The simple pleasure of….

…paint!

….and then she was four!

The Smallest celebrated her fourth birthday yesterday, we had a small party with just a handful of her friends (and their older siblings, to keep The Tallest company). A Simple tea, some crafts a pass the parcel. And music on the record player, ‘Hello Children Everywhere’ if you are interested, fabulous tracks like ‘The Runaway Train’, Burl Ives rendition of ‘There Was An Old Lady’, and ‘Nellie the Elephant’, amongst others.

The painted plant pots and violas were made by each child for them to take home, as were the decorated biscuits, they were popped into a party bag, (made from some old Winnie the pooh curtains -£1.50 off the car boot) along with some small chocolates and a packet of sunflower seeds too.

All in all a successful afternoon (the Smallest’s face when she first sees her cake says it all really), I packed off two very tired girls to school this morning, but whizzing to school on a new birthday scooter did make persuading at least one of them out of the back door a bit easier this morning!

Half term heartaches

The sporadic nature of posts in this place are a fair indication of the kind of weariness that has befallen this household of late.

A weariness rooted in the whole family’s inability to rub along together, we all seem to want wholly different things from each other right now, and the Tallest in particular is really struggling with it. She is controlling, bossy, serious, and endlessly irritated and annoyed by the antics of her much lighter hearted sister, who cries of ” I’m being a good girl aren’t I mummy?” are NOT helping…

They are both finding it hard to “Tow the Line” as it is called in this household. Hubby and I are in constant discussion as to when did a reasonable request, such as “stop hand standing on the back of the sofa” and “please take off the hair band and tutu off the dog” etc. suddenly become an unreasonable one? Evenings that should be spent colouring, stitching and playing games, have been spent with surly looking girls with crossed arms sitting at opposite ends of the room, unable to offer up any answers as to why it is so difficult to actually comply with any of the requests that we ask of them.

A friend of mine once shared that in any given day throughout one hour in the morning it is usual for a parent to demand over 40 things of their child within the preparations for the day ahead. In this household 10 of those would be given over to just putting on our footwear, and with this in mind we have been trying, with the emphasis on trying here, to be less demanding, less urgent in the tasks we ask our children to fulfil, to give ourselves an extra few minutes so it isn’t the end of the world if it takes ten minutes to get one pair of shoes on….but….. it doesn’t always work like that does it?

I am worn down by the constant battling. I am so frustrated, with myself, for not finding a way to communicate with them that doesn’t sound like I am just telling them what to do all the time, and for them for just, well, ignoring me. A classic example happened to Hubby when he came home from work today.
Hubby: “Smallest, go and sit back down on the seatee like you were told please” (said in a pretty stern tone of voice in lieu of earlier hair pulling)
Smallest: nothing
Hubby: “Go and sit down or I will take away *insert current favourite toy here*”
Smallest: immediately sits down without hesitation

So my dilemma is, how do you help your children to get along without resorting to threats?

Help!

Sewing up a storm

Here is the beautiful red felt appliqué dress that I mentioned a couple of posts ago. I helped only with the cutting out of the dress shape, all the rest was left up to the Tallest.

She still hasn’t perfected her knot tying technique, but that was perhaps all that I was required for. Whilst the seamstress was busy with her creations, and talking me through all the other designs that she wants to make – a matching cape and shoes don’t you know – I have been continuing with knitting up her school cardigan. It’s been slow going ever since and writing that here makes me realise that I need to keep picking it up more when the opportunity arises, there will have to be a lot of adjusting to fit for the Tallest, as although I am following the second set of parentheses for her correct chest / body size, if I were to gauge from arm length I would be following the seventh set! Some careful adjustments are being made, fingers crossed that it fits!

Monotype Screenprinting

Whoops!

Well yesterday didn’t happen did it. The Girls and I got busy with an Autumn based craft session after school yesterday, so time on the computer was pushed to one side, but I’m sure that you wouldn’t hold that against me.

Recently at work we stumbled upon a simple and extremely interesting method of printmaking, the results were so immediate and effective that I really couldn’t wait to try it out at home.

I appreciate that not everyone has a silk screen sitting around in their home – but I would suggest that if you get the chance to purchase one at a good price, or even borrow one – and a squeegee, go for it! There are so many simple methods that can be used with basic materials. This being just one of them.

The images are drawn directly onto the screen, so you only get two, maybe three prints, but the quality of the drawing is just fantastic. It takes the whole ‘felt-tipness’ away if that makes sense. (And it’s extremely useful for birthday cards!)

I love the clarity of the colours and the slightly more painterly quality that the drawing takes on once it has been printed. Who knew felt tips could be so versatile?

I’ll be sharing our Autumn based craft with you as soon as I can get a good daylight photo of it – which certainly wasn’t going to happen during all of todays daylight hours!

Weekendiness

To see our children taking so much pleasure from the simple things in life, makes me realise, that despite my many mistakes, the fact that I can (sometimes) shrug off that thought that spending time playing with my children is unproductive (for me, NOT them) means that moments like these will not be lost. Perhaps one day remembered and given thanks for…jobs can wait. Growing up cannot.

 

 

6 today

6 years old today, this forthright and headstrong wee girl who made her way into the world and by doing so made us parents…

She’s trouble! She’s hotheaded, opinionated, and doesn’t like to be wrong! (wherever does she get it from?!)

She’s imaginative, caring and capable – about as independent as they come, and more so if she got the chance.

It’s a finely struck balance at the moment as she settles herself into her role as big sister and full time school goer, but she’s getting there and with a bit of nurturing on all sides when this girl has grown it’ll be a mix which takes her far.

Happy Birthday Big Girl!

Doing it behind my back

Look what happened to our big girl whilst we were away camping. I’m not sure why, but it’s a real seminal moment for me, perhaps because losing a tooth is a strong memory from my childhood – that and the horror of being presented with the entire collection of milk teeth by my Mother once I was sufficiently grown up enough to be trusted to look after them! – Thanks for that – I think!?

Losing a tooth coincided with the beginning of school, and this morning marks the first morning that both my girls will be in class, the Tallest is now in Year 1 and the Smallest officially begins her Nursery class, I won’t bore you with pictures of them together in their uniform (I’ll be subjecting that to Friends and Family via Facebook!), but it also marks a significant moment for me. Today I’ll be heading off to work after dropping them off, but next week I’ll have one day each week when I can return home, and quite simply please myself for a total of 6 1/2 hours. (By pleasing myself, please read Cleaning, Washing, Tidying and Baking hopefully then followed by Sorting out my Studio, Painting, Sewing and Drawing. Not all in one day of course!)

I’m not afraid to admit that whilst a little rueful about the fact that my cherubs are well and truly immersed in the Education System, one that I have to say despite all the Health issues that the Tallest has to deal with, is a system that has treated her with a great deal of support and care, I am looking forward to having some uninterrupted head space to start moving forward with so many projects that have been left unfinished / or even not started since, and let’s be honest here, the birth of my first child.

So here’s to the potential opportunities! (But not before I finish my 3 day week at work!)

 

Mmmm Buns!

Oh the sweet joys of a Butterfly Bun…I’m glad The Girls are enjoying them as somehow I’ve managed to make the icing so sweet that it makes my fillings ache just to eat one…maybe a sign that I should be eating less sweet stuff anyway don’t you think?

Inbetween times

I seem to be full of those inbetween times just lately. Like just now when I had had to interrupt that first sentence five words in to deal with the Smallest – who is going through an incredibly difficult faze especially in regards to settling down to bed. It would be fine if she had her own room, or still shared with us, as, no matter how exasperating the situation becomes at least, as grown ups we (hope we) can deal with the situation. When you are 5? Well that’s a whole other kettle of fish.

Especially when your younger sister climbs up to your bunk to hit you awake, or lays there, unknowingly watched by Mama, whilst her little sister cries out “You’re keeping me awake!” at the top of her voice. As cherubic as the Smallest is, she has a truly mischievous side, which is showing itself fully of late.

So strained bed times, mean strained everything else.

I have important Birthday gifts that need to be made and sent off, and ever increasing list of things that need doing, today we’ve added ‘renew insurance’, and ‘MOT camper van’ to the bottom of it! Which means a bare minimum of a day for Himself to be crawling about around the van getting it ready. All those usual things that have to be achieved are achieved ‘inbetween’. Inbetween the tantrums, inbetween the screeching and smacking, (we’ve even just discovered shin licking, such a pleasure!) Inbetween the sobs and wails because she’s not getting her own way. Inbetween the cutlery throwing and spitting (!).Who said the Two’s were terrible, it’s the Threes that are causing our sleepless nights?…and miserable days. Of course inbetween all that is the cheerful, funny, sweet little thing of a year ago, she just doesn’t seem to stick around all that long.

Sleep has had to take priority over everything, it amazes me that, despite being the youngest member of the family, her lack of interest in sleep is turning the rest of her family into Zombies.

The Tallest actually burst into tears the other day because she was just so tired. The Tallest is short tempered and rude for a fair chunk of the time because she is tired. The Tallest is tired ergo Mama and Papa are tired. Papa, with his 5am starts is asleep before the children e v e r y night. Which means Mama has to sit the long night out until all goes quiet, creativity does not come easy when you are sleep deprived…and I don’t even have the Newborn to explain why I am feeling like this.

But the Smallest?

The Smallest, despite having kept her entire family awake until 10.45pm, and being roused for nursery the next day at 7am…

The Smallest looks like this….

(Sleeping attire fashioned on the flower fairy look, an essential requirement for a refreshing and rejuvenating nights rest)

Ugh!