links, links and more links

Appalling.  Two posts in two weeks.  I've got nothing to say about it, no excuses.  Just. Well.  We have a life you know.  And sometimes life just happens without a whole lot of blogging.  So there.

Anyway.  I'll get back in the swing of things soon enough.  In the meantime, I present to you a list of links.  Just because.

Here's a fantastic website that the kids and I have been pouring over.  Really cool.  Take a look even if don't follow another link today, make it this one.  The kids should see this.

Attention coffee nerds.  This one is for you.  It's our latest video we made for Campos about our Cupping Rooms.  

My darling sister has entered the world of blogging.  She lives in a most beautiful place and we'll be visiting for Christmas!  Whoo!  Check it out.  

Some heavier reading for the home educators, or not, out there.  The National Home Education Research Institute.  Unfortunately it's not Australian, but much is relevant anyway.  

Some fun ideas here for what to do with pre-school age children from an out of the box pre-school teacher.

A new sewing book I wouldn't mind adding to my stash.  (It's my birthday soon.  Hint hint Will!)

And here's a blog I discovered recently that made me spit my tea with laughter - all over the keyboard, nice - and every single time I go for a look-see I end up with laughter tears running down my face.

Ch ch ch changes

The treble bunk has arrived!  Single up top and double down bottom.  There's 3 huge under bed drawers and though I was worried about it taking up the whole room, it actually works.  Phew!  

For months (a year?) the boys have shared their sleeping space.  Their single bed and converted cot pushed together to make an odd-shaped double.  

Dexter finds falling asleep tricky.  After bedtime stories and cuddles he listens to guided meditations to help him still his mind.  We sometimes do a progressive muscle relaxation with him, or when Hugo falls asleep (like his father, Hugo is usually asleep within moments of his head hitting the pillow) Dexter will hold his brothers hand to tap into those sleepy vibes!  Some evenings he draws his worries, and scrunches them up and puts them into his worry box where they are safe and out of his head so that sleep can come more easily.   He keeps a dozen or more very precious 'things to give me good dreams' under his pillow.  

This is his old bed head and pillows including a little Dexter-made alien softie (bottom left, next to the red teddy whose name is Red Guy) and though you can't see it in this picture, an embroidered picture on the little blue cushion that he made also.


And here is some of the stuff that lives under his pillow -


Various pictures of things he'd like to dream about.  His bike lock and keyring, magic rocks, a little round box containing tiny origami boxes with Red Guys' name on them in 5 yr old handwriting, a folded up poster of the solar system...

All of this stuff has of course moved to the new top bunk.   Because that's where he sleeps now.  Apparently.  Though  a certain mummy and daddy who poked their heads into their room before going to bed the past 3 nights have seen 2 small boys sound asleep on the bottom bunk together...which we completely expected!  How lovely these two have each other.

Right Now...

Over a week slips by without any action here, how does that happen hmm?  Plenty going on, little time to blog about it.  Today, a snapshot of sorts...

Right now:

We are loving having Will home after his two week absence.  (This snap taken after our late trip to the airport arrivals terminal in pj's and slippers (too exciting!), looking at daddy's photos)...

We are watching Magic Trees grow crystals...

Being reminded of Will's latest trip each time we pass this beautiful wooden mask and carved Impala he brought home with him from Rwanda...

 Enjoying having a decent cook back in the house!  (Father's day breakfast by the way, made by, ummm, the resident father.  The kids and I did the dishes, o.k)

Being heart warmed by the joy and fun my children have with their friends...

New bunk beds  - turned into a cubby house on DAY ONE!

Dexter recognising this continent painted on a wall, after we studied a globe* to discuss where daddy was last week...

*Actually an inflated beach ball 'globe' and nothing so cool as the real deal.  Though it's been added to my wish list now that geography seems to be taking centre stage for Dexter lately.  Love this natural learning journey.  

Having my camera at the ready to capture this moment of total triumph for the boys as their fingers met inside the laboured over tunnel that they built!

s l o w day

Our grand plans to participate in the Greenway Day of Action dissipated this morning. After several hours of half heartedly attempting to leave the house, it was decided that a slow day was the order of the day. I've been solo-parenting for over a week and with the end in sight, a case of the wearies finally hit me. It hasn't helped that I have been reading until the wee hours every. single. night. A 993 page fantasy novel (I know! I'm blushing!) the size of a brick, that I simply can't put down. We haven't spent the whole day at home for days and days anyway. It was lovely. Slow, relaxing, full of very little.

Bubbles and Lego...

Some sun soaking for the canine among us....

And long moments lost in thought...

More Spring, oh yeah!

Today we went to one of my favourite places in all of Sydney. I chanced across it many years ago on a leisurely bike ride and have returned many times since. It's Wendy Whiteley's secret garden* in Lavender Bay. My photos do not do this place any justice. It is divine. And hardly anyone realises it's there. I have been raving about this place to many friends of late - something about this very spring weather we've enjoyed this week has me all itching to be outside in beautiful surroundings.

Today we met some friends there, who'd never been before. I'm so pleased they found it worth the difficult parking and trickiness in locating the park (it's not sign posted or marked on any maps and it's rather difficult to find it when you've never been before).

Four boys in one little tree. The poor tree.

Staircases like this wind all over the garden, little paths criss-crossing back and forth, shady secret corners, vines, gigantic fig trees...too gorgeous!

Walking back to the train station, Dexter gave me a short rest from pushing the stroller.

Look, Hugo's mate Max just happened to be wearing his Campos shirt today too. Hugo thought that was pretty cool.

Ahhh, spring! We hope to brave the dreaded cycle 'ramp' at the northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge next time and ride to Lavender Bay. I've done it before on the Xtracycle - but being extra long/heavy and requiring us to unload and send the kids down the stairs without me being able to hold little hands, well it's not easy. I wasn't feeling up to the challenge today so we took the train. But I regretted it all day - this weather is FAR too perfect for riding to leave the bike at home and sit inside a stinky train carriage!

*go on, click and have a read. She really is an amazing women. It'll make you appreciate it even more when you visit.

Bike wanderings - today our wheels took us to SPRING!

I know it doesn't technically begin for another week or so but it sure felt like Spring today. I wore my birkinstock's for the first time in months and, wait for it, bare legs. No stockings, no long pants. Just sandals on my feet and a dress. Ok, and a cardy...it wasn't that balmy.

We cycled to a new-to-my-boys playground where we met friends and the boys played hard for a few hours. Then on the way home the kids were excited by the sight of these flowers. We stopped and rolled around in them for a while. The afternoon traffic was thickening on the roads around us but of course that didn't bother us. The pedestrian/cycle bridge over South Dowling gave us a wonderful view of the gridlock we weren't stuck in.

Today's route was almost exclusively cycle paths. Gorgeous, park-side, open space cycling on a marvellous mild day with the sun on my toes for the first time in months. Oh, how I love cycling. Have I mentioned that before?!

His own style!

(photo by Cass)

My talented friend snapped this photo of Hugo rocking out in her backyard the other day. Don't you love his outfit? Self-dressed for gymnastics class (and no rain nor a puddle in sight by the way). He asks each week - are these good nastics clothes mum?

I've been enjoying seeing how this little one chooses to dress himself lately. He's in the thick of a dressing up stage. The dress ups are pulled out every single day. Though sometimes all he wants are a few accessories as you can see below. He ran around with that beanie pulled right down over his face for hours!

This get-up was necessary for a walk to the shops. I asked what/who he was dressing up as and he said - I'm a Struction [construction] Super Hero!

We attended a friends birthday party on the weekend and both kids were keen to get in the spirit of the fairy theme. Hugo insisted on wearing my shirt as a dress with some glittery fabric from his dress up box for wings pinned to his back.

And then at the party he donned these necklaces which were very cleverly tied to all the helium balloons to stop them flying away outside.

Sometimes, without going near the dress ups, he'll put together an ensemble which I reckon is too cool for school! And yes, he is still wearing and loving his waistcoats.

I know, I'm his mother, I supposed to gush over my children. Even the everyday stuff like what clothes they pick out of their drawers. Even when those drawers are filled by me so there's nothing inside which offends my tastes. But come on - the kid does have a certain style! I love it.