Snap, snap ..

Flowers and sunscreen for Daisy ...

Farrah and Daisy being themselves and enjoying each other ...

Cosmos .. or as Daisy now calls him .. Bot-boss

A luscious moment for a luscious girl .. yum, yum, enjoying my plum ...

How beautiful ...

This morning in the witches garden, Mika suddenly piped up with a big, 'Sa-pize! It's your birthday', and came to me with her little hands full of things she'd been collecting for my birthday gift.  She had little leaves and bits of grass and twigs and pine needles and gum nuts.  Everything was put on my knee and she began giving me all the gifts.

'These are for your ears', she said giving me the little gum nuts like tiny little earrings ... 'and these are clips, for your hair' ... ... 'taking a look at my hair and announcing I needed a haircut, picking up two little twigs, giving me a cut ... then gently placing the 'clips' in my hair.  She stood back, took in her work so far and then got some pine needles, a put them in the top of my shirt and said, 'These are for your shirt'.  By this time, Pepper and Lola were fascinated.

Next she took a long pine needle sort of thing and put it across my face and hooked it behind one ear, then the other and then placed leaves up underneath, like an elaborate adornment.

She stood back and looked again, her eye on the detail and making little adjustments hear and there.

Then she announced, 'Shoes' and I put my feet out and she came and waved her hands over my feet, saying, 'Pink, purple, sparkles, there's your shoes.\'

If I looked half as beautiful as she was dressing me and seeing me then I'd have to say I'm a very gorgeous woman :)

I found her attention to what she was doing and feeling for creating beauty quite something else.

Next it was Lola's turn and she loved it.

Mika really let herself be seen and felt in this today and she was a real delight for us all.

... and along with this we all had loads of funny piling on top or each other at one point in the day ...

... and playing in some seriously long, very luscious, very green grass, ah the simple things ...



Lots of love to share today ...

Henri joined us today, and with him he brought a lot of heart to the group.

Henri was openly sharing his love for all his new friends, giving them lots of cuddles all day long. Ella and Eden got along really well, sharing many cuddles too. I think this helped Eden’s feelings of being away from his twin sister Mika, who spends the day with danella's gang having her own adventure.

 We ventured all around the farm, having cuddles with the guinea pigs, climbing on the dragon hill near the pigs and then finding ourselves in the goats paddock down the back of the farm.  Here we said a quick hello to the goats and proceeded to play in the goat shelter and rolling in the grass for hours. Luke and Henri played builders while Eden, Ella and Archie played find the ingredients for our salad…….

I was grateful for the goats paddock as it seemed to create a beautiful feeling of togetherness and from that we had a wonderfully close, loving day!

Everyone wearing Ella's hat ...

A whole lot of cuteness and cuddles ...

a few moments in time ...

On Wednesday, standing next to Frankie while we watched Moira the pig, I saw her wide-eyed (Frankie that is) with wonder at this up close view of Mumma pig.  She drank in every little moment and movement and I could feel Frankie about to burst with something to say or express.  As she hmmed and ahhed and her little hands met together in front of her chest, she turned to me only centimetres from my face and said with great fervour and passion, 'I LOVE pigs.'

On Friday morning, Ted and Magnus noticed a spiders web at the same time under the Mulberry tree.  Ted reached out to touch it and Magnus jumped in with a plea of, 'Don't Ted!'  Ted stopped his hand mid-air, looked at Magnus and said, 'Why?'  Magnus looked wide-eyed at Ted and said, 'Because it's a nest, that's the spiders nest where it lives and sleep and if you bump it, it will fall down and the spider won't have a nest anymore.  We have to look after things.'  Ted's little arm dropped to his side with a, 'Oh.hh.' and on they walked, satisfied little companions.

Ted's catch cry on Friday as he found himself more and more comfortable with his new friends, as he'd walk into a moment of play full of curiosity and desire to join in, 'Wa's going on here then?'

At picnic time, Magnus was eating a little box of sultanas.  He turned it on it's side looking at the writing and 'reading' it with his little finger running over the text, quietly too himself.  Next he called to me, 'Hey Nella, look, and read again ... Dis is full of good sings. Bananas, orange juice and abckids.net.au! '

Dakota was doing ballet at one point on friday, showing her moves and explaining things to me when she said in her very Dakota way, 'Danella, can I tell you something? (so Dakota) My mummy used to be a real ballerina and she launched into all the things she knew about ballet from Tessa.  As she finished and went to continue her game, she turned her head over her shoulder and called back to me ... and my Daddy used to be a real Prince.

Celebrating Frieda

We celebrated Frieda’s Birthday today with some yummy chocolate cup cakes that Emma brought for us … … Happy Birthday Frieda and thank you for the Yummy treat.

We also found ourselves really taken on a journey with Frieda today.  She helped us all really use our imaginations. After cooling off in the water near the stables and all being quite wet, we wandered off to the witches garden to be in the shade. There is a wonderful cubby house in there and Frieda, Mac and Minnie asked us to all come inside to join in, in their BBQ.

We had to ask Dan a few times as he was really content following Mash the cat around everywhere … Frieda built a fire and put some chilli sauce on her food and while we waited for the food to cook she gave everyone a beer to cheers with. We had a great few hours down there, also playing on a wonderfully shaped log that works like a sea-saw. Freya and Mac also spent about 15 minutes playing peek a boo on a little seat in the garden, this game never gets boring!

Oh the simple joys of being a child.

The day ended with a game of going to sleep, waking up, going on the bus to the city and then going to sleep again.

I think we might have all been quite tired.

Dan cooling off

Everyone having a barbecue

Happy Birthday Frieda

Mac and Minnie on the thhee-thhaw

Playing Peek-a-boo behind the seat

Sweet dreams Mac

Jam-nastics and getting to know you ...

In a quiet moment on Friday between Dakota and I, she was telling me about things she has been up to since we last saw each other.  In amongst it all, she announced that she now does jam-nastics.  She was so proud of herself and I was smiling of course at what she was calling this new thing she is doing.

She was along with Jyra, Monique, Ted and Magnus which made it full house for this little group on Friday.

Our day was mostly quite, gentle and we were often in a huddle chatting and being together which was very sweet and simple moments made the day.

Monique discovering that big hugs with Carly, who she had spent Wednesdays with last year were possible and welcomed brought a smile.

Going to see the windmill that was totally still and then noticing that the slightest of breezes sent it spinning was a treat.

Playing under the peppercorn tree, climbing logs, chasing pigeons, watching peacocks, sitting on hay bales, lying in the grass.

All this amongst moments of closeness and conversation and long stretches of just being together watching the farm life happen around us.  It felt like everyone was just getting sense of how it felt to all be together and that all round, it felt really good.



farm 11.02.11

How intriguing and how perfect!

Everything was perfect today according to Ella.

I watched her with amazement all day. Her intrigue in everything she found opened my eyes to a whole new world down at the farm today, as it did for Luke and Archie. We made our way around the farm with Ella finding something in every spot. We observed a bug, a leaf a paper toy car and many other farm treasures. Didn’t matter what it was,her two hands would come out in front of her,  with Luke and Archie on either side holding the item out to really investigate; how it worked, what it looked like, back and front until she placed it back on the ground and said “perrtfect”! like she really understood its place and why it was what it was, and how it operated.

It gave us all a lot of joy and made the day very interesting. It was great for Archie to be with Ella and Luke, as they know the farm and each other so well now.  I could see Archie feeling really safe and happy he has landed himself with these children down at the farm. Here are some photos for you to look at to share in our day ...

Farm 09.02.11c



Looks like something special unfolding ...

Kornelius, Samson, Pepper and Oliver had quite the loveliest of days together.  Pepper often leading the way with a skip in her step and joy in her heart and the three boys getting to know her and each other.  I can't wait to see what takes shape here as already it is feeling quite wonderful, take a peek ...

  

Quite the little team ...

A very humid day down at the farm today, but we did not let that stop us from having a great day.

The children were all in great spirits today, milking the cow, searching for eggs and even sat content with the guinea pigs for forty five minutes!

There was a different feel today, knowing they are all so familiar with the farm, it made room for group decisions about where to go next, which was great to see in such a young group of children.

There was so much joy in the children's eyes, simply happy about being together and being at the farm.

I captured some really beautiful moments today, so here are some photos for you to enjoy … …



Farm 04.01.11c

Something simple ...

A simple and at the same time glorious start to a new year for Henri and Ella together ...