Tuesday, November 30, 2010

another day off

Due to the weather school was cancelled again today, and I have to say I am really enjoying our little unexpected holiday.
So are the kids.. making dens...
... eating toast and recycling last years Christmas cards...

...watching the snow falling down.


Luckily little lost unicorns don't mind the snow, so we had one visit... it likes chocolate brownies :-)
I'd better go and get on with some knitting, I want to finish a certain project before the arrival of a certain someone tomorrow :-)

Monday, November 29, 2010

white fields

White Fields
In the winter time we go
walking in the fields of snow;
Where there is no grass at all;
Where the top of every wall,
Every fence, and every tree
Is as white as white can be.
Pointing out the way we came-
Every one of them the same-
All across the fields there be
Prints in silver filigree;

And our mothers always know,
By the footprints in the snow,
Where it is the children go.
James Stephens in Bedtime Rhymes






I think this is about the cutest ever snowman, Rebe called him Bill.



He looks like he's peering into the sky to see if there'll be anymore snow.


Benny discovered a great game, rolling ever growing snow balls down the hill and jumping on top of them as they went.

weeee over he goes!

And while we were doing that...

Joa stayed in and practised being grown up!


snow!

Look what we woke up to this morning... A thick blanket of soft, very cold snow!

I was woken at 2am this morning by a certain small someone and straight away i knew it had snowed. The world changes somehow with a covering of snow; the light is different even the street light. This kind of snow is unheard of here at this time of year (in fact we almost never get snow). It's very exciting, although school has closed (I only found this out too late and Andy and Rebe are making their way there at the moment) and I am a little nervous about my mum's travelling here on Wednesday. I hope it'll be fine! Still I know we're going to have a great few days play outdoors!

Benny has been playing a lot with his doll at the moment. In fact he's been so loved he was in need of a wee stitch to repair him.
It's funny I look at the dolls I made for the kids last Christmas and I'm a little embarrassed by how poorly they are made and look (compared to what I have learnt to make now). I keep having an urge to make them new, more beautiful dolls but then I see how much they love Sam and Sally just as they are and I know I would never be able to replace them.
Benny has even taken to minding Joa's snuggle buddy when he's in the sling. He brought him on a walk to the woods yesterday when we were in search of greenery for our advent ring.


It has been very cold and all day yesterday the ice stayed on the paddling pool (that we had filled to make mud pies with). So the guys had a busy hour cracking ice (while Joa and I watched from inside with a hot coffee).

When they got in and thawed out we set about doing some crafting...

we rolled some bees wax candles (the black is the hair dryer we used to heat the sheets to make them more pliable).



They smell so sweet and lovely.

We were supposed to be starting on our Christmas cards but we got channelled into making these stain glass windows.

...and I made our advent ring, the first candle of which was lit at dinner time.
I'm sure I'll have some more snowy posts coming soon,
keep warm x

Thursday, November 25, 2010

shhh... don't tell Rebe

...but look at these buttons!! Peter Pan buttons from this shop on Etsy. I haven't shown them to her, though I'm dying to. I plan to knit her a green cardi with some kind of leaf design in the yoke (any pattern you know of?) with these buttons on it, a pure Peter Pan cardi. She'll love it!!

So what else have we been doing...
Benny and I have had some great mornings together doing lots of jobs before our walk/ outing.

Here we are making Bombay potatoes, bit of an unconventional way to make them but they were lovely.

I've been doing lots of crafting....



Knitting secret things...



Making custom order waldorf dolls.

Rebe has been her usual crafty, creative self...
a little paper kitten in a blanket with a pillow. (Melanie, I posted this for you, see how alike our first born girls are!)
We've been doing lots of playing...



Generally all is good here under rainbows, starting to get a little more sleep and getting very excited about a visit from Bubs next week and thinking a little bit more seriously about Christmas plans.
hugs x

Sunday, November 21, 2010

oot 'n' aboot (say this in a scottish accent)

Although the weather has been pretty rubbish this weekend we have been out and about every day. I am trying to get a bit of a better rhythm back into our mornings and this includes some outdoor time. We donned hats and mittens (these are from the Children's Year, where I am crafting along).
Off we go. Something we often do before we start our walk is to set a challenge or two; this time we had to find...


a daisy: check.

a yellow leaf: check



a snail: check


a slug: check

and a bee...I thought that was a little ambitious but Rebe insisted.

We stopped off at the Owl cafe on our way home
Benny was delighted running between the eagle owls who were taking their turns squawking at him.

and then we indulged...

I know, ice cream in November! At least I was sensible and had carrot cake.

We had a good splash about in a stream running down to the beach and got completely soaked but it was fun.

Tiring all this walking about.

To balance our 'out breath' being out of doors and active we did a fair bit of crafting (in breath)

I finally got around to sticking up our leaves that we had painted with bees wax a week or so ago to preserve them.


They look lovely and Benny spent most of dinner time giggling and pointing at them saying 'leaves falling down'.


Rebe had been doing some clay modeling and when I was clearing up I found Benny's work...lots of little snails.

I've been doing a few secret Christmas projects and also been working on a couple more dolls that I have been asked to make. Yesterday while the boys were sleeping Rebe and I sat up in the spare room crafting away and she made this little felt cat.

It's stuffed with wool and even had a basket and blanket.
Hope you all had a lovely weekend too x

Thursday, November 18, 2010

dinner

While I am making dinner this is usually how the conversation runs with Rebe:

Rebe: Mummy what's for dinner?
Me: Oh, noodles.
Rebe: What sort of animal likes noodles ?
Me: Erm, oh I think pandas like noodles.
Rebe: Ok pretend I'm a little panda who's lost and who has come for dinner.
She then gets into that animal mode; crouching on the floor mewing, or dressing up in relevant colour or in the case of the panda a bit of face painting... Dinner is never boring in our house with all the strange and unusual guests we have!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

boys (and a doll)

Oh oh oh I love my 2 boys... Here's one little boy who has recently had a development spurt wearing his lambie on his back 'just like Mummy'.
Here is the big boy using the little boy as a pillow. There has been much love between these two recently and Benny has been using the word 'brother' a lot :-)

And here is a little boy who is fast becoming a big boy. Sitting up!!


I finished this little lady last night and she's now for sale in my etsy shop. She's been long in the process and I have had a few changes of heart with her and lots of 'I need to start again's but she is now finished and I am happy with her. I think she's very celtic looking! I hope she'll bring someone much pleasure.


Now I'm off to cuddle those boys til their big sister comes home from school and then I'll cuddle her too!