The day after

Sloooow morning. Sloooow getting ready. Missed the Birdman altogether :( But at least we made it out of the house for a late-ish lunch on the beach! We're getting marginally better at packing for the beach too, which is handy. Amazing hot sunny day.

We were talking on the way down about how it doesn't really feel like a weekend today. We were quite disconnected as a family this morning and the feeling was lingering as we headed to the beach. Steve felt like he really should be getting on with some work. He really needs his website up and running, so he can start sending out emails and trying to get some work booked in. So the weekend thing - well, part of it is that apart from a Sunday when Steve is more than likely to be doing something technical at church, we don't really have any day markers at the moment. There is no obvious distinction between weekday and Saturday. We are going to have to consciously make sure we have family days, where we really focus on connecting and being together as a family and not just working either in the office or on the house. It's going to be hard work, but we are getting there - having the office set up has changed Steve's outlook on things yet again and he's feeling a lot more positive; and I'm feeling a lot less stressed because I've been able to tell him to go and get on with stuff and that he doesn't need to sit with the kids all morning while I get the regular housework stuff done, so he's out of my hair too.

It's starting to work.

I've also realised I've got to start giving my drawing and painting the same accord as I give my design work, that just because the majority of the design work is for other people doesn't make it more (or less) worthy of booking time in the office than finishing a painting, for example.

Booking time in the office. Yes.

How about that.

Anyway we got home and cooled off while Steve lit the barbecue again, then he got to chase the boys around while I enjoyed preparing the food. Charley is obsessed with our citronella cauldron. Perhaps the soot-lined bucket tastes good. Or maybe it was just within reach. Either way, he ended up with a massive sooty moustache!!

Dinner was excellent. Perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked steak, beautiful bits to accompany, perfect company. And I even iced the remnants of the chocolate sponge and put candles in so Steve had a birthday cake ;-)

Charley also has a pebble obsession. He gets to the beach and wants to taste EVERY SINGLE PEBBLE. He was giggling when I turned it into a game to remove pebbles that were too small from his hands before he got them to his mouth.... Anyone got any tips for stopping babies from eating tiny pebbles off the beach?! I'm not even sure he'd spit them out (Ben would have) as he's already eaten a cherry stone when I fully expected him to spit it out....!