life on a rock

9

2013-08-21T15:17:00.003-05:00

early morning perfection

2013-06-23T20:09:00.000-05:00

There really is magic in that early-morning time.

Usually I just want more sleep.

But this was a get-up-early-and-go kinda morning.

So we did. Straight down to the beach.

With the puppy.

And the stuffed black cat.

Laughing kids splashing each other in the rock pools.

Happy kids playing with the puppy.

Chilled out kids enjoying a calm and easy sunday morning.

Why on earth do we not do exactly this more often?!

a little boy makes a boat

2013-06-03T19:56:00.000-05:00

After lots of paper airplanes he was inspired. And determined. To build a paper boat.
Some paper, some colours, lots of tape & a little help.
The initial pool test wasn't brilliant. The second was better.
Ballast stones this time & no accidental splashing from friends.

and then we were crazy

2013-05-29T18:43:00.000-05:00

In the car waiting for Alek's piano lesson to end.
I had just finished reading a story about a mother of 6 who sadly lost her life in childbirth & how important it is to not always be the one taking pictures of the kids, but to also be in some of the pictures of the kids. This isn't new news, but it never hurts to be reminded of the little but important things.
I am terrible at being in the pictures. My comfort zone is most definitely on the other side of the camera - seeing life through the lens & not being captured by the lens. And the reality for my kids is that there really are very few photos of me in our pictures. And while that may not change drastically, I will try hard to make a far better effort to, at the very least, change that a little bit.
And we got started immediately, clowning around with the iphone.

wet

2013-05-27T10:36:00.000-05:00

It was a lovely, overcast, cool late afternoon so we took Maddy down to the beach for a play. The kids were in the water and Maddy was very curious indeed as the waves washed up. She wasn't quite brave enough to jump in ... but she swam like a pro when an unexpected wave washed her off the sand! We're hoping that we do have a water-loving dog and that there are many more happy beach adventures to be had with our furry little friend.

the doll weekend

2013-05-21T09:15:00.000-05:00

We did it. Girls weekend away to Miami ... specifically, to the American Girl store. Hard to believe a doll warrants a trip to Miami, but there you have it.
Rachel, Livia, Siena & I set off early one Saturday morning for 2 nights of fun in Miami. There was shopping for the big people, delicious food & great company for all ... and a good few hours spent at the American Girl store.
How does one spend a few hours at a toy store? First, choosing a hair style for the doll. With so many hair styles to choose from, this took some time. The doll then gets booked into the salon. We skipped the facial and hand/foot scrub. It's a doll!! A small wait + 15 minutes in the doll-sized salon chair, the new hairstyle was complete. Then there was ooohing and aaahing and shopping to be done. And all that before lunch - with dolls - in the AG cafe. Oh my! It's a crazy world, that American Girl world, but we had 2 very happy little girls. And ultimately, 2 very happy (& exhausted!) mummies.

the puppy

2013-05-15T18:36:00.000-05:00

While the tears were free-flowing at the farewell to Papi, there was already another super-little girl making herself at home in our house.
Madeleine Spots (Maddy) joined our family on Mother's Day weekend. 11 weeks old. Papillon poodle mix. Super, super cute!
Funny how having a puppy isn't so far off having a baby ... what on earth was I thinking! The potty training and the teething-biting look to be fair challenges for us.
She was loved instantly and has definitely found her way into all our hearts.

dog-sitting

2013-05-11T18:29:00.000-05:00

There has been an ongoing discussion about getting a dog.
Or more accurately, ongoing begging from the kids.
Apparently a fish simply isn't cute or cuddly enough to be a good pet. Can't say I really disagree. But I needed some convincing. And somehow, all the stars aligned just as the begging-discussions were heating up and we were asked to dog-sit for a week. Perfect! A trial run for the whole doggie-thing.

This was day one. The kids were so excited and really fell in love with our visitor, Papi. There were schedules drawn up for which kid Papi would sleep with each night and schedules for walking Papi. And they were serious about these schedules ... it was completely unfair (their word, not mine!) if any one of the kids got to walk the dog twice in a row! They took their responsibilities seriously and Papi was one well cared for and very much-loved dog. Tears flowed freely on the farewell night. Not good.

there were bubbles ... lots & lots of bubbles ...

2013-04-19T20:03:00.000-05:00

All dressed in blue and blowing yellow & purple bubbles left by the Easter Bunny a few weeks ago.

A little bit of fun at the end of the afternoon.

Lots of giggles.

kids in blue

2013-04-19T20:00:00.000-05:00

Doing our little bit to support autism awareness.
The blue hair spray is the fantastic icing on the cake!

growing ...

2013-04-16T12:49:00.003-05:00

They say the third time is lucky. Hope so!
We transplanted a few of our veggie sprouts and have all our fingers crossed that they'll take.
We also filled another tray with new seeds. Maybe this time we'll have beets to transplant!
The frangipani tree outside our house is blooming again ... so beautiful.
And we're having a go at growing spring onions and celery from leftover roots. Next on the list ... garlic.

in a cave

2013-04-08T19:52:00.000-05:00

Exploring the south side of the island.
A snorkel that turned up an old rusty anchor & chain.
A visit to a cave.
And a couple of bats.

a garden

2013-04-07T19:05:00.000-05:00

Well, as much as one can manage a garden of edible goodness in pots on a patio.

3 enthusiastic little gardeners.

A little bit of guidance from the big people.

Goodness is growing.

And we are optimistic.

easter

2013-04-01T19:30:00.000-05:00

The Easter Bunny stopped at our house.
3 baskets filled with Easter goodies & too much chocolate!
An easter egg hunt in our garden.
More chocolate!
And a brilliant afternoon out on the water.
A beautiful Easter sunday.

camping

2013-03-30T14:08:00.000-05:00

Well ... we did it.
It was only one night, but it was a great night!
The weather couldn't have been any more beautiful. There was no chance of anyone being too hot and the campfire was completely enjoyable with a cool breeze blowing.
The waves crashed against the shore and it was a beautiful sound to fall asleep to and wake up to. And toss and turn for much of the night to!
There were sausages and a pot of baked beans in the campfire. There were lots of roasted marshmallows and a few smores. There was even some hot chocolate to end the evening with.
The kids were happy, helpful & enthusiastic campers. We're looking forward to a peaceful sleep in our beds tonight, but we loved every moment of our camping on the beach and may just have to do it again one day.

art competition

2013-03-29T13:21:00.000-05:00

Siena was excited by the idea of an art competition. The boys .. not so fussed. Until they saw that first prize is an iPod touch. Then they were very excited! They were all hard at work on their masterpieces from the moment they woke up. Made for a nice, quiet house on a holiday Friday.

eggs

2013-03-27T18:18:00.001-05:00

I cannot boil an egg.
I can cook up a reasonable meal, and the occasional edible baked good from scratch, but ask me to boil an egg and it never fails to present a challenge. In one of my recent Pinterest visits I stumbled upon a 'bake your eggs in the oven' idea and it was brilliant! This morning I popped 24 eggs in muffin tins into the oven and 30 minutes later had hard 'boiled' eggs with no drama. Wonders never cease!
Once they'd cooled, it was time to add the colour. The kids had a great time, though the dyes were somewhat disappointing - just the usual kit from the grocery store. Still, it was fun watching them trying the different colours and testing theories and discussing results amongst themselves. Sharpie markers added additional fun & colour to the eggs ... the kids were happy & the mum cleaned up.

sunday

2013-03-26T13:56:00.000-05:00

It was a busy Sunday morning ... just us at home, with a variety of things to do. Siena has been wanting to use the pottery wheel she got for Christmas. Not sure where the time has gone, but now that the Easter Bunny is about to visit, I figured we really should get it out and going. So we did, and she worked hard on a practice piece. Clay, water, some pottery tools, a spinning wheel and a good, happy mess. Once the piece has dried she is going to paint it. And no doubt it will be good for something. She did a great job and had a lot of fun with it. Wonder what the next creation will be ....

From the pottery wheel, it was on to the solar-powered boat
building with Declan. Yet another kit that has sat collecting dust (not earning mother-of-the-year here!). He got a good way through the instructions by himself, which was great to see. We finished it up together and then sat the boat outside to charge. Hours later, no go. Finally out some batteries in, tweaked the wheels and off it went .. slowly. Still not had luck with the solar panels, but will give it a go again this week. Was fun all the same, and there are many other models to build with this same kit.

Siena wasn't quite finished creating, so she got out her sewing kit and started on the large owl. The owl that will be for her, and not the smaller one for her American Girl Doll. I have zero ability in the sewing department, so the sewing is typically a granddaughter-grandmother activity. But we had to make an exception and we have done okay so far, with the help of the instructions of course! She is just about done and soon enough it will be ready for the stuffing and the final stitching. She is very pleased with herself with the progress so far, as she should be. It is so wonderful to watch her putting the time and effort in and finding the patience to keep plugging away at it.

bracelets

2013-03-21T19:40:00.001-05:00

It started last summer. Though the enthusiasm wasn't enough to make it through a whole bracelet. Or even past the first few knots.
But the bracelet-making gadget {I remember safety pins & any possibly pinning surface from my little-girl days} has been pulled off the shelf in recent days and the enthusiasm is more than enough!
She has powered through a total of 4 bracelets so far, though the 1st was only practice. And the 2nd wasn't long enough. But the 3rd & 4th ... displayed proudly on her wrist.
Her brothers are wanting one, and she's got friends at school wanting one. And I would happily wear one. So she is going to be a busy little girl for a while.

baked donuts

2013-03-21T16:17:00.001-05:00

Yesterday's attempt at baked donuts was an epic failure. Not even the most powdered-sugar loaded strawberry glaze could convince the little ones that the donuts might be worth eating.
They were awful!
So in the bin they went.
After a somewhat frustrating morning, I attempted a second batch. When I pulled them out of the oven and put them on the cooling rack, there was a hint of success. Or at least a hint of slight improvement over yesterday's batch.
It may have had something to do with the butter that did not get left out of today's batch. Hmmmmmm.
The glaze was once again a deliciously {ridiculously} sweet concoction of powdered-sugar & fresh berries.
And the verdict ... some pretty enthusiastic thumbs up from some very happy little people this afternoon.

{original recipe: Whole Grain Strawberry Donuts}

kisses

2012-12-09T18:42:00.000-06:00

Dart Park near sunset.
Waiting for friends.
Hot & humid & sticky & buggy.
The kids were energetic & silly.
And after a bit of singing and dancing on the iron shore, Siena went in for a kiss. Alek ... not so impressed.

Then he got revenge. With a smile.

just around the corner

2012-11-27T15:57:00.000-06:00

An easy weekend.
Beautiful blue sky & sunshine.
Boogie boards, masks & a stroll down the beach.
Playtime & fun ... & a few tears.
We are so incredibly fortunate to have this as our back yard.
Lucky. Amazing. Paradise.

driftwood paint

2012-11-26T14:05:00.000-06:00

What easier way to get good and messy - with minimal clean up for the mum - than plates of paint, cups of water & driftwood collected from the beach? Perfect!
Kids set up outside on the grass on a glorious day and created some wonderful, colourful driftwood for the front and back of the house.
A fun way to add a splash of colour.

early morning

2012-11-25T13:29:00.000-06:00

An early morning visit to the beach in front of our house.
Some early morning sweetness from the little guy.
A full & happy heart all day.

beach bliss

2012-10-29T17:39:00.001-05:00

We've had a few days now of blustery, nor'wester weather and it has been wonderful! The sea has been rough which makes the already-stunning colours even more fantastic. The beach in front of our place and along the coast close to us has taken a bit of a beating & the sand has shifted, creating 'new' beach in some areas and leaving behind sand cliffs in others. We went for a walk to explore and the kids had a brilliant time sliding down the sand cliffs and playing in the waves. We stopped to watch tiny sand sharks washing in with the waves and washing out again. On the way home the kids collected a few bits of bamboo that had washed ashore and then got busy on the beach painting and setting up a store. Talk about a happy and easy and glorious Sunday. Perfect!