Basket weaving

Inspired by a weaving wonder at our homeschool group we have been weaving baskets together this week. Such a beautiful earthy thing to do using materials all from our garden.... sitting on the grass and chatting enjoying these gorgeous summer days.

There is lots of chopping to do which JJ loves and Bug and I have been creating wreaths and baskets to celebrate summer solstice and Christmas. I am looking forward to seeing the changes in colour of this basket as the green dries out.

Candle Making

We had such a lovely time making candles yesterday at our homeschool group!

Mother Magazine Book Review

The Mother Magazine http://www.themothermagazine.co.uk/magazine.html is a great UK based magazine and they have included this book review in the latest issue...

The Wonderful Place
By Chrissy Butler
ISBN 978 - 0 - 646 - 49515 - 6
Fabulous children's author/illustrator Chrissy Butler returns with The Wonderful Place - a vibrant and magical picture book about full term breastfeeding. Her art is a book on it's own - quirky, refreshing and fun. Children and adults alike will love this book. Finally full-term brestfeeding is starting to make into literature. For now though, people like Chrissy Butler remain pioneers in bringing this ancient art into modern conciousness.

yay!

Finished... almost

I have really loved working on this commission. I was especially delighted with this gorgeous antique Japanese paper I found in Bangalow a couple of days ago which bought and couldn't help using on this piece.

Swords

Before having children I felt really judgemental toward toys and what kids should and shouldn't play with. The biggest issues have been guns, swords and barbie/brat dolls. Now thankfully I have children that have taught me that they are wonderful and clever people who decide things for themselves. Bug has a collection of all kinds of dolls which she sees as beautiful. Her taste ranges from Barbie to Steiner felt dolls and her most favourite are china fairies. Her love of these things has allowed me to let go of things I had previously held a passionate dislike for. .. Now I feel alot lighter indeed, without my digust of Barbie and Brat dolls!

Until quite recently we have had no experience with 'violent' toys. JJ has been using sharp knives to cut things for a long time now and has started to play a bit with them. Recently when he was gifted some cash and went into a toy store he passionately desired some toy swords. So now we have these things in the house and they are great fun and we have had alot of swashbuckling adventures since their arrival on the scene. My most favourite game is when JJ, Willow and Papa Jim play castle guards with them. They march, protect the front door, salute and change the guard.

When I let go of judgement and just observe everything seems beautiful.

A work in progress

this is half of an artwork I am making for a family, almost finished

More launch pictures

I really wanted to share these pictures of the wonderful food we enjoyed yesterday too

A Wonderful Book Launch!

I feel so blessed and joyous after a fabulous book launch today. It was so lovely to see friends both new and old, family and friendly faces. A dear friend of mine Deb, made some amazing sweet eating delights and Nonna some lovley savoury ones. Everywhere I looked I could see smiles and joy, people being together nd kids playing.... just wonderful!

Here are a few snaps, I will write some more on this very soon and add some photos ;)

A beautiful family

This is the beginings of a painting I am working on for a yummy unschooling family. What a menagerie, 3 kids, 2 dogs and 2 cats :) This is the yummy mummy and her babe.... to be continued

Grandparent, magic and wisdom

It is a special time for our family, Papa and Gran are with us from Scotland. They will be staying with us for 4 weeks. Bug and Gran have been lost in a fairy world - Gran's ability to enter this world completely is an inspiration to me. Looking at them playing on the swings together makes me think that they are more like sisters than Grandaughter and Grandmother. Papa and Gran this week have been the stars in plays, the audience for endless ballet routines, football players and wonderful dish washers!

This is a big learning time for me; adjusting to being a bigger family while letting go of judging myself as a mother through the eyes of others. I am also hoping that some grandparent, magic and wisdom will seep into my soul over the coming month. When I felt frustrated about JJ's anger and behaviour today Gran just gently said "it will pass, just be thankful he is with you" reminding me how temporal life is.

Book Launch

Come one, come all!! Looking forward to enjopying some yummy food and fine company. The South Golden Beach is right next to the beach, it is a really lovely spot.. bring your swimmers too :)

Sunshine and Spider Duck

I have been busy making art and gardening. I am also preparing to have a book launch in early November.... I'll dedicate a post to that soon :) In the mean time here are some pictures of the kids with "Sunshine" and "Spider Duck".

Nippers

Today was Bugs first day at Nippers for this year. Nippers is a program run by the surf lifesavers for kids. It is held at the beach in the early morning and involves lots of physical fun and some surf safety. The biggest concern for Bug was makking new friends.... she made 2 new friends and had a wonderful time running, swimming and building sand castles.

Then home to play with Sunshine the duckling :)

The Spring fair

At one of the homeschooling groups we go to this week we had a Spring Fair. All the kids set up their own stalls and everything was a silver coin in price. Bug decided she would do hair and JJ wanted to sell bunches of flowers. The other stalls held all sorts of wonders ranging from smell balls and edible necklaces to handmade magnets and rides on a small motor powered car. It was fabulous, JJ kept his money and Bug spent most of hers on treats :) JJ gave me and Willow some of his money dispite our insistance that he should keep it, he really wanted to share it with us.

Homebirth Midwives Retreat

I have really enjoyed doing this commission for a lovely midwife in SA, I always feel a little sad on completing something I have loved creating. I will enjoy her for a while before I send her to her new home.

Ice Skating with the Faeries

Bug was invited ice skating with some rainbow faeries and had an amazing adventure. JJ and I spent some time in the garden together and played a game he called 'connection' where we were joined by rope. He would go into another room and close the door and feel me on the other end and we would send messages to each other. I was sending messages to my little Bug on our invisible rope too :)

JJ and I then decided to make some a batch of icecream mmmmm

http://editor.nourishedmagazine.com.au/articles/home-made-ice-cream

I added a tblspoon of arrowroot and beat the eggs whites until they are stiff and fold them in too.

You can't drive past The Faraway Tree

Today we drove to Cabarita for Bug to sign on to Nippers for the year. As we were driving she said "oh we must stop at that tree" I vaguely said "can we on the way home?" without seeing the tree but also not feeling safe to pull off the busy road at that point, "OK on the way home". On the return trip she remembered and pointed out the tree on the side of the highway. It was one of those magical trees that adults drive past every day and don't actually see (unless they have a fairy in their car who can spot magical trees obviously).

Now I love climbing trees and have climbed many in my years but this was truely the most fabulously magical tree for climbing I have ever encountered. JJ found a special nook just right for a 'pixie spiderguy' and there was even a very shady branch for a very shady character ;) For Bug it was the Faraway Tree from the book that Willow is reading to her. For me it held delight and wonder... unlocked secret parts of my childhood self.

Nestled between a highway and a sugar cane mill there is earth magic in the form of an Old One.