GIVE A CHILD A DOLLY

Try, and try again!

If you look at the photo in the last post you will see my early attempts at doll-making.

I kept going! I'm getting relatively good at it now!

This beautiful little girl is for sale on Trademe.

Our 2 year old has changed his sleeping pattern - he doesn't have his nap till a bit later in the afternoon then of course he isn't tired at 7.30 when the others go to bed! So I have been staying up with him, and while he potters around with toys and drawing things and getting into stuff in the kitchen, I try and do a bit of sewing.

My mum taught me to sew, but I never really took it up until a couple of years ago. It is now one of my favourite passtimes!

I have some hints for other Mums who would like to do some sewing:

- collect suitable (cotton or linen - your preference) clothes from the "free" rack at your local op-shop. Wash the clothes, cut them up to get some decent-sized chunks of fabric and then sew and sew. Make little bags, make dollies, make teddies - just sew and sew.

- get lots of sewing books out of the library and read all the hints and tips. File them away in your mind for when they are needed.

- if you have trouble with something like putting a zip in see if you can take your project to a friend who can sew. Have the project at the point where you get stuck, and watch them do it.

- sew and sew some more.

- check garage sales and re-use shops sewing machines - the ones from the 1980's are usually excellent quality and will last for years. Be prepared to pay anywhere from $20 - $80.

- thread is expensive - see if you can gather spools of thread from op-shops or garage sales.

- sew and sew some more.

- set yourself up with an embroidery hoop and some of your spare fabric and have a go at embroidery - this neatens your hand sewing.

- make a list of the things you'd like in case someone asks you what they can buy for you i.e., embroidery hoop, scissors that actually cut fabric, pinking shears, embroidery floss etc.

- sew and sew some more.

Let me know if you love to sew too!

God Bless
The Mummalady

GIVE A CHILD A WOODEN TRACTOR

A couple of months back Daddy spent the morning in the workshop with Miss 9, Master 6 and Master 4.

They were so excited that they had designed and "helped" Daddy to build this tractor and trailer for their little brother.

Just thought you might like to see :o)

God Bless
The Mummalady

MORE AND MORE SOFITES!

Had a bit of a run on making softies again!

These guys are for sale on Trademe.

If anybody wants a VERY special, unique present just click on BUY NOW!!!!

Thought you might like to see them.

God Bless
The Mummalady

HURRAY FOR ANIMAL SEARCH AND RESCUE!!!!

Our little girl is a very Imaginative and Doing Things sort of a child.

A few weeks back she directed and organised her younger brothers, and they formed a group called "Animal Search and Rescue."

Daddy allowed them to clean out and use the old Donkey Shed (it's never housed donkeys and I can't remember why we called it that - but it's always been The Donkey Shed) for their headquarters, and Mumma and daughter doodled around and came up with a Logo which big brother made into a badge and some letterhead.

So - the children were all set to SEARCH AND RESCUE!

They got their kits organised - scissors, "bandages", buttons, hair clips, note pad, pencils and various other essential paraphanalia.

However, nothing needed to be Searched, or Rescued.

Today Little Girl's friend came to visit. She is also a keen animal lover, and avid bird watcher. They did some Searching, but no Rescuing was required.

BUT! Just before bedtime we went out onto the deck, Little Girl, Little little Pomeranian doggy Bobby and Mumma - to trim Bobby's nails.

Trim, trim, snip, snip ... PEEP! PEEP! PEEEEEEP!

Urgent peeping issued forth from the direction of the old bathtub situated at the back of Animal Search and Rescue Headquarters.

Little girl's keen animal saving instincts jumped into action and in one glance she had taken in the situation.

There was Victoria (Little Girl's own lovely tame white hen) clucking anxiously around the bottom of the bathtub and the PEEEEP PEEEP noises were accompanied by some wild flapping of tiny little banty wings and then nothing.

"Quick!" I shouted "A chick has jumped into the bathtub!"

Like lightning, Little Girl SPED across the paddock - elbows pumping, feet pounding, pinafore flying behind her.

She reached the bathtub, scooped up a soggy wet banty chick and held it close, carefully running back to the house.

"HURRAY FOR ANIMAL SEARCH AND RESCUE!!!" I yelled. (I was very excited! God allowed us to be outside at that EXACT moment when the chick had flown up into the bathtub, and He had called our attention to it. How cool is that?!? What an awesome God.)






We wrapped the soggy banty chick in a bit of cloth and gently dried it, then Little Girl rounded up the other chicks and Victoria and got them into their A-frame for the night.


The soggy chick was a bit shocked and didn't know what to do, so Little Girl tucked it under Victoria, and it soon settled down.






We're not sure if the soggy chick actually swallowed any of the old bath water, so Animal Search and Rescue will have to go and check on it first thing tomorrow.

Daddy has covered the bathtub so nothing else will fall in tonight, and the Big Boys will empty it tomorrow onto our feijoa trees.

Little Girl took these photos (the lower picture shows two chicks poking their heads out from underneath Victoria's feathers - very cute) and asked me to put this story on our blog.

That's enough excitement to last for quite a while! Ah! And now ... it's bedtime. :o)

God Bless
The Mummalady