Remembering

I've had this post in my head for MONTHS, but here I am, with a towel on my head, trying to get it posted before I leave to collect the girls (who had a sleepover at Grandma's last night). It's pretty personal, but somehow it seems appropriate for me to document this memory in this space.

This morning my husband gave me this sweet bouquet of flowers from our garden (they're pretty battered and bruised because it's been pretty wet here this week). Mainly it's all about the gardenias (ah, their perfume!) because today it has been TEN YEARS since I gave birth to my second child, Caitlin, who was born still.

 

And on the day of her funeral there was one perfect gardenia in our garden.

The quilt we were given in the hospital - THANK YOU GENEROUS QUILTERS - it has a little bit of her cord blood on it, which I'm crazy happy about, and a sweet tiny teddy a friend made for her.

She's moulded our lives for the better in ways we would never have known about, had she been able to stay. I now understand more and love more, but as anyone who has known grief knows, sometimes it sneaks up on you and you have to go with it. She's definitely made me a better, softer, mother.

So thank you Caitlin, darling child of mine.

My Creative Space - hoo hoo

This week I SO wanted to sew a top for S. We've had some hot weather, and I've had this gorgeous owl fabric (from Tessuti) calling my name. (Because S's name means 'wisdom' I'm subtly suggesting a bit of an owl theme for her childhood.)  So last night I stayed up and just did it.

Of course, when I asked S to put it on so I could take a photo, she insisted on heading straight out to the ride-on mower for the shots. Hmmmm. Interesting choice.

And modelling in general meant an particular stance.

I love this pattern. It's from this pattern book, and it has just enough little details to be special. There was a time when I wouldn't attempt anything with 'extras' like pleats and frills, but now I'm keen to make really special things that will be treasured and worn because I just love seeing my kids wearing them.

Head over to kootooyoo for more of today's creative spaces.

It's time

It's that time of year again - I was trying to put it off until the end of term, but I couldn't wait. I needed to find what day a date in February 2011 was.

So I caved and put up the first 2/3 of 2011. It's a blank slate. Gorgeous. Clean. Full of potential.

(It comes as one big page, but I need to cut it so I can open the pantry - although hey, that would be one diet that I haven't tried yet...)

Can I tell you how much I LOVE my REMO Tempus Fugit Wall Planner? If you've been following me for over a year, you probably already know.

It's a year at a glance. It has our regular phone numbers in the margins. It means I don't miss tuckshop baking, dentist appointments and birthday parties. It's concise and to the point. And I can see everything with a phone in one hand and a baby in the other.

Click on this little square image if you want to see for yourself. They're about $17 I think. Have I mentioned that I love mine?


Taking that photo of the pantry door, made me notice the round, black remnants of the 'child-proof' lock thing we tried to keep the girls out with. Hmmm. Didn't last long actually.

Similar story on the fridge...

And on this kitchen cupboard (where we store the dry pet food - which has some sort of bizarre attraction to my kids)...

And this contraption on the TV cabinet does virtually nothing...

So, in response to Amber Dusick's question about how much parenting gear is enough,  I can say that we've tried a lot of it, but either the kids are too smart, or the locks are too weak, but really, we may as well not have anything. I know that one day soon I'll notice that the baby's over the constantly-poaching-yogurts-from-the-fridge activity that is her favourite at the moment.

And that will be a very special day.

One thing I can say worked though, are these door locks (door knob covers - not quite sure what they're called, but we got ours from Target).

They stop the little girls getting into the boys rooms (and up onto their bunks) even when they're tall enough to reach the handle. Adults can open the door by holding in the red buttons to grip the doorknob. Saved us putting on locks, and has kept the girls safe. Love them.

And that's my community service tip for the day. What child safety gadgets have worked for you?

So my kids like Harry Potter (and ok, so do I)

So if you need something to do, check out the great posters you can make here.

It's been quite rainy today

For YEARS, we have been in drought here. Water restrictions, the farcical recycled water referendum, dust storms and crisp, brown grass.

But not lately. We had the wettest September on record, and October may turn out to be no different.

So today we baked cornflake cookies...

`

Made dodgy balloon animals ...

And partied in cubbies.

 Not bad, really. 

Will post that pork ribs recipe tonight, and share the Cluedo party info tomorrow. My blog life is back on track!

Catching up

Hey, it's been a busy week. I didn't realise how regularly I had been blogging until I simply had no time to post! There've been a lot of things happening in the cloud we live in (honestly, right now the fog is floating in one window and out the other).

I've posted these -

I've cooked this (Salt and Pepper Pork Ribs - so easy and delicious - want the recipe?) -

 

I've looked after some extra little people and we did some fun things -

I've screenprinted some more Bless You hankies (for The Great Hanky Drive - I'm nearly halfway to my goal!) -

I sewed these (soon to be available in my new-improved shop)-

And packaged these (oh, they turned out so well and they'll also be in the shop soon)-

 And baked these (Walnut Palmiers - yum - have you ever done palmiers before?) -

all for the terrific morning tea that I co-hosted yesterday with another wonderful lady (that's Jen on the right, and the lovely Kay on the left)  - 

And here's Jen's gorgeous daughter, a super-stylish farm child (even when missing the soles on her boots) -

 

So no animation today (however it's not midnight yet!),  and it's full steam ahead for the 12 year old's Cluedo party tomorrow night.

Ah! We'll resume normal transmission next week... thanks for worrying about me!

Today

This is pretty much a visual description of my day today.

I took the girls to a coffee shop, for a farewell to a friend who was travelling for a month.

It was SO NICE to see some friends. 

But going to a cafe with my children is like having coffee in the monkey cage at the zoo.

When we got home I had a little helper at the clothesline.

At least that's what she told me she was.

To distract myself from the peg situation, I took the camera into the yard and noticed this wierd plant unfolding before my eyes (Anyone know what it is? My husband would know, but he's asleep and waking him up for blog post research probably isn't a career move...).

And this wierd, tap dancing dog of ours.

And the way the light glowed on the beads of water on the black chook.

 And this wierd bird in our tree.

  And a lonely swinging monkey.

And my snapdragons in bloom. Snapdragons remind my of my childhood. I love them.

And then my day felt a lot better.

Hope you had room to breathe today.

The next stage

Now that B is not only up on two legs, but can do this

(can you hear her at your place?!!!) and this

and every meal needs at least two spoons (and sometimes two outfits)

it does make it pretty difficult to package these (lovely new colours, in the shop soon)

and send off these 

(thanks to all those who've already ordered Hanky Drive hankies - seen here with their smart, new labels)

but luckily, she's also incredibly good at doing this.

Grinneating.

It may not be a real word, but it's a real talent.

Wordless Wednesday

(shhh ... Byron Bay. Lovely.)

More lovely pics here.

A baby the size of a bus

... it was amazing... beautiful... awesome... we loved it!

The Ron Mueck exhibition at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art has just finished, and we made it there on Friday - just in time. After the initial 'shock' of the nudity (it's surprising how quickly the kids and I got used to it), I loved looking at the amazing details this artist notices and manages to replicate... the translucency of the skin, the shine of the eyeball, the teeny tiny toenails... the boys were seriously impressed.

And as it was a pupil free day, I took all four kids, and found myself recommending having four to a complete stranger in the lift. They were that well behaved. Fantastic.

After the main exhibit we went down to the 'Ghost World' exhibit for kids. And as usual, the gallery team have done a great job to make a fabulous interactive activity space for kids and they all loved it.

The day ended up costing quite a lot (by the time you add up petrol, parking, food etc - next time we'll definitely take our own lunch), and after a lovely visit to my brother in his new house, we didn't get back home til 9.30pm... but it was a great day that we all enjoyed. I used to look at people with four kids and wonder how on earth they could leave the house - and now I know it's not easy to plan it, but on a good day it's like a roving party.