Category: Work in progress

In response to the ‘celebrate the mundane’ task.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

In response to the ‘celebrate the mundane’ task

I wandered around my house looking for some mundane pictures to take and these images stood out to me for their pattern and uniformity. It reminded me of those obscure photographs where you had to name the object that used to be in the Newspaper. The little flaws and variances are emphasised by the defining of a pattern. I really liked the tones on the wrinkled sheet and it was a good exercise in getting my camera settings right to get the tone depth and range. 

We have had so much free flow as a family through lockdown and I appreciate some of it, but I also cling to semblance of normality and routine – sometimes just to have something to rebel against! My house is generally quite messy at the moment with little pockets of order,  and I feel tied to and responsible for a lot of it. I find myself turning into a nag and realise it’s time to go for a walk or do something creative.  For this task it felt quite therapeutic to zoom in on some things that escaped the randomness and enjoy objects for being themselves. 

Reflecting on the journey of motherhood, in response the the ‘journey’ theme.

(In response to the well-being and mindfulness task)

‘Notice the little things’ is something I have always told myself and it has stood me in good stead as a Mum. I notice the little things. 

Constant positivity is not what some people need but I find that, for me, noticing the little things, the small wins or the tiny moments of loveliness are what keep me (relatively) level headed. 

When babies wouldn’t sleep or wanted feeding constantly or when I am alone (which I am a lot), noticing the little things reminds me of all the small moments of wonder and brilliance that I have in my life.

Yes, I may be tired. Yes, I get lonely but, those nano-joys all add up. A blue sky, a cuddle, a dance in the kitchen are what keep me going on the cloudy days. 

(In response to the ‘journey’ task)

Photos of a positive day.

The journey to our usual haunt is refreshed and new with the sprinkle of snow and crackle of ice.

Fresh, frozen puddles to smash. Sunshine gleaming off the frost, lifting our spirits. 

There were tears from my little boy. An excursion wouldn’t be complete without them.  But they were quickly forgotten with the temptation of crunching in a muddy puddle. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

(in response to the ‘journey’ task)

This is the journey of a new bed and a shift for the better in my relationship with my 16 year old.

We hadn’t been getting along.

There’s been tears from us both, arguing, silence. Teenage transition can be tough for a lot of people.

For me, I struggled with letting go. Which was hard to see, I mean this is my last child, I’ve done this three other times….but I realised I was holding on to my last baby.

I remember my sister asking me why I still get her dressed in the morning age 6!  There was no one thing or even a list of things I can write down, sorry vague and unhelpful.

I have been called overpowering and manipulative. I was stifling my last child, holding onto my baby. 

Anyway the journey of a new bed was the first time in a while that we had a common purpose and extra task of taking photos.

We had fun.

As you can see I let go and took pictures instead of giving instructions on how I think it should be done. I am still learning to be a better mother and that means with each stage our children go through we have to adapt and change with it.

Special thanks to Mia for helping to create the collage.

A far cry from halcyon days of skipping about in woods and playing by rivers.  My 13 year old is currently having a wild time struggling with everything, and last night after we turned off Netflix she became so enraged she emptied everything on to her floor and screamed how she hated us all. Classic 13 year old times a million because there’s now no escapes from the mundane.

On the flip side I had the 3 yr old toddler in bed with me all night refusing to accept I no longer wanted to breastfeed him. Like his sister, he won as I gave in.

At least we got sleep until our 10 yr old, middle child, woke at 6 am having a paddy about pretty much everything from her fringe to her constant hunger for sugar, and wanting to see friends now!!

#motherslifeinlockdown

(In response to the ‘journey’ task)

Lockdown has meant we have spent a lot more time indoors – specifically in our own house together as a family of five. Feeling uncertain about the future has definitely affected my ability to connect with the moment at times, though when I manage to do it it really lessens my worries and allows me to feel a huge amount of gratitude.

Where we live we are lucky to have the sea on our doorstep and there is something about the North Sea that just blasts everything away, though wrapping up very warm is a prerequisite in the Winter Months. 

A few days ago I accompanied my husband who is a chef and foraging guide on a walk with my camera to get some pictures for a community project he is doing.  I ended up being bewitched by the beauty everywhere and taking a lot more photographs than we strictly needed. It is such a great reminder than when we look there is so much more to see, always. 

We’re still here, sat on the mattress, feeding.

Feeding at dawn, feeding at naptime, feeding when she wakes, feeding when she is hungry and nothing else will do, feeding when she is sleepy and feeding sometimes what seems like the whole night through.

We’re still here, thank goodness.