"When they're gone, they're gone!"

I do my damndest to ensure that the photograph I choose for each post, has some bearing at least to the drivel that I write.

I struggled however, to find a picture for todays offering. Not because I don't have any suitable photographs, au contraire. As you fully appreciate by now, I post no picture that gives any indication of what my children look like and so this photo of Joseph's right foot and Annabel's left foot was the best I could come up with today. For your information, I took this photograph on the 13th of April 2006, nearly 3 full years ago (their feet are a lot bigger now).

Before I get into bed at night, I still pick up Annabel's limp, sleeping form and sit her on the toilet. She sits there, eyes closed, scratching her leg or her back and generally wobbles around a bit, before I carry her back to her bedroom.

Depending how tired I am, just prior to putting her back in her bed, I stop in front of her cupboard mirror. I turn so I am facing it (and she has her back to it), with her head slumped on my shoulder and I smile at how much she has grown and then I gently lay her in her bed before covering her up.

Tonight though, I caught my breath.

She has grown so much it hurts.

With this thought in mind, I sat down and started looking back through some pictures of when they were both very small.

Mistake!

As those of you who have children of your own will testify, the lump you get in your throat just by looking at old photos of them is a difficult one to get rid of.

*swallows hard*

G'night.