Dreaming of Summer Rain

It is hot here, real hot. The thermostat has been slowly creeping higher day after day, week after week. To the point where I almost long for a wet day because everything, everywhere you look is tinder dry. However, despite my daydreams of summer rain, I do have to say, there is something very satisfying about hanging the sheets out and having them dry in under an hour. 

How is the weather at your place today? I am reading all kinds of crazy reports in the news of flooding in Australia and severe snow in Europe. 

4 Seasons

Summer

Late summer and the fruit is ripe for harvest.

We now have a fridge full of plums and peaches, courtesy of our parent's fruit tree's. The girl's love it, being able to grab one whenever they feel like it. To enjoy the sweet, soft juicy centres. We have so much fruit at the moment, I don't quite know what to do with it all.  So if you have any good fruit recipes, I would love to hear them.

If you have a seasonal post of your own, I would love you to link up.

4 Seasons

Summer

Summer sun. I love it. Warm and welcoming from dawn to dusk. I love being able to wake up in the morning and not have to worry about feeling cold. I love that feeling of warmth on my skin and how it turns my shoulders a lovely golden shade. 

Sometimes it really is all about the simple pleasures.

If you have a seasonal post of your own, please link up-

4 Seasons

Summer

My sister and I took the little ones blueberry picking at a local farm. Blueberries are Isla's favorite food, so she could not believe her luck that she could just grab them in abundance off the tree. It did however mean that I had to keep a close eye on my picking container as she was forever trying to carry it off. 

The blueberries are so sweet at the moment, and just delicious. We have been eating so many that I think we may end up going back next week to pick more as I had been hoping to freeze some but I don't see that happening from this batch.

If you have a seasonal post, would love you to link up.

4 Seasons

Summer

Summer's nature table- a sweet image of ducks swimming, and fairies frolicking. Such a happy little scene in our home, loved by my little ones. 

What is happening at your place? Would love you to link up.

4 Seasons

Summer

Summer in our home is all about bare bums, it is a chance for my little ones to run naked and enjoy the summer warmth on their little bodies. And boy do they love it... the freedom and joy of childhood. 

The number of nappies the little one wears per day dwindles over the summer months and so too does the washing. But the sight of nappies on the washing line always makes me smile. Especially when they are strung on a line between 2 trees in the forrest.

Would love to hear about your seasonal adventures. Why not link up below. 

4 Seasons

A Kiwi Summer

A kiwi summer, I love it. 

One of my favorite things about summer holidays is getting back to basics, and for us, we do that at the family batch. A batch, for those that don't know is a New Zealand term for holiday home. Except, holiday home congers up images of big flash houses, were as batches are all about keeping it simple. Think crockery from the 1970's, peggysquare blankets made by some now long dead aunt, cushions that are so old the filling has gone hard... you get the drift. 

At our batch, we don't have a bath, only a shower and the little ones aren't fussed on showers anyway. Our solution- a bucket bath in the evenings on the deck. I must say I was more than a little jealous, I would not have minded sitting out there myself- warm water on a beautiful summer's evening, overlooking the south pacific ocean- bliss!

So, what have you all been up too in 2011? Would love you to link up.

4 Seasons

Summer Solstice

Today on this, the longest day of sunshine under the southern sky, a little bit of magic was happening at our house. We talked about it last night, how on the summer solstice, the fairies like to come out and celebrate. We talked about how maybe, just maybe,in the morning, if we look hard enough, we just might find where they had been. So early this morning we rose, quietly stepping around the garden, eyes focused for signs of fairies. It was actually our littlest, Isla who found the fairy house first, bouncing up and down and pointing with delight. Their grins was a mile wide as they got down low to examine it and to discover to their surprise that not only had the fairies been celebrating in our garden, they had even left  a little thank you gift- a seashell full of our favorite summer fruits. Oh happy day.

If something special has been happening in your corner of the world, I would love you to link up.

P.S. I will be taking a few weeks off from 4 seasons posts with christmas and summer holidays here but will pick up again on the 11th of Jan :-) 

4 Seasons

The Last Day of Spring

Fresh strawberries growing outside my door. Kind of epitomises this time of year don't you think? I did have them sitting on the deck but I have had to put them up on a low bench, as a certain little 11 month old with a strawberry addiction, kept trying to raid them before they were ripe.

What is happening in your world on this cusp of the change of season? Why not link up.

4 Seasons

Spring

The most obvious sign of spring in our house is the nature table, which takes pride of place in our living area. It is here that Miss Holly puts all her special finds. At the moment the table is full of little flowers. Whenever we go for a walk, she loves to collect flowers along the way. Our rule of thumb is, if it is overhanging the footpath or planted on the roadside, it is fair game.

Everything on the table is organized by Holly except the large vase of flowers which were a gift. Each time when we come home with new flowers, she carefully arranges them, adding them into one or other of her little vases. Her shells, from our frequent beach trips, she likes to arrange in circles. At the moment they have created a 'fairy circle'.

A couple of weeks ago, a blackbird found it's way into our house. Which actually really scared both my girls but after we got him back outside, we discovered several of his feathers in the house. I told Holly that the bird had left them as a gift to say thank you for helping him outside. They quickly took up residence on the nature table. Because cats like to chase feathers, he is up there too, with his little play friend Mr Mouse.

The painting is one of Holly's own watercolors, which I thought looked lovely and bright, much like her sweet flowers.

What is happening at your place that reflects the current season?

Would love you to link up.

4 Seasons- Spring

Summer. My favorite Season. Spring, my second favorite. 

The other day, I watched my 2 year old kindly share her ice block with her very excited baby sister. They sat in the sun, ice-block dripping over their tiny hands while Holly passed it back and forth between their mouthes. Afterwards, they smelt just like summer, that mix of cool ice block breath and sunscreen. Bliss.

Do you have something to share that personifies the season you are in?

Would love you to link up.

4 Seasons- Will you join me?

I have been thinking about this for a while, the idea of celebrating every week with a post that reflects the season we are in, be it summer, spring, autumn or winter. Something from life, something that inspires me or makes me smile. It could be an outing, an activity, a poem, a song, a recipe or a photo that reflects the current season.

So, I will kick off this Tuesday and every Tuesday there after. I would dearly love it is some of you wanted to link up with posts of your own. It would be so exciting to see how you all celebrate the season.  You don't need to be in the southern hemisphere to join in either, I would love to see the juxtaposition of the northern hemisphere seasons too.

See you Tuesday!

What a Week

I have come to the conclusion that in a past life my husband must have done some bad, bad things, like being a serial killer or something, and karma is somehow kicking him up the butt now.

You might recall a while ago, I told you about the horrific car accident he was in when we were younger. You would kinda think that that was all his bad luck used up right?.... wrong!

On Sunday while up skiing, he fell and managed to break his hip. He is mortified. Firstly because his ski season has now come to an abrupt finish and secondly because, in his words "I thought only old crumbly people broke their hips".

So at present, life revolves around daily trips to the hospital, which is not a lot of fun with 2 little ones in tow. Especially with Isla's adventurous spirit. She is off in a jiffy down the corridor to befriend anyone and everyone. We have however discovered, that a blown up rubber glove can keep them amused for a surprisingly long time.

Fingers crossed he will be home next week.

Life Goes On

Life in Christchurch is slowly settling into a new kind of normal. 

A very different kind of normal to before the earthquake. A life where buildings that have stood for many generations now lie as piles of rubble, many have been cleared and as you drive along,  you rack your mind to remember which building stood where... already we begin to forget.

 A new kind of normal where little 2 year old girls are too scared to go to sleep in their own bed because 'their bed might shake'. 

A new kind of normal where we can no longer do our usual walk along the waterfront because large cracks in the earth now exist where once there was grass.

A new kind of normal where aftershocks are still a daily reminder of the power of mother nature.

But life does move on, as we begin to repair our own home-

We are lucky, luckier than many, we have damage yes, but we still have our home and the damage is nothing insurance won't cover. 

Funny thing is, amongst this 'new normal', life really does go on. 

Spring is here.

The flowers are appearing in our garden again, encouraged by the warmth of the spring sun.

And for little girls, who have had to experience a fear that little ones should never have to experience, life slowly begins to return to normal.

Winter Wonderland

Turns out skiing is a lot like riding a bike, once you know how, you never forget. Last week I spent 2 amazing days at the Cardrona ski field near Wanaka. Much to my surprise, having not skied since before the girls were born, I can still do it!

The main reason we went up was to support Simon who was taking part in the Adaptive Snowsports National Festival. He did well but unfortunately did not place in the elite class. He did however, manage one almighty fall which was apparently spectacular to watch. Luckily I was not there to witness it myself.

The girls spent the day in the on-field nursery, which was great as it meant I could easily come and go during the day. They had an absolute blast playing in the snow. Holly kept repeating "So cold" between big smiles.

Turns out that granddads are pretty handy things. They will pull the sledge for far longer than Mummy or Daddy.

And they will even make fools of themselves by letting 2 year olds take them for sledge rides.

Even Isla got in on a little of the winter action.

Fun times.