Project 365 Day 8

Blogger has been playing up today but here is todays photo. No time to write more except to say this little piece of lego kit has had DS2 really engrossed in building for the last week. It has all the parts for a helicopter and raft.

Project 365 Photo 7

Boxes...what are they? The online diction says....A container typically constructed with four sides perpendicular to the base and often having a lid or cover....I think that it is something used for storage and often made of cardboard.

In my house the cardboard variety is none of those things. It is for hiding in, a house, cave, car, plane, hats and of course my children use them for storage. Giggles and squeals of delight are always to be heard when playing with never ending supply of big boxes in our house. Happy faces and grins on all faces until the children either have to pack up at the end of the day or tensions rise and the game is abandoned.

Why is it that adults limit their idea of what a box can be used for. I wonder what happens to children when they mature into adulthood and where that wonderful imagination goes to.

Anyway enough of my musings here is my photo.

Project 365 Photo 4, 5 and 6

My second post for today includes the last of my photos to catch up.

photo 4 is a shot of a small selection of DS1 medical equipment that we use on a daily basis. This is a shot that means most to us and is only a small part of the stuff we need to keep his life healthy. I know that this all requires more explanation but this will come about another day.



photo 5 is a moment of everyday life. I actually gave my camera to DD 8 years and said take some photos not realising that in 45 minutes 138 photos could be taken. Anyway today's photo is taken by DD. It DS's and me mowing to lawns.



photo 6 was taken today. We have been renovating our house over the last twelve months. I am the plaster, self taught and DH is the painter. We have accumulated all the tools to strip the wall paper, plaster and paint the walls of our 166 square meter home. We have only one room left to do and that is the bathroom. As you can see from the photo the bath is filled with the tools and is no longer usable. We now need to find the dollars to window dress this room and we are finished. That will be a photo for another day.



Phew I promise never to let the posting get behind.

Project 365 Photo 2 and 3

Okay my second photo was a rare moment. We had cash in our house. DH's job involves going abroad. When he gets to his destination allowances are given in the currency of the country. This was what he arrived home with after spending Christmas in Beijing. A very timely little pack at this time.



The third one I have taken at Orewa Beach. Had a fabulous time at the beach. The children love swimming surfing, building sand castles and tunnels. We took a picnic to have under our shade. It was fun.

This photo to me was very iconic of a kiwi summer. The bucket, spade, sandcastle, board, the little girl in the background....DD....a perfectly blue and hot summers day



I will post the rest soon.

Project 365 Photo 1

It is summer here and finally the weather is starting to settle. My photo is of DS1 showing off his muscles to us. New Years day.



I have been keeping a little note in my diary to help me add a little journalling to the LO am intending on doing at the end of each week.

Project 365

Welcome to 2009 everyone and to my endeavour to participate in the Project 365. I aim to take photos of everyday things, events and activities reflecting life in from my view point.

Hmmmm I hope that I have not been too bold in this undertaking but I have justified this with myself by saying it will keep reminding me to take photos of our life.

I am an impatient type of person so I am keen to see the end result of this endeavour and just maybe I might end up with a complete project that can be printed.

Watch this space is all I can say.

I guess then I might be able to justify to myself and DH the purchase of an SLR camera.

I created this yesterday saying just that.



Credits all go to Jolly Holiday from WW and the font is Santas Sleigh Full. The journalling says...Dear Santa

I know that you have just made a visit but I have compiled my list for 2009. Actually, hint hint, the photo tells it all. I really really want to up grade my camera.

I promise to learn how to use it to its maximum and never leave it idle and gathering dust. I promise to get the pages I create with the photos published into a book or three, and mostly I promise to take a few more photos of myself with my family.

Tamara

Thinking Back

I was sitting there the other day looking at photos from time gone by when I came across this fantastic one of my DD at Kindy when we were living in Brunei.



Credits go to Lindsay Jane for the fabulous kit Art 101 and the font SA Kiss

It got me thinking about how adventurous we allow our children to become. What experiences we let them to encounter.

I know that I am keen to see my children play in the mud, I don't mind them getting we in the rain, climb trees, paint, bake etc. My theory is as long as they are safe then anything goes.

Yes it often makes plenty of washing, cleaning and requires many a sticking plaster or two on hand but to see the joy and pleasure when they encounter these experiences it all seems very worth it.

School

My DD finished school last week. The year has had its ups and downs what with having to create a brand new circle of friends and facing new challenges requiring choices to be made.

With all of that under her belt I have to say that she has been very inspired by her teacher this year and the effort DD has put in reflected this. So I should not have been surprised when she walked away from the end of year prize giving with a certificate acknowledging this effort for the year. Yet another moment and another child to be proud of.



Credits Everything for this LO was from Donna Duncombes Winter Delights, fonts are Depressionist Three and typewriter royale 2000

It did make me sit and wonder what it is that makes me as a parent proud. Is it just the academic successes or something more. I have made a conscious effort this year to discuss the need to make good choices with DD. This has required her to think long and hard about what makes good friends, what constitutes appropriate behaviour, consequences for poor choices and so on. I have sat through the tears, hers not mine this time, the smiles, the sound of pleasure when she achieves and the growing confidence as the year progressed. She has faced all of this and learnt many of life's little lessons. This too makes me proud. I know that she takes a great deal of care with her brothers especially DS1. For this I am proud too.

Graduation

My DS2 graduated from Preschool Friday. He no longer is a big fish among many others but in February will become a very little and new fish in a much larger school setting.

I must say that I was filled with many emotions as I sat there through his little ceremony. He was all dressed in cap and star clustered cape beside his teacher. He showed off his portfolio to the class smiling and received their cheers, songs and hugs.

On the other hand me....I was a mess. I should have taken tissues. I think I surprised myself. My last child, my baby is growing up. He has been through many an emotional journey while at his pre school. This was here he first left the precious place of home to spend time with someone other than me, this is where he expressed his joy at learning and anger at the world around him while his brother was seriously ill in hospital. This was the place he forged friendships and formed special bonds with the adults at the centre after we ripped him dramatically out of his secure life in Brunei to a country he had never visited and didn't know anyone else. This is the place where he started to emulate his brothers behaviour which was far from idea as his brother was recovering from a brain injury and the behaviours were less than ideal to mimicking.

I know I am excited about the future for my son but sad that this little chapter in his life is over. I cried because he is now so independent and come out the end of a very difficult little journey and has done it so well. I makes me smile, with tears, when I see his joy at learning, his keenness to discover the world of numbers and words and his fascination at the world around him.

I guess most of all I cried because I could.

Here is a LO I I created celebrating this moment is DS2 life.



credits kit is art 101 by Lindsay Jane Designs and font is travelling typewriter

Me

Gosh I has been sometime since I have blogged. No excuses really, but I will do my best to try and make some. Life is hectic. DD has just turn 8 and of course with that comes the party and such that newly 8 year olds like. Just a little party was had. The cake made by me then off to the beading place for a beading party. Necklaces was on the agenda and between the selecting the design to be made and the beads to be used, getting the instructions between the chatter chatter chatter that eight year olds can make. It really made me wonder what I am going to be in for when little miss becomes a tween or even a teen. I must make a note to myself that time on the telephone will become difficult for the adults of the house to access. Anyway DD loves the rare treat of going out for lunch. So Mum (me) and eight year olds all went to a cafe for lunch in their party dresses. What a sight.



How grown up she is becoming. After dropping the girls off home we were back to see the local Santa Parade.

Sunday just a perfect summers day. So we packed a picnic and ventured out on our first beach trip of the season. Kareotahi was a perfect spot that day. I bravely exposed my pale and somewhat neglected body to the elements, covered it with sunscreen. The para sailers floated over head, families played cricket and flew kites, children were building and digging in the sand and of course swimming. This beach is on the west coast of New Zealand and that makes the sand black and on a hot summers day black sand gets really hot.



Now don't get excited in thinking I was going to get wet. No... I did not go swimming. In fact I love swimming but the water has to be warm and trust me on Sunday I could not feel my ankles after only about 1 minute so that was it paddling and nothing more.

DD had a fab weekend. She loved everything she did and has started planning next years event. I am not sure if I should be happy that she is a planner and is trying to be organised or pensive that there are still 360 days till her 9th birthday and such a grand event can be planned in that time.

That is just the weekend. There are just 4 more days to write about but I will save that for another post.