brrrr

Last night Robyn and I chatted about the weather. I gloated. "No, we never get frosts down here". Oh yes we do! And to serve me right on the day when I had to drop the car in to be serviced and walk home!

flock - love the old desk - $280

So with my 'latte-half-full' attitude, thanks to Mr Burch, I walked home past gorgeous Flock Upholstery and Polkadot Parties. I noticed there is a new framing shop opening and an Indian dance studio - how exotic. Flossy, so you know, it's opening in the old crystal healing shop, the one that burned down and I know you're always a champion of adult dance classes!!

flock - vintage bar

But it was all together too much for my snuggle-bug who fell fast asleep the whole way home.

what a lovely day we had

Today Tigs, Twinkle and I headed to the bush. We went to visit my friend Marina (who declined to be included on the blog!) and her two gorgeous boys. Her property runs alongside a lovely National Park. It was just glorious. Very chilly, but if you could find a shaft of light and a sheltered spot it was heaven.

flopsy, spencer and twinkle

told you the weather was gorgeous

Today was so special. We took the four children for a lovely walk in the park down to the river which was running, gently, but running nonetheless (happy Floss, you love it when I use 'nonetheless'!).

tigs with his bird-watching 'bino-clee-ars'

The park was beautiful with the Bell birds singing, magpies warbling and even the parrots up high in the eucalypts sounded good. The air felt so clean and fresh and I found myself drinking it in before we returned to the big smoke.

look at those cute boys with their matching stances. a bit of hero worship on tigs behalf!

such great boys - all of them and considering there's 7 years between the top and the bottom they get along so well.

felix almost caught doing his Zoolander impression

desperate to keep up with the big boys. lots of hair flicking to prove he was fine!

he just couldn't make it all the way with the biggies

mossy rocks

still following!

Marina and I have known each other for about 16 years or so. We did our Montessori training together and worked with each other for the most rewarding year of teaching. We'd often stay back at work until 10 at night studying, preparing the rooms that we assisted in, making materials for the children to use and learning as much as we could about Maria Montessori's method of education. There was much talking about our dreams and hopes and a healthy dose of chatting about life in general! We'd even order pizza in. Talk about dedication. I can hardly believe it was only one year that we worked together but it set the foundations for a friendship that has endured much and is strengthened even though the time between visits gets longer as life and family take over. I really value Marina and am so lucky that she's my friend.

Thanks for a super day.

xx

Apron may not make it's appearance until later in the week!

how did a week come and go?

Time travels too fast. A week already since I last posted.

wild and woolly on the beach

charming - self-portrait found on my camera - by Tiggy

It's been a busy week. One evening and most of the next day taken up with adoption playshops conducted with Jane Brown. It was just amazing and although Tiggy coped with the sessions, I was a blithering mess for two days afterwards.

Our children have so much that they will have to contend with in their lives. Extra layers that children living with their birth families, will never have to even think about. In spite of the playshop being brilliant it left me feeling somewhat inadequate and completely unprepared and unqualified to be my children's mother. Both Tigs and I were really exhausted me emotionally and Tigs probably physically too. The children's session was quite active with tug-of-war and 'adoption power' chants!! Having spoken to some of the other mum's who went with their children too it seems we shared similar experiences.

dear little one

just scootin' around

By Friday I pulled myself together a bit, although the magnitude of it all is still with me - no hang on I was still a mess.

I must have pulled myself together by Saturday. That's right, I did! Flossy and I went to see a movie. I haven't been for too long. We saw Coco avant Chanel. Wonderful. Beautiful. French. Audrey Tautou every bit as lovely as you'd expect.

The story of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel before the rest of the world knew about her. Her rise from humble, unfortunate beginnings. Her exotic, rebellious, daring, journey to her success and permanent place in fashion history. It is beautifully filmed against simple French backdrops with Audrey Tautou capturing Coco’s wild, determined yet feminine and elegant personality (what a bundle of contradictions she was).

On Sunday Twinkle turned 11 months.

my how you're growing baby girl

We left early for breakfast at the beach – something we did every weekend before children – and a lovely, freezing walk along the beach afterwards, Tigs scooting, Greg and I walking and Twinks, well she was fast asleep!

On Monday we had a fun three year old party. Trains galore, happy children everywhere, super-fun activities set up by Annie so that the children were busy and the mummy's enjoyed themselves too.

Back soon with a new apron. I’m helping my friend Lisa learn to use her new sewing machine this week and told her today that we’re going to make one start to finish.

And that, my friends, is how a week evaporates!

just scoooooting in the rain

raining, pouring ...

... and we're all cheering!

We're in the grip of a drought in Victoria. But today we're thankful for rain. I don't know if it's here for long but it's welcome to stay.

We've had some fierce winds to go with it and they've caused some terrible accidents, which is not good. I'll be thinking of the SES tonight.

They'll probably be very busy helping people out of emergencies.

The rain is welcome, the winds can ease to blowy, not stormy please!

Tiggy has had a ball.

It was not quite 5pm when it really got going here and that boy just ran wild

round and round the garden like a teddy bear.

Eventually I managed to call him in and get a rarely worn raincoat on him. When I was teaching we always braced ourselves on the wild and woolly days as the boys always seemed to go a little loopy.

My whacky boy did just as I knew he would, and probably many, many other little 5 years olds were around Melbourne. C.R.A.Z.Y!

Needless to say he headed to slumber early and easily!

God Bless and sleep tight Tiggy.

birthday :: decorations & cake

birthday boy board

miles and miles of bunting

banner

yummy but ugly cake!

Another reason I loathe licensed products, that candle turned out to cost $7.30!! I kid you not. I couldn't work out what had cost so much on my bill and when I worked it out I was so shocked. I should have checked I suppose. Never mind, Tigs loved it.

Tigs loved the candle, but not a single morsel passed his lips. Not a cake boy.

It's edible glitter by the way.

birthday :: goodie bags

With a serious nod to Sally Shim and her brilliant packaging and fabulous birthday parties she gives her boys, I give you the goodie bags I came up with for Tiggy's non-Ben 10 party.

goodie bags

Tigs loves Ben 10, and would quite like to change his name at the moment.

I cannot bring myself to buy Licensed products. He does have a pair of silky ‘jammie shorts but they are not to leave the house, ever, until they go to the tip!! I don’t feel mean about it, it’s just me and my aesthetic. He’s my child so he gets what I think is okay!

sidewalk chalks for the babies

stationery set

For those who have managed to escape the all consuming world of Ben 10, he’s a 10 year old boy who finds a watch – the Omnitrix. It helps him change into a range of aliens who possess a vast array of hideous physical features and wildly violent powers which are unleashed on the Dee-N’s (that’s what Tiggy calls them) they are in fact DNAliens! Oh, it’s so ghastly and I’m ashamed that he’s become so ‘into’ them. Bad Mummy, but he’s already addicted and I must be weaker than I thought.

Korean candy

more candy

Anyway I, very cleverly, I think, managed to re-create an acceptable, to Tigs and me, Ben 10 logo which I used on all the packaging for the goodie bags. Actually they seem to be pretty bad photos but you should manage to get the idea!

Some more general decoration pics on the way.

x