Suddenly It's Christmas

More so than other years, the sneak attack of December is most startlingly upon us. Maybe the pandemic has caused us to forget that time marches on. Or, prehaps we thought that with all the other cancelled things that happened this year, somehow Christmas might be cancelled too. But it is not. 

It is here. And while I was wrapping 24 Christmas books last night in preparation for advent, I was glad Christmas had come. 

For what is life without the celebration of wonderful things. Things that can't be explained because they are so mysterious, and yet we are drawn to them in curiousity and awe all the same. What would the year be, with out the mystery of God choosing to become a tiny baby? To start a life that would take time to grow until just the right moment for the kingdom to come. What is this plan that unfolds each year, reminding me of God's careful timing and faithful planning, that one day, I would come to know the love of the Father. 

I'm so thankful for Christmas, more this year than possibly ever before. And I'm looking forward to reading each one of these 24 Christmas books with the girls, one a night until the 25th of December. There is something special about this time and this moment, and I am glad to be here. 

I am also glad that I decided to wrap all of these books in fabric this year, rather than the recycled paper I have used for the last three. This could be the start of something new for us all. 

The Life and Death of Our Guinea Pigs

Back in July this year, we became the owners of three cute guinea pigs. It was spontaneous and fun. These little creatures gave us a lot of amusement and love. The girls loved to take videos and photos of them, and feeding them each day was always a highlight. We dutifully took them out to their grass enclosure each morning and brought them back onto the deck at night. These daily trips meant we had lots of time to bond with them, and love them more and more. 

So it was a terrible shock to come home one day, and find that two of them had passed away unexpectedly in the day. We still don't know what happened for sure. It wasn't a hot day and there were no signs of heat related stress digging, so we don't think it was that. Our best guess is that a neighbourhood cat might have visited and they got stressed about their survival.

Jupiter was still alive and well, but Marmalade and Westly, were very much gone. The girls were distraught. I think the shock more than anything else, but they did love their little guinea pigs, so it came as a blow. Both Steve and I felt quite underprepared to suddenly have to guide the girls through their grief, but some how we managed.

We wrapped them up in some scrap fabric that I had, the girls chose which they thought would suit the guinea pigs best. Steve dug a hole and we buried them in the yard. Afterwards we talked about them, Sophie drew pictures, Rachel needed lots of hugs, I found pictures of each of them to print and show the girls we would remember them. 

It was a strange time. We passed a week going through the motions, listening to the daily reflections from the girls that they missed their guinea pigs. But slowly, the missing became less as the reality of the new normal set in. We were thankful to still have Jupiter and worried about his now lonely existence.   

Neighbours of the best street ever to the rescue. Across the road had three guinea pigs, who didn't particularly get along with each other. Their eldest child offered her guinea pig (the most trouble making of the three of them), to us, on the hope that he would get along with Jupiter better than he did is current friends.

Thus we went from three, to one, to two guinea pigs in residence. Taco and Jupiter had a few tussles while they decided who would be in charge, and thankfully they were both happy with the status quo at the end of things. In the enclosure, Jupiter is the big boss. If they escape, it's usually Taco who initiated and out on the grass, he becomes the alpha. It's a bit funny to see the balance shift, but I'm glad they have decided to be friends; it's worked out for both us, our neighbours and the guinea pigs.

Now that it's warmer at night, and since we have adjusted the outside enclosure to include a roof (no more escaping!) we don't need to move them as much any more. I kind of miss the daily interaction, but we still find time to feed and cuddle them most days. Live long and good lives little guinea pigs. You have signifigantly impacted our lives more than we knew.

Costumes Again: Halloween 2020

Any excuse to dress up. 

I don't know why, but the girls never put a lot of thought into their Halloween costumes. Maybe becuase it's not a huge, hyped up event in our house, but more a causal, hang out with street people, kind of affair. Either way, I kind of like their spontaneity. They literally chose these on the day. 

This year, they decided to be a frog and a cat. It had been a very rainy kind of week, and day, so it was surprisingly cool enough for Rachel not to die of heat exhaustion in that onesie. Sophie is wearing the pants I made for her Clara costume, along with a size two vest, that some how still fits. She wore that vest last year when she went as Hiccup, so it's very versitile. 

Steve whipped out his Jedi costume from May the Forth a few years ago, and I grabbed out this Chinese outfit from my stash. I think my Mum bought it from Hong Kong, or Singapore on a trip she and Dad took before we were born. Funny, wearing something that is older than me, and really hasn't been worn in all that time at all. At any rate, it made for a passable Mulan costume, so I was happy. 

Clara of Wrenly

Sophie chose rather unexpectedly for Book Week this year. After being Sophie from The Tiger Who Came to Tea last year, we had thrown around the idea of her being Sophie from The BFG this year for quite a while. Out of the blue one day, she said that she didn't want to wear a nightie all day at school, and so would not be that Sophie after all. 

When Book Week was going to be in August, Sophie told us that she wanted to go as Aslan, from the Narnia books. Pretty cool choice, and so easy, since we already had a lion costume. But with the move of Book Week to October, we reaslied that not only would the lion onesie be way too hot, but also, Sophie wouldn't fit it any more by then either. Back to the drawing board. 

When we read the first Kindom of Wrenly books, which has a fairy Queen named Sophie as one of the characters, I thought for sure we had a winner. That's when Sophie surprised us all, and said that she wanted to go as someone from Wrenly, but not as the beautiful fairy Queen, but rather as the pesant girl Clara. 

Clara is Prince Lucas's only friend in the story, and they go on an adventure together to find the Queen's lost emerald. She has a crown braid and is friends with the mermaids. I can see the appeal. 

Her costume was pretty basic however. Just a blue shirt and brown pants. Not exactly awe inspiring, or an exciting sewing challenge. What she does have, however, is a satchel bag that the two characters use to carry things around in on their adventure. Now there was something I could work with. 

The first thing I did was add embelishments. Clara's satchel is brown, but I figured I could add a sea shell feature for her. If you read the story, you'll know why, and I don't want to spoil it for you. 

The other thing I did, was make it completely reversible. Why have a brown satchel, when you can have a reversible stachel that flips out to some magnificent black with gold arrows when you aren't being Clara? Exactly. 

The gold arrow fabric was left over from making the Tea Bag last year. I picked up the brown at Spotlight and then used scraps to line the pockets and for the scallop shell embellishment. 

This is Sophie showing me one of her pockets eating her hand. 

The bag is made using the Nature Explorer Bag pattern that I used for Rachel's bag a few years ago (apparently the original link doesn't work any more though sorry!) There are pockets on the sides of the bag, and the front as well, so lots of places for Sophie to hide her treasures. 

I also added a lanyard clip thing, just becuase I know the girls love to have them. Rachel has a compass clipped onto hers and I honestly thought I had a second one, but couldn't find it. Oh well.

The rest of Sophie's costume is a $2 t-shirt from Kmart and a pair of brown pants that I literally whipped up in 15mins while the girls ate dinner one night. I just used the go to Sycamore Shorts pattern and lengthend it like I did for her Lana pants two years ago. Too easy.

Ready to adventure. Sophie has been taking her stachel bag a lot of places, which makes me pretty happy. All the pockets are great for stashing snacks and storing things she finds on the way. Perfect. 

Bertha the Bee

Rachel's chosen book for Book Week was Bertha and the Bear, by Australian (Queensland!) author Christine Sharp. Bertha is the bee in the story who has to find a new hive for the Queen. Perfect character for our bug-loving Rachel. Remember her birthday this year? Exactly. 

I thought a bee costume was relatively easy, but after looking at a few different costume ideas with Rachel, she managed to complicate things. I should have just stuck to the simple dress, but the tulle was on special and Rachel loves a good twirly skirt, so I caved and made both.

Everything is just tied, no zips or buttons, and the main dress is based on the R2D2 dress design that I had used for Sophie a few years ago. The underskirt is just strips of tulle tied around a waist band. It should probabaly have more tulle for fullness, but meh. I think that it will be the first thing to come off, becuase Book Week is in October this year, rather than August, so considerably hotter all round. 

One of the things that Rachel was really excited about, was having a stinger. I made it detachable, so it just slips on and the waistband ties with ease. She got to stuff it herself too. 

It's hilarious. Anyway, a yellow t-shirt and a set of wings and she is ready to go.