Living Arrows | The More You Read The More You'll Know

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.   

Sometimes it really is like looking in a mirror. They say the 'apple never falls far from the tree' and usually it's being used in a negative context but I don't think there's anything wrong with being like your parents. My mum has always been a reader, I grew up with my nose constantly in a book and it seems Iris is heading the same way.

Living Arrows | Peeking Through The Porthole

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

This picture really was captured in the moment. Iris only has one speed and that speed is super sonic. She flies around everywhere, running at top speed. She simply cannot walk despite being told to do so several times. Her head was in this porthole for a matter of seconds, I was so fortunate to get such a good picture of her before she raced off.

Living Arrows | Sunshine & Sanitizer

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

Another day, another park. I'm so thankful that the parks have been allowed to open and that the weather has improved over the last week. I used to prefer Winter to Summer but since having Iris I have come to appreciate the warmer weather so much more, being able to get outside for picnics, ice creams and play dates has saved our sanity over the last few weeks.

Living Arrows | Growing Up

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

This week's picture was taken at King's Park, Retford almost exactly 2 years on from the first picture. I remember everything about the first picture, I remember her outfit, the picnic we took, her little pink first shoes. I remember her tears as she fell over, her squeals as she went down the slide and the tired eye rubs when it all got too much. I remember nappies, bottles and feeling hassled. Oh how I wish I could go back and enjoy baby Iris just that little bit longer.

Living Arrows | Anticipating A Second Lockdown

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

It's been a quiet week for us this week, with the introduction of mandatory masks and the increasing uncertainty around the world we've felt like staying inside and staying safe. Our local area has had a surge in cases and a testing site had been temporarily set up in a nearby car park.

Living Arrows | Visiting Anderby Creek

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

We did it. We visited the beach. I said I wouldn't but as time goes on i'm starting to realise that my safety is in my hands and if I social distance, use effective hygiene procedures and avoid places that are busy then there's no reason we can't enjoy some of the activities we used to do before. We'd already tried Yorkshire Wildlife Park and Thoresby Park and felt quite safe so a trip to my parents caravan didn't seem so extreme anymore.

Living Arrows | Park Life

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

Despite the ongoing Coronavirus crisis our week has been startling like normal. I think in part because it's been Daddy's first full week back at work so we've managed to get back into our 'before' routine.  We've been getting up, getting dressed and getting out the house just like we did in the pre-corona days. Obviously our activities have changed- there's no more play groups or music class but it's been nice to go to visit nannan and mama's houses and play in an environment that's not the same four walls.

Living Arrows | The New Normal

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

This picture breaks my heart. Yesterday after handling money for a toll bridge Iris told me to put my hand gel on.  It makes me so proud yet so sad. I'm proud that she's learnt how to keep safe in these times but it makes me so sad that this is how she will remember the world. At 2 years old I don't think she'll remember what things were like before.

Living Arrows | Daddy and Iris

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

So these posts are supposed to reflect childhood and as always I want to be an honest blogger so the gushing post about fathers day that I wanted to write is actually a post about the "I don't want you Daddy" phase that Iris is currently going through. 

Living Arrows | Best Friends Forever.

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

Now the lockdown has been lifted a little we've found ourselves getting out and about a bit more. In the early days of the quarantine we didn't venture out at all and with the lovely weather we had throughout May we were more than happy just playing in our garden but as time has gone on we've missed our visiting routine. 

Living Arrows | Climbing Trees

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran. 

 I haven't written anything on the blog for a long time and the thing I have genuinely missed the most is these Living Arrows posts. It's so nice to take some time out to look over the pictures from the week and choose one that reflects Iris enjoying her childhood, now more than ever. 

Living Arrows | Bright Sunshine-y Days...

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.

Thankfully the weather has drastically improved and we've been spending every spare second outside, playing and sorting out the garden borders. 

Living Arrows | Rain Does Not Stop Play

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

It's been 3 months since my last Living Arrows post and I can't quite believe the difference in Iris. She seems to have grown so much both physically and mentally. She's no longer a baby and is now a fully fledged toddler. She's learning to speak with such ease and clarity it really does amaze me. My favourite words this week have been dinosaur and mammoth. Like most people the weather has kept us indoors this last week so we've been doing a lot of indoor play and I've discovered some amazing play accounts on Instagram. 

Living Arrows | Freedom

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran

When it comes to children I think freedom can be a confusing thing. Does too much freedom create unruly children? Does too little create timid children afraid to reach out? I don't have the answer but I know that throughout my childhood my mother managed to achieve a near perfect balance of freedom.

Living Arrows | Blood Isn't Always Thicker Than Water

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.

This is Iris with my mum and my mum's husband. He's been in our lives for about 7 years now. I was an adult when he entered my life and because of that I feel like I can't refer to him as 'my dad' but in all the ways a girl could need her dad this man has stepped up. He's been there for me through thick and thin. He's held my hand throughout a fair few mental health challenges, he's listened, he's talked and he's understood but most importantly he has embraced my daughter with a love that goes beyond the boundaries of 'mum's husband'. He's her Papa...he's our Papa and we'd be lost without him.

Living Arrows | Fun With Ben and Holly

Fun with Ben and Holly? An interesting title considering the look on Iris's face. She doesn't exactly look like she's having fun! This is one of my favourite ever pictures of my daughter purely because her grandparents had been telling me for weeks how much she enjoys 'the ride outside Iceland' and when I finally got round to seeing it myself this is what I was met with.

Living Arrows | There's A Toddler On The Loose!

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran. 

Back to blogging and back to our favourite post, our weekly Living Arrows photograph. A link up sharing a snap shot of life as a child and what better celebration of childhood than a family party where you get to put on your best party dress, your fancy new shoes and you get to strut (and I mean strut!) your stuff on the dancefloor.

Living Arrows | Finger (and face, arms, body and toe) Painting!

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran. 

In my mind this was going to be a lovely Pinterest worthy parenting moment. In reality the photo above shows Iris gagging from the paint she just ate. It's made a good photo but ultimately this wasn't the calm, methodical painting session I imagined, partly due to Iris being a little young and partly due to my completely unrealistic expectation!  

Living Arrows | All The Fun of The Fair

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran. 

The fair's in town! When I was a teenager the fair was the place to be, we spent hours stood around the waltzer making eyes at boys. I have such fond (and rather cringey) memories of the fair and now I get to add a new set of memories as a parent!

Living Arrows | Welcome To The Fun Palace

 'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.

This week's post is yet another one featuring our local library. I've always loved the library but since having Iris I've discovered so much more that it has to offer and i'm astounded that it's mainly free or amazingly affordable. These photos were taken at the annual Fun Palace that tours hundreds of places across the UK.