cross stitch for small kids

Last week Andy brought home this little cross stitch kit he found for Rebe. She was so delighted and pestered me non stop to teach her how to do cross stitch so she could make the picture. We got all the bits out and we tried and tried but it was so difficult for Rebe.

The needle is massive and the holes of the cloth are just too small and close together. She got so frustrated and it just wasn't fun. So we put it away and I promised to come up with an easier way for her to learn before attempting the unicorn again.

While I was tidying up my airing cupboard I came across an old cellular blanket of Joa's and I thought 'Hello! This could work.'

I got an old frame left over from a canvas from my painting days, tied the corners of the blanket to it and voila, perfect for learning to cross stitch.

We used the big plastic needle from the set and some yellow (of course) wool. She got it straight away.

And actually so did Benny.

We managed a row before they went off to play something else, but it is something we can keep coming back to and working on. It will be nice that they will have a little blanket that they decorated too at the end of it (in about 7 years lol).

The weather is still wonderful here, lovely and warm and calm. But with warmer weather Rebe's skin gets dry so we started off some calendula oil this morning to make some more bear rub cream. The calendula petals are from the flowers we grew in the garden last year and dried until we needed them. These are now steeping in olive oil and we will leave it for a few days then make the cream.

Joa had his 9 month development check this afternoon (a month late but never mind), so we had to make a trip to town for a few hours. Hot and bothered, as soon as we got home we dropped everything and came down to the beach to cool off.

Joa loves the beach. He is so happy to explore and go off on his own. He looks so funny; like a little hatted seal, caterpillar-crawling along the beach :-)

A little rest after all that playing.

Funny I was sitting feeding him and remembering this picture Rebe took last year in this same spot with Joa still in my tummy.

As I often bring my knitting to the beach, I always have a bit of wool on hand for making fishing rods or, like today, necklaces.

Rebe made this for me, but Joa loves it. The shells tinkle together like little bells. I love it too:-)

While we were on the beach Benny played a very interesting game. He dug a hole and put a bucket full of sand on it and started to bury that. He then told me that the bucket was Tasha and that she was dead and he was daddy. He remembered everything about the event: that daddy had wrapped Tasha in his old shirt, that Rebe cried and cried. It was really quite special watching him processing this in his own little way. Play is so utterly important. I'm glad that he had the chance to act out this event. It obviously has affected him and I'm glad that he hasn't just internalised it.

In the same way when we got home Rebe played a game of being a nurse, and she 'checked' all of our dolls and teddies in the way she saw the nurse doing to Joa this afternoon.

I love her costumes. Here she is in her nurses outfit; she put on the only things that she has that are white (or close to) and made the hat. It was a good long game, and to our joy everyone (even the blue elephant) are developing normally.