Purple

It is beautiful up here. Not only for the roos, the chooks, the hills and the fresh air, but the comfort afforded from being surrounded by close family who 'get you'. I can hear my mum, my son and my step-son outside negotiating how they are going to transport this load of pine-needles to the labyrinth  while making sure there is enough room for both boys to have a wheel-borrow ride at the same time. "all-aboard".

I'm unsure if it is because this home is one of Erin's most favorite places in the whole wide world - ah his lovely hyperbole - but this trip has inspired in him many sensitivities. He is hurt by almost anything his step brother (3 years older) says. There have been tears, meltdowns, hiding under tables and behind beds, threats to run away and one very interesting talk while walking around the labyrinth this morning.


"It is like we are one family who has met this other family and I don't like it". Ah, two years of living together and the reality is starting to take form in Erin's head - and he doesn't like what he sees. Cue the 'blended family talk'.

"Do you know what a blended family is?"
"No"
 "well, do you know what it means when one thing is blended with another thing to make something else?"
"Like when you mix one colour with another colour and you get a different colour?"
"Yes! exactly" gotta love the opening here, "what are two colours that you like that make another colour?"
"Red and Blue make Purple"
"Great, so if you think of Tim (step-dad), Eva (step-sister) and Oliver (step-brother) as the colour blue and you and I are red, well now that the two families are blended, together we are Purple".
Ten minutes later and my Mum and Oliver have joined us. Coincidentally my mum was asking the rest of us what our favorite colours were and when it go to Erin's turn, he said 'Red and Blue' a fact I had forgotten. Then Mum said (without knowing the previous conversation) "Red and Blue make Purple"

GOLD!