Hello again !

Thank you for your patience folks. Ahh, reunited with my netbook at last. After major tech issues with my computer all weekend I am back up and running. I went to the library on Saturady morning to post from there but it was full of students on screens so I gave up.

Despite my internet issues we had a really good and busy time over the May holiday. There was of course lots of friends (for both Mumo and kiddos), family and food involved as usual. The kids and I made pizza, pesto, salad, chilli and coriander chicken on saturday morning for all the girls coming on Saturday afternoon.

 There is nothing like your female friends all gathered in the one spot to make a day feel special, so by the time the evening came I was talked out. We watched this on DVD and we all loved it and of course we would, the amazing set was built and all was filmed  in my home town!
I watched as Andrew was enthralled for the very first time at the beauty of music. The classical soundtrack has touched his soul - my ever practical, mathematical son has played the music on YouTube many times since the weekend. What a joy for me to see and what a privilege - the power of music.


I don't know about anyone else but my kids love family tournaments. It can be anything from chess to cluedo but this weekend the tournament was a simple memory game- of course no one wins or loses but there are huge cheers and much stamping of feet all round. Currently I am the loser much to everyone's delight!

Thrifty Thursday - a project for my favourite girl!

You'll know from my posts at the weekend that we cleared out Ems room. All the plastic toys went to charity, the donated dolls that were shoved under the bed, out of sight and mind ( that all  have lipstick and big boobs and more accessories than any woman I know). That left her with a baby doll and lots of soft toys but not a proper dressy dolly, if you know what I mean. I have often reminisced with Ems the story of my rag doll - she had brown hair, shiny black eyes and ruby red lips. Her hair wassoft and brown and straight and I thought she was the most lovely thing in the world. My mum bought her for my ninth birthday and I remember how excited I was when I opened the wrapper and saw this pristine creature smiling up at me.
I looked atmy beautiful daughter to day and thought she may be 8 and it may be 2011 but she is a little girl and little girls should be allowed to like dollies.
So an hour of time we spent, her and I. Cutting a pattern from a craft book, using an old cot sheet...

Meet Alexandra... Ems worked away industriously sewing the little skirt and pulled some ric rac through.She loved the fact that Alexandra has a bright face with open eyes and a tired, eyes shut face too.... just like her. She had knitted the green blankie for a previous project and we'd kept it over - how handy.

What a perfect hour, just the 2 of us crafting away, making something that will be loved forever, out of nothing but a few old scraps, its not perfect, its not Etsy standard but it showed her that nothing everything comes in shiny plastic, paid for my shiny plastic and that love costs nothing but time and effort. Thats a good Thursday, I think.

Phew... Its only Tuesday!

We didn't intend to walk the distance we did and had to stop for restorative buns half way throught but it was such a perfect, tranquil, sunny Irish day and trust me, there are few enough of these. The clouds were like huge cream puffs floating the sky - so close we could almost reach out and taste them. The hours flew by, skimming stones, hands in hands, daddy and daughter laughing about their silly jokes which amazingly only they understand.

This moment...There's nothing as good as new lego!

Thrifty Thursday - the big cull

My mother used to say that when the going got tough in my life I headed for the nearest bookstore. And it's true. All my life whether I had a bad day at the office or school, a row with a boyfriend or was just plain bored I headed for my nearest pile of books.It didn't matter whether it was Enid Blyton or Edith Wharton, fact or fiction i love a good book.  There's something about the feel of a book and the world inside those pages that envelopes you that is so very alluring. I could spend hours without realising it inside a book.  I'm not sure the kindle does it for me although I know lots of converts. The love of books also goes down the genetic line. At night the kids, Andrew especially can often be found under their cabin beds with a night light.  Harry Potter and the half blood prince in the current flavour of the day.
Parenting, is of course, a subject made for books.And i have read many, many books. My new favourite book is this one and I have noted to my sheer delight that some other bloggers are reading through the same one. I cannot recommend it highly enough. There is so much common parenting sense in those pages. Its a beautiful book for those who want to keep our kids as children, who want to preserve a way of life that makes them compassionate and imaginative. For those of you not initiated into this wonderful world, the down side is you have to throw lots of stuff away. I didn't think we had that much  -we're quite frugal -  the toys are fairly minimal, neither adult is gadget orientated, we don't do lots of music or furniture or ornaments. And then it hit me - staring me right in the face

and there's more, so much more. The cull must start now, I am hoping for courage (as I can't throw a book out) and ultimately relief  (for having the courage to do it in the first place) and lastly, space.  Will i feel less fettered - I'll let you know, And if you have done your cull - let me know how it went.

Weekending – at ease.

She dresses up,accessorises, she role plays and improvises. She is a ninja warrior today, she maybe will be Aladdin tomorrow and could be a wartime school teacher the next. The make up she has applied is used for her “plays”. The music that she is dancing to is sung from her own lips, her own creation. All is born from her imagination.

They lie, relaxed, laughing, joking,  bonded in sibling harmony. Foot against foot they air cycle. She is draped over another chair and shouts across when she wants (often!). A verbal game starts – but quickly dissolves into shouting and laughter. Then in an instant they flee, all at once, out the back door into the grey day, to bounce as high as these 3 can.

One person’s weeds are my luxury bouquet. The hallway abundant with nature’s seasonal bounty of hawthorn, buttercup, cow parsley and vetch that brighten our home, our hearts and our senses. 

A new package – giving this mumo ideas for new creations for the summer months that stretch ahead.

 

All the while I know that simply and surely we are all at ease with each other in the place we call home.

This moment...nourishment & kneading

Nourishment

I think if I had to take a photo that summed up my philosophy to life, this would be the picture I would choose.
The  vase with foraged flowers, my breadmaker and the ingredients behind the vase for homemade flapjacks. All are ingredients that believe it or not  nourish my soul in so many ways. Not just in the cheerful pattern of the 70's pottery but also the reusing of someone else's old junk that teaches the kids that in a world of  pound shops sometimes reusing is often better than "new". Second chances are and should be possible in our human relationships too.
Baking bread and healthy snacks are of course symbols of the nourishing that I can give my 3 little treasures-  good food that will not only sustain their bodies but those choices combine in an all over parenting style that will hopefully help them to build a real sense of self and the confidence that can stem from senstivity and empathy with others and the natural and human world around us.
  And so to the flowers - picked with love, because i love flowers,  on a country walk with dad and carried oh so carefully home to an exhausted  mumo. Produced with a flourish and an abundance of sheer joy.Their love and purpose - nourishment to my soul. Its often the little moments that are the most thoughtful and deliberate. I am indeed blessed and nourished.

Weekending

Our weekend was full. Shopping, getting the car fixed, dance classes and gardening, lots of laundry and of course the obligatory using the laundry basket as a rocking boat! The boys who love all things Italian decided to have their own little Masterchef. We made simple spaghetti sauce or at least the boys did- in went every vegetable from the fridge, some chard from the garden and the veggie left overs from the night before. I watched (and kept very quiet) as 2 courgettes were added. Much stirring and poking of the sauce and 20 mins later they pronounced it the best ragu ever made! I loved it as it was healthy and cheap  - what a bonus.

Thrifty Thursday - washing day!

When the sun is high in the sky, and I am dreamily looking out over the garden, I often have the same aspiration - that one day when I need groceries I open the door to my garden and most of our "shopping" would be in the dirt at my feet.Rather than load up the car with children, bags and lists and come home with a lot less cash, over priced food and cranky kids all I would do would be to pick and wash my home grown fresh produce and make simple but nourishing food. Of course, my dream also has a line of fresh,  pure white laundry on the line and on that score i have definiely found the alternative to commercial products. Today I made gloop. I'd read about it for years on forum posts from other smart mums and eco-warriors but only started to make it last year. Its wonderful, I can't figure out why I didn't use it years ago - it washes our clothes perfectly, any stubborn stains would remain anyway no matter what I use. My only gripe is I can't find borax in this country so make do without. I use this recipe,  found purely by surfing around.

The soda crystals are £1 for this bag which works out atabout  25p per cup and the soap was £1 for 6 bars. So it total for the month it costs me less than 50p . Now that is a thrifty tip I like!

When its like this I also add a few drops of essential oil - this month I added geranium - yummy smelling, clean clothes for one tenth of the price of commercial powders. Maybe you have something different? Thrifty? Eco friendly - let me know by posting a comment.

Time

I've been thinking a lot recently about the passage of time. I seem to use all the word "time" all the time, as in, time for tea, time for bed, time for school, time for drama, time to tidy-up .. you get the picture. Turning 40 in December past has shifted my perception of time and I feel the sheer weight of its passing and all we seem to have woven into our lives. It seems like only yesterday when we brought the twin car seats home from the hospital and I honestly thought then that I had all the time in the world. But, as those with children of school age know - you blink and the kids have moved out of  the babysling and onto a skateboard. Oh, how I would love to slow time down or even just pause and savour us as we are right now. Because todays moments will be tomorrows memories. So for me, its about reminding myself to make the ordinary days count. Today was an ordinary day, certainly a day that was not without challenges both big and small and I am sad to say that none of us rose to the occasion. So after tea, despite it being a school night and time for bed, a tired and cranky mummy and 3 tired cranky kiddos headed off to the park. With coffee, the football and a good book. I watched an ordinary little scene of 3 children playing footbal lin the semi darkness of a spring night and was grateful for a little extra time.

May day weekend

Its the Mayday weekend here in Ireland and to be honest , we've avoided all the big commercial celebrations instead opting for some homespun entertainment.Over the years i've become more of a homebody, the kids prefer it when we are relaxed  being in the garden or kitchen is perfect.There's too much hurrying about in general, too much pressure to create enjoyment for everyone so when kids are off school they relax and rest.When I hear the words "I'm bored, mum"I know it means the transition between imposed school structure and the kids finding their own level of activity. I tend not to worry but let them find their own way.  There is a kind of a rythmn to our day when we are all off, that of course, normally translates into bouncing morning, noon and night on the trampoline, playing football, dressing up, drawing, reading, painting, doing their chores and eating (lots!).... relaxation, huh?

But in between all that we've been to parties and playdates, cooked and baked and danced and of course ate loads of ice-cream.

For me - lots of jumpers to unpick and new plants for my baskets

Pasta with  pepper, wild garlic and nettle soffrito. Mostly foraged and declared the BEST pasta ever and for me at less than £1 for 4 portions definitely the cheapest.

Ready to party - his style and love of clothes knows no bounds