Perception

This is my thought today, it keeps going around and around in my head.....

the sun is shining beautifully, strong, bright and powerful - whether I can see it or not

just because it is cloudy now doesn't mean the sun is not shining, I just can't see that it is.

our perceptions are not always correct.

I like that. I like that I know the sun/Son is shining even when I can't *see* it.

B.M.W.B - For Others

I like to have some ideas lined up for the holidays, not so many that we spend the time rushing about like we're still in school mode but enough to keep us a little bit busy and excited. It's also part of this whole B.M.W.B thing, to approach the holidays with anticipation rather than let them flatten us with unmet expectations and boredom/resentment.

I always remember in the pre-school years how none of the cool holiday activities were aimed at the under 5s but all our regular things stopped because of the holidays.

This holidays I wanted my boys to do something for some under 5s we love, but for it to be fun for them too.

So we/they run a cupcake decorating class for 3 little friends. I made a pin board of some simple ideas and we chose 4 of them to 'teach'. I forewarned the boys that we had to be prepared that they might not actually follow the directions.

They did a really great job and so did the little friends - who followed the designs very carefully - even though they just wanted to lick the icing off and be done with it! I had all the cupcakes pre-iced and all the bits prepared in bowls. Note: the oreos were a dog to work with and none of the owls worked because I pre-prepared the biscuits the night before they all fell apart on the day.

Still the others were lots of fun and I think the boys felt proud of themselves. I so want them to have that good feeling of helping another person have a good time.

Becoming the Mama I want to be is about taking time to enjoy the journey of parenting, to honour it's value and to hopefully inspire and encourage each other. 

Simple. Achievable. Intentional: becoming the mama I want to be

Button code on the right if you want it

love you more than half a packet of crumbled oreos (which I may have eaten!) xx

30/52

On the Hidden History Hunt (a free holiday activity in The Botanical Gardens and Hagley Park)

sandpit conversations

Flip: just pretend it's a sewage dolphin, it swims in sewage and everyone loves it

Bounce: here comes trucks, they're picking up the trucks

Flip: okay we'll drive over the sewage, watch out dolphin! We need more rubbish, rubbish alert, rubbish alert!

Washing has been dried on the line, coats of varnish on a project and laughter from the sandpit..... the promise of Spring hangs in the air and the holidays draw, sadly, to a close.

Happy Friday, Sad Friday (I love the holidays)

and just for good measure some of my favourite holiday shots - four square men, a very special little moment between Flip and Stella's little E, shark attack, and seriously, don't follow me - follow Jesus!....

Love you more than a sewage dolphin xx

Make My Week - Sketch by Stitch

I have these dreams of one day being able to draw a picture I'll feel really pleased with

in the mean time, I stitch

This is something for a friend.... if she wants it. It's based on a verse I love in Job that says, but He knows the way I take, when he has tested me I shall come forth as gold.

These trees are based on something I pinned showing how to 'sketch trees'.

I do love single coloured stitching and it's nice to work on little projects, especially ones that are easy to travel with.

Also my humble effort for the Hottie Project - keeping children warm in Christchurch

Joining in with the lovely Leonie and other cheerful crafters

Love you more than an op-shop box filled with embroidery floss xx

I took the photos at night so I played around with them - that's why they all look a little different. In real life the fabric is a similar colour to unbleached calico.

 

The Adventure Forest - Northland

We had 9 days travelling around Northland together - in a camper van (which I was never going to drive - even though the rental company took my license number too).

I'm going to highlight a couple of places that we really enjoyed, because when we are planning these kind of trips I always look for bloggers who have written about their personal experiences of places. I find these kind of reviews more helpful/interesting than the standard 'tourism' websites. Not that we received anything for my opinion (I should have got more organised!).

The Advencher (as Flip spells it) Forest is just out of Whangarei. We pulled up on a Tuesday morning -during term time! - to find it opens only on weekends and in the school holiday, outside of those times it's appointment only.

Fortuitously Francois was there doing some maintenance and opened up for us. So us four had the run of the place. Francois was so wonderful. He explained everything really well and he had a great way with the boys.

Because of height restrictions Bounce was only allowed to go on the 'Tamariki Course', so after an initial warm up both he and Flip had a go around this.

The 'Tamariki Course' was excellent. It was challenging and fun for them both and they both did an excellent job on it.

Because Flip could reach to the 1.5m line he was also able to have a go on one of the higher courses. (There are several courses in this category and another couple for those who can reach 1.8m). He and The Atlas did the higher course together and it was really high.

He was really brave on the course - it would have been challenging to me as an adult.

I was so impressed with the variety and challenges in the courses and the care, teaching and set up they had.

If you're ever around that way it gets our triple tick. We loved it

B.M.W.B - Anyone for Chess?

I'm quite particular about some things - as Eeyore puts it 'we all have our little ways'

I won't play Monopoly, even though Flip loves it. I just can't play a game where the point is to bankrupt other people. It feels too harsh - I still remember playing a game as a child and my mama had to mortgage a property - yeah, I felt that sad. A counselor may have a lot to say about this......

anyway, I don't like chess either - not for any moral or emotional reason. I just don't like it. Flip loves it.

so on holiday I played chess with Flip at Haruru Falls in the campground. I didn't have to try and lose because actually, he could beat me fair and square.

My favourite bit was watching the boys set it up.

that, and corrupting Bounce to call them prawns instead of pawns. Somehow it feels a happier game when you are moving the prawns all over the place....

Hope you are enjoying the holidays and taking little stretches out of your comfort zone, to try new things with those little people you love so much.

thanks so much for linking in and inspiring me with your journey

love you more than a prawn at Haruru Falls xx

Becoming the Mama I want to be is about taking time to enjoy the journey of parenting, to honour it's value and to hopefully inspire and encourage each other. 

Simple. Achievable. Intentional: becoming the mama I want to be

Button code on the right if you want it

Still time to enter the birthday candles giveaway if you want to x

28 and 29 of 52

These 2 listening SO intently at Adventure Forest (just out of Whangarei). This was an amazing adventure and I'll do a whole post at some point but oh my, I was so proud of these boys.

and  week 29 my wee penguins

Flip has cottoned onto the '52 project' and spent half the holiday saying, 'this would be a good photo of me mama' - this is him in Russell

and this little guy on a very cool swing at a certain special someone's home

Home

We had this wonderful family holiday together - I'll post more about it over the next couple of weeks but for now we are home.....

isn't home just the best word?

that word is such a 'whole' word for me.

I am realising more and more how much my home is a platform for me - so much of who I am flows out of my home - having people over, baking, creating, playing family, snuggling with The Atlas.... being around the things I have made, the odd assortment of bits we have accumulated over time (none new), the books I love.... the word home evokes all this and more to me.... it's not about the building, it's about what goes on and comes out of the building.

I think that desire to nest is so important when you share your life, especially with little people. It makes me sad for the people who've had that taken away through the earthquakes here and through war, poverty and disaster elsewhere.

I have had such a good time away

and now I am home

happy in both

love you more than holiday muesli xxx

(on holiday we all get to pick our own cereal....mmmm muesli)

Make My Week - Lounge Chair Makeover

For so long I'd been meaning to do this

and for a while I've been meaning to share this, so here it is

I love the shape of these chairs - they are so comfortable

Enter - fabric of my grandmother's (the chair was originally hers), fabric of my mother-in-law's and fabric from a skirt project, finally the chair was backed with an old sheet.

New chair and another piece of DIY, unique furniture

Joining in with lovely Leonie and the Thursday craft crew


Love you more than a staple gun full of staples x

The Best Things In Life - Giveaway

I love trade aid.

It's one of those shops that every time you stop there you come away feeling better about the world.

The shops are beautifully stocked

the shop workers (I really want to call them shop keepers) are volunteers

the prices are amazing

and they sell birthday candles that say this on the back:
These candles are hand made in Calcutta by a self help group for those who can neither speak, nor hear, except visually and others who cannot go anywhere, except in their imagination and yet who aspire towards self-sufficiency and acceptance as contributing members of society.

Isn't that just beautiful and heart-breaking all together?

So I bought 24 birthday candles, that I do not need, for $3.99.

But really how could I not? That's less than a cup of coffee and a whole heap more meaningful.

For 99cents each they also have number candles.

I decided I'd like to send them to someone who reads my blog - just because I can, and because these are quite possibly the best birthday candles ever. Who could not feel loved with birthday candles as special as these on a cake? Or, maybe they should just sit somewhere in your kitchen to remind you to count your blessings and make cakes for those who need to feel loved and accepted in the world.

Perhaps you just need to make a 'no-reason cake' and load it up with candles and say a prayer for all those in the world who need a voice and people to believe in them.

Leave me a comment and I'll put you in the draw. :o)

Love you more than chocolate butter cream icing. xxx

If you don't have a tradeaid near you - you can shop online here. (not being given anything for this except the good feeling of sharing the love!)

B.M.W.B - Thursdays

In 3 short, short months my little boy starts school

I'm already sad to wave these precious years goodbye

but I'm not giving them up without a grand enjoyment

Thursdays are our day

He sets the agenda

picks the activity

and I just tell him over and over how much I love our day together

this particular Thursday was at Orana Park (or Runna Park as he calls it)

excitingly there had been some flooding

and we went with a little friend

Him and I get a lot of time together but not all of it is wonderful, special, intentional time and so having Thursday set aside each week makes it extra special.

Becoming the Mama I want to be is about taking time to enjoy the journey of parenting, to honour it's value and to hopefully inspire and encourage each other. 

Simple. Achievable. Intentional: becoming the mama I want to be

Button code on the right if you want it

Photo Friday

Looking down over Lyttleton

I do love Christchurch so much

it's still pretty broken and there are lives and livelihoods pretty busted up... but it is beautiful, raw and we are resilient