Evabella's 5th birthday

Oh my, our lovely girl is 5! It is such a joy to see her excitement and delight at having reached such a significant milestone. I am so grateful and heartened (if not relieved!) to see her lovely qualities coming to the fore and  her settling into herself in preparation for school.
We celebrated the day with a fairy tea party replete with scones, cream, and jam.

Evabella and Ethan on her birthday quilt, birthday morning

birthday chair

Prayer time, pancake breakfast

she has such effervesence!

Cranberry and Orange, and Wholemeal scones

treasure hunt picture clues

birthday fairies

bubble blowing

fairy castle pinata

boys gang

treasure hunting

tea time

and a chapter ends, it was lovely to have so many of her little Nest friends to celebrate with us, they have been an important part of her journey.

Alexander turns 7! Labour Weekend 2011

 

I see a real shift at seven, as if they are casting their boat off the shore a little, testing the waters of the world. One can just hope all ones love and guidance and effort invested is stored away securely like a squirrels stash of autumn nuts, to be drawn upon when needed. I realise more and more that our children are but borrowed that like Kahil Gibran  said, "(we) are the bows from which  your children as living arrows are sent forth." And that though they seem to need you less over time it is ever important that you are present and available and there when they do seek you out. That is one of my present humble goals as a parent - to give full attention when it is needed. I am guilty so often of just  'being busy" , to what end? I endeavour to have the wisdom to pause when called for,  to take the time to fill the love tanks when they are running low and fit in the "doing" when they are chugging along happily, or include them in it....

Happy birthday Alexander!

It was so lovely to have family to share it with this time, to have good fairy hands to help create a special party, and celebrate the milestone.

P.S. a jumble of photos some of mine, some taken by Stacey and some by Mum, forgive me I can't remember which is which. 

"Play is a child's work"

Stace and cousins

Love love love my new bunting, a combined effort by my good fairy aka Stace and I

I love my big bro

ever grateful for Mum's help in the kitchen

birthday feast - pronounced too healthy! Blame those hippie roots

gift opening, lots of hugging! long may it last amoung boys!

Thomas and Aston (boys of bestie Florence of sunshineofmyloves@blogger.com)

treasure hunt excitement

such laughs from the pinata pirate guarding the treasure

soccer with Dad's too, thanks Dale and Stace for the lovely goals

who knew that Irish dancing footwork would come in such handy?!

brother Dale and Campbell

a divine couple, soon to be married, see crafty prep at littleknightlight@blogger.com

Ethan turns two!

Ethan's bunting Alexander and I made

Two!

birthday chair

Can you believe our third little one turned two on the 4th, such a milestone for boy and parents both! I have to admit I really mourn the loss of the baby he was, as much as celebrate the delight he is. By two ones baby has truly gone hasn't it? Much to my astonishment I am terribly clucky at the moment and can't shake the feeling there is another child waiting for us, gasp! I know, I know, and those that know me closely please remind me of what a struggle it was to juggle three little ones without family here, a sinking ship is what I have most used to describe us these last years... remind me of all the tears and the exhaustion and how I have expressed a hunger for a taste of self again.... and the evidence is still all around me in piles of washing, the constant cycle of chaos to order, feeling so pulled in different directions, sometimes feeling I can't do anything well or meet everyone's needs as best as I would like....But then there is this deeper settled part that is just so content in the bustle, that has taken three little ones to "get it", whatever "it" is, something settling into my bones ...to surrender, to let go, to not sweat the small stuff anymore, to live for the present, and that love in general and of family in particular, is ultimately the most important thing (including it's extensions in rich friendship), and to live by "this too shall pass", and that they grow up SO quickly, that what do those difficult times really matter but to stretch us and help us grow into richer more whole human beings, that challenges are there but for our growth and pruning as Kahil Gibran says...... .OH DEAR! I better do more crafting and resurrect our craft circle, or set up my easel, or apply for my masters, or run a local 10k, or finish that knitted cardigan I started (two years ago :), or start a book club, or, or?

Happy birthday Ethan!
I must share a most magical moment at the days end when the sky had grown dark... Ethan lead me down to our room and asked me to sit with him on the floor to look out at the stars, and I sat beside him in that glorious stillness of night, quiet all around, and so utterly peaceful after a busy day. We just basked in looking at the beautiful crescent moon, bordered by two distinct stars, when all of a sudden a shooting star shot across the sky between them, lasting for a small eternity as if to say "haaaapppppy biiiirthhdaaaaay Ethaaaan", such a rare beacon, caught in such a lovely connected moment of love, it was astonishing. Every night when it grows dark Ethan still mentions the   "shootin star", and we go and look. We haven't seen another one since and we have come to call it his special birthday star. Magic is!