Present for Grandma

Today Hugo made a present for Grandma. it is her birthday tomorrow. we got some beads and these great decorative safety pins. you thread the beads onto the wire strings and then thread them onto the safety pin and it is a brooch.
we hope she likes it.

ducks

as i was driving to pick hugo up from kinder this afternoon, mother and father duck and their ducklings were crossing the road in front of me.
it was nice to stop and watch. it made me sieze them moment and look around. something that i haven't been doing much of lately.

The Elms

Today i went to an open garden near home with my neighbour. It was called 'The Elms'. it was one of the most beautiful, breathtaking gardens i have ever seen. every corner you turned there was something amazing to look at.
the property is set on 10 acres.the garden is filled with many different areas including an aromatherapy garden, rose garden :: which was beautiful :: roses interspersed with iris' of all differing colours, truly beautiful. there is a creek with a rain forest area. the main driveway is lined with beautiful elms.
we spent a long time wandering and sitting and observing and soaking up the gardens. it was beautiful and the photos don't do it justice.
i arrived home and felt very disillusioned with my garden.

beads

Hugo loves threading beads and Archie is busy sorting them into different containers.

time with Dad

John is rarely home before the boys are in bed. it was so nice to walk into the kitchen and see the three of them playing before dinner

Puffing Billy

Today we went to Puffing Billy with some great friends of ours. i don't think i have been on Puffing Billy since i was at kinder ( a long time ago) and it was great. it was such a fun day for all of us. we caught the train at Belgrave and got off at Lakeside and had a picnic lunch. the train ride took about an hour.
i was sure with the way the world is now and with public liability you wouldn't be able to hang out the windows, but to my amazement and joy you could, and it was the best bit :: even John had a go at one stage.
it was a great day :: one where memories are made :: fun had :: lots of laughs :: a great family Sunday.

thank you

back in August i was lucky enough to be selected and received a gift from Leslie after reading the japan craft journal blog.
well when i went to my letter box today i opened it up and my parcel was there.
some material all the way from japan
its funny when you become readers of blogs you feel like you start to know people butt when i received a parcel it was very exciting and made this whole experience all the more real.
thank you very much
and i am looking forward to doing something exciting with the fabric. and when i do I'll let you know.

snails

" Mummy my teacher stopped her car got out and rescued a snail. she bought it to kinder. its name is Sammy. I have to find Sammy some friends "
that would have been OK to here that but not 5 minutes before we were due to leave. but as it happened i managed to find two friends for Sammy and we were on our way with big smiles.
He also mentioned at kinder that he had eaten snails in france " but not these ones. they are special eating ones " !!!

days at home

we just hung at home today. nothing to do, no where to go.
we just hung out
we had fun

breakfast

it was a lazy Sunday morning
the sun was shinning
we went and had breakfast at our local nursery. the boys got duck food with their breakfast and after a relaxing brekky we went and fed the ducks.
i then spent a happy hour wondering around the nursery. Hugo wanted to buy an apple tree but we couldn't fit it in johns car so we will go back during the week and purchase it.
i was all inspired when i got home to overhaul the back yard - pity my trusty side kick went and had a sleep. so i gave up ad read my book in the sun while the boys played around me.

friends

This morning i went to the hairdressers and when i came home i found nic and her boys at home happily playing. john had been to the local market and seen nic and invited her home.
it was a great surprise and i love incidental outings or drop ins. we all had lunch, shared a bottle of wine and the boys were happily engrossed in each others company.a perfect Saturday.

shorts

well my heart was in the right place. i spent all afternoon laying out the pattern, reading the instructions , transferring all the markings and then the bit that i dread when you make the first cut. i was confident in what i had done so i cut. Archie then woke up so a couple of hours later i went back and revisited imy material and all the pieces. i was ready to join the pieces together to start sewing and here lies the problem it didn't fit together. i have NO IDEA what went wrong but i was upset and poor little Hugo's face was so sad. but i promised him that i would try again.... ( i didn't think i was that bad a sewer, i have no idea what went wrong!)

i'm an artist mummy

this morning the boys started creating before breakfast. Hugo said" look mummy i am an artist "!!

Giraffe Poles

Everytime we drive past this park near Mum and Dads, Hugo always comments on the "giraffe Poles"

birthday card

tonight i am going out to dinner with a good friend of mine for her birthday. a night out YAY
instead of buying a card Hugo offered to make it.
i think he did a great job.