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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Ella & Leila     The kinder park half way between home and school.

With Leila doing two weeks of swimming lessons we had no after school commitments on Wednesday and found ourselves able to stop in the park on our walk home.  The sun was shining and the grass covered in small lawn daisies.

I sat on a bench I've sat on in a park I've visited since Ella was 10 months old.  I watched my two girls, now grown, playing so happily with each other, picking daisies, making chains, preparing pretend campfires, using the language they've played with since they could speak I'm the fairy godmother and you say ...... 

There was another lady in the park, with a little girl about 10 months old, watching my girls so intently, as I so clearly remember Ella, particularly, doing in the same park about 9 years ago.

It's unoriginal, but we forget to slow down and drink in these wonderful moments and opportunities for play and togetherness.  I spent time with my dear friend Julia this week, at her new beach side home.  My word, how invigorating our half hour walk was on the beach.  Of course a big part of it is her company, she has a calming influence, but her home near the water, being so close to the sea, I came back amazed at how recharged I felt.

I kept that thought with me, with the girls and I as we spent an hour together, playing, being, for me remembering.  The time has gone so fast, but there are so many more moments to be cherished if we remember to grab them while we can.