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