A tiny bit of fun...

Leading up to Christmas, we looked at the not insubstantial
collection of wooden diggers, trucks and trains around the
playroom and decided something different was called for.
So this year, we took a bit of a gamble and
decided to give our two little boys a dolls house.

My dad very kindly agreed to make it and duly set to work.
The results were I must say rather lovely.....

I had a most enjoyable time making little bits and pieces,

buying a few items of furniture and a most beautiful tiny

family to live there.

And the result???? A dolls house that has been enjoyed by both

boys, perhaps a little more by the smaller of the two, but none

the less a welcome change from diggers....

Not in the least, I suspect for their mother.....

And the new little occupants you ask? How are they fairing?

Well its amazing what interesting little parallels develop......

Mama doesn't say, but I think she secretly wishes the

baby would go to sleep a bit earlier......

And the tree, now that the presents have been opened,

is looking a bit forlorn....

I suspect grandma and helper are planning

a bit of post Christmas fabric shopping

whilst the sales are in full swing.

Grandpa is quite frankly wondering where

his next meal is coming from....

And the boys have their own plans for the garden,

branches that need to be pruned and mowing to be

done.





All in all, I think they are hoping for a bit

of peace and tranquility to settle into

the new year and enjoy the beauty of their

new abode.

With two busy little boys at the helm,

I don't fancy their chances,

but we can but hope.......

A little merriment......

A few years back I was so glad to
discover a lovely little family ritual
for New Year in this treasure of
a book. Since then it has become
a firm favourite around here.....

It goes a bit like this.........
First we gather some flowers from
the garden. ( I so love the combination
of small children, pajamas and beautiful
mellow, early evening sunlight...)

We use these flowers, some stones and shells

to decorate a large bowl of water on the

table.

We gather round to write slightly silly little

clues on small cards. This involves lots of

whispering and excitement.

"Once there was a

little house

And in it was a

little mouse....."

Then there is a bit of a flurry of

secrecy while the treasure is hidden, the

cards are placed around the bowl

and the fun begins...

In turn, we each float a candle lit walnut boat in the water and

watch as it sails......the clue nearest to its final resting place,

then belongs to the owner of the boat.

There tends to be a bit of gentle encouraging of the

little boats on their voyage and general merriment as

they set sail.

Before we each read our clues and dash off to locate

the hidden treasure, which tends to be chocolate coins...




In future years, we might as the book suggests, include a

few more opportunities to predict the fortunes of the coming

year. Perhaps an Isle of Luck, a safe harbour etc , but it

is just right for us with little ones, in its simple treasure

finding form just now.

A lovely little celebration of the New Year really.

May you have a wonderful New Year, where ever your journey

takes you!

Summer love.....

Could there be any greater perfection
on a summers day than this........

So delicate, light and airy....

A perfect balm for the soul, a little post christmas

serenity really.......

A starry night......

A bit of a delight really, some wet on wet painting
in the morning.........



Some origami in the early evening.....with the help of a
beautiful tutorial .......and voila!!!

A starry, starry night......all rather
festive really !

Our tree.....

How I dearly love the smell of pine.
It fills the house with the most lovely
sense of anticipation and always connects
me with the beautiful, homely aspects
of Christmas......and the stillness, to which
I aspire.

First there was the little expedition on a
windy day, to find just the right tree....

Then all the fun of transporting it into

the house, with big strong arms.......



And the negotiations over just the

right spot.....

How exciting to discover that it is

the tallest one we have ever had ......

nearly touching the ceiling!

And that this year the ladder is required to

decorate it!



Which of course requires lots of careful climbing......

Before we light the carefully

positioned candles for the first time,

and sit back to admire how it transforms

the whole room.

My hope is that it will be the beginning of

lots of making at home. Baking gingerbread

and biscuits to hang up. Folding origami

decorations and indulging in some quiet

moments together........

A small thought......

Should you arrive home from
the grocery shopping , one rainy day.....
and feel like restoring some peace and
harmony to your hungry brood........might I
humbly suggest a candle light lunch?

Wonders can be achieved with a little
food and candlelight..........

A visitor....

Sometimes surprise guests can be just
so well timed. I love how a very mundane
morning can be transformed in a few seconds
into something extraordinary.....
Just how a giant stick insect ended up on
our back door, seems one of those lovely
childhood mysteries.......



And of course it has to be invited inside
for a closer look.......

How it climbs on its long legs......

And what funny places it ends up......

before we carefully put it back outside!

Cherry picking........at last!

Picking cherries has to be one of the true delights of an

an antipodean festive season. How it effortlessly

brings together summer and christmas is just perfect.

What magic the way the shiny cherries hang on the

the trees.....

And how lovely to be a child, to eat and eat, until the

juice runs down to your elbows....

Before you just go and pick another one...

And eat that too.....

How nice to wander through the orchard and hear all the

different languages spoken by the other families.....

And to perhaps eventually put some cherries into the

bucket to take home......



At the end of the day, its hard to decide really, which is

more delicious, the cherries, or some of the little pickers.....

But then of course I might just be a bit biased......

Silk worms.....

Well...today we got some silk worms. For the next couple
of weeks we will I imagine, be on the look out for
mulberry leaves to feed them. Before they spin their
cocoons and enthral us all with their incredible
metamorphosis.......

I truly believe that small children and friendly insects are

such a wonderful combination.

Together they create such wonder......

....And frivolity!

Before, (in this case !) their eggs can be conveniently

tucked away in a shoe box until next year.

What a great seasonal pet!!!

Advent adventures.......

Anticipation is a truly
wonderful, magical thing especially
for children. The beginning of advent
each year is such a lovely opportunity
to indulge in a little anticipation.......
of the very nicest kind.

On the first day of advent our children
wake to their own advent calenders,
made from ribbon and walnut shells
"What's in the walnut today...!" we wonder...
and my little boys snip off a walnut each from
their strands.
Rather fiddly to construct...... but they
look so lovely hanging up full of little
surprises.



The surprises are of course tiny, which is part of
the appeal.....and its nice to encourage my children
to take delight in small, inexpensive things.
Over the years we have included:
tiny silver bells, little felt gnomes, Mary and Joseph
made from bee's wax,crystals, tiny stones, beads,
balloons,feathers,tiny wooden pegs,thread and tiny
beads-to make a necklace, felted birds, a felted mouse,
marbles, glass butterflies.........



And of course various food treats......
It really is such a lovely, positive way to start the day,
one of those truly magical childhood things, which is
very much anticipated around here.



Its such a nice introduction to advent, and marks the beginning
of all the little traditions that unfold over the next few days.
I love to have little homely rituals, its times like these that
I feel so grateful for the integrity of the whole Waldorf approach to
family life.

Summer strawberries.......

There is such a lovely summer-ish feel to
strawberry picking on a sunny day. One
of the true delights of summer....
How wonderful it is to eat strawberries
when they are still warm from the sun and
to find them hiding under the greenery.

Sometimes if you find a really juicy one there isn't

even time to pluck it from the plant before it has to

be eaten. One of the true joys of being 3..........

And when the wind blows across the fields there is a

for a moment the smell of strawberries....what a joy!

Its such a nice celebration of plenty, to pick a big container

of strawberries, and of course to eat a few along the way...

I truly believe that connecting my children with nature

and the magic of how food is grown, is such a wonderful

gift.

And how lucky to find a strawberry field, in the nick of time

when the planned cherry orchard was all picked out for the day......

One of the little pleasures of summer really!

A country jaunt.......

What better way to spend a sunny late spring day, than
on a little jaunt in the country with a lovely friend! How
lucky to visit a beautiful artist's residence and stroll
around the lovely garden. To see beautiful paintings and
dream of globe artichokes and beautiful poppies and
geraniums in terracotta pots.... What an inspiration
and a treat !

A happy, sunny weekend to you!