On Week Ends (and a blue monday)

Our weekend was far from angelic as pictured in these few moments from the days gone by. 

Friday saw us calling all the dentists in our town for an appointment for Danika. Not one could fit her in that day. It was such a worry and I could see that she was beginning to get utterly miserable. Finally Rob found one in Hilton who slotted her in on Saturday morning. We managed through the evening by taking her mind off of it all at Garren's soccer practice and allowing her to feed from me on demand. 

Saturday morning we headed off to the Dentist and of course, as predicted, she refused to oblige in any means or form. It was rather traumatic. But what was able to be seen amidst all the attempts is that it best to medicate and revisit on Wednesday for a final decision. I do fear there might be dental surgery to remove these two teeth. I am not sure that I am handling this news very well. I haven't had any of my older ones in surgery or hospital at this age. 

Much of the rest of Saturday she napped and Rob stood the sidelines of the Soccer field cheering on Garren. In the evening we had a braai and let the kids run until late in the evening. Danika's meds had started to work so she was feeling a little better. It is strange to watch a child never medicated react on it. I messaged Tristan, who is back in China, to wish him for his 22nd birthday. They were in the middle of being filmed. He had not had a good morning with his small students and was hoping that the next classes that were being filmed would go better. His friends were going to be taking him out for supper and movie later. It feels very strange not to be baking a cake for his day. I felt a little out of place not seeing him on his birthday too. They say it does get easier.

Sunday the weather was lovely, as it had been the whole weekend. Rob and Garren were at soccer again in the afternoon. Sadly Garren's team lost both matches this weekend so he was feeling down in the dumps - his only consolation was that they have made it into the semi finals for the season. I am not a very competitive person and try on all accounts to teach the children that it is not about winning or loosing but more about that they have participated and have had fun. This always seems to fall on deaf ears with this boy child.

We checked in on our growings and again let the small ones play until late in the evening. 

Monday did not fare well in my attempt to get online. Danika fussed a bit and was a little demanding of attention which I always love to give but then nothing much else gets done.

I am just thankful that it's Tuesday and that it feels like we are in some form of routine again, well for now - who knows what Wednesday's Dentist appointment will bring.

How was your weekend? I hope it was relaxing and spent with all the ones you love.

Love as always, Angela ♥

His Tenth Year

We all welcomed his 10th year here Earth side with him this past weekend.

We woke before the sun and shared gifts under the warmth of the covers in our bed while the smallest and the second eldest slept.

It was a moment just for him and Rob and I.

Rob is in the middle of his final stretch of studies and so is waking and leaving home earlier in the morning, this month, to travel to his college which is in another town.

This year we were able to surprise Garren and take him out to a restaurant for dinner. It is our first year of homeschooling so we dont have to cater for the numbers in the classroom like previous years. But what we did do is make up a few party packs and cupcakes for his team at soccer practice.

Our tradition is that on your special day you get to choose the meal and then a home-baked cake for afters.

Credit: @a n g e l a 🌙

His Seventeenth.

and then we celebrated another special day. his 17th...

His is always the last celebration of the birthday year for us. When he was so small he always would say that we loved him last because he had to wait until everyone else got to have their special day first. I always said it because we saving the best until last. (and that I may want him to stay my little boy for just a little while longer.)

Dearest Joshua, may the next 17 spins around our Sun here earth side be just as wonderful crazy and incredibly marvelous just as you are my dearest boy. Thank you, thank you for choosing me!

Her First.

It has already been 2 weeks since her big day. One whole 12 Lunar cycles around our Sun. I am at a loss for words but know that this needs to be done before I just dont.

How has one year already passed us by?

We are all still uncomprehendingly awestruck by your light and even more so by the years of knowledge that sparkles behind your beautiful young tender eyes. I still wonder why we were chosen by you to love and nurture and watch grow. There is so much we are all learning from you when it should be you learning from us.

Thank you sweetest soul - may your seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years ahead be wonderful, delicious and all the other words of exhilaration I have muddled in my head but just cant put into the right words. May it all be just as perfect for you as you are for all of us.

Happy 1st Birthday Our Lovely Girl Child.

The Morning Of My 39th.

We're back from our impromptu escape to beautiful Shelly Beach. There is a whole cauldron filled with emotions brewing within me, beginning from before we left to while we were there and now that we are back. I am still trying to sort through them all whilst flipping through precious moments captured while we were away. These few days were so intensely needed. A breather from it all and a time to just BE without the pressures of the corporate world that seem to keep crossing over into our family life.

I will be sharing pictures and video clips of our time away over a couple of updates. I am still working on those but in the meantime I had to share this small clip from our last day there.

It was the perfect end to my 38 years here Earth side, with a message of rebirth and renewal for the future years to come - signs that kept unfolding daily on our holiday.

On the morning of my 39th trip around our Sun they came so close to shore - have a peek here.

https://youtu.be/3F2NZSUG-5A

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F2NZSUG-5A]

Tristan Welcomes 21.

I have struggled to find the right words to say here. And, then I realised it doesn't really matter what I say here but rather what is said to this young man.

This is Tristan and he has just seen in his 21st spin around our Sun.

What I do want to say to this young man who is about to take on the world away from the arms of his tribe - is - THANK YOU!

You are my first, You are the one who knows me so much better than I remember myself. YOU are the one that shaped me into the Mother that I am and that I have become. Thank you for your patience with me and always loving me unconditionally.

Thank you for choosing me.

May these new steps around our Sun bless you with love, abundant light and earthly magic.

I love you to infinity and beyond.

Happy Birthday Garren.

Happy Birthday Dear Garren.

We celebrated Garren’s 9th spin around our Sun. Of, course as with all things I do, I do them in excess – like, for instance photograph taking.

Tristan so kindly took over with just what we should share from the bazillion and one moments captured and put together this little motion picture.

https://youtu.be/0Y5GHtQY1nU

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y5GHtQY1nU]

As you can see much fun was had. The older these Wildlings of mine get a whole lot different their expectations become of and for their day.

It is after all their day - to choose how they would like to spend it.

You will find in this post and the posts to come a little more and something personal from all the Wildlings of my Tribe. Their contributions will be making our blog whole and just as it should be. A few moments and thoughts from each one.

I do hope you enjoy their shares as much as I do.

(this is the part where I fist pump the air and hashtag #proudmama )

September. Spring. and His day.

Well hello there, September.. Spring and a Happy Birthday to our eldest who adds another meander to his travels around the Sun.





Our eldest Spring baby turns 20 today and sadly this will be the first year that he will not be home for me to bake a cake for on his special day or to make him sit down at the table for the mandatory “happy birthday sing song”. I am sure he is smirking and breathing a sigh of utter relief from the safe haven that is his digs in another city altogether.

But, I will be sure to double up on all the aforementioned when he does come home!

Happy Birthday Tristan!

I’m not one for believing that the first day of spring falls on the first day of September. It’s not in my practice but sometimes as a mama one puts these kind of beliefs to one side and let her children just go with the flow and mention in conversation that the change of seasons is rather a gradual celebration of the turning of the wheel. We do this… For our loved ones…

I tend to gravitate toward taking a more inward reflection and outward celebratory demeanour during our Equinox and Solstice times of the year.

But it’s fun, right, to think that on this day it is officially SPRING?!



The little boys will get all dressed up in their brights to celebrate Spring at school tomorrow and of course with the change of routine where their school uniforms are place aside for a more relaxed set of home attire - well, you can just imagine all the excitement.

The days preceding have found my now chubbier looking fingers knitting up a little something for our little human due earth side in the not so distant future. I had left over baby knit from the slip on booties I made in the beginning of this adventure. This little bunny reflects all things Spring don’t you think? And, I must add that its so superfast and easy to knit up too. I am not taking or making any claim to the pattern – but for the life of me I can’t find the picture tutorial that was once shared on my Facebook wall and I thought it would be so super sweet to share this for you to give it a go, if you would like. My Bunny Project will be on Ravelry and as soon as I know who to give credit to I will be sure to share it there.

Spring Day Bunny

Plain knit (or garter knit) a square.

Fold in half and make a rough stitch through the centre.

Keep stitch going from the one end to the centre of the top first row and then back down to the other side of the centre.

This should make a triangle through the top half of the square.

Where the piece of yarn meets at the one corner of the triangle meets slowly pull both sides together to for the head with the ears.

Before tightly pulling the piece together add your filling and then sew up and fill and sew together what is left of the outer edges to form the bunny body.

I will be leaving said bunny plain with no added adornments as it will be for our new born litte one.

You on the other hand can now go crazy-town on eyes and a pretty little bow and whatever your heart desires.

I thought this would be lovely for Easter gifts too – too early to be thinking about that? Nope – never to early!

Blessings for Spring (or Autumn) my sweet dear friends…

19 years on

Yesterday was Tristan's 19 birthday. 19......... where oh where have all those 19 years gone I asked myself that morning as I was busying myself with my early morning chores before having to rudely awaken the younger two boys for school.

I thought back to that special day in 1996 when I was a few days from turning 18 myself. The thoughts and feelings on being a very young Mom and the fears of not being able to be a "proper-mom". So many expectations of myself and those that others expected from me.... All of those fears seemed  like a surreal life time ago. Yet, here we are, and that little bundle born on the first day of spring is now a mature and handsome young man.

I posted a photo on my facebook profile with the description "So proud to call myself Mom to this young man." simple and short. But, really, in truth there is so much more.

All those hugs where my arms wrapped around his whole body as a baby and then around his shoulders as a child have now turned. This child of mine is now a young man and where my hugs once lovingly cocooned him, his now engulf me.

I am proud, I am so very blessed.
Happy birthday to my T.

Love
Angie xxx




join us every sunday for our hen house hop link-up

Happy Birthday To T

Happy 19th Birthday To Tristan

the pirate... the friends... the cake....

Another year has passed and we celebrate the birthday of our Garren. We were once again blessed with all our very close family and friends who made time out of their busy lives to celebrate his special day with him.

Although hosting a party like this is thrilling and the suspense through the days leading up to party can be exhausting, Rob and I cherish them. We know that as the years go by they will become few and far between as he grows and this little person of ours tastes will change. Just like they have with our older two boys. So, today as per the norm, we have taken way too many photos and shoved the video camera in everyone who joined ins faces and they of course as well manoured guests and devoted family members humoured us.

Happy birthday Garren... may you be blessed and may we keep being blessed by you!

love
Angie xxx

[facebook url="https://www.facebook.com/HomespunTogether/videos/108731062808919/" /]

Happy Birthday To G

Happy 7th Birthday To Garren