You know when you're feeling really emotional and soppy, in the best way, but you're half way across the world and in a different time zone from the people you would usually ramble away to? Well that's happening right now. There are a few other posts I want to put up first really, but we have such rubbish internet (fingers crossed this situation will have changed next week!) that I can't waste precious Instagram and Whatsapp data uploading pictures!
I'm babysitting this evening as Estelle and Harold have gone out to a concert, and I just feel so happy and content and full of love I want to share this warm, fuzzy feeling, that really is the best way to feel in the whole entire world!
Ed went to bed just after Mummy and Daddy left, which meant Camille had 10 minutes to do a puzzle in peace without being jabbed in the eye with the last piece he had put together. Maxime couldn't decide what to do, and when he eventually decided on stories, Camille wanted to join in as well.
They picked two Animal Life Stories books, The Tiger and The Otter, we snuggled down, Maxime under one arm and Camille wriggling like a worm all over the place. Their English has improved so much that they now don't just hear a story but they really listen to it and ask questions as we go along which is so nice.
After the stories and some silly kissing games they plodded off to bed, but this stirred an almost sleeping Ed and then Maxime couldn't find his Sultro as Ed had taken it and was using as his Sniffy because his blanket was in the wash. Cue a distraught Ed when it was taken away. Estelle says I'm his Sniffy so luckily he stops crying easily once his thumb is in and we are close, he's comforted and reassured but loves to really properly snuggle me and I just didn't have the heart to prise him off and leave him so I climbed into bed for a bit.
When you've got a baby (who's not really a baby anymore, much more a toddler but I'm not ready to accept that yet) cosy on your chest and the two big boys in the top bunk bed together and you get to just lay all quiet listening to their pre-bedtime conversations, it really is the most magical, content feeling in the world.
This isn't that unusual, but I just wanted to write it down because those thirty minutes are so, so special and I never want to forget them. I still can't believe I have been here for a year, some of me feels as though it's come around so quickly, but in all honesty, I can't remember not having this family a part of my life, nor can I imagine it without them.
