I had some quality time yesterday with my two-year-old daughter Margaret. Juliet and I don’t get to spend much individual time with either of the twins, for obvious reasons.
The exception was caused by Juliet travelling to Yarra Glen to pick up Kathleen and Dude from my father, who was meeting her part of the way from Moe.
Margaret gets terribly car sick, so we decided she should stay at home with me.
Both twins are lively characters, but yesterday Maggie was like a coiled spring, or a battery toy that never stops.
I think the occasion of being solely with me was something unique that she decided to capitalise on. The only time she spent entertaining herself was while I cleaned out the back shed, which I did in two one-hour bursts. She was happy then to play with toys or objects that she found, under my watch and between cuddles.
For the rest of the time she was constantly active. I pulled her to the post office in the kids’ billycart, worked around the house and rescued various items of electrical equipment and furniture from Margaret’s interest.
If I ever had cause to correct her behavior she came running for another cuddle. How can you resist?
She was so exhausted by 12.30pm that she went down early for a sleep, which I had to wake her from at 2.45pm because we had a real estate inspection looming.
I was pretty exhausted too, but it was an enjoyable day and one that I’ll cherish given the six-week absence I’ll soon have from the family.
I leave for Kalgoorlie on January 17. Juliet and the kids will follow at the end of February.
