If you go into the lounge room today...

We gained a new family member at Christmas. He is huge.

 

Do you know the kids show The secret world of Benjamin Bear? The kids love it and I think its fun too. I kind of think this is what our new friend is like. He secretly comes to life when we aren't around. He hasn't really got a name so far. The kids have come up with a few but nothing seems to fit. We call him 'the big bear' or 'Mr Fluffypants'. Not sure how that one came about.

 

Even the size he is, he still ends up in some odd places and positions. He was lying on the couch one day with his paws under his head and his legs crossed. He was taking a nap I suppose.

 

The kids like to wrestle with him because he is such a big bear. Although if Ellamay is to be believed she didn't wrestle with Bear, "He wrestled with me". :-)

 

He has also become a favourite place to sit and watch television.

One night I had prepared the couch for Amelia so we could do her physio before bed. When I left the room, she was lying on top of the pillows, all sleepy and snuggled up. When I came back, I saw this.

 

I wasn't sure how he would fit into our little house when he first arrived... but he has certainly made himself at home :-)

Button flower hoop

I love buttons. You know that don't you? After I got the family button collection from Aunty Jill back in July last year, I was determined to make something to send her and say thanks. I have been wanting to try making some button flower hoop art. There are so many fun things that can be made in embroidery hoops :-)

One day over the summer, I was looking for something to do. Something fun. This is what I came up with. I love how it has turned out. I think I need to make one for myself actually.

As you could expect, I haven't finished it. I need to finish the back off. (Hopefully, I will get that done before July rolls around again.) I can't wait to package it up and post it off. That will be another project complete then.

Amelia's first day of kinder

So I have been a little more distracted lately than I thought I would be. I was going to post some things at regular intervals between now and way back when I started for 2012. Sigh... anyway, here I go again :-)

This is one of my reasons for distraction lately. Amelia has started 4 year old kindergarten. I was so nervous. My littlest one is all grown up and off into the world without me. I was nervous when Esther and Ellamay started kinder but I always new they had each other. I guess Amelia has been depending on me for everything so much, I was worried how she would cope without me. It's a big deal to trust other people (that I have only just met) to care for Amelia. Truth is though, how would I cope without her around all the time?

I don't know why I worried though. Amelia is so independent now and she was so excited to go to kinder she didn't even say good bye. I had to go and find her to give her a cuddle. She goes to kinder two days a week from 9am - 2.30pm so I have time that I haven't had before. What to do with myself?

I have been trying to get back into the school routine. It is slow going. Then I need to get back into blogging routine. I am so behind I haven't even been reading the blogs I follow!

Is everyone coping with 2012 yet? Am I the only person who isn't?

Well... Good morning, 2012

... You're here already. What shall we do together? Many things I hope. Last year kind of dragged on for me. I mean, it went fast, but I don't feel like I achieved a lot. I guess the last three months of the year were basically going from one sickness to another though. I think I was in survival mode. Now that we have made it to February, I am hoping for mundane and healthy times ahead. I won't hold my breathe.

 

So much has been happening, I had hoped to be back before now. I hope I can get into the swing of blogging again now that Esther and Ellamay have started back at school (Grade 2 people! How grown up!) and Amelia will start kindergarten next week. Basically, I will be in the car rather constantly this year.

I thought about what my goals are for this year and they are just about the same as they have been since I started this blog. I think they will be my constant resolutions. This year though, I am adding to the mix some other creative goals.

-Make one Christmas decoration from felt each month. I really wanted to make decorations last year but it was beyond me with all the sickness we had happening. I hope this way I can have a better chance of reaching my goal of more handmade decorations. I have already made 1 and a half :-)

-Get a new Visual Diary and draw regularly in it to work on techniques. I would really like to be able to draw little illustrations just because I can.

-Paint some of my drawings with the new watercolours I got for my birthday last year.

-Conquer crocheting. I started an apple cozy and I would like to finish it. It is such a ridiculous thing to make. I love it and want to make a bunch of them because I can.

-Do a 30 days of photos kind of project. I would like to work on my photography skills. I want to learn how to shoot in manual.

That about covers it. Not sure that I will get there but that's okay. I will just try again next year. :-)

I can't promise when I'll be back next. I have lots of things to share. Including the first room of our renovation (Yay! We finally started).

Hope your month (and year) has started off well.