Big boys

There are a few challenges when you have a "spread - out" kind of family.The smallest child can be annoying and embarressing for a burgeoning teenage brother. There is a need to provide counselling sessions for work related issues, Year 12 related issues and "sharing your toys" issues. And finally, having to find a holiday destination that everyone is going to be happy with - skiing in Japan - impractical and far too expensive from a parent's point of view, perfect from a 19 year old point of view. A farmstay - perfect from a 5 year old point of view, "Lame!" from the point of view of all the older brothers!

However, we make it work and it works for us.
Sometimes, when there are no disruptions from smaller members of the family the big boys get to hang out to chat about cars, phones, music, motorbikes and....well.... more cars.
I heard them talking out in our backyard over the week - end and went out to find them looking like this

Having a chat, in the sun, enjoying each others company.
My husband and two oldest sons. I'm biased....but they are all pretty gorgeous!

Megan xx

Finished!!

I am reconnecting with my early love of cross - stitch at the moment.
Cross - stitch was the first craft I learnt and it has been an enduring friend of mine over the years. There are photos of me as an 11 year old cross - stitching in front of the TV and here I am more than 30 years later still doing the same thing.
Cross - stitch used to bit a little bit muted and old-fashioned, I did a lot of country samplers in blues and maroon clolourways. Nowadays there are some great ideas and patterns out there. A lot more colour, more vibrancy and a lot more fun.
This is one I have just finished.

It was lovely to stitch, all those bright colour and what a terrific sentiment. I have hung it up in our back family room so that I can look at it when things get a little out of control. To remind myself that most of the time we have a happy home.
I got the pattern from this magazine and the pattern actually comes from this talented girl. I really love Emily's designs,  modern and quirky.
 And so good to finish something. Now just have to get on to all those other WIP around the place.....

Megan xx

Some baking on a Monday morning

I do like to cook on a Monday morning. My 5 year old and I have a quiet day on Mondays, we recover from the week - end and ease gradually into the coming week.
I vaccuum, I toilet clean and I cook.
 This morning I cooked  a cake from the latest Frankie magazine. I promised myself I wouldn't buy this magazine anymore (in an attempt to cut down on money spent on such things) but when I saw the cover of the latest edition I couldn't resist

Cute embroidery - impossible for me to walk past!

So I made the orange cake. There are a few receipes for nice cakes in this edition, fruit cake and sponge. But I had spare oranges so orange cake is now on the menu for afternoon tea.

It was easy and I think it turned out pretty close to the way it looked in the magazine.
Their  cake,

my cake.

Monday morning baking...completed!

Megan xx

13 years old? Really???

A couple of weeks ago, my youngest son became a teenager!
 Like all mothers everywhere I am astounded that this could have happened. How could this beautiful boy have been in my life for 13 years? Surely it has only been a blink of my eye.
 But no, my "baby boy" is almost as tall as me, has a deep voice and thinks that any sort of toilet or genital based humour is hysterical!
 He is also kind, loving, a little bit innocent and absolutely fearless on a soccer field.
I cannot put into words how much I love him and how much we all love having him in the family. He went away on a band camp for a week and I missed him every day.
 Have a great year ahead, gorgeous young man and please stop growing up quite so quickly!

To be grey...or to be coloured?

It has been a long time since I wrote here.
 No real reason except maybe I got a little caught up reading lots of other beautiful blogs and forgot to give any time and attention to my own.
And today, instead of talking about food, or craft, or family I'm going to focus on myself and more specifically...my hair!
I have coloured my hair for quite a few years, ever since those first grey strands decided to peek through. I was religious about colouring it regularly so that no-one would guess (or so I thought) that slowly but surely I was ageing and my hair was giving the game away.
Then, back in June, I decided to call it quits, no more colour. I came out as a grey haired woman! It's been liberating and it's been a bit scary. People's reactions have been very varied. My husband has embraced it ("very Helen Mirren"), my sons tell me I look "a lot older", some people say "you've gone blonde", some people say "Good on you", some people just look a bit sorry for me!
Me? I don't really notice it. I look at myself in the morning and then don't take much notice until the next morning but it feels different. It feels more natural, more honest, more me.

So this is what it looks like.
A bit wiry and a bit two-tone at the moment as the colour grows out.
But I think I'm going to tough it out. I have seen some beautiful grey haired women just down at my child's preschool. I'm going to join their numbers and...be grey and proud....most of the time :)

Megan