Thursday - outdoor crafting

I was totally inspired (completey by accident) when I logged on to the computer to print out a certificate from the ABC kids show Giggle and Hoot when I came across this blog Mumma Made it. If you have kids and need ideas this is a great website. I've already ordered 2kg of plaster of paris on Ebay. That'll be fun for another day. Until then I got Tas outside with some white scribble paper and coloured paper scraps and she glued to her hearts' content. Later I got out my butterfly punch and oh! she loved that too. Too bad it didn't last. Two hours of fun in the morning and she was back to her ratty self in the afternoon. Well, it's a work in progress...

P.S. Before we went back inside, she gathered up a bunch of yellow weed flowers (Soursobs) which she considers very beautiful and said "We will put these aside for maweej (marriage)." She thinks a lot about her future family, it seems!

Tuesday - cafe lunch and play

Angie surprised me by going to sleep early at 9.30 in the morning, after dropping Tassie at daycare. I spent some time uploading photos to the computer and blog, then he woke up in time to get to the church cafe to have lunch with Gandy, Manda and Delilah. We haven't been since Mutti Robin's visit in August. It was lovely and relaxing, and so nice to have Angie to myself. After lunch he drew quite happily in Tassie's little notebook - he seemed to like that better than paper scraps. I'll make him one for himself. We said goodbye and despite the cold (it only reached a max of 14 degrees in the city today) Angie and I went to the playground across the road for a little play. I took many many photos. Really enjoying playing with manual mode on the camera. It makes a huge difference to the quality of the pics.

For this last photo and several more after it clicked (so to speak): I set the white balance to 'cloudy', the ISO to '400' and kept the depth of field at about 5.6 and oh! what beautiful photos. There's 100 more I haven't uploaded here. I'll save them for some Angie layouts over at Rock Paper Scissors Scrap.

Monday - another baby visit

Angie had resisted sleeping during his morning nap time. So after lunch, while Tassie was in her room (also not sleeping) I pulled him on to my lap for a drink and next thing I know - fast asleep! He napped on the couch and Manda arrived with Delilah to use the computer to try and get some work done. She's been finding it difficult as baby isn't sleeping much at all during the day. The highlight of the day was getting a photo of myself with Delilah - the first ever. At last!

Sunday - stroll in the city before returning home

Here are the twelve layouts I finished. It was a mad scramble to check out on time, because I got half way through another five layouts. Obsessed? Yes, I am, I already know. So then I left my bags in storage and took off into the city, vaguely planning to see a film at Nova but not really feeling like it. I bumped into my old school friend Jeannie and her sweet little boy Huon which was a lovely surprise. And I must have been surprised, because after we said goodbye, I realised I hadn't taken any photos. Doh! Hopefully we'll see them again soon then I'll get my chance. I decided it would be better to spend $15 on a scarf, when I discovered the little market in Rundle Street, than see a movie, so that's what I did.

Overall, I took a lot of photos, as I'm practising manual mode. My heart wasn't really in it, by Sunday morning, as I was desperate to get home. So desperate, that when I got through the ticket gate in time to wave the train goodbye, I decided I couldn't wait an hour til the next one. Ian didn't answer the phone so I got a taxi home. Woops, cos I hasn't realised how expensive it would be. Oh well! If that's the worst that happened, then I had a mighty fine weekend! *Smiles*

Cute posters in the window.

Home again. When Mum came round she obligingly admired all my layouts. Love you Mum!

Manda popped around to do some printing. Warning: more baby pics ahead!

Saturday - scrapping and relaxing

I spent most of the day scrapping. I mastered the technique of close ups using the camera's manual settings, and also practised using Tim Holtz distress inks on white paper - I've failed at this technique in the past and did a much better job this time with practise. All in all there were about 12 finished layouts. If only I could have stayed up longer to do more!





My favourite city views were of the Arts TAFE, and the funny little green palm tree, lit up like a tropical Christmas tree!

Thursday - making our own playday

With Tassie at Monti this morning (last week of term - wow that flew by fast) I decided Angie and I should have our own play day outside. He was a bit upset when I took him back inside yesterday after being out so this time we stayed out for closer to an hour. He loved playing in the dirt, in his new shoes, especially picking up handfuls and letting it slither through his fingers. I'm rapt in the new shoes, by the way, and I don't care how dirty they get. I'm just happy he can't get these ones off (so easily).








We had a bit of a play in the sandpit, despite the nasty winter weeds trying to take over the sand. I've given up trying to pull them out. Think I'll wait til...next time. LOL!

Monday - almost lost in the jungle

I took the babies outside for a little play and it turned out we had enough time to explore before the rain started. Can you spot them?

Lucky me - I scored some garden flowers.

When we returned inside, we got changed out of our wet clothes, Angie had his milk and went to sleep. Tassie on the other hand, has been challenging again today. It's almost as if the more fun things we do, and spend time together, the worse her behaviour gets. Counter-intuitive. I had a call from her daycare centre and they are going to give us Mondays and Fridays in term 4. Coupled with her two sessions at Monti I'm hoping for more harmony next term.

Sunday - getting outside again

The sun made an appearance today - at last. Ian suggested it would be a good day to get out and do some weeding and repairs around the place. So out we went and Tassie surprised us by being a real help with the weeds.

Gandy came round later in the afternoon with a new sticker book. She and Tassie made us all laugh with their funny faces.