science day

The kids had a great time at a science day for homeschoolers recently. With mixing, touching and watching, it was a hands-on delight.

a moment

...to remember

favourite things

~ thrifted pure cotton tablecloth ~ warm sun on cooler days ~ kids crafting ~ soft snuggles ~ thrifted box to put nature finds in~

Happy Weekend to you friends!!

all in a week

- two sick children
- one sleep-deprived mama
- a 7hr trip to Bellingen (with 2 stops), four children in the car, two sick and one grumpy mama with her headphones listening to new downloaded music on her iphone so she couldn't hear the winging, bickering and general noise of four said children.
- a 20min rain forest walk with natural sculptures to view along the way and many amazing trees that helped soothe the grumpy mama; and give three wild and precious children a chance to run around breathing in the beautiful fresh air. Alas, one little three year old girl cried and cried as she was feeling miserable and needed her mama to carry her which in turn ended up with mama crying as her back was in I'm-not-going-to-be-strong-for-you-anymore-mode. Thankfully kind nine year old girl rescued mama's back for a few minutes anyway and piggy-backed the now tantruming three yr old the rest of the way to where we all enjoyed some yummy thingy at the kiosk (coffee for mama).
- one freezing night in country house in Bellingen with no sleep for mama because of two sick children and now sick mama
- one amazing fire that three clever children helped build that warmed up country house and helped us all feel alot happier.
- a new pair of groovy red shoes for mama
- lots of coffee in Bellingen for mama
- a visit to three second-hand stores where mama scored and this made her very happy
- a flu-stricken, back-aching, not-enough-sleep mama trying to drive back home to Brisbane, falling asleep on road: and so thoughtful husband books her into Byron Bay for the night where she and children all have ice cream for dinner and end up watching Australia's Got Talent on TV cosied up in bed together.
- breakfast on a cold windy morning in Byron Bay with my two girls.
- two days of bed and sleep for exhausted mama once finally home.
- mountains and I mean mountains of washing that needs folding, needs washing and needs putting away because the washing machine is out of action as termites have been found in laundry and laundry had to be dismantled to deal with those naughty little pests.
- friends who encourage and love with kind words and acceptance at what I can and can't manage.
- two excited boys spending some days in Sydney without there mama
- one wonderful and kind husband who made veggie soup for his sick wife so she didn't have to worry about dinner.
- seven adorable and growing fat playful puppies who bring smiles on every ones faces

weekending

Is full of playing with puppies. And cleaning-feeding, cleaning- feeding.

Morning Cuddles

This is the whelping box our 7 puppies live in, and for a large part of the day our 4 children...and me too.

she cooks and its good!

My girl can cook.
Its so wonderful because we've got to the place where I can ask her 'how bout something for afternoon tea' and she's excited and 'yes, mum I'll make scones'. Woo hoo because I don't have to do it. I actually love to cook and have always baked with my little ones but you know, its so nice to share the load.
And she does such a good job!!

Bring on the learning revolution!

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution! | Video on TED.com

getting out in nature-

does me and mine SO much good.

Clears the head, energises bodies.
Eyes widened with the beauty of greens.
Heart wonders at the patterns and textures that surround.
He feels closer or is it that I'm more in tune with his song...

the girls...

I do so love these other girls of mine in particular our very tame Apricot. She will often sneak her way into the house and look around for a place to make herself at home. From somewhere someone will shout 'chicken in the house!' and the clapping of hands along with the chanting 'out out' will follow. Apricot has a particular fondness for Isabella's kitchen sink so much so that on one occasion I found an warm egg in it not long after her being shooed out!!

stopping to make messes

Sometimes during the busyness of our days the really important things can get lost in the urgent and its during these times that I'll stop what we're all doing, gather a bunch of 'junk' on the table, then we talk and make.
On this particular day it seemed that a floating device was the theme (apart from Bella who was happy gluing). And so we connect amidst the messiness of making nothing in particular....

more puppy love

Oh how much are we loving these puppies! Very much, in fact the children have named them (I did get to name one-the runt) all and know them I'm still getting a few mixed up but I do know who Sarah its not hard to work out that one. There is also Coco, Terance, Chubby, Tiffa, Zara and Timmy. And yes it is going to be hard to see them go.

corners

monday :: through the lens

weekends are for-

watching shadows

what i love...

Some of the childrens drawings. The one at he bottom is a drawing of Mama and Zach. It was a card he gave me on my birthday. I love it so much that I've stitched it. I'm not sure what I'll do with it but it felt good to do. And how about those berries of power..mmm I think I'd like some of those on hand.

brotherly love

I was sorting through some paper piles ( a never ending task) and came upon these birthday cards from the kids to Zach on his birthday. I can't tell you how these cards make me smile and make all the yukky days fade into complete nothingness. When it feels like their is no progress in the bickering, hitting , name calling area and then all on their own a moment of heartfelt love and appreciation flows forth , well its just about all i need to keep keeping on with encouraging to patience, self-control etc cause deep down they know and I know that love binds us all and in all the crappy moments their is still love.

Corners

The kids open the linen closet and hastily pull out sheets and blankets. Its cubby house building time and that means mama letting go and watching as they learn to navigate their differing ideas, compromise and work together. This particular structure lasted a couple of days until my frustration at not being able to get in their room became a little too much. This was no ordinary cubby. It had all my scarves, ribbons and ties, all sorts of fabric tying it to different corners of the room. And at night it became a dark cave to sleep in...or not sleep but stay up playing with torches.