No time to blog!

So it's almost a month since my last blog post, and it's not that I've decided a don't want to write stuff about the year anymore, it's just the lack of time free to sit down and write! It's becoming a recurrent theme, how making things and trying to do things differently is taking more time, and I definitely feel the biggest learning from this whole experience is the truth in the statement that 'time is money', but there is definitely more richness in relying on it less!  So what's been going on in May?

Beach Hut Fun
After about 6 years on the waiting list, we got to the top and now rent a Beach Hut (or Sun hut to be more correct, as it's just back from the beach and we have the prom, road and a great patch of grass between us and the beach).  We've only had it for about a month now, but have already had so much fun down there with a whole host of people, we're definitely glad with took the plunge (as it's not a cheap experiment!).

In the hot days the kids have loved paddling, and as we don't have much of a garden at home, and certainly no grass, the novelty of a giant expanse of grass to run around and crawl on has been brilliant.  We've also had lots of fun doing art things, and generally hanging out with friends and eating together.  We've also met some lovely new neighbours and even a previous neighbour from our days in North End is now a neighbour again!  So if you're in the area...come and join us!

In the last month, I've also become more and more aware of the passing of time, and that pre-school days will be gone in just over a year's time, so I'm really wanting to have some great time having fun with the kids, as well as having good time with them, whilst dealing with the rest of life....they've good at helping out round the house, and it's not all about fun-fun-fun.  But the beach hut has been great for more focused time with them, as I can't disappear to just put on another wash load.  The challenge of this, is that I then need to fit even more into evenings as the jobs still need doing, so sleep has definitely been lacking this month.  Finding the right balance is the biggest challenge of all motherhood days I think.

Devon
We had 5 days in Devon, thanks to a friend of my Mum's who lets us her holiday home.  Sadly just before the weather became amazing, but had fun with Grandma at a farm, on the beach and at the house.

Gardening

Tomatoes alive inside!

We've continued to try and grow things in the garden, but with the exception of radishes and apples, the slugs seem to be feasting on all the rest, so it's not a great success currently.  I planted out tomatoes and broad beans yesterday, that have done really well inside, but we wait to see if they get eaten before they have a chance to get even bigger :-(  Orange peel, coffee grounds, egg shells and organic slug pellets seem to have little effect on Pompey gastropods.
Also the compost bin and Bokashis seem to have been the perfect breeding ground for fruit flies, which means I'm becoming a very good aim with rolled up newspaper, and my daughter enjoys the blood smears that appear all over the kitchen cupboard doors...dead and alive have become quite focused topics in our house.

Gifts

More cut out people cards

And I still continue to try and make gifts as much as possible, although people are getting more and more belated presents with each passing month.  Men & boys really seem to be the main challenge, although I'm hoping I have a current idea that can run to several boys over the coming months...am just awaiting feedback from the first little chap to get it.  Homemade experiment kits....check this out: http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/lavalamp.php  

So May hasn't been a quiet month, and when you add normal household chores, helping family house hunt, mad weeks at work, Governor duties and keeping kids occupied, it's little wonder that there is ever any time to sit down and blog!

Fall in Love with the Recorder!

I've been really amazed by the effect that giving up TV for lent has had on the following weeks.  There is really very little now that I'm prepared to watch, and I only turn it on if I actually want to watch something, rather than just when I'm in that room.

Programmes that I've previously watched, just aren't watchable anymore, whether it's that the content is too extreme (from comments on FB from others, I don't think I'm the only person not watching Silent Witness anymore), or it just seems pretty pointless.

And yet, I'm discovering some really amazing things on TV that previously I wouldn't have given any time to.  This week when I did the ironing on Friday night, I watched the BBC Young Musician of the Year, Woodwind Final.  Sadly I turned on too late for the first competitor - the recorder, but heard some amazing music on the saxaphone, clarinet, bassoon & flute.  I couldn't believe it at the end when the recorder won, and I hadn't watched it, so I then saw it on iPlayer.  She was amazing!  

Links below - honestly, I'd be amazed if you didn't like the last short piece at least!

The whole recorder section 

The last short piece, which is totally captivating

Why didn't we get to play stuff like that at school?

And recently I've also learnt lots about the 'Cold Chain' with Ewan McGregor, showing how even children in the most unconneted parts of the world are receiving vaccines.

I'm not sure why I'd never have watched these kinds of programmes before, but I get some entertainment and learn new things, which are actually real, rather than based on imagined fear and violence.

I was really challenged when I started watching TV again by Phillipians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

And I'm not sure where the thought started, but it seems to be the test by which I start and continue to watch the few things that I do nowadays.  Certainly not what I was expecting the result of a TV fast to be, when I started back on Ash Wednesday!

Childhood Challenges

Get free images here

So this week I introduced my 3 year old to Hopscotch.  She's really into numbers and hopping at the moment, so it was a bit of a no brainer.  But it got me wondering how many of our kids have played it and how many other things, that past generations have come up with, are they missing?

The National Trust launched a new programme last week, called '50 things to do before you're 11 and 3/4'.  Lots of it is quite simple stuff, but some things will definitely take us a while to cross off.  You can see the list here.

And find out more here from the National Trust here.

It also got me thinking about a new small gift idea for kids.  I could add a 'Childhood Challenge' to their cards.  Here are some examples:

'Before you're 4, learn how to play hopscotch' (and include a piece of chalk), 'Before you're 3, grow some cress' (include a sheet of toilet paper and some seeds), 'Come egg rolling with me this Easter', 'Set fire to a leaf using a magnifying glass' (not sure their parents will thank me for that, but at least I didn't suggest a small creature or sibling ;-)

Am always on the lookout for other creative, outdoor, simple ideas...suggestions on a postcard.

Is homemade OK?

As I'm progressing through this year and trying to come up with more homemade ideas for gifts, I'm facing the question of whether giving people homemade things is OK.  Some things that I make, I'm quite happy to give people, especially when it comes to cards...I guess I expect them to end up in the bin after they've sat on shelves and mantlepieces anyway, and they'll be up there with lots of other cards and even hidden behind others, if people don't like them that much (or is it just me that orders cards in such a way ;-)

Here's one I made earlier...my brother-in-laws' first anniversary is today, and I was more than happy to give them this one, and even think it's quite good ;-)

Recycle old maps by cutting out shapes from relevant areas

But when it comes to the actual gift element, I'm finding it more of a challenge.  For some reason, giving a child something homemade and creative, rather than an expensive bit of wood carving, or, more likely, a piece of molded mass-created plastic, makes me feel more nervous.  Will the parents look at it and shudder, will it automatically end up in the bin?

And gifts for adults are quite a challenge too...I've reverted to making edible things, but even the Piccalilli I made the other day has left me wondering whether it's OK to give as a gift.  Having never eaten any before, or made it, it looks colourful, but what if it's disgusting!

I wonder if it's because we're now so used to shop bought stuff, and that ironically there is now a whole (pretty expensive) market for 'homemade' items, that have been made in someone elses home, but have an impressive quality about them.  And it's unrealistic to believe that my random attempts will match the quality of the cottage industry's supply of 'homemade' creations.

I've always invested lots of time in every gift I've ever bought...it's important to me that it shows that I value and love the person.  That I'm glad they're around and that the gift, hopefully conveys some of that.  But if the person doesn't like it, I'm not worried if they pass it on or recycle it in someway.  I'd much prefer that to it being in their house when they really don't like it, just for my benefit.  So I hope the same applies to my homemade gestures, and I need to stop being worried about gifts being labelled 'another Clare creation' in a negative way...and live in the 'it's the thought that counts' moment, and not feel that I'm being judged on it.  (There's definitely richness in this less stuff, but the cost is just different.)

Topsy Turvy Easter

So the weather got it all wrong this year...we had glorious sunshine on Friday and enjoyed sitting at the Hot Walls, and then had a slightly damp breakfast at the Beach Hut on Easter Sunday.  But it's been another good Easter weekend, and as ever started with a great veggie meal with the justice gang on Thursday evening.  Leaving that evening, via the quiet room with candles, thorns, nails, wood, a hammer etc, jogs the mind to think on what Jesus must have gone through that night before it all kicked off.  (And birth experiences have definitely helped bring something more to the empathy; facing something that you know has to happen, and can't avoid, the rest of the world being asleep etc.)

Sadly a little one year old's lack of sleep (think probably relating to first year jabs...all three in one sitting!), led to being very tired at 8am on the beach on Sunday, but it was great, as ever, to celebrate the world changing, and Jesus coming back to life.  It's been a great weekend of spending time with our Portsmouth family.

Start of Spring

It's been a while since my last post, and I'm not sure why that is; partly I haven't managed many free moments, and partly I'm not sure there's anything new to write about.  

Life ticks along, but some progress has gone on in the garden, thanks to some beautiful March weather.  The shed is in situ.  Lots of little seeds have been planted...am not filled with confidence that they'll be a giant harvest, but my little helper more than makes up for my fears...hope she's not too disappointed.

Work juggling, with poorly little people, household tasks, play groups and weekends with visitors has made life feel very full.  Lots of lovely moments hidden amidst lots of routine.

Recycling continues, but I need to work on the compost bin in the back yard.  It's a very enclosed space (even more so with the new shed now), and on warmer days, the aroma is a bit strong...reminds me a micro brewery!  I've found out that Lush recycle all plastic bottle tops, and we're now a disposable nappy free house (good, other than there's no room for error on the supply of clean terries!).

Gift making continues, with recently some Piccalli (a first) and more home-made cards.  I'm now trying to get a month ahead, as otherwise I'm feeling rather too much last minute pressure to create, but it's easier said than done.

Tiredness is definitely having an impact on the spring in my step (and it is a rainy morning as I type), but as with all journeys, the honeymoon period is over, and effort is now required to find deeper richness.

Brain-freeze?

My head is hurting this week from the reading that I've been doing.  I felt compelled to read the Big Issue and Amnesty magazine from cover-to-cover this week, as they often simply sit on the table and eventually end up in the recycling bin, or a child's craft project.

Taking time to read about how other's face life each day, whilst I sit here in the glorious sunshine that bathed Southsea today is quite mind boggling.  And sending emails, writing letters and sending up prayers often seem rather lame.  But I'd prefer to be informed than have my head in the sand, so maybe this is a week of finding richness in more?

Reading the Amnesty mag also gave me a bit of a window into the world that BBC news and our national newspapers just don't seem to think there is value (money?) in reporting.  What makes some conflicts newsworthy and others not?  What political power is involved?  What corporate power?  Or is it just that the public would tune out?  

A collegue rather depressingly stated the other day 'people simply aren't interested in things that don't directly effect them'.  Obviously it was somewhat of a sweeping statement, but how many people does that really apply to?  All of us at points in our lives?  Or the majority all the time?  I hope not, and it hasn't been my experience of talking with others.

My mind just seems to be in overdrive about all this, this week, and I think it started when I saw 15 mins of a DVD entitled 'Jesus, Bombs & Icecream'.  It's a film from a 90 minute variety show conceived by Shane Claiborne & Ben Cohen (of Ben & Jerry's).  15 mins was enough to get me angry about the state of our world.  We'll be having a showing at our house in the near future (icrecream will be a highlight of the event!), but before then I want to find the stats that relate to the UK in comparison to those of the US.  Should be an interesting, if not challenging night.

Amidst the joys of work, sick children, household chores and family life, I think I'm experiencing brain-freeze!

Parenting Advice and Garden Update

So my evening out for International Women's Day was a lovely evening of talking with girl friends, and not being interupted by little people...a rare treat!

 

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/womensday

One of the topics, sums up my prefered method of parenting advice.  I'm just not one of those people that is inclined to trawl through loads of parenting books, written by people who I don't know, some of whom don't have kids, and that always seem to be very long.  Give me some hands-on parent experience any day!  We had a great discussion about what words to use when kids start asking about their different body parts.  This is coming up lots in our house at the moment, as my eldest (girl) realises the differences between her and her little brother.  From the discussion I'm still not 100% sure on the way I want to go, although I've definitely eliminated some options and am not far off a decision.

Rob Bell in his book 'Love Wins' has a great quote about his and his wife's parenting ambition, along the lines of 'we want to bring our kids up with as little to unlearn in their futures as possible'.  I definitely want the best for my two, and prayer and muddling along with other parents thoughts/opinions/ideas and mistakes has done me well so far.  (Maybe I should write a book on group parenting ;-)

Garden Update

As to the garden, there has been great progress this week , thanks to a lovely warm weekend...hooray...spring!  After weeks of deliberation we've decided to get a shed to store the bikes at the expense of some of our garden sun spot, but being able to use and maintain our bikes really is very important.  (Amazingly the NI repayment has totally covered that...God's timing ;-)

Yesterday we spent a great morning relocating a big trough to our new growing area, and moving the compost bin, so the shed has space to be put in next week.  We've had to take out some bushes (currently up for grabs on Freegle), but if we get lots of fruit & veg from the same space, it will be well worth it.  Now I just need to find some time to get a plan going of what to plant when and where, and find somewhere for our apple trees.  And since this (other than the shed) this is all recycled things, how many of the seeds etc can we source creatively?!

The new blank canvas of our back yard