Mum, that's so gorgeous it makes me want to cry!

I am off on a work trip to LA next week for 5 days. I absolutely hate leaving Maddie and Simes and it has been causing me sleepless nights worrying about how Simes will cope looking after Mads all on his own and how Mads will feel when I a not there to tuck her in at night... so I decided to make Maddie a picture of her and I and put it inside a big pink heart to remind her that she is always in my heart even when we are apart. I gave her the picture when I collected her from Day Care on Friday evening and she just stared at the picture for about 5 minutes and then said... "Mum, that's so gorgeous. It makes me want to cry". Where on Earth does she get these lines? She is only 2 and three quarters but she communicates like she has been around the block once or twice before.

She has been dialing up the minxy behaviour ever since I told her that I would be going away for a few days. I thought it was a good idea to prep her by letting her know a couple of weeks before the trip, but it just seems to have made her more anxious. Our bed time ritual usually consists of:

- cuddles

- a wish for each other

- a prayer for the ones we love

- a quick recap of our favourite parts of the day

- more cuddles

- and one final statement... "I love you and I always will"

The bed time ritual has now become (all of the above plus)...

Mads - "I wanna sleep in your bed mummy"

Me - "No Mads, you sleep in your own lovely bed"

Mads - wild tantrum.

Me - exasperation / calm down cuddle.

Me - "Goodnight Maddie. I love you and I always will"

Mads - "You're just going downstairs mummy, aren't you. You're not leaving or going anywhere are you?"

Me - "No Maddie, I will just be downstairs with Daddy"

Mads - "Are you sure you're not going anywhere"

Me - "I'm sure Mads. See you in the morning xxxx"

Just to make things more unstable for her, when I get back from LA, I am home for 3 nights and then I am going on our company conference to Byron Bay for two nights. So God only knows what behavioural ups and downs we are all in for. I physically ache when I am away from my little family for more than a day. I know I sound terribly ungrateful and that there are much worse places that I could be going than LA and Byron Bay, I just feel this terrible sense of Catholic guilt about leaving Simes and the little lady.

I know Simes will more than cope. He is a truly amazing dad. I'm hoping that Mads will also come up trumps and behave herself for Simes. I think I am the one who is going to lose it most in this scenario!

Here are some snaps from Father's Day weekend. We were lucky enough to look after Daisy Mac on Saturday morning. She was an absolute delight and Mads thinks she is the bees knees! We love that little girl.

Love to all xxx