when did you become a mum?

In today's Sun Herald's Sunday Life liftout there is an article titled "Prime Time." It features the doe-eyed beauty Natalia Vodianove - a mum-of-three at the youthful age of 25. While the term 'young-y mummy' is used (I detest the pop-culture slang of it all) it brings to light the rise of young mothers - those having their babies in their early twenties. It seems that the past five years have been all about the older mother, rising infertility rates and the race to conceive before nature decides otherwise.

I birthed Che when I was 23. Over the past three years I have taught over 200 women pre-natal yoga and only a handful have been younger than me. It's been a beautiful experience to meet and share the journey of pregnancy with women of all ages and from all walks of life. However, it has become clear to me, after many discussions with pregnant women, that it is rare to decide to start a family and fall pregnant soon after. I think, in fact, it is bordering on mythical that society thinks it happens this way. While some babies are conceived in a cloud of love/lust/surprise others take years of trying/alternative therapies/medical assistance to arrive. I think so often we have no control over when we become parents. Sure the 'choice' is there but there are so many other factors that play a part.

Which brings me to an interesting question. When did you become a mum and do you believe it was the right time for you? I'll post my answer tomorrow.

Happy Sunday.

that time again

Just like last year we wandered to the garden tended so carefully by its owner, where fressias and poppies catch the early-Spring winds and beg to be caught by little hands. And of course, in each spray of colour, in each little step is a reminder of how far this boy of mine has come. So far that when I call him 'my baby' he turns around and says: "No muma, I'm your wittle boy." Yes, he's my little boy. Almost 3. Three years that went so very fast.

blossom

Life has been busy and while I had good intentions of writing here I just haven't arrived to Number 56 on my to-do list. Actually now that I'm writing I suppose I skipped quite a few to-dos. I like list making. It's enormously rewarding to cross/tick things off the list.

I'm pleased and relieved to say that the end-of-winter-cold has finally left our family and our home and in its place is the warmth of a fresh new Spring and the blossoms that beg to be stolen from other people's gardens. I enjoy reaching my hand through a fence and carefully snapping the stem, drawing those gorgeous cherry blossom blooms towards me. They are so fun to photograph too. Incredibly fragile and rice-paper-like. I exhale a sweet happy sigh every time I see them.

Busyness has involved so many words, so many emails and a bunch of phone calls (I don't really like chatting on the phone - especially to people I don't really know). However, it has made me prioritise and I've decided it's time for me to cut down my yoga teaching commitments so that I can be the student again. I'll still be teaching my prenatal classes and birth workshops but a few hours a week will be spent at the studio doing 'my' practice - the opporative word being 'my,' because practicing at home is lovely but Surya Namaskara with an almost-three-year-old around my neck is hard. I think I'm seeking space and the opportunity to breathe and be nurtured without interruption. Yes, that's it.

Spring is beckoning us, we're venturing out under a big and very blue sky. In the next few weeks the windows will be cleaned, the woolens packed away and my milky white legs will see the sun again. Spring; can you feel it?

the best kind of place

a sunny, restful day in a little seaside town called Patonga. Fish and chippies for lunch followed by a good afternoon reading session in the sun. There's a little place called Dark Corner and there's about 5 cottages perched on the headland. They're heritage listed and only accessible by car if the tide is low. Imagine living there. Just imagine.

I needed this day after the past week. I've written so many words and taught 5 classes. It's been good but exhausting. Another busy week ahead. I'm glad I had the down time.

I like an early Sunday night...this being one of them.

the cottage and the yurt

One of the most interesting parts of the weekend was playing the game "If this was my house I would..." because how could I not dream a dream of living in the 1914 cottage complete with bedroom fireplace, kitchen fireplace, double-glazed windows and stained glass windows? It was only right. I would install custom made bookshelves, paint the orange walls white, introduce our leather lounge, photos and nick-nacks to the space and install an island bench in the kitchen. I don't think this is too much to ask.

The mud-brick yurt (yes, I said mud-brick yurt) at the retreat made me weak at the knees too - sunken lounge next to roaring fireplace, floor to ceiling cedar-framed windows and white lantern lights had me packing my bags and moving the family.

Of course, a weekend away is just not the same without board games - scrabble, cluedo, monopoly. Or the cups of tea and bakery treats - iced (with 100s and 1000s) orange and almond cupcakes were delish.

This is my last mountains post. Promise. I just had to share.

winter holiday

So the original reason for our trip was a winter yoga retreat - Daniel's mum was leading a yoga workshop at Kanimbla View Environmental Retreat and invited us to tag along. I was going to do a few 3-hour intensives but unfortunately I had a bit of a cold and so decided to hang with my boys. We mosied about the three villages (Leura, Katoomba and Blackheath) and ate good food (the honey and lavender chocolate was a mouthful of heaven), drank good coffee and ducked in and out of antique and second-hand book stores.

It was cold up there, freezing. But in a good way. The kind of cold that makes you feel healthy. Fresh. And to tell you the truth I really enjoyed the process of layering up - beanie, coat and scarf. It was an entirely differently fashion foray. Lots of fun.

We needed those layers when we ventured onto the edge of mountain lookouts where the wind howled around us and we squealed with fear; being blown away did seem a very real possibility.

These cool winter days are fleeting. The August winds are here and they, along with magnolia and cherry blossom blooms, are a tell-tale sign that Spring is about to arrive. We are jumping on a plane in a few weeks, heading north for sunny Spring adventures. And I am beside myself with chance - the classic tailoring and to-die-for stripes have my heart all a flutter and my credit card in hand. A must for my Spring/Summertime wardrobe. I haven't actually made a purchase yet, I'm just dreaming.

(P.S. tomorrow I will post about the little 1914 cottage we stayed in. Dream.)

we're back

our lungs full of fresh mountain air. more photos and stories to come.