Molly's 5th Birthday

Molly turned five on 23rd March, 2009 and to mark this very special event, we held a big fairy party (by special request) in the local Scout hall in Pukerua Bay. Molly invited around 15 little fairies and some brought their siblings so there were around 20 children in all and a few grown-ups too.

As Molly is very into dressing-up right now and loves pretending to be a fairy or a princess, we thought it would be very special if she had a visit from a real fairy, amazingly they do exist and Fairy Trina put in a surprise appearance at Molly's party and stole the show. She was a very busy fairy; telling stories, making wishes, painting fairy faces, organising pass the parcel and musical statue, as well as all her other fairy duties. The kids loved her and most importantly, it was a very special day to remember for Molly.

Fairy Molly

Fairy Trina with Molly

Fairy Eli

Fairy Mummy and Fairy Madeleine

Fairy Godmother

Fairies having tea (no, they weren't always this quiet!)

Pass the parcel

Molly hands out stickers on her last day at Kindy

The Fairy Birthday Cake (made by Fairy Godmother Viv!)

Inspiring Speech

After coming home from dropping Molly at school today, I felt confused: a mixture of things but the main reason was a nagging feeling that something isn't quite right about school. I don't have a connection with either the governing of the school or Molly's new entrants' teacher (who I'm sure is a lovely person) but neither fills me with confidence. Anyway, I averted my thoughts to other things and took off to the park with Madeleine for the morning but these thoughts kept returning and, after picking Molly up from school and crossing paths with the teacher, then having a conversation with Molly's Vision Specialist Teacher, I came home needing to find some answers.

Some things are just meant to happen and whilst I was reading an email from another Vision Specialist Teacher, I found an interesting-looking link on her email and decided to see where it took me. I browsed awhile and then the title 'Creativity' caught my eye and I clicked on this video. Suddenly, I felt like I had found an answer, or at least, felt supported for the concerns that had been with me all day. I also felt a connection and a realisation that my daughter's education could be something else altogther.

Now I'm left wondering what I'm going to do about it.

Beet soup and beach modelling

OK...we had a brief...put on the handmade woollies and strut our stuff on the beach...or something like that. Actually, Gudrun made two beautiful hand-knitted items for both me and Nick and this is just proof that we got them, love them and wear them. I received mine last year (in time for winter) and Nick's arrived just last week. Today was the perfect weather for a modelling shoot so we headed down to our local beach and got strutting. I think we could both do with some lessons in the art of photography, probably modelling too, but hey, we had fun.

With the onset of winter here; longer nights, cooler days and also, just being a lazy Sunday, it was the perfect opportunity to try out Gudrun's Beet Soup which is a winner in our household...well most of us...Madeleine preferred the homemade bread but she didn't even try the soup so we're working on converting her to the majority vote by the end of the winter.

Beet Soup, homemade fresh bread and hummus (leek flower!)

Nick showing off his his new vest made by Gudrun

Beth and Molly lapping up the sunshine

Beth modelling jumper designed by Gudrun also!