Reuben in his new bedroom

We climb the stairs. It doesn't yet have railings so is precarious. Above us in the vaulted ceiling sits a chandelier, all sparkling chrome and glass, the one concession to simplicity in design elsewhere. We must wait a little longer before the boys can move upstairs to their big new bedroom bathed in light which they will share. I dream of them signing and chatting away on school nights when they should be asleep. A large window looks to the south, three windows face the setting sun, a skylight in the vault above our heads and a door to the balcony which also needs a minimalist balcony which I'm yet to find. I crave light and the addition has poured it into the otherwise dark downstairs in beautiful abundance. The walls are eau de nil.

When returning from the UK, I bought a collection of Mamas & Papas bedding and bunting from the UK in Gingerbread, a white base with splashes of green, red and blue. I show Reuben where their little beds will be by placing the duvets down and he signs and says "Calla bed", "Reuben bed". I think he likes it, don't you?

There hasn't really been the opportunity before to create a nursery with our medically intensive lives, and the lack of previous space with Callum still beside me, yet now my boys are toddlers, it feels wonderful.

Yet I wouldn't take away the nearly two years that Callum has woken up beside me. This morning at 7am after I'd been up working til the early hours, he let out his usual "I'm awake" whine and I pulled him in alongside me.

"What does the A say?" I sang.
"Ah" he replied, and the sweet, still sleepy love continued all the way through to "Z" very well, albeit that the "D" is never sounded as "duh" always "D" or "Deeweee...."

In the new bedroom, I look forward to a wall of photos on white frames, almost white passe-partout, playful shots, ones which make me smile.

Callum is chanting ABC, XYZ again down below wanting to come up too whilst munching on a huge organic apple.

They're hard work at times, but boy I love my boys.

Did a whole load of catching up last night. Feels good.
Aurora Joy at Audley End
1A
Shoulders
Jetlagged

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And now at 1am, I've just finished making a book for Aurora's birthday of her portraits taken whilst we were at Audley End with the family and out for a walk in the wheat fields by Mum & Dad's.

PS I you want to see the bedroom, it's here in a bubble.