Winterish

Since I post most of my sewing adventures over on The Drapery blog these days, I've not been here much. But I think I miss the documentation of regular life, and sometimes I have some lovely photos of the kids or the dog or something we did and I think I should do something with them, so I'm going to try to be back here more often. I think.

Just in case I'm giving the impression that it's all sunshine here in winter, the beach trip was a rare break in the grey, wet and cold that has permeated pretty much the entire last two weeks, which were school holidays. Brr. I'm afraid new-to-us Netflix has had a hammering. The tonne of firewood we ordered about a month ago is not going to last.

When I cleaned out Clem's schoolbag just before he left this morning (better last minute than never), I found the drawings above. It was quite the tiresome, repetitive battle to get him ready in time for school so it was nice to be reminded of his sweeter and more interesting side.

Here's something else he did. While we asked him about fifty times to get out of his pyjamas and get dressed because we needed to go out.

No, the dog has not had rainbow facepaint. In winter the sun angles into our back room and right through some refracting crystal balls we have hanging in the window. It's a little bit Bowie though, isn't it? Andy calls her the Thin White Dog.

Jasper turned 13. We gave him his longed-for Wacom tablet for drawing on the computer. He's extremely keen on computer animation, visual effects and so forth and it turns out Adelaide actually has fantastic education resources and employment opportunites for these areas. But he's not even in high school until next year. I have a feeling this passion is going to stick, though.

That's all for now folks, but I will try to be back sooner rather than later. Thanks for reading if you've dropped by and made it this far!

- Jane xx

weekendish stuff

Nothing earth-shattering here, just a few pictures from lately.

Elodie declares that it was so nice of Clem and me to create a little framework for her bottom to sit down in.

Jasper seems to have the Etch-A-Sketch thing figured out.

Inspired by the astonishingly good beers we tasted (in goodly quantities) in New Zealand, we have dug out the homebrew kit and made a batch, bottled last weekend. Ready to taste next weekend!

Charlie and Jasper weren't sure if we were taking advantage of them by asking for their help with a brew they can't drink, but the lure of the bottle capper gadget won them over.

And another New Zealand-inspired taste sensation: Eton Mess, which Jasper discovered over there at a restaurant and has been wanting to try making ever since. He did today, using the recipe in the River Cottage cookbook and oh, it was so good. He wants to make it for his friends who are coming over to celebrate his birthday next weekend.

And we have just wound up the weekend by watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty with these big boys - the second time they've seen it - and it really is such a great movie. Highly recommended if you haven't seen it yet, and really nothing unsuitable or even mildly embarrassing for the 11 and 13y.o. viewers!

- Jane x

jinjs four 20c

I felt like I had a very unproductive day today. The weather lately has been sizzlingly hot, followed by rainy and oppressively humid. (Do not get me started about climate change and our government's environmental crimes and ignorance, grr.)

Today was the first day in ages that would have been nice to get out and do something outdoorsy. And it was Sunday, and Andy left tonight for a week interstate for work. And what did I do? Slept in, mooched about, had a nap on the couch.

Should have:
- gone blackberry picking
- gone for a walk
- cleaned out the shed for hard rubbish
- done some work in the garden
- done some washing
- tried to fix the printer
- made pencil cases with the boys
- oh, you know, stuff.

However, I did help make the scene above happen. We baked and I helped set up the stall. 'Gingers for 20c' (gingerbreads). He made almost $6 and was very chuffed.

And, I suppose that's enough. For today.

- Jane x

Bimini Ring

Thank you so much for all the lovely, supportive comments on my last post. I have given work my notice and am counting down the last few weeks. I can't wait to be able to focus better on the shop and family and home. It seems a bit financially foolhardy but I've done stupider things on my life and got away with it. Things have a way of working out.

Friday was a 'student free day' at the boys' school (teacher training), and thankfully Andy was able to take on parenting duties. He set about installing a new backyard game. It's incredibly simple and rather addictive.

Andy discovered the game at a pub in Texas on a work trip. It's just a hook on a wall, and a ring on a string attached to a swivelly clip thing overhead. Swing the ring and try to get it on the hook. It's pretty much impossible to watch someone doing it without coming over all childish: 'I wanna go! My turn next!'.

In other weekend-ish happenings, Clem had been saving his pocket money for some weeks to buy a 'magic garden' and has been delightedly showing us the progress.

I love these things - really, quite magical. There's quite a bit more 'snow' on the mountain now.

There has been sewing, just no pictures I'm afraid. I made my Dad a Your Sew Girl Flat Cap, on his request (how nice to have my Dad ask me to sew him something!). Jasper has a new velour hoodie and I have been slowly, slowly making my way through a Colette Hawthorn dress for myself. It's rather unseasonal so no rush. Might have to have a photo sesh and do a quick roundup blog post about all the sewings.

How's your weekend? Magic gardens? Pub games for the whole family?

- Jane xx

if I was to look on the bright side

of being home most of these school holidays while the flu makes its way through our family
(and what would be the point of looking on the crappy side, it's just too easy to see)
I would be thankful for

modern medicine that gives us effective pain and fever relief

dependable places for outdoor low-possibility-of-infecting-others entertainment when the littlest one is only displaying vague first symptoms

the delight of a new melon-baller (by his special request) and having all the watermelon to himself since nobody wants his germs

mama-made pyjamas being worn and worn and worn, and the fire doing excellent service

Dadda bringing home helium balloons when Jasper's birthday sleepover had to be postponed, and boys attaching various critters for a ride

a large jigsaw in progress, and a dear boy who is not sick but doesn't mind too much slouching about the house

oh yes and movies, thank heavens for Apple TV and being able to rent movies without moving one's germs outside the door. Chipwrecked (better than I expected), Journey to the Mysterious Island, Men in Black (when Clem was out), Matilda (I got a bit teary), Muppet Treasure Island

Jasper using his new birthday oil pastels

lots and lots of cuddles with this one, including a whole night with him breathing into my face, which is probably why I am suffering now, and... hankies of course!

Yes our couch really is as dirty as you can see, and more.

I was supposed to be back at work this week so I am also thankful for that being mostly non-urgent and manageable by email.

I wouldn't wish this flu on anyone but I'm doing my best to find positive moments in this unscheduled halt to affairs. I'm hoping we can make it through this without the need for doctors and antibiotics.

And oh, maybe next year I'll go back to carting us all off for flu vaccinations. Do you get the flu vaccination? Does it seem to work for you?

- Jane x

chalk

I won't pretend that my kids don't play quite a lot of Wii (reserved in our house for the 'wii-kends') and watch their fair share of telly. But I do love it when they get outside and become absorbed in an activity. Even if it involves taking a ladder out onto the footpath. Erm, it's a small, quiet street!

They were starting to draw an enormous tongue that went right across the road and I did put an end to that for safety's sake. Cool idea though. Charlie and Jasper were drawing on the driveway when their friend Sam came over and the drawing just sort of expanded.

These power line poles the boys are decorating are known in Adelaide (and nowhere else, I think) as stobie poles.

We have vast amounts of chalk at our house because Andy worked on an event last year that was sponsored by Ikea, who donated boxes and boxes of the stuff. We've given some to childcare and kindy and neighbours and still have a drawer full at home. A nice thing to have an excess of.

I love it when cats, who think they're so dignified, unknowingly have something comical like spiderwebs or pink chalk on them. Sorry, Elodie.

- Jane x