OMFG!!!! Check this out ya'll....

Stella over at the golden adventures is running a MAD giveaway. Enter! Or don't, 'cos I want to win. I need to win!! To say I like foxes is indeed an understatement...I have one tattooed on me arm for goodness sake! In my house, on my clothings, I make them...I LOVE FOXES.
Enough babbling...sorry.
I am going to go and make a cuppa and calm down now.
SQQQQQQUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

another SUPER sweet giveaway...

So for the sweetest giveaway to warm up your winter and put a HUGE smile on your dial go see Stella!
This giveaway is so chock full of awesomeness it'll blow your mind.

Enter! Or don't...it gives me more chance of winning muahahaha

xx

the littlest little is one...

delayed reaction, I know but...

I cannot believe that it was 374 days ago that I gave birth to this girl

On the day of her birth (Tuesday 9th) tea-time we planted Maggie's placenta, along with Elanor's first hair-cuttings (the hospital THREW HER PLACENTA AWAY... don't even get me started) underneath an orange tree - a navel orange at that...fitting! Family came, beautiful words were spoken, gifts were given and vanilla and passion fruit sponge cake was eaten. A wonderful way to celebrate this one making her entrance into the world methinks!

For the littlest little's first birthday I decided on a teddy bears' picnic as we are pretty much a house overrun by stuffed animals. Family and so many awesome friends from near and far came to share the special celebearation (see what I did there?) with us...it was heartwarming and totally fun for all!

And so we have a one year old...and are 7 months off a 4 year old too. WHERE DOES IT ALL GO?! When I start thinking of how quickly time passes it makes me want to savour all the drawing, clothes-choosing-fights, rolling around on the floor, laughing at boogers and so on and so on... It is all too easy to rush through the day in order to "get things done" and of course things need to be done but we also can't forget in our sleep deprived grumpiness that these people are only little once and although they may not remember specific things about this time they will remember the feeling of being loved. 

birth days...

Enjoying the late afternoon sunshine whilst unwrapping the pot for the planting of the placenta tomorrow on the smallest Hansen lady's first birthday has got me thinking... isn't it funny how generally people don't say happy birth day to the Mama? It's as much your birth day as it is the bebe's, right? I think so.
When I wake up in the morning I'll be thinking of the milestones and times as we go through the day. At 2pm I'll remember how I went downstairs to our bed to lie down with Elanor and how 10 minutes later I was up in the lounge rocking. At 3pm I'll remember the look on Jason's face as he came back from the barn expecting to find Ellie and I sleeping peacefully but instead found me grinding my lower back into the kitchen bench (soooooo good!). And at 6.32pm I'll remember that huge surge of power and emotion as Maggie came into the world...then after the briefest touch was taken away to be put on a ventilator. At 10.10pm before I go to bed I'll remember the first time I saw that baby girl, all tubes and wires and smushed up little face.

I think all Mamas deserve a congratulatory hug on their little ones' birth days...no matter how long ago it was.

new tattoo...

Don't worry...I'm not about to break out into a bad rendition of the Van Halen song. Or am I? Maybe later, if you're lucky.
I have been thinking about a new tattoo for a while and the gods be telling me now is the time. After a Christmas gift from my Dad and a thank you present from the Shakespeare cast I now find myself with $200 worth of vouchers. Perfect! It seems to make sense to do it now, going into cooler weather. Reason being that I am thinking about starting a half sleeve that I (obviously) won't be able to finish all that quickly so arm with half finished tattoo being covered up through winter would be a good idea.
I am struggling though - do I start something big or get something smaller that I have the funds to finish??
Hungarian folk art, foxes, craft related and doily tattoos fill my dreams...

decisions, decisions...

sweet giveaway...

Stella over at this cool blog is hosting a RAD glasses giveaway - get amongst it...but not too much 'cos I WANT TO WIN!! I need new glasses so bad. Mind you...even if I don't I'll probs order some from Firmoo - pretty darn cool and above all affordable. Will have to put the Mr onto this in preparation for the sad day when his ray bans inevitably get munted.

YEAHBOOOOOOOOOOOI!! Thanks Stella

x

watching watching...

Ebaby goes to a Steiner kindy 3 half days a week and we try to follow the same principles of providing practical, hands-on activities and environments that encourage creative play - letting her discover things for herself.

I often draw alongside her or she asks me to draw things for her. I have never shown her "how" to draw a face or even a circle and was super stoked when she came to show me this picture after a quiet 15 mins in the playroom...

names added by me...obviously.

was a really proud Mama moment for me but also made me so much more aware of just how much our biggest little is learning from watching us. Makes you think about your behavior huh?Sheeeesh!

PS. Note Daddy's beard!!

two years...

Today it is the Mr and my two year wedding anniversary. I have a veritable feast planned - bruschetta with home grown toms, three cheese lasagne (the Mr has a SERIOUS cheese tooth) and oreo truffle brownie and blueberry yoghurt ice cream to finish... you wish you were my husband right now, don't you?

We went to the wedding of a dear, dear friend at the weekend and it brought back many memories of that day I became the Mrs to his Mr and gave myself entirely to him. I have been so grateful for his caring heart, his soothing words and his strong shoulders over this past fun-filled/action-packed year...
In the last year of our marriage we have added a new member to our whanau and my heart is brimming with love! It hasn't all been plain sailing, of course, but here's to many more years of...more  xx

streeeeeetch!

I am feeling pulled in all directions at the moment and as a result some things are suffering. I can't think properly, I do little to nothing around the house, I am not always as tender or patient as I'd like with the littles...relationships in general are suffering, I think.
Soon the Shakespeare and all which that entails on my (and others') part will be finished and that will be a huge weight lifted. Don't get me wrong, I do really enjoy it, it's just bloody hard work to find the energy to balance everything.

It seems like it's always one thing to the next with me...but this time I have promised myself that (after doing my friend's wedding cupcakes and Maggie's birthday) I will not take on anything else. For a while.

Breathe.

rant...

Sometimes I feel like people don't take me seriously...
Two days in a row now I have had people just not turn up to rehearsal. It is not particularly easy for me to pack up both the girls and enough stuff/food to entertain them for a couple of hours and go into town. It also inevitably means that Maggie's day sleeps go out the window. Yes, fair enough, I chose to do this...yes, I did, but I am trying to make it as easy as possible for others and don't feel they are according me the same respect in return. It's not fair on me, my kids or the other people who turn up. I am being pretty accommodating, changing dates/times etc and frankly I am getting a little pissed.
People have all the information they need and can pretty much contact me any time...
I guess I just feel like people don't do this to other directors...or do they? I certainly don't.
It comes down to me feeling like people don't take me seriously.

here endeth the rant.