{Eight}

With the blink of an eye my little girl has turned eight. 
She is growing into a little young lady before our very eyes.

This year she requested a 'craft party' for her birthday.  I limited it to 5 friends (six pairs of seven and eight year old hands were enough for one Mum to manage)  They all did a great job.  Some did more then others.  Some did not move from the table and had to be encouraged to have something to eat whilst others came and went.  I think that I re threaded their needles 100 times each over the three hour period. 

I kept the party food simple and set up a buffet style table where the girls were able to help themselves to it during the party. 

Happy Birthday beautiful girl enjoy your year of being Eight.

Making the most of our {bonus} Kinder year

I won't ever look back on this year and wish that I had sent Baden to school when he should have started with his peers.  Apart from getting to spend some special time with my little boy, it has also been fantastic for him.  He has grown and developed so much this year and his language and social skills are far better then this time last year. 

I'm not sure what the weather man is up to, but we are getting something similar to our winter here this week.  Instead of locking ourselves inside we decided to go for a ride and explore our 'backyard' 

I've completly failed Blogtober this year.  Oh well.  There is always next year.

BlogtoberFest

  Offically late to this years BlogtoberFest.  Better late then never though and it might get me blogging and showing some of the things that are in the works and that I have finished in the past few months.

I can not believe that we are already into October.     To join in with the BlogtoberFest fun make sure you stop by Shells in the Bush's Blog.

Blue Blanket

It has been a long time between posts (I really need to do something about that don't I)  I don't know about you, but the year is screaming past at an alarming rate and I can not believe that we are only just over two months until Christmas again.

Anyway,  Whilst I have not been blogging I have been knitting.  I finished a bassinet sized blanket for a friend for her baby shower and it was very well received.  It is always nice to receive thanks for a gift that you put many hours into creating.

The pattern is Western-hills - The blanket  by Julia Stanfield.  It is a free pattern and a delight to knit up. There will be more of these and I'm thinking that the next one might be a rainbow inspired piece.

More information can be found here.

Where is the year disappearing?

I don't know about you but this year has disappeared at an alarming rate and before long it will be Christmas and we will be wrapping up another year.

The car speedometer says that I have done alot of km's in the car this year and I know that it is not lying.  Baden is attending a kinder two towns and 30km from home.  Then there is the swimming and dance lessons in town and back and forwards from Melbourne for different appointments and it feels like I am never out of the car.

I have also managed to get myself onto two committees this year.  I am scaling down next year (I know famous last words) and will stay on one.

There is knitting happening here and there and then there is the pile of material that I bought at the very beginning of winter that I had massive plans to sew things for myself that is still sitting taunting me from a to-do pile.

I would also love to get back into regular blogging.  Hi to all those that have hung around waiting for the next post to pop up in your reader.  So to kick things off I thought that I would join in with Pip's Taking Stock

Making :  An Eco Fairy for a WWFY job
Cooking :  30 second Orange cake
Drinking :  Raspberry, Strawberry and Loganberry Tea
Reading:  The End of Your Life Book Club (have a feeling it is a box of tissues read)
Wanting:  More time in my day
Looking:  At the pile of washing that needs tending too
Playing:  Connect 4 with the kids
Wasting:  To much time on Pinterest
Sewing:  A calico strip on the back of a blanket for a friend
Wishing:  That my sore neck would take a hike
Enjoying:  Listening to the kids laugh
Waiting: For Tim to come home
Liking:  My special friends that are more like family here due to our closeness
Wondering: What next year will bring
Loving: That my Mum hoped on a plane at a moments notice to come down and spend the week  
               with us so I could go into Melbourne for a few appointments and not worry about the kids  
               or being back for school collection.
Hoping:  That tomorrow's morning tea goes well
Marvelling:  That Baden has done so well with his speech this year and so many people have         
                       commented on how well he has done and how they can now understand him.
Needing:  To do grocery shopping
Smelling:  Dinner in the slow cooker
Wearing:  My bright yellow cowl
Following:  Two kids on their bikes
Noticing:  The change in the seasons just around the corner
Knowing:  I am loved
Thinking:  Of what I should be doing
Feeling:  Overwhelmed
Bookmarking:  Ideas for School Holiday Craft Program
Opening:  Bills
Giggling:  With the kids

Do you find that the year is flying by?
Do you need extra time in your day to get everything done?
What have you been making?

Terrariums...

A gathering of a few things at home.  Goggle and youtube searches by Miss 7 and a head full of ideas saw us head out collecting.

The rain and wind did not stop us.  With shovel in hand, bucket over arm and raincoats on, we ventured out.  Stopping to investigate and talk about the different moss along the way and searching for the piles that were the perfect green.

Scooping down again to gather rocks and a few succulents.

Home to put it all together. 

What a wonderful activity to end the school holidays.
Have you all had a great time?
I am not looking forward to the routine of getting out the door 5 days a week in the pea soup sky and sleet that greeted us on our walk to school this morning.

52...

 

 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week."

Amelia: We have hit the 8 year old hormone surge.There have been so many tears over the last two weeks.  Quietly I hope that my beautiful little girl is still in there somewhere.  I'm finding this stage of parenting hard.  Any tips?
Baden: A boy of wonder.  planning his next move in this world.


I have lost count of where I should be up to with taking photos of my two.  I really need to remember to pull out the DSLR more often.
Joining in with Che and Fidel

Dinosaur Adventures

The kids and I visited Eastland Shopping Centre yesterday.

Don't be fooled in thinking that it is FREE as advertised.
Yes, the kids got to enjoy dressing up in cute white lab coats complete with a pair of safety glasses. This cost $5 each and they had a great time.  They received a jigsaw puzzle that will be fun to put together next week.  (a photo in an egg will set you back $12)
It was very noisy and we could not hear ourselves think, let alone the many screens set up to teach information about these prehistoric creatures.

The little man was in his element and the smile on his face was well worth it as we walked around and had a look at the Dinosaurs.  Allow at least an hour to do this 'adventure' of which 20-30 minutes will be standing in line waiting to get in.

 

These are Animotronic dinosaurs.  Some make loud noices and are life like. So if you plan on going make sure you have prepared the kids, go to the toilet before standing in line and feed your little dinosaurs before heading towards the line.

Taking the bloglovin jump

Apparently you can find me over here

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I will be back soon with something to show you.

{my creative space} Nati

 

 

This is the one that time forgot.  I knitted it at the very end of winter last year.  Swiftly took a few photos and put it away in the wardrobe for this year.
With the sudden change of weather and winter arriving with frosty mornings I climbed to the top of the wardrobes to see what treasures had been tossed up there. 
This has been on a constant cycle of wear, wash, dry and wear of recent weeks.
I love the pattern and love the cropped look and definitely think that there needs to be another one on the needles for me soon as this one is getting so much wear.  Next time I will knit it a little longer.  I love the cropped look of this one (and Suzanne and Trinity would approve) but it doesn't do much for keeping the lower back and kidneys warm and this yarn (Patons, Wilderness - which I've been told by my local yarn store that they think that it is now discontinued) is too thick to wear with a jacket.

Off to catch up on the crafty happenings via villagevoices/my creative space

22/52

"a portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013"

Amelia ran in the school cross country and came in 4th for her age group.  She was thrilled and really pleased with her efforts.

Baden, with Bethany (the girl who has helped my boy find his voice)

Joining in with Che and Fidel's 52 week project.

May Milo Mania {My Creative Space}

I have been so busy knitting for a showcase that I failed to blog about it. I have taken part in May Milo Mania over at Little Brown Owl's facebook page.

What is May Milo Mania you ask?
Lori came up with the idea to get as many tiKKi Milo License holders together in the month of May and have a show case of Milo's.

 

Why May?
The Milo was released by Georgie in May 2009 with over 6100 projects it is by far tiKKi's most popular pattern.

What is the Milo?
A simple seamless vest knit in the round from the top down.Designed for DK/8 ply weight yarn. in sizes newborn to size 6 it is a great pattern for someone learning to knit.
I have knitted over 20 of them myself and have held the cottage license for years and until now have only ever knitted for gifts.

 The first Milo I knitted back in 2009

If you would like a little of my knitting in your home and have a little girl who loves dressing up Dolls.  This adorable Milo is still available.  It fits Australian/American Dolls, Cabbage Patch and Baby Born, Baby Alive and dolls of similar sizes. 

Keep an eye on my facebook page Mealy and I.  I am planning on offering Custom Knit slots from time to time and knitted items from time to time. 

I'm off to enjoy a cup of Milo and check out what other crafting has been happening over at Village Voices.

That 70's Jumper {My Creative Space}

A knit for the boy.

Baden came home from Kinder a few weeks back and asked for a new woolly jumper, beanie, gloves and a scarf. He chose the colours and I set to work creating him a new jumper for winter.

The colours just scream 70's to me. But I love that this five year old boy will still wear (with pride) something that his Mum has created.

I quess I will have to make a start on a new beanie and a scarf for him next and he has already put in his next jumper order "a blue one with cables"

Pattern details can be found here

Joining in with these crafty bloggers

My Creative Space

I have been knitting here and there this week.  Tim is still recovering from Hip Reconstruction surgery.  At home I am doing all the normal things that I do + putting on some one's socks and shoes.  I think they call it love.
The weather has turned cool and both the kids have grown out of every single knitted item that they own.  Being the only knitter in the family means that I am going to be busy (and I should have started long before this, when will I learn?)

The knitting has been coming everywhere with me. Dancing and Swimming, to waiting in the park soaking up the last sun that Autumn had to offer us last week while I waited for Kinder to conclude.
I can not believe that winter is only two weeks away.  I am no where near prepared. 
Have your hands been busy?

Joining in with these busy, crafty souls