A New Post for the New Year

This is not a New Year Resolution, I don't make those as I never seem to stick to them, I'd like to think of it more as finally getting around to doing something I've been meaning to do for ages.  I am going to make no attempt to 'catch up' on all the long lost blog posts of the last 6 months or so, or even try to explain why they are missing other than life getting in the way really.  What with activities for the munchkins, school, work, and Kakariki Crafts most days I felt like I hardly knew if I was coming or going.
With the start of the new year always come changes and this one is no exception.  I am starting a new job (sort of), well I'm doing essentially the same job for a new employer.  For most of last year we had huge amounts of uncertainty over our future as a science group and it was nice to finally get some resolution to that at the end of 2013.  I am excited about what the future has to offer work-wise, I feel like the new opportunities have come at a time where I am ready to face the challenges head on and give 110% to the team which is fantastic.
On the home front there is never a dull moment with the kids keeping us all on our toys and bringing joy and frustrations in equal measures as they grow into beautiful young people.  This year I would love to do more for and with them, and together as a family in general.  Plans are already afoot for a few large events which shall be revealed as the year goes on.  We are trying to fit in a few fun family activities before the new school year starts as well which is fantastic.
From a crafting point of view my aim this year to to have a bit more balance.  Last year I got pretty overrun with sewing for Kakariki Crafts which I loved but also found pretty tiring at times.  We had a great year as far as fund raising for the Amanda Taufale Trust went and while this will continue I will be scaling things back a bit, especially as the year gets busier at work and at home.  Later in the year if I feel up to it I may do a few markets (I loved the wee one I did locally last year) but I won't be pushing to expand things like I was through the main part of 2013.

 So how do I intend to get balance into my crafting this year.  My main aim is to do what I want when I want (sounds perfect right?).  I have already picked up the knitting needles again after they gathered dust for most of last year, and I have made a top for myself which I'll blog about in the next few days.  I have also decided to take part in Kids Clothes Week for the first time at the end of January which is one of the things that pushed me to start blogging again.

So enough waffle from me, I'm back (for now at least) and I hope some of you enjoy sharing the coming year with myself and my family :-)

My Two Wee Kilted Kiwis

Recently, well over a month ago, the daycare centre that Miss M attends had their annual Cultural Dinner.  This is the focus point of a couple of weeks of activities they do embracing the wide variety of cultures represented at the centre.  Everyone takes along a dish from their country of origin and much fun is had by all.
Mr A is always keen for any excuse to dress up in his kilt but I was stuck when it came to Miss M.  Good old Mum to the rescue though.  She was looking for something in a cupboard just a few weeks before and came across a kilt that she had made for me when I was not too much older than Meg.  So here they are, Mr A dressed in his family tartan and Miss M dressed in a kilt that her Gran made for me :-)

And a couple of snaps we got at the event.

Miss M actually got to dress up again a week or so later when we went in to show off 'all things scottish' and do some ceilidh dancing with the kids.  Mental note to self, attempting ceilidh dancing with about 20 pre schoolers may not have been my brightest idea ever :-)

Rainbow Rice

Yes see I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, I've just been crazy busy with a whole lot of stuff that has keep me away from the blog.  One day I might try and catch up, but for now I will just share this quick and fun wee activity we did the other day.

I had Mr A home 'sick' from school so we decided to set up some craft stuff and I made this fun rainbow rice.  I found a recipe online (of course) but since I'm pretty rubbish at actually following recipes I just made it up as I went along.
We got a bag of cheap rice from the supermarket and put about half a cup into some snap lock bags (or you coud use any container with a lid.  To each bag add a few drops of food colouring (you can always add more later) and a dash of white vinegar (scientific that eh?).
Here are our bags.

Then we tipped them into containers and left them out to dry for about half an hour or so, this would have been quicker had it been a warm sunny day.

The kids decided they wanted to mix it all together and it looks pretty cool.

They then spent ages making pictures by gluing it onto paper and just generally playing about with it.  Cheap, easy and fun, plus it is now stored away for use again next time ;-)

Mother's Day

First of all I want to wish all the Mums out there a huge Happy Mother's Day.  Being a Mum is a 24/7 365 days a week kind of a job, and one of the most frustrating and rewarding things I have ever done.  People don't tell you about all the hard bits before you have kids, and there are many of them, but they do tell you about the good bits.  When I had Mr A and realised just how hard this new job was, and went through all the usual 'new Mum' insecurities, I wondered why noone told me about those bits.  But now looking back I know exactly why.  Most of the people I knew had children, and by that I mean not babies.  Their wee ones were already school age or older, and already I am learning how quickly you forget all the trying times and only remember the good bits about being a Mum.

And so to the weekend really.  Last year I had the most awesome Mother's day which I wrote about here.  This year I think may have topped even that.
Yesterday Mr A came to me asking for a big box so I knew he was planning something.  Next he asked for the box of felts/crayons and gathered up all his stickers, took Miss M with him into the conservatory and told me quite firmly to stay out.  I'll admit now that I did have an inkling as to what he was up to but it didn't make the sentiment any less sweet.  So after much time and concentration I was told not to look and said box was 'hidden' in Mr A's bedroom.
Roll forward to this morning.  I got given two lovely cards that Mr A had made (one at school and one at OSCAR), and a card and chocolates Miss M had made at daycare.  I also got some chocolate, a lovely mug with 'pekos' on it (that's pukekos for those who don't know Meg shorthand for these things) and a new wooden spoon.  As well as a nice fresh cup of coffee and lovely cooked breakfast in bed, including toast that Mr A had made all by himself.
Then I got given this box.

This is a box that Mr A got sent for his birthday with a helium balloon in it.  He had written a new message in the tag for me and told me to open it.  Inside there was nothing.  Or was there?  I was told very seriously that Mr A and Miss M had filled the box right up to the very top with kisses just for me *awwww*.
I know that Mr A got this idea from this lovely wee book by Vivian French.  We first discovered this book in our local library and every time it was there Mr A wold get it out.  It's a lovely simple wee story about a cat who doesn't know what to get his Mum for her birthday, and finally decides on a box of kisses (you may have guessed that already).  I'm not sure what it is about it that Mr A loved so much but when we saw the very same book on the 'for sale' shelf of the library we nabbed it and it is still a firm favourite here, with Miss M now loving it.

So I guess my point is that the idea wasn't original to Mr A but we haven't actually read this book for a good few months and noone mentioned it to him.  I think he was just in the same situation as Stanley (the cat in the book) and wanted to get his Mum something special, all by himself.

For all that my children can be completely infuriating and drive me mad, deep down I am really very lucky to have two caring, loving and on the whole delightful children.  I think everyone has those moments when they could quite happily give away one or more of their kids, but it is times like this morning that make it all worth while.  And lets face it when looking back it's not the tantrums and defiance, but moments like this that form the lasting memories.

FO: Colosseo Cowl

This wee project was another that I was inspired to finish thanks to the Focus on Finishing challenge from Holland Road Yarn.  I got the yarn for this project in a swap about 2 years ago, around about the same time a dear friend of mine released a gorgeous cowl pattern.  Although the yarn was gifted along with a hat pattern I knew straight away that it was begging to be a cowl.  And not just any cowl but a Colosseo Moebius Cowl.  I had never knitted a moebius cowl before, in actual fact I had never knitted a cowl before but the process just had me fascinated so I had to give it a go.
A moebius is one of those infinity type things that boggles the brain if you think about it too much.  It is basically a ring with a twist in it and this one is knitted in the round starting in the centre of the 'width' of the cowl and working your way out.  See I told you it would make your brain hurt thinking about it. If you can get past the initial "WHAT?" though it does all work and it is kinda cool.

So anyway enough chit chat here are some pics.  Knitted in gorgeous soft Purewool hand-dyed for me by the lovely Jo of Jodulbug Creations.

As you can see because of the twist the stitch patterns have to be double sided and the brioche rib pattern and garter stitch based edging fit the bill perfectly.  Such an ingenious wee pattern, I love it.

And here are a couple of shots of Miss M playing model, it was actually a boiling hot day so excuse the lack of other attire and ridiculous hair.

Happy Easter

Well it's not that often that we get four whole days off work/daycare/school to spend together as a family, and with chocolate, bunnies and hot cross buns thrown in it's all pretty fabulous.
We have had a fabulous Easter hanging out together and getting a few jobs done around the house.  We still have a whole garage to clear out and suddenly one day left to do it but more about that later.
A wee trip through our day in pictures.
One wee bunny here was not impressed that breakfast didn't solely consist of chocolate.

Things perked up quickly though at the mention of easter egg hunts.

Even the cat joined in.

We opened some very cool gifts from afar including these awesome wee chicks from Granny, Mr A thought his scottish chicken was fantastic.

Then it was time for egg decorating....

in preparation for egg rolling once the rain cleared this afternoon.  We went up to the school for this and threw in a bit of general running around and aerobie playing to boot.

The hill

The aftermath

Miss M joining in the fun

I hope everyone else had a happy and safe easter.  There is a lot going on here and I will come back with some of that news soon.