Ick and Oooo

I did make it

2009-07-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

I did make it to Magnolia Square and to meet the lovely pair behind We heart books (Of course I came home with a new book). There were so many lovely books it was hard to choose one but I spied a book I knew was going to be special.

I was attracted by the illustrations of The Enemy - but upon the reading the story to myself at home I was struck by the power and the poetry of the words: two lonely soliders facing each other across a batterfield. Who is really the enemy?

My eldest is probably not quite ready for such a topic but I have other books (Duck, death and the tulip) that are waiting for those moments and those questions.

Three things

2009-07-02T04:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week....hopefully I'll get to the magnolila square market on the weekend. And with all this work I've not had much sleep - and possibly been a little cranky - but despite yawning most of the day I managed to find a few things to pick up my mood

Stacked gum boots - cute.

Chalkboard art: Melvin the runaway sausage

Poppies on the way home (don't you just love the colour of poppies).

Bedtime reading

2009-06-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of nights the two year old has picked this wonderful book to 'read' at bedtime. I am quite happy to induldge as I love this book. Told entirely through the illustrations this is really a look and find book. There are so many characters to follow and quite a few dramas apart from the missing cake. Tonight I finally realised one of the characters had a red spot on his bot!

Similarily I love this series by Rotraut Susanne Berner. Again the stories are told entirely in pictures. A friend purchased a copy of 'Summer' when my second son was born and of course I collected all three (Spring, Winter, Autumn). We are currently reading Winter and rembering the times where we too had Christmas in winter.

Guess where we went today?

2009-06-23T04:34:00.001-07:00

That's right the beach. Wasn't it the winter solstice on Sunday? (I know!)
We have had so much rain during the last month that the sight of sun was almost dizzying. I decided to take the lead from Amanda and pack up the children and head to the beach. It is the first time that I have taken the two on a bus to the beach but it couldn't be harder than some of the other journeys we have made -and it wasn't. Perhaps I could have taken more sunscreen and snacks but I can see us doing it again. It was a glorious day - one of those days that fills you with energy for the rest of the week.

I love this

2009-06-22T04:53:00.000-07:00

On the last page of Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl via Land of Meg and Loobylu

Saturday spinning speller

2009-06-20T04:36:00.000-07:00

I love this little trinket - and it has been everywhere with us today. In the past couple of months there has been quite alot of interest in words and letters at our house and this toy is perfect for word discovery. I purchased it from Stubby pencil studio which has all sorts of lovely items (if you look below you will see our jar of smencils - scented pencils).

R is for red robot

2009-06-18T04:44:00.000-07:00

Look what arrived in the mail this week. I saw the little guy in the latest edition of LMNOP magazine and well I knew he was going to fit right in to our house - and I was right he was an instant hit. He even managed to sharpen a stick to the delight of one (we have been doing some stick drawing as inspired by Myrtle and Eunice).

Talking about robots we also love Robot's Pet by Nigel Gray (published by Koala Books). The rhyme just creeps up on you and the illustrations are so fun. The boys love all the different animals that Fred, the robot, tries to keep as a pet...arhh funny!

A past favourite

2009-06-17T04:51:00.000-07:00

The last time we had lentils and rice would have been around the same time Claire posted her final entry on Kiddley. It was always a recipe I loved (found here) and with a dash of cream even better. Not everyone was as impressed as I was, but with iron man eating it, along with some chicken and some fresh Lebanese bread..c'mon!

It was also lovely to re-read some of the posts on Kiddley.

It's starting to rain.

2009-06-16T03:50:00.000-07:00

I really struggle at home when it rains. I struggle most days if I am unable to leave the house. Of course I know that rain doesn't mean a halt in all outdoor activity but there is only so much splashing in puddles one can do before someone gets cold and the other gets hungry. Not having a car is also a limiting factor (in addition to the fact that our buggy literally snapped in two last weekend).

So today we set off with an umbrella and a bus ticket to see Justine Clarke. We arrived slightly later than fashionably late, but still it was good to be dry somewhere else and Justine brings such warmth to the stage. We had other plans before heading home but a downpour meant that we had to head back as I was saturated - that brought smiles to the faces. So for the rest of the afternoon it was lego, tents and capes. Not such a bad day - in fact in the words of one 'this is a really cool day!' I just have to learn to breathe and let the chaos ensue.

You've got to buy this, you've got to buy that

2009-06-11T04:30:00.001-07:00

I left work a little earlier to pick up the boys before the peak hour train rush - but on way I spied the bargain book basement. Usually I don't have time to look but today I had a few moments -didn't I?! A few moments turned into a few minutes and I found myself battling peak hour with an extra bag full of bargains. How could I turn away from Emily Gravett, Michael Rosen and Mini Grey for just $3.95?

I gifted a book to the preschool while we curled up to The Witches Children and the Queen along with Tim, Ted and the Pirates (it was a Russell Ayto fest!). Two lovely books with plenty to spy (bats, rats, sharks..oooh)

Wednesday is...

2009-06-10T05:04:00.000-07:00

News plan night. I must admit I wasn't quite in the rhythm last year and found the weekly routine a little suffocating - afterall it is only preschool! But with the New Year I decided to commit myself, and have produced a weekly newsplan and watched the confidence of my little boy grow. This week's topic: the Sydney Vivid festival. Lots of 'arhhhhhhs...' and running around with new found friends - isn't it amazing how children make friends so easily and part with a simple bye and a promise to see one another again!

Chicken soup and rice

2009-06-09T04:06:00.000-07:00

What a wintry windy day! When we lived in London it didn't matter what the weather - there would always be someone at the playground. Since moving back to Sydney there have been a few occasions where we have played alone, so I pleased that today there were enough people to find a new friend or two at Federal Park (we love the pipe slide). We didn't stay long but enough to get sand in our shoes, a bump on our head and a laugh in our bellies. We then headed back home to build a city...

Spots and mirrors

2009-06-08T04:33:00.000-07:00

It was the last day of the Yayoi Kusama: mirrored years exhibition at the MCA in Sydney. I am so pleased we went. There is something wonderful about watching your children interact with art - and the work by Yayoi Kusama is so accessible and fascinating. The boys particularly loved 'I'm here, but nothing.' (2000). The hardest thing was convincing the two year old that really you are only allowed to look and not touch...please.

Are your wild boars tucked up?

2009-06-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

Some nights are such a struggle getting everyone to bed. Luckily tonight it was just a re-reading of Wild Boars Cook, a rebuilding of a lego car and some blanket adjustment. Since arriving at our house Wild Boars have been a hit with my little one and I must admit loving reading both books - except I am not exactly sure how a wild boar should sound when speaking...snort!