:A Frosty Celebration::

This is such a magical thing to do with children, the night before you are expecting a visit from Jack Frost.
All you need is some muffing tins or a round cake tin. Fill them with a little water then add some leaves and flowers. Drape string over the water in the muffin tins or around the edge of the cake tin and create a loop for hanging at the top. Then go out in the dark and put them in a frosty spot.
Next morning its so exciting to rush out and see what has happened. Ours made such pretty decorations, hung on the bare wintry branches of our favourite tree. Then you can watch them sparkle as the sun rises. So simple...but so very lovely!

::Fire::

Nature is such a gift for children. We spent a day playing in creeks and cooking food on a campfire.
Simple things and yet so rich. A chance for me to breathe out and reflect, while adventures were being had. Something wintry and lovely about the whole thing. And kind of nice to go for a walk in the dark with torches, then pile into the car and head home to our own warm beds....although I still entertain dreams of spending the night in swags by the campfire!

::On the trail::

We did a bit of walking, while we were away camping. Along

the Heysen Trail. I love the sight of both of my children

meandering along a forest trail. I have found that walking

is helped by little breaks. To sit and be in the beautiful

spaces that we find ourselves in. Sometimes I will have

little paper treasure bags, for collecting things or these

little sticky cards. To make patterns on with natural finds.

They are simply made, double sided sticky tape,stuck on a

piece of corrugated card. Easy to have in your back pack

for a moment when little quiet rest is called for.

::In the forest::

We went to the forest to camp, this past week. It is

no small undertaking, to go camping alone with two

little boys, but it has its rewards. I think that somehow

we all gained something in the beauty of that forest and

there were stresses that we were able to leave behind

too.

My boys spent ages doing the simple things that come

from being surrounded by nature. And I was afforded

the luxury to lay on a rug and look at the trees and sky.

A lot of reflecting happened on that rug and and lots

of breathing out.

::Easter-ish things::

A few little snippets of our Easter. The Easter tree, in all its

splendour. Beautiful needle felted Easter rabbit scenes care

of my friend Briali(or was it the Easter Bunny?!)

And origami Easter rabbits, which mark

my first foray into origami tutorials on You-Tube. Its worth

having a look at Origami on You-tube....thank you Anita!

For the first time this Easter I sincerely wondered how much

longer the Easter Bunny will call at our house, for my oldest

boy at least. *Sigh*.

Apples

Apple picking is such a lovely annual event. We have

been going for years, picking loads of apples that are

swiftly eaten by two perpetually hungry little boys.

Sometimes the apples make it into a crumble or we bake

them, but mostly they are just eaten and enjoyed.

I love the smell that a basket of freshly picked apples

gives to the house. And the lovely Autumn-ish feeling

of abundance and gathering in that they bring.

::A Birthday::

We celebrated a birthday last week and had a little

party. My oldest boy turned 9, which seems just a

hairs breadth from 10 really. How can this be??!

He is such a fabulous mix of growing maturity and

knowing, together with the freedom still of being a

child.

I wish I could show you photos of the merriment

at his birthday party. Of jovial little boys having fun.

We did such simple things, like bobbing for apples and

eating donuts on strings and luckily it was fun and

joyful and enough with out being too much. I must

admit to being a little relieved that it is all over for

another year!

Every year we seem to some how refine the whole

birthday celebration just a little. In the last little

while I have started leaving a trail of rose petals

leading to the birthday table. And also, to my

delight started wrapping the presents in pastel

play cloths instead of paper. Why didn't I do this

before??!

::5 Minutes Peace::

Just imagine a device that can at any given moment produce

three healthy ice-blocks in under 10 minutes. If this leads to

five minutes of peace, whilst these ice-blocks are consumed

you would consider it a worthy school holiday investment

really wouldn't you?!

We have had such fun with our ice-block maker these holidays.

Combinations we have tried have included: Strawberries with

vanilla yogurt (pictured), orange juice, with a slither of orange,

chocolate milk, with little cookies, fruit salad, various yoghurts

etc etc.

Because the ice-blocks freeze so quickly, there is no separation

of ingredients like you get with conventional ice-block making.

A worthy investment and perfect for us because it makes

three at a time!

:: One afternoon ::

Once in a while, an afternoon comes along that repays me for
a whole lot of slightly less lovely afternoons. The kind of
afternoon where I relax on my bed reading, as my children play
harmoniously. The kind of afternoon where, in between
chapters of my book, I watch a sunflower through my
window gradually unfold. Its the sort of afternoon I should
really make note of-in case I dont get another one in
the immediate future!

Baking

Sometimes when I bake with children, I want an edible result
in minutes. But other times, I am in the mood for a bit of
a process. These cheesy biscuits are great for that. You could
use any cheese biscuit recipe really, but one that retains its
shape during baking would be good. First you mix and roll and
cut out, then the fun begins. Paint each biscuit with egg yolk,
then provide a variety of seeds for decoration (I used sesame,
poppy, sunflower and pepita.) Little fingers love decorating
things...especially if they can be eaten later!

New Beginnings

You know, over the past few months, I wondered at
times if I was going to blog again. For various reasons I
wondered if blogging wasn't connected to a phase of my life
that might almost be over. But do you know what? I am not
totally ready to let it go. I need to draw my energy
back into my home and mothering for a while. And blogging
is sooo good for this. So very good. So here I am.

A Moment

The little highlight of my day. A moment of clarity and
beauty that somehow turned things around.
Fungi on a log, in the garden.

Winter

Could it be that I am wallowing a little
in winter?? Kind of savouring the whole
inward focus that cold weather, fires and
long school holidays seem to bring about.
Pausing for breath, remembering what
it is to feel relaxed.
To toast by the fire, stay in bed until
the sun is shining (when it does!) and
generally hibernating a bit.




And finding that spark of
energy and inspiration to carry me
forward,towards Spring. I have moments
of longing for Spring. Longing for bare arms,
swishy skirts and that lovely feeling of
blooming again. But not just yet. When my
winter work of reflection and transformation
has been done.

Beautiful winter Solstice Maiden care of
Briali (Thank you!)
Home grown love heart crystal care of
my children. (A lovely winter science
experiment using borax crystals and pipe
cleaners.....lots of recipes online.)

::Daisies and Lemons::

Something that I love about winter: the perfect match
that is *daisies and lemons* on the kitchen table.

You know as we sat down to dinner the other day at the
kitchen table. I commented on how lucky it was, to sit at
a table with beautiful flowers and a yummy dinner.
To which my 8 year old replied:
"No...I think its pretty normal actually...."
And do you know what, I am going to take that as
a bit of a compliment really.

::A few mothering truths::

I thought I would share with you a little quote from
"Mrs Miniver" about parenting. Which somehow sums
it up in such a truthful way. Its kind of nice to think that
little has changed in over 70 years really.
It begins just as Mrs Miniver has described the joy of her
children opening their Christmas presents.

"This was one of those moments, thought Mrs Miniver,
which paid off at a single stroke all the accumulations on
the debit side of parenthood: the morning sickness and the
quite astonishing pain; the pram in the passage, the cold
mulish glint in the cooks eye; the holiday nurse who had
been in the best families; the pungent white mice, the
shrivelled caterpillars; the plasticine on the door handles,
the face flannels in the bathroom, the nameless horrors
down the crevices of armchairs; the alarms and emergencies,
the swallowed button, the inexplicable earache, the
ominous rash appearing on the eve of a journey; the
school bills; the shortened step, the tempered pace, the
emotional compromises, the divided loyalties, the
adventures continually forsworn......."

You know, I think it would do me such a lot of good, to focus
on some of these parenting moments, that somehow repay
the whole endeavour with their loveliness.
I actually think that they would be little things, the cuddles
in the morning, the little kisses...the moments of quiet.

What would yours be??

::A little Autumn lovely-ness::

Autumn leaves, in a vase on the table.
I look forward to this every year, forget
flowers, leaves are so very beautiful too!

::Leonardo::

We went to see the most wonderful Leonardo Da Vinci
Exhibition today. And I marvelled at how beautifully
tailored it was, to the passions of my two little boys.
There was lots of turning of handles, whirring of wheels
and pondering at incredible inventions.
Before we returned home, to a flurry of constructing
and inventing, inspired by what we had seen.
For me it was an opportunity to see some of the incredible
expanse of Da Vinci's genius. To wonder at a man whose
work was so exquisite in both an artistic and scientific
way.
And I was left wondering if there was in fact
anything that Da Vinci didnt invent, 300 odd years
before it dawned on the rest of the world!
If you get the chance, do go and see it-exhibitions of
this quality, don't come round that often for children.

::Dough::

Ever wondered what happens, if you knead a wet dough in
an unorthodox fashion, do strange things with a credit
card-to make stars, heat the oven way too hot, spray it
fervently with water and leave your bread to bake.

Well you might just produce the nicest bread you have
ever baked. With a bubbly texture and crispy crust.
And what also if you accidentally spill water on the dough
whilst it is rising-and accomplish much of the above with one
hand whilst on the phone to a dear friend. Its re-assuring to
know that the result will be the same.
Further details can be found in this book. Along with lots of
extra inspiration.