Winter fun....

After a LOT of rain recently the sun finally decided to come out, so we got to venture outside a few days last week.

We wrapped up warm and went for a lovely winter picnic.....

We spent a lovely afternoon at the Christchurch Botanical gardens. The kids had a great time in the play area. Kalem and Talia spent most of their time running around after Lola, who was loving all the attention from her big brother and sister.

Here is Lola about to be shoved head first down a slide!!! Talia was waiting (along with myself) at the bottom to catch her, she thought it was great fun.....

While we were at the gardens we were told that there was a very cool flower exhibition on. We followed some balloon flowers and some grass arrows to the hothouse were there was a display for the kids. It was brilliant, there were lot's of different types of plants made out of various items and the kids had to guess, with the help of some clues, what the real plant name was. Here are a few of our favourites......

I think that this one is called mother-in-laws tongue.

My favourite, the button plant, look at all those lovely GREEN buttons, how I stopped myself from leaning over and nabbing a few I don't know!!!!

I can't remember the exact name of this plant, but I am guessing butterfly tree..... So pretty!!!

Talia was completely mesmerised by this plant (errrr dancing ladies????), the barbie dolls danced around in their flower pots, a definite favourite for the girls....

We are having a fairly quiet weekend, resting up for lot's of fun activities next week. We went to the farmers market yesterday morning and I managed to score some gorgeous vintage fabric that is just asking to be made into a bag. Maybe a project for next week, if the kids give me any free time that is, little slave drivers for fun that they are!!!!

Happy weekend to ya all..... X

Schools holidays and stuff.....

Wow this week is going so quickly and considering that I wasn't really looking forward to these holidays due to an all time high of fighting between siblings, I am really having fun!! Kalem has been out and about busy with his friends, climbing hills, going to the movies, having sleep overs and other boy like stuff.

Talia and I have been getting crafty , we made these sleepy princess pictures from the Usborne Activities book 'Princess things to make and do'. The basic idea is really cool and we spent hours cutting bits out of magazines and sticking them in place. I also realised something while doing this activity......... I realised if I do my own picture (or whatever) as well as Talia, it stops me interfering with her creativity. We just both got on with our own 'works of art' and I only helped her if she asked, her picture is the one with the butterfly duvet,check out the little dog sitting on the bed!!! She did so well and was really proud of the fact that she did it (almost) all herself.

Talia also received her very first letter from her new pen pal Maia yesterday.The look on her face when she saw the beautifully decorated envelope and realised it was for her was a picture!! Abi (Maia's mum) and I both agree that this pen pal thing is brilliant as both girls spent ages drawing pictures, writing letters and cutting things out to send to their new friend. Such a FAB idea thanks Abi...... Talia seemed to think it was a good idea to put some of the stickers sent by Maia on her face and wanted me to take a photo!

In other news my Featherweight Cardigan is FINALLY finished. I didn't quite get it done in time for Gabes June is for finishing, but I am still pleased with myself for actually finishing it all... Here it is blocking, a bit new to blocking so no idea if I am doing it right, I am trying to stop it from rolling by holding it together with pegs and there are a few crystals on there too. I guess we will find out if I have done the right thing when it has finished drying.

Finally...for (very much missed) Nanny and Grandad, your 3 little monkeys just before bed!

Hope all you Kiwi mama's are enjoying the school hols too.... X

My Creative Space

Thought that I would join in the fun after spotting this on the lovely Abi's blog Little Grubs. This was my workspace over the weekend, otherwise known as the coffee table...... I spent a couple of hours while Lola slept and the kids were at the museum with Julian, making felt brooches. I then gave them away without taking a photo, but I quite liked the design so I will probably be making a few more. You can also see the bottom half of a new felt sculpture that I have been working on, not quite finished yet though.

If you want to check out more creative spaces check out this link....

Pretty Pink Top...

Well it's all about Lola this week....... Thought I would post some pictures of this GORGEOUS cardy knitted for Lola by her talented Nana. It is so thick and soft and warm. She knitted the size 2, so it will probably fit her for a while. Here is the little model not long awake as you can probably tell from the scary bed head!!! Hey Gabes recognise the Pyjama's.......

Not sure of the exact pattern, but it is definitely Debbie Bliss.

I am still working away on my Featherweight cardigan, on the second arm now, so not long to go. Think that I may run out of yarn though which will be VERY annoying...... X

Sigh of relief.....

First of all a great big thank you to all of you wonderful ladies who left me such lovely comments after my last post. Reading them really did make me feel a whole lot better about things. Well, the good news is that Lola seemed to love pre-school. There were no tears at all and I phoned half way through the session and was told that she was having a great old time. They did warn me that the first day is always a bit of a novelty and it is the second day that usually brings the tears. She is going for another couple of hours on Fri so I guess we will see. I am quite confident though, as she seemed right at home when Kalem, Talia and I went to pick her up. Apparently she did not ask for me once while she was there, now of course I am beyond happy that she seems to love it so much, but couldn't she just have missed me a little????? Aw bless her little cotton socks, she looked such a picture all dressed up and ready for 'school', her new backpack was almost as big as her........

While she was there I went to the Poly tech bookstore to pick up one of my books needed for the Anatomy and Physiology part of my course. I nearly had a heart attack when they handed it to me, just looking at it made my brain hurt. It is very daunting knowing that I will need to learn most of what is contained within this HUGE book that really weighs a ton!!!! Er and we won't even mention the cost...This book is also required for the Midwifery degree, so hopefully I won't have to know it all in the next 5 months.......

I walked around the Poly tech for a while (mobile in hand in-case pre-school called) trying to look like a cool student instead of an exhausted mother of 3!! I think it is fair to say that I did NOT fool anybody!!!!!

I think that I need to stop stressing so much and start enjoying the fact that I am about to embark on a new adventure. In a few weeks time I will be taking the very first step on my journey to becoming a midwife and it's really quite exciting!

Last night I attended an open evening for the Midwifery degree which was excellent and really informative. It is a difficult course to get on and is even more popular this year as a lot of people see it as a recession proof job. I found out last night that they do not give interviews anymore, but choose solely from the application essay....YIKES!!!! I was pretty sure that I could verbally portray my passion for midwifery, but I am concerned that I will not be able to do this as well in an essay. Blimey I can't even remember the last time I wrote an essay.

Am not stressing though, NOT, NOT, NOT!!! Well maybe just a little bit.

Lola

Well as I predicted I did catch the kids cold, but am feeling much better now and hopefully that the end of illness here for a while, fingers crossed!!!

Had a lovely weekend, Julian and I went to our very first mid-winter Christmas, complete with turkey (lentil loaf for me), Christmas decorations, lights, mulled wine and even pressies. It was great fun and I can't believe we haven't done it before especially being from the other side of the world and all. Christmas twice in one year, how brilliant!!

3 weeks today I am starting college, eeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkkkkk.... Yes I am getting a little bit nervous and am feeling stressed for the first time in ages. Tomorrow my BABY is starting pre-school and I am feeling some serious parental guilt. Lola is going to do a few hours a week for the next few weeks to get her used to the place before I start college. I am totally dreading it, I have been a stay at home mum for over 9 years now and it seems weird thinking that I won't be there all the time for my kids. The course is only part time, so I won't be gone that long and apart from being picked up from school by Dad or Grandad twice a week Kalem and Talia won't really notice a change. But Lola will, she is always with me! Oh well it is only a few hours a day and her much loved Nana is looking after her for one day. It will be fine, but it seems like so much is changing and if I think about it too much I can't breath......

Lola this morning posing for photo's wearing her Rainbow dress that I knitted a while back. She didn't get to wear it much when I made it as it was summer and she was crawling, not good in a dress. Now she wears it over pants like a tunic and it looks so cute on her, not to mention it's a great extra layer of woolly warmth.

Wish us luck for tomorrow............. X

Illnes and my Featherweigh Cardy...

I have nearly completed the body of my Featherweight Cardigan and am really pleased with it so far. I love the fact that knitting it on a circular allows you to try it on as you go. Just a couple of inches to go then it's onto the sleeves. I am going to knit the sleeves using 2 circulars which I have never done before,GULP!!! I don't really like knitting with DPN's so am hoping that this method will be easier, I guess that time will tell.

My household are still all full of coughs and colds at the moment, this morning it was like listening to an orchestra of coughs coming from each room, just lovely at 6am!! I am still managing to avoid the dreaded bug, but with the amount of direct hits to the face of coughs and sneezes I took over the weekend, it is only a matter of time......

I thought that I would share this vitamin C packed recipe for a blackcurrant drink. I made this warm and squished all the fruit making it thick and broth like which the kids hated. I then just drained the liquid without smashing up the fruit and chilled it in the fridge, this went down much better......

50gm blackcurrants (we have them in the freezer for times like this....)

2 apples chopped and cored

450ml water

2 teaspoons of lemon juice

honey to taste

Basically place apple and blackcurrants in a pan with water and bring to the boil, simmer for 10 mins then strain. Stir in lemon juice and add honey to taste. Perfect for sick feverish kiddo's and adults too of course!