I say to Callum as we leave our weekly family dinner, “Say good bye to Pop,” and he hides his face in my leg. It’s too hard. A day later, his craft cat mask is ruined thanks to a brotherly dispute, and he agrees it’s time for it to go […]
I recently wrote about the things apart from family and friends which we will miss about Australia. Here are some non-relationship things we’re looking forward to about Tanzania: Having happier skin. Adelaide really dries out your skin! The little boys pick their noses incessantly because they feel so dry. My […]
With the countdown to our return to Tanzania well and truly on, our headspace is shifting. Arthur and I are speaking Swahili to each other again; the little boys are asking, “can we make X food in Tanzania, or is that just an Australian thing?” We are longing more acutely […]
We are back in Australia physically, and trying to drag our heads and hearts here too. When we got into Adelaide airport, our Elliot started singing Australian folk songs and saying, ‘G’day mate’ to people. They think it’s weird; he’s reaching for the little he knows of Australia. Callum was […]
8 years ago when I was studying biblical Hebrew, we read Psalm 46, famous for “Be still and know that I am God” but it was verse 2-3 that I remember so vividly: though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters […]
Once upon a time there was a little dragon called Elliot. He lived in a cave with his Mama Dragon, Dadda Dragon, and little brother Callum Dragon. Elliot was a golden dragon and Callum was a pink dragon. The family loved each other very much and most of the time […]
Last night I wiped the tears and kissed the cheeks and hugged the skinny little body of my anxious three-year-old, who as he thinks about our trip to Australia, is constantly checking that Mama AND Dadda AND Elliot will be there too. “Please don’t leave me,” he sobbed. This is […]
