My Process - Blog Hop

Earlier in the year I met Juanita - another international import to Adelaide and she tagged me in this blog hop. I hope you find my answers (vaguely?) interesting!

1. What am I working on?
hmmm... in terms of blogging I am generally working on a lap top that is well past its expiry date and I hope it shall continue to defy the odds!

Personally I am working on a few things - 

• a children's picture book which I am writing and creating illustrations for and sincerely hope will be picked up. 
• Writing and delivering workshops for teachers in how to teach performing arts from the new Arts Curriculum released here.
• trying to do all the paperwork (yuck, how it bores me) and jump through hoops, so that I can get registered here and do some relieving work
• volunteering a day a week at church to help with writing the children's programme and doing creative stuff to help creative people
• spending some time doing voluntary work in the boys' classes to (hopefully) support the teacher
• crafting, always some crafting, also the 100 days project
• I'm also working on working out what pathways I want to pursue more seriously as 'work options', preparing myself to take risks, balance what has been a beautiful season of 'staying home with my babies'.... this is a tough one and very much a work in progress
• helping with dance teaching on a Friday afternoon
• preparing for taking a couple of laneways learning classes
• ways to avoid housework (life long project)

2.  How does my work differ from others in the genre? 
I find defining what genre my blog is rather difficult. I'd say it's an entirely average blog about a multitude of topics that include - parenting, crafting, exploring, living intentionally, reading books, reviewing stuff....

It differs from the good ones doing the same because it is less well edited, the photos are more average, and the content less curated.

It (hopefully) differs from the really bad ones by being legible, nicely laid out (thanks Simone) and generally upbeat and positive.

Of course it is made wonderful by your presence and interaction and your grace in not pointing out its obvious faults!

3. Why do I write what I do?

Because all of it interests me, or matters to me. Yes I could have a much more "beautiful" blog if I dropped off the family content but then I would loose out on recording our journey for us and also my family would stop reading it *hi Grandad, I'm waving at you*.

So I write for myself and my own agenda first, but outside of that I write because I want to encourage people to enjoy parenting, and feel empowered to be more creative, to celebrate the way they want to dress, read good books, choose good things, see things that interest me, take some creative risks and not worry about perfection all the time, to laugh, to love others generously, to consider their place in the wonders of the universe and maybe consider engaging with an all pursuing Love. That stuff is why I write and I hope it's what you get some of when you visit here.

4. How does my writing process work?

Sit down, type stuff, upload average photos, sometimes re-read, schedule and hit publish.

Where to - I'd love to ask Meghan to answer these questions because I know she has been considering them, also Deb because I love the power and grace she brings to the blogosphere and also Stella because I think beginning work, and making other creative transitions are changing the landscape of how she blogs too and I'm interested in knowing her thoughts on it.

Of course they may be too busy but I'd love to get inside their heads. If you ladies would like to do say yes and keep the hopping going.

There are so many great blogs I read and I find these 'personal posts' really interesting so if any of you want to answer them and tag people do go ahead and let me know so I can some and visit.

love you more than a perfectly balanced blogging style xxx

Do You Ever Think About...

how we hold super fit, muscly people up as if their example is something we should all aspire to

...and yet

we don't seem to do the same with people who have amazing character?


yes, fitness comes with hard work

but I think character requires much more difficult work, more tears, more opening up to hidden places and disappointments, more peeling back layers of hurt and forgiving ourselves and others,

more realising that we aren't there yet
more grace given to others that aren't there either
more self-denial than avoiding a second serving
more grit and determination than press-ups and sprints.

Is it because we can't 'see' character? or

Is it because we place more value on what we see?

I'd like to be fit and muscly but I'd like to have character more. Somehow I think character will see me healthy through more years than muscles. But there are days when I care more about the outward and less about the inward.

Do you find that too?

My values say character is more important but my behaviour and thoughts don't always reflect that.

If I asked myself what I am doing to build a healthy fit body I could answer that in an instant.

If I asked myself what I am doing to build enduring character that would take so much more thought. I wish that weren't true but it is.

What do you do to build an inspiring, buff character?

love you more than stopping to ask myself hard questions xxx

100 days - some more days

Here are some more days

not sure I'm improving but I guess when you're this talented!! (clearly I joke)

love you more than a pencil without a forever-broken straight-after-you-sharpened-me lead xxx

Make My Week - Dancer Dress

The church we go to provides free music lessons for kids aged 8-12 on a Friday afternoon/evening. Flip has been going and Bounce and I have just hung out in the building - so I put my hand up and offered to do some dance.

It's very simple and the numbers fluctuate week to week but it's a nice way to be involved and give back.

Cue - I have nothing to wear for this.

Cue - $7.50 for a pair of footless tights from Kmart - although the staff member I asked for help was most insistent that they are actually "leggins", to which I countered with "I'd call them tights, they certainly shouldn't be worn in place of trousers." (I'm not sure we were on the same page with that but I assure you for $7.50 these should not be worn as trousers!!)

Cue - there are no t-shirts in the world that are long enough to make these seemly or dresses I own that are 'right' for dancing or wearing with these kind of tights.

Cue - I bought a pattern, $5 (all patterns $5 this week - thank you spotlight).

Cue - I raced home rummaged through my op shop fabric (not that much of it)

Cue - I opened the pattern envelope at 2pm, cut, pinned, cut, sewed, ran out of bobbin, wound bobbin, sewed some more

Cue - 3pm raced out the door to collect children, walked home.

Cue - while children got changed for going to music on the bus and shovelled down afternoon tea I hemmed like a wild woman

Cue - left the house in new 'dance teaching' outfit.

Yes I am aware that I could probably hide a triplet pregnancy inside this dress but it works and for less than $10 pattern and all I'm happy with it.

How about you - are you a leggins wearer? what would you wear to teach dance?

other crafty ladies over here

love you more than a well covered derriere xxxx

Another Cryptic Casebook Review by Flip

It's Flip again with another Cryptic Casebook - The Quivering Quavers by Ursula Dubosarsky.

In this book Ernesto tries to write Ps and they were upside down and looked like quivering quavers. That was bad because La Bella Cucharita was scared of 4 quivering quavers. Coco Carlomagno and his cousin Alberta were there to solve the mystery.

My favourite part was the message to Alberta at the beginning because Coco used musical things as clues in the message. There were other puzzles and clues in the book to solve too.

A funny part was when La BC sent her assistant with a message but he spelled each letter as a word instead of a letter and everyone was confused.

I think that kids 5-18 would enjoy this book

Details - Allen and Unwin July 2014, $9.99 AU, available as an ebook

thanks very much to A&U for sending me this book to review.

Learning Together - Real Writing

In our house there is not a lot of writing for pleasure. Even the spelling list can be a chore. When one is given a pen he writes equations and when the other is given a pen he draws pictures of teddies.

But I do believe writing, letter formation, letter orientation, size, fluency only develops through actual regular contact between the pen and paper. So in the holidays I provided a selection of postcards and a promise of sending and I let them go for it.

I hope the recipients will be able to decipher their post, but no matter, post sent with love is always welcome, right?

I think when children are given real contexts at home, actual postcards to choose from and knowing they will really be sent then they are far more inclined to put pen to paper.

One day I want to get one of these beautiful creations for our place and I know in that it will get filled with wee notes to and from family members because it provides real context.

We also have a to and from book which we write notes to the boys in and they to us - again, well loved. (Although currently misplaced, I need to get some more - the concept is that you have an exercise book that is special to each child and you write notes to each other, as and when the urge takes. Then you leave them on their pillow. Either side can initiate and they become another special channel of communication).

When learning and practicing a skill become a chore it's great to find ways to break it up. I didn't force the postcards but I did have some they could choose from, and we talked about friends who we could send them to.... and then, everyone wanted a go.  I supported from the sideline and helped with ideas when needed but mainly I just celebrated joyful writing and the sharing of friendship.

Learning Together a series for primary aged children and their parents - activities that break up homework monotony, promote skills and create positive experiences together.

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I wanted to include this shot again because it so captures the wonderful relationship these 2 have.
(The Atlas has an amazing relationship with Bounce too but this picture captures him and Flip so perfectly. I love the way that I know Flip will be chatting his head off, little head down and The Atlas as he inclines to engage with him).

and also at the beautiful Japanese gardens nearby

This one so captures a wee one in action when he thought he's seen a spider

and his dear wee face, how I love it

love you more than peace and discovery in one place xxx