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.

Let's fly a kite

At our homeschool group this week there was a kite flying day. We don't have any kites so Willow made some simple little kites from a pattern he found online. A little bit of wrapping paper, some bamboo, sticky tape and a cut up plastic bag. I smiled to myself thinking secretly they would not get off the ground. I was wrong... they worked beautifully! JJ was like a litte steam train running here and there and everywhere, wind blowing his hair back, his kite trailing along behind him. He looked at me later in the afternoon and said "Mum this is the best day ever".

Ducky Love

we have a couple of new additions to the family... pictures are better than words here :)