The Simple Extravagance of Nature | A Byron Bay Sunset

T said he needed to walk on the beach.

Too much screen time up my sleeves - I readily agreed. We bundled our boys straight from the school bus and into Byron. They said The Pass. 

We parked at the top of the hill and walked the track down. The trees closing in on us brought an early darkness that spilt us out at the bottom onto the sand and the most sublime sunset.

Ohhhhhh...

T walked.

The boys ran. 

And I was lost in light and colour.

The sun set over the water, the sky blending from a golden yellow to fiery burnt orange and when it finally dipped completely beneath the craggy mountainscape of Mt Warning and I didn't think it could get more beautiful a wave of pink swept in from the right; it swept right around from Wategos beach and.. it turned everything into magic.

{ You can actually watch a video I posted on instagram that night if you like - turn off the sound; it was windy! }

Oh,
Mother Nature you are just SO sublime.
So heartbreakingly beautiful.

I am still in awe of the amazing theatre of colour that danced around me that night. These are the moments that stop us. That keep our eyes open and our hearts singing. That fill us up with reserves of bliss and gratitude for life. The extravagances of a life lived simply.

Where do you go to find your bliss? What fills you up and keeps you going? Please share :)

Amber. XO

183/365 Skater Days

2pm | Bangalow Skate Park. 

182/365 The Next Nick Kyrgios?

So, that was pretty cool!

Timing in nicely for us - 19 year old Australian Nick Kyrgios just beat world number one Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon this week - and Kingsley Tiger was at Tennis Camp!

And while I'm not sure that KT will ever meet those illustrious heights in his own tennis career I love that little moments like this; moments full of excitement and inspiration, might spark something - something unknown and invisible to us - in their tender hearts. Possibly setting them on their own life's mission.

And my mind leads me to think of Maria Montessori's words:

"The child is an enigma... 
he has the highest potentialities, 
but we do not know what he will be".

The concept being that we must never presume that what our children need is a replica of our own knowledge and experience. That we can not know the child's potential - for it is grander than our minds will ever imagine. 

But...

In reality, I often find myself doing just the opposite. Expecting my boys to do things the way I do them, expecting them to have the same priorities and needs, to listen to me even when I am completely aware that I am flawed in many ways - I may be a perfectionist but there is certainly no perfection to be seen!! Lol.  I feel like I am constantly torn between saving their potential and saving my own sanity! { No playing football in the house / Violin practice tonight no questions / Eat your vegetables / Blah blah blah ;) }. Oh God.

So I take a deep breath and remind myself that everything is going to be okay. Allow yourself to make mistakes and forgive them - and yourself - when things fall short of your own ideals.  Give them love, responsibility and opportunity but try not to stifle them with expectation or demands. Show them respect so that they can learn to respect themselves and others, and give them freedom  - with limits.

I wrote about the positive aspects to the challenges that parenting - and life in general! - throw at us yesterday too { My Firstborn Son } so I guess it's playing on my mind! It's not a surprise really seeing that it's the school holidays is it? Hahaha. We're all getting used to being with each other 24/7 again after our huge shift from home-school to school-life in the past few months.

Tennis camp is over and the wimbeldon-excitement is already fading from conversation. Today was all about handball, M.I. High, exploring the creek, eating lamingtons, playing with friends and highlights from the World Cup. Who knows what will steal their energy and minds tomorrow?!... but yeah, I'm looking forward to it :)

What is exciting and inspiring you and your family today? 

Amber. XO

148/365 Sunset Soccer Monkey Business

Hmmm, yes, that's my child. #monkey

121/365 Adventures Of A Soccer Mom ;)

Soccer season started today! Kingsley Tiger kicking' it for the Under 9's. Whoop!