so I've managed to snavel a few moments to myself on this very lazy good friday, with one child asleep, one at the beach with friends and the other feeling a little poorly, playing on the other computer. The perfect opportunity to update this very neglected blog. It makes me sad when I leave it for so long, and I read all the stuff that other, more motivated people are doing (and finding the time to write about!), and I feel kinda like there's a party going on and I'm not there. Does that make any sense?
so what have we been doing? Well, a big loungeroom shift was at the top of the list last week, as a certain little person had become rather fond of climbing on and around the fireplace, a bit dangerous given that we will soon be lighting said fire with the onset of chilly nights and mornings that we are feeling now. The fire screen is back up, and we have that funny little lounge next it, with just enough room left for a cosy little corner for snuggling into on winter evenings.
of course, that cosy corner has also proven to be the perfect spot for a little willow cubby house action, which he spends much time preparing, piling up the cushions and getting it just so, only to have jasper come along and crash it all down. This little game can go on for ages, punctuated by lots of (very frustrated) "aww jas-per"s, before he finally gives up and just sits there, in tears, with the blanky draped over his head. It's hard, being six and not being able to keep the vandals out of one's cubby.
betty james got in on the action this week too, and donned her favourite old apron, for baking season is upon us. She's already wowed us all with roast lamb, a pretty awesome chicken and veggie pie, caramel popcorn, and a scrummy apple cake. Apparently there's more to come. Mmm.
it became apparent over the past few months that this little shack we are living in wasn't quite big enough for a family of nearly six, so some changes were made. The most urgent thing we needed was a bedroom so that we could stop sleeping on the fold-out lounge (not the best thing to sleep on when one is pregnant, after all) so plans were made to add a new "wing". This wing now houses a very comfortable parents retreat (more to come on that), and also a pretty awesome kitchen.
the thing about building these things yourself is that you can get everything just the way you want it, or thereabouts. Everything here is recycled...old wood, tin, glass and enamel. Loving that sink. Oh, and those windows. A friend asked me recently how we find all this stuff, and to be honest, it's not something we really think about too much. We simply like old stuff better than new stuff, and we're willing to stop the car by the side of the road to pick up someone else's trash or go rummaging through junkyards to find just the right window or door. And people give us stuff too. Although that can sometimes be a problem. We have lots of stuff.
the thing I love most about this kitchen, apart from all the sweet stuff in it, is the view through all those old windows. It's a pretty great place to make school lunches, prepare dinner, and sit down with a cup of tea. It's a pretty great place to just "be". 
I'd love to sit by it's warm side all day and do nothing but knit (well, try to knit) and read and drink tea, but these boys tend to go a little stir crazy after a while, so we go somewhere nice and play in the park and watch some wild waves crash on the rocks.
after the family had been given their necessary requirements, I snuck out the back door while no-one was looking and went to this very cosy place to have a little time to myself. Well, I guess a certain sneaky photographer was looking. A couple of hours later, I emerged with a new little friend in tow.
I like her very much. She has pigtails, just like someone else I know. She likes stripey socks like someone else too.
also made this little stocking for a certain little boy who will be joining us for christmas this year. Oh, so exciting. Can you see that fabric on top? It has squirrels, trees, mushrooms and birds. Now, that's just about all of my favourite things all together at once. That makes me very happy. It's a piece of japanese craft fabric, my current obsession. There have been a few etsy and ebay purchases lately, and I am building quite a nice little stash. The thing I like about these (apart from the obvious ridiculous cuteness), is that I can only justify buying fat quarters of the stuff because it's so darn expensive to buy here, so, a. it's very easy to store, and b. I am only using it for very cute little projects that only require small amounts of the stuff. But you know, the truth is, I would be quite happy to just keep it in a neat little stack on my desk and just look at it all day, without ever doing anything with it.
happy to you. (that was the message on the bag some of it came in. Ah, the sweetness).
but, we're all better now. The conjunctivitis didn't make it past jasper, miraculously, so we all have our eyesight in tact, and the sore throats are gradually dispersing. Just left with that annoying little cough that gets you when you're on the phone or trying to sleep in between night feeds (still having plenty of those. Jeez, that boy must be hungry.) Jasper also managed to sprout two new teeths in amongst it all, so that's been fun as well. Ah, the joys of parenthood. I wonder what lovely little surprise those boys will bring home from school next.
