Mother's Day 14

I am Loved. I know this because at 4 a.m. my four year old woke me to tell me. She told me again at 5 a.m. and 6a.m.. She loves me a lot.

Gratuitous photo of child doing what she should be doing at 4 a.m.

 At 7.20 a.m. I found a perfectly made, albeit tepid cuppa on the bedside table. At 7.45 a.m. Fishy came in to tell me there weren't many eggs today and one of the chooks was dead on the grass. Through sleepy eyes I realised I would be enduring breakfast in bed without parental guidance and that I'd be disposing of Ruby Redneck's mortal remains at some point today. 

The Big Fella is interstate so he has left instructions for the offspring which they are interpreting free form. There was a crackling sound from the kitchen. I made a pact with the powers that be that I'd bury the chook graciously if I didn't have to visit the Royal Children's Hospital today. We have been accruing frequent flyers points there of late.

Then they appeared like the Magi bearing gifts. With beaming faces and laden tray they stood above me urging me to wake up and smell the bacon. 

Indeed it is a happy face bacon portrait of Dad so he is here in salty spirit. We all gnawed on his crispy facial features. 

Shorty Divine provided her twist on the Banoffee cake with a cupcake topped with a chunk of banana. We shared that too. I like to share the food my children prepare me although it means there is less for me to enjoy. (choke)

There were gifts, home made, dodgy and delectable. There was a spoonful of kisses, a promissory note of massages, chocolate, magazines, a be-sequinned frame of their faces, a carved wooden dolphin(???) and those home made cards. I always keep the cards.

Soon I will rise like a phoenix from the tissue paper and ribbon to assess the kitchen debris and bury the chook. 

We'll prepare Fishy for his rugby match, hang and fold a canyon of washing and visit the grannies and sisters to celebrate the perfection and glitches that come with membership to Club Motherhood. 

On the whole though I have surmised that one un-iced banana topped cupcake outweighs two baskets of wet washing and a dead chook any day.

P. S. Ruby Redneck has also risen phoenix- like from the back yard. Turned out she was sun baking.

Play Eat Run

Today I was playing with an idea for the year 7's but you might like to try it for your children.

 It could even be a 3D Mother's Day card if you want to keep them busy for a couple of hours this week-end.

 

Somebody bought in an interesting cookie box this morning. When you take the white cone off it folds open like a star. So we were thinking how this could work as a construction activity for the wee tackers. I photocopied one side and the base then cut them out and printed them onto stiff paper. This one is on water colour paper but you could use any card that goes in your printer. The template was on A3 sized paper.

We thought about how a twelve year old could transfer a bit about themselves onto the "Identity Pyramid". That sounds very New Age doesn't it? How about the "Cone of Self" or the "Me Prism"?
Mine shall be known as "Fishboy Facets". Each side is another side of his lovely personality....strings, piano, swimming, football and himself. Everything runs into the next as his busy life is getting a bit like that.

 The base and tip were made from a photocopy of a little canvas I painted a while ago for something else. It's just about him, now, this year. I didn't get too gushy as it is an example for other boys the same age.

 

It's up on my desk for a while till we've used it here but I'm looking forward to giving it to him. He can hang it on a string or sit it on his desk or, more likely, lose it under some dirty football socks. Ephemeral art!