Catching Raindrops

Back home with my darling kiddos and back into the life we so gratefully call 'Ours'.

The rain started pattering down and the kids giddily and spontaneously started scampering around outside, attempting to catch rain drops on their pink little tongues. Squeals and giggles were heard aplenty!

Yes, these are the magical moments of childhood we are privileged to witness (and even participate in!), that I would not give up for all the world...

Blurry photo of unbridled joy!

Like Dis??!

Catching a few raindrops... for later?!

Hmmmm, I think it's getting a bit damp out there now!

Little Tongue

Ooh, rain drops!

A little while later it was the children's bath time and two little nudie rudie's were reportedly seen doing a crazy rain dance outside.... 

Let's put on a SHOW!

In our little home, we are treated to amazing free performances pretty often. Yes, we are lucky ducks! We sit on the couch and in front of our trusty Expedit bookshelf, our resident artiste, Lily, performs some kind of song/interpretive dance/dramatic creation for her fans. Tickets are paid for, distributed and collected. Bows and curtsies and cheers are aplenty. Sometimes actual songs are performed, mostly ones she has made up (on the spot). Self-taught Ballet moves are gracefully displayed. Eli and I sit and enjoy the show, clap and cheer, then usually Eli takes a turn, running to the 'stage', warbling his tune and then finishing up when he is ready with a raucous shriek of 'GOOD JOB!!!' and a big clap for himself, our cue to join in. On occasion I am also required to perform also but thankfully my skills are not usually required!

I admit it is impossible for me to take off my fiercely-tinted and heavily-biased 'Adoring Mother' glasses, so I honestly don't know if this video will be totally adorable to anyone else except immediate family, but in the interests of posterity I cannot resist sharing this segment of the show. Feel free to skip if its just a bit too much!! It is not the funniest, or the quirkiest or the most active of her efforts... but her intent and earnest yet somewhat distracted rendition just kills me... kills me in an 'I love watching you so much, my quirky little bird' kind of way. Apologies it is so long, I couldn't work out how to cut it down and the quality is dodgy as it was taken on the regular camera. But I know I will never want to forget Lily's charming, passionate and ever so earnest little shows....

In case it is not very clear, the (rather disturbing?!) song is about a baby who gets snapped up by a crocodile (accompanied by very emphatic crunching sounds in subsequent versions) then the baby prays to God, the crocodile spits her out and she is rescued by her mother. Yeah...um, I don't really know what to make of it either!!! At the end the tune morphs into Lily's favourite song 'Doh a Deer' from Sound of Music but please rest assured the lyrics are all the songstress's own!! ;) 

Of course Little Brother has learnt from the best and although he mostly prefers to watch his amazing sister in action, he does like to throw in a few performances for the adoring crowds. Here he is, back pressed against the shelf, earnestly and quietly warbling about 'Poor Baby' and please note when he displays his 'ballet pointed toes' for your appreciation and how midway through he picks up a book and puts it away... typical Eli!! Normally his performances are pretty short but today he just kept on going! Sorry the video is long, again, I couldn't cut it down...

Little E warbles his sweet little song...

Siblings Showtime!

Rocking out some ballet moves...

Baby takes a bow...

These are the days, my friends.... just sitting around on the couch with my treasures, enraptured in their (unknowingly) hilarious, quirky, charming little songs and performances. They are putting on a show, you see, and I am so happy and honoured that it is my job to watch them. My job to be there, to love them and love what they do, and know that nobody else could ever love them or enjoy their silly shows as much as I. Cos I'm their Mummy, they are mine, and just as every Mama feels about her child, I am totally besotted.


Yep... Best.Job.Ever.

how to (naturally!) get rid of paint fumes // a child was here...

Ok, I know those two subject titles couldn't seem more incongruous, but hey, such is life at times. It's weird, but it makes sense to us, haha ;)

We have been busily moving furniture back to its rightful place, after all our ceilings and walls were painted over the last couple of days. All the furniture was piled up in the middle of the lounge room and along the bare walls I stumbled across this preciously quirky scene...

Yes, a child was here...

I love these moments. Coming across the evidence of a child who has been playing, imagining, creating. Entering into Lily's little world of babies and food and ballerinas and shopkeepers and all kinds of wondrous things. It always makes me smile, and warms my mothering heart when I move around the house especially at night and discover such a little scene - evidence of a moment well-played and much-enjoyed, that perhaps I missed in a moment of busy-ness, yet the scene remains left behind for me to cherish.

By the way, I don't know what your adult eyes are seeing here, but clearly (according to Lily), it's Baby Cherise wearing her tiara (!!), whilst sipping on her 'lemon drink'. But of course!

Baby Cherise decided to make it a party. I later stumbled across this scene assembled in Lily's doorway. Baby Cherise had been joined by Elephant and Bunny, all with snacks and clearly having a glorious old time. 

Yes, the adults may have been doing boring old tasks like shifting furniture and making party food, but a child was here and she was creating her own magical party through her wild imagination. When I come across these scenes, it is a glimpse into that world, and oh, it's a beautiful place to be...

Oh, regarding more practical matters, I can't resist sharing a little handy tip! I was paranoid about all our party guests passing out from the paint fumes (oh yes, not to mention my children!!) so I did a bit of research on how to get rid of the paint fumes as quickly and naturally as possible - apart from the obvious ones like open windows and fans! The three most common tips I came across? Strange as they may seem...

Chopped onions, vinegar and burning candles!

I expected the candles, and we all know that white vinegar is a miracle worker (though I didn't realise it would soak up the fumes) but the chopped onions?!??! Weird! However, I found the tips in multiple places so I set up strange little altars like this all around the house....

Random side note: the little gatherings of items reminded me of the little food and wine spirit 'offerings' I used to see left on street corners when I lived in Brazil! Meeeeemories...

Anyway.... the big question... did it work?!!

Well, the painting was done all day Wednesday and Thursday and the smell was strong. I set up this trio of fume-busters on Thursday afternoon. On Friday I had two separate sets of visitors come by and when I anxiously asked them 'How bad are the paint fumes?!?! Tell me honestly!!' I got blank stares and the response 'What paint fumes?'. So yeah.... I call success! Three little miracle workers! I was so relieved. Just thought I would pass on this little tip in case it helps anyone else when painting interiors!

And with that, my friends.... I better get back to work!

xx

Kindness Overflowing from Child to Child

It was another sweet day as the volunteering helper at Lily's Playschool. I just love this glimpse into her world and am thankful she is still so young as to be thrilled to have my company!! ;) It's so fun seeing her there, so independent and confident (always ready to stick up her hand and offer her thoughts and ideas during Rug time), so involved (non-stop crafting action) and interacting with her little buddies.

Those tightly clutched, dimpled hands...

I was touched when one of her teacher's told me how well-mannered Lily was - 'without fail' she was polite to those around her and the teacher was so impressed. A little bit of pay-off for Mama, haha! Manners are a big deal in our family, to me they are the foundation of learning to show respect and consideration to those around you. Like so much with little kids, these simple words start on the outside (they are encouraged to say them even when they don't fully understand or feel it quite yet) and over time they reach the inside (they internalise the habit, respect and kindness the words represent). I was thrilled to know Lily was speaking kindly and politely to her teachers and little friends in my absence. Yee-ha!

But what I witnessed later in the day moved me even more. A little girl was having a sad day at school, quietly whimpering and withdrawn. The teachers and I gave her lots of time and cuddles but she just seemed sad. I watched as Lily intently walked past her (no doubt on her way to another craft), yet noticed her and stopped. 'Why are you sad for?' she said with childish matter-of-factness. Lily then gave her a hug, wrapping those precious little arms around her new friend. No more words were needed in child-land. Who needs explanations when the feelings are so evident. Lily took her hand, led her to an activity and involved her in her play. My beautiful girl...

Later in the day, I noticed Lily go up to her again to check on her friend. Lily held her hand, put her other hand on the girl's back in a hilariously grown-up and consoling manner. Lily peered into her face and enquired gently 'Are you feeling happy now?'. The little girl didn't have much to say, so Lily took her hand again and led her to the rug for Storytime, sitting next to her and giving her encouraging smiles. Lily glanced over at me and I smiled the smile of a proud mother trying not to openly weep during Storytime!!! ;) I saw the little girl reach out and stroke Lily's long pigtails in wonder. Bless them both...

When school was wrapping up, the grandmother of the little girl came up to me as I helped Lily collect her many paintings and craft. 'My grand daughter told me that Lily was a special friend to her today and looked after her when she was upset. She ran up and told me every detail when I arrived. Thank you.'

We don't know why she was so sad - does it matter? We just know that this little girl had a loving friend today, company and a hug when it was needed. Don't we all, sometimes?

Fun rolling and painting with golf balls!

We chatted about it afterwards, though I didn't want to overplay it as I felt such an act of kindness that comes from the heart can be its own reward.

'Lily, I saw you being kind to that sad little girl today. What made you do that?
'That's just how I did it', she replied coyly.
'Well, how did you feel when you were being so kind?'
'I felt happy.'
'If you were feeling sad and lonely, is that how you would like someone to be kind to you?'
'Yes.' 
'You know, that's what Jesus says - we should treat people like we want to be treated. And that's what you did today, honey. Well done.'


Please and Thank you are good and important, it's true. But the most beautiful thing of all is to see an act of unprompted kindness from the heart. Friendship, empathy, and compassion were overflowing today. From one sweet little three-year-old heart, to be poured upon another precious soul. Colour me biased, but I was so touched by my daughter's gesture of kindness. Through her many school years and all the rest to come, my prayer is that her eyes will always be open to the kid who is having a rough day, and her arms will always be willing to hug them... just as I pray someone will look out for her when she has those inevitable days. Oh, how I would love for her to find kindness on her rough days too.

Lily-Pie, I was so proud of you today. Warmed to see your tender heart and compassion. Touched to see how you reached out with so much empathy. Honoured to be the mother of such a child, who has such a heart for others. May you carry this with you always and never be afraid to reach out to others. I love you so much!

Let's Go Puddle Jumping!

We are in the midst of a full week of non-stop rain here in our fair city... it has been amazing. No storms or torrents, just a steady and relentless shower. I'm hoping the flooding does not get too bad, but in the mean time - given it's not too cold or windy, I decided today was the day to rug up and go puddle jumping!! Now it's not all idyllic as it appears, there were a good amount of tears in the lead up, as Lily was quite concerned at this highly unorthodox concept of deliberately going out into the rain!! But after some coaxing, she decided to give it a try and I managed to get all three of us bundled into rain coats, gumboots and Eli's adorable Puddle Jumping outfit. This Mama was determined!

Let's go, kids!! Cos if the rain isn't going away, we will just have to jump in and make the most of it...

Looking out: Are we really doing this?!

As we (thankfully!) live on a hill there weren't a huge amount of puddles to be found but we did managed to find some gullies and puddles around the house and the kids had an absolute blast jumping in them - seeing Eli in particular doing his best to jump through them with both feet was hysterical! There was much stomp, stomp, stomping and delicious splashing to be had. Ever so satisfactory, we all agreed! It was a memory-making moment, doing something a little bit unordinary with a plain ol' rainy day...

This is AMAZING, Mummy!!

My Little Boy Blue



'Eli, I will share with you and keep you dry!'

We are three, they are my everything...

After our rainy day adventure, with all local puddles thoroughly jumped and the three adventurers a little damp (though not as much as I expected, surprisingly), it seemed fitting to finish off with hot chocolate and another instalment of the Sound of Music....

 

Bliss.

Whistling while we work

After several very busy weekends, the house was in a state and we spent much of the weekend trying to get on top of the 'house and garden', which, far from appearing to be anything that would appear in a magazine of similar name, was instead going to wrack and ruin! Argh.... homes sure take a lot of upkeep, don't they? Although I try and often do have a better attitude to such realities, I admit this weekend my feelings were: overwhelmed, exhausted, over the neverendingness! Nevertheless, we ploughed on in getting the house back into some semblance of order (oh, the floors, ugh!), and hacking away at our jungle of a garden! In the midst of my blahness, my little lady gave me some well-needed rays of sunshine...

It's a sweet time when your child is old enough to play and amuse herself along side you, to be working with a little companion by your side. As I was pruning back some shrubs, I told Lily she could pick the leaves and flowers off the cuttings if she wanted to, to do with as she wished. She was thrilled to pick flowers at will (normally verboten) and for some reason today she was either acting out a story in her head or just running her own commentary in third person, because as she played she chattered aloud in the most charming fashion! I didn't interrupt but instead listened with a smile on my face while I worked, as streams of her chirpy little voice filled the backyard...

Here is just a snippet -

'And so the little girl sat down next to her plastic bag, and picked some lovely flowers to make a collage. The little girl loved to pick flowers and it made her so happy. She didn't see any spiders. It was very sunny. She got so many beautiful flowers in lots of colours, and then she wanted to make a collage so she decided to go inside, and she ran and ran and ran...'

Off she disappeared inside as the artist's muse hit.... leaving pools of sunshine and perspective in her wake. Love her!

The Real Balloon Boy

Baby Boy loves to run around with his 'air boooon' (hot air balloon) - and I just love to watch him!

We got the balloons from Hen's Night festivities (gifted from the Bride!) and they have been a big source of fun and joy in our little home! A few balloons, a lot of delight!

Just hangin' in da Crib....

Home again day today while the Little Miss recovers from her cold and nasty cough. She missed her first proper day of school too, poor lass!

Lily was still very congested and hovering close to tears often, ahhh my emotional little girl. She told me (randomly and tearily) that she couldn't decide what kind of birthday cake she wanted. For her birthday in six months. July, to be exact. Yeah, seriously!

When I gently assured her she could have any cake she wanted, she decided wearily that it would be better just for Mummy and Daddy to decide. Clearly too much of a burden for her!

The highlight of the day was when the kids asked to jump into Eli's cot together. They had a blast in there, laughing and mucking around together. Lily read books to Eli, exclaiming 'You know this word, little Buddy! Good job!'. They asked me to turn the light off and shut the door so they could pretend to be sleeping, the silly little monkeys! All in all they played happily in there for about 45 minutes and only got out when I said it was time for lunch. World's sweetest best friends, I'm sure!

After her quiet little sick day, as she was getting ready for bed, Lily told me casually on her way to the bathroom,  'I like you, Mummy'. Just that. This sweet girl tells me she loves me frequently, she is just a super affectionate kid and 'words of affirmation' is definitely a primary love language, but there was something extra precious in this statement. She likes me. Simple and true, from one little friend to another. Those words touched my heart after a long couple days with her snuffly tears and emotions, with me feeling pretty wiped with a cold too, with Mark out of state for a very long (and final) work day trip. I had struggled to be patient and compassionate towards her, balacing her emotions, sickness and behaviour... but still - she liked me. Kids sure know how to show us grace, huh?

I like you too, little Pumpkin Pie - that and a whole lot more...

Blessings Every Day!

Every week day morning, Mark gets the kids up at 7.30am and they all have breakfast together before he leaves for work at eight (and yes, he is a wonderful Daddy but that is a whole other post!). It is a really sweet time for them to chat about the day to come, the meaning of life, whether Lily gets to wear a dress that day, where butterflies sleep, and other such important issues - I love to overhear their chatter! It is a time the kids really love to spend with their Dad and if he has to leave for work early they are so disappointed (just left with good old Mum!).

For Christmas, my lovely parents-in-law gave the kids this gorgeous little book called Blessings Everyday - 365 simple devotions for the very young. It is completely precious and well-written, and perfectly suited for the age of the kids (well, let's be honest, Lily!). So as a new addition to an already sweet routine, Mark has been reading them one of the devotions each morning while they munch their Vegemite toast. They love it! Then they have a chance to discuss the topic and of course Lily asks questions and Eli shouts out 'Babbieeeeeeees' if he can manage to spot a picture of one (or anyone under the age of 25) in the book! Lily usually fills me in later on her take on things.

The topics are such things as Being Kind, Telling the Truth, Being a Helper, When you feel Scared, God's Promises etc - just one page with a Bible verse, a picture, a paragraph of text and a little poem - just perfect! The beauty is that at this age we will be able to just start the book all over again next year and I'm sure it will all seem just like new once more, haha!! When the topic was about God always being there for you, Lily excitedly added that she had four people to always look after her - 'God, Jesus, Mummy and Daddy... oh and Nana!' Lol.... 

I am thrilled at this special new part of their breakfast routine, little seeds of values, faith and truth being planted in their hearts each morning to help guide their day and perhaps even their lives.

On a related note, I am really enjoying capturing the regular rhythms of our day through this project! I thought I would focus more on the big fun things - outings and visitors and activities - but instead for now I am so happy to record those simple little routines that make up so much of our lives and would perhaps be forgotten in years to come. The moments, routines and way we live that I think in the end will be so much more meaningful than those 'out of the ordinary' times (as much as I love those too!)... isn't there something just a little bit extraordinary and magical in the everyday? What we do and how we live through these seemingly mundane moments I think will be much more telling than just the 'big moments' I would usually remember to capture. Hence the beauty of this challenge to Document Delight!

There is great gain...

We recently had a month off over the Christmas season - travelling up to Queensland and Sydney and all around for a month - yes, that including logging many hours on the road with our two cherubs! I thought it could have been a stressful time but instead it was FANTASTIC! I won't rehash the entire trip but suffice to say Mark and I both found it (largely) very relaxing and fun! Now Mark is back at work and I am amazed at how refreshed I feel! Staying home with two kids sure takes a lot out of you (although it also puts a lot more back in!)... but by the end of last year I was wrecked. Really wrecked.... 2011 was just a massive year involving selling a house, buying a house, renovating, major work projects and uni for Mark, etc etc. I think we were all worn out, but coming into this new year, I truly feel rejuvenated and ready to launch into 2012 - although I am going to try and keep the pace a little slower this year! (hahahahahaah, says my internal self, knowing this will never happen!)

Anyhoo.... this week at home has been quiet. Calm. Peaceful. I have felt so relaxed and purposeful just spending time with my kids. Happy to just be home with them. Not meaning I used to wish I was working (as I just know I am in the right place for this season of our lives), but meaning I am often keeping us all so busy out of the house most days, doing doing doing! But this week I have felt content just pottering at home. Playing games and hanging out, cleaning of course but not toooo much! We have visited a lady from church with a chronic illness, we have popped by the local library, oh yes and I did host mother's group on Monday but apart from that... just chilling at home. I have felt really content.... relaxed... did I mention calm?! A simple sense that all is well in our little world - and  feeling so grateful for that. Reflecting on that, I think a month away has done our family a world of good! Not only that but I have been praying lately for God to give me a greater sense of peace and contentment in my home life - rather than that low-level buzz of anxiety that I should always be doing/cleaning/crafting/cooking/achieving/busy. It felt right this week to just push that aside and I hope I can continue to, in order to be more in the moment and enjoy it more with my kids.

And so today I took the kids for a stroll around the block - nothing special, just a mission to look for things that were 'Amazing'.... and well, look what we found along a path behind a house...

A field of dandelions!! Along with plenty of 'dandelion clocks' to blow (Eli thought they were bubbles!). It was a really sweet time running around and discovering things and the kids loved it.... and you know what, so did I!

Oh  yes - in the spirit of jumping in where I am (thanks Flylady!), I am not going to try and dredge up past photos to fill in the past days but instead just go from here...  Loving the idea of this being something the kids can look back on one day!

'Godliness with contentment is great gain' 1 Timothy 6.6

Not catching up, just diving in!

I am so new to this, it terrifies me! I never thought I could do this blogging gig.... but here I am! Inspired by the 365 project (taking a photo a day for a year), and my dear friend's new blog to track it... I saw the posts go up and was so very inspired, I yearned to participate! Ah well, I thought, shame it's past January 1st, will just leave it another year.... or seven...

Then yesterday my charming 3.5yr old daughter Lily suggested we eat our peanut butter sandwiches outside. Little 18month old brother Eli was having his first 'Nana Day' at my Mum's house and it felt ever so decadent to have time just me and my little Miss! So 'Sure' I said... even though I had to immediately quell the thoughts in my mind that said 'But while she eats lunch, I normally tidy the kitchen, put away random items, hey even check my email!'. Cherish and sieze these moments, I told myself, so out we marched into the sunshine and ate our peanut butter sandwhiches under the shade of the trampoline. It was delightful - although I had to freqently beat down the thoughts in my head suggesting I just quickly pull up a few weeds, take down the washing from the line, etc... why is it so hard to simply SIT and BE with our children?? So I sat and was.... we ate, we dilgently tracked the journey of a little ant/fly thing wriggling in the grass for some time (although he could not be convinced to eat some of Lily's crust).

I conversationally asked Lily what she was thinking about and she looked at me coyly... 'I'm thinking about someone who's kind to me' she said. 'Oh, who's that?' I enquired. 'You!!!' she squealed.... this child never ceases to amaze me with her sweet thoughts. Lily then launched into a hysterically random monologue for seriously 10 minutes about all the different kinds of skirts (most invented and truly bizarre like the ones that go over your arms and neck with buttons on the top???!) after asking me 'Mummy, would you like me to tell you some things about skirts'. I mean.... who is this kid?!!

And at that moment I thought - these days are incredible, these moments so fleeting and so magical. I feel so blessed at times it makes me weep... literally. How can I not record these times more fully? Perhaps this blog will make me more accountable.... Hell, I've missed 13 days of the year but I am going to jump in and try this fandangled blogging thing! I will endeavour to keep it up.... even though exposing my thoughts online scares me, I guess it's a little alluring too or there wouldn't be like two zillion other blogs just like this one, right?!?

So here she goes....