WINTER SOLSTICE

To celebrate - 0n the weekend; a bonfire, some lanterns, Dada soup and bread, cookies and live music with friends...then yesterday (on the actual Solstice), lunch in the park, more soup, warm chocolate milk, knitting, a 'new'/'old plate is refound, the nature table is remade and we look forward to cooler days.

TOOTHY-PEG

His first tooth arrived last week and yesterday, his second made an appearance. We had a cake to celebrate but Rafa had only a rusk to chew on (not fair I know!). It won't be long before he's tasting his first piece of cake I'm sure - probably at his 1st birthday, which isn't too fair away really! You can't see his tooth above but I just like the photo. He doesn't let us look at his new toothy-pegs very often but when we do get to see them we can't help but ohhhhhing....they're very special those first teeth!

THREE

I'm finding it extremely difficult to believe that Elsa is three and I'm guessing that many people have felt the same way about their own children (or child). Each birthday seems to come around ever so fast and there's hardly time to reflect on the goings on of the previous year. I guess that's part of the reason that I blog, or at least try to when I can. It's such an easy, accessible way to reflect, and share.

Three years! THREE YEARS! Oh my. It's been 10 days since her birthday and she's still talking all about it at every possible opportunity. She's really quite smitten with the idea of being three and it would be hard to be anything but over the moon for her. We celebrated her birthday with a morning tea here followed by lunch, and afternoon tea and dinner (!) back at home with family. She had such a wonderful day and so did we.

Her morning tea was a hit; she hasn't stopped chatting about the apple peeler (a gift from her Mama and Dada), the lady-bird cake, her lolly-bags (thankfully they were appreciated because I was up til 11pm the night before making them and even then I needed help from friends at the party to thread the cords before the party ended!), the treasure hunt (lady-bird chocolates), the gifts (so lovely - she's played with her new ironing board every day), her "party pants" (I actually made them a year in advance - a first) and well, just the whole thing.

Initallywe contemplated inviting all and sundry and, while that would've been lovely in a different way I'm sure, I'm glad we kep the party small with just 6 "big kids" and a few babies. It wasn't overwhelming at all and she had time throughout the event to take it all in.

Apples to make "swirly worms" with all the kids using the apple corer/peeler/chopper

Rafa sharing some loving with the other "party-baby"

Lady-bugs all-around

Setting up: setting up the treasure hunt in the background

Autumn leaves

At home with her ironing board courtesy of her aunt (an op. shop find with a lovely new cover made by her aunt)

DOWN-WARD DOG

More output for the little babe courtesy of the Meet Me at Mikes book. At full-length these yoga pants are much too long for Rafa but folded up, they're just perfect and they'll fit him for some time to come. I still have a few more patterns to try from this book and have so much of this mushroom print, in most of the previously available colourways, that I'm not sure I'll be able to use it all. I'm contemplating curtains for the play-shelves. And the cream fabric is organic bamboo cotton jersey knit from here. These pants work perfectly with cloth nappies, the type I use at least.

SPOTTY BOTTOM

In February (I know, this is a little late!), I made these little pants for Rafael from the Meet Me at Mikes book . In the warm weather these and a singlet was all he needed but now, it's just too cold. I should be able to loosen the elastic for this summer. It was nice to see little birds flying around his waist and they fit perfectly over his cloth nappies; I like it when the two go together!?!