A letter to my girls about our dog walk

Dear girls,
Thank you for coming on the dog walk today. It was fun. That is, until it ended in you getting cross with me. I refused to come into Waitrose because supermarket shopping with you is stressful enough, let alone when you’re already cross with me and I felt it best to bail out. I did still trust you with my contactless credit card. You see dear daughters, I do trust you. I trust you, even though on the walk you told me that when I gave you train money in cash that you hadn’t spent, you pocketed the change each week. I choose to just see that as me helping you to save your pennies and put it towards a good cause – like more clothes for your summer holidays. We laughed when you told me that you are working on your turkey body. I wondered why you wanted to look like a turkey, until I realised you meant the country. I reminded you to walk into your buttocks – a favourite phrase of mine when we’re walking the dogs. It’s normally partner who hears it, but today, dear daughters, it was you who got the benefit of my wisdom. All that work you are doing at the gym and a dog walk can also give you the buttocks you desire. Both of you complained that your wellies itched the whole way. I told you it was the leggings reacting with the plastic, so you pulled your leggings down and hoped no one was watching – only me, laughing. You commented very sweetly how kind the river looked. I was struck by how lovely that phrase was. I laughed when you asked me if we were getting closer to the rec and I thought you said Iraq, as we crossed the airstrip.
Dear girls, I love spending time outside with you walking. It’s when things get talked about that normally get passed over, unsaid, thought of as unimportant so not bothered about. But the things we talked about on our dog walk today are the things that make you, you. The details, the throw away comments, the heartfelt words. The things that touch my heart, but you would not understand why. Like you chatting about the new skirts you are buying from American Apparel, from China. What size to get? You are both getting the same skirt and your cousin too. It makes me smile because you fight over clothes all the time, especially when one of you buys the same item as the other, so I loved hearing you chat about the same skirt together.
So thank you girls, for being so refreshingly you and for sharing yourselves with me on the dog walk this morning and for not taking the piss with my credit card (although Greek yoghurt with honey and fresh pasta were not on the list).
Much love,
Mum xxxxxx