the useful box

i couldn't resist a p.s. from last nights post (boy was that a marathon!)
in her book (where is my copy???) Amanda Soule's advise is: "Play more. Get messy, dirty, wild and free - as much as you can." i like that.
we have just come home from a little shopping spree - $24 bought us clag glue, a glue stick, masking tape, crepe paper, coloured paddlepop sticks, coloured matchsticks, coloured pipe cleaners and glitter. together with a few things lying around the house (cotton balls, paper plates, stamps and stickers, bits of ribbon and wool etc) we have ourselves a very nice 'useful box'. i am sure most mums got all of this stuff together a loooooong time ago. it is fun to do, and i wonder if i am loving it more than N! i'll remind myself of that when there is glue and match sticks all over the place!
finally, here is a heartwarming article from China.

thoughts on being a mother in this crazy life...

be warned. quote heavy, link heavy, thought heavy post ahead.

i have been reading the book The Mission of Motherhood. i am really enjoying it - the author talks about the deep desire women have to devote time and energy to their family as God's call on their life. to me, everything fell into place as soon as i read about the fact the role of "mother" and all it entails is God-ordained and has been since time began. she writes about how the image of "mother" and her role has changed in the last 30-40 years, and that, really, this is what is at odds within a woman's heart - her role as a wife and mother. and before you get this picture in your mind ~

it is not what the author means. :-)
i'll talk about this particular book in greater detail another time.
i read another book when N was born - "Wonder Woman: the myth of having it all" which was given to me by my very astute mother. in it Virginia Haussegger (my favourite ABC news reader) talks about her own experiences of building a career only to find later in life, when it was too late for her, that she had a fertility problem. she laments the fact that our mothers (speaking of a generation) taught their daughters that they could have it all - family, career etc etc. in reality it isn't so, and women today are at odds within themselves as to what their role is.
so, having said all of that, what has been on my mind lately? well, a colleague called me today to confirm my start date for work (thanks for the reminder!). mid-July sure is approaching quickly!
one thing that has been weighing on my heart is that the person who has been taking on my projects while i've been on maternity leave has travelled A LOT for numerous days at a time... international travel no longer has the appeal for me that it once did. i've been toying with the idea for a while that as much as i love my job, a change might be good. so, although not immediately, i think that once i am back at work, i'll start to put the feelers out. i once shared a cab with the second secretary of a department i am interested in. she gave me her business card and told me to call her when i'm ready for a change. maybe i'll polish up my c.v and see where it takes me. (please pray for the right door to be evident!)
another thing on my mind, associated with my return to work, is that each day i say to D - "tonight we'll give A a bottle". then when the time comes i say "tomorrow will probably be a better time!"
part of me actually looks forward to the convenience of a bottle fed baby. but then the mum in me is mindful that this is my last baby, and my last time of experiencing this special bond between a mother and her child. i am reminded of how i cried when N first took a bottle from D. i cried. i read in an anthology of stories about motherhood, how Noni Hazelhurst (of my own Play School days) breastfed her son until he was three years and two months old. ok, so i can't imagine still breastfeeding N, but he was 9 months old when he was weaned out of necessity. i read how, succumbing to outside pressure, Noni Hazelhurst took her son one night and told him there was just enough milk for one more feed. she says "i cried while he contentedly sucked." and i cried reading this, while D thought i was insane! it really is a beautiful article - i'm happy to copy it for anyone who is interested.
while i don't expect my return to work, or weaning, to be as traumatic as i found it with N, i am well aware this is the end of my experiences with babies of this age. but i love the day to day with both my children, and i look forward with excitement to our future together as a family.
so leading on to the day to day, i am really loving this blog. i have ordered Amanda Soule's book - (what is it with the postal services of this world? don't they know i ordered the book two weeks ago and want it now?!!)
anyway, through her website, i found this link. i have subscribed to the newsletters and think they are great - i have fond memories of the many uses of toilet rolls!! and as you can see N and i had a great day playing postmen today. see his hat and postbag, at the postbox?? he took his job very seriously. :-)

i am of the privileged generation who grew up with Noni, Don, Benita and John! i am feeling very earth-mother today. (i should be a 1970's mum!) so a scribbled box is the perfect letterbox to me...
it helps that since dinner tonight, the background noise in my household has been lots of father/son time - cricket, chatting about chickens, baths, hide and seek and not to mention puzzles. so while it is after bed time, it is worth it.

finally, N has been going to a local playgroup for the past 4 or 5 weeks and he loves it. it is held at a pre-school, so has the added benefit of all the school equipment. tomorrow we are visiting one of the kids he has made particular friends with.

i am a working mother, but i am proud to say that while time will sometimes be sparse, i will always know my most important and pleasurable job is the one at home with my two little miracles!!

tags

one of the fun things about blogs are the random and unimportant things you get to share. so here are six unimportant facts about myself:

1. i hate it when stickers on books and magazines don't peel off easily.
2. i have a secret stash of instant coffee in the back of the cupboard. (don't tell D)
3. i love watching '70's British sitcoms. The Good Life, George and Mildred and Keeping Up Appearances.
4. i don't mind sitting in a cafe or seeing a movie on my own.
5. i like to hang washing on the line (but i hate ironing).
6. when i was 13 i was convinced i was going to marry George Michael. enough said!

oh, and call me strange, but i think it is fun to say:
"what noise annoys an oyster? a noisy noise annoys an oyster." see? fun, hey?

now that i have shared a few things you're life isn't the better for knowing, it is your turn. i tag ~

My Inspirational Journal
The Cutting Edge
Counting My Blessings
Taylor Made
Reflections Out Loud
The Russell Family Blog

The rules of the game are as follows:
1. Link back to the person that tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your entry.

blog history

i'm excited because i just discovered the author of the first blog i ever read (little birds handmade) actually started another blog late last year. she had concluded little birds handmade in April 2007. her blogs concentrate on her craft, but i always enjoyed reading them. i liked her focus on simplicity - both in her home and in the fun she would have with her children.
i am also excited because in discovering her new blog, i have found out she is publishing a book. i used to read another of her blogs - one where she and a friend would each post a morning picture every day - for a year. i used to look at it each morning when i logged onto my pc at work. (shhh). the photographs were often inspirational - just simple things. it would remind me to stop and appreciate the everyday. it is now being published, i guess as a sort of coffee table photography book. cool!
oh, and i am really proud of my little boy - while he still doesn't like putting his face under water, he is loving his swimming lessons!

friday's musing

these are the books new to my bedside table.



i've put them here so that i can be accountable to myself to reading them. nothing like a bit of inner guidance in life! i may even review them here when i am finished.

and speaking of feeding your appetites (or at least trying to ween them a little) oliver + s are releasing new patterns in August. i can't wait to become a super sewer so that i can make this coat and skirt for A.

now before my hubby arrives home and says "have you been on the computer again??" i'm off.

my blessings:

• the best ever (and easiest) chocolate chip biscuit recipe
• having all my washing done a day early!
• finding my too quiet 2 year old busying himself with a puzzle
  

friends and reminiscing

when D and i went to France in 2003 we stayed at a nice hotel we booked from whatif.com. it was our splurge hotel stay. not that the B&B's we stayed in earlier during our trip were backpacker hovels or anything. they were all gorgeous. in Rome we stayed at The Beehive (on recommendation from my sister) and in Florence we stayed at Il Porcellino Tourist House which was around the corner from the Uffizi Gallery , the home of my favourite painting.
anyway, I am digressing. in Paris we would go out all day and come back to the hotel around 10 or 11 at night. a guy was working on the night desk. he was supposed to have finished his job the week before as he as going back to study at university. he had told his boss he would fill in for an extra week. we all think it was meant to be, as he has become a firm friend. we would return from a days outing and sit in the quiet hotel foyer with him, having coffee on the house and chatting about our daily adventures. he is married with a little girl. they are the sweetest family, and we email all the time. he sends us little clips of his daughter, like her first day at kindergarten and we generally share in each others life experiences. he has called us a couple of times, like when A was born, and recently for D's birthday. i like that kind of serendipitous friend - the one you make unexpectedly, and although we may never see each other again, you know will probably be there for life.
like most people, i like things French - Paris was amazing. we were only there for one week, but you can imagine what it was like just sitting at a cafe and watching people - everything in Paris is neat, ordered an clean. it was like being in a movie. and it is true - the women looked elegant and sophisticated in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt!
my favourite Audrey Hepburn movies is called Funny Face.

it's a great musical that shows everything beautiful about Paris. and Fred Astaire is in it too.
this week i have been reading a humorous book about unlocking the French woman within. together with "French Women Don't get Fat" i may learn to pull it off! ;-)
maybe not, 'cause when i read "French Women..." a couple of years ago they said to begin with a cleansing soup of leek broth. for 24 hours. i made it, tasted it, and i think i lasted 2 hours.
on other girl things, my sister and i went for a quick shop today (as much shopping as you can do with two babies and a toddler tearing down the isles) and i bought A a new dress and cardigan. so the dress won't fit until next winter, but it was half price and is adorable. i've decided it is probably a good thing i go back to work. having a girl is dangerous - there are too many cute things out there. poor N - the boys clothes seem to be only tough looking t-shirts and jeans. i'll have to look harder.
to indulge my French reminiscing, here are a couple of pictures from Paris.

maybe one day will we go back.

dream list

i was just looking for something on Becky Higgins blog. boy is she organised! and neat! huge sigh from me. i think neatness to that degree will only ever be in my dreams.

speaking of which, here is my dream list of projects i'd like to complete. i haven't given myself completion dates, as i know better!!

priority is to finish this:

and complete/begin some way overdue scrapbooking:

then on top of dresses for A, I'd like to make her this quilt to hang on her bedroom wall (a bit ambitious at this point in time). i also hope to make a quilt for my mum, this for D's mother, and also for his aunt. and i'd love to make a lightweight quilt to use as a picnic blanket. so i'll check back in 5 years to see what i've achieved!

meanwhile i am having fun playing around with birthday invitations for N... here is a peak! ;o)

being dedicated

it is a strange feeling. it is 6:12pm and both my miracles are asleep. D and his cousin have gone to church. the whirl of the day is over - our nearest and dearest have left, chairs are put away, the table is back in place. dishes are done and the house is silent. now i have a moment to reflect on the meaning of this day. Pea was dedicated today. it was a less lavish affair than when N was dedicated, but the sentiments are the same. she wore dress that my grandmother had knitted and was wrapped in a shawl my mum knitted. we had immediate (20-odd people!!) family over for lunch which they all helped to prepare.

A doesn't know what today was all about. it was really a day for us. a day to declare that we want our children to grow up with a very specific spiritual and moral foundation. to grow, knowing the Lord as their own. the responsability is awesome, but we know it is possible!

Pastor Downs said something like this: "at this time, when you have the least time, you need to spend the most time with your children". being home with my kids I see how true this is, and how it is something we need to intentionally do.

my parents gave us a gift - a beautiful book I'd recommend to anyone. the card they gave us had this written on the front: "as you dedicate this little one to the Lord... walk in all His ways, grow in grace and knowledge". see, this day isn't about what A does at this point - it is about what we do to get her to a place where she can then follow the same commandments. that is why i chose the song "Potter's Hand" to be sung at her dedication:

Beautiful Lord, Wonderful savior
I know for sure all of my days are held in your hands
Crafted into your perfect plans
You gently called me into your presence
Guiding me by Your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life
Through your eyes

this is our prayer, but we also want it to be the prayer of our children.
it was a lovely day to thank God for our two blessings!!

latest on my babies...

...is that they are growing up. A (aka "Pea) is 4 months old today! we are having her dedicated on Sunday. D found the long sought after dress my grandmother had knitted - not sure the fit is quite right, but nothing a pair of stockings can't fix!
in 6 weeks, N will be 3. this week saw him graduate to a big bed. more out of necessity than desire on my part. here is a picture of him having a "practice sleep" in it after we had made it up. he made sure "puppy" (original name) smiled for the camera too, after all, it is his new bed as well!

i had to change his room about a bit to ensure the essentials (toy box and book case) were still able to fit. surprisingly, the day time sleeps have been like clockwork. we need to be a bit persistent in the evenings though.

we have bought new flannelette sheets and a blanket to commemorate A's move to the cot. Mel made a lovely patchwork quilt we will use as well. unfortunately D needs to make some minor adjustments before she can sleep in it - probably tomorrow night.

today we did some colouring. here is mine...

...in comparison to N's...

he is much more into "cutting" with his scissors these days. i am impressed though at how he has been deliberately colouring in each object on the page (see the leaf on the right) rather than his usual boyish scribble over the entire page.

my favourite recent picture he coloured in is one where he carefully used different colours on everything. it is of Peter Rabbit, but we are not mentioning Peter Rabbit at the moment as a game of "Mr MacGregor" saw N's favourite chook come off second best, and a distraught dad buried him last night. the less said about that event the better!

sobering moment

I watched Cutting Edge last night. the story was on the abandoned children of Bulgaria. it really is horrific to see the conditions that who knows how many children are living under. I was heartbroken to see one girl lying, bedridden, and asking to be taken outside in the pram. another little blind boy would stand in the middle of the room, waiting for someone to take him by the hand and lead him somewhere. another girl constantly wrote letters to her mother, and carefully folded them, keeping them in her bag, waiting for her mother to come and collect her.
I was convicted as I realised how "blind" I have become to the needs of others. when I worked with Amnesty International, my focus group was the Russian Federation, which has so many similar stories in many institiutions - whether schools, children's homes or prisions. we used to meet with the Russian Ambassador to discuss hem. we wrote letters to Russian members of parliament (and often received replies) we wrote to prisioners.
the point was, I cared and now I have forgotten.
during my Masters studies last year, I had to research child labour (I'm a glutton for punishment I think!) and looking at my own son I couldn't bear the thought of how children were being treated. but life can sometimes overtake itself and we forget. ok, so I hate that I have to go back to work - but then I remember that the reason I am working is so that my family have somewhere to live. I hate that just when I think I can spend a little extra, the bills arrive. but we pay the bills so we have lighting at night, so that we have water and heating in winter. life is good so who am I to complain?? I read somewhere once that instead of saying "I have to..." we should say "I get to..." that's a sure way to change our attitude to some things in our lives.
not that I think we can abandon it all and try to heal the world of everything, but it is good to be involved in something. I was interested a few weeks ago to read of the different causes friends support in one way or another. some of those I am interested in are: Alola Foundation, Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, and the Lindsay and Joseph Croft Memorial Memorial Scholarship (named for a fellow student when I was at the University of Canberra, who died in a car accident). not to mention our own ASCH sponsorship project. not all of these are in my budget, but if I put $1 per week for each cause into a moneybox, I will have $52 each year to give to each of them. not a lot, but still something. so that's my sermon to myself today!

message to share

just a quick post today. I found the link to this message, 'A Mother's Responsability', on another blog, and thought it was too good not to share with all the mum's I know. It is free to download, so have a listen when you can. xo

adorable

I love this picture! It is of D's great-aunt as a child. I love the chair, the shoes, the garden... the fact she is reading a book. this photograph will feature on my wall of family pictures!

friday's musings

a big day out today for a simple task - to get A weighed. getting the bus keeping a toddler within reach and a (thankfully content) baby in the Baby Bjorn takes some preparation and the willingness to be gone for a couple (or a few) hours.

N was well behaved, considering how long we were gone for - although I did catch him pushing another child at the clinic and tried my best "public chastising" voice together with the surprised "my child would never do that" look :-)

then I went to get some photographs developed (I'm way behind on this) and had brought the wrong disk with me.

we went and had cheeseburgers for lunch and to get a couple of things for Mother's Day. the lady at the register kept fiddling around with her drawer and the plastic bags instead of serving us so we missed our bus home by 3 minutes. not fun when the next one is an hour away. (read into that a grumpy me today). we then bought a couple of Little Golden Books so N would have something to do while I changed and fed A.

admittedly I picked the books I thought looked fun, and whose illustrations I was particularly taken by. two of them are for A - my second to none baby... Auntie Mel :-)

here is a picture of her because I think she is an angel.

we got to the bus station for our next bus and by this stage I was so thirsty. I had just enough change for a can of coke and although I heard the can drop, it did not appear anywhere. frustrated at how my day was turning out I went to wait at my stop. a college student then came up to me with my coke - so I publicly take back all the generalisations I've made about college students!

oh, big news is that we're biting the bullet and putting N into a big bed next week. not a toddler bed, a "big" bed. :-( my boy is growing up. and we need the cot for A before she rolls out of the 35 year old one she is currently sleeping in.

finally, here is a pic of a very carrot topped me and my 18-ish year old mum, who gave up who knows how much to have me, and raise me for what probably felt like zillions of years! thanks mum and a very happy mother's day, everyday. ;-)

the pea and the green sheep

the other day I posted a link to a shop called the 'Princess and the Pea'. I came across the shop while looking for the story, because A's new nickname is now "the princess and the pea". we'll call her "Pea" for short! if someone (particularly her brother) makes too much noise, she bursts into a dramatic cry. if someone dares to speak while she is feeding, she bursts into a cry. and if we are walking with her in the pram and hit a bump in the footpath, there she goes again.
thankfully though, like her brother, she sleeps through noise. :-)

the other day N was in trouble for hitting "Pea" in a fit of enthusiasm. later I put her safely in his cot where the sides are too high for him to reach her, so that I could get a couple of things done. I heard much talking coming from his room, and found he had pulled his little chair to the side of the cot and was "reading" to his sister. I just had to film it to show D. it is not all that clear, but can be heard here. another day I found him "reading" Brown Bear, Brown Bear aloud to himself - of course his mum is absolutely thrilled that he loves books!

Where is the Green Sheep is special to us as we had read it to N since he was about six months old. I later even took him to a great little pantomime of it. I don't know how many people we have bought the book for - we should receive royalties from Mem Fox!!

on children

D has gone to the function centre to cook. yes, he is cooking the entire meal for his own birthday! N has gone with pop and gran to the pumpkin festival and A is asleep (she must be catching up from last night!) my ironing is done, so before I get to other chores I thought I would blog what I have been learning from this book.

I really liked the ten commands Elizabeth George provided for guiding your children. so much so, that I will list them here:

1. Teach them using God's word (Duet 6:4-9)
2. Tell them what is right and wrong (1 Kings 1:6)
3. See them as gifts from God (Psalm 127:3)
4. Guide them in godly ways (Proverbs 22:6)
5. Discipline them (Proverbs 29:17)
6. Love them unconditionally (Luke 15:11-32)
7. Do not provoke them to wrath (Ephesians 6:4)
8. Earn thy respect by example (1 Timothy 3:4)
9. Provide for their physical needs (1 Timothy 5:8)
10. Pass your faith along to them (2 Timothy 1:5)

she also includes a list that Susannah Wesley apparently wrote on rearing children. here are a couple that I think show wisdom:

* put all children in bed by eight o'clock (I wish!)
* teach each one to pray as soon as he can speak
* give them nothing that they cry for, and only that which they ask for politely
* to prevent lying, punish no fault which is first confessed and repented of
* never punish a child twice for a single offense
* any attempt to please, even if poorly performed, should be commended
* strictly observe all promises

on other (lighter) child-related matters, here are a couple of my favourite online kids stores.

and I can't wait for this one! with a love for vintage, I could really go wild there...

now, to the joy of creating a nice clean house.

what time is it?

O sleep, O gentle sleep,Nature’s soft nurse,

how have I frighted thee,

That thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down

And steep my senses in forgetfulness?"

William Shakespeare Henry VI (3.1.7-10)

I was up late last night - my own fault. I have discovered that you can get so much done after the kids go to bed if you stay up until 1am!! unfortunately I wasn't planning on A waking 3-4 times after I finally went to bed. and then N deciding today was a good day to have an early start to the day at 7am...

I have never been one to be hung up on how my kids sleep - I think people can make too much of their baby's sleep and only end up stressing themselves. I'm usually more of a go with the flow type of person. I smile when I remember a quote that says "people who say they slept like a baby have obviously never had a baby!" D asks how I manage to keep going when I am up at least two times through the night. I guess I just do - it's like being on autopilot. except when it is 3 or 4 times in 6 hours! when it is quiet in the middle of the night it would be a lovely harmoneous time, cuddling A as she fed... if only I wasn't thinking "I want to go back to bed, I want to go back to bed..."

tonight we are having a 30th birthday dinner for D, so will be busy preparing today. there will be about 29 people, once both our families are together and a couple of friends show up, so I guess it won't be an early night tonight either!

"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, rounded with a little sleep."

William Shakespeare The Tempest (4.1)

productive day

finally, a creative day - even if something basic. I love covering these mini-albums. I like to use them for a specific theme. I have one I did early last year, full of quotes I found inspiring, things I wanted to achieve and resolutions for the year. in 2006 I had an up and down year as far as emotions went, and didn't want to see 2007 go the same way, so scrapped a book on things that were positive.

I also have an album I have covered for pictures from family holidays:

today I covered one for D's mother to put photos of her garden in. (a belated birthday present). I'll also include garden quotes on random pages. I love Basic Grey papers by the way...

today is D's birthday - a grown up 30! N and I made a chocolate cake, which we will ice and cover with sprinkles. N has been practising "happy birthday" all day. of course the candle will be for him to blow out.

** addition: pictures of the cake decorating and candle blowing!

I have been browsing craft magazines, and even looking at patchwork! once I finish the cross stitch I'm doing for A, I think I'll venture into a new world and try a quilt for mum. maybe I'll have it finished by Christmas...

I ordered this book on the recommendation of a sewer, so am determined to be serious about this thing! D ordered this one at the same time, so I guess we will both be perfecting something creative!