peaceful saturday

We've had a really nice day today, very relaxed and very enjoyable... Watching the lifeboat; it always goes out to practice on Saturday mornings. Rebe loves watching it go out. She still wants to be a 'lifeboat girl' when she's older.

Lots of duplo-ing. Check out this wee guy Rebe made.

Saturday too is our baking day, and what better way to bake than in pyjamas.

We made pinwheel biscuits from a recipe in this book.

They didn't come out very pinwheely, but they are scrummy!


All day I had this wee guy peeking over my shoulder...

He wants to be up and seeing what's going on, not content to be lying down or propped up anywhere for long. I'm sure it'll get easier for him when he can sit up and starts moving around.

And one of our number has been fishing...

He caught ten of these codling and needless to say was thrilled. We got a huge bag of winter garden veggies from friends of ours so we were delighted to be able to pay them back with a bag of fresh fish...a good exchange I'd say.

We've decided to go swimming tomorrow, the kids are so excited! I just went to tuck in Rebe just now and she's wearing her swimming costume under her nightie (love that girl).

Hope you had a lovely day too!

Martinmas

Today we had the pleasure of joining the Steiner Kindergarden (where we go to playgroup) in their Martinmas Celebrations. When I was a child we lived in Bavaria, in Germany, where this festival is celebrated so I was delighted when we started preparing for it at playgroup. Lots of lovely memories came flooding back to me. Here is the story of St Martin.

We made paper lanterns over the past few weeks at playgroup, cutting out shapes in black card then backing that with tissue paper. This evening after dinner we all met at a nursing home in town that has lovely grounds to have a procession in.

We lit tea lights in our lanterns...

We walked together singing...

I go with my lantern

My lantern goes with me.

In heaven the stars are shining,

On earth shines my lantern with me.

My light shines bright all through the night

La bamba, la bamba la bim

My light grows dim, I must go in

La bamba, la bamba la bim, bim, bim.

When we finished the circuit we shared a snack... (or in Rebe's case 5)

brownies

gingerbread and star biscuits

While we were eating and chatting some Chinese lanterns were lit and let float off.

It was so beautiful, with each one there were gasps and cheers. They were better than fireworks and were such a lovely symbol of all that the celebration stands for.

little face in awe!

It was so nice, we came home to a lovely hot chocolate, a story and a bath and now the kids are snuggled up in bed and I'm about to cosy down with my knitting.

Did you celebrate too?

one of those weeks...

wow, it's been a bit of a mad week really. It's just blurred by. I've been very sleep deprived as Joa didn't adjust to the clocks changing so he's been waking and ready to start his day at 5am...which wouldn't be so bad if he was sleeping through the night...but he isn't.
Benny has also been up in the night. He is teething again, 3 out of 4 of his incisors have broken the skin and this has come hand in hand with a nasty cold and cough. We've been medicating that with lots of hot honey and lemon and a good dose of elderberry syrup for vitamin C.

On Monday we went to the city to pick up Benny's new boots. They are so tough and hard and I feel so sorry for him clomping around with them on. Benny however is very proud of them and is happy to wear them. I talked to the consultant about the consequences of his not wearing these boots and although there are no short term reasons, long term he is facing horrible arthritis if we allow his feet to get worse. So I feel I would rather he wears these boots for a few years now than be in pain as an adult. On the plus side they are custo made for his feet and lined with lovely soft, warm lambs fleese perfect for the approaching winter.

Between all that Rebe has opened an airport... Karen the Kindergarden teacher at the Steiner Parent Child class showed her how to fold paper aeroplanes on Monday so it has been a busy, bustling airport ever since she cut the ribbon.

Crafting wise I am working on 2 dolls at the moment, one for the shop and one custom order, but I had to wait for some fabric for dresses to arrive so I had the chance to make Joa his very own Snuggle Buddy...

I hope they'll be good friends!

It is Martinmas today and we are joining the Kindergarden in their parade this evening. We're really looking forward to it and I'll try and get some pictures and tell you all about it tomorrow.

Saturday eating

I was very sleep deprived yesterday so instead of going into town to a jumble sale we decided to have a relaxing Saturday at home...
We did a bit of drawing in the morning. This is a fox that Rebe did, complete with his set and long claws for digging.

We have been expecting big storms but...

they've not arrived so we went down to the beach for a while.

Living in a fishing village we quite often come across food washed up on the beach that the fishermen have just thrown over board. One of Rebe's favourite beach games is re-planting this food. Here she is making an onion tree.Building sandcastles. Watching Benny jump in puddles.

If you get a bit peckish down on the beach there is a really great cafe...I had spaghetti with meatballs, and cherry pie, I even had a spoon to eat it with.

By the time we got home we were hungry in real life and seeing as it was Saturday our baking day we decided to make a cake.

While i was getting things ready Rebe wrote out the recipe...margarine, sugar, 2 eggs, flour and cocoa.

It was good! Before it was baked...and after!

I had suggested, in ear shot to the kids, that we eat out. However Andy didn't feel like it. Unfortunately that lead to a few tantrums, Rebe really, really wanted to eat out...so I let her...They were delighted to have a restaurant in the shed! And not to be left out Joa has been joining in with all the eating...yummy toes!!

PS feeling much better today, Joa slept well and woke only once in the night for boob and slept until 7.30am...unheard of but very refreshing :-)

autumn

What an autumnal day we're having!Look at the colours of the trees, just so beautiful. The weather on the other hand is decidedly not lovely...in fact it's grotty. But within this grottiness is wind... Enough for a spot of kite flying.

Beautiful Joa watching the kite from the sling on my back.

This also seems to prime monkey season, look I spotted this one in the trees...

It's a very smug one!

I have noticed such a change in Rebe of late. When I look at her I somehow feel separated from her. Not in a negative way, it's very hard to explain. I feel we are moving away from one kind of mother/child relationship, that of a small child and her needs for her mama. Instead she now needs a watcher, an observer, someone to bounce ideas off, someone to tell things too and to show things too. She is becoming so independent and strong and mature. She is so interesting and just oozes vitality and enthusiasm.

She is also more balanced; she has come into her body much more of late. She has always been so in her head and although she is still a real thinker she is settling into her body. She is less clumsy and is much more coordinated. She is less scared of things like climbing trees and jumping off things, she wants to give it a go and is brave and will test her body's limits. She is also developing her taste more and for the first time in her life is starting to refuse certain foods.

I don't feel sad that she no longer needs me the way the boys do, I just feel so very privileged that she chooses to spend time with me and shares her life with me!

(Rebe worship over...)

Monkey jewels

We found this little abandoned kids tree house thing up behind the houses and we had a good old play there to end our outdoor time.
We came home in need of sustenance and made ourselves some hot chocolate and these muffins...

Banana and Honey Muffins

2 ripe bananas (mashed)

1 cup s/r flour

1/2 cup wholemeal flour

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 tsp bicarb of soda

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp honey

Mix together all the ingredients, spoon into cake cases (made 12 good sized muffins). Bake at about 180 for 15 mins (until muffins are brown on top and spring back up when you press them). While still hot drizzle on a little honey to the top of each muffin...enjoy!

It was a lovely autumn day, now we're cosy and snuggled up waiting for our stew to be cooked.

back again!

Yoo hoo, I'm back! I'm so delighted to have my camera back again. I miss not being able to record what we're up to and to share it with you all!
We had a lovely half term break from school, and it came just at the right time when we were all getting quite run down. This worked its way out of system as head colds over the first few days but we ate well and wrapped up warm and took it easy and we're all back on form and ready to tackle the next school term.
We had a nice Halloween, we'd been preparing for it by making paper mache pumpkin baskets... We went trick or treating for the first time ever round the neighbours houses. It was lovely we made monster cakes and took them with us to gift to our neighbours as I don't like the idea of just asking for treats. The kids were dressed as cats and really were so excited to be out in the dark!

Halloween banner

With the change of the weather we have been getting our slippers out. Rebe needed some new ones so I knitted her these. I was going to follow the pattern suggested in the Children's Year Craftalong but I couldn't find my copy of the book so I did these instead...

I sewed on some leather soles. She 's pleased with them and calls them her Peter Pan slippers

of course she needed a woolie Peter Pan hat to match too (modeled here by Benny)


I bought Benny these slippers, he is getting his hard boots next week and I thought these made a lovely soft alternative to give his feet a wee break.

So as well as that I've been doing lots of doll making (but only allowing myself an hour in the evenings so I don't get too tired).

I have finished my first custom order and I love her. The lady I made her for sent me a picture of her little sister (whom the doll is for) so that I could match hair style and colour eye colour and clothing style as best I could. I'm just delighted with the result and I hope the buyer will be too :-)

She is 15 inches tall. With Brown mohair wool hair in bunches and brown eyes.

She is wearing a little button at the back smock.

Green trousers A little hot pink felt coat complete with pocket for treasures and a pointy gnome hood.

She also has on a pair of matching hot pink booties.

I hope she'll bring much joy and companionship.

I'm looking forward to starting on my next doll (which seem to be quite in demand, my Etsy shop has sold out of dolls, so best thread a needle).