Sophie, The Artist

We have been colouring and drawing lately, and I thought I'd share this with you. These are Sophie's illustrations to the classic "The Incy Wincy Spider".

The Incy Wincy Spider

Climbed up the water spout.

Down came the rain and washed the spider out.

Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain.

So the Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the spout again.

Yes, I did help with the house outline, the clouds and that rainbow shape (under her direction). The rest of the rather purpley-swirly shapes are all hers.

Shared Three Ways

Two weeks ago now, I took the kids to the park for a play and a picnic. This was their lunch. 

I wanted to share it because I realised that even though the majority of the bento I make for the kids are in cute containers, you can still make fun lunches is rather boring old take away boxes. And you don't even have to be super amazing with cutting the veggies either. It still looks like a fun lunch because of all the colour, and it's easy for the kids to eat, because everything is small.

Please, go out and make fun lunches for yourself. It's achievable even on a time and finance budget. :)

Date Night

Steve and I had a date night last Tuesday. It was his birthday present. I got us tickets to see Les Miserables at QPAC. It was pretty phenomenal, even from the very back row of the top balcony. Being that far back really makes you appreciate the costume designer, because with out those signature colours or dress styles, it would be really difficult to identify the characters at such a distance.

I love Les Miserables. It's what I grew up listening to, and what I resonated with in my strange depressed teenage years. Even now, I love the musicality, and the general genius of the scoring. Each time I hear the motifs and themes I am taken to the revolution.

Steve was more excited about seeing it live than I was actually. I mean, I knew it'd be good, but I was a little hesitant because of a) the hype and b) the expense. But I'm well pleased that I was convinced to get him the tickets for his birthday, because we both loved it. Sometimes a night out is worth dipping into those savings.

Steve and I were talking after about how similar the music is for Jean Valjean and Javert when they have their crucial character dilemmas. I've been thinking about it more too. Jean Valjean and Javert are both offered life when all they expect is death. They are both offered freedom, when they deserve jail. What they do with what they are given though, is entirely different.

While Jean Valjean, when offered the chance at freedom decides to take it and live his life always repaying the memory of the one who gave him the freedom, Javert cannot bear to live with the idea of his undeserved life. I think about this too in relation to what God offers us. Sometimes I want to take what he has given and do my best with it, and other days, I just can't handle what he has been so abundant with. Why would he give me life, when I deserve death?

It's too much for me to take.

I guess I don't really know where I'm going with this. Just that I'm thankful for what God has given me and I'm trying my best with it. Last Tuesday was a great reminder that.

Storage

All is quiet on the sewing front. We had a big week of doing lots and giving Steve a great 30th Birthday. The week before, I did sew this rather quickly, but it then got busy and I didn't get around to taking photos or doing anything with those photos for a while.

Still, I thought I'd post it, because now it looks like I have done something of late.

It's a fabric storage box/basket/thing that fits under the play kitchen in the living room. The kids had been putting all that food stuff into shoe boxes (actually, they were rather better at taking it out of said shoe boxes). I went to a conference about early childhood and one of the speakers challenged us to rethink our play spaces and make them more accessible to the kids. Like putting things in baskets or bags so they can take them to where they want to play with them, rather than having them on shelves or in huge boxes. That was kind of my inspiration for this.

It's got a handle on the front so the kids can pull it out easily, and because it's fabric, it can fold as well. So if they want to take some food for a picnic - can do! Made of some lovely soft old denim jeans from the stash and some rather appropriate cake fabric from my mum, it's everything it needs to be.