thankful thursday: the farm

We live across the road from a council owned farm. We try to go for a walk most days and often end up there looking at the horses, ducks, pukeko and sometimes cows. It is a wonderful book end to a hectic day with two kids. Mostly it is a mellow wander and some fun on a rope swing. Ada runs and Olive laughs and Cam and I hold hands. I am so thankful that we have the wide open spaces across the road to explore and so thankful that Cam can stop working at manic o'clock and join us for a stroll.

manic monday! why is my toddler out of bed bingo

Why cry when you can laugh?
In our house we need 'pooed on floor', 'ripped book to shreds' and 'I wanted to change my knickers' boxes. What would you add?

Credit to Mr Honest Toddler, again.

thankful thursday:

I was originally thinking thoughtful Thursday and I could have let you know how thoughtful the girls Aunty Em is. She has made each of the girls the cutest dress and some matching tights for Ada too! Em is my sister in law and super talented, in so many ways in fact. She is a super seamstress and so when she asks what do the girls need I am so tempted to say 'a whole wardrobe', 'cos then they will look adorable and original all time!

I like the thought of recording what I'm thankful for once a week. This week I can say I am thankful for Emily's generosity with her time and her talent that results in  lovely things for the girls. 

Heart Keyhole! <3

reading wednesday - around the neighbourhood

So it's my blog and I'll change things on a whim if I want to! I am still fine tuning my schedule. What do you think of these topics?

Manic Monday
Tuesday's Tune
Reading Wednesday (cos that non alliterative assonance is so bittersweet!)
Thoughtful Thursday
Foodie Friday

Welcome to a new series of book recommendations! I always appreciate hearing what other kids have been enjoying so I thought I would share what works at our house. First up is Around the Neighbourhood adapted by Sarah L. Thomson, illustrated by Jana Christy.

This book is great as it imagines a babies world getting bigger and bigger from her room to the whole neighbourhood surrounding the house. I've been a grump lately and so singing about a happy laughing mama on page one is rather affirming even if it's more prophetic than accurate. I enjoy the active vocabulary in this book where animals pounce and sniff rather than meow and bark. Each page sees more animals added to the neighbourhood, providing many opportunities for counting! We love the style of illustration and that one animal seems to be doing their own thing in each group. Ada loves to point each one out every time we read it. The angry cat, the chatty duck, the distracted bunny, so many opportunities for a wee chatter.

What's that face?

The music is included at the end of the book. Ada always asks to learn the song. Oh but we know it now! You can learn too! Around the Neighbourhood is an adaptation of a classic folk tune 'Over in the Meadow', you can hear the tune here in this cute animation.

How about you guys? What is high on the reading rotation at your place? Do you have the same converaations each time you reread a book?

Previous recommendations.

music monday

For fun I am going to try and post more days again! I can't promise I will be writing a lot of content, I still only get a moment here and there where I can blog. The girls are no longer napping simultaneously! Boo hoo! I still have ideas of what I want to share so I've made myself a little schedule.

I think the titles should make things clear...
Music Monday

Reading Wednesday

Funny Friday

I love singing with kids, I even ran a music group for babies and toddlers before I had kids! Ada loves to sing and Olive loves to dance and so I am trying to encourage these things. Today's Music Monday will be Rocking Robin. Recorded by Bobby Day in 1958 and covered by the Jackson Five in 1972 this song has been key to many a dance party for decades. Weren't things innocent once? Look at the lyrics below and watch the great moves from 1957 below!

Hoppin' and a boppin' and a singing his song
All the little birds on Jaybird Street
love to hear the robin go "Tweet, tweet, tweet"

chorus 1
Rockin' robin
Rockin' robin
Blow rockin' robin 'cos we're really gonna rock tonight

verse 2
Ev'ry little swallow, ev'ry chickadee
Ev'ry little bird in the tall oak tree
The wise old owl, the big black crow
flap their wings singing "Go bird go"

chorus 2
Rockin' robin
Rockin' robin
Blow rockin' robin 'cos we're really gonna rock tonight

middle 8
Pretty little raven at the bird bandstand
taught him how to do the bop and it was grand
They started going steady and bless my soul
He out-bopped the buzzard and the oriole

ten months!

Motherhood is definitely in part about being a broken record. I play these 'songs' on repeat.

"Don't push your sister!"

"It's been a big week."
"Tell me if you need to do a wee", to which Ada always says "or a poo-poo". yep, tell me that too.
I figure with these three phrases said about 10 times each a day Olive is learning some language somewhere in there, however right now she is all about the motor skills.

Olive is 10 months old. She is most definitely walking and climbing. She lifts things and carries them about the place. Especially books. Olive will not sit still for a book but she will take it around the house.  Likewise she will try and pick a toy chair and take it where she wants it to go. We call her the little puppy, she loves to chew shoes too. Groan. Olive has two new teeth above the old two new teeth. She smiles with her eyes shut and those teeth bared with her head thrown back. It is adorable. Olive loves the outdoors and getting dirty. She loves to make friends, yesterday when visiting our friends she gave their boys (who she hasn't seen in 3 months) the best hugs ever. It was a real snugglefest. Olive loves to shake her head, no? yes? It doesn't matter, we are communicating. We play ball and peek a boo, Ada gets in on these games too. The sisters have a budding relationship, the best of times is found by putting toys in their mouth and the other grabbing it. Hahaha!! I don't get it?!

We love you Olive joy. Welcome to your early toddlerhood.

nine months.
eight months.
seven months.
six months.
five months.
four months.
three months.
two months.
one month.
Ada at ten months

happy mothers day

Gosh, I am one lucky lady. Ada showers us in I love you's and kisses and cuddles. When a character looks sad she says "he needs Mama". Incidentally if the character looks down and out "we need to help him". Olive is a smoocher too, she cuddles with two arms, head on your shoulder and sometimes then moves her head back to give you a kiss. I am so glad that I am Mama to these two girls. Cam generously made amazing tarts that Ada didn't even want to try so I feel so very spoiled today.

We tried to get a pic of the two girls and I. Seems it is impossible. I take a pretty funny selfie tho, as follows after this poem.

The Honest Toddler wrote this. I am a bit of a rock and I was moved to a tear, it captures so much about this intense, rewarding, frustrating, privilege that is motherhood.

I don't know if I love you.

I don't know what those words mean.

But I can tell you that you are my sun
that the day does not truly begin until you rise
and the warmth that is like a halo around you beams down on me
and holds my pajama-ed body next to yours.
You are my sun.

I don't know if I love you, but you are my moon.
When night comes
whether it is the darkening of the sky for the entire world 
or just for me as I become
once again
lost in emotions 3, no 4, times my size
struggling against the waves of my own tears
agitated rapids 
the undertow of the moment pulling me down
taking me prisoner
fighting for breath and rights
you, a beacon of light wax bright and steady
guiding me home.

I don't know if I love you, but you are my tree.
Rich with good things.
Plump fruit in the form of kisses
your palm glides across my head
through my hair.
You caress my cheeks with your branches.
When the world swirls too fast and loud
I know I can always find shelter at the base of your trunk
and shade under your fronds.
You purify the air around me.
You are my tree.

I don't know if I love you, but your voice is my song.
There is a place in the deepest part of me
that only your tune can unlock
that only your tune can stir.
When you laugh it's a cool breeze on a sweaty day.
I want another and another
and become a puppet entertainer
doing anything to hear that tinkling giggle.
When you're angry, it's a wintery blizzard.
I feel the chill in my bones and the ice on my face
but then even, I move closer to you for comfort from you.
When you're sad, it's a quiet low whistle 
and I pull myself into your lap
drawing long ribbons of whatever ails you out through your heart
throwing them down on the floor.

I don't know if I love you
because I've heard others use those words
and since they can't possibly have what we do
they must not be enough.

But in the off chance that I do
since I'm not sure 
it's seems right that I should say it
so, mama
I love you. 

Happy Mother's Day 

I don't know if I love you.

I don't know what those words mean.

But I can tell you that you are my sun
that the day does not truly begin until you rise
and the warmth that is like a halo around you beams down on me
and holds my pajama-ed body next to yours.
You are my sun.

I don't know if I love you, but you are my moon.
When night comes
whether it is the darkening of the sky for the entire world 
or just for me as I become
once again
lost in emotions 3, no 4, times my size
struggling against the waves of my own tears
agitated rapids 
the undertow of the moment pulling me down
taking me prisoner
fighting for breath and rights
you, a beacon of light wax bright and steady
guiding me home.

I don't know if I love you, but you are my tree.
Rich with good things.
Plump fruit in the form of kisses
your palm glides across my head
through my hair.
You caress my cheeks with your branches.
When the world swirls too fast and loud
I know I can always find shelter at the base of your trunk
and shade under your fronds.
You purify the air around me.
You are my tree.

I don't know if I love you, but your voice is my song.
There is a place in the deepest part of me
that only your tune can unlock
that only your tune can stir.
When you laugh it's a cool breeze on a sweaty day.
I want another and another
and become a puppet entertainer
doing anything to hear that tinkling giggle.
When you're angry, it's a wintery blizzard.
I feel the chill in my bones and the ice on my face
but then even, I move closer to you for comfort from you.
When you're sad, it's a quiet low whistle 
and I pull myself into your lap
drawing long ribbons of whatever ails you out through your heart
throwing them down on the floor.

I don't know if I love you
because I've heard others use those words
and since they can't possibly have what we do
they must not be enough.

But in the off chance that I do
since I'm not sure 
it's seems right that I should say it
so, mama
I love you. 

Happy Mother's Day
- See more at: http://www.thehonesttoddler.com/2014/05/i-dont-know-if-i-love-you.html#sthash.SOKj4cqB.dpuf

I don't know if I love you.

I don't know what those words mean.

But I can tell you that you are my sun
that the day does not truly begin until you rise
and the warmth that is like a halo around you beams down on me
and holds my pajama-ed body next to yours.
You are my sun.

I don't know if I love you, but you are my moon.
When night comes
whether it is the darkening of the sky for the entire world 
or just for me as I become
once again
lost in emotions 3, no 4, times my size
struggling against the waves of my own tears
agitated rapids 
the undertow of the moment pulling me down
taking me prisoner
fighting for breath and rights
you, a beacon of light wax bright and steady
guiding me home.

I don't know if I love you, but you are my tree.
Rich with good things.
Plump fruit in the form of kisses
your palm glides across my head
through my hair.
You caress my cheeks with your branches.
When the world swirls too fast and loud
I know I can always find shelter at the base of your trunk
and shade under your fronds.
You purify the air around me.
You are my tree.

I don't know if I love you, but your voice is my song.
There is a place in the deepest part of me
that only your tune can unlock
that only your tune can stir.
When you laugh it's a cool breeze on a sweaty day.
I want another and another
and become a puppet entertainer
doing anything to hear that tinkling giggle.
When you're angry, it's a wintery blizzard.
I feel the chill in my bones and the ice on my face
but then even, I move closer to you for comfort from you.
When you're sad, it's a quiet low whistle 
and I pull myself into your lap
drawing long ribbons of whatever ails you out through your heart
throwing them down on the floor.

I don't know if I love you
because I've heard others use those words
and since they can't possibly have what we do
they must not be enough.

But in the off chance that I do
since I'm not sure 
it's seems right that I should say it
so, mama
I love you. 

Happy Mother's Day
- See more at: http://www.thehonesttoddler.com/2014/05/i-dont-know-if-i-love-you.html#sthash.SOKj4cqB.dpuf

we have lift off

Little miss has been walking pretty confidently for about the last 10 days or so! She is gathering speed and agility now. Not content with being upright on the floor, Olive has begun to climb. These two girls of mine seem as different as they can be, honestly Ada has only in the last month or more shown an interest in climbing. 

I did hold the chair steady while I took the picture! 

tiny wisdoms

I blather on about a few things that take up lots of my brain power in parenting, food and sleep, aka human survival. Here are some pearls of wisdom that have been passed on to me that I need you to know. 

Have your child say goodbye to the park, toy store, tv, whatever it may be and it's easier to go. We all need closure.

Always break a cracker (or cookie) in two and put half in each hand. So simple. Two busy hands, one happy mouth.

This one is a biggie, and it is so hard to do sometimes, we do things faster and cleaner and there are times that is necessary for us to keep our sanity. But if they can do something for themselves = let them do it! (Thanks three day nanny for sparking this conversation...)