Doing good things

When Dan and I had kids, we dreamed about our children being peace-makers, do-gooders, kind, caring people who make a difference in the world.

In day-to-day life, this doesn't always feel like a reality. Sibling squabbles and childish selfishness can get in the way of ideals and dreams.

So, we endeavour to do good things with the kids, in very overt ways, so they can see how good it feels to do good for others.

Our kids get a generous weekly allowance but they don't get to spend it all. Some they have to put aside for savings and some they put aside for charity or (as it is known in this house) Tzedakah. In past years, we have taken the saved up Tzedakah and the children have chosen a large toy to place under the charity Christmas tree at our local department store. Their gifts have gone to children their own age who otherwise might not have received a gift at Christmas time.

This year, we did things a little differently. Jake expressed a desire to do something for the homeless and to be able to give a gift in person, rather than leave an anonymous gift. He wanted to make a personal connection.

So, inspired projects like this one,  we took the children's Tzedakah money (and some of ours also) and we bought five backpacks and went shopping for useful and nice things to put inside.

Thank you for your patience (AKA the Festival of Jake)

I have had the laziest of summer breaks. No blogging. Hardly any photos taken and extremely little crafting was done.

You see ..... between late November and early January we have both kids' birthdays, both Grandmothers' birthdays, Hannuka and Christmas to celebrate. I do A LOT of entertaining and A LOT of baking and gift buying/making and by the end of it I am EXHAUSTED!!!

But I am back to blogging with a renewed energy and would like to spend this first post honoring my Jake who turned 8 exactly 1 month ago.  (See here for the recent Festival of Ella post).

__________________________________________________________

So, my delicious Jakey ... This year you have grown so much. You have learned so much due to your enthusiasm for school and ANYTHING written in a book!! You have blossomed as a social creature with such a lovely group of friends who care for you and who you love. You love your food and have grown so much physically. You are nearly as tall as me and your feet are a whopping size 6!! (Better stop feeding you I think)  ;o)

The school circus concert happened and you were dazzling with your hoola hoop:

 

Birthday books were donated to your school library:

 

Red House rewards day was celebrated with red EVERYTHING .... even your hair!!

 

Before school finished up for the year (and kids scattered to their family holiday destinations) you had a go-karting birthday party with your friends:

 

Would you check out the hair (and makeup) on the party organiser!!!!

A fabulous (yet amazingly easy) cake was provided by yours truly:

 

   

Of course a second celebration with family on the actual day involved ANOTHER cake. This time ... a chocolate ripple cake in the shape of a 'J':

 

You have serenaded us all with your guitar. It has been so exciting to see your growing love of music:

 

 And we took your traditional photo with Homer:

 

 

I love you so much my Jakey boy. You give the yummiest cuddles and the sweetest kisses and make me smile everyday.

__________________________________________________________

 

Among the many and varied gifts received by Jake over this very festive season was, of course, a mum-made quilt but I will show you that in another post.

More crafting posts to come ... promise!

Hope you have had a great January and look forward to catching up with you in February and beyond.

Andi xx

PS Also ... I turned 40.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

(Apologies to Mr Dickens)

The last week has held some real highlights and some major lowlights.

With a family trip planned to Ballarat to visit some lovely stitchy friends for a picnic, and then some good old family fun at historic Sovereign Hill ... what could possibly go wrong?

Well to start with, Mr Patch Andi came down with tonsillitis and couldn't come along.
But we pushed ahead with our adventure, leaving the Mr to get a couple of days of much needed rest.

We (my kids, my parents and I) arrived in Ballarat at chez Ric Rac late on Tuesday morning where Jodie and her son Connor were the hosts with the most.

Jodie had even 'made' bikkies for the kids.

We were soon joined by Kate and her girls, Rachel and her Maya and Lizzie. We all wondered off to the local park for a picnic.

Here are a few more shots. (Check out all the quilts we bought to use as picnic rugs)

Annie joined us a bit late as she was rather busy finishing her latest creation!!!

There was even some impromptu creating going on ...

After the delightful picnic, I sent my parents and kids off to check in to our accommodation while the girls took me to visit a local icon.

Oh the pretty fabric ....

I was seeing spots!

(These pretties came home with me along with a few other delicious selections!!)

Thanks Emma for being so very hospitable.

SUCH a very lovely afternoon! Thank you to everyone for coming along and playing with us city folk!!

Soon after leaving Ballarat Patchwork, I got a grumpy call from my dad wondering when I would be resuming my parenting responsibilities. Oops!!

A happy family dinner followed, then back to the hotel to rest up for a fun day of gold panning and ye-olden-days-lolly-eating the next day.

Unfortunately, my Ella woke up with a tummy bug so she and I went straight home, leaving my parents to take Jake around Sovereign Hill. They had a lovely day.

We'll get back there one day .... all of us!!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Andi xx

10 consecutive bad hair days .... and loving it!

'Bula' from beautiful Fiji!

We got back on Sunday night from a 10 day family holiday / honeymoon.

I am still rather jet-lagged and I'm writing this at 5am Melbourne time so I might just let the pictures do the talking .....  (Click on the mosaics to see more detail)

We spent some quality time together as a family:

Met some wonderful people:

And encountered some incredible wildlife:

Apologies to anyone who has been expecting emails from me in the past couple of weeks. I've been otherwise engaged.

Back to crafting very soon .... promise!!

Andi :-)

On the holidays ......

We have just come back from a week in sunny Noosa.

It was a fantastic week to choose because Melbourne has just had one of the coldest September weeks on record.

There was much swimming ...




Entertaining ....


(Making new friends on holidays was always the best!!!)

Some bushwalking ....




A sighting of the rare "Sunshine Coast Penis Tree" .....


Some Eumundi Market shopping ....


(I actually bought HEAPS more than this but didn't get any photos)

There was much slack jawed TV watching ....





and happy snapping in the sunshine ....




Of course there was also a little stitching ....


No chance of going a whole week without some craftiness sneaking in.

Happy stitching.

Andi :-)