Mermaid Dreaming

A touch of Sun | I heart faces competition

2011-09-21T11:35:00.002+10:00

20th September, 2011

I {heart} sunshine.....

.... yes, that's real sun flare

live & local

2011-07-05T19:44:00.005+10:00

5th July, 2011

Once upon a time I quite fancied the idea of being a band photographer.

Travel. Late nights. Endless parties. Sex. Drugs. Rock & roll.

Now, hrmm, this kinda says is all....

That said though, I'm always a sucker for live and local music.

So I said yes, forfeited my early morning cuppa, and shot this great folk band early Saturday morning.

New Settlement Road

2011

Check them out here & here.

i shall

2011-06-17T21:24:00.002+10:00

16th June, 2006

Adorable. Irresistible.

I shall make chocolate cake.

Happy 5th Birthday sweet child of Light.

tiny secrets

2011-05-01T13:56:00.002+10:00

1st May, 2011

The Autumn winds whisper. They whisper as they pass.

They tell their tiny secrets to the flowers and the grass...

There is much cause for contemplation, and gratefully time also.

I see spirals everywhere.

Depth.

Trust.

Stillness.

The answers are slowly revealing themselves....

We gather them together, piece by piece, golden treasures on our path.

We look forward with equal parts nervous anticipation & excited joy.

so much beauty

2011-04-18T20:40:00.002+10:00

March 6th, 2011

‎"I have heard too much beauty to ever go back, he said

& in that moment, I knew there was no way the children of our world would fail."

endlessly

2011-03-15T22:09:00.003+11:00

15th March, 2011

It's moving all too quickly. The weeks and then the months pass by.

I forget to stop. I forget to play. I forget to cherish.

I do not want to miss a single moment of this.

And yet... I do.

Jasper Moon, you are the joy in my laughter, the healing in my heart, the warmth in my love.

I adore you. Endlessly. Mama x

(ps i also love hipstamatic)

metamorphis

2011-02-20T20:56:00.003+11:00

20th February, 2011

"If I driiiink, butterfly teeeeaa,

then i will tuuuurn intoo a butterflyyyyy.

And if you driiiink, butterfly teeeeaa,

then you will tuuuurn intoo a butterflyyyyy.

And if Mama driiiinks, butterfly teeeeaa,

then Mama will tuuuurn intoo a butterflyyyyy.

And if Jasper driiiinks, butterfly teeeeaa,

then Jasper will tuuuurn intoo a butterflyyyyy."

"And if I driiiink, normal teeeeaa,

then i will tuuuurn back intoo Miiiilo.

And if you driiiink, normal teeeeaa,

then you will tuuuurn back intoo daaaaaaadaaa.

And if Mama driiiinks, normal teeeeaa,

then Mama will tuuuurn back intoo maaaaaamaa.

And if Jasper driiiinks, normal teeeeaa,

then Jasper will tuuuurn back intoo Jaaaassssperrr."

A Peace Baby

2011-02-14T12:22:00.000+11:00

February 14th, 2011

A Peace Baby. That was what the nurses called him.

Born 11.11.1972.

("A Peace sign, for Dadda" painted by Milo Jan 2011)

He's carried that label, and worn it and although he's probably hid from it at times, he has always owned it.

That Peace Baby grew into the family Peacemaker and then into the Peaceful man I fell in love with.

I cannot say that his sense of Peace was the first thing I fell for, but it was this sense of Peace which indeed allowed me to fall so deeply.

I am humbled and honoured to stand beside this man of Peace. And as our sons observe and learn and mimic the actions of their Dadda, I am overwhelmingly grateful that he is a man so worthy of imitation.

Blessed be the Peacemakers. xo

Grateful

2011-02-11T12:23:00.004+11:00

11th February, 2011

For all kinds of growth.

For abundance.

For opportunity.

four

2011-02-09T21:19:00.003+11:00

February 9th, 2011

The tides have turned.

We all struggle at times with how four is.

In this moment, four is frustration

four is antagonising

four is negotiation

and four is not enough.

Of time, of patience, of sleep, of understanding.

What is four for you?

a wee break

2010-09-24T09:33:00.002+10:00

9th September, 2010

We drove through a lot of this beauty full ness,

tackled fireman's poles and giant marbles along the way,

and eventually arrived at an old place we called home for a few days.

Mama had the terrible idea of taking a tour through the old gold mine,

the men climbed a big hill,

the rest of us walked along a quiet stream and watched as the rain fluttered to ground.

Then.

For the first time.

The boys saw snow.

We had great fun with great people,

Learnt the fine art of tobogganing in little snow on a non-slope,

And remembered to stop and smile.

There was love all around.

Walhalla 2010

the miraculous & the mundane

2010-09-13T07:45:00.000+10:00

January, 2007

The miraculous and the mundane.

The days I thought I would lose my mind

if I saw the inside of these four walls for one moment longer.

The moments he smiles.

The hours when nothing works

to soothe or comfort & I wonder how I could get it so wrong.

The times his cheek brushes against mine & takes my breath away.

The moments I wonder how I became invisible

to all those who loved me before I was two.

The days when the sunlight spills through the windows

& warms us both on the floor.

When he kicks his legs with glee & stretches his wobbly hand towards me.

We see the faeries dancing in the space between.

Piccys taken Jan '07, thoughts flowed much later.

my hero

2010-08-11T21:30:00.004+10:00

12th July, 2010

He climbs tall trees,

vacuums,

holds the baby,

gets his gear off for photos,

and totally rocks my world x

grrr....

2010-06-13T12:15:00.004+10:00

13th June, 2010

TEETH!

Two bottom teeth came through within a week of each other when

Jasper was 4.5 months.

Thankful everyday for Baltic Amber.

Not so thankful for two bleeding holes in my nipple :(

Lucky for him he's so cute.

the perfect time

2010-06-03T20:20:00.004+10:00

25th February, 2010

As pen never gets to paper I'm using the voice recorder on my phone.

There are some random thoughts recorded late at night.....

i don't want to forget and i'm waiting for the perfect time to write the perfect words and define the memories and the emotion and there is no perfect time. actually every moment is pretty perfect at the moment. but. but i've not made the time to step away and so i need to do it now. i just need to say how precious, precious this wee boy is how he smiled at me when he was two days old, his second day in the world and he smiled at me.

i look at him and he looks at me and i feel like i am alive and i feel like i have come home and i feel no fear. he is feeding and he's happy and god he's on me all day, he is a dream baby and yet i still wear him every day. he doesn't want to sleep without me but i understand it this time. i understand that nine months in nine months out. that's the way it should be. it would be nice to wrap him and leave him in a crib for a couple of hours but its not natural. and we miss each each other and he wants me, his mama and i don't see anything wrong with that. its so different because i couldn't do that with miles there was no question he had to be with his mama and i could probably teach jasper to sleep on his own, he's a lot calmer, he likes sleep, he has a full belly so he is content and with a bit of protest i could possibly teach him to sleep on his own or possibly thats just our experience in the hospital speaking but i dont want to. i want to have him in the wrap while I get around the house I want to hear him breathing and have him squished up with me. i don't want him to feel like he's alone in the world. cos he's not, he doesn't need to be and so he's on me all day. and every now and again that can be overwhelming and it will get more exhausting as he gets heavier but i don't want to change it.

raw

2010-05-27T21:19:00.003+10:00

27th May, 2010

I have written the first line to this post countless times.

Each time I hit delete.

My feelings, my fears, are a little too raw.

And yet this is the reality of the moment.

I don't like the change in seasons.

I prefer the destination.

I have poor balance.

And so, on this night, the moon in her fullness calls me to be true and to celebrate myself. All of myself. I fear that I don't know how to 'share myself' between my boys. And my man. I fear that when I talk about the love and pride I feel for one, I consequently dismiss the other. I feel guilty when Milo watches me play with Jasper and I feel guilty when I break Jaspers gaze to respond to Milo. I want to lie in stillness with all of them and know that each is cloaked in my love and I want to run screaming to a place of solitude where my thoughts, my desires and my body is truly my own.

And I want to stay in this moment forever. This crazy, uncertain, maddening time of parenting a four month old and an almost four year old. I wish I could hold onto it for eternity.

These photos were taken on the 20th April. Mid Autumn.

I love the depth of the Seasons.

I like to know where I'm going.

My safety net stretches far.

(unedited pics - embracing the raw)

and this one

2010-04-17T20:49:00.003+10:00

17th April, 2010

Two boys asleep in bed at the same time. The first time.

My Sweet P in the studio, again. Working and playing.

I wish he was here to share the quiet and yet I'm glad to have moment truly to myself.

Miles will be 4 years old in two months. Jasper will be 4 months old in two weeks.

The moments are passing so quickly.

The moments are precious.

I love this life with our two boys. I choose happiness. I choose to immerse myself in the light and use the shadows for opportunities for growth. I am rambling, yes. A (very) long time has passed since I have had the joy of stringing words together and I'm a little clumsy in my process.

I wish I had photos to share, but my arms are wrapped firmly around small children these days and there is little room for my other love.

I have words though, stories and snippets. Like this one:

On Easter Morning, a bright yellow playsilk left by the bunny all wrapped up with bulbs inside. Three little eggs are hidden also.

Little M finds the first one "Wow Mama, can I eat this?"

Me "Sure can". His eyes are wide as he pulls the 'skin' off.

He finds another "Wow Mama, another one. I know, you should eat this and then Jasper will have chocolate mooky, wont he. That's a good idea isn't it?"

And he hands me his second sweetie.

And this one

Before he falls to sleep he chats a bit and cleans out questions from the day.

Tonight he had some chat about Jasper's birth.

I asked him "What was your favourite part of the birth?" I expected the birth pool in the lounge, or playing with LeeLee, or the birthday cake, or any number of bodily functions which took his interest on the day. What he replied with a soft, broad smile on his face was "Jasper". Well of course my love.

realisation

2010-03-27T11:48:00.002+11:00

27th March, 2010

Yesterday I had a moment.

A moment I would rather of not had.

After 7 months, 2 missed deadlines, inches of dust, windows misplaced, damaged floorboards and a whole lot of patience, I realised in a moment, that we are living a building nightmare.

And that it's likely going to get much worse before it gets better.

Does anybody know a good solicitor dealing with building disputes in Victoria?

Every moment

2010-03-03T17:39:00.003+11:00

3rd March, 2010

Every moment.....

treasured

joyous

welcome

real

needs

2010-02-17T19:16:00.002+11:00

17th February, 2010

Milo: "Mama, I need you"

Mama: "Do you? I need a pina colada and a catarmaran"

Milo: "I haven't got a caterman. Just a cup of tea. It's for you Mama".

Oh bless you sweet child. A cup of tea is exactly all I need.

Thank you x.

firsts

2010-02-02T20:21:00.002+11:00

1st February, 2010

Milo started kindy today.

His initial disinterest quickly faded after meeting his teacher last week. Her impression so great that Jaspers cries in the car were met simply with

"Mama, I think Jasper want's to go back to Johanna" Thank you very much!

A new kindy bag was sewn, his clothes were labelled, nectarines picked fresh from the tree and we were ready.

"I'M A KINDER BOY"

I felt such pride as he settled so quickly into the morning play. I was a little hesitant to say goodbye but not he. A (really) quick hug & kiss was all I was allowed.

As I drove away the past three and a half years flashed before my eyes. It is true that time flies. My wee wee tiny boy was stepping out into the world. Open to ideas, thoughts & beliefs beyond our own. Teachers, peers & other parents will all influence him as he forms his own ideas about the world. I feel slightly nervous.... yes I do. But I am also open, as he forms these ideas, to see where they will lead him. More of his beautiful self will be revealed to us through this expansion of experience.

Am I being dramatic? Perhaps. But it is still officially babymoon so I am allowed to be.

The pride I felt for my boy was mixed with pride for myself as I acknowledged the journey that I've been on since his birth. It feels nice to be able to say "I've done a good job."

And so what does Milo think if his first day in the first day of the Steiner Kindy that Mama helped build......?

"I think it's GOOD"

the first step

2010-01-28T13:01:00.004+11:00

28th January, 2010

Today we had a very exciting adventure . . .

our first trip into the real world

the realisation of a long held dream

my boys first step into 'kindy'

To see the many many months of hard work & passion have paid off as families from all across the Mornington Peninsula gathered to meet one another & our new Steiner Kindergarten Teacher.

Joy.

Relief.

and now... exhaustion!

my sun & my gentle moon...

2010-01-20T19:05:00.003+11:00

20th January, 2010

"A need to make time in my life for some other things"

Ahem.....

Jasper Moon Ryan

born oh so gently on January 2nd, 2010.

We are all falling, ever so madly, deeply, blissfully in love.

a different view

2009-04-15T09:51:00.004+10:00

15th April, 2009

I've been taking some time out from this space. Some forced & some chosen.

A need to make time in my life for some other things.

I feel like I need to gather supplies for the Winter & withdraw into my cozy abode.

I equally like the new space & miss this old space.

Again my challenge is all about learning the art of balance.

And also allowing myself to let go every now & again.

To check the view out from a different angle.

Needle Felted Dolls

2009-03-25T09:56:00.002+11:00

Having a week of terrible brain fade.

Could anybody please remind me who the gorgeous Australian blogger is who makes those divine needle felted nature dolls.

I recall an apple maiden, a spring faery... if you know please leave me a comment with her name.

Thanks ever so much.

x Jules

all's apples

2009-03-23T13:56:00.000+11:00

18th February, 2009

"LOOK MAMA LOOK!

da ap's a weady"

lots of fuzz

2009-03-19T22:11:00.002+11:00

3rd March, 2009

I've cut Milo's hair pretty short since he was a wee bub... an old wives tale of 'thickening' up his locks. Not sure if it's true or not but he's pretty cute with a short fuzzy do.

Then I thought we'd try something different. I thought that with enough time, enough length, maybe he'd have a little curl. Like his mama.....

Umm.... nope!

After almost a year there's lots of fuzz, lots of length,

more comparisons between father & son, but no curl.

So, a little 'style'.

Not as short as usual, but a happy medium between the two.

Super cute.

Don't you think?

to be in the moment

2009-03-16T13:16:00.003+11:00

12th March, 2009

Hi ho hi ho it's off to work we go....

Just like dada, he wore a belt & a tie & a watch &

..... not so much like dada, a hat & no pants!

"bye bye mama, i'n goin to work"

cruisin'

2009-03-12T10:26:00.003+11:00

24th February, 2009

All together now.....

..... awwwww

How sweet she was. Another 3rd child. Blissfull.

They do get cruisier each time I'm told ~ is it them or us I wonder?

love love love, all you need is love

2009-03-08T20:33:00.000+11:00

14th February, 2009

9 years & 11 months ago I fell in love.

I fell with caution, with hesitation, with a little self loathing even & with absolutely no ability to slow it down or to smother the effect.

I tried, so hard, to talk myself out of it. To 'rationalise'.

We both did.

We talked about how the timing was poor, how the circumstances were difficult. How we were both enjoying other things in life, how a 'relationship' would get in the way.

How naive we were, to think we could influence the power of love.

And so almost 10 years later, I have such respect for that love that knew better than our youthful illusions. And I am eternally grateful for the music that brought us together in the beginning.

And also that music still has such a powerful place in our home, in our lives & in our hearts.

The Thin Green Line

Music Festival

2009

(taken by my 2.5 year old prodigy)

Mia Dyson

(who we first saw as an awkward teenager at the

Queenscliff Music Festival in 2002, we have been fans ever since)

Xavier Rudd

(The most amazing energy emanates from this man.

Never have I seen such stage presence commanded with such calmness)

If found please call 04__ ___ ___

Love Love Love, all you need is Love

My prodigy in action

(Thanks ever so much to the kind stranger who emailed me this pic)

His pic of his Mama

teenage photography melbourne

2009-03-08T15:06:00.000+11:00

19th February, 2009

What I've ben doing this month (installment four).....

Learning that once you unlock the language barrier, teenagers aren't scary at all.

children's photography melbourne

2009-03-04T21:50:00.001+11:00

12th February, 2009

What I've been doing this month (installment three).....

Chasing faeries through the garden

melbourne newborn photographer

2009-03-01T21:38:00.000+11:00

8th February, 2009

What I've been doing this month (installment two).......

Remembering those newborn moments & marveling about how women manage it the third time around.

beach family photography

2009-02-27T21:04:00.003+11:00

1st February, 2009

What I've been doing this month (installment one)......

Hanging out with the world's cruisiest family on record breaking Melbourne days.

here is me

2009-02-20T10:14:00.003+11:00

6th January, 2009

Here is the sea, the wavy sea,

Here is the boat,

and here is me.

All little fishes, way down below,

Wiggle their tails and away they go.

I love it when I see his play develop directly from the stories we tell or the songs we sing. It reminds me how sensitive our little ones are to what they see in the world. How a news flash on the tv can have such a huge impact on developing minds & emotions. How a story book written to 'dispel' night time fears can actually create them. How the way we talk about friends, family, the wider world is actually moulding his own perceptions of humanity.

Steiner talks about developing in children a sense of reverence. This is one area I hope to honour more eloquently this year.

this is what cute looks like

2009-02-18T21:28:00.003+11:00

18th February, 2009

"I love mama"

was what I told him to say as I pointed the lens in his direction...

... and love mama was exactly what he did.

ps ~ I am still here,

lost somewhere under piles of work & play & surprises & adventure

hoping to find my way back real soon, with loads of good tales to tell

thingy things

2009-02-06T02:42:00.000+11:00

6th February, 2009

Thanks for letting me mope about the heat last Friday. I tell the truth when I say after writing that post I did feel so much better. Like you had all heard me & nodded in agreement. It was such a nice feeling.

So there is a 'thing' getting around on FB. I have been 'tagged' numerous times to write '25 random things' about myself. I'm not so keen on the whole FB thingy but this one sucked me in. So finally I did it & here it is....

1 * My spirit guide is a mermaid ~ of course. What else would you expect?

Her name is Anabelle & when we first met she told me "I know you won't like my name but that is what it is" and I knew then that she had a lot to teach me.

2 * I hold a Steiner playgroup in my home each week.

3 * My favourite flowers are daisies... and lisianthus... and sunflowers... and crazy horse roses

4 * My first child was posterior. I danced the labour dance with him all night long in my home as my man held us strong. In the morning as the sun rose & the magpies sang I birthed him into a warm pool of water. He had not turned. It is an evening I shall never forget & always cherish.

5 * I have an absurd physical fear of tupperware.

6 * I have a serious dislike for technology. If I could 'unplug' & still create, communicate & connect, I would. Permanently.

7 * I keep an online journal. Yes a blog. It's called mermaid dreaming. {der}

8 * My life is a serious of contradictions.

9 * I plan to live overseas this lifetime. I will learn a second language.

10 * I don't iron. Ever

11 * I am the eldest of four sisters.

12 * I dance with faeries. Especially when the wind is strong.

13 * My heart aches for a boy who turns seven this month whom I will likely never hold again.

14 * I love to bake but not cook.

15 * I am in love. Madly, truly, deeply.

16 * I bite my nails when I'm nervous.

17 * I only clean with water, bicarb soda, vinegar & eucalyptus oil.

18 * When I entered a Sacred Women's Circle, my life changed forever.

19 * I hate talking on the telephone.

20 * I've not eaten meat for 19 years & 1 month.

21 * I respect Mother Earth and all of her children. I walk lightly on her back & her belly & her bosom & I walk with love.

22 * At almost 27 years of age I finally had the courage and belief to follow my passion into the world of paid art. I've never looked back.

23 * My heart is lighter, warmer, brighter each time I lay eyes on my child.

24 * I settled in, not down & I'm so glad.

25 * I see daily the power of mind over matter.

belly ties

2009-02-03T22:03:00.004+11:00

6th March, 2007

Almost 9 months old!

In 10 days little M will have spent more time out of my belly than in it.

This feels like such a huge milestone. I feel a tug, a space, a loss? This wee one keeps on growing, taking those tiny steps away from me further into the world. He is so very confident & inquisitive & fearless.

He crawls away at great speed to explore & to play. Especially when other children are about. At home he wants to be right by my side, needing me in his sight & in his reach but when we're out. And when I'm relaxed & having fun... well, I have to keep him in my sight then.

I remember especially sunny afternoons on the lawn at Kathy's home for the monthly AP get together. Other children M's age or older even staying close by their Mama's. They wander away to a distance of about 2 metres but then 'bounce' right back. Little M's bungy cord was at least 8 metres or more. I was always watching so that he didn't topple over the drop down in the garden.

I love to watch him play in the garden,

we look at the flowers & find bugs together.

It's gladdens my heart no end to see his love for nature blossom.

thumper

2009-02-03T21:49:00.003+11:00

19th December, 2007

Look Mama ~ New Boots :)

(in phone camera)

gelati promise

2009-01-30T09:56:00.002+11:00

30th January, 2009

It's hot. . . . . . and I'm sticky.

Over 40 degrees for four days in a row. No relief in sight.

The little one has endured an endless cycle of bad children's television, burning car seat buckles, flouresent lights & zombie crowds as we too seek refuge in the shopping centres we try so hard to avoid all year. Scratchy sand, sticky skin, crunchy sand coated snacks, exhaustion & then despair at the end of the day.

Thankfully he sleeps well at night.

We are both tired, we are both over it.

I have not picked up my camera 'to play' in a week. I miss it but it feels so heavy & cumbersome. I wish to be light, like a feather. I wish for the breeze to be through me. I wish to float on an endless ocean. I feel so heavy.

A morning swim with the horses today lifted our spirits for a while. Then the sun rose higher, the wind picked up & you guessed it ~ hot buckles, abc kids & later today more zombi crowds.

Our Sweet P will soon be home for the weekend and has promised to take us for gelati this afternoon. It feels good knowing.

he sings to the sea

2009-01-19T09:09:00.000+11:00

12th December, 2008

He sings to the sea, and she playfully kisses his toes.

He giggles and throws a stick to her, she caresses it, slowly, taking in it's beauty then returns it softly to his feet.

He sings to her, and she playfully kisses his toes....

He is mesmerised. As I have been for so many years before.

He stands, he sways ever so slightly, moving with her rhythm, feeling the pull, the beckon, her call. I wonder how he will respond, what will her song call from him. When?

I feel blessed, again. There is something of me in this child. Or perhaps there is simply something of the ocean in us both.

It delights me beyond description, and teases me with the fear of letting him go, into the waves, into her embrace, into her power.

And I have to trust & be glad for another season of paddling in the shallows.

all shook up... wohoho

2009-01-15T19:25:00.003+11:00

15th January, 2009

You know how life just happens .

How the sun rises & then sets again & the moon waxes & wanes & how the earth turns and you don't really even notice. You think about the shopping list or how you should exercise more or how your child doesn't fit any of his clothes all of a sudden. And life just happens around you.

Do you know?

And then something wakes you up, shakes you, reminds you.

That life is in the now.

That it's not somewhere we get to when we have the right car or education or life experience.

It's now. Today, me typing these words. Me smiling at him or grumbling about sweeping up. This is it.

Well I can't really say what it was that shook me this time.

Maybe boho girls description that led me to this album.

Maybe it was my boys close shave with a heavy sheet of glass & some cold hard tiles that lead us to the ocean for a swim in the 'big waves' & 'big wind' on a ridiculously cold afternoon.

Maybe it was Amber who led me to contemplate how quickly things can change.

Maybe it was the giant bunch of sunflowers my boys bought home 'just because'.

Maybe it's a lot of things.

I can't really say what, but I'm so grateful for the new perspective.

ticking boxes

2009-01-09T16:31:00.000+11:00

9th January, 2009

I've been a coffee drinker for a v e r y l o n g time.

I was that student who couldn't put pen to paper without her 'hit' - morning, mid morning, late morning, lunch, you get the picture.

Well that habit was left on campus, but I do still love my daily ritual with a steaming hot cup just slightly burning my fingers.... yes, mmm, yes I do.

It makes me warm & fuzzy when I think about that ritual. I don't cope without it.

So. My point?

Teeth.

The yellowed teeth of coffee drinkers. I don't want to use nasty chemical whiteners & no matter how hard I wanted to believe bi-carb soda would remove the stains ! it really didn't.

So I just kind of got over it & learnt to accept that part of myself along with the other bits you learn to love or ignore.

Which is why I am so pleased that I found this toothpaste.

After about a month of using this I thought my teeth looked a little whiter. After another month & I'm certain of it. I don't know why. It's all natural & organic. The minty taste is not the best but it's not yucky. Miles likes it. Even Sweet P said it wasn't bad.

So, just a little oral hygiene tip from me to you! Cause I love a good product & it ticks all of my boxes.

immersed

2009-01-08T13:58:00.000+11:00

8th January, 2009

Christmas lovin' that keeps on givin'.

So much love & gratitude to all for your generosity, your kindness & your friendship.

x J,P & M

(m ~ otherwise known as 'water faerie' and often found draped in a blue playsilk swimming in the 'river')

a question

2008-12-30T19:48:00.003+11:00

30th December, 2008

I've been asked how I got my hands on Buntspechte ('woodpecker') animals.

Well, firstly let me say that once I've set my mind on something I don't give up easily.

I first made soft animals for little M to play with. They are well loved but a little on the wonky side & as his play developed I wanted pieces which would grow with him. Pieces that would last a lifetime & had the warmth & beauty true of the natural world.

I searched high & low for the 'right' pieces.

I found lots that were lovely but none that sung to me.

Until I found the Woodpecker animals.

I had tears in my eyes ~ seriously. With the joy & the beauty in each one. And I knew they were the right ones.

I sent out an email to our family.

Then I placed an order with them through their site. The cost seems high but not once you've seen them. Each one is amazing & large too. The perfect size really. The postage cost was heavy but by spending our money on these we were reminded to wind back the 'excess' that can occur at Christmas. And I think that the balance was achieved.

We are so grateful for all of the love & thoughtful gifts given to our wee one this Christmas. It's wonderful that others were also moved by these animals & the pieces they gifted complement & complete what we gave. We are so thankful.

For prosperity's sake the letter is below.

Dear Family,

Ok.... Straight to the point.

As you all know we like Miles to play with 'natural' toys as much as possible. Wood, wool, fabric, earth, leaves, water, etc.

Our reasons are many & varied. The three main ones being that

(a) by playing with toys 'of nature' he will indeed be connected to the natural world - a rare thing these days.

(b) He will learn to imagine, create, problem solve & improvise as the 'toys' he uses are, as such, unfinished pieces. They have room to evolve as his play does. A simple basket of shells offers endless play opportunities as money for shopping, food for animals, steps for a building, beds for small dolls... on & on it goes.

(c) that we reduce our impact on the natural world & where possible improve it. So where & how the item was made, from what materials & how it will be disposed of at the end of it's life cycle are all factors in our shopping habits. For more info check this out http://www.storyofstuff.com/

With these points in mind I began my search for figurines. Small people & animals for play now & long into the future. My search took me all around the globe (not literally, unfortunately). I found many wonderful figures in my travels, several handmade by men & women with a passion & a skill for woodwork & children.

With an extraordinary amount of excitement & satisfaction I found these -

http://www.buntspechte.eu/Produkte.417.0.html?&L=1

Handmade with love in Germany. Using locally sourced renewable timber. Painted simply with vegetable dyes. These are truly incredible.

As you can imagine, each piece is a work of art. They are not cheap, by any stretch of the imagination. They are however, heirloom pieces that will be loved & treasured not only by Miles & any other children who may bring joy & laughter into our home. But also the generations of children that may follow.

So I ask you all so humbly, to please consider one of these figures as a gift to Miles for this Christmas or Birthday or the many that will follow.

We will place an order in the coming weeks so you can, if you like, add to our order. Prices range from $20 for a 5.5cm duck to $28 for a 10cm goat to $50 for a 16cm horse. Just let me know which animal or person you would like to choose & if the cost is more than you had planned to spend we can top up the difference.

Of course, each of you offer many & varied gifts to Miles in the way of your company, your passions & your laughter. It is not necessary to purchase gifts for him. He is most happy to spend some time 'hangin out' in the garden with you. If you prefer to share your time with him, that is truly a gift to us all. Or if you have another gift in mind.... These figures are simply a suggestion.

So with much love & peace & we approach the festive season,

x Jules & Paulie

and so I don't forget

from Grammy & Pa ~ the horse

from Aunty Dan & Uncle Shane ~ the rooster & the goat

from Aunty Kath ~ the calf

from us ~ the cow, the broody chicken, the donkey

my mind's eye remains closed

2008-12-28T21:57:00.006+11:00

29th December, 2008

Inhale.

Exhale.

I believe it was Christmas recently.....?

A whirlwind of preparations, celebrations, traditions new & old, wrapping paper, anticipation & some good old fashioned fun.

My camera was rarely in my hands, all of the 'shots' I saw during the season shall remain in my mind's eye this year. I 'captured' the memories I wanted to hold onto & tucked them safely away. My hands busy with other important tasks ~ Like sewing & baking & holding onto my lovins'.

Some pictures that did make it onto the hard drive.....

The excitement that is 'really helping' to decorate the Christmas tree for the first time ever

The joy in my man. Home, at long last, for the holidays.

decorating the tree & hanging our faery angel on the very top

she is the same faery who graced our very first tree in 2002

the dude really came

early christmas morning in all it's blurryness

there's stuff in here....

wow, there stuff in here :)

duuuuude.....

preparing a christmas feast for many,

our turn to host

we couldn't have been more pleased

my helper

chopping, then munching, then chopping, then munching

just as christmas preparations should be

who was more excited about this gift?

little M saving it for very last,

sweet P wanting so very badly to give it weeks earlier?

or me? Heart & soul poured into it for what feels like my whole life.

These animals that bring such warmth, such joy, such love,

& such truth to our home.

To his childhood.

Oh he loves them, right away he loves them.

To hold, to cuddle, to care for.

He loves them

A lifetime full.

Full bellies, a setting sun, a happy gathering, empty plates.

the love & the play continues

Merry Christmas to all & to all a goodnight.

gratitude

2008-12-27T16:04:00.000+11:00

28th November, 2008

(click to see full size)

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T07:34:00.000+11:00

25th December, 2008

A wish for the world....

for peace, laughter & humility.

And a wish for you all also....

I wish that you will find joy in the daily tasks that you undertake,

I wish that you will find magic in the simple pleasures of the world,

I wish that you find complete contentment in the nurturing of your children,

And I wish that your home is filled with light & laughter.

A very simple Christmas treat for you....

Cast on 16 stiches

Knit a square

Cast off

Fold in half

Stitch sides together leaving room to loosely stuff with wool.

Stitch sides closed.

Pull top to base with a simple stitch.
Use wool to create a simple comb, beak, feet ~ mine are all different.

Attach several wool strands to fan from the bottom to create a tail for a rooster.

Make as many as you like.

(Note: this is my adaptation of a traditional pattern used by Steiner kindergartens.

To stick with Steiner philosophy the wool is locally grown organic & plant dyed. However. We do what we can & I would say that recycled wool from other projects is equally as good to use).

Merry Christmas Wonderful Friends

A very Merry Christmas to you indeed.

Jules

pockets

2008-12-22T22:25:00.004+11:00

22nd December, 2008

Because I work best under pressure.

Because he deserves a little hand made lovin'.

Because I can only focus on one thing at a time.

Because we have had the worst evening in history.

Because working with my hands brings me comfort.

Because even nudey boys need pockets.

A little felt satchel for storing all his treasures in

when life is too busy for clothes.

the twelve

2008-12-21T16:30:00.000+11:00

21st December, 2008

In the spirit of Christmas, twelve things I'm loving today....

playing with my tablet just for fun

& putting together a little gift for friends new & far

Witnessing the bond of life long friendships forming.

The abundance of new residents in our garden

(they are ladybugs - I neeeeeeed macro people)

those baby blues

& ol' blue eyes himself singing the sweetest seasonal tunes

the magical gifts from our mother earth

finally finding my tribe

the dodgiest mama haircut to date

~ it's making me giggle daily

the look, feel & smell of grain before feed times

that for this moment in time he looked at the camera

(apparently children of photographers find their toes, bare walls,

cloudless skies far more interesting than their mama's cameras)

that we now count the minutes

until our Sweet P is home for the holidays

angel spirits

2008-12-15T09:47:00.000+11:00

15th December, 2008

There is much talk of the angels & spirits in our home.

12 silk angels made with such love & laughter are hung in celebration each evening as we light the Christmas candle. One angel for each day as we acknowledge the 12 days of Christmas.

So as I was instructed to drape & then tie I gleefully knew why......

an angel appeared before my eyes

he laughed & ran to the garden

singing & dancing & wishing

he blessed the flowers then called to the heavens

& giggled & giggled & giggled

instead

2008-12-11T21:30:00.003+11:00

11th December, 2008

So much I want to share, to remember, to savour about this moment in our lives. This festival of Peace. These memories we are creating....

Instead ~ working! Not for much longer though. A little left to do before I switch off for 2008 & settle into the celebrations with my sweet family.

Another sweet family I photographed a couple of weeks back.

2 week old miss C. Not so big on sleeping...

overreacting

2008-12-02T19:07:00.004+11:00

2nd December, 2008

Oh my December.... really!

So many things calling for my attention & yet here I am, in this lovely little space. An opportunity for quiet, reflection & joy. Thanks for sharing it with me.

A bit of an update is required I believe....

Not so long ago, we bought home some wee little chicks. We were amazed at how quickly their personalities emerged. At how little Flo was such a nurturer & how Ebb was (don't laugh) the cockier one. Determined, self assured, too busy for many cuddles.

I watched these two babes intently as we all bonded with daily cuddles, singing, playing & learning what the word 'patient' meant.

I was suspicious. I said to my sweet P 'I think we may have a rooster'. Assured by all, including our chicken lady that I was overreacting we carried on. Waiting for week 20 when our babes would either lay or crow.

I was brushing my teeth the first time. I thought it was sweet that where we live we could still hear roosters every now & then

what... no... surely not... my imagination again... (crap)

A few days later I came home from a shoot.

Sweet P - 'Should we tell Mama about the commotion in the garden this afternoon'

I sat down, put my head in my hands & shook my head. Paulie laid his mobile phone in front of me & played the recording he took of our Ebby's first proper 'cock-a-doodle-doo'.

Yes, a rooster indeed.

So the heartbreaking decisions about the logistics of housing a rooster. Of fertile eggs. Of early morning wake up calls. But finally of just what the term 'cock' means. One rooster, one hen. It ain't no fairytale romance people.

We had several months in which we were able to come to terms with the decision & then farewell our Ebby friend. He would be returned to the farm from where he came (a small, beautiful, free range situation where there are harems of happy hens sharing their roosters). We would wait until some young hens were available & then make the swap.

But.... Flossy went broody. Seriously.

So a change in plans saw Ebby returned home to the farm & us with 6 fertile eggs to gift to our beautiful mama-to-be.

So. Today is day 15 of 21 hatching days. That beautiful Flossy girl has not left the nest for more than 10 mins in over 6 weeks. She sits & clucks & waits. Keeping her wee charges ever so warm & loved.

Our play, therefore, revolves around this cycle. Laying, waiting, birthing (thanks to this wonderful book) & caring for chicks & babies. Just wait till the real things appear!

this kid

2008-11-28T20:01:00.000+11:00

28th November, 2008

This kid.

This kid blows my mind.

This kid is so wise, so funny, so compassionate, so full of light....

These are the photos we have together. Because we have to have them. We have to remember. We have to see. I can not forget these moments. I need to know that we laughed. That we cuddled. That we rolled about in the grass. And that when he cuddled me I felt the warmth & the embrace of the heavens.

Yes I was wearing the daggiest clothes I own, yes I had no make up & blemishes. Yes the lighting, well, let's not go there. But now we have photos. And we will remember.

Why is it that we've not had a photographer photograph our family yet? Anybody know anyone good in Victoria you could recommend?

secret locations

2008-11-28T09:31:00.000+11:00

28th November, 2008

Such bliss to live here. Where the trees tell secrets. And the river sings it's song.

There is magic all around

if you just take a look

you'll find faeries homes...

be sure to gift a treasure though

maybe you'll find your own.

(sorry for the dodgy pics ~ messing about with light combinations)

a pouch baby 2

2008-11-19T23:16:00.000+11:00

19th November, 2008

So chronic sleep deprivation....

In reality it wasn't much of a surprise. I knew both sweet P & I were suffering from sleep deprivation so why wouldn't our little one be also?

So where to from here?

Well that was the first question we had to ask ourselves. Where do we want to head with this sleeping caper? Is the goal to have little M in a separate bed, room? Would we co-sleep with baby #2 & if so what would that mean for our possibly independently sleeping older child?

What exactly is it about our current sleeping arrangements that we want to change?

And so when presented with these questions the answers were easy.

Yes we will co-sleep with #2, if we welcome our babe in our bed then of course we would welcome our child too. We do not see a point in spending time, energy & frustrations on 'teaching' M a new sleeping code if we will up & change it again soon(ish).

The only problem with a wriggly child in our bed is the lack of room for everyone. So we need to help him learn to resettle without disturbing us.

Easy really.

So answers in place, solutions to be found.

We need the biggest bed in the world or something like it.

A secondhand queen size futon is purchased & placed beside our own.

Now there is plenty of room.

Following the recommendations by Elizabeth Pantley we move bedtime forward to 6.30pm. We treat the two hours leading up to bedtime as wind down time. We have slow, gentle & enjoyable transitions between the pre-bed activities. Dinner is served at 5pm. I start to cook at 4.30pm. This is a big shift people.

We create a peaceful, welcoming sleeping place. We enjoy the pre-bed time we have with our child. We take measures to block out all light in the bed room (a whole new meaning to the word now). We use 'noise' (heart chakra balancing music) every night to mask activity & silence in the house.

I use her techniques for breaking the 'breastfeeding to sleep association' to break the 'fondling mama's ear to sleep association'. And that is it.

I lay with him until he sleeps but then most times he is able to resettle without needing me (or my ear). Upon the first bird song of the morning he snuggles into bed with us 'inna middle'. And cuddles (& fondles ears) to his hearts content. What a lovely way to wake.

For us all.

ps this is not to say he is now a 'perfect' sleeper. He will still stir & call for me & sometimes he asks for 'ear mama'. Some nights he falls asleep in 5 minutes but other nights it may take 45. But he is happier, funnier, has more energy, eats better & plays better. And so do we :)

And so life goes....

natural pregnancy photography

2008-11-19T22:06:00.002+11:00

19th November, 2008

And because I simply can't post without a pic, here are five....

(reads: 'so we held our breath & waited for the day when the world would be changed forever')

these were taken four weeks ago....

still waiting for this wee one to make an appearance

Moonbird Sistah

2008-11-18T15:34:00.000+11:00

18th November, 2008

Our Tuesdays are spent with a very special girl...

We do love it so, to have a special Moonbird Sistah, with whom to share our imaginations & our memories.

These 2.2 & 2.5 year old children amaze me in their ability to play together without using 'hands' to settle squabbles. They do surely squabble, some days often & some days never. But together with guidance & space & timing they learn about problem solving & expression of emotion & compassion. It is a steep learning curve indeed. But one I am so proud to walk with them both.

swooning

2008-11-12T12:40:00.005+11:00

12th November, 2008

The very best part of my job is easily the fun I have hanging out with & photographing fun kids. The second bit is a tie between the things I learn from the Mama's I meet & the gushing comments I get about how those Mama's were moved to tears when they first viewed the photographs of their children. The third thing though, is when I'm proofing a session & find myself swooning over the photographs and thinking "I wish I had a photo like that of my family" or "of me & my boy". I know then that I've nailed it.

our number one

2008-11-11T13:19:00.000+11:00

11th November, 2008

Our number 1 has his birthday this week.

To celebrate ~ all of his number 1 things too.

~ out to dinner at our favourite place where memories of babes in bellies & previous birthday celebrations abound. Where we are greeted with smiles & curries as wide & warm as the sun.

~ play time in the garden

with a cool breeze & dappled shade just the way he likes it.

~ pizza the italian way, wine the italian way ;)

~ a romp in the park

~ jazz, a beverage & a chat somewhere joyful

~ and us.... his two number 1's. adoring, loving & being oh so grateful for a man in our lives who embodies what it is to be love. Strong, gentle, joyous, creative, funny, wise & wonderful.

Sweet Paulie, we wish for you another year of love, laughter & learning. May the sun shine apon your wide brimmed hat & may the rain drops splash against your muddy boots. May your heart be filled with a thousand smiles & your skies filled with a rainbow of light.

Love.

J & M

a pouch baby

2008-11-01T09:40:00.000+11:00

1st November, 2008

On the subject of dreamy sleep.....

This boy has been a 'tricky' sleeper from birth.

Unable to sleep anywhere but with or on mama for the first 13 months of his life. I recall those early hazy days of newborn when even then we could not put him down to eat a meal together.

We tried everything. We hung the beautiful baby hammock right by the table & spoke soft soothing words, we put him in the bassinet in the pram & rocked it with our feet. We tucked him into our bed consumed with the warmth & the smell of his adoring parents & still he would wake & cry within moments of us leaving his side.

So I stayed with him always, for even in his waking times he wanted to feel me close by.

A pouch baby from the very beginning. We loved the closeness & the protection that our various baby carriers offered. It was easy to prevent the baby handball game that goes on so often as it was impossible for him to be whipped from my arms when he was tucked so securely into the pouch. It was easy to cover his sweet face from the lights & the sounds & the busyness. It was easier to say no to well intentioned offers of cuddling the baby so that I could 'have a break'.

And so life went.

At 13 months of age he began to roll away from me after he'd been dozing for about 10 mins. He told me he was happy to sleep alone. And so for the first time I found myself without a babe in my arms for short periods of time. He still needed my presence to drift into sleep & back into sleep when he stirred in the night (usually 2 or 3 times). He still liked to sleep snuggled up close when I was in bed too.

And so life went.

Then at 26 months little M was longer a small babe. He wriggled in his sleep, drowsily seeking me out, often I would cop a whack in my eye & a foot in my ribs. It was time for a change.

We put a small bed at the foot of our bed so that we were still close but now we all had enough room to move about & sleep comfortably without disturbing one another. This went surprisingly well. I would go to him still 2 or 3 times in the night to resettle him & then move back to my beckoning pillow.

And so life went.

But not for long.

At 28 months little M began to wake more frequently at night. It would begin at 12pm & then continue hourly until 6am when he would wake for the day. I spent most of the night at the foot of our bed as I was too tired to move back & forth with each wake. None of us managing enough sleep. It was time for a change.

But how? We do not believe leaving a child to 'cry it out' teaches him anything but insecurity & then anger.

So I picked up a book from the library which I'd heard nothing but good reviews about.

"The no-cry sleep solution for toddlers & preschoolers" by Elizabeth Pantley.

I was unsure as to what this book could offer me. 'We already do all of the right things' I thought. Seriously!

And then I began to read. I learnt about how much sleep a child of Milo's age should get daily. I learnt about the different types of sleep a child gets in the different stages of his sleep. I learnt what were the signs of chronic sleep deprivation. I realised that Miles fitted into that category.

Whoa!

So... where to from here?

I'll save that for the next post x J

sniff

2008-10-31T21:51:00.001+11:00

31st October, 2008

trick or treat?

the best thing that happened today?

the girl next door (actually she lives across the road,

thinks she's a boy & has far more fun kicking the footy with our sweet P than being oogled at by little M)

walked across the road, up our drive, & knocked on "milo's door".

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

the worst thing that happened today?

the girl next door took her handful of jelly snakes & went to the next house. with little more than a side ways glance at the little wizard. dressed to impressed only for 'tasha'. when she left the costume came off & was not to be mentioned again.

sniff

I guess I'm off to nurse a broken heart!

to create

2008-10-31T11:59:00.004+11:00

31st October, 2008

A quiet corner for our little one to create within....

papa's drum serves as a table for supplies & inspiration

lavender fresh from the garden

a gorgeous thrifted pottery vase

smell so, feel so, draw so delightful stockmar beeswax crayons

& I'm reminded by the lovely soule mama that to have a creative home you need to create a space within which to create.

So I pulled out my dusty easel, propped it up by little M's & had a wonderful time remembering what it felt like to use paints & pens &

a blank canvas.

and look what I made :)

inspired by this loveliness & this memory

(sorry for the dodgy photo's, I'm not so good with stationary subjects!)

much more

2008-10-30T19:23:00.004+11:00

30th October, 2008

Umm....

Feeling a little shy these past weeks.

*eyes downcast & blushing slightly*

I have been so overwhelmed by the beautiful comments & email messages I have received from friends & strangers who visit this space.

What started out as a (cheats) way to record the memories of my babes life has grown into so much more. A place for me to have the occasional rant. An opportunity to reflect on the day or the stage or the decision. An acknowledgment of my achievements. A reminder of all I have to be grateful for.

So I apologise for my absence from this space. Your messages of encouragement & support mean so much to me. They truly make my day sunnier. So please, don't you be shy now.....

a beetroot mishap

2008-10-23T09:36:00.000+11:00

23rd October, 2008

The sun is shining it's warmth all through our home this week. Warming our bones & brightening the dusty corners. It lifts our moods & inspires us to create, to do & to imagine.

Priority number one on our family list is to redesign our sleeping routine after reading Elizabth Pantley's wonderful book. (More on that process to follow).

Which of course is an excellent opportunity to also redesign our sleeping room.

I wanted to create a cocoon effect. A place of calm & welcoming. The heavenly colours of soft blues & pinks to encourage a gentle drift into dream land.

So I began to gather supplies in my mind....

Then a quilt cover, over & over I went, around & around. We are trying so very hard to not purchase new unless there is not an alternative. Especially items like cotton which are so costly to grow.

Then I remembered. An old quilt cover in the cupboard. Unbleached cotton from many moons ago. All but forgotton. Perfect.

I hung it on the line & filled a spray bottle with beetroot juice ~

"Nudey Painting" little M called it.

'Avoiding pink stains all over our clothes' I thought.

What a fun way to spend the afternoon. How joyful for him to create the art under which he would sleep. And all natural, all recycled. Perfect.

Then after it had dried in the sun for two days. I washed it.

And do you know what... not one single pink beetroot blemish was left on that entire cover. What did I do wrong? Every time I've ever splashed beetroot onto anything it stains.

What went wrong?

awakening

2008-10-22T09:30:00.005+11:00

22nd October, 2008

Well, I feel like I have nothing interesting to say today but am compelled to write all the same.

The busyness of Spring is driving the intensity of energy in & around our home. I feel inspired by it but also overwhelmed.

Where to begin?

Where to place my own energy & focus?

Skillfully I 'hide' in preparation of tasks to begin. I think this syndrome is widely known as 'procrastination'. Yes, mm hmm.

I find myself called to 'midwife' (to be with woman) those I hold dear to my heart. In ways I've not know how before. I'm finding purpose & truth in simple acts such as cooking a meal for a friend, sending a message of luck to another. To be able to simply sit & hold the hand, the body of a love & to light a candle & hold space in my own heart for another. To see the beauty in those around me. And also to call upon my own tribe when I feel the need to be held.

In doing so I honour myself. To see the value & the beauty I can offer to these wonderful souls.

It is a pleasure & a joy to honour another beautiful woman who is midwife to me through this awakening.

Thankyou sweet Sister.

promises

2008-10-21T22:01:00.001+11:00

21st October, 2008

I promised some more pics from a special shoot in September......

Such loveyness in this wee family.

& loveyness to yours too.... x

surprises

2008-10-10T13:23:00.002+11:00

10th October, 2008

While you are all being so accommodating of my rant, here is one more link you will want to follow.......

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/10/09/1223145589248.html

I'm not telling what it is, you'll just have to see for yourselves!

sunniness x J

moving. slowly. moving

2008-10-08T09:39:00.003+11:00

8th October, 2008

I try hard not to get on any political (or other) rants here in this space. I save it up mostly for my Sweet P & other more expecting friends (& foes too).

But I feel the shift in the air. The culture of acceptance in our society for the honesty of government & institution is moving, slowly, moving.

Rarely do we question the chemicals in our foods, our pharmaceuticals, our beauty products. We believe that in this first class society, regulation protects us from nasties. Well my friends, I'm afraid that is not so. It is shocking & alarming to know the adverse side effects caused by many products deemed 'safe' by our regulators.

Why is it that we are so conscious of what Miles (& ourselves) eats, wears, plays with, consumes? Because we have a small understanding of the effects of chemicals in many everyday products. We say no to lollies, not (only) for the sugar content, but for the myriad of colours & preservatives. We do so to increase his joy & pleasure rather than deny it as is often thought, I'm sure.

So, my friends, if you choose to consider, to question, to be aware of what goes into your bodies, here are a couple of links. Very short articles which offer a glimpse. I highly recommend you do.

Scientists at Harvard Medical School studied more than 3000 women and found using talc once a week raised the risk of ovarian cancer by 36%.

Fluoride

Food Additives

in peace & health x

blowin' in the wind

2008-10-04T13:42:00.000+10:00

4th October, 2008

It was early on Saturday morning. Sweet P was sleeping in, I was cleaning up the kitchen, little M was playing in the sandpit.

I could hear a tune blowing in the breeze, "Mr fwog jumed out of a pond....".

I found him with a little frog figurine in his hand, leaning over a (huge) empty sand toy basket which had a rain puddle in the bottom.

I smiled at him as I took the 'mixing' bowl from the sandpit & placed it still with sand & rain water on the deck beside him.

I took a handful of stones from the agave pot by the step & placed them gently in the bowl.

I smiled at him again, now intently watching my actions, I walked to the birch tree hanging over the sand. I pulled off a small piece & said softly 'thanks tree'. Then slipped it down the side of the bowl.

I put my hand out to little M as I sang his song,

"Mr frog jumped out of his pond one day, and found himself in the rain."

He walked over to the bowl

"Said he 'I'll get wet & I might catch a cold, ah, ah, ah choo' so he jumped in the pond again"

The little frog quickly jumped into his new pond & the little boy continued his play & song for the next 20 minutes.

and yes, as expected,

before too long the boy had become the frog,

jumping in & out of the pond :)

a little nervous

2008-10-01T18:41:00.003+10:00

1st October, 2008

So I had an email a little while ago from a woman wanting to book a session with her 3 little cherubs. She'd done a google search & found me ~ yay, located on the Mornington Peninsula, just like her. A couple of back & forth emails & then I got her home answering machiene. 'Hi you've called R....., ....., ....., ...... & ........ leave us a message'.

I thought huh? I know these people - or I use to anyway, pre babies.

So on Monday I got to hang out with them all. We chased fairies around the garden, dreamt about fat quarters & caught the interactions between parent & child that shape families & minds.

Here is one little piccy. I won't get to proof the pics 'til Thursday arvo but this one caught my eye. I'm sure there'll be more to follow.

It was a pleasure & an honour. And even though I was a little nervous, I needn't have been.

I left feeling so energised & inspired ~ To go home & play with my own little cherub..... & to (finally) make that quilt I've been thinking & thinking & thinking about.....

thanks Rob x

my m i l

2008-10-01T13:58:00.000+10:00

1st October, 2008

We love this woman.

How blessed are we to to have her in our lives.

Her best assets? The way she always sees the best in people, that she will learn a new skill anytime it takes her fancy & not be stopped by age or priors or expectations, her vegieburgers, her ferocious love for family, her imagination equalled only in size by my small child, her hugs.

Today we celebrated her birthday. What to get a grandmother recently retired with back problems caused by a lifetime of hard physical work? Her first powertool of course. An electric hedge trimmer to play with in the garden she's learning to love so dearly.

Happy belated Birthday Heath.

You are one in a million. We count our lucky stars every week.

x from Jules, Paulie & Milo

all consuming

2008-09-29T13:04:00.000+10:00

29th September, 2008

A little project I've had on the go for quite some time now, has been completed & gifted to a very special birthday girl.

I am excited to begin work on some new projects. Some for gifting, some not.

This is a little doll who's been dancing about my head for months. She was 'born' this afternoon, with help from my little M who chose her felt colours & 'sucked' the cotton for me to thread through the needle ~ a very important job indeed.

He played happily around me with cars, blocks & playdough while I sat quite contended amongst his creativity on the floor. We fed each other's imagination & excitement for the tasks at hand.

It has taken a long time to reach this point ~ to be able to sit & work & complete without my attention & arms being demanded elsewhere. It was most satisfying.

So when our sweet P came home & Milo asked for a walk in the pram I was so pleased accept his request. We strolled right into the evening, arriving home as the rain & the night sky enveloped the earth.

It was a wonderful time. Of collecting, noticing, sharing & discovering. All treasures for the 'sun' doll.

This is how I believe children should learn about colour. Through the beauty all around them, in the sky, the earth, the garden, their imaginations. We don't 'teach' Miles colours. We believe he should delight in the senses before he begins to dwell in his analytical brain. He should experience colour & music & mango & embrace for the beauty & wonder of each before he learns to classify or read sheet music or understand nutritional value.

“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again." - Elizabeth Lawrence

When Milo sees colours, I hope that he feels the memory & energy of each.

That yellow fills him with warmth like the sun shining through the windows, warming the wooden bench just where he likes to sit & wait for Dadda to come home.

That pink reminds him of the giddy sensation of swinging 'too' high on the front porch, just so that he can glimpse the stunning display of magnolias in Jack & Thelma's garden.

That blue catches his breath, like a crisp spring wind as he lays in the grass with his Mama watching the clouds racing 'wild'ly by.

This time of childhood. This time to play. Will be over far too fast. I hope he remembers the sensations. And I hope they are all consuming.

pixie boy

2008-09-25T22:09:00.004+10:00

21st September, 2008

Last night the faeries, pixies & elves had a party in our garden ~ in celebration of the Spring Equinox I imagine.

They left the place in a bit of a mess, faeries have great parties but they don't care much for cleaning.

They also left a special surprise for little M.....

hanging in the trees....

3 pairs of faery wings....

for an honourary pixie boy

who, of course, already knows how to fly

he had to remind Mama faery how ~ it had been a while

such thanks to the faeries for their generosity

we now look to planting season, sowing seeds of the physical & energetic kinds....

a book like this

2008-09-22T20:53:00.004+10:00

22nd September, 2008

This is rockin my world ~ and my kitchen ~ right now....

Check them out. Sydney artists. Amazing.

it seems pretty straightforward

2008-09-22T13:11:00.004+10:00

22nd September, 2008

So it's pretty simple right. Mondays we clean the house. That way the rest of the week looks bright. Until the weekend when my lovely sweet P turns order into chaos & cleanliness into disarray. Then Monday rolls around again (all too quickly) & we start the process over.

This works well for me. I need routines. I need structure to work within.

I need lists.

So I am (slowly) learning how to clean an entire home on a regular basis ~ a new concept for me my friends.

It seems pretty straightforward. You start in one room. Finish it. Then move to the next. Right? Is this what people do?

However, I'm learning pretty quickly that I am VERY easily distracted. It is soo hard for me to complete one task without being sidetracked by another.

What does this mean you ask? What has this to do with anything.

Well nothing really.

Except that my house ~ which would have been more than adequately tidy by now had I just stuck to the plan ~ now has 2 loads of wet washing & four piles of dirty (sorted) washing on the kitchen floor, a clean bathroom but grotty floor, a half started pile of mending on the lounge next to an unstarted vacuum cleaner & a sparkling clean fridge.

Go figure!

imaginings

2008-09-19T20:41:00.008+10:00

19th September, 2008

I have such joy & pride in witnessing the imagination of this child.

Every. Single. Day.

With the tiniest amount of enthusiasm on my part a crate becomes a boat, thin air becomes the helmet for an invisible motorbike rider, a trolley a lawnmower.

He did not stop until all of the grass was cut 'for mama'.

oh ~ & Lucy has been with us everyday since Tuesday. She needs nappy changes, meals (especially drinks) & turns on the bike too.

'Milo share, Lucy Goosey do it now'

see the love

2008-09-19T20:41:00.004+10:00

19th September, 2008

My favorites from a shoot last week. Such an adorable little cherub.

These smoochy ones have got me in a tizz.

Little M is soooo affectionate right now.

Kisses, hugs & cuddles all day long.

Lucky me!

I can see the love in these photos & think that it

must be what we look like too.

oh me oh my

2008-09-19T20:39:00.000+10:00

19th September, 2008

"Milo go morn'ton, bye bye mama, Milo go morn'ton"

{kiss, hug, cuddle}

"bye Milo, have fun"

"Milo need bag, shoes, mama shoes, morn'ton"

{walks to the back of the yard}

"at morn'ton"

{makes hands gestures, then turns & runs back to house}

"Milo home, morn'ton"

"Hi, did you get anything at mornington today?"

"photo, look, mama photo, morn'ton"

Oh my, oh me oh my, he's playing at being me.

Not the 'Mama', but the 'Jules'.

The things I love, the things that inspire & relax me.

He see's me, beyond the 'Mama'.

Oh me, oh my.

Touching beyond words.

oh brother

2008-09-15T12:37:00.003+10:00

15th September, 2008

I have lots to say & show but not much time right now.

Some pics from a shoot 3 (how does time pass so quickly) weeks back. Off now to process the next round.

I've added the 'visitor' box to the right hand side. Add yourself if you're so inclined, it'd be lovely to know who stops by. Or of course leave me a comment. They make my days.

x J

beautiful Flossy girl

2008-09-13T20:25:00.000+10:00

13th September, 2008

She did it! She really did it. Our beautiful Flossy girl laid her very first egg....

I'm not sure who was more excited ~ Milo, me or the very curious & proud papa Ebby

(oh yeah, that's a whole nother post)

spring fever

2008-09-10T10:15:00.002+10:00

10th September, 2008

So I know that we are heading out of the cold weather & it seems an odd time to change the warm beach header to a cold 'jungle' header. But I feel the time is good for changes. The spring is evident all around me, all over me, all through me. It's all contagious & all consuming.

Love & light to you all x J

ps - do you like it?

Hooray

2008-09-10T09:48:00.007+10:00

Yay for Australian women. The oppertuntiy to choose.

Yay for Australian babies. The increased likelihood of a healthy birth.

I shall save my excited rant for another time but let it be sais that as I read this I had hope in my heart & a tear in my eye.

These decisions will have a profound effect on the long term health of our country & the immediate wellbeing of new families.

Births change on way

From: Herald Sun

September 10, 2008

MORE women will rely on midwives to deliver their babies under a major overhaul of maternity services.

With a baby boom looming, the Rudd Government wants to promote midwives as a safe alternative to obstetricians -- one of the nation's highest-charging medical professions.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon will launch a major review today led by chief nurse and midwifery officer Rosemary Bryant.

Click here to read the full article on the website

Alternatively, you can copy and paste this link into your browser:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24322270-662,00.html

ps;Hon Nicola Roxon will at lunch time today announce the release

of a discussion paper on improving maternity services in Australia.

The discussion paper is not yet a policy document, it's a summary of

issues on which submissions are invited. The website for the paper is

www.health.gov.au/maternityservicesreview

<http://www.health.gov.au/maternityservicesreview> .. Submissions will

be due by 31 October.

Maternity Review in Australia:

Facing Our 'Inconvenient Truth'

The Australian College of Midwives commends the Commonwealth Government on the launch of its discussion paper on improving maternity services in Australia.

Today is a chance for Australians to face the 'Inconvenient Truth' of a maternity system that is not meeting the needs of women and their families and is turning midwives away from the profession in droves.

It is also time to say enough is enough, with 1:3 women having a caesarean section, most women experiencing fragmented care by strangers and costs of maternity care blowing out to record levels. More and more babies are being born by the roadside as rural services keep closing.

Aboriginal mothers and babies have unacceptably high rates of death and illness. Fewer babies are now breastfed to 6 months of age than 10 years ago, and rates of perinatal depression are now worrying high and on the rise.

The President of the Australian College of Midwives, Professor Pat Brodie said, "We cannot afford to continue to function the way we have for the past 50 years while most of the world is moving on with innovative systems of care that are leading to lower intervention rates and better outcomes for mothers and babies, and where midwives are integral to maternity care rather than being the Cinderella of maternity care."

"The commitment of health Minister Nicola Roxon to reviewing maternity services and acting to improve those services is a most welcome change at national level. Healthy children and healthy families start with maternity care" she said.

Midwives are recognised by the World Health Organization as the most appropriate and cost effective type of health care provider to be assigned to the care of normal pregnancy and normal birth, including risk assessment and the recognition of complications.

"A synthesis of the best international, scientific evidence available shows that when women with normal pregnancies were cared for by midwives they were better supported, more satisfied with their care, have less medical acceleration of their labours, required fewer epidurals and episiotomies, had less need of major surgery for the birth and fewer babies that were underweight or needed resuscitation or admission to a neonatal intensive care unit," said Professor Brodie.

On the 18th to 20th September at the Holiday Inn Surfers Paradise a national conference, 'Breathing New Life into Maternity Care' will see the gathering of midwives, doctors and consumers to face our 'Inconvenient Truth' and work out ways to change maternity care to better meet the needs of women in this country.

Kind Regards

Barbara Vernon

Executive Officer

Australian College of Midwives

Ph: (02) 6230 7333

Fax: (02) 62306033

www.midwives.org.au

called to marvel

2008-09-08T13:10:00.000+10:00

8th September, 2008

Happy Fathers Day Dadda!

This year was not such a pretty time.

Shocking head colds all round.

The three of us spent the morning in bed & the afternoon at the swimming pool - a promise not to be broken we thought.

A lovely dinner with Gammy, Pa & Aunty Windy & then back home to bed.

So instead today we remember January 9th this year. When the sun was warm & the flowers were blooming & the occasion called to marvel at the wonder of Paulie...

his wisdom,

his stance,

his secrets,

his style,

his love,

his son shine.

We love you Sweet P.

Today & every.

yumbo

2008-09-05T08:55:00.003+10:00

5th September, 2008

So I'm making our morning cuppa's right? I ask little M to get the milk from the fridge, as he like to do each day, & I continue measuring the coffee, warming the cups, pouring the water..... Still no milk... I turn to find a carton of rice milk open & tipped ever so carefully to my little boys lips, some dribbles into his mouth & some dribbles down his chin! I quickly save the milk 'Ta for Mama, Miles", he smiles at me & says "mmm, yumbo" I tell him how we need to put it into the cup first yada, yada & he says ever so sensibly "just a little bit mama, quick just a little bit"

Paulie I think you have some explaining to do.......

newborn photography

2008-09-04T23:01:00.003+10:00

4th September, 2008

If you knew, if you thought, if you understood just how fleeting that moment of newborn was, you would definitely have professional photographs taken of your new babe. Wouldn't you?

I love my job.

and of floating away...

2008-09-03T13:12:00.002+10:00

I have my eyes set on this for my new weekender.....

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/08/07/garden/20080807-CLINGSTONE_index.html

........ any thoughts?

on the wind

2008-09-03T12:55:00.004+10:00

3rd September, 2008

What happens when balloons get stuck in trees.....

(click to enlarge)

When the wind carries them over the fence though, it's not so bad because they then go to play with other kids & maybe even some forest pixies.

I think my sweet boy wishes he could float on the wind too.

joyful

2008-09-03T12:32:00.004+10:00

3rd September, 2008

There are signs of Spring everywhere.....

....... hooray

Happy Springtime to all x

wubbish

2008-08-28T21:08:00.003+10:00

28th August, 2008

A busy time again.... again..... *sigh*

I crave these times, the busyness, the purpose, the productivity, the completion. But it can be so hard to maintain a balance. I struggle with incomplete projects. My mind does not settle whilst it is occupied with a task. I can think of little else than what next needs doing.

So as much as these busy times are rewarding, they are also stressful as I try to develop boundaries for myself & for my family.

In the last 48 hours I have spent 8 waking hours with my child.

What the #$%#@.

That is insane. Today as I kissed him goodbye at his Grammy's house I did not want to leave. I did not want to let him go. I wanted to forget all of the projects & the busyness & spend the afternoon playing in the 'jungle' together.

Tonight as we kissed & snuggled & kissed & cuddled, I told him ~ 'Tomorrow is for you, anything you would like, we will do. If Milo would like to dig or cook or paint or run or spin or play or sing or read or dance or climb or laugh then we will do that together. Whatever Milo would like'.

I didn't expect him to understand or respond even.

He stopped for a minute. Looked at me. And said this.

'Milo mama take a wubbish bin out, gether'

Ok sweet baby. Tomorrow we will take the bins out for the truck & then bring them in again. And most likely do it again. I love you crazy.

*Laughs*

brocci

2008-08-18T15:17:00.004+10:00

18th August, 2008

What I found hiding in the bedroom this morning......

fresh from the farmer yesterday

too good to wait

it makes me smile

later when i asked him what he would like for lunch ~

yep you guessed it

"BROCCI"

securus

2008-08-12T18:35:00.007+10:00

12th August, 2008

Today I'm feeling....

blessed

loved

inspired

Maybe it's because I'm half a glass into the cheapest box of wine on the shelf. Maybe it's because the fact that we can only afford the cheapest doesn't bother me?

Maybe it's because we choose to spend our last dimes on homeopathics & chiropractic to support & enhance our health, minds & spirits. And this choice fills me with feelings of securus

(Latin ~ ‘free from care.’) rather than sacrifice.

Maybe it's because I'm reminded how wonderful it is to share this life with my two boys. These two souls who chose me as a part of their journeys. These two souls who fill me with love & confusion & adoration & laughter & bewilderment & hope ~ for the wider world & for mine too.

x in love J

happy anythings

2008-08-11T21:05:00.010+10:00

11th August, 2008

Today was a day for promises fulfilled.

Blue skies, warm sun, crazy winds, daytime moon, rainbows,

kites, climbing, puddles, jungles, laughter, sweet laughter,

yoghurt & "mama (camera) off, (in) bag away"

Yes my angel boy, anything for you today, anything. x

drowning sweetly

2008-08-11T21:05:00.005+10:00

11th August, 2008

My sweet dose of pink is currently on the other side of this vast brown land of ours. I miss her so.

I thought I'd have a quick peek at some unedited pics of her to get a little fix & I came across this one...

How did I miss it? Is it just cos I love her so, or are all of the pics of her really this good? If you ever fell into those deep dark pools you would drown for sure.

ps - S this is in your inbox already x

homemade goodies

2008-08-09T16:37:00.003+10:00

8th August, 2008

A grumpy boy misses his dadda terribly.

"Dadda home now, no work, dadda home Milo"

Let's do some baking to lift the mood... "MUFF'S" (muffins people, muffins). Except we've not enough apples or berries or bananas in the house. How about orange cake? "CAAAAAKE" ~ I guess that's a yes.

Miles can pick some oranges from the tree for the cake, I need 3 please......

I have such warm memories of baking with my own ma. Standing on a chair to help with the measuring & the pouring & the mixing...

& the tasting. I remember a day when we'd just creamed the butter & the sugar (yeah the good ol' days) & the phone rang. Ma was distracted by her conversation & just out of reach of us at the bench. Sarah & I gobbled up that whole sweet bowl of yummyness!

I'm not so sure I felt as happy afterwards.

We tried this new recipe from a book I bought a little while back.

at least I made him wear an apron while we were cooking....

we ate it still warm.....

.......mmmmm

bunnykins

2008-08-08T21:09:00.004+10:00

8th August, 2008

Such a sweet baby bunnykins I photographed earlier this week.

She is eight months old & a bundle of personality.

for more information on baby and child photographs

please visit my website ~ www.georgiepie.com.au

pink

2008-08-08T14:16:00.002+10:00

8th July, 2008

This ad is going into a new magazine soon :) What do you think of it? I use this pic a lot for advertising. I love it but it also works really well with my logo colours. Would you believe that when I was a kid I didn't like the colour pink! Me neither. I'm making up for it now though ;)

with gratitude

2008-08-07T09:39:00.003+10:00

7th August, 2008

Last night I went out ~ without a nappy bag, or a snotty shoulder, or a toddler's schedule governing my movements.

Instead I wore heels & lippy & had tickets in my hand for the best gig little ol' melbourne town me has seen in over two years.

A flood of emotions & memories. The Corner Hotel & I have a long history.

Thankyou to my little M for waving me goodbye with the biggest of smiles. Thankyou to my sweet P for sending me away with love & for braving the impending storm. Thankyou to my sis for sharing the moment with me.

And to the incredible, delightful, overwhelmingly talented Laura Marling thankyou for enticing me back & reminding me why I should never have left.

pregnancy photography

2008-08-05T20:24:00.005+10:00

5th August, 2008

Some pics from a pregnancy photography session I did a couple of weeks back.

This was such a gorgeous couple. Lots of fun. Some really stunning black & white belly shots are probably my favourites from the shoot but I haven't asked for the ok to post them here. Love these too....

by the allure

2008-07-31T12:57:00.003+10:00

31st July, 2008

What is one to do on a cold day in Winter? Curl up with a book, meet a friend for coffee, have a long soak in the tub?

Or chase two rascally rabbits, summoned by the allure of thick, shiny, glistening mud, out of puddles all morning. Well of course... what would you do?

thanks Jo for the pics & your company x