winter hibernation....

   new couch in its original, itchy, dusty state

  Oh I am slack... no writing all winter, I've hardly even taken any photos... I have excuses (always), four kids, a show and thrice weekly rehearsals, an increase in extra-curricular activities for the kids; choir, art classes, sewing classes, football,  cubs, homeschool activities, new besties for my nearly nine year old. And me...? My folks have shifted down here from the big smoke (Auckland),  and I keep knitting

in pieces

  slowly, a few rows here and there.. in between craziness, when the baby sleeps ( hardly ever),  on this , my new couch!

 

all done!

 Wow that was last school holidays! I took the covers off and used them as patterns for my patched and cheap collection of granny chic fabrics, took off all the dust, vacuumed it all over then disassembled it.

Reassembling took some strength and sore fingers as I wished for proper tools and not just a wool needle and some heavy thread. I love the finished result!

north island tripping

 last week during the school holidays we were lucky enough to be able to visit my sister and her family in taranaki, staying at a gorgeous, really kiwi bach( crib) at a west coast black sand surf beach ( where wild cattle roam the dunes...) with my parents who were rocked to sleep in the house bus by the winds that came up every evening. It was a perfect winter stormy west coast holiday, the perfect setting for a thriller type movie or book, inspiration for some  edgy fashion label...

  We anzac paraded ( my brother in law  taking part), op-shopped, visited  museums and learned more about the local history. Joska made friends with their beautiful dog and now tries to make our cat "fetch". We visited the beautiful Hollard Gardens with their fabulous playground.

  we didn't see the mountain.

  I came home inspired; winter -cleaned my house, made new bench seat covers and patched up a door.

  and uncovered the windows previously hidden by brick cladding and rearranged my sewing space to make the most  of the light. I made a new "corner". What do you think?

a quick catch-up and a five year old!

   Easter in the sun... but the summer is now really over and this weekend the drought has broken for real!

  We've been busy, doing textile classes, cubs,  drama club, playgroup ( for homeschoolers), easter and birthdays. I between the kids have learnt stilt walking, Joska is running, climbing and dancing, and Tobin turned 5!

  We celebrated his birthday in the local park with campfire cooking, and old-fashioned games like three-legged , and sack races. A very relaxed but fun birthday and the rain held back that day.

  Today we are off on a plane to visit my sister and her family for a week. Yay!

mud monsters

...some late-afternoon mud-monsters invaded our house...

...and told the baby he could have a dip too...

 

 

.."okay friends, just let me kick the ball around first..."

...before

after...

Late summer ( i did think It could be really autumn now, but then we had three days of 28 degrees c again, so late summer it still is, although we are optimistically decorating with the few autumn leaves we can find...), play, sewing, home-making for the winter to come. Wood pile is in the shed, tomatoes are souped and canned, peaches stewed and frozen and sauced, blackberries frozen. Autumn are you ready?
 My cupboards are full of tallow, rendered by me; the used -to -be lifetime vegetarian!

playgroup camp

 Homeschool/playgroup camp to Pakawau ...

 some much needed relaxation and space....

joska turns one!

 our baby turns one today...an early morning wake up from excited siblings ( one didn't sleep all night in anticipation of a tooth fairy visit)...

 paleo birthday cake for breakfast....

 everyone had made something for him...maaike a pillowcase, anoushka some pants and tobin some more pants... the girls are doing a textiles class and are getting more independent with the machines and techniques... so proud!

late summer homeschooling

 I love the freedom to make a quick walk, evolve into a slow amble, and a paddle and then make plans to do it again tomorrow.

 I love having lessons on the sandspit, surrounded by sea birds and waders and godwits before they take flight again.

 I love listening to the pace of the children, and not push my own agendas too much.

 I love learning to take care of my own body and that of my family ...http://teethz.wordpress.com/tag/comfrey-root-powder/

 I love the cooler mornings and evenings, but the still warm water: it makes it easier for me to get out and do "walks" etc, now that the sun isn't quite so burning. I feel like a solar bank, storing up the sun's energy before the cold comes.

  I love the slowly changing light, and leaves on the trees.

 I love the way our garden is feeding us and enabling us to squirrel away food for the cooler months, we are harvesting peaches grapes, nashis and apples, and prune plums, the veges are slightly more pathetic, but we have beans, greens , pumkpkins and tomatoes we share with the stink bugs.

 I love feeling inspired by the gathered garden art I can spy in people's seaside gardens as we amble.
c
What do you love?