school holidays

the list

tuesday :: cleaning and craft with Bella

A little picking of flowers from the garden and then arranging on a piece of contact, fold over add holes and ribbon and hang in window. Very satisfying for Bella and nice and easy for a sick of being sick Mama.

my happy ten.

Today the sky is the clearest blue, the sun is warm and there is the slightest most gentle breeze...such a perfect winter's day.
My happy ten for these days of winter....

* his voice as he sounds out the more difficult words and that smile when he gets it.
* knowing daddy's home for the weekend and there will be good times, good coffee and a more balanced household (also mama gets some rest)
* making space on the kitchen bench for the bread machine, using it for the first time in ages and loving the smell of warmth as it fills this space.
* hearing this new baby's heart beating, making all this yukkiness count.
* friends visiting- good company and yummy food by the fire!
* Oh the fire!
* making use of the fact that I need to constantly be eating to ease the nausea, by spending more time than usual in the kitchen trying new recipes...loving Donna Hay's Seasons for inspiration.
* school holidays start next week. We might get that chapter book finished.
* her latest- 'Mama, I know how to count to a thousand: one, two, skip a few, a thousand!!'
* Daddy and sons playing table soccor together, making loud, joyful noise.

tuesday :: cleaning and craft with Bella

 Again only a wee bit of cleaning, more of a tidy really  but yes definitely craft with my girl. After making some dough we made some letters together and baked them, when they were dry Bella had fun painting. She then spent time putting all her letters together to make her name and also some funny ones. A fun and easy craft to do for Mama and Bella.

last week

 Despite a nasty flu knocking us down I got to spend hours reading, playing UNO over & over, drinking lemon tea and just being with my boys. It was a disguised gift.

weekends are for

making soup

installing water tanks

trying new recipes and finding an absolute winner. Thankyou Jett!!

washing, brushing and just being with BJ

lazing in the sun together

working on his garden

racing down grassy hills, catching the light in those golden tresses

reaching up high to pick the best fruit

finding beauty outside in the small and below in the large

weekends are for being together, soaking in the warmth of the sun and eachother.

when life gives you lemons...

make lemonade.

Or lemon cordial.

Or Lemon tart.

Or Chicken stuffed with Lemons.

After discovering a Lemonade tree laden with fruit on the farm I spent a day squeezing and cooking yummy lemony things. I think the tart was the favourite and I couldn't believe how easy it was!
Zach took some of the Lemonade fruit and the cordial for his 'news' this week at school. And the kids have been enjoying  Lemonade with dinner all week. Jett is planning on making Lemon Curd this weekend which he is a bit of a master at, so I'll have to make scones or pikelets.
I'm on the hunt for more lemony goodness since we have a whole tree in the back that shouldn't go to waste...I'm thinking a Lemon slice next.

Pondering

This quote used in The  Ragamuffin Gospel........

Eugene O'neills The Great God Brown
"Why am I afraid to dance, I who love music and rhythm and grace and song and laughter?
Why am I afraid to live, I who love life and the sky and sea?
Why am I afraid to love, I who love love?"

today

 Gratitude :

Autumn Beauty :: 5

pumpkin soup

Autumn Beauty :: 4

outside brought in
time spent with little one making flowers

Autumn Beauty :: 3

gift from friend
still hard to believe feet that tiny will be held in my arms

Autumn Beauty :: 2

breakfast in a patch of warmth
sun coming up over mountains
stillness

Autumn Beauty :: 1

seeking beauty this week

as these first months of pregnancy yukkiness and challenges around the farm have got me down.

I love this time of year and as this is our first Autumn on the farm I'm opening my eyes and heart a little wider to see the beauty that sometimes passes by without me noticing.

The colors, comforting food, blazing fires, fresh crisp days...beauty to see and enjoy.

not ballet!

This little one has been asking to do 'Ballet' for  months and while I searched for somewhere not too serious she kept asking and reminding me. So when my Pilate's instructor (I've been twice so far) said she was starting  ballet lessons for her daughter and a few others, would Bella like to join in I thought it would be the perfect. I didn't realise it was going to real ballet and the teaching of positions..can you see how much she is concentrating? When she wasn't trying her best she was making faces at me that looked a little like 'rescue me! After  it was all done she announced that she would not be doing ballet, 'maybe when I'm 5' she says. Oh well, another outfit added to the dress-up basket. And how cute does she look especially with the texta that she decorated her face with an hour beforehand!

wish list

love this farmhouse kitchen sink

 

a wall of books with a cozy chair nearby..what could be better?

 

This is going on the Christmas List

 

Oh, what a dream, my own gardening room, no-one would see me for days.

Have a great weekend with moments of laughing, eating good food with those you love and plenty of cuddles with the little ones ( and the big ones).

the house feels empty

Some days my heart hurts so much. It's usually the days when I've managed to have no errands in town or no appointments at the school and I'm sitting in this big empty house. It's not really empty, there's Missy and Tommy, BJ, the chicks and the ducks ouside. It just feels empty. Its so quiet. I can hear strange creaks from the walls as if the house is talking. I hear the washing machine spinning the clothes to their death. A tap drips. I miss them.

I look up and see them in the frame and I wonder why, oh, why did I send them to school?!

This place begs for activity and creative pursuits, crazy running around and read alouds in front of the fire. Now that they are at school I feel I don't have time for any of that. I'm barely managing to make sure they have a clean uniform. Problems are cropping up that we never had to face when they were at home. So much is out of my control. The child who is so much more swayed that I realized, the other one who is so tired they aren't there usual easy going self, and the eagerness for the little one, only four, to be like the big kids.

It certainly  not all bad, there is so much goodness abounding for them. I just have these days sometimes. I miss them.

cuteness

These ducks have grown so fast and they are full of squeeky cuteness. While big sister gave their home a clean, the ducks got to come inside and have cuddles, to the delight of the other children.

a new skirt for Bella

I don't do much sewing but when I do I love the way children are so proud to have a 'Mama sewed all by herself' item. It draws me back to want to make things and try harder to carve out the time for Makin Mama time.