Ode to Sadie
You
And your white-flour skin
Enriched with scrapes and bruises from your daily rendezvous with nature.
You
And your purple plastic heels
Carrying around your brother’s light saber
All sassy and tough
A delicious sight.
You
And your coy two-year old grin
Chin tucked into your chest, eyes up
Running to embrace me with your sticky, watermelon-soaked body.
You
With words like probably and amazing
A laugh that mesmerizes and engages
One tender and adventurous soul
Smart beyond your years.
Me
A mom
In awe again
As I watch you absorb life
Living through you, because of you.
Nature’s perfect recipe, you are
My sweet, Sadie girl.
“Being at home can be fun, insulating, relaxed, boring or isolating ... depending on how the day is going.”*
School holidays are almost over in my part of the world – six long weeks of noise and squabbling balanced by hot, lazy days at the beach or the pool with lots of daring exploits and laughter. Many of our days were spent at home, basking in simple pleasures like baking, playing games or outdoor pursuits – trying to relax the everyday routines of school-morning bustle and ‘having to be somewhere on time’. However pleasant, I must admit to being relieved that life gets back to normal next week, and I can reclaim some of my own time for writing again!
* From Being Mummy by Anne‑marie Taplin published April 2007