pyjama day

That time of year again.  In winter??!! 

Nicholas' pyjama day was last week.  I hadn't seen the note but I don't think he would have wanted to wear his pyjamas... he had a pyjama party at Joey's last night and when he came home he said he didn't take his coat off or undo his zipper.  Why?  the other boys (all two of them) had cooler pyjama's.  One boy had spiderman and Nicholas had Buzz Lightyear on his... I guess he is growing up!

He is the Lego king though.  In 2 days he made the large Star Wars Millenium Falcon.  He loves it!

 

Sunday

seven years old...

...tomorrow, but the party was today!

It scares me how quickly the time goes.

Sunday

Audrey's new school bag.  :)

Saturday

This is what happens when you leave it so long between posts.  A lot of random things to say.
Firstly and importantly, Nicholas scored his first goal in soccer today.  And as any mum would say, I wouldn't have missed it for anything - his smile made my heart feel like it would burst. 

One day last week while eating his breakfast Nicholas said to me: "Do you know what we have more of than anything in this house?”  “Books.  There are books here (the family room) books in the lounge room, books in my room and books in Audrey’s room.” I love that he noticed and I am thrilled that he is growing up surrounded by books. 


At a meeting with his teacher last week she said that he was not reading at grade level.  It actually shocked me because although I had been working diligently with him to improve his reading skills I didn't think he was behind.  It also inspired me to look more closely at ways I can help reinforce what he is learning at school.  A few weeks ago I started taking groups in his class for guided reading activities and it has  now become a regular Tuesday activity.  I came home and made up our own version of one of the games available at school.  I cut a piece of cardboard into the shape of a fish bowl and then printed a number of Nicholas' sight/high frequency/magic words onto card.  I cut them into the shape of fish and the idea is that they are all laid out face down.  Nicholas turns one over and says it.  If he has read it correctly it goes in the fish bowl and if he can't read it, it goes back face down.

I printed groups of the words using this program so that they can be printed with dotted lines for him to trace and so get used to writing them and spelling them.  We don't do these each day, but I'll rotate them with with his homework for emphasis.  He loves stories and being read to, so I don't want reading and stories to become too much of a chore.  When we go away for the holidays I am going to take a pile of home readers so he can continue to do one each night.  I will also get him to write one sentence each day about something we have done.  So as not to be left out I also printed Audrey's name using the dots and she had a great time tracing it.  I'll also get her to draw pictures of what we do on our holidays so she doesn't feel left out and Nicholas doesn't feel singled out!


Since Sew It Together I have been inspired to get stuck into some of those WIPs!  First on the list are some Heather Bailey book bags I had told a cousin I'd make her girls... last winter!  We are about to visit the farm again so there is an incentive to not show up empty handed... 

I first saw these bags in a couple of years ago in a Mary Englebright magazine.  I emailed Heather Bailey to ask if there was a pattern, but she hadn't done one.  A while later they appeared, so I was thrilled.  I made Audrey one and cut out fabric for three more... and there the fabric stayed.   My old industrial strength Bernina has been set up on our table the past week.  Hopefully I'll have something to show for it tomorrow night!


Speaking of magazines, I came across this one on the iPad.  TreeFall's princess and the pea is on the front cover.  Something else on my list of things to make!  Subscriptions are a small fortune from the UK so I I've asked my local newsagent if he can order them in... I think he is going to, I can't wait.  :)

Sunday/Monday

Post-SIT

Well, the day after my first Sew It Together.  I really did have so much fun!!  Meeting lots of talented, like minded women was the highlight, but to sit and sew and talk and drink tea and not much else was bliss.  I saw so many lovely things at the markets  and kept thinking to myself, I have a pattern for that in my Lotta/Oliver +S/French General/Posie Gets Cozy book.... now I'm inspired to actually put the patterns into use!!  Hence, Melanie is coming over tomorrow to have our own SIT!

A visit to the Handmade Markets in the morning yielded a skirt for me and tights (pictured below) for Audrey.  Although she loves pink and purple and fairy wings, I see her more as a Pipi Longstocking kind of girl.

The long weekend was finished off today with an afternoon at Tidbinbilla.  Lachlan joined us for the fun and we had the mandatory sausage sandwich (with onion and tomato sauce) as well as some s'mores -  a toasted marshmallow squished between two chocolate wheaten biscuits, followed by tea for us and hot chocolate for the kids. 

Friday

A blog I have liked for a long time now is Forty-Sixth At Grace. The photographs and the craftsmanship are both gorgeous.  Anyone who knows me knows that my style is more rustic than country.

I look forward to this little doco on their work.

Herriott Grace Trailer from John Cullen on Vimeo.

And yeah, I've decided this is coming with me to Sew It Together tomorrow...