Fiesta!

We have hosted a baby shower/celebration before each of our children were born: morning mocktails; a gelati party; a candy store; and this time a Mexican fiesta! Having a baby shower as no-gifts-but-bring-a-plate, whole family celebration allows everyone to feel involved without the pressure of too much to prepare (food, babysitters, gifts etc). We love it that way! Here it is in pictures, with all the details following:

Invitation: Mexican mariachi singers (illustrated by my sister, Lauren)

Decor: Faux Papel Picado flags (made from plastic placemats!); Mexican picnic rugs; streamer backdrop (made from strips of cheap plastic tableclothes); fake flowers; succulents; and sombreros.

Costumes: I made a colorful top for Elara, a dress for India, and a long vest for me. Some bold flowers and Frida Kahlo style braids topped of the girls looks. Tim grew a very mexican mo for the occasion.

Food: Serve your own burrito or taco bowl with grilled fish, pork carnitas, chicken or cola beef and ALL the extras! Cactus cupcakes and 'embroidered' cake for dessert (made by my sister of Flame Tree Bakery).

Drinks: Watermelon agua fresca; pineapple agua fresca; margaritias and mexican beer.

Activities: A quick form to guess baby's arrival date, sex, name, weight, height and looks, and to leave a prayer or wish for baby.

Helpers: My family are always wonderful helpers at events, and this time (at 36 weeks pregnant, and feeling very sore and heavy) I could not have done it without them. Thanks Tim, Mum, Dad, Clare, Lauren and Nathan.

Seven

One year for the joy

One year for the curious

One year for the creative

 One year for the sensitive

One year for the day dreamy

One year for the compassionate 

One year for the cheeky

And that makes seven!

Seven years of a spirited girl.

Happy birthday India Eve!

Surprise Child

It began with a month of prayer for new life.
For a baby, or for a child, or for a new dream of what life could be without. Not for me, but for my dear friends.
I knew the blessings of children myself and so I pleaded for this hope for them. I reminded God of the joy of children. The pride, the happiness, the sleeplessness, the creativity, the drama, and the beauty they bring.
And I felt that something was about to change.

At the end of that month, a peace had come to my friends about their future. In that time I had also become a surrogate of change for my own family. It was undeniably our fourth (earthly) baby on the ultrasound monitor.
And I was full of fear.

Fear of starting over.
Fear of 'parenting' taking longer.
Fear of Zeb no longer being the baby.
Fear of having less time for my children.
Fear of more clothes to wash.
Fear of a messier house.
Fear of labour and afterbirth pains.
Fear of damage and wear to my body.
Fear of sleepless nights and exhaustion.
Fear of the additional years of homework, lunches and school runs.
Fear about finding a baby name.
Fear about a new baby being 'old news' in our family.
Fear about finding a nursery space in our house.
Fear of the sacrifice.
Fear of not feeling joy.
Fear of my plans and dreams being changed.

Months later, the surprise has worn off. And though I still feel these fears, with each baby kick, each heartbeat heard, and each extra centimetre added to my girth, something else is slowly growing.
Hope.

Hope that my plans and dreams will change.
Hope of a new perspective when the baby arrives.
Hope that my kids will love having another sibling to grow up with.
Hope that I will embrace each cuddle, feed, laugh, and dirty nappy as I care for this child.
Hope that my heart will expand to lavish more love than I can now.
Hope of God-sent courage, strength, and peace.

So for now I am thankful, and will rest and wait for the baby that I told God would be a blessing, and bring pride, happiness, sleeplessness, creativity, drama, beauty and joy.

Boy Birthday Brightness

This boy has a lot of love to give.

He loves dirt.
He loves dragons.
He loves drawing,
Clothes and apple pie and practicing his running.
He loves his friends, his family, and his mama.

It comes in many forms with him:
Loyalty (his friendships are strong and solid); Joy (he loves to play, to work, to sit, to travel, to do whatever is going on at the time); Physical affection (his kisses and cuddles are frequent and offered to many); Care (he sees it as his responsibility, and joy, to look after those smaller than him); Thoughtfulness (he often wonders about Dad, his sisters, cousins, and best friends, and what is happening in their day); Creativity (his art is wonderful, precise and thorough, with flowers and people his top choices); and Words (he says 'I love you' many times a day, and explains why).

I am very blessed to have been loved by this boy for four years, today.

And more blessed to have loved him.

Happy Birthday Zeb!

Let It Glow

That is how my three year old interprets the lyrics.
It is very cute and quite accurate when it comes to this post.
Kids seem to acquire confidence, poise, and even optimism when dressed in character.
Superheros are braver.
Chefs are more experimental.
Lions are bolder.
Princesses are more graceful.
Though they are still the same child.
It's wonderful!

Dress ups are one of the best play tools I know.
(And even better when the costumes are stretchy and zipless)

These two dresses (Anna's coronation dress and Elsa's frozen castle dress) were made for India and her bestie for a Frozen party. Sorry no patterns/tutorial as usual as I made it up as I went along. I suppose you could say that I just let it flow!

Kid Bags for Mothers Day

Here's the link on how-to!

Pictures of Recently Enjoyed Things