Wednesday - snapshots

She draws and scribbles constantly.



He makes offices and book shops and is currently 'writing' his very own book.



He whittles with his 'Swarmy Knife' (that's Swiss Army to me and you) and has a set of arrows that might well spear something if he were actually able to aim or shoot hard enough (thankfully he is not, and in any case is happy with a simple target).



I made a tiny pair of trousers for The Beauty, my first crafting in ages :) She needs them. She is nappyless a lot and on her (muddy) knees a lot - like this:



We all get happy with this swing - not just the rider :)

Resting

In the garden, at home.



Ever heard of Relapsing Polychondritis? No, nor had I, although I think it's a term I may be getting used to. I need to find ways to keep this thing at bay, so that I don't need to have drugs as part of my life. Serious immune supressing drugs. My diet is rigorous, I have cut it way back, being stress free is not just a priortiy it will need to become how I live. Accepting what is and being grateful. This is also something I am learning. I seem to live best in the garden. There is space to breath and space to recooperate and space just to be myself (foregt self?). A space for everyone, none of us need crowd each other in. For this I am down-on-my knees-grateful. That I have this space. I lie in bed and as I breathe in I see that green, that spring green aliveness washing through me with each breathe. It has become how I fall asleep. During the days I am there in body and at night in my dreams I wander there also.



And so my family spend their time here too.







Garden camping again







Felix finds a new freind, Douglas the Catterpiller and builds him a home.





PJ garden time again







The Play Tree gets more work - see the beginnings of a platform?



I love being in the tiny greenhouse (my dh made it from scraps). The magical alchemy of seed to shoot. This girl is always by my side. I think she loves being outdoors as much as I, as soon as she is down stairs in the morning she rushes to her outdoor suit and tugs it motioning with her hand and saying 'dig-dig-dig!'. She likes to dig. She really likes to dig.







And this is how our days pass...

Strangeness

I have had a very strange week.



Been in and out of my Dr. surgery and hospital, having tests. It may be that my auto immune system is attacking the cartilage in my body (hence the nose issue - my nose was agonisingly swollen and sore). I am on various medications to halt the inflammation but am exploring other ways to maintain good auto immune health (not the least so that I can continue to breastfeed). It seems I am on the cusp of many lifestyle changes (being gluten free, dairy free and sugar free feels like just the start).



Thank you Kat, this arrived just when inspiration was required. It is beautiful. I love it.



It has been raining lots this week. External can mirror internal so fully sometimes :)





Like everything here right now, I am on hold, waiting again for the sun to shine.

Dusk

Spur of the moment, evening trip



The road is a long one.



But if you are not rushing you are free to stop and enjoy things along the way.

Book Sharing Monday - Felix's Choice

Today this boy:



Choose the books:





Captain Pugwash is a good choice if you have little boys who enjoy pirates. The anguished acquisition was worth it for the book. Just. I drove especially to this Children's Book Shop that I saw at the side of a road. Only it should not have been called the friendly sounding Children's Book Shop, it should have been named Children's Antique Books for Anal Adults. It was NOT a child friendly shop. And I felt utterly forced into buying something (but what? everything was a first edition copy and vastly overpriced). Felix found this crumpled book and we ran out of there. Talk about putting people off ever buying books.... but this little book has been enjoyed very much since.





Harry The Dirty Dog. Felix cannot yet read. But he knows the text in this teeny tiny book by heart so much so that he 'reads' it out loud to The Beauty, who now also loves it (see previous post for that picture). A white dog who doesn't want a bath. He runs away and gets very dirty. Then feels lonely and wants to go home. But his family don't recognise him. The solution? A bath of course. I am reminded every time I read this of a book I once had when I was a child, it's title was something like Fritz goes Home. I LOVED that book and have never been able to find a copy. I have been hunting for years. Sigh. When we ever get a dog, it's name will be Fritz. In honour.



Since this post was directed by Felix, here he is again, trying his best to strangle me. When I saw this picture I said, oh my gawd, my NOSE looks rather big.... (it was taken only an hour ago, and yes I still have sleep deprived bags under my eyes and un-washed hair). Felix to the vanity rescue pointed out that no I didn't quite have the biggest nose in the world, he saw a man in town that had a much bigger one. Thanks. I'll bear that in mind.

For an extra bit of randomness, Felix wants to live in a house exactly like this when he is older. With many animals. He really wants to see this picture on here, so there we have it. Done. He is wonderfully easy to please :)

picture days

Sleep deprived here (both me and my favourite girl, and because of).

So trying to be ultra kind to myself and everyone, which means we are all taking life slower than usual.

Free Food Friday remained only in my head this week; such is life. BUT Drink Nettle infusions, you'll feel alive and green even when your mind and body feel bone weary. That's my tip for trying to stay sane without sleep :)

For some this slow life is pretty wonderful. Life can never be too unstructured in the garden. Especially in PJ's. At lunchtime. For Felix this is sometimes a daily thing. This is one boy who loves his PJ's.






This girl loves her greens.



This boy loves this girl.



This girl loves being read to...

and reading to herself...



When the bigger boy decided to draw with his feet the baby decides she could probably do so with her mouth.





Even better art is when you get as close as possible.







Watching and being rather than doing was the aim this week (and still is! Sleep Little Beauty Sleep!). It turned out to be as good as a Nettle Tonic.