“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth”
Kahlil Gibran
This year I am taking part in Living Arrows, a weekly photography project taking photos of my boys week on week, last week was all about the rain in Qatar. This week the rain has finally eased off and the Middle Eastern sun has seen fit to poke its head from behind the clouds.
Yesterday also saw my husband head off for a week to Cambodia, taking his dad on the 70th birthday trip of a lifetime round Angkor Wat.
This week is my first week solo parenting since I went home last summer. Truth told I’m a little nervous, last summer I was anxious and unsettled. Last summer I shouted more than I ever wanted to do as a parent.
But I survived the first few hours, the first night. It’s funny that how feeding them, bathing them and putting them to bed is something I have done countless times on my own. They are jobs we share between us, there are times when one of us is out. Yet last night felt different, like more of a triumph because my husband wasn’t going to walk through the door. Wasn’t going to come in to kiss them goodnight because he was sipping champagne in the airline lounge (lucky devil). That a plane would be taking him miles away from us. All of that made everythingI did last night both completely normal yet totally surreal.
All that said, after tears, tantrums and hair pulling culmninating in me removing their treat of watching just one Animal Mechanicals (don’t watch it, don’t ever watch it) both went to bed with relative ease and although they didn’t sleep through the night they did sleep.
Every night before I head to bed I creep into their rooms for that one last kiss. That one final sweet dreams, I love you. Last night was no different, except last night I got brave and photographed them as they slept even with the fear of them waking.
My Sleeping Babes
And although at some point in the night the Big One ended up in bed with me, and I spent a portion in the little ones room, all in all it wasn’t a bad start to our week on our own.
I go in and see the girls every night before I go to bed too and quite often take a photo of them. It is such a lovely moment and I definitely want to have these captured and remembered. Gorgeous sleeping boys. Good luck this week x #Livingarrows
What a lovely sleeping baby photos!
I love looking at my girl sleep too and can’t resist taking photos. Sometimes I get the urge to dance or sing or be silly. I resist. Mostly!
I rely an awful lot on my husband so I have no idea how I would cope if he went away! But you look like you got it down!
I tend to end up taking photos of my wee boy sleeping a lot too. They are so cute and peaceful when they sleep and, its a lovely idea to remember these moments!
I hope the solo parenting has gone ok. I used to find it so hard when the children were younger but it’s got easier as the time has gone on although it’s still not something I look forward to. You can’t get anything more gorgeous than sleeping babies – they look so little! x
They look so sweet sleeping in their matching pyjamas – I have hardly any pictures like this because I’m too scared of waking my two, especially Gabe who isn’t the best of sleepers as it is! #LivingArrows
I always go into mine too! Although the younger us still having a dream feed. Well done you on solo parenting. Apparently I have some of that coming up too. Can’t say I’m looking forward to it. You are so vravectsking photos xx #Livingarrows