When Max met Molly

Meet Max and Molly. Max was my first attempt at doll making - I made him for Jacob's birthday (I love the idea of encouraging doll play in boys) and while Jacob did seem to like him, it was Ella who really loved him - he has been much played with already (as you might be able to tell from his dirty face!) So when Ella asked if I would make her a doll for her birthday I couldn't say no.

Max and Molly are the 'Little Amigo Dolls' from Meg McElwee's 'Growing up Sew Liberated' - one of my favourite sewing books. I worked on the doll whenever I got a chance in the 2 weeks leading up to Ella's birthday and it was really great to see her interest in how Molly was made. I love knowing that I'm giving my kids an understanding of where things really come from and how they are made rather than having them just thinking that toys and clothes simply materialise from the shops. I hope that knowing how much time and effort goes into making their things will make them a little more considerate and careful with them - I may be just dreaming but you never know...!

I have to say I am a bit in love with Molly. I especially love her beautiful long hair. Each of the dolls is supposed to be a little mini-me for each of the children so they both have green eyes and brown hair with bits of gold and red, I've made Molly's hair long in anticipation of Ella's growing a little - which it does actually seem to be doing now! I found her lovely cardigan at a second hand market - I'm not sure whether it was originally made for a doll or for a very small baby - either way it's perfect! Hopefully Molly and Ella will enjoy lots of exciting adventures together over the next few years!

Puffing Billy

For Ella's birthday treat this year we took a little trip on Puffing Billy - a wonderful steam train that runs through the Dandenong Ranges. Amazingly it stopped raining and the sun came out for the morning which was just perfect. We chugged along, huffing and puffing, through the trees and over rickety old bridges, with our wellied feet dangling out of the windows, waving to everyone we passed. It was wonderful.

Nanny and Grandpa met us at the station and we all drove back to their house for a play and a slice of birthday cake. The rain started again by afternoon so we snuggled up infront of the fire and played with Ella's new birthday presents. It was a lovely day of full of simple pleasures, just perfect.

Three

It's been such a long time since I've written - I didn't mean to take such a long break but things have been very busy recently at work and with the lead up to Ella's birthday (and all the birthday present making involved with that!)

It's still really hard to believe that our beautiful little girl turned 3 last week. It just doesn't seem possible that three whole years have passed since we shared our first cuddles. But they have passed and every day we have watched our gorgeous baby grow into the sweet (yet sometimes very assertive) little person that she is!

I can't begin to tell you how proud of this lovely little lady we are. Of course there are the usual toddler tears and tantrums from time to time - but most of all she is a very caring little thing and so funny and full of joy for life. Her enthusiasm for even the tiniest thing is infectious and makes us see the world with bright new eyes. I doubt that there is a day that passes where she doesn't have us in hysterics over something she's done or said.

We had a lovely little birthday party with our friends from parent's group and with Ella's cousins. We did lots of dressing up, danced, played, decorated cupcakes and ate sandwiches and jelly. It was a lovely morning. I was astonished at the restraint that the little ones showed with their cupcake decorations. I was prepared for icing smeared everywhere - on the walls, on the floor, in their hair - prepared for sweets piled high on top, dropped all over floor and crammed into little mouths. But they did such a good job. Everyone made one for themselves and one for their mummy - they were delicious!

Cousins

Given that the little ones are still rather too young for the ANZAC dawn service, what better way to show our gratitude to all those thousands of brave young men and women who sacrificed so much, than by taking time to really appreciate the family and the freedom that they fought to protect.

We spent a beautiful day picnicing in the park and topped it off with a trip to the beach where Ella and Anais had masses of fun frolicking in the waves.  I can't begin to tell you how cold the water was, but they didn't seem to even notice. I often think how wonderful it would be to exist in a state where the world was so much fun, so engaging and exciting, that your own personal discomfort was irrelevant!

It was so lovely to watch the girls playing together and to see Jacob and Dylan beginning to interact with one another. It made me think, not for the first time, how grateful I am that they have each other. Ella may not have a sister, and Jacob may not have a brother, but in a way they've each got something better - a cousin.  The excitement from the girls when they hear that they are going to see the other is simply heart melting - I hope that they never lose that. I hope that they will always grow and play together, learning from each other, encouraging one another, laughing, exploring and generally enjoying some girly fun.

I'm immensely grateful for my own lovely sister, and part of me is a little sad to think that Ella probably won't have get to have that same relationship, but I'm hoping (perhaps naively) that Ella and Anais, (and Jacob and Dylan) will get to have all the benefits of having a sister (or a brother) without at least some of the arguments that inevitably go with it!

Shiver me timbers!

Ooo Aaaarr! Ohoy there mateys! Yesterday was Jacob's first birthday party, and, incase you haven't guessed, it was a pirate party. We had so much fun; the weather was perfect and the guests were lovely.

There were sandwiches, sausage rolls and a plethora of cake. There were eye patches and paper hats and scars. There were balloon sword fights, "Arrrrr's" a plenty and our very own pirate ship on the lawn. The cubby got a very rigorous playing with and some people even walked the plank!

My two dearest birthday boys had a fantastic (if tiring!) day. They both got rather spoiled with gifts, stuffed their faces with cake and had generally had a swashbucklingly good time. So a big thank you to all our friends and family who made it such a lovely day, and to those who couldn't be there; we missed you.

x