Today I was actually the last one out of bed which is something that doesn’t happen very often! You, Forrest, decided to wake up really early around 5:30 and the night before I had told daddy since I stayed up late with him that he would need to get up with you so that is what he did! But I only managed to stay in bed for another 40 minutes or so and when I came down daddy was half asleep on the sofa. You straight away wanted your num-num so you and I got all cosy together in our special little spot on the couch. I cherish these moments with you, they are my moments of calm and the best way to slowly wake up in the morning. 

We took it easy for most of the morning and you and Nixie just played and danced to music and you even watched some of your favourite shows. But you officially have something that you are really into now and that is trains! You can’t stop playing with them and it’s the first thing that you’ve really shown an especially strong interest in. 

I was craving samphire so we headed to our spot in Keyhaven to do a bit of foraging. Nixie you were the first one to spot them, they had grown so much bigger since the last time we foraged some and they seemed to be everywhere now. A few people even stopped to see what we were doing and then got super inspired themselves and wanted to do it too.

We were surrounded by so much Sea Lavender and right before heading homeI I decided to collect some so that I could try to make a flower crown with them. I had read that they dry really beautifully and are used in many dried floral arrangements for their ability to retain their colour.

 It was a really wonderful outing, one of those mini adventures that made me feel so happy. There were so many little moments that I don’t want to forget such as you, Forrest, jumping up and down the sloping paths and little seaweed covered stones while me, Nixie and daddy were busy collecting samphire. The moment when you, Nixie, discovered a beautiful pink teasel in full bloom and were completely in awe of how big it was and how pretty it looked and your excitement whenever you see bumblebees and how you picked a flower and became determined to feed it nectar. You made sure you found just the right one and one that hadn’t already been pollinated. I want to remember how you both kept picking me little flowers and trying to attach them to my necklace. These little random gifts I receive from you guys really just fill me up, I hope you both know how much they all mean to me. I was so proud of you, Forrest, when we were walking hand in hand back to the car and I asked you if you could pick me some red clover and immediately you ran ahead and found some next to the path and came back with the most perfect one. I love that you are learning about all the plants around us at such an early age. I also don’t want to forget the moment your face lit up when you found a beautiful feather only to have the wind take it from your hand almost immediately after and the tears that followed. My heart felt your pain but it was quickly restored when daddy found a new one and gave it to you. And I love all the random moments when a past conversation is brought back into the present such as when you, Nixie, saw a boat propeller and how it all made something click within you and I could see that your understanding grew a bit in its depth.

When we got back home, you, Forrest, fell asleep and while you napped me, Nixie and daddy finished our coral reef project. I always love when daddy gets to join in on our creative projects. He really loved it too and said he got a bit carried away on his piece and said to us he now understood how sad we must have been when our pieces that we had put so much love into got ruined. You, Nixie, made some incredible coral and then you made the most amazing crab with headphones. I always love your creations, you have such an incredible imagination. Once we were finished I made you a flower crown and then we went into the garden so I could take a photo. Then you discovered we actually had some strawberries to pick, it’s the first ones of the year. This year has been horrible for our fruit and veg, nothing seems to be growing that great or of it is it seems to be going in slow motion. By this point you, Forrest, were awake and you devoured them all!

The rest of the evening was spent with the two of you dancing to songs and music videos, at the moment it’s all about Spirit Riding Free. After dinner and once the both of you were ready for bed we ended up having a slideshow of all the photos from our trip to Isle Of Wight and it was amazing, I especially loved seeing your, Forrest, expressions when you saw yourself on the screen. Having slideshows is something your daddy and I used to always have after a trip and for some reason we had completely forgotten about them until the other day but now they will be a big part of our lives. I love reminiscing about our adventures.

It ended up being a bit too late when you both finally went to bed which showed in both of your giddiness but it all went OK in the end. You, Forrest, and I went into the family room where we read your new favourite book of all time, Follow The Track All The Way Back by Timothy Knapman. You fell asleep right after we finished reading, You, Nixie and daddy went into your room for stories before coming back into the family room where you snuggled up with me and fell asleep.