Busy busy busy

We have been very busy around here at the moment, preparing for the upcoming market, but still managing to play.

Myles (equipped with some sort of contraption on his head that either shoots or flies you some place grand), super-mum (decked out in her super girl cape for catching baddies that like to hit/pinch/scratch/pull hair/taunt one another whilst she isn't looking), and Fynn ( well...looking funny) in chalk.

For Sale:

A one bedroom fully furnished house (including a flat screen TV and hat rack), with kitchen, spacious living/dining area, decorative features, easy care outdoor area and swimming pool with diving board cleverly accessed from the roof of the house that allows you to dive over the double garage (that has plenty of room for your spaceship, mail delivery truck, motorbike, helicopter etc.....)

The perfect bachelor pad for three single Lego men.

Oh seriously this little house was so much fun to make and Myles has had such a crafty burst lately wanting to invent, make and craft with me....wooohoooo. We have seemed to of gotten over the angst that went along with doing craft for a while (more than likely brought on from me trying to hard to get him to do things he wasn't interested in to often) and since letting go of the idea that my kids would LOVE doing craft just as much as me, and doing things more tailored to his construction interests he/we are now enjoying the special time we have together in the day when Fynn is sleeping and he is actually asking to do craft - I wont say no to that and take this change of heart while I can no matter how much else I have to do.

Two Today

I love this beautiful little soul, each and every day he makes me smile. He is like a ray of sunshine when I wake each morning in my usual slow waking, grumpy way. We went round the table tonight and everyone had to say one word that described Fynn and everyone wanted to say funny or cute. And it's true he is just so funny and so cute. So cute I believe he gets away with so much more than he should at times - those eyes, those lips and that smile get me every time.

i love the way he says 'mumma'

i love his smile that puts a smile on every ones face

i love the way he moves my head to one side so he can put his head on my shoulder

i love the way he brings the sling to me when he's tired and wants a rest on my chest

i love the way he cuddles in to me when he is in the sling

i love to wake up in the morning and surprisingly find him in our bed after he has crawled out of his cot and navigated his way to our bed in the dark

i love the way he says 'uppy' when he wants to be held

i love his fearlessness and natural inquisitiveness

i love the way he says 'luv you to'

He is absolutely happiest out doors pottering around in the garden, riding his 'cooter' and playing with Myles, doing and saying everything that Myles does.

Tonight for his second birthday we had his favourite food for dinner - pasta and for dessert chocolate brownies with chocolate ice cream.

No matter how insane reality can be sometimes, my boys make the world feel delightful and beautiful.

to shop or not to shop

The other day whilst shopping I thought about how much I hate shopping with the kids, actually I hate it with a passion and will avoid it at all cost and try to be accompanied by another adult if possible or do it alone - the supermarkets set parents up for bad shopping experiences with their fluro lights and to easy to reach candy and matchbox cars. After being in the supermarket for 5 or 30minutes (time doesn't seem to matter) me giving in and giving the boys an entire box of crackers to devour, racing through the aisles not even looking at the specials grabbing anything off the shelves and not getting anything on the list that is either at the bottom of my bag never to be found again or left on the kitchen bench - I reach the checkout, red faced, flustered, heart palpitating and looking anxiously around for a sympathetic face but only seeing those older ladies giving me that look that clearly says "all that child needs is a good smack" I reach for the lollipops- feeling like the worst mother in the world- there is preservative number 128, 103 and 1111 getting licked up in a happy, yet quiet 5 minutes - just long enough to get to the car. The one consolation at our local supermarket which seems to make the shopping experience all worth it at the end is the huge super duper ramp you have to go down to get to the car park - it is perfect for trolley cart riding at extreme speeds, perfect just after a sugar high. The 6 year old comes out in me, I tell the kids to hold on tight, put all body parts in the trolley, pull my feet up and hold on tight whilst we take off down the ramp, manoeuvring the trolley past the shoppers coming up the ramp and making sure I brake in time before we hit the glass doors at the bottom. Giggles, laughter and screams of excitement block out the last 30 minutes and all that is remembered of the shopping experience is the trolley ride down the ramp.

this boy loves to build

Myles - He loves to build, to construct, and invent - he is happiest with a hammer and drill in his little hand (that can just hold on to them) and building something. Today he built an aeroplane from scraps of wood - very impressive, the other day it was a packing, picking and pruning machine. He has so many ideas and plans I thought a special book to draw all these was just the right thing for him at the moment - so he now has his own construction journal to draw all his plans and ideas in - and he is loving it. All he wanted from the library this week was a book on building, recycling and leaves. Somehow, with the help of the librarian whom he bravely asked for help we found one on leaves and recycling. However, for building I grabbed a few architecture books I had at work and we have been going through them looking at the different ways buildings are constructed and he has been drawing his own buildings from that - A "dinosaur castle" inspired by Gaudi and "Elmo's World" inspired by yep...Elmo.

A great weekend

Friday - Saturday

The 'long' weekend began with a 'long' Friday night getting anxiously prepared for the local handmade market where Tracie and I were selling our craftbags. The late night was well worth it and I enjoyed every moment staying up getting all the small details ready. There is something that happens to time when you do something you love - you loose it. Anyway, the market with its beautiful atmosphere set off by musicians, beautiful handmade goods and local produce was a great success and something that has been needed in Newcastle for such a long time. It has given us the encouragement, inspiration and motivation to keep on going with our ideas for the bags and more!

Sunday

On Sunday we ventured to the farm again to finish the last of the pruning and fire a list of questions to Richard (the current owner). I couldn't help but think how the place has changed since we have been going there. There is so much activity in the air - beetles, bees, butterfly's and other insects zooming around busily feeding and foraging amongst the sudden bloom of bursting buds and new growth all around. The photos I have taken from the house of nearly the same location in the beginning on the year to this weekend show the change in season and thus the change in colour perfectly.

JanuaryOctober

Monday

A rainy day spent indoors in our pajama's all day, cooking, sewing and trying to think of activities to keep the kids happy - so out came the bowls, the flour, out of date herbs, sugar and water and thus a glorious mess was made, covering every ones clothes, the entire back deck and tiptoed through the house several times to get more ingredients - because really who can make cupcakes with just flour and water - a lovely day.

Some Holly Hobby Sheets I had as a kid made into pajama pants for Fynn the glorious mess begins to evolve

Pushy bike ridin

Our car is broken, so today the kids and I were on the push bikes around town, having milkshakes, playing in the park and doing a couple of 'drop in's' on people - it was so much fun and Myles was so good on his bike.

On the bike you get to feel, see and experience the day in a different way- the colours, the smells, the temperature aren't blurred by window tinting, air conditioning and pine scented air fresheners. It was "such a beautiful day" in the sunshine under a bright blue sky, as Myles kept reminding me periodically throughout the day.

However, Ive got to say the slap on the cheek from a minor bird I received and the swooping magpies were not taken well - actually screaming and constant flinching at shadows followed and many,many questions about why they would do such a thing.

I felt at one point that I didn't want the car to be fixed and that I could get about on bike all the time - until reality set in and I started think about the rain, running late, tired bubbu's and the need to be somewhere that is greater than 10 kilometres away. However, the bikes are going to get some use this year as long as the magpies stop swooping us.

favourite ted's/dolls were along for the ride as well