Ember’s second Christmas. Warm, relaxed and slightly hazy with NSW’s bush fire smoke. Life is simple and wonderful through the eyes of a toddler. Nothing more joyous than playing with new old op-shop toys whilst eating pancakes on the kitchen floor.

We gathered masses of raspberries from the garden, sticky hands matching sticky faces. This time of year even the berry patch is reveling in excess.

A Christmas BBQ at the Royal Children’s Hospital Playground with family. It was the perfect time to visit Ember’s second cousin, the wards overflowing with kind people and Christmas spirit.

Indulged with love and presents, belly full of good things, this happy toddler ran through glistening water drops. Adorable in her new bathers from Aunty and Uncle, curious and carefree.

It has become a tradition, as the day winds down, for us to visit Farnham St Community Garden. The streets are quiet and the sun in washing the food forest in a golden glow.

Ember wanted to play and play and was not interested in a photo with her mama. We had to distract her with a little red apple off one of the trees. It would have been too sour for me, but she declared it “num”. It is gorgeous acting like a kid again, being silly, carefree.