~ kids were here [October] ~

While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.
~Angela Schwindt

I'm really not very good at ignoring the mess, at picking up the camera before I pick up the things lying around.

But I'm trying....

Each month I collect images that are tangible proof that my children live here - their treasures, their messes, their creations.. little pieces of them scattered through our house, our garden, our hearts.

My other posts as part of this series are here, here, here and here.

(The original inspiration can be found at kids were here.)

♥

 

~ grateful for ... the AWW kids birthday cakes book ~

I made this today
Total hit.  Although all the PC parents would only eat the sparkly sea and not the whale.

4 days ago it was going to be the fairy mushroom (the only son's 4th birthday...I could sense that maybe wouldn't end well) but several mind changes and an ultimatum that he had to choose RIGHT NOW (so I could buy the bits) later and we ended up with the whale (yay).
{My hands are still bluish.  I used jif in the end to get out the (very unnatural) food colouring.  Desperate times and all that...}

This is about the 15th cake we've had from the bible of children's cakes in the last 10 years.
It's one of the most read books at our house.
It looks like this;

Months out from a party any one of the wombles can often be found, head bowed, flicking through the pages.  Minds are made up and changed many, many times before the big day.

Its often used as a boredom buster too :
A womble:  I'm bored (or...what can I do?)
Me:  Only boring people get bored.  Why don't you play cars, colour in, unpack the dishwasher, choose your birthday cake....and off they go.

These are some of our past hits:

Boredom buster, font of inspiration, total how-to manual...I'm so very grateful for this ripped, beautiful, stained book full of sweet memories.

I try and join with the grateful gang most weeks (inspired by Bron)...there's always something to be grateful for.

 ♥

{what is the secret to removing food colouring from hands??}