school holiday highlights (so far)

Even though we've been taking things at a fairly slow pace around here, I feel like I'm getting behind in bloggable news. The boys are all a fairly good age for 'getting out and doing things' in the school holidays now, what with no daytime naps and most grumpiness able to be dealt with by application of icecream, cake etc.

We took Gillian's recommendation and went strawberry picking at Beerenberg in the Adelaide Hills. Despite a spell of intensely hot weather the pickings were exceptionally good. It was tempting to keep picking, and picking... however we limited ourselves to a bit less than five kilos. We ate quite a few fresh and in sorbet, and made two batches of jam. The first batch we did not mush up the berries and they all floated to the top of the jars. Live and learn.

Andy has been sourdough baking with mixed success. The flavour is really good but the texture is, as yet, a little too dense. He's working on it. And yes, he has worn that same t-shirt pretty much every day while on holidays. He's back to work today, but I have another week off, and I'm letting the boys have a lazy DVD day today.

Charlie and Jasper were eager to get to work on a new stuffed toy each from Fiona's lovely Hop Skip Jump book. They chose projects with a bit more complexity this time so the work was collaborative. I sewed tricky parts like gussets and string-jointing limbs. But apart from that they did all the tracing, cutting and stuffing, and most of the sewing, by themselves. I'd remind them about clipping curves and they'd say "I know!" I'm pleased to say that in line with the book's philosophy, and my 'Wombling' resolution, the materials for these critters were entirely from stash; mostly scraps from finished projects. One of the delightful things about making stuffed toys is how little fabric you really need.

Three weeks of no work and all of us together sounds like bliss and is for the most part. But I have to admit I actually find the 'doing not much' part a bit difficult sometimes and become anxious that I should be doing constructive things. Maybe that's why I make silly resolutions like 'make the bed every day'. A little piece of perceived achievement to make up for the lack of getting everyone packed off to school and childcare and going to paid work regular week stuff. Pretty silly that some of my sense of self-worth should rest on doing the stressful things.

I think I need to go and sew while the boys are happy with a DVD!

- Jane x