always. Little A sounds at a very similar stage to Ma Puce, pushing the boundaries and playing with direct and in-direct confrontation. Hope she settles into the new nursery year and away-from-home dad routine ok xx
ReplyDeleteThank you very much... Little A is such a cheeky monkey at the moment. Fortunately, she is settling well into the new return. X
DeleteSounds like you had a great summer, it does seem to have ended rather abruptly this week though. Super photos as usual. Good luck and good fun at the Writer's Festival - I'm off to see what 'Four Gigs' is all about x.
ReplyDeleteI did thank you, and then it all became very wet and cold! I had a great time at the Writers Festival! X
DeleteI will not close the curtains on summer, if there is even a chink in the curtains we are off out in it to squeeze out the dregs! Your holiday sounded so relaxing and I envy you there! Little A is a character, they do make me laugh, I asked TC how many days in a week the other day and she said 22, I wish and how much younger we would all be :)) Best of luck with your writing and at the Writer's Festival
ReplyDeleteWell... apparently we are due warmer weather this weekend *fingers crossed*. We had a lovely holiday - Cornwall is gorgeous, and, yes, Little A is giving me a run for my money. :o)
DeleteWelcome back. We missed you. Good to hear that you had a nice summer (apart from the wasp sting, we had a first one of those the other day in this house too!)....
ReplyDeleteThank you! I missed it all too! It was very nice indeed - horrible when they get stings!
DeleteWhat a lovely way to end summer, just as I enter into summer. I will swim for u and little a and younger dad and u can huddle be the fire for poppet and I xx
ReplyDeleteIt was... seems ages ago now. So lovely you are now entering into your summer while we are starting to pick up the leaves. Yes, have a fab swim for all of us, and I will warm myself in front of the radiator (wish I had a fire though). X
DeleteWelcome back, summer was good here too. I hope the writers festival was good and Little A is more settled. xx
ReplyDeleteIt's good to be back :o). The Writers Festival was terrific - I had such a great time. And Little A is most definitely back into her routine again - happy times! X
DeleteI do love this post. As ever beautifully written and coupled with wonderful photos. You make everything sound so fabulous - even the blah, blah, blah! I hope you're good. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that Indian summer :)
ReplyDeleteThank you very much... they're so cheeky aren't they!? Me too! I'm keeping fingers crossed that October brings it on in sunny stylee... :o).
Delete