Observations of us
Ben had the most lovely morning with his two little mates, Joseph and Baby Tom. The big boys played so beautifully with Tom – very cute. I took these snaps and thought they captured the fun of the morning. It was just one of the mornings that made you so thankful for having great friends and children!
Its June 4th 2010 and I can’t stop thinking about the little business I hope to begin – a little dream really. Just something simple. A studio in the garage and selling my wares at the Handmade Expo. I don’t expect to make millions but to have a little joy doing what I love. If I was to make a little money that would be nice too!! I am nervous, scared and excited. I hope that the creative mojo I once thought I possessed was not in my mind and I can indeed harness it and produce some old fashioned fabulous toys. I am hoping to make cubby houses that fit over your dining room table or card table, tee pees, fabric puppet theatres, hop scotch mats and maybe hobby horses. ……………. Deep Breath!!!! Wow it is out there! I have said it and now I need to make it a reality. First thing…….. a name and funding. I am probably heading back to the classroom next term to cover the funding ……. another Deep Breath! Only for short time to get the dollars organised so I can fund my project. My dream is to work from home so I can be the best Mum to Ben I can be. As for the name……mmmmmmm……… not going that well there. I want something that captures the essence of childhood play. We are still tinkering. These are some early ideas – SMILE+LAUGH+PLAY, Play the Old Fashioned Way, Old Fashioned Fun, and Aunty Bee’s. All ideas welcome….. please.
I have to thank some really wonderful people for inspiring me…… Tam for sourcing the most inspiring, sensational and extraordinary toys in her shop – Billycarts and Ballerinas. It is truely fabulous and if you haven’t been for a visit it is a must. For me it is like stepping into a fairytale. Claire for always being a positive voice in my head – thank you thank you thank you. My Mum for encouraging me to orgainise the garage and set up a studio. My wonderful husband who believes I can do anything and of course my beautiful little man Ben who reminds me that childhood is an amazing place every single day.
Fingers crossed that in the next six months……. I get myself organised.
I snapped this photo today when Ben had a little nap on the couch (which is unheard of!). But it reminded me of this baby photo I took when he was about a month old. WOW ……. he seems to have grown in the blink of an eye!!! He still makes my heart melt xoxo
Ben and I started the morning with great enthusiasm and excitement. Today was the day of the Play School Concert. We couldn’t wait!! Well…. It didn’t exactly stay that way or go to plan. We made sure we arrived in plenty of time to get a good possie. We ended up with front row seats which I thought was going to be excellent. We had front row seats last time we saw Play School. The shows storyline saw the presenters take Big Ted, Little Ted and Jemina through adventures on their way to Humpty’s house for a picnic. I was sooooooo excited that the presenters were Alex Papps and Abi Tucker. Alex is my all time favorite presenter!! Ben thinks he is pretty cool as well (heheheh). When the concert began it didn’t take long for Ben to cover his ears and cling to me for dear life. It was a little loud but I thought he would relax as the show continued. During one of the songs Alex came down from the stage dressed as a monkey and pretended to steal my bag. I think he was trying to get Ben to smile. I thought this was cute and my heart skipped a beat as I have a tiny crush on Alex ………….but Ben was not impressed and began to cry telling him to ‘give his mummy’s bag back’. Ben didn’t really recover from this although I think I did see a brief smile at one point. Ben continued to complain about the noise and sat in my lap with his bunnies over his ears. I thought it best to move away from the front and head towards the back. But still Ben was not impressed. It was time to leave! I was gutted that we had to leave before we got to Humpty’s picnic!! Once Ben and I left the auditorium Ben gave me a big smile and said ‘Bust My Buffers it was loud’. My heartbreak over Humpty was gone and I gave my little man a great big hug! Maybe next time we will sit right at the back!!!
Ben is all about getting his hands on any and all gadgets that have any kind of buttons. He is continually getting his hands on the cameras. Here are some very interesting self portraits….mmmmmm rascal!
Whether they are the stories we tell, or stories in books, stories are one of Ben’s favorite activities. I have enjoyed reading to Ben and watching how he reacts to books. He often picks his own stories and loves to question what you read…. but why Mum why? how come? or whats that?. He sometimes loves to read them to you. He enjoys acting parts out – blowing a sailing ships across the page or pretending to eat the gingerbread man off the pages. Ben knows that the printed word carries a message and is now pointing out words that are meaningful to him. As a Mum and an Early Childhood Educator I find this fascinating and exciting. We are going to go to the library this week and sign up for a borrowing card. He will just love picking books to take home. Here are some of his favorites-
