a morning at the beach down the road...

My 4 babies

We decided a couple of sundays ago to make the most of our beautiful Autumn weather and pop down to the beach after church....we went prepared! Hot thermos, coffee, milo and bickies....and it was fabulous...the kids had a wonderful time...I collected about a million shells as they were far to perfect to leave, and the man found the most teeny, perfectly formed one of all - clever him, and it know resides on my kitchen windowsill to remind me to find perfection in teeny moments and things....like the harmony of all my kids been totally goregeous at once, rain setting in AFTER the washing is in....ya know that kinda thing...happy weekend to all

x

Another Apron....

another apron...this time for my lovely Larna, as a present for her happy 28th birthday!....I'm such a nutter and didn't even get a pic of it finished...but to remember it by I did take one whilst sewing it...hmmmm clever!

Anyho belated but beautiful happy wishes to my very sweet, special, wonderful, creative and down right yummy mummy, sister....love you to the stars and back

Bx

kindy boy

My 3rd bubby started kindy 3 weeks ago....for a whole 2-4 hours a week! Let me tell you this sent me into a spin! But I sucked it up and dutifully crammed his lunch bag full of goodies, and walked him up the hill for his very first day. I was amazed by him....not once did doubt flicker across his face, not once did he look worried or concerned, not once did he cling (and I'm ashamed to say I kinda woulda liked that!)....instead this brave lion-hearted boy of mine, strode in the gates, popped his bag on the hook, went and said 'hi I'm Jose' to the teacher and prompty jumped on the nearest scooter to do 'tricks'. His confidence in his accpetance of others, and them of him, his charm and his flirty wee grin, was for this Mama, amazing to see.

You know what, I felt like my heart would practically burst, with pride, a bit of sad, a sense of joy at watching this wee chick starting to change some of his fluff for feathers. He has now been the grand total of 4 times (in 3 weeks)...he is so exicted about his 'kindys!' ....today when we arrived to pick him up, he patted the kindy play van seat beside him and when I sat down he threw his arms around my neck and said "Mum I missed you- now I'm gonna drive you to the zoo"...and he did; me and his new friend that he can't remember her name. Sweet golden boy, I'm hugely proud of you, and I pray you'll always want to take me to the zoo with you.

Fejoia Cake

I'm trying to use fejoias in as many ways I can think of....a house down from us there is an entire hedge of them....they live overseas most of the thime....man I hate seeing good food on the ground rotting....so cake it is......this is just an apple crumble cake with fejoias substititued. Oh did I mention I really don't like fejoias! But cooked they're edible!!

125g butter

1c sugar

2 eggs

3/4c milk

2 c flour

4 tsp baking powder

TOPPING:

fejoias to cover the top of cake, skins off and chopped in half

1/2c flour

2 tblsp brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

50g butter

cake is made in a saucepan (so love this)...pop sugar and butter in till melts. Beat eggs and milk together and add alternately with sifted flour and baking powder. Mix it all up and pour into a 20cm cake tin.

Arrange fejoias over the cake. and sprinkle over the mixed together topping (rub the butter thru the other ingredients).

Pop into the oven for about an hour at 180c, and serve warm with tonnes of whipped cream!

This stayed moist for 2 days-might last longer but around here its inhaled!

Happy baking.

mosaic doves

the man, for my happy birthday last year, very cleverly (not at all due to the LARGE, UNSUBTLE hints), got for me, a day with a local artist who has created the most amazing of gardens, all in mosaics....truly I can't tell you how cool it is, there are mosaic walls, doors, floors, tables, bird houses, garden oranments, bathrooms sets, gumboots, a 15 foot croc with huge jaws for kids to hop in, snails, ladybugs and sooooooo much more.....its an awesome place to take your kids for half a day....anyho getting to the point! She also holds 'A day with Jude' classes, and you guessed it - thats what the clever man got for me....I have only had the chance recently to go and spend time with her, learning about the way she creates her amazing artworks....and this is the one she kindly walked me through.......it hugely heavy (due to the tile and grout) and I don't know where we will put it, but its not a bad effort ( and mirror always makes things look flasher than they are!).........so now I;m on a mission; watch out all you rocks in the garden and anything standing still...you will be mosaic'ed on!!!

Nature Spot

we are doing a little nature tray for our windowsill....whenever the boys and I go out to the beach or for a walk, we find something special to pop in it; to remind us where we have been. Last week we went for a wee jaunt up to Whanga, and with 3 small boys in tow, we did some beach-combing (and catching of small boys as they tried to hurtle themsleves into the frigid water-ekk!).....heres what we found (and it sooo doesn't look like that now, Micah Jack has loved and re-loved the bits several times over and they are rather sad looking now!)

Wedding cake

I was lucky enough to create Frithy's wedding cake....she designed it and I did my bestest to make it happen....pretty pruuutyy huh!

Wee vintage bambis on the top- a find Frith was very excited about! Vintage lace around the bottom layer hiding the wee dents that came thru...and crokia branches, twisted with florist wire to make the first layer....lovin it despite its obvious flaws!

Echos of the past....

This weekend we got to be part of a dear friends wedding.....from listening to details, planning things, re-planning things, looking at fabrics, ironing tableclothes, making the cake and helping to decorate, all leading up to Frithy's big day....(so much more to come on this!), it was wonderful....it also was 'dimensional'....in that I heard and saw things that I remember hearing a seeing as a little girl...watching my Mama getting pretty and dolled up, sniffing with wonder and pride her floaty perfume and admiring the clicking of her heels. To me no one was/is more beautiful than my Ma.

I was heartfelt touched when I saw some of these feelings on my girls faces when we got ready for the wedding.....Nyah always stays close when the face paint comes out, she always fingers my jewelry that I'll be wearing, she ALWAYS sniffs the air when perfume is floating, scenting us all. Even Josaye (who would like us to think she'd rather play ball- but secretly delights in the fuss and ceremnony of being girly), leaned against the doorframe and watched the face paint go on (don't get me wrong I'm no Elle Mcpherson! not even a scarip close!, red lippy and a wrap hide a multitude of ew! but a girls Mama is always a girls Mama huh!)....the girls listened for the clicking heels, they admired the red lippy, and we formed a link in the world of generations in our family, of lovely young ladies watching their Mamas get dressed up (for the first time in FOREVER!)....for me, and being rather fanciful I know; I felt I could almost reach our through time, and touch the fingertips of being little girl watching, and of now having a turn at being the Mama.....perhaps to have the precious privieldge of watching my grandbaby one day watching her Mama - a thought and hope to treasure.