I can’t believe how quickly time is going at the moment. I guess it hasn’t helped that Wimbledon was on and the World Cup and I have been trying to finish the book (almost there thanks to help from my friend Noch who has given me final impetus and ideas on plot) and it is so hot here I feel like I’m going to melt….
Anyway there is news to report; Leo passed his ballet exam, in fact he got a distinction, I am the proudest mother ever. You can just see him in the picture with the visions in pink.
Today we drove the girls to Dubai for their flight to Rome and two months away from Abu Dhabi which will include a long stint with my mother (bless her), a trip to Croatia with my aunt and uncles and some time at Sainte Cecile.
When we had checked in Olivia realised she had forgotten her little pink wallet in the car. I was made to walk with her to get it, 10 minutes in 50 degree heat, horrible.
“Oh well,” she said once we had retrieved it, “at least now you know exactly where the car is parked.”
I felt a pang of deep sadness as they skipped off, all grown up with their shaved legs (yes, I caught them in the bath with a razor), their ipod touch (a present from Bea’s godfather) and pink lip-glosses in small plastic bags. They are growing into young women and it seems to have happened almost overnight.
I always said when people told me it goes so quickly that no, actually it felt like this had been going on for an extremely long time, but suddenly the end is in sight, and it’s scary.
Apart from anything else I will have to buy industrial bags of razors.
Copyright: Helena Frith Powell 2010
Dear Helena, I have this sadness even though my daughter is not even six! I wish somehow I could keep her young and innocent forever. Motherhood seems to be so much about letting go. It’s melancholy, disturbing and true.
At least you still have Leo, and the boys don’t grow up as quickly.
But it does help to every once in a while focus and remember how short our time with them is- we’ve just borrowed them.