Dogger

Benny's very favourite book at the moment is Dogger by Shirley Hughes. It was given to him by his uncle whose favorite it had also been as a child. Benny asks me to read him this story constantly,we average 4 times a day at the moment ( I don't mind - I love it too).

It is about a little boy, Dave, who has a special called Dogger. he goes everywhere with Dave until one terrible day he gets lost. Happily he is found and rescued by Dave's big sister Bella and all ends well. In this page Mum said that Dogger was getting much too dirty, just like Lambie I thought!

Mum showed Dave how to wash Dogger in a bowl of soapy water.

Then they hung him up by his tail (well his ear) on the washing-line to dry.

Oh we do love Dogger!

Family Favourite Recipes

Yes, I know this is my third home-made book post recently, but I want to share another very special book with you that is used almost daily in my house. It, like the Endo-something book is all about feeling good, feeling at home and feeling nourished (or treated). On leaving home my mother presented my brothers and myself each with one of these... A little ring binder. On the cover is a copy of a family characture I did when we were all still teenagers. Inside are copies of recipes that were firm family favourites in our home. What I love most, is that my mum wrote out the recipes by heart, using many 'Whalenisms' and lots of 'in' jokes. Over the years I have added to the book, and the recipes map out a history of where we have been and who we have been with.

This recipe was written by a very special friend who isn't around anymore. How I love seeing his hand writing and remembering when he cooked this for us and we shared the meal together. Food is like that for me; as much for the soul as for the body. Over the years I have gathered many recipes, from friends, newspapers and magazine and of course the intenet. So my book was getting over loaded with lots of scraps of paper just 'filed' into it.

Yesterday, my mum sent me a whole load of new little pockets for my folder (having seen the disorganised state my folder was in on her last visit). So I set about orgnaising it.

I'm always looking for ways to recycle the children's pictures, so I have used some of them as dividers. I put all my recipe scraps into the the pockets and all into some kind of order.

Now I'm feeling pretty organised. Also what was really nice was coming across recipes that I haven't made for ages. It has given me a little inspiration in the kitchen.

I think this will be a tradition I shall keep within my family. A gift of home cooking and love for my children to take with them wherever they go wherever the wind will blow them.

my name is Laura...

...and I'm a bookaholic

Oh dear, oh dear. I have a terrible affliction. I just can't stop buying books. I have always loved reading and tend to be read 3 or 4 books at a time (so I can read depending on my mood). I thirst for knowledge and it's transformative power. Since I started my little etsy shop I have felt that I have a little pocket money for myself and so I have been treating myself. I don't get my nails done, I don't buy clothes or go out for dinner. I buy books (although mostly second hand), here is what I have bought over the past few months (most of which Andy doesn't know about).

Seven Times the Sun

The Last Child in the Wood

Heaven on Earth

Feeding the Whole Family

Festivals, Family and Food

Children and their Temperaments

Toy making with Children

Magic Wool

At One With All Life

Pippi Longstockings

Mothering with Soul

There are even possibly a few more I've forgotten about. Oh dear, I must stop! But I do so love reading :-)

woodland walk and simplification

After our crazy couple of party weeks, we had our first 'calm' day yesterday; no where to go, nothing we had to do. We did some house work in the morning then after lunch we decided to go for a walk in the woods to see what we could find. Benny took his potty with him in a bag.

It took ages to get to the woods (about a 3 minute walk) because all the blackberries are ripe and Benny LOVES them.

When we got there we found this little gnome who said she'd guide us through the woods and help us find hazelnuts. We were particularly in search of hazelnuts because I had found some when out walking through the woods with my dad and brother a few days previously.

Joshua enjoyed watching the light through the leaves and the branches swaying in the wind.
I knitted the bonnet for him while I was pregnant, I think he looks gorgeous in it.

We found this birds egg (no idea from which bird)

and this mushroom (no idea what kind...I know sooo little about what is around us hurmph!)

We found lots of hazelnuts thanks to the gnome. We're going to ripen them on a windowsill and then make something (probably some kind of cake) with them.

I felt very neanderthal wandering through the woods foraging for wild food breastfeeding my baby in the sling. Ugg!

Looks very idealistic doesn't it?! But what the camera doesn't show is that Benny then pee'd in his pants and was so uncomfortable he wanted to go home just as Rebe was really starting to enjoy herself. They had a big row about whether or not we were going home, he bit her, she slapped him. I shouted, they both cried. Rebe tripped over skinned her knee and dropped all the hazelnuts and cried some more, Joshua woke up and cried too....so we went home.

Still, once we got home and cleaned ourselves up and had a cup of tea peace reigned again...

Rebe made this cool violin out of duplo.

I have been reading this book at the moment. It was a present from some friends for my birthday. It is really interesting and come at a time when I am yet again feeling overwhelmed by stuff.

So, I have been sorting out the toys again. I really take the point that less is more and that by reducing the number of toys in the mix you are giving your children the opportunity to really play with what they have and the chance to use their imaginations rather than having all games and play provided for them on a plate.

What didn't occur to me before though is that this is also true of books. So, although it did go against the grain somehow, I have sorted out our books too. I have sorted a box of books to go to the charity shop, ones that are either broken (well they went into the recycling), character (like tellytubbies) or ones I really hate reading. The rest I have tried to sort seasonally and have put most of them upstairs into the toy cupboard so that I can rotate them periodically once the kids have thoroughly enjoyed and explored the books they have on the shelves. We'll see how it goes, it will be interesting!

I also sorted through the piles and piles of clothes everywhere... and have only left in the cupboards things the kids actually do and can wear....

No less than 4 bin liners full to give to the charity shop...how did this happen that we had so much excess stuff?!

I feel lighter and happier and less cluttered.

The other part of the book that really interests me is the rhythm of the day. This is something important to me and I am looking forward to the start of school for us to be able to implement a new one. So I have been thinking about that and am excited about how it will again simplify and calm our lives...

Gosh that was a long post, I'd best be getting on with my day x