Shutting my mouth!

One of my dreams for all my children is that they know and I mean really KNOW what they like and what they don't like.  Why? Well its really only in the last 5 or so years that I have discovered what I like and don't like and that is across a whole range of things too.  For years I didn't know what clothes I liked, would second guess the music I liked, didn't even know what furniture or house stuff I like and worse still my preferences would change to align to whoever was around at the time.  I am not entirely sure why that is but I don't have the time and nor is this the place to nut that one out but all I do know that I don't want my children to be the same.

So in order for them to have their own preferences, likes and dislikes I have discovered that I actually need to ...wait for it...SHUT MY MOUTH!!  Yes I do.  I need to zip it with the proverbial zip, lock it and throw away the key! (That is unless they actually ask for my opinion or advice).   My children are their own persons and they do not need me telling them whether or not the will or won't like something, will or won't be able to do it and will or won't find that boring/exciting/scary/hard/easy etc. The list goes on.

 My girls like to dress themselves *sigh* and of course they always want to look beautiful and they most definitely know what they like.  So along with other things I am trying to leave what they want to wear to them. My only requirements 1. They dress for the temperature and 2. They dress for the occasion if we are going out. So no we aren't wearing our togs together with our boots to church.  For the most part the girls both get it right and look quite well put together, other times I have had to look the other way.  The boys well - um yeah.  More often than not we have to point out mud on a rugby shirt or a rip in the crotch before we leave the house. The clothes is just one area that I struggle with but am learning to give it up. 

It came to me one day when one of the kids had picked some 'flowers' (weeds) - they thought they were just beautiful and proudly ceremoniously presented them to me.  So while they thinking  'beautiful', it came to me how quickly ones view of something could be changed forever just by a comment or less than desirable response by another.  All it would of taken would of been me to say -'Ew those are just weeds not flowers, weeds are bad!'  and they would have never looked at those 'flowers' the same again.  Of course I have never said that and hopefully no parent in their right mind do that at a time like that.  I graciously and thankfully accept all 'flowers' given to me and proudly display them in a vase, centre stage!  Like the saying goes 'of all the people in the world, she/he has chosen to give to me - be blessed!'

So the other day, just out of interest I sent Kaitlyn off with my camera and told her to go and find things that she finds beautiful and take photos of what she finds. ( I also used this as a bribe for her to finish her Maths when her interest was seriously waning - needless to say Maths was completed pronto)

Here is what she came up with:-

 A Baby Rabbit that Jamie rescued off the cat and has become a new resident here -

called Thorin!

  

 

Pink Camellia Flowers

 

 A strange looking selfie!

I am glad she thinks she is beautiful!

(but may need some lessons in taking a good selfie - help Kaysha)

 

The pink bow on her pink t-shirt!

 

Polly Pocket house

 

Funky design on the terracotta pot.

 

Rose hips

 on the badly-in-need-of-a-prune rose bush

 

Her pink my little pony gumboots

 

I will admit I was a little surprised with what she came up with.  I never knew that she thought the terracotta pot with the funky design on it was pretty cool. 

 I am pleased that I did this experiment and I will do this with the other kids also.  I am most interested (and a little nervous) to see what they come up with.

 

As for this scrumptious wee man!

 

Isn't he just delightful.

He is finally getting into this eating thing, up until about five days ago Mamas milk was it.

Now he has branched out and will eat apple, pear, banana, nibble on toast and handfuls of dirt!

Of course!  He looooves crawling around outside and picking at the grass. Also loves to feed the chickens and the ducks.  Has learnt to clap and is getting brave and attempts to stand by himself for short periods of time.  Still hates his car seat and shares my half of the bed with me.  Loves his feet and calf muscles massaged, especially if having trouble going to sleep.  Thinks his Mama totally ROCKS with her singing of random songs that would drive anyone else around the bend but puts him to sleep!

 

 

Enjoy your weekend!!

Winter Weekend Get Away

I am choosing not to feel sorry for myself at the present time but to deeply sigh into the peace that surrounds me as my children all sleep and my husband is out at a birthday dinner for his brothers 18th.  Ha that last sentence may imply that my husband is quite noisy - well sometimes perhaps.  Even the TV is off. What a treat!!  All I can hear is the fire crackling, the hum of the computer and me tap tap tapping away on these keys. *sigh*

So how are you?  I mean How are you? Really? I hope that life is treating you kindly and all is well in your neck of the woods or corner of the world.  I have had a sad baby today which as many of you will know, it makes everything you do throughout the day just that much harder.  He is currently growing teeth and has flaming red cheeks. Poor wee boy. Sad boy = snuggly boy so I was blessed with extra snuggles today.

I have so many photos and stories to tell you, I wish I had more time to share them  but I will start with our weekend away.  We were treated to a three nights away down at my Mums house to help celebrate my nephews 5th birthday.  I say treated, it was a treat as due to our current economic status we hadn't been down there for nearly a year.  It was great to get away and see family.

 

Jack Hallgarth

 Handsome nephew!

Aged 5

Loves Transformers, Lightening McQueen and Frank (soda water drink with lime)

The kids were SUPER SUPER excited and had even packed there bags three days before we were due to leave. They do not get that from me - I packed the morning we left!

Its times like these that I have no problems getting them into the car, they were waiting for me!

 

Its a tradition in our family to play 'Car Bingo' a game that I constructed after I saw something similar in the toyshop (but way over priced)

 

You each have a laminated sheet with pictures of 16 things you may see along the way. 

On this one we have:-

A pig, plane, seagull, motorbike, rubbish, tractor, café, Suzuki Swift, weather vane, yellow mail box, log truck, school sign, 30km sign, a 'GPU' number plate, a personalised number plate and a boat.

Rules are as follows:-

First person to see item gets a blue dot sticker to put on the corresponding picture.

Someone else has to see it too.

If you find a windsock or a hitch hiker you get a free blue dot.

If someone has found something no one else can use that same thing for a sticker.

Game is paused in a 50km zone or through town.

First to sticker all pictures is the winner.

No fighting or punching or kicking or name calling if someone beats you to something

(that rule is not just for the kids - it get REALLY competitive up the front too)

 

 

It concerns me that Jamie has won this most of the times we have played it - and he is supposed to be watching where he is driving!

 

We are on our way!

 

After a stop to look at a scenic waterfall and a geocache jaunt (which we couldn't find) we stopped off by Lake Taupo for a wee picnic.  God blessed us with a stunning day for it too.

  Lots of locals were eyeing up our lunch.  The kids were most impressed that these Seagulls could catch food in mid-air! 

  

 Out doing what boys love to do!

(no he is not throwing stones at the duck but skimming them)

  

 Isn't this the weirdest looking duck ever! I am sure its head is misplaced. It looks as if it needs to come forward on its body more either that or it big breasted!!

The Dolly Parton of Ducks perhaps.

 

 This wee pool of water is why this particular place in Taupo is called Hot Water beach.  Off to the left of the photo is a wee spring that is bubbling up from the bottom of a bank. The water is quite hot. Too hot for the kids to leave their fingers in it for too long. People have been know to bathe here, soap and all!

 

 This is a perfect place to stop and have lunch and stretch legs for an hour or so before heading off for another two hour part of the journey.  I should bring a bag of stale bread next time I think, might save half our lunch!

 

 

An early morning walk along Te Awanga beach. This is where I grew up and I would never tire of this view.  Te Awanga is a sleepy wee village. Not at all sandy like most beaches but has some good surf. It makes for an interesting stroll along the beach to see what the tides have washed up.  This particular day the sea was as flat as glass but it can get horrendously huge waves. 

 

Sleepy seaside village.

Oooo I see some sand - that's a rarity.

  These picture make me smile.  They look so innocent and good paddling away there but unbeknown to you it turned into a full on winter swim after Sophie fell over fully clothed!  After that they were all in.  One day I'll learn to take a towel or two with me.

 

 Cute 'Baby's foot'!

 

 Since Sophie got the wettest we had to strip her off and wrap her up in some one's sweatshirt so she got to ride home in style (in the pushchair). Jesse got treated to a view!

 

All of the cousins and second cousins that attended at Jacks Party.

A party all on its own really.

 

Time with family is always special, especially when a milestone is being celebrated such as a fifth birthday! Celebrating is good. Celebrating is important.

 

Kaitlyn came roaring inside yesterday and announced that her flowers finally had flowers on them. We went out and investigated and had a discussion about Spring Bulbs (in this case Irises) and how they start to flower at the very end of Winter or beginning of Spring. She concluded that we MUST have a Spring Day Party to celebrate!

 

That is a good idea I think, a very good idea.

  I think we just might do that!

 

 

 

 

Table - its where its at!

They say its around the dining table is where things happen, where families connect and memories are made and I would have to agree with them. (Who is 'them' anyway?)  Our table is where its at I tell you.

We have actually just bought a new - well new to us - table and it rocks.  Trade Me is super cool like that.  Now we have room for all our family to fit around, not that Jesse (8mths) is even sitting at the table - hey I can barely get food past his lips!  Visitors can sit in comfort and ease and not be squished in, sitting on chairs with wheels and elbowing each other in the ribs while they eat their meatballs.

Its not flash and has got its fair share of bumps and bruises, scratches and marks but hey it was coming to a place where its going to get loved on even more.  I really didn't want to be too worried if one of the kids pressed to hard with a ball point pen or accidentally engraved their name on it.

Consequently 'Mr Nobody' has accidentally-on-purpose engraved his name on it already! 

Table is big, table is square and table is sturdy.

Table is just what we needed it to be.

I love my table!

Table is hardly ever clear. It can be covered with washing (folded - I am going really well), schooling, coloured pencil shavings, books, breakfast plates and dinner mess.

Games, crafts and sandwich crusts ......

 

Below are some photos that I took one Saturday morning where 'Table' was doing the multi-purpose thing.  Breakfast was being eaten, Scrabble was being played and serious button sorting was going on.

 

Kaitlyn's dress that was made out of an old woollen jersey.

Buttons from Great-Grandmas button tin is seriously cool!

'Table' multi-purposing, up there with the best of them!

This was her original design but this Mama has major tantrum inducing problems trying to sew these on in this particular pattern.

I actually ditched this design and went for buttons around the neck instead.

 

You may or may not have noticed that I talk about our table as if it was a person.  It has been pointed out to me recently that I have this quirky (its quirky not weird thank you) habit of personifying innate objects.  'Table' is just one of them.  I feel sorry for long abandon things, have a hard time getting rid of unused items and am a general pain in the back side when Jamie wants to declutter.

I know that things don't have feelings or thought but still....!

 

We are so blessed to have 'table' move in with us and put up with being loved on in so many ways!

I just hope its just as happy as I am!

 

Does anyone else have a piece of furniture or a 'thing' that you insanely love?

 

 

In My Life This Month 2.

I feel I have so much to say, so much to tell you that I have decided to do an 'In My Life This Month' post. Whether or not anyone finds it interesting remains to be seen though.  July is one of those months that I just wished it hurried up and finish. And while there are aspects of winter that is fun and unique to the season I generally don't like winter very much at all. Too much mud, too much washing, too many foggy and grey days and so on and so on.  I do however love having the fire roaring every night and sometimes just sometimes getting to sit and relax with a cup of coffee right next to it.

So anyway
In My Life This Month......

In our home school.......

Since its the school holidays no 'school' work has been done, well certainly not in the formal sense. There is no way my kids would want to do 'school work' while everyone else is on holiday. Funny thing, I get asked that question all the time "Do you do school holidays too?"  Even though we are officially on holiday (even Dad is) doesn't mean no learning hasn't taken place.  We have been Geocaching and learnt about local history, deciphering clues, co-ordinates and riddles (logic).

Possibly the worlds smallest Geocache!

 

We have been very busy in the garden too. From putting top soils into our established gardens to erecting a 'glass house' to planting bulbs, plants and seeds. All which are doing well. (Apart from the lettuce who had their heads and most of their bodies nibbled off by naughty rabbits)

 

 Sophie was so excited to be planting the crop of garlic on her own!  She is especially excited now they have poked their heads up above the ground.

 

 

Helpful Home school Tips or Advice

 

Ummm... I don't know about advice but I am currently working on Pre-planning, Preparation and Time Management.  I am currently waiting for a couple of books to arrive from Fishpond. One being 'The Arrow and the Apple' which is about the story of William Tell. I am planning to feather out a unit study based around that book since my boys are totally archery mad!  The other book is 'The Giant Jam Sandwich' is which I will feather out a unit study for Kaitlyn and probably Sophie even though she is only 4 as she hates to be left out.  We will look at Wasps, Teamwork, Map-skills, Community and of course Chemistry in the Kitchen (aka Jam making and bread making). Exciting. I am really looking forward to it.

 

I am inspired by....

 

Beautiful Women and Real Friendships,  Stunning views from my window every morning, Inspiring Blogs about 'Gentle Parenting',  'Real Food' and 'Purposeful Living'.   Newborn calves born right outside our window, bright red flowers on our Camellia Hedge,  and our three pet puddle-ducks.

 

 

Places we are going and people we are seeing...

 

So apart from our geocaching jaunts and soccer games, we have been to visit family who are in the midst of calving season.

 

And I was super blessed to be able to hang out with some lovely women at a precious friends 'Mother Blessing' or 'BlessingWay'. This is an alternative to the common Baby Shower where the focus is more on the mother and the momentous and sacred occasion that is about to happen.

 



She enjoyed a deliciously thick hot-choc while we decorated her pregnant belly with henna art!



 

This candle is decorated with coloured thread that each women chose and tied around it.  She can light this when she is in labour and know that these beautiful women of strong faith will be praying for her.   

 

 

My favourite thing this month...

 

School holidays! Our garden slowly coming to life. On-going games of Scrabble and the occasional game of Memory.

 

What is working for us.....

Bedroom inspections! Even if a bribe is being offered.  At least they are tidy.

 

What isn't working for us.....

The price of petrol!  It is such a downer.  Being on a limited income every kilometre is taken into account.

 

Questions/Thoughts I have....

I have always thought about writing a book, but would anyone read it? (ok so now the secret is out)  How do I squeeze more out of my day?  I wonder when Jesse will start eating? Is it worth hanging out my washing today? Where can I find a milking goat?

 

Things I am working on....

Eliminating the words 'Hurry up' out of my vocabulary, especially when interacting with my children. Folding my washing everyday...yes I am still working on that.  Being better prepared for school this term.   Ordering my thoughts into action and then completing them.

 

Things I am reading...

Book last read:     The Externally Focused Church by Rick Rusaw & Eric Swanson

                              "How can your church get the attention of your community?" 

Current Book:      The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene

                              "A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated Children"

To Read:               Mission Girl by Fleur Beale

                              Heroes of the Holocaust by Allan Zullo and Mara Bovsun

 

I am cooking...

We have been challenged recently by a number of sources to cut down on the amount of sugar we consume. Not that we were particularly bad but like most people we could certainly do better.  So I have been making a conscious effort to reduce by at least half the amount of sugar I use in baking.  Fortunately we do have an abundant supply of honey so I can afford to have a dollop or two of honey to sweeten things up a bit if need be.

 

I was pretty proud of this batch of biscuits which are both sugar and dairy free. I was making up the recipe as I went along replacing the butter with Peanut Butter (which happens to have half the amount of fat that butter has) and two dollops of honey (harvested from Poppa Peters hives). Best of all the kids like them, so I am pretty happy with that.



 

 

This pizza was made the other day from left over roast chicken and roast potatoes and kumara. Hmmmm was really good too. When you use up all the leftovers from a meal like that I feel like I am getting a meal for free.

 

 

 

I am grateful for....

- Our house. Its large enough to fit us all in and not be standing on each other too much during these winters months.

- Firewood. Friends with trees chopped down have kindly kept us in supply of firewood for the winter.

- Health. Up until today we have been quite healthy. Casey has had a spot of asthma and today Jesse was discovered to have Bronchiolitis (sad face here).

- Gods Continual Provision. Much to the amazement of others (and occasionally ourselves) we are still living on next to nothing.  We have been in some very scary places but have gotten through them by the grace of God.

 

I am praying for....

Healing for Casey and Jesse.

Gods continual provision

To know Gods will for us as we continue to venture forth on our journey.

Wisdom and direction for 'home schooling' and other extra-curricular activities.

 

 

Day in the life photos..

  





Biggest Brother and Littlest Brother

 

What happens when the kids have a real life baby to role play with.  Jesse happily complied and was content to lie in there for ages.

  

Someone has not only mastered the art of crawling but pulling himself up to standing. With one hand even!  So clever!

 

Google and YouTube is a marvellous thing!

Here is our attempt at making a wee stove out of a tin can.

 

The beautiful view off our deck!

I wonder how many babies will be born today.

 

Again Google is a wonderful thing....

We re purposed an old down pipe into a chicken feed dispenser and it worked a treat. 

 

Feeling very self-sufficient indeed!

 

Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. it means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” - Unknown



 

 What has been happening in your life this July?