Sunday, November 30, 2008

Seasons: Wisteria

16th September:



11th October:




4th November:

Just because... I wish I could have smell-o-blog....




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Saturday, November 29, 2008

Seasons: Kids Gardens

One thing that paying attention, blogging and reading blogs has brought to my attention is the seasonal changes that happen and those within the seasons as well...

10th September;



12th October:



6th November:


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Friday, November 28, 2008

Lucky!

Kieran won a box of Weet-Bix Fruity from playing Stat Attack on line....

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Thursday, November 27, 2008

Pops and Stripes

I'm just 'popping' in and I think after that I may be quiet for a week or more... though I do have some cool Christmassy stuff set up.

And why?...

Merenia has the "Chicken Pops" Here she is eating dinner tonight this is the starting picture... those spots (that you can't hardly see) on her chin nose and chest are just the tip of the iceberg and it's not actually why I took the photo....


I actually took the photo for the toast- are we the only family that calls this stripey toast Jenga Toast?

Just a phase..

Children go through a lot of phases;
  • There is that initial phase where you can't sleep when they're awake and you can't sleep when they're asleep because a) you wanna watch them all the time and b) you are scared witless they may stop breathing.
  • There's the I'm just going to cry and cry for no discernible reason phase.
  • There's the feel like you are living at Cobb & Co. when the only things your darling child will eat are Chicken nuggets, fish fingers and spaghetti bolognaise in the manner of a revolving kids menu horror.
  • There's the "I do it!" phase where you have to allow an extra half an hour for tasks that previously took 30 seconds or less.
  • The you do it phase where the baby throws their toys out of the cot/highchair/car seat/push chair repeated- and someone picks them up- You do it!
  • There's the butter doesn't melt stage where your baby tries his hand at amateur electrician and chainsaw juggling and you almost let them continue because they are so darn cute!
Currently we are in the most sickening, nerve wrenching, heart rending phase also knows as the

Talent Vs. Balance Vs. Gravity phase-

Will has the talent to pull himself up on- the couch, the fire guard, the TV Cabinet and, amongst other people, me.

But he has yet to master balance and 'getting back down' and so loses every time to GRAVITY.

Putting the other people in this house in the 'catch it or hug it phase'.... meaning on one hand that our reaction speeds are being tested severely and on the other hand that a large thud is closely followed by loud wailing closely followed by hugs, (only mums will do)!

Followed by the occasional wondering... ... is there a bruise? ...does he seem kind of sleepy/woozy? ...Is there a lump? ...is he concussed? ...does he have brain damage? All great stuff... not! You imagine yourself at Starship wondering if they think you did it to your child.

I just keep repeating; This too shall pass!

Hide and Seek

This is the madness that takes over our house most mornings.....




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Wednesday, November 26, 2008

The Power of Lists

The time when I have worked best is when I am working off a list... I have MANY lists but my most basic day-to-day list is usually written in a small notebook and contains a list of around 10 items that I hope to achieve that day. I generally won't get my whole list done but I do get more done than I would have had I not written a list. Provided of course I actually take the time to read the list- lately I have been failing on that point. Blogging I'm fairly sure was NOT on my list for today.

I also have a list called '@errands' (Get Things Done followers will recognise that terminology). It is a list of stuff I want to get when I am out shopping. This list has been incredibly helpful for me this year. I keep it in my purse and when I remember I refer to it.... you know how you keep meaning to buy for example cord clips to tidy that mess behind the computer or whatever it is on your list that isn't essential and doesn't immediately spring to mind - I mean lets face it the only time you remember that you need the cord clips is when the baby is under the computer desk nibbling at the cord and trying to unplug your link the the WWW... and that is unlikely to happen in the middle of the Warehouse or at Countdown on a day when you have a little spare cash. It is a very handy little list...The master is on my computer I update it probably every 3-4 months- and find much to my surprise that I can cross off most of the list. Sweet!

Another list I have is my wishlist... and this is where list power has been most fortuitous for me this year. On my Wishlist is mostly scrapbooking stuff and other BIG stuff that we seem unlikely to be able to afford.... On my wishlist at the start of this year was a People Mover and a Craftrobo... these are both things I would not have expected to get in 3 years let alone this year and yet here I am and by the Power of Lists I now drive a kazillion kids around in the 'Mother-Trucker' and am the proud owner of a dusty craft-robo I haven't yet found the time to use.

In the next week or so I have plans to write a blog post with my Christmas 2008 Scrapbookers Wishlist and another about my personal wishlist and put the new items on my list into the internet cosmos to see what 2009 may bring me through the Power of Lists.

Just one more

I think... Photos I love



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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Maybe you had to be there...

The conversation in the car on the way to school went something like this... please insert funny accents- Finlay's is natural and mine was like some warped Scottish Mama from the Bronx (don't ask!) NB; He calls me Mama because he reckons that it's Will saying all this not Finlay himself.

F: Speed Mama Speed!
Me: I can't speed or I'll crash into the car in front!
F: Take him over Mama take him over!
Me: I can't take him over or I'll crash into the car on the other side of the road.
F: Bake me some cookies Mama Bake me some Cookies!
Me: What 'cha talking 'bout boy I don't bake no Cookies!
F: Take me down town Mama, down town!
Me: Wha??
F: Take me down town Mama down town!
Me: What cha wanna go down town for boy?
F: I wanna go to the toilet.

At this point everyone in the car loses it to giggles (except Will- humour is wasted on babies!)
Once we've nearly calmed down...

F: Now that's Comedy!


You Brush your teeth- ch ch ch chch ch ch chch ch

Now that he has them (4) we thought we better....



Little gifts for special people...

Yet another of last weeks accomplishments....

These are a development on the ones I did for the teacher gifts....


Don't they look yum enmasse like that?!

The paper is Kaisercraft.

I have put them all on this groovy mobile.
They are all individually named/

They are for the very coolest Starbucks Barista's around at SB's Westgate.

More cool photos


Monday, November 24, 2008

Worm

I just liked these pictures that I took when I was out with Will so I'm sharing...



A Christmas album

This past week I have been working on a bunch of stuff including this mini album which will be an ongoing project.....

It's all about how we decorate our house at Christmas and what we decorate it with...




It gives brief details and dates of the decorations we have- what, why, who, where etc

Each year we add a decoration or two to our tree for Saskia. Each of her pages have the little S symbol you see on the right below.

The whole album follows this very simple layout. And I will add to it each year.
Sweet.



Sunday, November 23, 2008

And his first word is....

on video... Yay! We have heard this word a few times over the past few days but Yesterday it most certainly became official and was used many times I love the little 'thss' sound at the in because 'da' is so hard to say. It's not that first little teak sound it's the second more deliberate one around the 6 second mark....

It's finished!

Yay! Les brought home the printed pages of my Week in the Life album on Thursday night so I stayed up a little too late sticking them in the album.....



Yay!

I also finished Kieran's Camp Mini album. Which isn't so much an album as some photos stuck in a book with some very eloquent words (that Kieran wrote) and some pictures from the camp workbook and the odd bit of coloured card. But it's done- done I say! And 50 photos in a book you can read is better than 50 photos in an envelope in my scrapping cupboard- that is for sure.

Yummy Flowers...


I just love this little series of pictures from Thursday afternoon after school....







Can ya see the little yellow petals on his chin?

That's babies for ya.