so much to fill my mind...

 Nicholas has been learning his "Magic Words" for school.  This morning he was reciting the Golden Words and we were reading the Red Words together.  I had glued the words to card and cut them out so I could randomly ask him what a word was.  When I came inside I noticed that before he left for the church holiday program he had rearranged all of the words in perfect order to which they appeared on the original sheet!

At 10:30 Audrey came o me and put her chin in her hand as she lent across the table and asked in a mournful voice "how long will Nicholas be?"  She misses him when he is away.  I later found her using the time to play in his room.... 

before she got back to dancing.

As for me, I seriously need to get some order into my life!  David sweetly added to my French General Fabric collection the other week. 

It is building up considerably now, so I long for a night where I can sit with my sewing books and patterns piled high and start to prioritise possible uses for it.  The problem with beautiful fabric is that I only want to use it for something special and am reluctant to cut into it.  Nicholas has a sleepover tomorrow night at his nan and pa's, so that might have to be the night. 

WIPs (Works In Progress) sitting around however (which sounds much nicer than UFOs Unfinished Objects)  are the kids heat pack covers, which only need to be sewn together, my French Revival Quilt, which needs to be hand quilted and my Tail Feathers Quilt, which I am afraid I might be a while off resuming.  Looks like some long evenings of BBC period dramas to encourage me to sit in one spot and finish them!

We had afternoon tea with David's cousin on Monday - she has a beautiful house on a gorgeous farm with rolling hills.  Her daughter is a girl after my own heart and is passionate about reading.  She had a friend visiting who was quite animated and funny to listen to.  They were excitedly talking about books they are currently reading and promising book swaps.  Which gave me the bright idea to finally use my Heather Bailey Book Bag pattern!  :)  I had coveted this pattern since reading this Mary Englebreit article a couple of years ago.  I hope to make a couple and send to them.

Don't get me started on books.  I finally finished Alexander McCall Smith's 'The Sunday Philosophy Club'.  I have a soft spot for its main character, Isabel Dalhousie.  Forty years old, with an inheritance and no real need to work she edits a philosophy journal part time.  She lives alone in a large aging house in south Edinburgh, with a housekeeper!  She always has a hot, freshly brewed cup of coffee ready to go in the mroning, enjoys crosswords and can't help but involve herself in matters around her, so is kind of a detective novel in some ways.  I happen to know, because I read the fifth book in the series before the first, that she marries a man much younger than herself.  ;)

Now I am reading Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks, and am enjoying it and constantly remind myself when I finish it that I need to finish her earlier book, People of the Book.  Also beside my bed unfinished and which I desperately need to read is a parenting book by the founder of the education program implemented in Nicholas' school and Anne Voskamp's book 'A Thousand Gifts'.

I am also eagerly awaiting the release of Amanda Blake Soule's new book, The Rhythm of Family.

Hers was one of the first blogs I began reading some four years ago and remains one of my favourites.  I have her previous books and gleaned so much from them about enjoying simple things with your family.  It continues to inspire me as I seemingly continue to fall down in the area of taking the time to do such things.

  

Anyway, the reason I need to get myself organised in regards to use of time, school, craft and reading?  David is about to enter a semester of full time university (although he will continue to work two days and every other Saturday) so we will need to run the house like a ship (is that the saying) and the thought of that scares me to death as I do not want it to be in the manner of a Sargent-major, but to remember to take time for the kids, let them be who they are and take time to enjoy being with them... in spite of the dust under the bed! 

Oh to be home full time and be able to do it all!  Looks like meal planners, lists and Sunday baking is on its way!

One thing I have been listening to and have been blessed by is a series from Nancy Leigh DeMoss' Revive Our Hearts ministry. 

It is on having a quiet heart.  Who would have thought so much could be learnt from one small Psalm?  Psalm 131.  Listen to the series here.

holidays so far

The holidays have been busy, fun, and just a little bit stressful at times with kids playing, teasing and generally being kids (I remind myself).  We've been to the library, a walk to the park, had a day of craft and a four day visit to the farm.  Today Nicholas is off to a holiday program run by Mel, so I think he will have a great time. 

 

more on growing up

Last Thursday night, Audrey spent her last night in the cot.  The cot David made for Nicholas.  Probably what I see as our first true family heirloom (hopefully).

 To move into our new family heirloom... Audrey's "big bed".  I LOVE it! And she does too.  :)

in the kitchen

I saw this gingerbread cake idea at Christmas timeyear and thought it sounded like a lovely thing to do.  Then Kelli made a gingerbread cake for bibe study group the other week and I am hooked.  i plan to do make mini loaves this Christmas to hand out to neighbours and friends.  I'll use "Kelli's Recipe".  :)
Kelli's Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3/4 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup light olive oil
1 cup golden syrup
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk

Icing
2 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture
1 orange, rind finely grated, juiced
1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Method
1.  Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 5cm deep, 21cm x 31cm (base) slab pan and line base and sides with baking paper.
2.  Sift flours, bicarbonate of soda, ginger and mixed spice into a large bowl. Add sugar and stir until well combined. Combine oil, golden syrup, egg and milk in a large jug. Add to dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
3.  Pour mixture into pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pan before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Make icing: Sift icing mixture into a large bowl. Add orange rind and 1/4 cup orange juice. Stir until smooth, adding 3 to 4 teaspoons warm water if too thick. Spread icing over cake. Sprinkle with walnuts. Allow icing to set before slicing cake and serving.

(This icing is great, but I have been using the Posie Gets Cozy sugar syrup of mixing icng sugar and milk and pouring over the cake)

And while I am sharing recipes, thsi sweet corn and chicken soup recipe is from my great-aunt and is SO easy and SO yummy!

Aunty Carol's Sweet Corn and Chicken Soup

2 x 400g tins Cambells Sweet Chicken Soup
2 x 400g tins creamed corn
1 x 400g corn kernals
1/2 bbq chicken from Woolworths or Kingsleys

Method
Combine chicken soup, creamed corn and corn kernals and heat.
When heated and ready to serve, add shredded cooked chicken.

more on kids

One of my favourite things about Nicholas' birthday party last weekend was definitely the party games.  As there was a bit of a dinosaur theme happening we played pin the horn on the triceratops, what's the time "Mr Dinosaur hands" (Dave had a dinosaur puppet on each hand), a dinosaur egg pinata and a dino balloon stomp.  The kids really enjoyed them (I think) and it emphasised my belief in letting kids, be kids.  Old fashioned fun.  Here is another post on the joy of party games that I wholeheartedly agree with. 

In the spirit of having fun, I have been turning my mind to things to do for the holidays.  I want the school holidays to be relaxing.  To be some down time for us all and not full of commitments.  We will be spending a few days at Dave's uncles' farm.  I'm looking forward to that. 

I also hope to:

* take the kids to one of our national galleries/museums in each of the weeks of the holidays. (btw, I read a good article on taking kids to museums here)

* live with no particular routine.  no pressure.
* read together
* cook together
* paint together, draw together
* get some decent photographs
* and to cuddle everywhere.  My focus is to be together.

Time won't wait

Nicholas is 6.  Today while at work I missed him.  I thought of him at school, in his uniform.  Was he in class?  Was he playing?  What was he doing?  When I came home I held him and I kissed him.  Whenever he walked passed me I kissed him again. I sat and talked to him while he had his bath.  He told me about his swimming lesson and talked about his lego.  These days I seem to be more aware of time passing too fast.  So I looked at photos of Audrey when she was a baby.  I find this clip and feel that she has already grown up so much in just a year.

The other day I read about keeping a marble jar for your child.  So often it is too easy to focus on the negative - "stop that" and "don't" or "leave that".  I remind myself to lighten up - praise and encourage.  The idea of the marble jar appeals to me - when they do something good, put a marble in the jar.  At 10 marbles take them for a treat, build it up to something spacial.
I also read a blog that I came across a few months ago.  A tragic story of losing a child.  I came across it again.  One of the most recent posts was about helping an older child through the grief.  Again about holding, loving.  Nothing is more important than this.  I pray for grace and patience.

favourite party moments

The End by A. A. Milne

When I was One,
I had just begun.

When I was Two,
I was nearly new.

When I was Three,
I was hardly me.

When I was Four,
I was not much more.

When I was Five,
I was just alive.

But now I am six,
I'm as clever as clever

So I think I'll be six now
Forever and ever.

Yesterday Nicholas turned 6.  Today he celebrated with some of his friends from school and church.  SIX!!

Some of my favourite moments at his party were:

The photo booth.

The party games

And the set up - Mel's table was fantastic!