Choc Bikky Christmas Tree

We had lots of fun baking, decorating and sharing our chocolate biscuit stars. Don't you love the way they form this tree when elegantly stacked by six year old hands guiding her toddler girlfriends and followers. We were due to meet friends in the park so took along the previously decorated biscuits in order to make a Christmas Tree we could share with everyone for morning tea. 'Twas our little gift to bid farewell to a group of little friends as we move from this city next month.

It was so very beautiful to watch my big, almost 7 year old, Ess caring for the little 2 year old girls she has come to know as part of our Kindermusik group we attend for little Eee. She loves them all and will sadly miss them as I know they'll miss her. She watches them, follows them, ensures they are doing well as they climb, play, explore and discover new places without their Mummies yet alongside their bigger girl friend. She certainly has the heart of a mother-carer, my girl. It will be interesting to watch her inclinations as she grows.

Cherry Time

What a delightful day we had picking our own cherries in an orchard in the Adelaide Hills. It was just delightful to see the millions and millions of cherries weighing down the many branches in the orchard. It's only taken us six years to discover that we can actually pick our own. We generally do take drives through the hills and buy from shed door sales, however when I discovered there was actually the option to pick our own, of course that is the way we went. Last weekend it was Forest Range Cherries at Lenswood, this weekend we might even head out again to Stella Creek Orchard as their Summit variety might be ready to pick. Big, heart-shaped delicious cherries and only $10/kg they tell us. Last week we paid $6/kg - very competitive pricing. The markets sell them for around $30/kg.

We found some more produce in the Hills we brought home to consume including fresh snow peas and numerous strawberries. We spent the afternoon enjoying food in Hahndorf before heading back to Lobethal to join in the Lights of Lobethal Festival on opening night. It was fabulous with the Living Nativity being a definite hit - be sure you don't miss this if you live anywhere near local.

An Advent with Lego

For quite a few years now my Generous Gentleman has wanted to find an Advent Calendar by Lego which was not ridiculously expensive.

This appears to be the year for us as we now have two Lego Advent Calendars which both my big girls are enjoying each morning during December as Christmas approaches.

I'm not a fan of Advent Calenders which bestow little gifts on little people each time they open a door as I think it creates unrealistic expectations and is simply unnecessary. However Lego always seems to create the exception for me. Each day the girls find a little packet behind a door with bits and pieces to create something new. After Christmas we'll package them all up again to start the surprises again next year.

And there are some very cute little figures and objects.

One is a Lego Kingdoms calendar with scenes and caricatures of a Medieval Castle.

The other is Lego City, quite self-explanatory.

This character is most certainly my favourite.

A less-than-friendly looking snowman.

We still open a door every day on our Nativity Advent Calendar which shares with us the true story of Christmas. We have been enjoying seeing the angels visit and hearing their messages, today's being:

'For she will bring forth a son.'

Letters to Santa

We posted our letters to Santa today. Santa, North Pole, 9999. We hope he gets them. Australia Post guarantees he'll be happy to hear from us.

The idea of writing to this dear old soul was very motivational, as far as writing is concerned. I am discovering that writing is just something which Ess does not enjoy. She is my avid reader, not so keen on writing to express herself.

You know, I was delighted that both of the girls struggled to think of anything at all to ask Santa for. The language Ess used was most polite as well. No "I want's" or "Give me's", but a very pleasant "For Christmas I would like...". Oh yes I was so very delighted to see their chosen language for this very esteemed letter.

And so I transcribed for my little Eee while she drew a beautiful rainbow, not for Santa I am told, but rather for Daddy. It's beautiful, I'm sure you'll agree.

So have you seen Santa yet? Have you written to him?

We actually saw him today as well. A couple of brightly dressed little Elves found us in a long, hot queue and invited us into an air conditioned, bubbly room where Santa just happened to be sitting waiting to invite us up onto his knee to chat with him, be with him, have Daddy take our photo and just to enjoy the experience.

Christmas with children is just such a special experience.

Tickly Tag Toys

Who's that peaking out from inside my crochet bag?

One of three new friends for my little treasures.

The remnants of the skirt I sewed for myself were begging me to make a few things for my new tribe of three little girls. They were inspired by other toys I've seen around and also my little Eee's love of all things tickly. She tickles her nose and lips with any tag she can find although her teddy (with his shaggy, taggy tail) is her favourite friend.

The taggy friends are in great use as ticklers and in playing games of hide'n'seek.

Sewing for Me

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955

Using fabric from the lovely Mezzanine Collection designed by Patty Young for Michael Miller I have managed to find time to sew something for myself this special Spring of mine. It is actually a practise run of this pattern which I plan to use for some other fabric I've been admiring for a long while. Perhaps that one might be finished by Christmas...we'll see.

I've been called 'the pink lady' more than once and I do love pink, along with my girls. What hope did they have but to fall in love with pink. It is almost the only colour they see, they are dressed in it so often. However this is the only patterned pink skirt I own. I do have a very old bright pink skirt but lately I've been wearing black and white, as well as a blue and white skirt most often. When it happens to be cool enough to wear skirts. It's still been very, very cool down here. As I speak however, we are heating up for a week of temperatures reaching 30degC and above so lots of lovely skirt wearing will be happening this week for me and my girls. They'll be pleased to finally be allowed to wear their skirts and dresses without shirts underneath them to keep them warm.

And because we are moving and I am trying to ensure our storage solutions for toys etc. are adequate, I have sewn a drawstring bag to hold our wooden alphabet puzzle. I am very happy with the way it has turned out, the little tiny stitches on the alphabet letters adding to the bubbly fabric. I enjoyed the few minutes I had to sit down quietly, resting, healing and allowing my fingers to stitch tiny stiches again. Remember these!

The Adventures of Gran and Jan and Jennifer

Every man's memory is his private literature. ~Aldous Huxley

One of the joys of having Mum stay with us now is that the girls have almost undivided time with their Granny. They are loving her company and all she brings to their days whether that be food, clean clothing, tickles, cuddles or a bit of time reading together.

At my request Granny brought with her from home a book which she remembers fondly from her childhood. She was given The Adventures of Jan and Jennifer when she was just 8 years old by her Aunt and Uncle living in Parramatta. They lived next door to Mrs Edwards, the mother of Don Edwards, the author of this lovely children's book. I don't think it has become a classic as there seem not to be many copies readily available. There's one at the National Library of Australia. It also seems to be available at Pioneer Books, antiquarian booksellers and publishers. Interestingly it was recommended by The Children's Newspaper of March 17, 1951 as one of "Harraps' excellent York Series for Young Children, 4s each". So I wonder how much of a treasure we really have in this book. A copy signed by the author himself! Have you heard of it or read it yourself?

Each day Ess would ask Granny to read another chapter of the book so the girls could journey off together with Jan and Jennifer as they discovered places around their home which is quite reminiscent of old time Parramatta. The two little girls aged around 8 or 9 explored with Australian bush animals close by their side and became quite protective of them when faced with danger.

It's a pity when sweet little books such as this are lost as they contain such beautiful memories of times gone by and give us an insight into what life was like for children. Granny remembers it fondly due to her family's connection with the family of the author. Little Jan is assumed to be the daughter of the author. What a beautiful memory. Literature really comes alive, doesn't it, when connected with one's own life.

What connections do you have with some form of published literature?