By now you know I'm pretty uptight about things.
Routine after school is one of them.
It helps me to manage the whole homework, dinnertime, bathtime, bedtime thing without resorting to using illegal substances.
But I'm slowly learning that while routine is great, it won't kill me to just chill out a little bit either. I blame this radical attitude shift on sheer gratefulness in being back in my own home.
The last few days here in Perth have been unexpectedly hot. The air con is back on here and while it is truly magnificent, it's also responsible for the fine film of dust the offspring, husband and I are permanently covered in.
That's one of the gifts that keeps on giving from the renovation works. They are still carrying on around us so my life is a parade of painters, builders and carpenters for the forseeable future as well. Luckily we've learned to co-exist peaceably enough. They may even get a Christmas card.
So last night,
I didn't cook dinner.
I got some turkish bread, extra virgin olive oil and some dukkah and served it straight up.

Then I packed all 3 hot, over tired and super cranky small people in the car and headed to the beach.


And came home covered in sand, blissed out and super happy.
It feels great to break the rules.
Especially when they're my own ones.