the horses

we went to see the horse's near our little friend's house this morning.

a mother and her foal.

they happily ate apples and grass from our hands.

then it was off to see the chickens, ducks and the turkey.

what a beautiful day to end autumn.

clear blue sky, warm sunshine, slight breeze, long shadows, green grass, damp ground.

i love this time of year.

snip snip chop chop

i have taken the plunge and had a lot of my hair cut off.

it was half way down my back, now it is above my shoulders.

it feels so great. 

jessica keeps saying "i am so proud of you having your hair cut". i think she means that i am proud of her for playing so contentedly while i was having it cut.

the image below was the one i took to the hairdresser and she did a fantastic job recreating the style. i look nothing like the gorgeous girl in the photo but i think it is a very flattering cut. 

love it.

images via pinterest

sunday

a quiet moment on a sunday morning.

a morning that was spent playing with mum... dolls house... dolls house goes to the park... dolls house goes to the farm... building a cave for the teddy's in the bedroom... having tea parties...

and then all of a sudden she stops playing with mum and sits down by herself to read some books... the whole basket of books...

i thought this was rather nice after all my playing and quietly did some yoga on the floor next to her.

all i did today was play. well actually i did also do some very strenuous digging work in the garden while jess slept, i think i needed that. a bit of time to myself, a little release.

the little one is feeling a little out of sorts the past few days. a temperature and now a running nose. all i can do is keep the peace, play all games she wants, give cuddles and kisses, give compassion, keep her close and we will get through this, life will return to normal... soon.

more birthday photos

these are some more photos from jessica's birthday last tuesday.

i am mainly posting them as jess's dad missed being home for her birthday this year due to work commitments.

where he is working there is no internet or phone!! can you believe that? a bit strange in this day and age. so as soon as he has internet again i want him to be able to see some photos of our little girls birthday because i know he will be missing her terribly. 

this moment...

this moment inspired by soulemama - a friday ritual. a single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment I want to pause, savour and remember.

splishing, splashing

i love how toddlers find such fun in the simplest things.

we spent some time out in the elements today.

splashing in muddy puddles.

following the 'creek' of water flowing down the driveway and road into the next door neighbour's yard.

trying to float leaves.

fun on a wild, windy, rainy day.

storm

grey sky, grey sea

big swell, high tide

rain, wind

the day jess was born saw a storm brewing and when we brought her home from the hospital the next day it was in full swing.

the day jess turned one was a very stormy day, wind, driving rain, big swell. we went down to watch the waves that day.

yesterday, when jess turned two it started out wet, turned a little nicer by lunchtime but by evening the change was on its way. today it hit with full force.

we took a quick walk down to the jetty this afternoon between the showers to watch the waves hitting the rocks. always so exciting.

it was wet, it was cold but so worth it.

my girl loves a storm and so do i.

celebrating

two!

jessica... gives the best cuddles... and the softest of kisses... has the sweetest belly laugh...  likes to say 'all the family loves you in their tummy'... takes 'greens' to the chickens every morning without fail... loves to collect the eggs... likes routine... has never had a haircut... speaks so very clearly... concentrates so very well... eats blueberries everyday... eats peas everyday... loves the swings and balancing on the rocks and logs that surround the playground... talks and thinks about the moon everyday... knows a little of the phases of the moon... notices small details... stormy winds make her excited... is getting fussy about what she wears... has a nap in the daytime but doesn't sleep by herself all night... is quiet and thoughtful... rosie bunny is her favourite soft toy... 'the dogs' like to come everywhere 'in the bag'... is co-operative... loves to draw and paint for daddy... everything is a 'good idea' or a 'good plan'... chats constantly while playing... loves to watch playschool on television after a nap and gardening australia on a saturday evening with a cup of tea... always wants to see whats going on in the kitchen... enjoys helping with cooking... helps to empty the dishwasher every morning... upon waking from a nap always says 'hi' and in the mornings always says 'time to wake up'... she travels well... favourite game to play is 'farmer'... loves to say the rhymes humpty dumpty and mary had a little lamb... loves books and reading... loves to run barefoot... can whisper... talks quietly and sweetly to animals and her teddy's... says 'no' but never 'yes' when asked a question... says 'please mama' and 'thank you mama'... adores her big sisters and her dad...

happy birthday jess, our gorgeous girl,

every day we spend with you is a pleasure!

sunday

sunday...

folding piles and piles of washing while listening to talk back gardening on the radio.

a bike ride.

baking, cooking.

plenty of playing, inside and out.

party preparation.

working on jessica's book.

making home made cream cheese from the book nourishing traditions by sally fallon.

picking flowers for the table.

sunday...

this moment...

this moment inspired by soulemama - a friday ritual. a single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment I want to pause, savour and remember.

numbers

jessica has been enjoying counting books lately.

'one, two, three, four, eight, nine, ten' she says.

i know she understands how many one is and also how many two are and this is a concept she has known for quite some time but the rest of the numbers don't really have meaning to her yet.

some of the books we have been reading have included,

numbers by alison jay

we love this book. i partically love how a story is told by the illustrations rather than words. each illustration also has many things to count relating to the number, for instance 6 gingerbread men, 6 drawer handles, 6 foxes running around the plate, 6 o'clock on the clock etc. there is so much to look at on each page which isn't always obvious at first.

my granny went to market

this is one we have borrowed from the library many times. good for counting and also for geography.

rooster's off to see the world by eric carle
jess has really enjoyed this book and loves counting the animals as the story progresses. she is really just repeating me by saying how many there are but it is also first steps towards understanding numbers.