Eye Spy .. My Morning Ritual

I am ignoring the usual ritual of me running around and yelling for everyone to get ready, eat and be nice to each other. My favourite morning ritual is getting a quick Caleb snuggle before we get up to attack the world. Usually about 6am there is a little wriggling next to me, a kiss on my nose and then hopefully a little doze until we have to get up and start the day. I love this time, he twirls my hair (which he has done since he was born), but he is getting so big now I know I am on borrowed time so I try and lie still and enjoy the moment.

Thanks to Angie for this weeks theme and I am hoping that Fuzzy Dragon (have you seen her drawigns, they are just amazing) can help out for next week. Mr Linky is temporarily not working - I will try to figure out why.

Stop me if you've seen this one before, but these are the new girls pants that I have done for the market. I liked them so much that Poppy has ended up with a pair as well. Denim with anglaise trimmed bottoms and wide lace back pocket. I was hoping to get 8 dresses finished on the week-end for the Sydney market but bed won last night. I think the good nights sleep will do me good in the long run though, especially since work was especially crazy last week.

Why do You Blog?

I have been thinking, no smart remarks please, and why do you blog? I was speaking to a new acquaintance last week and was telling them how I sew and stuff and mentioned that I blog as well. She said according to a TV show blogging in terms of profit versus time spent is a really poor use of resource. It has stuck with me ever since. Is that the sole motivation - profit? Some of my favourite blogs don't even have anything for sale, Pigeon Pair, Thornberry, Potty Mouth Mama, Home Girl, Hugo and Elsa (though she will sell you cupcakes), Che an Fidel, The Nutrients of Life and that is just a few.

I find the most value is the support and input I receive and inspiration from reading about everyone else's adventures. I have managed to make friends with people I wouldn't normally been able to have the good fortune to meet. I am so grateful to everyone that takes time to share because I guess that what a community is.

Words and Pictures - Careful

When you have 2 little people you are always balancing up between independence and caution, sometimes all I seem to say all day is - careful, careful, careful. Caleb loves to run ahead stretching out those little legs of his and it is my job to nag and make sure he is kept in check. One day the little voice in my head said "Stop giving him a hard time, he wont cross a road, let him go". We walk along a busy road and people have those high brick fences to help keep out the noise. All I saw was lights, reversing lights on a car that can't see anything because of those stupid fences. "STOP" I screamed. Caleb froze like the deer in headlights and ducked. He couldn't have lined up his head more perfectly with the bumper bar. Thankfully the driver heard me and slammed on the breaks. Never so scared in my life. Caleb doesn't run ahead anymore. I lived a fear, only briefly that I will never forget. Now I nag in full justification. Careful.

More words and pictures at Pip's

Eye Spy ... My Karaoke Masterpiece

I think this is such a sweet one for Tis Rhubarb, but I will warn you I can't carry a tune to save my life. I was trying to decide, maybe a bit of Nirvana, Coolio, Arrested Development, Ben Harper perhaps Eskimo Joe, Burt Bacharach - in the end I settled on some Pearl Jammy goodness.

This one was a close second.

And if you are talking shower singing who can go past this classic

I also have to share Caleb's favourite sing a long, except instead of Give you Hell, he sings Get you an Elf - so funny.

Thanks to Erin, hope everyone gets lots of good tunes stuck in their head to rock out their Sunday. I am hoping 3 Red Buttons, maker of gorgeous children's clothes, can help us out for next week. Don't forget to add yourself into Mr Linky so we can all find you.

My Creative Space

All this weeks creating has been about "the birthday jacket". Poor Glen, all week at about 9pm I am hounding him, so you going to bed yet so I can get it out of hiding working like a women possessed. I got the outside and the lining finished, just not together, but I wanted to check the sleeve length and stuff so it worked out quite well. The kids picked him out a matching hat for their present and I think he is looking pretty dapper.

I think though his favourite thing was the card, that for the first time ever Caleb wrote his name on, huge for a boy that wont try unless it is perfect. I feel like he is going through a real developmental stage of learning at the moment and I am just trying to keep up. The last 2 nights, for the first time ever he stayed dry and told me he didn't need his night nappy anymore (Caleb that is, not Glen, he isn't that old yet). So proud of my little man. I had to go to his potential primary school's open day yesterday and as soon as she said we have 550 students and we hope great things for them I started tearing up (so not something I would normally do) so I have 7 months to toughen up because I think he is going to go gang busters there.

More creative goodness at the home of the granny square evolution Kirsty's.

Eye Spy .. Something Green - Hosted by Caleb

The cold keeps hanging around so when I heard Trashalou's theme this week, I can tell you the images of green I had you do not want shared. I do love a bit of old-school eye spy though so child labour was called for. I sent Caleb off with the camera with green on the mind, there are some couch cushions, his new library bag, toy bits and pieces. I may give him a guest spot, with the rate I have been posting he will probably do a better job. So frustrating. I am hoping that Tis Rhubarb can help us out with next weeks theme. Remember to keep adding in your link so that we can keep up with everyone.

Keeping the Caleb theme, you can see he is still in love with Sultry Sally, I bought him some chips today and he was so excited. Very sweet. I was driving him past his favourite girl as he likes to call her and says "Mum, I am worried that she is going to catch a cold now it is winter, do you think she can borrow shome of your clothes". Somehow I think that my wardrobe wouldn't cut it in Sultry Sally's world.

We got home on the week-end and Caleb said to me, "Your cool Mum, you have nice hair and excellent sewing machines" - never a prouder mum moment.

My Creative Space

My creative space this week, a little lacking in the sewing/creative department. Glen's jacket is taking soooooo FREAKING long, and I am down to 1 week left until his birthday - eeek. This cold has put a dampener on my usual early morning work bees, Glen is even setting his alarm just to make sure I am in bed early. Thankfully I think the snot train is finally pulling out of the station. So what have I been creating, lots of tissues and Poppy has been doing some serious button meets playdough art. Never ever too young to start instilling the love of buttons I think and I have been really enjoying our mornings hanging out.

More spaces at Kirsty's - you may even find something creative unlike here.

Happy Mum Day

Happy Mothers day to all the mums out there, I hope you managed lots of cuddles and kisses and happy memories of why we love our kids so darn much, even when they are capital 'T' Trouble. We had a lovely morning at the park, scooter, pram and dog in hand and an afternoon of cooking with Caleb (I think we might have a future chef on our hands, I am only allowed to supervise). And from Poppy a big smooch to all those mamas, or sisters, or aunties, or even furry mums (those with pets that is not specifically those that don't have time to shave). I can only hope that one day my babies will look at me with the same respect that I have for my Mum.

Eye Spy ... What I am Reading now

My current reading material is restricted to Dr Suess and Golden Books, sad but true. Between working full time, sewing, kinder drop-offs, Poppy playing, Glen working week-ends, cleaning - you get the idea, time to read is unheard of. I think since I work from home, that you also miss out on public transport time to read and stuff, my excuse anyway. If I did have a spare arvo I would be more likely to practice more on my crochet (it needs it), so you can see I have a small issue with having stationary hands. I am though enjoying this when I get the chance.

Thanks to Monique for this weeks theme, I am hoping Trashalou can help us out for next week.

I hope everyone is having a great mothers day. I am celebrating with 2 beautiful cards, donuts with love hearts (that is what happens when you let 4 year-olds pick) and a very thoughtful head cold - hmm thanks. I am hoping for a lovely morning at the park and just some hanging out with my special ones. Hope all the Mums are having a super special day too with their super special ones.

I have also been sewing up some baby sets for the ever looming market in July, these are the boys ones that I have done. One of them is off to a friend with a Peter Rabbit bunny rug that I am madly trying to put together. The blue green sausage dogs are so cute, I really love the pattern. The planes are from Patchwork on Central that have been lurking in my scrap box for a while, I love the retro feel.

Mum I'm in Love with the Lady

I was driving Caleb to Kinder chatting like we normally do and then I hear "Mum, I am in love with the nude lady". I was a little thrown at first, and after a somewhat mild panic attack I discovered he was referring to a billboard. He is 4 years-old and it has started already. So it appears "sultry Sally" has stolen his heart while trying to sell the rest of us potato chips. Thankfully she is not quite naked and a cool pin-up, but I am keeping an eye on him and if he starts to go to kinder in his smokers jacket and pipe he will be in big trouble. No Caleb Hefner thank you.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised if in 15 years he comes home with one of these, this one by Tim Hendricks.

Week-end Good Stuff and Eye Spy ... My New Favourite Blog

We had a great week-end enjoying the brief sunshine break. The kids ran riot at the museum on Sat and Sunday we hit the park trying to desperately trying to get some product shots for the Mathilda's market without letting the kids know they were being helpful. What do you think? I would love to have the time to work on my limited photography skills, on the to do list

It is no secret that Jhoanna makes some amazing things, Poppy is the very proud owner of a One Red Robin bear and I think that she has managed to pick a great theme for the week, thanks so much. I love a new blog find so please make sure you add your link in so we can find your treasures. I hope everyone is loving Mr Linky as much as I am. I think it makes it so much easier for anyone to join in whenever they feel like it, I am so for the no pressure thing. I have so many blogs that I love, but a few of my most recent-ish finds are from other blog recommendations. At Pigeon Pair I discovered the fabulous foodie Mishka La Mushka, go over and drool and Myrtle and Eunice who has crafty goodness, gorgeous photos and some great free tutorials. Via PottyMouthMama I discovered HomeGirl who is like all kinds of cool and I so want to move in as they always look like they are having a blast.

I am hoping Monique at A Glass Half Full can help us out with a theme for next week.

I am sorry I am late again posting, I am feeling a little stretched lately. Glen has started full-time work, for the first time in nearly 5 years so we are all getting use to our new work load. The good news is that Glen is really enjoying it which is a great change. Mum leaves on Wednesday so I will need to take more time off the day job to look after Poppy Cake which means more drafting at night. There seems too be quite a few people around blogland feeling the same "Mum doing everything syndrome" so I have a plan. In this day of modern technology, you should be able to alter the suns orbit, just a little so I can get a 28 hour day. That is not too much to ask, is it, and I think an extra 4 hours a day is all I need as long as I can convince the little ones to sleep for that extra time and we know that wont be a problem.