the Wise Robin

and her

78/365

 

 

 

her

78/365

 

 

 

salt

 

 

 

yesterday was the most beautiful autumn day. the filtered afternoon sun illuminating every silken spider web and wispy seed head in the garden. how i love this time of year. i wish it lasted longer. we really only get a good few wekks of mild weather before doors and windows stay shut and the heating goes on.  we spent the whole day in the garden soaking it all in. my physio has told me no more knitting, for the moment at least. my jaw dropped when the words came out of her mouth. no knitting? what's a girl to do? stay up late catching up on janet king episodes, sewing little people's clothes and stitching quilt binding as it turns out.  today it's chilly and spotting with rain. it hasn't rained much at all really, for such a long time. i looked at the cloudy sky this morning and pondered my fresh laundry. do i? don't i? i did. i'm trying to get all the linen washed as my mum is coming this afternoon to housesit. we are off on a little getaway down south to where the ocean roars and the irish beach calls our name. fingers crossed we'll make it round to the cape. i'm looking forward to taking in deep breaths of salty air and a little second hand furniture hunting. so today is a bit of a mad scramble packing and cleaning, washing and finishing off a photo shoot. we'll be back next week with lungs full of salty breezes and a skip in our step.

wishing you a peaceful week wherever you're going and whatever you're doing.

 

 

a rose for a rose

77/365

 

 

we made our way to the nursery to look for herb and vegie garden seedlings. we spent most of our time in the rose section giving our noses a treat. nurseries are such great, sensory playspaces for kids. the scents, the colours, the feel of different foliage, the sound of bees buzzing. when zahra was niamh's age we would often go to the plant nursery and i'd dream of the big vegie garden i wanted to create. if she ever disappeared i always knew where to find her...succulents. she's always been drawn to succulents, thier squishy leaves and varied shapes. she has her own little potted succulent garden but dreams of having a big one of her very own.

 

 

 

2 hand furn

76/365

 

 

that's what the sandwich board said. i was looking for a writing desk but it was more eighties, laz-e-boy lounge setee style, except for this queen anne chair that the girls found.

 

 

 

"chooken"

76/365

 

 

come here, "chooken, chooken". 

 

 

Yack, folk, music and things

75/365

 

 

 

 

Each year we make our way to the Yackandandah folk festival (Yack to locals). It marks the true beginning of Autumn for us and has become a well loved family ritual. This year Zahra and I finally joined the community choir, something I've been wanting to do for years. When rehearsals started six weeks ago Zahara was a bit grumbly about it all, but straight after our performance today she asked if we could do it again next year. Perhaps this too will become part of our yearly folk festival ritual! Yes please. Singing is so good for the soul don't you think? And singing with people you don't know, but get to know and then become friends with, is even better. I did forget a few lines and had ridiculously wet armpits afterwards... nerves and stage lighting? but all in all we had a ball. I was hoping Will would get a little home movie thing happening of us singing, but I couldn't see his face in the crowd. Turns out he didn't make it in time to get inside the hall (standing room only was chock-a-block-) because he didn't see the tub of nappy cream in Niamh's hands as he put her down for her morning nap. Niamh and said nappy cream played happily together for one and a half hours. I know this has happened to many, many, many other people out there because there are forums and help pages and phone lines for this kind of thing. People like us who try unsuccessfully for far too long to get that stuff off cotton, wool, velour, carpet, before we cry for help. Did you know good old dishashing liquid seems to be the ticket? And whatever you do don't rub, dab, outside in. So no singing movie. But he took a lovely pic of Zahra and me afterwards, regardless of the "quick take the photo because the baby is staring those people down for their ice cream" expression on my face. There's Niamh hanging out in the park and Zahra catching a gig from a good vantage point.

 

 

 

bibliotheque

74/365

 

 

i love how she delves right in after we get home from our local library. we push around one of those little book trolley's, perusing the shelves, adding what piques our interest as we go along, while niamh phaffs around on the piles of floor cushions or pulls board books out of  the toddler baskets. i love libraries, especially really old ones with wood panelling and desk lamps with pull cords, big tables to spread out on and nooks to hide and read in. when we get home i lose her for the rest of the day.

 

 

 

light

74/365

 

 

pretty light from a suncatcher caught this one's attention

 

 

paint

73/365

 

 

first things first... painting, then breakfast

 

 

rollin'

73/365

 

 

niamh is so besotted with the toilet that she's never really noticed the toilet roll hanging right there next to her...that was until this morning, when my sniffly nose meant there was a roll hanging around the living room....now where did i stash those hankies.

 

 

 

home

72/365

 

 

after a long few days with william away, were were all very happy to have him home again. 

 

 

glass o' water

72/365

 

 

i remember this phase clearly with zahra...do i always seem to be saying that ? i remember this or that from when zahra was little. this project is great for that (so many this and that's).... bringing back memories of my first baby girl and those days as a first time mama parenting by myself. long days, hard days, but rewarding and cherished nonetheless. anyhoo, water in glasses. fascinating. to both my girls. maybe you have a little who is fascinated by water in glasses too. hands go in, splash, splash, hands out. food in, mix, mix. food out. food  then eaten or offered to mama or dog. over and over. the repetition associated with learning is both amazing and sometimes a little frustrating. i remind myself it's her work and necessary. so i sit back and enjoy because she won't always find water in a glass fascinating.

 

 

 

meet ivy

 

 

the weather is definitely starting to turn here. yesterday zahra and i spotted leaves that were positively autumnal in tone, not because it's been so scorchingly hot but because it really is autumn now. the weather is sooooo much more mellow. no hunkering down inside after nine o'clock to avoid being frazzled. our house has cooled off completely and now i'm throwing open the windows to let the warm air in. we're living in one of those 40's double red brick homes that typifies the architecture of this town, (unless your counting the revolting developments that have been allowed to go ahead, replacing lovely old houses. local council ya'll know what i'm talking about) which seem to have their seasons all misconstrued. hot in summer, cold in winter. maybe you're living in one too. just means when we're in between seasons it could be short sleeve weather outside but inside we're all rugged up. it's exciting though. i love autumn, she's my favourite season. spring follows pretty close behind but nothing beats those mild days, chilly mornings, the colour, the golden light, thoughts of wool and hot chocolate, cinnamon and warm ovens. bring it on.  i feel like i completely missed autumn and winter last year, spring too now that i think back. we were deep in babyland, trying to catch some shut eye, working out our rhythm as a family of four. now we've emerged. not fully, we only have windows of time with which to work. two hours in the middle of the day, first thing in the morning or late afternoon. and quite frankly who could be bothered even trying to leave the house before niamh has to go back to bed, lucky duck, by nine. we flop around in our pyjamas instead, the girls playing while i get the laundry happening, breakfast cooked, dishwasher unstacked then restacked. i was thinking just now how lovely it would be to have a cleaning person. i was about to say lady, but who says they have to be a lady. that would rock. going out for a wee while only to return to a sparkly house, none of which i lifted a finger to do. however i would feel the need to tidy up before they came. hmmm. where was i more to the point. meet ivy, that's right. this is ivy. she likes sleeping in, lazy afternoons curled up in a sun filled corner of the house, taking long walks in her perambulator, lots of cuddles, being smothered in cosy bedlinen, and general laying about in comfy velour housewear. i made her for niamh's first birthday. the quilt and the cardigan are still works in progress, but ivy, ivy i managed to get finished before the big day. she even comes complete with her own little handstitched quilt that zahra sewed for her. i must admit i'm rather proud of ivy and have been spotted on more that one occassion snuggling with her. oh, and niamh loves her too. she has a round tum and i even gave her a little bottom. she's definitely not the grumpy type, unlike zahra's belle. sorry belle and zahra. this time i had success with a somewhat neutral expression. i used this tutorial rather loosely but it was definitely helpful. the hardest part i found, and only because i'm no good at it, was the mossy green jumpsuit. i love, love this colour, and a suitable autumn shade for my autumn babe i do think. but velour, hooley dooley what a nightmare to sew. i've never worked with stretch fabrics before, i even read up about them in my sewing machine manual, but still had a lot of trouble. in the end all was good and there she was. our ivy, well niamh's ivy.  there you go.

 

 

action

71/365

 

 

just wanting to be part of the sewing action

 

 

stitch

71/3765

 

 

i couldn't for the life of me pick just one photo today. i get excited when my girl wants to sew, because it's not that often she asks. today, inspired by all the birthday sewing she has put up with over the past week,  she designed her own little quilt of sorts, and did most of it all by herself, including the pedal. I say most because it's hard to use the pedal, concentrate on where the fabric is going and fend off a one year old who justs wants to be part of the action by pushing reverse constantly. so mama helped a bit with the odd bit of reverse stitching. 

 

 

saute

70/365

 

practicing your saute's

 

 

lens baby

70/365

 

you're starting to get more interested in this thing i've been pointing in your face every day for the past two months.  wanting to see the thumbnails on the little screen. trying out all the buttons. sometimes you even look at the camera now when i call your name. before you would turn away as soon as i brought it out. i know baby, it's intimidating. that's why mama is behind the lens.

 

 

baby blue

69/365

 

 

 

 

the shop on the hill

69/365

 

 

"finger knitting, ribbons, cards, jewellery for sale"

her little shop on the hill does some quiet business. she sits patiently waiting for customers all afternoon. then mama comes along...a card for 20 cents today i think. then william....present tags and a key for 15 cents. she wants to make business cards for all those customers who come along without their purse, so they'll remember her. 

 

today she asked" mama, where does yesterday go?" 

~love~

 

 

 

 

sister

68/365

 

 

we headed out of town for niamh's birthday. it was chilly. zahra had fun helping niamh open her presents and blowing out her candle. the perks of being a big sister.

 

 

birth day

68/365

 

 

my sweet pea, busy bee baby girl niamh turned one today. we've had a quiet day at home and lunch with our doula and her family. it was simple but perfect. i thought i might share our birth story with you in the near future. one year in and memories of her birth are still fresh. 

at one you are curious and determined. all you want to do is climb, climb, climb. always looking for the action. you love flat bear and booby the best. your big sister is up there too. you amaze me every day with the new things you are learning and how fast you are growing. you are no longer that tiny babe i held in my arms not so long ago rocking, walking, singing, snuggling to sleep. at one we have found our groove, finally. you approach life with a fierceness that astounds me constantly. i am proud to be your mama and blessed that you chose us.

we love you niamh. happy birthday

 

 

halo

67/365

 

 

i probably don't tell her enough what an angel she is. not meaning 'good girl' angel but in the sense of guiding , teaching and inspiring. i am blessed to be your mama.

 

 

kaya girl

67/365

 

 

 

i remember zahra's relationship with kaya when she was niamh's age. they politely ignored each other. that was until zahra discovered that kaya had velvet soft ears, lips that could jiggle and a high tolerance for  eye poking, while kaya discovered that zahra could throw balls. niamh is cautious around our gentle, old girl but is happy to chat away to her and give her the odd pat. today she found kaya's ball and had her completely under her spell.

 

weekend

66/365

 

 

 

a slow, weekend afternoon 

 

progress

 

 

well there's been some progress around these parts. first up i found a guy to fix our washing machine. i kept gushing to him about how much business he must have because nobody else seems to answer their phones or even have answering machines.  he kept looking at me like i was totally deranged. no matter, five loads of laundry are now all done and dusted. just have to fold and put away now. sigh. secondly, william is home. relieved sigh. thirdly, there's been some birthday sewing going on. hooray.  a quilt and little doll. i so enjoy making dolls for my girls, even if i do end up with sore fingers from pushing my non doll making needle through all that stuffing and fabric. i love the way it all comes together, each with their own personality. i still have trouble when adding the mouth. i can't seem to get the right expression. the doll i made for zahra's sixth birthday looks a little cranky. niamh's doll is all finished up now and has been sitting on my desk for the past couple of days. i think she's lovely, not cranky looking at all. i do hope niamh likes her too. the quilt top is finished, i just have to find some backing fabric. i was going to use a sheet that is still fairly new but shrank in the wash, so we can no longer use it.  turns out it's even too small for the quilt . i've only ever made two quilts, zahra's and this one, but both have turned out much larger than planned. it's a good thing, becasue as the girls grow and their bed size changes (this mama hopes) they'll still have their quilts to snuggle under. fourth, a little knitting too. lastly our girls have finally started laying again. i had words with them about everyone pulling their weight round here and may have even mentioned something about losing the sunflower seeds and corn, scraps only diet. did the trick. ahhh. friday. i love fridays. 

 

happy friday to you.

florist

65/365

 

 

one of the things i love most about being a mama is the dreaming and quiet wondering . dreaming of and wondering just how these little people will change and grow, what paths they'll follow and what their journey holds for them. somedays i imagine zahra growing up to become a dancer, other days it's a geologist or archaeologist, then there's the chook fancying, my this girl loves her rocks and chooks, then other days its a florist. she has mentioned she'd love to be a gardener, that came after pilot and teacher. on days like today i imagine her with her own little flower shop, arranging and selling blooms of hydrangeas, roses, daisies, helibores.  if i haven't made it into the garden to gather fresh flowers for indoors, she'll don an apron and off she goes. 

 

 

hug

65/365

 

 

more flatbear love

 

 

lolly jar

64/365

 

 

we have a lolly jar of sorts. but not the edible kind.  it's a big bowl full of tumbled stones and gems. amethyst, quartz, garnet, jade, moonstone, citrine, turquoise, agate. they are colourful, textured and beautiful to hold. i find picking one intuitively, according my mood, can be helpful. sometimes i like to pick one at the beginning of the week and leave it on my dresser to remind me of it's quality as i chance upon it during my day. things like calm, patience, an open heart, letting go of worries. there used to be a little store in town where we could pick them up. zahra and i would spend ages looking at them all, trying to choose, until we found the right one. i love giving a selection of stones, birthing stones, to a pregnant woman as a small gift at birth blessings. we have slowly gathered a bowlful over the years. they are a mangnet for kids, just like a lolly jar. this morning i found zahra, sitting on our windowsill in the morning light, digging around in the bowl.

 

 

lovey

64/365

 

 

niamh has a lovey. her flatout bear.  the first time i came across these bears i thought them, well, a litttle strange looking. but they totally make sense the more you think about them. they are a piece of sheepskin shaped into a teddy bear and they come in a variety of delicious colours. me? i'd have the chocolate bear if i was a kid all over again. they are soft and so cuddly. sometimes when i'm lying on zahra's bed, which this mama likes to do as often as i can (it's comfy and she won't let me hang out with her forever i'm guessing) i find myself reaching for her flatout bear and giving it a hug. niamh hasn't really been attached to inanimate objects thus far, unless you count my breasts or tubelike containers with flip top lids, so it's been sweet watching her this week cuddling her bear and putting him/her in and out, in and out of her cart