Sunday 27 January 2013

4/52

'A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013'.

Gus - consulting his map while out riding earlier in the week.
Felix - my baby who wouldn't ever sleep anywhere but in his own bed and who rarely sleeps in the car managed to nap on the bicycle today.



Sunday 20 January 2013

3/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013."

Gus - spinning around and around and becoming very dizzy at Avalon Park
Felix - investigating how slime drips, slips and plops on the ground



Friday 18 January 2013

Last week of kindy holidays, sigh...

Well, the last week of holidays is upon us and it is with mixed emotion that I begin the preparations for next week. We seem to have all enjoyed and benefitted from the unhurried and easy pace of the break with lots of daytime slumbers, sleep-ins (yes 6.30 am is a sleep in here), PJ days, building fires, roasting marshmallows, rainy days with old movies and other such fun things.

So we spent this last week having all kinds of fun before the humdrum of routine returns:

1. Making playdough and learning about colour. We all now know how to make the colour brown (something I didn't know).
2. Felix making "hagetti" with said playdough. Love his facials!
3. Stuck between the water tank and the clay bank - Gus and Marama went that way so Felix had to as well.
4. Mixing up slime!
5. Playing with said slime. Such wonder and amazement in his eyes and smile! Gorgeous wee man.
6. Gus is starting to become interested in spelling his name and this lovely old typewriter is just a different way for him to experiment with letters. Loving it!

Xo













Saturday 12 January 2013

2 years old today

Happy Birthday Felix!

 Laughing out loud at the "Wheels on the Bus" musical birthday card from Grandma and Grandad

 Big brothers are so useful if your legs are a little bit too short to reach the pedals

Exploring the playdough station - check out those filthy hands and face surely a sign of fun times had

 Bubbles are always a hit!

 A moment to reflect, "Hmmm, orange or blue pebble next?"

 A family portrait

Our tired pepi just before bed (I did wash his face and hands, and take off his dirty shirt before bed!)

Our Felix - you certainly are our happy one as is the meaning of your name.  You have grown into such a wonderfully funny, cheeky, mischievous and happy boy.  Even when you're stomping your foot, telling me off and being an absolute monkey, you still make me smile (although its on the inside so that I don't encourage your mischief making behaviour).  Always my bubba!
--
What a wonderful day we shared with our family and friends.  As I looked around our backyard in the midst of the busyness of 15 children and the great many adults that had gathered to share this special occasion with us I felt so blessed.  We have only lived in Wellington for two and a half years and yet we are so very fortunate to have met and become friends with many generous and caring people.  These people have greatly influenced our lives and contributed to making us who we are through their support in moments of need and in the pleasure of their company. Thank you to each and everyone of you. Xo

2/52



"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

Gus - adored the hat that Nanny and Pop gave him for his birthday (only 3 months early!) They were too excited to wait.
Felix - my sweet little boy seems to always have bumps and bruises on his forehead at the moment.  I do hope this phase passes soon.

Tuesday 8 January 2013

What I'm reading

Wendy's Nissen's Mother's Little Helper - I've borrowed this book so many times from the library that Mum and Dad took pity on me and brought me my own copy. It is my go-to book for natural solutions for so many things:  nappy wipes to oven cleaner, anti-bacterial spray to sunscreen.

Mary Sheedy Kurcinka's Raising Your Spirited Child - I've read so many child raising books and drawn upon my own knowledge as an early childhood teacher but nothing has been as helpful or has rung as true as this book. Will have to return it to the library one day!

Hadley Fierlinger's Vintage Knits for Modern Babies - Trying to decide what to knit for a friends' baby. I have knitted so many things from this book and it is definitely one of my favourites.

Sarah Napthali's Buddhism for Mothers of Young Children - This book helps me to remember to keep calm and slow down.

Jude Blereau's Coming Home to Eat, wholefood for the family - This is another book that I think I'll need to purchase as I perpetually have it on loan from the library. So much knowledge about food and what is truly good for you and what is not.

Mosab Hassan Yousef's Son of Hamas - Wow, what an interesting read. A friend recommended it to me and in those rare moments when I have a moment to spare, I feel compelled to pick up this book.

Erika Knight's Natural Nursery Knits - Another of my favourites, especially the bird mobile pattern which I've made a number of times. It is such a gorgeous baby shower gift and I've even used one of the birds as a Christmas decoration.

Annabel Langbein's The Freerange Cook - Annabel Langbein is fast becoming my new Donna Hay and for those of you who know me, you'll know how serious that is! I just adore her simple recipes with easy to find and no fuss ingredients - and the ultimate chocolate cake is to die for.

Donna Hay's Kids Magazines - Felix's birthday and party are on Saturday so I've been scouring my trusty favourites for ideas. Can't go wrong with Donna Hay!

Monday 7 January 2013

Marmalade, jam, jars, seaweed and sauce

My very thoughtful parents gave me a bunch of preserving tools and a preserving bath for my birthday, so with fond memories of Nana's enormous preserve cupboards in mind, Grant and I undertook our first attempt at preserving. And what a success it was! Our tomato sauce is delicious complete with the odd seed hidden amongst the sauce - just like Nana's. We did run into a few hurdles along the way, with the first being that we we halfway through making the sauce when we realised that we didn't have any bottles! One desperate phone call later and a quick dash to a friends' house and we were sorted.

But then what to do with six litres of tomato sauce? Well we surely owed Annabel some for the bottles and our neighbours who had only days before gifted a jar of their homemade orange marmalade. Another bottle also for Mum and Dad who are today bringing us some homemade strawberry jam and seaweed fertiliser. It really makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside to share our wares with friends, family and neighbours and it is such a nice way to enjoy the abundance of others. I'm planning on offering a bottle of sauce to our neighbours too once their walnut tree is ready to drop its walnuts! Cheeky I know. Xo

Sunday 6 January 2013

1/52



"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, for 2013"

Gus - providing comfort in a moment of need.
Felix - sticks, leaves, shells, stones.... There is always something to collect.