the past few days

as a photo, this picture looks rather serene

but i can assure you that it came with a soundtrack
involving much screeching and "no, go away!"-type-whinging.
meanwhile, there i stood, taking photos...

this morning we had some food-dye fun

making these easter eggs with big sister's special friend, k

egg-decorating ideas from here, here and here

our weekend

this weekend:
husband took big sister to farm world (a farming expo) -
she was super-excited on saturday morning
and came home exhausted after a great day
seeing pake and uncle g, and looking at tractors and animals,
getting the pram tyres all muddy,
and eating lots of dairy (and sugar...)

and i was able to sew for the very first time
in my new sewing room,
where i do not eat my dinner, or dry then fold my washing,
or have guests stay, or watch tv, or have children play,
or do anything other than have crafty, mummy-time.
ahhh, what a lovely big house we've got...

birthday girls

today is big sister's 2.5 birthday
(she's cuddling kumi, a member of our new house,
who likes to demonstrate appropriate behaviour to the kids
through dinner-time role-plays!)

and little sister turned 10 months earlier this week
(a little plug for the sweet poison quit plan here,
with whose help i am now able to wear these pre-baby jeans again!)

window art

big sister and i have been doing some window artworks lately
idea and instructions from here.

above are some birds,
which in lent remind us that God provides all we need
and also that we have been freed from the control of sin and death
through Jesus' death in our place and his resurrection.

below are some autumn leaves,
which we made yesterday with some local little friends,
to celebrate the autumn equinox.

the golden leaves have turned to rust,
the silver clouds to grey;
we give thanks for the autumn
as the summer slips away.
(from the lion book of 1000 prayers for children)

he is risen

our new lent/easter bunting
made from paint chips
gathered on a trip to 600 bucks (aka bunnings)
during the last days at our old place.

idea from someone else who i can't remember!

my birthday

today has been a wonderful celebration of my birthday,
and has left me feeling completely assured
that moving into this big, communal house
was a most excellent, God-at-work-in-our-life idea.

my housemate, j, made the amazing rainbow cake above
and secretly conspired with husband to invite
some special friends over for morning tea.
the kidlets created mayhem, inside and out,
but the spaciousness meant it wasn't overwhelming at all.
we talked openly about life and mothering,
and the kids even sat quietly around the table,
glueing tissue paper to glass jars
to make the tea-light candle-holders above,
which in lent remind us that Jesus is the light of the world.

later, i had 2 hours of alone time, while j watched the girls,
and while i enjoyed the freedom,
i returned home with a fresh sense of delight in my family.

and now fish and chips awaits!

lent tree

our lent tree:
a branch from our peach tree,
covered with origami butterflies,
to remind us of the new life Jesus made possible for us
through his death and resurrection,
which we remember throughout lent and at easter,
accompanied by these verses:

Jesus said: "I have come that they may have life,
and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
(The gospel of John, ch.10, verses 10b-11)

punishment

this is the pile of books i had to mend this afternoon.
3 belonging to our little housemate, and 4 belonging to us -
including big sister's current favourite, cinderella.
i made big sister sit at the table and watch me fix them,
my desperate attempt to get her to comprehend the badness of what she'd done.
from the look on her face, do you think she's repentant?
sigh...

haircut time

the secret to keeping your child's head still whilst getting a haircut:
a spray bottle full of water!

little sister used it as a drinking fountain
while big sister drenched herself silly
now that she's strong enough to pull the trigger.

from darwin: part 3

viewing the florence falls

paddling at the buley rockhole

resting by the florence falls swimming hole

marvelling at the termite mounds

our last full day in the top end was spent at litchfield NP.
and here endeth this series of darwin photos!

from darwin: part 2

morning tea-time at the waterfront

going for a squiz at the queen mary 2 from uncle a's fishing boat

getting a babycino fix at cullen bay, before feeding the fish

after dinner entertainment from the jetty restaurant

from darwin: part 1

oh, how i've longed to be back in blogland much sooner than this!
but finally the technical issues are resolved,
and life is calming down
after our trip to darwin, packing and moving house.

here are some pics from our first couple of days in darwin,
with more to come later
(and more on lent and our new communal house too):

travelling by ferry to mandorah with the lovely j

picnicing at mandorah, in the shade of the palm trees

eyeballing crocs at crocosaurus cove
(big sister liked them best in the glass cabinets!)

chilling out in aunty and uncle's pool each afternoon