I keep looking at Alice, my eldest and thinking ‘How can you be 4 already?’ School starts in September and soon we’ll be shopping for uniform, shiny new shoes and a backpack that looks way too big on her tiny shoulders.
I didn’t return to work after having my two girls. Instead I have become self-employed - I look after my girls during the week and work as a photographer and on client photo sessions at weekends, editing in the evenings.
Not going back to a 9-5 has meant I can really enjoy these early years with them. They continue to teach me so much. Probably the biggest thing I’ve learnt since having the girls is to slow down and appreciate the everyday.
When they notice the heavy rain lashing at the patio doors - so do I. When they point to the blossom that’s fallen from the trees - so do I. When they spot bugs scampering on the patio and it’s the highlight of their day - I investigate too. These are things I never paid attention to before, I was always rushing.