I'm in love with NSW beaches. We explored them for hours, collecting shells and rocks and chasing crabs along the sand.
These photos are strange to look at. Like the calm before the storm. The day after they were taken Samuel became very ill and we rushed him to Hospital. Wish I could rewind time, go back to this beach and start over from there.
But that post is for another day.
Today, I'm soaking up these photos and remembering that fresh, salty air.
I am knee deep in suitcases.
So far this morning I've done 5 loads of laundry (I love having 2 washing machines), which is then prompltly dried, folded and packed.
Matt has gone to the hardware store to buy a fish feeder.
Oh yes my friends....
We are going on a holiday!
Thanks to a friend and her generous family we are heading down to NSW for 7 nights. We will explore. We will seek adventure. We will stay up late and sleep in and wear jammies all day. Play, cook, sew, laze, read, tickle, enjoy and laugh.
I'm just a little bit excited.
The day-to-day grind has been tiring lately and we are in need of a change of scenery. Some fresh air and some time together. Just us. And this view
image source here
Oh this view. By this evening we should be there, enjoying the crisp ocean air.
I'll be posting some tales of our adventures as we go.
I hope you all have a delightful Easter break!
So my super-talented sister (from here, in case you're unaware of her awesomeness) was over on the weekend and we got to talking about bunting.
Any normal conversation naturally turns to the marvelous topic of bunting don't they?
Well my sister told me about weatherproof bunting. That you can hang up outside. And you can leave it there.
Say-what-now?
So I googled and I found it and here it is. Originally from this lovely blog.
I may make 10 or a thousand. What's even better about this pattern is that you recycle old plastic shopping bags.
My afternoon cuppa in the backyard is about to become oh-so-more-pretty!
Thank you Pepper and Hannah.
Amanda xxoo
P.S We had a gorgeous day on Saturday at Miss Rachael's 5th Birthday Party. Once I find my loungeroom floor and finish scraping cake icing off the kitchen benches (rock solid stuff) I'll post some photos.
I'm not a gardener. I've tried. And then I've failed spectacularly. I discovered after a few failed garden beds that I'm really good at growing weeds.
So the fact that my front garden contains plants like this?
Is a miracle!
Not a weed in sight. Matt and I have spent quite a few weekends turning, fertilising, and mulching this garden bed and I'm so pleased with how it's turned out.
We all find ouselves out here some days, in the cool of the late afternoon. The kids picking flowers for the kitchen table while mum and dad check for weeds and potter around, rearranging fairy lights or trimming plants. I love how it ties us all together; the earth beneath our feet and the feeling of plant life in our hands. Rachael and Joseph love to go snail hunting and the learning that naturally evolves out of play still amazes me. I remember another days lessons about snails way back here. ( I just re-read that post and realised that I mention home-schooling in there. I love how this decision has been a journey for us). It's just amazing how much I'm realising that learning doesn't need to occur in a classroom. The world is our classroom!
The rare, often rambucass creature called the Rachael-Bear. Loves to climb trees. I have no idea how she gets up there, it's a tiny tree.
My garden is a miracle indeed.
And one that I am truly thankful for.
Enjoy your Friday!
Amanda
P.S I'm signing up for the 12 Week Body Transformation with Michelle Bridges on Sunday. Bit excited. Bit petrified. A whole lot over the extra weight I'm carrying!
We had a lovely morning in the garden yesterday, enjoying the sunshine between all the rains we’ve been having lately. The girls love the backyard and are so curious that before I knew it we were having a full-blown lesson about snails. One minute mamma’s hanging out the washing and the next minute we are all on our knees, butts in the air, exploring under the tomato vine, with sticks in hand and even a neat little book from the library that Jess had run back inside to grab. Both Jess and Rachael seem fascinated by shells at the moment and J is even learning the names of a few crustaceans. I love self-directed learning.
It didn’t take long before we had adopted a couple of snails with their new home being a plastic container with some leaves and a few drops of water. Rachael sat for ages at the kitchen table waiting for them to pop their heads back out again after the big move inside - which is kind of cute because snails are shy, just like she is.
In amongst all this exploring I found myself fully caught-up in my childrens learning, and I loved it! I’ve never thought that I would be able to home-school, I guess if I’m honest with myself there would probably be a distinct lack of patience - on my part! But our garden adventures gave me a new appreciation of how wonderful it is to be so involved in your child’s learning. To see Rachael’s face light up when we saw the snails with their ‘feelers’ out was awesome. And to be able to encourage Jessica’s enthusiasm in learning about animals and the creations that God made is so precious. To witness the way her interest in something grows and to foster that, to change your plans or re-arrange your day so that the time is made for learning within the home? LOVING.IT.
Their worlds’ are so full of wonder at this age and I too often forget to stop and celebrate with them the excitement of a new discovery.
Originally posted on Saturday, 29 November 2008.
:: eating breakfast, enjoying this
Edited: Please excuse my dirty window. I'm going for the 'rustic, aged' look at the moment. It's very low-maintenance.
Before the weather turns too cold we have been trying to spend as much time outside as we possibly can. It's always a bit of a shock around here when it's dark at 6pm, and we miss being able to linger outside that bit longer, watching the sky slowly fade and the cool of the evening settle in.
The kids love romping around outside and it always helps when we welcome a new scooter into the fold. Rachael Bear received this suitably pink one for her 4th birthday (which I just realised I forgot to blog about?! oops). Upon it's arrival we were having lots of 'scooterific fun', and things were really 'scootastic' and like, totally 'scootable' man.
OH MY HEAVENS PLEASE PRAY FOR MY CHILDREN.
They're gonna turn out like their dorky mamma.
And so either at the park next door to our house (which is so wonderfully convenient), or in the new housing estate down the road (which is so blissfully empty and quite), we walked, triked, scooted, chased and wondered the days away.
It was lovely.
But I couldn't bare the thought of another day going by with that depressing post at the top of the page! That was a bad day. But today?
Much better.
We went away for the weekend to a town where Matt and I met and dated as teenagers (he was my first kiss!). Ahh the memories. And trust me, this town if FULL of them. All weekend we were saying 'remember that one time we did this', and 'oh look! There's the cafe we used to go too after school'. We even did a drive-by of the houses we lived in at the time. I was going to take a photo but wasn't sure that the occupants would appreciate a complete stranger photographing their house!
And now, upon return the mountains of laundry await but at least now I feel a little bit rested. Which is good for my soul and my outlook on life. I also have A LOT of soaking to do because this town is known for it's red dirt and ohmyheavens the kids got covered in it!
Hope you had a good weekend!
And a nice ice-cream to finish off the day. Couldn't ya just squeeeeeze those cheeks like crazy!!!
Love that boy.
