safe arrival

Let me introduce you to Small Pink Bundle #2!!

Yes its a girl! And we are over the moon excited and happy that she's arrived!

Born at home yesterday 10th of June at 3.55am

Weighing a rather hefty 8 lb. 14 oz (not sure but I think its about 4kg's)

My beautiful Nina is amazing - she simply breathes these little ones into expression in a few short hours and then calmly rings me at 5am and says "do you want to come seem my baby?"
Yes, of course!

The big sister is very dedicated at the moment but wondering why this new small playmate doesn't yet grasp and use the large variety of toys that she is so nicely sharing with her!

Right now, I'm off to blend up a nice green smoothie for my clever daughter and give the new tiny baby another Oma snug. I'll be back after I've enjoyed the baby moon!!

a blessing for mama and babe

Which mama and babe? Yes, yes, its this one again! Almost nine months ago another little soul chose my lovely girl as its earth mother and she's been carefully nurturing it close to her heart for all that time. I just recently realised that I haven't even mentioned that there is another tiny one coming to our family - I remembered around the time that I started preparing for the Blessingway we were holding to give her strength for this rite of passage. I spent quite some time preparing a meaningful ceremony and I was very happy with how the day flowed. She had several friends, quite a few sisters and sisters in law and four wise women to honour and encourage her and we spent a delightful afternoon creating, chatting and reminiscing.

This card from my Druid Craft Tarot deck has always been one of my favourites and when I snapped the top pic of my girl, it reminded me of it. Don't you think there's a resemblance?

So, we started the afternoon with soup and bread - this was intentional because the babe will be born in the late autumn month of June, when it is almost winter and there's a drawing in of energy. A nice hearty lentil and veg soup with sourdough bread was just right to complement the sleety rain and wind outdoors! After lunch we sat in circle, I said a few words regarding the intention of the ceremony, lit a candle, then Nina began and spoke of her thoughts and feelings with this, her second pregnancy, and of the changes that were to come. As she finished speaking she passed on a ball of gorgeous homespun wool and as each woman there received the wool, they too spoke some wise words, encouraging thoughts or offered a blessing for the birthing and each of us added a bead to a small felt basket. Nina has since turned them into a birthing necklace which she will wear until baby is here and then later, she'll incorporate them into a dreamcatcher, as a symbol of all the hopes and dreams for this babes new life.

I had organised some arty, painty creative bits (of course!) and spent a few minutes explaining what I had provided and how to do the activities. My Golden Girl wanted a small book to record babys firsts, so with watercolour, pencils and pre cut pages ready, the girls decorated and conversed to their hearts delight.

I'd spent the previous week designing and drawing up a mandala on a large piece of canvas with the intention of sewing up a cushion. The plan was to get everyone to paint a round, although the larger rounds were done by two or three at a time! It was interesting to hear some women saying they hadn't painted for years and being quite reluctant to try, although when they did they realised how soothing and enjoyable wielding a paintbrush could be! Hearing that, makes me more determined to encourage women to express themselves with paint, paper and glue through classes and workshops. I have a plan!!!

There was also going to be another mandala done in henna on the beautiful round belly but sadly the henna needed a few hours to be ready and we hadn't realised that before. We made do with some lovely ripe chocolate cervixes complete with emerging jelly babies!!

There was a lot of eating and chatting and sharing of birthing stories and babyhood and, I think, all the lovely women in our life went home a little richer in spirit. A friend shared how much more meaningful she felt this was, compared to a regular type of baby shower and its given me a nudge to offer to organise something like this for other expecting mamas. We'll see.

At the end of the day, we waved them all good-bye - mamas, babies, children, grandmamas - cleaned up a little, rehashed some extra good bits, wondered at the beautiful pages that had been made and washed up paint brushes. My girl was feeling so special, loved and vibrant and all set for another birthing and I felt relieved that it had all gone so well, been so well received.

Each of us went home with a piece of the birthing wool wrapped around our wrist - a symbol of our support for her during labour, which will be removed when bub has arrived. Interestingly, I have two - the green one and that pink one which was from an April womens circle held with my beautiful friends in NSW, honouring my transition to MidWoman or Maga. Two quite different stages of life and two which most women will enter and travel through, with varying degrees of equanimity.

Now, to wait.


Edited to add - here is a link to the first Blessingway we had for my girl. A different one, seeing as she was having a summer baby. And I just noticed that we had jellybabies then too ;) 

a weekend with our small elf

Recently I had the privilege of spending a whole weekend with my granddaughter. Her parents were having a much needed break, dancing and grooving at a local hippie festival, while I was reintroduced to how it felt to have a tiny one underfoot again!

With seven children, I had constant babies and toddlers around me for 18 years. Yes 18!! And yet, it amazes me how quickly I have gotten used to not having a permanent part of my brain focused on little beings. She was no trouble at all; she can amuse herself quite nicely, rarely cries, is interested in everything and is doted upon by her youthful aunts and uncle. Yet, still, I found that I had to rearrange my thinking and keep her in mind at all times.

Going to the garden? Find hat and boots. Make sure she doesn't get sunburnt. Oops, fell over the dug area….carry her over the lumpy bits. Clean dirt out of boots.

Cooking a meal? Ensure that she isn't underfoot. Pass her a nibbley. Give her a drink. Watch closely as she amuses herself with the cutlery and bowls. Quick! a trip to the potty. More snacks.

But we had fun too! It was delightful to see her busyness; the intense focus on her chosen task; her smiles; the snuggles at bedtime and her sleepy look when she first woke up.
 
 A wheelbarrow full of decaying rhubarb stalks makes for a fun ride.

With the help of my Fairy, we made uncooked play dough. The little one loved it. With the utmost concentration she placed small balls of dough into the nest.
(Our first time for uncooked dough and it's not as good to play with as the cooked one, quite crumbly, but…. it doesn't stick to every surface it lands on - i.e: the floor, chair, table and so on!)

We hung several loads of washing together...….one peg at a time!!

We picked leeks gone to seed flowers and fennel stalks and she marvelled at the tiny buds and gently pulled off the outer husks to offer them to me.

And she carefully made a lovely floral arrangement before turning her eyes and hands to a bowl of 'pums' we had picked earlier from the wild plum trees.

Perhaps I am older and not used to little ones any more but what struck me later (and again now as I look through these photo's) is that I can have fun with her. I don't remember having much time to wander slowly around the garden picking flowers or holding jars for a very slow flower arranger!! I certainly didn't have the time to run behind and snap photos for posterity (although I do have photos of my children!!!) I do remember being extremely grateful for daytime sleeps, older siblings and when each one became slightly more self sufficient.

Now, I wish I had taken more joy in each little one but I can also see how thats not always possible when you are the rearer, the nurturer, the discipliner, the cook and the cleaner. I can now truly see the difference that so many grandmas told me about when I still had my own little ones -

"You'll have fun and games with your grand children all day and then you send them back for their parents to raise"!

And I do believe that its true!!!

hot and cold

Living in Tasmania means that we rarely get temperatures above 30°C and if we by some lucky chance do, it's considered extraordinary! Last week while the rest of south eastern Australia sweltered in the 40's we too were rather hot under the collar with four days of 28 - 30°C. And believe me, when most of the year is only in the 'teens on the thermometer, thirty makes you sweat and feel a little crabby with those near and usually dear to you! 

I'm embarrassed to say, but I will tell you anyway, that before we moved here I didn't get up in the morning if it was below 12° and the fire hadn't been lit!! It didn't always work of course but I certainly tried, naughty me! These days, I consider 12° reasonably balmy due to most of the year being well below that and have to smile when I recall my younger self!! 

So, all that to say that we have had hot weather here too although no where near the temperatures that Linda and Kate have been enduring up on the mainland. I well remember hot, sticky, sleepless nights with fans and wet wash cloths (and secretly, I do prefer them to the endless cold)!!

Anyway, last week we resorted to ice blocks to cool off. Our Small Elf had her first one ever, made by her lovely mama, and enjoyed the experience so much she repeated the fun when she came here to visit. 

That lovely yellow one in the funky shaped mould is made of - 

2 mangos 

1 cup coconut cream

1 cup water

Whizzed up in the blender and frozen till yummy! 

This super red delight was whipped up by our Fairy Girl from -

2 cups mixed berries

1 cup fruit juice 

1 cup water

Sadly today it's quite cool again, not even reaching 20° and we are back to wearing long sleeves and socks but I live in hope that all that glorious summer weather returns again and we can repeat the easy living, easy eating of hot summer days. 

Oh summer, how I love thee!!! 

Wir haben momentan etliche Heise tage und zum abkühlen gab es eis zum schleckern. Zum ersten mal für unsere kleinste maus.

Die gelben sind Mango mit Kokosnuss creme und etwas Wasser und die roten, etliche Beeren Sorten und Früchte Saft.

Die kleine geniest es so sehr!!  

   

small purple walking girl

The wee elf has been walking for a few months now and it's delightful to watch her wonky steps! On a recent visit, she and I went for an outing to the chickens and then many wobbly walks up and down the drive. I couldn't help snapping quite a few pics of her delight in her new found freedom and the funny attempts to feed our old dog some choice cuts stones!

This one is especially for her great-grandparents, who don't get to see her often enough. Sending lots of purple baby love your way, Granny and Gramps!!

one year on

 My granddaughter turned one today. 

One whole revolution around the sun. 

Hard to believe that 366 mornings ago my Man and I returned home, tired and exhilarated, just as the first rays of the sun were reaching over the countryside. Only the day before, we were simply parents, and then we were grandparents. 

Just like that. 

Friends have asked me how it feels to be a grandmother? Isn't it special? I'm never sure how to answer that. I'm not even sure what they mean. 

Do I feel different? No, not really. 

Is it wonderful? I suppose so. 

I certainly don't feel as if I've finally reached some sort of ultimate goal, a pinnacle of parenting and now am able to rest on my laurels. 

What's more, I'm still mothering young children and in my mind, grandmothers are older, mature and 'childless'. They knit and share brag books at bingo, don't they? They certainly  don't have urges to party hard or stay up all night with friends over some bottles of wine. They aren't still discussing the pros and cons of skimpy skirts with their teens or playing tooth fairy for their 10 year old! 

No, I'm sure they don't. And so I feel like I'm not actually doing my 'job' properly - I don't have the time to create smocked dresses, or take her to the park or even babysit. I'm still home educating three children, running a business, building a house and taming a wild garden..... and that's just the big things! I've yet to feel comfortable with my new label. Grow into it. I need to reevaluate my beliefs. I also need to accept that even when my last three children have grown and moved on, I'll most likely still not live up to my stereo typical granny! 

I might have more time to create her a nice birthday gift or plant a flower garden together but after all these years of having my children with me always, I have a long list of things I'd like to do - like traveling or perhaps studying visual arts or photography or maybe running an online business and trading in shares. 

How to reconcile my need for some 'me' time with my beliefs about grand-parenting? I feel a touch of guilt about that. Shouldn't I be there for my daughter(s) and grandchildren? 

So you see, this grand parenting role is still something I must ruminate on. Sure, it's lovely to see the little Elf and kiss her and snuggle her and of course it brings me pleasure to see my girl excelling in her new role as mother but it certainly isn't an overnight change. It will take some years, I feel, to truly feel comfortable with this new hat that I've been blessed with. Just as I did when I became a new mother, I will need to grow and expand, and slowly fit myself into the new skin that my first born has again gifted me with. 

It will be an ongoing journey.     

Happy first birthday, sweet love child! 

Oma really does love you. 

Unsere kleine Enkelin war heute ein Jahr alt! Ein ganzes Jahr! Kaum zum glauben. 

Und ich bin ein Jahr Oma.

Auch fast nicht zum glauben!  

egg-citing!

Oooh, look what mama's got!

Oooh, schau was mama hatt!

Wow, I've never seen this before!

Na, sowas hab ich noch nie gesehen!

I'll just have a taste and see if its good!

Muss schnell probieren obs auch gut ist!

Not bad. But wait there's some more in there.....

Nicht schlacht. Aber schau, hier sind noch mehr....

baby face(s)

I'm still learning how to be a doting grandmother and need reminding every now and again to 'brag' about my beautiful grandchild! 

So here are a few pics of her from her last visit, a week ago.

Isn't she adorable? 

PS - have you entered the draw for the little giveaway that I'm having? It ends on Friday and you can have a peek here!