Tell us the Story

"Tell us the story, Mum," chant the girls, "of the bugs on the car."

"Yes, please!" adds Rachel.

"Really girls?" I ask.

"The story of the bugs on the car," Sophie reiterates.

"Alright," I say. "Once, we were driving to Bundaberg and it was night time, and dark, so we had the headlights on. Bugs come out at night, you know-"

"That means they are nocturnal," interrupts Sophie.

"Yes," I agree, "some bugs are nocturnal. And these bugs came out at night and saw our headlights. 'Ohh, lights!' think the bugs, and they fly over to see the light. But we were going very fast in our car, and as the bugs flew over to see the lights - squish! - they ran into our car and got squished. That is the story of the bugs on the car."

"Tell us the story again!" cry the girls.



I have no idea why our girls love this story so much, but it simply fascinates them. So I have written it here for you. And me. Because one day, I won't remember these little stories and I feel to lose them would be rather tragic indeed.

Felt Puzzles

A few weeks ago, I was looking for something to do with my hands while there was a bit of down time that didn't involve getting Sally the sewing machine out. So I looked at my pintrest board (one day I want it to be full of pictures of things that I've actually done, rather than just put there and dreamed about. :P) and noticed this little activity.

Dug through the felt box and came out with enough stuff to make them up. Lots of hand stitching and a little bit of machine sewing later and they are done. I actually finished them about two weeks ago, but forgot to take good photos and then totally forgot to blog about it at all. Thankfully I sat down on Thursday night and wrote an extensive list of things to do, digging from the far corners of my mind, which included blogging about this. (I say thankfully, but really, that very long to do list is quite daunting, even if crossing things off is satisfying.)

So here we are! That alien space craft does actually match up properly by the way, I just didn't notice when I took the photo and couldn't be bothered retake a photo when I did realise. I pre cut the back pieces of felt but managed to loose one the day I came to sew the backs on. Alas! Even though I've since found it - I still haven't sat down at the machine to sew it on. Maybe tonight.

Anyway, even when I'd thought it was lost for good and I'd always have one puzzle piece that wasn't backed, I didn't mind at all, because it reminded me of the story of the Tin Solider. I mentioned it to Steve who said he didn't know the story!

Shock! How can you go through child hood without reading the story of the Tin Solider who is short a leg because he was the last made in his regiment and there wasn't enough tin for him to have both legs? He lives in the nursery and the little boy loves the Tin Solider and plays with him even though he isshort one leg. And then he falls in love with a Ballerina, who, pirouetting on one leg, the Tin Solider mistakenly thinks only has one leg as he. Enter the villain as the goblin pushes the Tin Solider off the window ledge out into the street where he is unfortunately knocked into the gutter and down into the sewer. Just when his luck can't get any worse, he is swallowed by a fish!

At last, when we think the Tin Solider is no more, the fish is caught, sold and cut open by the cook of the house he came from! Hooray, our hero has returned to the nursery, reunited with his love, the Ballerina. Then (is it the wind or that nasty goblin again?), the Tin Solider is again blown from his place on the mantle and this time into the fire, where he melts in the heat. Some versions of this tale, and in fact, the ones I love the best, have the Ballerina jumping into (or falling by the same gust of wind) the fire as well, thus the lovers die together.

Steve told me it was not a very uplifting story. Maybe not, but not every story can have a happily ever after.

Besides, my puzzle story does have a happily ever after, because I did find the backing felt for that aeroplane piece. And even if I hadn't I still loved the puzzle and the pieces just as they were, just like the little boy loved the Tin Solider and played with him even though he was short one leg.

Finally: Published Again

Yes. If this were a New Years Resolution, then I'm way ahead of the game and have ticked it off two days in. I have finally published again.

It's not a New Years Resolution, just something I've had on the to-do list in the back of my head for ages. In fact, I even told you about it, six months ago now! I don't know why it was so hard to sit down and actually get it done, but somehow, most nights, when the kids were finally in bed, either something else ranked as more important or I just didn't have the brain power to pull it off.

The good news is that earlier in December after our trip to Bundy, I got to skip down to Melbourne for three days with my sisters (YAY!) and how I got there started with a six hour train ride from Bundy to Brisbane. Six hours of uninterrupted time, otherwise known as bliss. It was on this train ride that I got to get to it. Finally finished the last check ups of the stories and considered them worthy of publishing.

Hooray! These little stories are now out there for the world to read. I am well pleased. These stories are different to Just as it Should, which I published 18 months ago now. They are short stories. Think classic fairy tale type stories, and that's what you are in for. These are the stories that I love to write, because the good guys win, and everything works out just right. The cover art was done by Ellie of Taffy and Twine, who did my last cover too. She's so talented!

Anyway, I think that's enough of me babbling on. if you go to amazon.com and look up Spellbinding Stories, there it is. You can get it in the Kindle store too, Yay! I've published again!

Life in Progress

It has been a long few weeks. Busy. Hectic even. Sleep deprived, and at the same time, catching up on sleep (is there a word for that?). But I guess it's time for updates.

We had Rachel's party, and then some surprise family visitors from Bundy, then another party, (which we set up for outside, then it started to rain, so we had to set up for inside as well), then some more surprise family visitors from Bundy, then my Mum's 60th party, which had loads of extra family up to hang with as well. One night, Steve got home at ten to six and I was asleep on the couch by six. It was even an effort eating dinner at eight before I went to bed.

I punched about 700 circles out of cardboard to sew into bunting for Mum's party (had to ask Steve if he thought I had done enough, and he did some maths and worked out that I had about 65 metres of bunting, which I figured was enough). It looked amazing on the night, so it was worth the effort. Bunting always does though, right?

I've been looking after the kids (as always), though I've been without Hugo for a week and a half now, thanks to school holidays. And it really feels like a holiday. Two kids, so easy! Sophie and I have been continuing to grow things. The pumpkin seeds have taken off and been transplanted. Despite Rachel's best attempts at pulling them up and eating them each day, they are growing steadily. Hooray!

Sophie is now more happy about the idea of dress ups, so I've made a Cinderella dress for her. Pretty excited about it, so I might give it it's own post. YAY!

Another really exciting update is that I've gotten my act together with publishing my next book. It's taken me a while. Just to clarify, this isn't the one I just wrote and finished a few weeks ago. This next one is a compilation of three short stories (fairy tales) that I had written a few years ago. I've only just gotten my act together with uploading it all to Amazon now. So hopefully I'll have another exciting publication post soon too. (Well now I have to do it soon, because you all know about it. :P)

Anyway, I'd better get off here and go write some thank-you cards for Rachel's presents. Then I can cross another thing off the to-do list.

Paula's Outing

This is Paula. Paula lives in a house which has a lovely backyard.

One day, Paula decided to go and spend some time in the backyard.

"Can I come too?" said Sophie.

"Yes," Paula said, "as long as you use the toilet first."

"Will you take me?" asked Rachel.

"Yes, but you'll have to wear your shoes."

"May I come along, Aunty Paula?" said Hugo.

"Of course," Paula replied, "provided you're not too tired."

For a while, they all enjoyed being outside in the lovely backyard. But then, Sophie needed to use the toilet, but refused to go inside, Rachel took off her shoes, and was bitten by an ant, and Hugo fell asleep in the swing.

Then, Paula, Sophie, Rachel and Hugo all went back inside the house together.

"Don't worry," said Paula, "we'll try to play outside in the lovely backyard another day."

Thank you to Mr Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham for providing the foundation for this story, and Sophie, Rachel and Hugo for the inspiration. 

The Story of Bear's Castle

Once upon a time, there was a bear. His name was Bear. He was brown and soft and cuddly.

Unfortunately, Bear did not have a place to live. One day, a good fairy noticed that this lovely bear did not have a place to live, and, using her cardboard magic, made a home for Bear.

The home was not just a house, but a castle. It had a drawbridge and battlements and little windows to see outside. Over the drawbridge, the good fairy painted "Bear's Castle" so that everyone would know that this castle belonged to Bear. Bear liked his castle, which was just the right size for him.

Sadly, no sooner had Bear moved into the castle, when a giant came along! The giant saw Bear's Castle and thought it would be a good place for her to live instead of Bear. First, the giant squeezed inside, pushed bear over, and eventually, threw him out the drawbridge.

Poor Bear!

Even worse, once the giant realised that she could not actually fit in Bear's Castle properly or comfortably, she climbed out again and left it ruined on the ground.

Luckily, the good fairy was still around and saw this travesty happen. The good fairy spoke to the giant for a long time about not taking other people's castles. When the giant realised what she had done, she was sorry and gave Bear a big cuddle. Bear forgave the giant.

Then the giant and Bear decided they should live together forever. With the help of the good fairy, Bear's Castle was rebuilt and the giant was even allowed a quick visit.

And they lived happily ever after.

The end.