The magic of a lullaby

A couple of times yesterday, Miss Moo Moo told me she had a sore tummy. "Like string wrapped around it". Poor little thing. Then last night, at 2 in the morning she called out to me. This was the conversation when I entered her dark bedroom:

"My tummy still hurts" - Miss Moo Moo

"I'm not sure what I can do" - Me

"Hush little baby" - Miss Moo Moo

And that was it.

I softly sang the words to this lullaby that has soothed her since she was a baby. She was sound asleep before I got half way through.

It was all she needed.

When my son was 6 weeks old we were given this beautiful CD from a friend. We played it every night at bedtime for the next 18 months until my daughter was born. With a new baby having different needs at 6 o'clock at night, this beautiful night time ritual soon became no more. So instead I choose one of my favourite songs from the CD, and sung it to her at bedtime. I did not know at the time how important that one song would be to her.

Hush, Little Baby 



Hush, little baby, don't say a word.

Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird won't sing,
Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring

And if that diamond ring turns brass,
Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass

And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa's gonna buy you a billy goat

And if that billy goat won't pull,
Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull

And if that cart and bull fall down,
You'll still be the sweetest little baby in town

Happy Earth Day

We are really enjoying these slightly cooler autumn mornings. Instead of the children bounding out of their beds and outside to play, they have been coming into our bed for a snuggle. Even Spunky Monkey. Since I am constantly being reminded "I'm six now , Mum, I'm a big boy" I am feeling grateful that I am even getting a 5 minute cuddle with my 'big boy'

This morning Miss Moo Moo brought in a little cat softie that she had slept with. Mr Moo asked her the cat's name. She told him it was Reduce. He didn't quiet understand her and asked her again. She told him in a louder and clearer voice.

"Cat's name is Reduce, you know Dad, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"

Good, someone has been listening.

So today, I share with you the same quote I did last year:

"Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" - A Kenyan Proverb

I am looking forward to enjoying a long walk in nature this afternoon. I hope you get one too.

Computers and kids

A thoughtful gesture from a friend has left me feeling conflicted.

A friend of Mr Moo's gave us an old computer that has heaps of games on it, for children, our kids age. It didn't sit unnoticed for long. On Saturday, a rainy afternoon, we plugged it in and turned it on. There is no room, in this room, for another computer, so it went into Spunky Monkey's room and onto his bed side desk. The afternoon soon disappeared. I was happy enough, they were perhaps learning something and I could get on, uninterrupted, with a few little jobs.

But on Sunday night I found Spunky Monkey sitting in the dark playing games after bedtime. He sometimes sneaks his lamp back on after bedtime and will draw for a while before putting himself back to bed. I don't mind. But this computer thing, did not sit well with me.

On Monday morning after coming home from school drop off, I went straight to hang the washing. I could not hear Miss Moo Moo singing and playing with her dolls in her room, as she usually did. I came back inside to see where she was, it was so quiet. I found her sitting, transfixed at the computer. She had been there all morning before school too.

I wasn't expecting to be monitoring computer time so soon. So yesterday I took the computer out of Spunky Monkey's room and returned his textas, coloured paper and scissors to his desk. Last night, the kids spent over 40 minutes drawing before bed.

I know I have made the right decision for my family.


(a gum tree that is 200 years old, this is part of a series of seven gum tree drawings - Spunky Monkey)



(a T-Rex, that possibly started out as a gum tree? - Miss Moo Moo)

Just like a big hug!

I have just had one of the loveliest weeks.

My cousin came up for a visit for a few days with her three little girls (ages 1, 2 and 4) Her husband and older children were left at home to go to school and to work.





We mostly hung out at my place, which was a nice change. On Monday my aunt (her mum) and my mum came for lunch. I asked my cousin to bring a loaf of bread and mum to bring some ham. As usual with my family, we ended up with a feast. Please note our feast included freshly boiled and farm fresh bantam eggs and homemade feta cheese. Thanks Karen. We happily chatted the day away with our four little girls playing around us. Day turned into night and it was all into the bath, make-shift pajama's and a quick spaghetti bolognese for dinner.

Read more about this day in someone else's words, here.





Other things we did:

• Karen taught me how to make homemade feta cheese, however, I think there was to much talking and tea drinking to take any real notice of the steps involved.
• We took Spunky Monkey out of school one day and spent the morning at the beach. Picnics and sandcastles.
• Karen came along with me to my Craft Night and was very productive with her advent calender pockets.

But most of all, this woman (my very special cousin) gives me wings. My spirit soars in her presence. Like I said before, one of the loveliest weeks.

But, it doesn't stop there.... Last night, my other favourite cousin rang from far away, I hadn't spoken to her in a while. It was so nice to fall back into the soft cushions of my couch and chat away to her for hours. Wouldn't it have been nice, if she could have visited for the second half of the week.

And....

Then there is my Mum.

My wonderful mum, who canceled her hair appointment today and came over to sew up a dress we had cut out (I was suppose to be learning to sew - that's another story) I decided, just yesterday, it would be the perfect dress for an outing on the weekend.

I love you Mum xx Thank-you so very much!

DON'T FORGET MY GIVEAWAY - DRAWN TOMORROW NIGHT!!!

The perfect husband

(this photo is from here. The images on this blog make me want to get married every other day!)

There has been a lot of baby talk around here of late. Not from me, from Spunky Monkey, who really wants his own baby. Will I have one? When? He even took some of his old baby things (clothes, blankets and toys) recently when I was sorting things to give away. I found them in a secret stash in his room. When I tried to put them back away in the boxes in the garage, he protested that he was saving them for his babies. He is worried that I am giving it all away and that there will be nothing for his baby.

I also had to explain to him that, he will not carry a baby in his own body, but will have a baby by getting married. This fact, he is a bit disappointed about. I am just grateful that the BIG question has not come up and neither child has asked, 'How do babies get into a mummy's tummy?'

Miss Moo Moo however, is more worried about finding a husband. After some explaining she now knows that she can not marry Daddy or Spunky Monkey. So last night we discussed a few options from Daycare.

Me: You might marry one of Spunky Monkey's friends or someone from Daycare.

Miss Moo Moo: Not Rylan, he pushes me and pokes me in the eye. He is a meanie. Not Jacob, he just follows Maxim everywhere.

Me: It seems like you really know what you are looking for in a good husband. Someone who makes you laugh and treats you kind.

She looked up at me and said with a smile.

Miss Moo Moo: Hmmm, that's Maxim.

Oh to be young and in love!

The early bird catches the worm

This morning I woke to the sound of the sticky tape dispenser in heavy use. It was pitch dark. I followed the light down the hall and into our family room where I found Spunky Monkey.

"I'm making a hat for Christopher Robin's birthday" he said, as if it was the most natural thing to be doing at that hour.

In that one sentence, in that one moment, my heart skipped a beat. I am sometimes blown away by the amount of love you can feel for your children. This morning at 5:35 am I have found imagination, creativity and independence sitting at our dining table.

I then asked, how did he know it was morning, it is still dark outside

"It's what I call blurry, Mum."

I went and looked out of his bedroom window, and it was, in fact, a blurry sky. Faint light against a backdrop of heavy dark grey clouds. Time to get up!

This was my Cabbage Patch Doll from when I was a child (a fake, I'm sorry to say) I named him Christopher, it was the 80's! Spunky Monkey has added the last name of Robin from Winnie the Pooh fame, as it's the only Christopher he knows. The name seems to have stuck. There is something so beautiful when you watch your children playing with your own, well loved toys. I was an only child, so many of my toys were kept and are in good condition. At the moment they are the toys that are being played with the most around here.

Talk about a warm heart.