Have a Happy Christmas

See you in the New Year

x

Lights for loved ones

This year we are making beeswax candles for our friends and family. I thought this would be simple enough for the littlies to do and enjoy giving. I know they love it when candles are lit in the house.

With a little prior organisation we sit for a short while and roll them together. The wax has been tasted on numerous occasions, 'cause it smells soooo damn good! Unfortunately the smell is somewhat deceiving in this instance...

Hopefully they will add a little extra light and warmth to the tables of those we love knowing that we are thinking of them.

And a very basic, home made advent candle for us.

What it made

The cherries...consumed as they were.

Blackberries: jam for the cupboard, coulis for the freezer, ice cream for any ol' time and place, and smoothie. The blackberries give such an intense colour to things. I am left in wonder of our natural world.

And the raspberries...

...well, mine eated most of thems.

Christmas in Summertime

Berries for Christmas. One of the joys of having a Summertime Christmas. 

And Mama made brioche(chocolate) as promised after our wonderful experience with the bakery one.

There is a real sense of celebration around berries for us....mmmm.

Just thinking about them, I might just make my way to the kitchen.

the glow of Christmas

A couple of nights ago I happened to be up when the lights were out and the house was asleep.

A glowing joy of childish wonderment wrapped me when I walked into the lounge room. 

I truly love Christmas, the reasons have changed a little over the years but...it's still there.

I had some time with just Winter and couldn't resist the temptation to have a real tree. 

As a kid we always had a real tree. Despite living in the desert, somehow my parents managed to keep a Christmas tree alive. Every year they would dig it out of the ground and move it inside for a few weeks. Then return it to a sheltered spot in the earth outside in the hope it would continue to survive and grow. 

I might try the same.

I hope you feel the glow of Christmas too.

words

Today I happened upon an old post from another Mama blog, kellehampton.com


I read 'Nella Cordelia: A birth story'. I am filled with admiration of strength it must have taken for her to write those words.


I read it and cried as I rocked my little Winter to sleep.


I then went upstairs and lay with each Spring and Autumn, I do this every night, to hold them, kiss them and whisper in their sleeping ears that 'I'll eat you up I love you so.'


Three miracles of my life.

a 'B' day

We had a 'B' day. For no particular reason.

Bananas

Bakery

Brioche

Bread rolls

Beach

Big kids

Baby

among other things...

And a little knitting. One stitch, want some of my tea? of course, be careful, it's hot, three stitches, apple? sure, two stitches, water? yup, one row, toilet? let's go, half a row, more chalk? sure, 10 stitches, sip of cold tea, ah lovely.

Sometimes it's slow going...but we'll get there in the end

knitpick

Today was exactly that. Knit, pick, knit, pick, knit.

We went fruit picking. Unfortunately berries were not available to be picked at the farms we visited, but cherries were. Cherries are one of those things that let me know it's really Christmas time. 
With messy faces and hands and a few kilograms of cherries later we moved to the next farm where we were able to buy delicious blackberries and raspberries (Mama's favourite). 

And all along the way, thanks to Dada's driving, I was able to knit, ohh and such progress to be made with thick wool on large needles and especially knitting in the round. Ha, ha, ha.

However, I did forget the battery for the camera...hmmmm. Thank goodness for the convenience of a mobile phone.

Now what to do with all this freshness?

mobile for a chocolate B

We got a new addition to the family a few weeks back. So this is our little gift to him. We welcome him and two new parents to the family and are all looking forward to joining him on his journey.

It's been in progress for a little while but is complete and ready for gifting.

And one for our Winter:

This one has been is progress for even longer. I started it before I knew who was going to arrive to grow our little family. Now she is here and it seems just right for her. Funny.

reading reflections

 Along with the decorations and the tree that was unpacked for this festive season were the books.

As I read them to Spring and Autumn I couldn't help but remember how it felt to read these to them last year when they (we!) were each a year younger and reflect on how much more they now understand of each tale. That the meaning and the comprehension of language has changed so greatly. And knowing that next year more leaps will have been made and that Winter, too, may sit on my lap and be enchanted with the stories for this special season.

To sleep by an angel

One of those moments that I want to hold forever.

In third person

She bravely steps out the front door for twenty minutes of wander. But only after removing the knee bandaid & toe tape from playing patient, the grass stuck to her calf from fresh grass cuttings & water play, and changing her milk wet, smoothie marked shirt. She didn't worry about her hair, it's too late in the day. She smiles to herself as she walks.

Watercolour

This happened today. The butterflies have been floating around for a little while but I laminated them today. Sometimes I hang them for the littlest one to look at and touch. Sometimes the bigger ones like running with them, whatever takes their fancy. 

I really enjoyed drawing and painting these. So much fun to be had when I sit and play too.

...and these are the animals that made their way out of the left over laminated sheets. They are proving short-while playmates.