I speak picturish

Advent

Make it a thoughtful and thankful celebration.

I speak picturish

Her way

There is little to no tradition for kitchen time in the family I come from. So I find myself wondering how come don't I find it challenging also?! Slowly but surely my kids moved in the same direction.
At first there was a big cooking set that a generous friend got them last Christmas. You know, one of those toys that are complex enough to give you ideas and simple enough to let you play "your way". So we had countless gatherings and tea parties, there were soups made and cakes baked and everybody's been happy for a while.
But today the Missy said she wanted to play "my way". After pondering and trying to decide what to make for dessert - I was offering pancakes or gaufres - she decided: we'll make Puffy Cake.
Yeah, right! Like it was really on the list, this one, was it?! So I told her as a patient but also tight-on-schedule mama: "Then you do it, by yourself." And I was already reaching for the milk to start the pancakes when she said in a determined voice:

"I need a big bowl.
And flour.
 Why do you keep it on the top shelf???
 And I want eggs. How many do I put? Why only...?
I need more room on the table."
 Help- me -lift -and-could -you -pour  became one word for a new cook.

And suddenly I found myself as a helper, not so sure of myself, not so sure I was about to start pancakes anymore, but careful not to break her rhythm and her concentration.

 And then she took a short break to help those Parisian cats while humming scales and arpeggios...

 And then she carried on...

 When the baking dish seemed full enough the rest of the mixture found another place to go. :)))

And when everything was done, I looked in her sparkling eyes as she asked "can we do it again like this?"
Oh, yes, for sure!

I speak picturish

Wonderful people, charming  music.

Responsible parenting

What would "responsible parenting" be?
First:
Close your eyes when you should!

Then:
Get to work when you're needed!

Always:
Keep an open heart and mind in order to enjoy the laughter...

I speak picturish.Trees

Trees are for:

:: bearing fruit

:: hugging

:: counting when you play peek-a-boo

:: climbing

:: trying your strenght

Early

Waking up before dawn could be challenging for me... especially during late Fall.
But driving that early could definitely change the perspective!

Play

In love with kids, my very own and those that only stay with me for a couple of hours each week, I keep a pretty steady rhythm. There is a balance between work and fun and a very thin boundary between teaching and playing.
But school holidays are tricky: I still have loads of work to do, though there are no kids around me. Things look neat all through the day, pencils stay in their jars, whatever I put on my desk is still there half an hour later. Strange things, I'm telling you... None of these would have happened on a regular basis.

And then I take out those books that I put aside for "whenever I'll get the time" and that big pile of movies that I've kept on my windowsill for a moment like this.

With the kids away, it was my turn to "Play".

I speak picturish

Leaves that are leaving

As I said before, I don't mind the leaves that are leaving... (I used to have a problem with those that were coming)

But this year in particular I don't give much for those that are coming either!
Because my kids have taught me something amazing: what comes down must go back up; and since what goes up DOES come down, we can have giggles and laughter for hours in the yard.

See? UP:

and DOWN: 

And all around...

I speak picturish

Every once in a while

Outings are for having fun, for running around (not that this doesn't happen at home, don't get me wrong), for seeing things and touching-smelling-tasting also. Always.

Outings are for letting them run ahead and see the delight in their eyes when they come back to show me this, or tell me that... Always.

Outings are for trying your strength, making new friends and.... yes, getting dirty doing all that. Always.

Water is fascinating when you grow up in a town like this. Sunrises on the beach, sunsets by the lake ever since you were a baby. And then holidays by streams and rivers. A mommy fascinated by waterfalls will drive you miles to take you see them. Always.

But every once in a while, although I understand them being fascinated by water, I would like them to come home dry! (not much to ask right?!)

I guess I found the biggest puddle in a parking lot in the area.

Things started to go into the water: pebbles, sticks, leaves.  Some were sinking, some were floating at the surface. And then the idea came: let's make a boat!

A piece of wood and a leaf

gliding smoothly in the sun.

(Did I mention that my kids were dry in the end? )

And happy. And proud.

"Did you see Mommy what we made???" 

Oh, yes. And I'm so glad and grateful for that.

An artist and his song

We were out enjoying the colors, the bright light. Some of us were chasing the ball, others were chasing the clouds in the sky with the camera.

 Well, you got the idea...we were really, really busy...

We were gathering leaves (to make a bird to scare Hopper away ;) )...

...until we heard (ahem) music.
Close to us.
Very close.
We looked around and there it was:

So we waited until the song was done, because you cannot disturb an artist during his song, can you?!

I speak picturish

I speak picturish

Wandering Mole (4) - Harman

The next day we stayed closer to our "camp", so we went to Harman. This is a well known fortified church, well preserved and very easy to get to from the main road.

Impressive by size (it must have looked bigger to my little ones, because they turned speechless for a long time). Despite the early hours of the day, everything was glowing, inside as well as outside.

I looked carefully at the benches: not a single metal nail in them! Everything was wood, even if not in one piece anylonger. Questions like "but how do they stay together?!" made me realised how at ease they were with hammering a nail here and there and how many details they notice at once.
For some, obviously, the hands turn out to be another pair of eyes. :)

So we went out to solve the mistery. And there they were: wooden nails!

However there are things that don't fit in the pictures, as much as I try. Like the smell of the oleanders...

But the best part (for my squirrels) was yet to come.
I kept telling them that long time ago people used to live inside the walls of the fortresses. My, that was hard to get! We opened books, we talked, we built with building blocks, but it still seemed like a fairy tale. So there it was, finally the chance to get inside one of those walls...

Quick stop before moving on: a picnic at the bottom of the stairs...

And, YES, the Mole was there to witness them all.

Wandering Mole (3) - Bran

Bran
Today was supposed to be wonderful: Bran Castle was on the menu. We read about castles, we've seen books, discussed about how people lived in them. But still, I was a bit afraid  because I'd seen it before and I didn't quite understand how this castle was going to meet the expectations I thought my kids had. My, was I in for a big surprise...

It looked like a Fairy Land from the very beginning. In the middle of the park around the castle we found a charming house all shades of green and brown.

 

And so the story started to unravel. Their story. 

We stepped inside and  I could barely keep up with them. They had questions about most of what they recognized and obviously there was a long list of "What's that?". One of the custodians offered to help and every once in a while I could hear her and some other visitors bursting into laughter as they heard how my little ones were tuning their imaginary to this reality.

Everything needed to be linked somehow to what they already knew.

:: the chimney

:: the library - reading room

:: the secret passage

They each fell in love with something, according to their heart and interests at the moment: the Missy with the elegant study room 

and A. with the dining room

.

Oh, yes, I almost forgot: and the Mole was there to witness another day of our precious time together this year.