Milliande, Maya and the Man

message in a bottle, buzzard and beach

2012-02-21T00:12:00.001Z

today we found a message in a bottle ... how fun ... Maya was so excited :)

it had been set to see about 7 days earlier an hour north from where we found it ... so it did not travel far but it was such a fun find anyway filled with a letter, toy goodies and a contact email ..

after a heavy storm last night lots of interesting creatures had been stranded .. this We think is a dogfish a kind of shark ... need to research a bit more

small but sharp nevertheless

it had the most beautiful markings

and the snowdrops alongside rhe river are out in full force

managed to get out at low tide and were greeted with lots of sandy banks

and birds galore

also found a buzzard who had ended its life near the playground .. Maya decided to study it .. researching how to preserve wings and talons and is hoping to retrieve the skeleton head

the wings soaking in salted water for 2 weeks

chasing seafoam in the wind

a mermaids purse catching a bot of sun

and a seagull finding its resting place

quietly watching a little sandpiper bird catching prey on the incoming tide

little M& big m
x

sleeping beauties ..

2012-01-27T19:00:00.001Z

little M & big m

rocks.. seasalt .. caves

2012-01-22T18:29:00.001Z

rocks.. seasalt .. caves ... wonderful walk by the sea ... rosy cheeks to boot

dont look down dont look down .. yeah but i got to get a shot of this view ... she says holding her breath and clinging on tight

view from the top

life is salty :))

little M&big m
xx

life is good

2012-01-14T22:08:00.001Z

fun playing with clay

washed up crustacean pots

first snowdrops

playing by the estuary

finding washed up jellyfish

yep ... tasting for stingyness

feeling sunset :)) little M & big m xx

Mission Impossible made possible

2012-01-10T18:56:00.004Z

what a fast living few weeks I have had ... barely catching up Had the absolute please of receiving 2 invitations to the Gala Premiere Screening of Mission Impossible in London .. complete with a luxurious stay at the " Soho Hotel " courtesy of HeT Magazine ... what a treat

took my best friend and I glammed it up for a few days ..

A true gentleman , Mr Tom Cruise promoting his new movie " Mission Impossible 4"

giggle .. the Man thought we were comparing noses

Gilliam Anderson looked simy stunning in her dress .. a real lovely personality and I still have fond memories of her in the "X Files"

ohh she must have been chilly -- Caprice in Red :-)

Fabulous night ... enjoyed the film at teh IMAX ... def time to put up our feet ...

What fun :) ... milliande

Making Advent Wreaths

2011-12-05T09:53:00.001Z

Had a lovely evening walk picking fresh materials for our advent wreath ..

using an oasis florist base soaked in Water to increase its life ...

adding longish fir twigs to the outer ring

adding some thin leaf greenery to next row

next some Holly .. ouch very spikey

filling center with some pebbles ...

adding some vanilla scented candles in the middle

some fircones to cuddle the candles :)

lush berries .. not sure what they are called .. anyone ?

added some ball decoration and its finished :)

time to light the candle ...

bright blessings for a joyful advent to all :)

little M & big m
xx

Wales Tales

2011-11-10T21:51:00.001Z

what beautiful stretches of beach ... Wales Drama never fails to inspire us

we caught the low tide and spend a few hours exploring

Maya enjoyed drawing mega large dragons with her feet in the sand ..

after 2 hours beach combing we enjoyed laying out our hoard ..

Maya took some time studying and lapbooking her found bones and speculating on their origin ..

then turning her hand onto inventing a cat toy made from driftwood ..

which was very well received ..

We have been blessed with uncommenly warm weather and the clearest night skies .. unspoilt views all around ... bliss

maya&milliande
xxx

pompom pumpkin & a fork

2011-10-30T17:07:00.001Z

pompom pumpkin & a fork

orange wool
fork
scissor
googley eyes
white glue
brush

wrap orange wool around fork

tie through the middle

knot

cut one side

and the other

ruffle up to get an orange pompom pumpkin ...

water down a bit of white glue

artach googley eyes with glue and leave to dry

wonky eyed mini pumpkin

and a friend :)

milliande & maya

crusing through Snowdonia :)

2011-09-24T12:18:00.001+01:00

still madly in love with Wales ..

babe has been given free use of the most beautiful white pony ever .. his name is Domino :)

He belongs to owner of a most idyllic campsite in a little welsh mountain valley

sunset at the harbour in Barmouth .. my 2 are crabbing from the pier whilst I am sipping a cup of earl grey at the pier :)

view from the mountain :)

a lesson on a pegloom

all the way up to snowdon ... we even got a glimpse of blue sky

snuggled up in the van

yep ... time to wash some socks and knickers :)

a few impressions from our time in the wilderness of Snowdonia ... not much internet access .. so waving hi to all :)))

xxx

river dipping, rock climbing, maskmaking and starring in a play

2011-09-02T12:06:00.001+01:00

river dipping, rock climbing, maskmaking and starring in a play :)

the rock climbing wall in action .. ti the top and hit the bell :)

lunchtime with a nose in a book ..

time for arty fun in the craft tent making papermache animal
masks ..

then off for a walk to the river..

skipping stones ..

making splashes ...

breathing deeply ...

UNTIL ;)

" Drumroll" .. Play of the Day

the tale of the 2 kingdoms and the sun goddess ..

maya starring as the snow leopard of the animal kingdom ..here in a tiff with the ice queen

ahh a hearty roar ...

a speaking part ... declaring the octopus to be off track :) ..

investigations by the police with regards to a missing snow leopard ..

taking a well earned break ..

the other kingdom is watching on

i think someone has enjoyed themselves :)))

maya & milliande
from the field
xxx

homeschool camp Wales .. more tales

2011-08-31T12:01:00.001+01:00

homeschool camp Wales .. more tales

started the day off with an introduction to bookmaking , how to assemble and sew signatures, make a book cover and finish off edges ,,,

finishing off sewing the signature pages of her book ..

Maya has been looking forward to learning some new tricks and techniques in the animation workshop .. here lining up for some people animation test shots ...

introduction to using quicktime for animation software

getting close up with her set scene animals..

maya enjoyed a session of painting banners , after drying they will be sewn and assembled with a willow stick ..

we were let loose on lots of lovely recycled fabric to decorate our van with bunting ... lets rip, cut and sew ..

and the first length of bunting us up dangling joyfully ...

finished sewing 2 of our felt birds too :)

an evening off campfire tales and a stick of perfectly roasted marshmallow :)

milliande & maya
xx

campfire tales from Wales

2011-08-29T21:54:00.001+01:00

campfire tales from Wales homeschool camp

having fun in the craft tent ...
makung felt birds

climbing frame fun

its storytime around the fire circle :)

watching the field , the circus tent, the yurts, the swallows cruising and sketching with a hot mug of tea .. bliss

finishing of a fabulous day with a fire show display by a group of homeschooled kids ...

maya & milliande :)
xx

wales homeschool camp

2011-08-29T12:37:00.001+01:00

wales homeschool camp

and off we go .. the van is fully packed, sketchbooks, cuddlies, blankets, bikes , quilting and knitting stuff, books and lots of laughter :)

crossing the Severn Bridge into Wales ..

happliy sketching on the journey

arriving at the field early and found a good spot to pitch ... no rain just a beautiful sunset

fabulous old fashioned recycled playground and Maya is in heaven ...

pirate ships and ropeswings ...

climbing towers and pillow fights in huge barns .. a kids paradise

and look what I spotted ... ohh :)

well lets get settled in :)

milliande , maya and the man

Homeschool Swap Pics

2011-08-16T15:42:00.003+01:00

Homeschool Swap Pics

Having signed up for the Homeschool Swap we had fun choosing items that we thought our Swap Family might enjoy ..

.. and in turn were curiously wsiting for our homeschool swap parcel in turn ..

what fun .. it arrived
containing
- a journal
- some writing stationary
- some bath petals ( maya loves those )
- a funky pen
- some hibiscus tea
- two m & m boxes ( aww)
- and to top it all >>>

a dragon necklace ... well Maya was twirling up and down the room so exited ( dragons are her fave animal ) as it perfectly matches >>>

her dragon sword crystal .. Wow such a thoughtful gift .. so lots and lots of thanks go out to our partner swap family :) .. we hope they enjoy their parcel as much as we did .. and thanks too to The Homeschool Post for hosting this fab swap :)

Maya & Milliande
:)

Days lived .. August

2011-08-14T00:02:00.001+01:00

Agh Babe had her first blood test since she was 1 and was very brave :)

The lovely Phlebotomist soon enjoyed mayas attention

Celebrated with a Girly lunch ..

And a couple of hours in the pottery cafe ... A new breakfast bowl in the making ...

Lots of giggles ... Can't wait to pick our efforts up from the kiln firing next week

Still enjoying the kiddie corner in a local shop ...

After a fun time feeding the beautiful duck species at the park ..

Gorgeous colors :)

Got a lovely get well soon parcel from Ju .. Now I am down with this buggy virus too .. Maya is in her fourth week of being poorly .. Let's hope we can shift this soon ..
She says with a hacking cough ;

Glad the man is in a fine fittle and cheering us up with his antics :) ... Love is ... The man stopping his mowing just in time to rescue a seedpod he thought I might find inspiring :) awwww

Little m & big M
Xx

A week in London

2011-08-06T22:30:00.001+01:00

Saturday at Brick Lane markets ..

Loves an animal ...

Cakes, cakes and more cakes

Fleamarket treasures ..

Market people ..

Playground fun with Papa

Lush grass under barefoot feet

First time shopping on her own ... Yeah brunch here we come :)

Squeezed in some sketching time ...

Ohh so sweet ...

Ohh so unpredictable ;)

Managed to squeeze in a 1 hour date with the man .... It's been a long time ;)

Never tire of watching her face when she is asleep :)

British Film Institute Stunt Workshop - a day in London

2011-07-28T23:49:00.002+01:00

Came up to London last night as Maya had a workshop booked at the British Film Institute ( BFI) on how to be a Stuntman/woman :)

We decided to walk in the sunshine to get to Waterloo Bridge taking a few snaps here and there ... Maya loved the gargoyles and tigers at the Indian Embassy ..

pretty pleased with her photos as we take a rest at ..

a typically British Greasy Spoon Cafe for breakfast ... yum

then on toward the bridge .. we have past this fox in the car a few times and got a chance today to view the sculpture close up, read about its construction and the plight of the Urban Fox .. interesting to watch pictures of how they transported it in the middle of the night to get here .. its huge ..

With an hour to spare Maya got to play at an exhibition outside the national theatre .. interactive gear and lever physics toys all made from day to day recycled materials ... we spotted saucepans, hobcabs, drum foot pedals, washing machines , tea strainers ... what fun ... really inventive kids activities for all ages ...

ever tried to feed a crocodile with a birdfeeder catapult ? :)

or navigate a colander scoop ?

... finally arrived at the BFI to meet up with the rest if the kids ready to have some stunt fun

Demos of "safe" stunt strangulations ...

and hands on session to " stunt strangle" your partner ... you should have heard the throttling noises ... had the parents in stitches laughing :)

...ahhh but it couldnt beat the hair pulling extravaganza accompanied by pleads for mercy ... :)

.. a much loved workshop and a combat stunt certificate of accomplishment to boot ...

time for some cooling off ...

taking the time for a little sketching ..

after 2 hours of playful waterfun for Maya I learned that the fountains are actually an art installation seperated into rooms that can be "inhabited" dry if you can get the timing of the jumps between rooms right ... well we had to try :) and I emerged more or less unsoaked

... time for the man to pick us up for tea :) ... - fab day all round

British Film Institute Stunt Workshop - a day in London

milliande, maya & the man
xxx

loving dusk

2011-07-26T21:26:00.001+01:00

as dusk settles we set off on our walk ...

passed the playground ..

through the maze field ..

little M& big m
xxx

fun at the sand cliffs

2011-07-25T22:56:00.001+01:00

We had a great day out in full sunshine at the sand cliffs ... despite the schools being on their first day of summer holidays we had the place more or less to ourselves ...

on the way there babe studied a book on mouse care ...

cool caves provided a shady space for a rest ..

love the way the light dances through the dappled shade ...

and who could resist those puppy dog eyes of Pepper ... being not much of a " dog person " even I had to admit that this one is a little charmer ..

the little crew hard art work with various rope games ..

whilst the big crew is chilling and hanging out on top of the sandcliff .. room for a view ..

.. ahh and a "heroic" shoe rescue in full swing ;)

11pm ... the man , as usual , is fast asleep ... my eyes are giving way and the babes nose is deeply stuck in her book 3 of " Warrior Cats :) ...

a perfectly chilled, contemplative and relaxed day ... I am grateful :)

little M & big m
xxx

toothfaries, microscopes & cat baskets

2011-07-23T21:36:00.001+01:00

ahh another tooth ... and just how close can we get to investigate it ....?

very close ... with our long awaited microscope some proper scientific exploration is in progress before the tooth fairy arrives :) ..

looks like a perfectly healthy specimen ... :)

then off to take Ronnie Stinker for a little walk ... in a flower basket no less ..he is such a character ..

... after a busy morning there is nothing more lush than a little afternoon tea served in the sun .. we were lucky to have a few hours of warm sunshine after soo much rain ...

then the man and I went for a walk .. whilst Maya single handedly cooked dinner ... meatballs , freshly picked broad beans and roasted vegetables ... how lucky are we :)

finished of by a pond dipping contest with the man .. lots of baby crested newts are thriving

a perfectly fab saturday

... milliande :)

Omi Penpal Parcels

2011-07-22T20:51:00.001+01:00

Maya loves receiving items in the post , good old penpal snailmail is her favourite but having been let down by a couple of penpals before we struck up a penpal friendship with her Omi in germany ... now Omis never let you down now do they :)

ohhh anticipation ... nothing better than an Omi penpal parcel

exitement all abound ... some gummybaerchen, wwf wildlife stickers, an animal card game a multicolored pencil and lots of love ...

and a pair of heart shaped knickers for Maya's Build a Bear Wolf ... yep apparently wolf girld do wear heart shaped knickers did you not know that ;)

Dankeschoen Omi :))

little M & big m
xx

beach birthdays ..

2011-07-21T16:47:00.001+01:00

We had fun hanging out with nearly 40 other homeschooling family folks celebrating 5 kids with beach birthday party ... ..the drizzly weather made us shelter in the woods with smokey sausages and plenty of hot tea warming up the mums ...

Maya enjoyed blowing bubbles much to the delight of the little kids

...but no rain or cold can stop these hardy kids from embracing the seas ...

3 hours later... maya decided to take a much needed rest on her seaweed bed :-)

fabulous climbing trees can be found in this little wood ..

Singing happy birthday 5 times and 5 cakes meant there was plenty to go around ...but nothing can easily beat Magdalene's famous Courgette Cake...its is sooo delicious :-)

little M & big M
xxx

London Rooftop Architecture

2011-07-15T13:35:00.003+01:00

London Rooftop Architecture

we picked a sunny day to have our brunch at a London Rooftop we have access too .. glorious views and time to do a bit of lapbooking

Mr Hinkles watches and I sketched a little bit while Maya was working on her story of the day ... she is interested in the way a story is told, with beginning, middle and end, characters, plot and settings so we are using our daily adventures to practice story writing ... her dream is to write a novel about dragons :)

nothing more precious than warm enough weather for sandals and bare feet although a mighty hefty wind kept blowing our pieces of paper in all directions .. note to self .. bring heavier objects up from the flat next time to act as paperweights :)

getting her nose stuck into her Zelda Manga book ..

it is interesting how we can spot all kinds of architectural styles from the rooftops of London .. its like a mini history lesson viewed from the air so we decided to do some sketching of architectural details that stood out for us ..

Maya loved the modern television tower shapes and little turrets of the victorian era

I enjoyed the contrast of the architectural elements versus the botanical plantings at the rooftop garden ...

now it is afternoon time and the man is picking us up in an hour to drive back to the country .. Mayas weekend sleepover guest is arring tomorrow and I am getting my car exchanged for a non gas version ... so lets pack and journey to our other home :)

little M & big m
:)

in search of science

2011-07-13T20:37:00.001+01:00

Had a fabulous day in search of science in London ...

different viewpoints as we head down to the tube underground tunnel ... always intriques me how much sciwnce one encounters in daily activities if we take one slow breath and time to notice..

yep ... this is comfy

as we arrived at the Science Museum we stumbled straight into a lecture about a black hole ..

.. followed by exploration in the future science pods

... an interactive display .. cause and effect when dancing with light bubbles

.. we have been intriqued by microscopes so went in search of some early models ...

... taking time to sketch some observations..

there is a brilliant " Science of the 18 th century " section that had some fabulous microscopes on display

... followed up with the Histiry of Medicine on the 5th floor .. ahh I am right at hime in the microbiology section ... having studied and worked in a laboratory in my youth .. grin

a look at cell structure and histology as well as the preparation of microscopy slides ..

some fabulous specimen of microscopy slides from the victorian times ..

finished off with some hands on experiment fun at the launchpad ...

a fun day all around ..

little M & big m
xxx

a question of choice

2011-07-11T12:13:00.001+01:00

"The innate curiosity of children is the fuel – the driving force – behind their “motor” of learning. Children do not innately value play dough over mopping, or baseball over writing. And even beyond the academic and chore paradigm, children are designed to try many things – to experience deeply and immersively some interests, and to dabble and sample others. ... article from life learning

http://www.lifelearningmagazine.com/1104/dabbling_digging_deep_quitting.htm

milliande

mice musings

2011-07-07T22:32:00.004+01:00

It was high time today to clean the mice cage.. judging by that certain kind of odor making
itself known ..by wafting.. yep wafting .. so after the sun decided to show its face again we moved the mice cage into the back garden for a good hose down

..whilst the inhabitants took over their temporary home ..

...and then we discovered ..yikes we had run out of sawdust... so a quick jump into the car to catch the shop open ...

and yes rest assured when I looked down ...I was absolutely convinced I was representing the latest fashion statement ;-)

the little mice had a most peculiar time wondering just where they were now .. every week this upheaval .. ahh but the joy when they spot their new cage and spend an hour exploring all the new nooks and crannies ..

Maya loves searching the woods for just the right piece of wood or a bendy twig that would make a perfect climbing pole ... so here they go .. ready to explore ..

...aww and who could possibly resist that cute little bottom .. :)
yep I am still smitten

milliande & maya

a beautiful busyness corner

2011-07-07T16:09:00.001+01:00

a beautiful busyness corner ..

streamlining blogs

2011-07-07T13:59:00.001+01:00

Once in a while I get the urge to streamline ..and this time our little blog has been the contender for being brought " in line " as it were ..

When I am out and about, the only way that I am able to get my blogging done in the
way I would like to is to use my iphone ... sitting in a carpark, waiting for Maya to finish some of her activities, at the swimming pool etc.. when I am on the move I get to blog ..

On my iphone I use a little app called blogpress that lets me blog to several blogs simultaneously which is useful for the art blogging, it alos lets me seperate the family blog from the art blog photo storage...and here is what I am learning today.. how to have seperate flickr accounts for my art photos and my family homeschooling photos .. I thought it might be helpful to have all the homeschooling adventures logged into a seperate account for easy access... to the effect I have changed the blog address to streamline with the accounts ... phew .. what a waffle .. but I hope it will help my head to navigate this little maze I have created for myself :-)

ahh lush

...milliande

cakes and cat

2011-07-06T23:01:00.000+01:00

Maya is still busy experimenting with different gluten free cake recipes .. no luck this time though , the chocolate cake did not rise:(

we have been enjoying daily evening walks .. especially when there is a pitstop at the playground

yep life is like a seesaw ride

bit of a sore throat... so babe is snuggling up with her nose deep in her book in the nook above my studio ... she is reading Book 3 of the Warrior Cats

sweet dreams ... for Ronnie Stinker

wild walks

2011-07-03T14:17:00.000+01:00

Been having fun with our walks at dusk every day
and sore bottoms at the seesaw ...

stopped off at the playground for some serious seesaw action .. which resulted in sore bottoms indeed

spotted a young deer sitting in the tall grass and babe run alongside it for a while

.. Maya spotted this on TV .. most talented animals and we took a photo ... a water skiing squirrel ... amd its iwner trains squirrels to waterski ... I have mixed feelings about that .. I know people train dogs etc to do tricks .. but squirrels ? hmm pondering that one ..

The Man spent a few days in Spain on business ... we had had enough travelling for a while so stayed home ... and look what he brought back as a present ... grin

she found it hilariously funny ..

finishing off with a glorious sunset ...

little M & big m & the man
:)

tudors, rivals and shadows

2011-06-30T23:45:00.000+01:00

Maya has decided she would like to study the Tudor Times a little deeper ..

she got all her supplies outdoors ..

and started on the cover for her Tudor Lapbook she is going design ..

the sunshine we have had over the last few days made our new flower border next to our swingseat bloom gorgeously ..

Had a fun powerwalk through the woods in an attempt to get a little fitter :)

.. and then a sight we thought we would never see ... Raphael and Ronnie have been territorially fighting ever since Ronnie joined our family last year ... today was the first day of not only peaceful silence but snuggling up together for a snooze ... aaahhhh :)

little M & big m

German Schnitzel Tutorial

2011-06-29T13:18:00.000+01:00

German Schnitzel Tutorial

- crack an egg on a plate
- add a pinch os salt and a dash of sweet paprika
- mix with fork loosely
- submerge tenderised pork and coat on both sides

- add breadcrumbs onto a second plate ( we use glutenfree breadcrumbs)
- take the egg covered meat and coat on both sides

- add olive oil an a small knob of butter into frying pan
- sweat an onion until golden brown

- add the covered meat
- after 30 seconds turn over to seal both sides and retain moisture of meat

- cook for approx 20 min depending on thickness if meat after tenderising ( beating with a cooking mallet to flatten )

- turn frequently to get breadcrumb coat of schnitzel golden brown

- we like to serve it with mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes

- garneshed with green peas and soft fried courgettes ...

- eaten in the sunshine :)

Ingredients for German Schnitzel Recipe:

- pork loin or turkey steak
- 1 large egg per 4 small schnitzels
- pinch of salt
- pinch of sweet paprika
- breadcrumbs
- olive oil
- knob of butter

yum
little M& big m
:)

another rabbit rescue

2011-06-29T11:20:00.000+01:00

Another successful rabbit rescue ... grasped out of Ronnies claws at the last minute ...

a young rabbit ... we have a policy of putting all wildlife that escapes the fangs of our cats into a big cosy box ...

if the survive one hour ... and appear agile and capable of voluntary movement .. we release them back unto the wild from where they came ...

this little rabbit lived to see another day ...

It is however interesting to contemplate ... we have hundreds of rabbits here where we live and need the cats to keep the population at a managable level in order for us to be able to successfully grow our vegetables ... yet when faced with the sight of a little rabbit in distress all sorts of instinctive protective urges set in ... at time I imagine I feel like a lion mama protecting her young ...devoid of any rational thought :) .. but the I like it that way and it makes me happy to see a little white bobbly tail race of into the undergrowth ... until tomorrow :)

milliande :)

cocooning

2011-06-29T11:05:00.000+01:00

First there was a mysterious cocoon

then a pop

and a wriggle and a peek

and before you knew it a beautiful young butterfly emerged ... stretching its gorgous wings to catch a little breeze

and then it landed

took a little look at the beauty all around it ...

until it settled ... extended its probosis to take in a much needed drink

... and so a whole new set of adventures await

:)
little M & big m

Born to Learn

2011-06-28T09:27:00.000+01:00

Ahh to honour and facilitate the innate curiosity and thirst of human to learn, to investigate, to playfully discover ... lies at the heart and soul of an unschooler :-)

Born to Learn is the first animation in a fascinating series aimed to provide easy-access to the exciting new discoveries constantly being made about how humans learn!

...milliande

animal encounters

2011-06-27T21:37:00.000+01:00

animal encounters

a little wren rescued today from the claws of greedy little Ronnie

the pony is getting tall .. a neighbours farm has to mums with their foals playing in the paddock

a gorgeous slowworm hiding in the a pile of leaves..

fun playground time after gym class .. the dinosaur broke his leg and needed a tisane of 8 leaf herbs and a goid beating wirh a pine needle branch to increase circulation ;) ... followed by a splash into a cooling paddling pool after another unusually hot day ...

little M& big m

day to day fun

2011-06-23T22:31:00.000+01:00

day to day fun

practicing german in the car with our new ting books which Maya adores .. contain an electronic pen that speaks vocabulary back at the listener ..

then off to a much missed rockclimbing session

fun and games to warm up

yep ... the view from the top is fab

followed by 5 hours of swimming I now have a young lady that is happy but quite exhausted ... but not to tired to check emails from her new penpals :)

little M & big m
xxx

Favorite Night Storytime Books

2011-06-21T22:18:00.000+01:00

Our Current Favorite Night Storytime Books

me reading to Maya

" The Little Soul and the Sun"
by Neale Donald Walsh

"

" All I see is part of me"
by Chara m.Curtis , illustrated by Cynthia Aldrich

"

" Gnomes"

" Persephone"
by Sally Pomme Clayton and Virginia Lee

"

" Relax Kids"
Meditations for Kids

and
" Morgenkind"

"

will write another post on current favourite reading books Maya loves tomorrow :-)

night night
little M & big m
xxx

catching up at home

2011-06-21T15:47:00.000+01:00

Having travelled for a lot of springtime it has been a whirlwind week catching up with homestuff, activities and friends ..

Trying out a new homeschool gym class with some fabulous facilities which Maya loved ... so our monday lunchtimes are now filled up with gym activities ...

followed by playground time with friends .. this playground still has some fab equipment for older kids ... watching the little toddlers take their first tentative steps on the big slides does bring quite a few feelings of nostalgia ... just where is my baby gone ???? :)

Instead I have a gorgeous young woman for company ... what a blessing

We stumbled upon a fleamarket sale and ended up lucky with 67 ... yes 67 fab kids books for £ 5 .. now deep into her new favorite - a1970's illustrated animal encyclopedia .. Maya is inspired to draw some creatures ..

a predatory lion attacking a wolf .. pencil sketch

whilst gardening with her Dad they come across this gorgeous friendly slowworm ... after a quick hello he is safely nestling in a warm heap of leaves away from the preying eyes of our cats ...

.. and before we know it it is monday again ... gym fun, followed by fencing on tuesday ..

time for a well earned rest and some storytime by the light of our new mama & daughter reading lamp :)

little M & big m

walking paris - photography impressions ...

2011-05-22T11:16:00.000+01:00

approaching Paris

2011-05-21T06:55:00.000+01:00

Rucksacks packed and at the ready ... 5 days of Paris are waiting

all aboard --the Eurostar train in London ... last we travelled to London when Maya was still snuggled up in my womb ... a trip for my birthday ... now 10 years later I have a young lady next to me who is ever so exited ... ahh how time flies... just where on earth is my baby gone :-)

nosed deep in magazines as the train speeds through the tunnel ..

ahh finally ..the long awaited food carraige in the train ... for a steaming bowl of typical french cuisine ... smoked sausage and pork belly on a cassoulet of lentil ... yum

followed by a delicious hot chocolate... and Maya is in travel heaven:-)

yep ...his is fun ... " I could do this all day " ..she declares as I stare in wonder at this marvelllous young lady

so half an hour to go ..before we arrive in Paris ... find out little apartment

and let the senses be invited into a city of wonderous delights ...

...milliande, maya and the man

my letter to omi

2011-04-19T00:36:00.000+01:00

my letter or parcel to omi

I made this horse out of wood for omi that means granny In german

and this bird with ears

and this letter to put in the parcel

and in german

and a drawing of my mice bench bonnet bell and bloomers

I had to fold them up do that they fit into the parcel

the stuff I used or most of it

ready to decorate and put the address on

love Maya and the dragons

weekend joy

2011-04-19T00:02:00.000+01:00

the lovely sunshine we have had this spring has rejuvenated us deeply .. and the garden is getting it's fair share of our attention ..

- planted 3 raspberry and 1 gooseberry bush ... fingers crossed they will take in their newly dug beds filled with a good dose of well rotted manure

- we had fun starting a sunflower race .. each little terracotta pot contains. each persons "secret compost ingredient" and a lot of love to see which sunflower will raise it's head closest to the sun ... for now they are wrapped up warm in a dark ace waiting to germinate

- we had a beautiful visitor to our little garden ... a deeply red colored moth .. does anyone know what it's name is ?

- a trip to the local garden centre left 2 girlies oogling the gorgeous little mouslets ... and after an refreshing " easterish " cappuccino ...

- we could not resist giving 2 little girls a new home

.. welcome Bell

and Bloomers :)

whilst the man couldn't resist teasing the goldfish ...

glub ... glub

babe finished off by doing the garden centre Easter hunt ... 10 clues ... 10 eggs hidden ... and a mini chocolate egg bag as a prize :)

a joyful weekend

milliande, maya & the man
xxx

Tintagel ... a peek at a medieval house

2011-04-02T19:35:00.000+01:00

had a fab stopover in Tintagel for the night ,

... a small tiny village on a dramatic coastline

found a little medieval manor house built in the 14th century , in the 19th century it hosted a post office ... had a peek at how life played itself out in medieval times

let's peek

the heart of the home with a built in oven ...

keeping warm beside the fire

the lady of the house

a little candlelight perhaps ...

let's take wander into the upper living quarters ..

a beautiful little writing desk with warm soft light falling in on a sunny day ..

and space for a little love

handwork

an embroidered sampler

the young female members of the household showing off their skills with needle and thread and various different types of embroidery stitches ..

the tiniest if little window nooks

I wonder how deep this well is in the garden ?

the perfect little bench to rest a while ...

and feast your eyes on gorgeous spring flowers

a peek at the tiny little windows from the outside of the house

we did enjoy our little visit to this beautiful house .... now let's go and visit Tintagel castle ...

milliande, maya & the man
xxx

Cornwall here we come .. via Exeter

2011-04-02T11:27:00.000+01:00

Early start at 5.30 am .., out of the house at 6.45 ... hearty breakfast stop at 8 am :)

yummy fry up

quick nano cache outside the restaurant ... getting into holiday geocaching mode ... always takes us to the most unexpected interesting places ..

passed Stonehenge on our way , an ancient stone circle in the mist

second geocache stopover at exeter airport .. fun cache .. picked up a travel bug wishing to go to Kefalonia, a Greek island, babe and the man off to Cyprus next month to see grandma so the bug will be well on her way to her travel goal ...

It got quite cloudy and misty over the dartmoor moors where we saw the windfarm .. giant wheels harnessing the power of the wind which was buffeting our van a bit so we could feel it .. what a raw energy source harnessed here ...

Forgotten to take my camera lead, so stopover in the nearest largish town to find a camera shop ... in luck in Exeter... could not resist a quick peek at the cathedral..

Exeter Cathedral ... lots of building work going on but would love to return one day for a closer look ...

medieval plans of the Exeter cathedral grounds that a currently being re-designed

stunning doors with intricate carved designs ..

thick oak beams and carved accent details ...

I can never resist old ironwork door handles .. their feel and sound can transport me straight into another place in time ...

Maya could not resist opening the door .. giggle ... a true explorers heart .. and so we got a peek into this little courtyard ..

bought the camera lead, only one hour to peek around but noted Exeter in our log for places worth coming back for .. next time we have travel days ...

lunchtime snack of a hot straight from the oven Cornish pasty ... before heading off toward Tintagel and a peek at King Arthur' Myth and the Arthurian legends playground .... pics to follow ....

milliande, maya & the man
xxx

Maya declares it's paddling pool time

2011-03-27T22:53:00.000+01:00

Maya declares it's paddling pool time

yep .. it's march .. the sun is shining so nothing is going to stop Maya from getting into her little pool

filled up Ronnie Smoocher is taking a curious peek

time for a splash ..

a dive ...

and a roar ...

exhausted but wrapped up and happy .. ready for ...

... a big bowl of pasta with gorgonzola , cheddar charmer and spinach sauce .... yum :)

after all that it's time for an afternoon nap in the sun ..

The man got my new flower bed ready ...

.. waiting to be planted

in the meantime this little daisy will keep me happy

little M, big m and the Man
xxx

sunshine bike rides

2011-03-26T21:08:00.000Z

sunshine bike rides

Another beautiful day ... so we made the most of it ... polished up our bikes for the first time this season

off through the woods ...

stopping off at our favourite little lake .. the weeping willow is starting to bloom and the Canada geese enjoying the view too

little picnic break and inspecting the works on the restoration of our local canal lock

they are hoping to restore the canal to it's former glory and providing passage for the narrowboats .. it will take many years but progress is viewable each year

look at this little beauty. :)

time for a cup of vanilla earl grey and a well earned rest :)

m&m&the man
xxx

magical playgrounds

2011-03-25T22:23:00.000Z

magical playgrounds

we stumbled upon this magical playground today and managed to "sneak" in even though they had an upper age limit of 6 years

ohh look at those gorgeous window panes .. I fell in love with the beautiful hand hewn design

peek a boo

a heart for a heart

love peek a boo grids too :)

and cacti .. always had a thing for cacti , the color, the shape , the protective beauty

ahh what a beautiful day ... did you have a joyful day too ?

little M & big m
xxx

spring sunshine

2011-03-24T08:03:00.000Z

we had the most wonderfully warm day yesterday.. with nearly 20 degrees, blue sky and not a cloud in sight it felt like a perfectly delicious early summer day

let's stick our noses outside and catch some sunrays ...

first picnic of the year .. dragged out our books, journals, drawing stuff and a lovely cup of dragon tea .. yum

Ronnie is never far from where the action is ... but babe is deeply engrossed in her book so he is off in search of another playmate ..

we enjoyed a lovely bikeride down to the duckpond ... and Wolf Leoline came too ... now I do need to find that bike pump .. my bottom got rather sore

feeding the ducks at sunset ..

and a cheeky fish came up for second helpings

giggles and moments and joy and laughter and I Love You's

a day well lived ...
big m & little M
xxx

hanging out with Omi & Opa

2011-03-24T07:50:00.000Z

hanging out with Omi & Opa

- we had a fun week hanging out with Omi and Opa in Germany, we don't get to see them that often so it was great to take some time to catch up ..

giggle are always guaranteed if opa starts teasing you .. he has a way of always making babe laugh .. deep belly laughs that is .. Oh Mann Opa ;)

... Opa and babe have gone swimming .. so we have a girly mooch and a spot ice-cream and a delicious chai tea ...

7 am ... shhh let's sneak into Omi,s bedroom ..

Omi's Birthday ... Candles, cake and presents in bed ... plus a little glass of something sparkly ;)

.. cheers :)

presents in bed ..

love you Omi :)

utter concentration

.. don't bit your Tongue ;)

ever tried playing bop it in german ... giggle .. that second required to think could be your downfall already ... giggle

happy birthday to youuuuuuuu

Omi and opa treat ... choosing a new toy at the build a bear factory

breathing life and love into a new wolf companion ...

thank you Omi and Opa :)

now for a round of Chess ...

and bringing Opa up to speed on the latest gameboy technologies ;)

wow what a week ... time fir a little rest ... hope to see you again soon ...

night night :)

love
little M & big m
xxx

life lived

2011-03-06T18:07:00.000Z

when one has mice for pets ... what better way to spend an afternoon with friends building a mouse maze hotel ... cutting up some recycled cardboard ...

sticking pieces together and designing the various adventurous levels ...

add a secret box of doom filled with ooh sooo tempting mouse treats no mouse could ever resist ;)

find a good spot in the treehouse to arrange the mouse maze so all the Sylvanian families could welcome the new guests

peek to see how the mice move to explore

Ohhh and the loved the nooks and crannies ... busily scurrying to and fro exploring ... such clever creatures ...

-------------------------

more friends came to play

and the first outing of the year ... releasing the pondboat for many a summer journey to come

and my little chef .. loves nothing more then cooking up a good breakfast for us to share

first though it's only " proper" to choose ones dishes from the daily menu ;)

warm enough for the first breakfasts on the swing seat in our front garden .. ahh love the feeling and the way all the memories of a warmth filled summer come flooding back into my veins ..

loving watching lost at the moment and Maya could not resist trying her hand at building a shelter and gathering some firewood for some " Lost Island Adventures " ahhh life is colourful
big m & little M
xxx

http://milliandemayaandtheman.posterous.com/life-lived The URL of the post on posterous. http://milliandemayaandtheman.posterous.com The URL of your posterous site. milliande,maya and the man The name of your posterous site. email How the post was sent to posterous, via email, SMS or web. when one has mice for pets ... what better way to spend an afternoon with friends building a mouse maze hotel ... cutting up some recycled cardboard ... sticking pieces together and designing the various adventurous levels ... add a secret box of doom filled with ooh sooo tempting mouse treats no mo ... A 300 character snippet of yo

curious people

2010-12-15T23:59:00.000Z

we had such fun wandering amongst the curious of people and could not resist having a turn ourselves ...

... medieval uniforms ..

... trying ever so hard being a cross and moody Henry the 8th

.. lucky chimney sweeps

... ahh the days of invention

... giggle hugged by a giant of dubious persuasion

all in all a perfect ending overlooking the Portsmouth harbour lit up for the festive season after enjoying their Victorian Christmas Fair ....

Milliande & Maya
xxx

Welcome Ronnie Smoocher

2010-12-13T23:07:00.000Z

.... bluish .. wide-eyed ...incredibly curious ... and ohh soo cuddly ... meet Ronnie Smoocher ... newest member of our family ...

- he is a gorgeous cross of a snow bengal blue mother and a black and white moggy father ...

- he loves catnip, snuggles on a warm lap and that extra long tempting feather on a string ...:)

M&m

snow delight

2010-12-06T00:00:00.000Z

It is not often that we get THAT much now here at home , so it us a true delight to enjoy every last flake of it ...

managed to get Papa home in time for sledding and a good snowball fight

whee .. the one and only minuscule hill in the area is used to it's fullest effect :)

yippee .. go on ... faster

... yep ... and I have the bruises to prove it :)

... come on little racer .... just one more go Mama ...

... joyful cheeks

... stuck your Tongue out for a lick :)

.. ohh and my little studio in a little winter wonderland :)

...M&m

snowflakes

2010-12-01T10:15:00.000Z

Waking up to a sight if White has a peculiar effect each time anew ... such clarity ... such crispness ... such joy in babes eyes ...

and what a beautiful start to open the first door of the advent calendar

- could not resist walking through the garden taking a few snaps

... the man is staying in London, last year we got snowed in and no
access to the main roads from our little country lane ... off to cook some warming soup ... hmm curried sweetpotato soup sounds just about perfect :)

Milliande & Maya

Clomanders

2010-11-30T15:27:00.000Z

Clomanders - homemade Christmas decorations

Ingredients for making Clomanders ( cloves and mandarins )

- soft mandarins
- cloves
- cinnamon sticks
- wire
- a fir twig

- cut the mandarins on 4 sides
- 2 small (not too deep cuts next to each other )

- in the uncut gaps pierce cloves in a row

- through the soft middle on one side pierce a piece of wire to come through near the middle if the other side

- wire wrap a piece of cinnamon stick with the looped wire ... then pierce through again to meet the wire at the beginning ( make sure to cut a long enough piece of wire )

- attach a little twig of a fir tree by looping the wire around it before connecting both ends by twisting

- voila ... sweet smelling Clomanders for the festive season

.... our Clomanders drying out in front if the fire

advent table decoration

2010-11-28T22:54:00.000Z

... there has always been something special about the advent in me... the beginning of a time of reflection... family connection and a celebration of beautiful things hidden in the loss off apparent beauty ...

The making of the advent table decoration ... the gathering of evergreens, leftover berries , the winding of the holly with a sprig of Holly.. the lighting of the first candle with a glow of anticipation ... a family tradition long honoured and passed down today ...

off to gather some evergreens

and a few rosehip berries

filling a basket with some soil

adding 4 pillar candles

arranging some spruce twigs

adding some ivy leaves

weaving in some Holly and a centre bowl of quartz crystals

lighting the first candle of advent

...
Milliande

catch a fish , he said

2010-11-16T00:24:00.000Z

An invitation to follow the illusion, extended by a young man who supervises the pattern pod in the science museum ... " Try and catch a fish " , he said , " It is late in the day and they will all be tired " ...

First tentatively ...

then with gusto and the whole body Maya leapt about in the floor chasing lifelike images of swimming goldfish .. every time she touched the floor the " water rippled" ... an illusion in and off itself as one could feel nothing else but the hard floor ... yet the eyes perceived swimming fish, and watery ripples ..

At first we thought there must be a touch sensor underneath the image that reacted to pressure and in turn make the water ripple ..

It took us a little while to observe that even without touch and by merely interrupting the projection of the light flow ... the water rippled and the fish swam into the opposite direction .

The suggestion , to catch a fish, had led us down a perceived path, easily, blindly, predictably followed ... and we could have stopped there, if not the nagging thoughts " What if " and " How come " had made their presence known..

Today I am grateful that we are homeschooling and have the luxury of time, time to throw our whole body into a curious investigation

M&m

10 .. double digits

2010-11-08T20:23:00.000Z

My babe is 10 ... 10 whole years of fun and frolics, shared joy and laughter ... an incredible journey of growth , remembrance and love, sheer unconditional love ..

started by the stroke of midnight underneath big Ben ...

.. til early morning happy birthday cakes in bed

motion ... always in motion from the tiniest toe to the quiver of a hair ....

ghoulishness

2010-11-06T09:08:00.000Z

we almost forgot ... and luckily spotted a lonely pumpkin at the bottom of a big basket that needed rescuing ... Halloween and a Samhain feast just wouldn't be so
much fun at the bottom , lonely and unlined now , would it !

scooped out ... but something is missing ...

ahhh that's better :)

what goes well with pumpkin ... homegrown freshly harvested potatoes ...

yum .. potato and pumpkin soup

a mello- lantern ... babe felt the melon wanted a piece of the action too ... so melon smoothies here we come ...

M+m

Museum of Childhood

2010-11-06T08:50:00.000Z

The beautiful architectural front of the Museum of Childhood in London

We had fun at all the little hands on sections in the museum in the museum of childhood in London

They have lots of temporary exhibitions too .... Paper Cut Fold is on until January

Maya enjoyed a little Victorian dressing up playing in the make believe kitchen :)

- yeah , wooden rocking horses for bigger kids , come on old stead :)

- The Tale of the dragon who though he was a Highland Cow

- I loved the black and White Punch and Judy Puppet Boxes and so did Maya. Again it was great that they had one which larger kids could fit in to ... even though nearly 10 ... Maya still loves slipping into all the little games

- trying to make the gear connections connect so that in turn the robot will "come alive"

As we were trying as part of Maya's 10th birthday weekend, to find some museums and fun places we had not been to before , The Museum of Childhood was on our list

It us part of the Victoria and Albert Museum albeit located in Bethnal Green , not Kensington

A smallish museum but great little pockets oh hands on sessions as well as regular free arts and crafts sessions in the afternoon ... babe enjoyed making magicians hat with a pop out rabbit

- tower building in process

Maya was all inspired by the various Victorian mechanical toys on display and we will live to return here, sketchbooks in hand fir a but of inspiration for our design studies ....

• tell tale signs of Scottishness ..

2010-09-08T07:42:00.000+01:00

• giggle for the visitor to Scotland ... when a little tartan creeps in and the famous loch ness monster makes an appearance there is no more escaping the fact that Scottishness is to be embraced from herein forward ...

• Scottie dog ... I don't actually know the history behind that one ... why is scottie dig Scottie dog ? Anyone ?

• some beautiful handpainted pottery at the green welly stop cafe

• Maya lo ed these individual ceramic pieces of the Loch ness monster , famous for having said to have appeared at Loch Ness or even in Loch Ness near Inverness ...

• 2 girls just having a scottish giggle .. aye

... milliande

• crystals and fossils in Fort William

2010-09-07T22:41:00.000+01:00

• we stumbled upon the crystal and fossil museum in fort William on our way to mallaig and could not resist taking a peek ...

• some large specimens of selenite crystals

• some truly magnificent crystal specimens on display ... Rose quartz, rock crystal , amethyst, desert Rose in XL size

• Maya was particularly taken with the bismuth crystals / metal

• crystals that glow in the dark
here displayed under Uv light

• without the uv light :)

• a T-Rex head fossil

• the fierce sabre tooth tiger one of Maya's favourite animals ..

• beautiful hand painted illustrations around all the galleries

• the crystals were beautifully displayed with lots of them available for hands on handling .. and such friendly people .. really stood out .. Maya fell in love with a tigers eye crystal but it was only available as an earring ... so the lady split the pair of earrings ... added a fixing to turn it into a pendant all there and then ... Maya was sooo happy :)

...Milliande

• fauna and flora of Scotland encountered

2010-09-07T08:50:00.000+01:00

the natural colours of scotlands fauna and flora ,at the end of summer as autumn is starting to creep in at the edges, is breathtaking .

• a highland cow grazing happily..

• foxgloves nestlings amongst the purple heathers

• fly agaric in all it's beauty

• Scottish Heather in bloom

• a cone from the mighty fir trees in the forest

• wild fungi everywhere

• moss and lichen covered magic pathways into the deep, dark and very mysteriously inviting forest .... :)

• bolder and stone Walls

• a baby toad

• a baby fir tree

• little fishes in the loch, which we were told also played home to many a trout ..

• spotting a bird of prey circling the sky .. we could hear it's call but could not make it out ... the area around the Galloway Forest is known for it's red kite population

• settling down for today

... milliande
blissfully happy in Scotland

• foraging for wild mushroom

2010-09-06T22:45:00.000+01:00

The beauty of travelling through Scotland at this time of the year are the foraging forays in the forests for us ... having left beeswing we headed for Galloway forest and found this tiny little loch with a rambling brook and a forest full of edible fungi ...

• found one :) ...

• yummy edible mushroom, I am glad My father taught me well and I can now hand it down to Maya who loves foraging with me ..

• found lots mama ...

• taking a knife and cutting the stem carefully, leaving the roots of the wild mushroom in the ground so the spores remain intact for next year ...

• whilst really beautiful to look at especially with the sun peeking onto it through the forest canopy this fly agaric is definitely not edible !

• half an hour later and we have foraged enough for our lunch ...

• cooking up a wild mushroom feast with a dash of melted mozzarella whilst Maya is taking a dip in the loch ...

• my little fish ...
well it's a Bernese mountain dog retrieving a stick actually ... giggle

• lunch is served ...

• wild mushrooms with mozzarella and a side of stew

• employing hundreds of tiny little fish in the brook to "do the dishes"

...life doesn't get any better than this ...

...milliande

• sunset at castlerigg stone circle

2010-09-03T20:08:00.000+01:00

• sunset at castlerigg stone circle

• until another day

... miliande

day 3 travel diary

2010-09-02T18:42:00.000+01:00

Maya has long admired Beatrix Potter and loves the way she made her animals the centre
of her stories ... today we got a chance to visit the area in the lake district where Miss Potter spent a lot of her time ..

• needless to say Maya was very exited ... and we started with the world if Beatrix Potter attraction

• a little rest in the potter cafe

• after that we took a little ferry across lake Windermere to Hill Top Farm ... a house where Beatrix Potter wrote most of her books except Peter Rabbit

• according to her wishes it has been kept in exactly the same condition as if she left to go to the shops ...

• Maya in search of Peter, cottontail and flopsy ... in Beatrix Potters garden

the latest movie about the early life of her has been filmed in various places in the lake district

• hard on the trail of a carrot tail quiz

• time for a well earned rest and picnic by lake Windermere ... Not that Maya wants a rest ... giggle

... a beautiful day

... milliande

• day 2 travel diary

2010-09-02T12:27:00.000+01:00

• finally all packed and rearing to go we set off on a very sunny morning ... a bit of Jack Johnson to get us in the mood for a bit of driving lane by lane to the Lakes

• picked up some hitch-bikers at the service station ... I think they are enjoying the front row seat with first impressions of Cumbria and the area around lake Windermere ... arrived at 6 pm ... as the sun is starting to set ....

... let's play ..

...milliande

• travel journal day 1

2010-09-01T00:53:00.000+01:00

giggle , well almost day 1 .

Maya and I had toyed with the idea of leaving today for our holiday ... but alas here we are enjoying some quiet time in the sunshine ... the holiday can wait another day when deeper connections are asking for a little room to grow ...

• those are the days that magic is made of , when amidst all the hustle and bustle, the toings and froings ... perceived plans turn into unplans and little moments of joy make us chase the bells of the ice-cream van ....

• I am filled with a curious sense of entering a space that lies somewhere between anticipation and surrender ... surrounded by boxes of food, gifts, clothes and hiking gear all waiting to be travelled up to a little fishing boat on the shores of Scotland that will take us to a remote peninsular ... I find myself searching for the ebb and flow of what things may come ...

• I am not naturally an outdoor sort of type , usually more prone to caving up like a hermit ... this trip is a challenge in so many ways ... it feels like barriers are simply asking to be crushed down ... full on !

• so without further ado i shall put on some marvellously magic travelling shoes and see where they choose to take me ....

... milliande

giant caterpillars and other tales

2010-08-18T15:34:00.000+01:00

• the girls spotted this giant caterpillar resting on a branch in the garden ... I have never seen anything this large in our part of the world ... any idea what it might transform into ?

• a new bike has babe riding her little red flag through the woods

• this beautiful artichoke is simply too pretty to pick ... but look at these

• yum

• moments to ponder

... milliande

• hiking to Shalford Mill

2010-08-08T22:00:00.000+01:00

A sunny day and new hiking boots ... so we set off on a 6 mile hike that led us past Shalford Mill ...

• one a working watermill producing wheatflour, today the big wheel lays silent while the water rushes by

• many of the original parts of Shalford Mill are still intact and we got to have a go at many wheels, pulleys and trapdoors the miller would have used in it's daily walkabouts

• a painting of how the water mill would have looked in it's heyday

.• a replica small grindstone and some wheat were accessible to try out ... turning the stones produced a grinding action that would grind the flour

• a full hessian sack of ground flour ready to be returned by the miller to the farmer

• a game of rope rings to finish off an enjoyable visit ...

• hiking fun at Box Hill

2010-08-08T00:20:00.000+01:00

• rosy cheeks from a whole day testing out our new walking boots

• enjoyed 3 geocaching finds today as we hiked across Box Hill

• our first edible wild mushroom finds of the season .... yummy with scrambled egg for Lunch Tomorrow

• an invitation arrived by owl

2010-08-06T00:16:00.000+01:00

An invitation arrived via owl and my little witch is off to a party

• ready to depart

• platform 9 and three quarters here we come

• there is Magic afoot, muggles beware

....milliande

• mama how big was I when I was born ?

2010-08-04T14:05:00.000+01:00

Mama how big was I when I was born .. ehmmm ... and off she goes sprinting to go get her plaque she saves in a special place .....

• 49 whole cm it says ... and how tall am I now ...?

• how to convert cm into inches

• measuring the foot all the way to the big toe :)

• now I wonder how big that baby doll is compared to how big I was as a baby .... 44cm ... so I could trace around it, make the feet a bit longer and compare ...

• voilà .... me and baby me ... giggle

• mama I feel like drawing •

2010-08-02T14:12:00.000+01:00

• we love hanging out outside in the summer, baskets full of drawing ones, stacks of papers lying on our tummies with curious cats tails tickling our noses as they wonder by ..

• mama , I feel like drawing she said... and off we scatter to be kissed by the muse ...

• we like playing " Hide Away Creature Drawing " ... taking a piece of paper folding it into 4 equal parts and the one person starts to draw the head / heads of the creature ... when finished folds it over so the next person can't see only leaving 2 little lead in lines for the person to continue drawing from ... next comes upper body ... then swap again ... lower body ... swap again for the last feet drawing

...some funny creatures evolve with these collaborative drawings , the crazier the better

It's fun to use lots of bold colors or try restricting the drawing to the same 4 Colors only for a unified look :)

m&M
xxx

• there is nothing more important than us •

2010-07-24T13:28:00.000+01:00

• when there is a moment when 2 sets of eyes look at the same thing .. then into each others eyes ... and then a warm wide knowing spreads like little ripples through your heart .. life becomes a little more delicious .. again ...

... milliande

• sometimes I have no words •

2010-07-21T11:08:00.000+01:00

sometimes I have no words ...

... milliande

• camp impressions 2 •

2010-07-19T14:16:00.000+01:00

• we have had great fun locating a geocaching hide near to our homeschooling camp .. armed with gps coordinates, an ordinance survey map and accompanied by our new friends from Scotland we marched off in the direction of the treasure hunt excitement ...

• on the way we came across a lock on the river Medway where a motorised sailboat was trying to cross from one side of the lock to the other
... the kids got invited to help out moving the lock gates and were happy to have a go

• getting to know each other along our path, Maya discovered that Finn and Lachie loved lots of the same things that she does ... from Dragons, Drawing Creatures and Stop Motion Animations ... they had lots to talk about :)

• soon we needed a refreshing dip from the pier of another lock ... after we spent 3 hours walking through wheat fields, discovering dragon tree hideouts and adventuring over muddy ditches

... but soon we were getting closer and closer to our geocaching destination

• a big pipe invited whispered conversations :) along the way

• signs of summer

• camp impressions •

2010-07-19T14:14:00.000+01:00

Our annual homeschooling / unschooling camp started in July this year and we were happy to return to this spacious campsite to have some summer fun

walking down to the river for a much needed cool down swim

• there is something about wild swimming that is quite magical ... the trees reflecting themselves in the water , the breeze gently motioning the water to and fro and our big toes breaking patterns and creating ripples as we play ...

• catching shadows

maya loves her net and catching all manners if creatures great and small for closer observation .. we spotted some beautiful butterflies in our path and had the chance to look at chirping crickets close up

• yeah ... rope-swing over the river

• i always love maya's exuberant spirit, at times it feels like she has been born into the water and accidentally ended up on earth .. she once shared with me what it feels like for her to be submerged in water " mama, only here can I feel my whole body " ... made me think how tactile stimulation nourishes a soul and how she craves touch and skin pressure that she can feel .. I wonder whether it makes her body REAL somehow ...

• making homemade bath bombs

• maya got a chance to try out making homemade bath bombs, which had been on her wish-list for a while ... using recycled film canisters and various kitchen cupboard chemicals she soon smelled of luscious lavender .. :)

• the finished bath bombs ready for drying

• the afternoon started with a wild food walk

• we enjoy gathering wild food and love learning more about it as we meet other wild food enthusiasts who are willing to share their favourite seasonal wild food finds ..

• taking a closer look at the hemlock family, some parts of which are edible and some lookalikes which are poisonous

• after a busy day off to a boat trip on the river with our new friends from Scotland

... more later
milliande and maya

• homemade cakes •

2010-07-03T22:31:00.000+01:00

Maya surprised us with some homemade cakes .. I love the way she embraces trying out new things.. no recipe just an instinctual use of ingredients ... apples , goji berries, rice flour, a dash of sugar and a few sprinkles of chocolate

yum... I struggle so much with baking in particularly following a recipe in a linear fashion does not come easy to my ADHD brain ... yet I got completely inspired watching her simply threw together a few ingredients a bake something delicious ...

...milliande

• surf is up •

2010-07-03T21:40:00.000+01:00

babe had the most fun ever ... waves were eunning hi and she got to try surfboarding when we went out with a group of homeschooling friends.

A couple of boys had brought along their surfboards and were happy to lend them out for a while ... the wind on the incoming tide saw them bashing, jumping, curling about in the water .. what a sight

I can't believe how fast my little girl is growing up , I am so happy to see her grow up so beautifully free and happy

totally and utterly exhausted ... but sooo happy

Now we are going to research into how to choose a surfboard for kids as she has been bitten bybthe surfing bug ... :)

.. enjoying my view and a relax

a well earned rest and fun being covered head to toe in warm beach shingles ...

m&M

• geocaching logbook June •

2010-06-28T23:57:00.000+01:00

... after typing in the longtitude and latitude coordinates into our cars tom tom sat nav we arrived at a small pathway that we had driven by many times before but had never quite noticed ... we love that geocaching brings us into unexpected places to discover

... ohh I can't wait, quick take a photo so I can peek in :)

... the green label of the official geocaching members cache ... lots of people organize treasurehunts for kids , geocaching for kids and adults alike is like a big global treasure hunt for members of geocaching.com

.... the geocaching hide treasure some items had suffered a bit of water damage so we cleaned out the cache box and freshened up the treasure a bit for the next geocaching kids to find

... signed the geocaching logbook with our handcarved stamp , picked up a geocaching coin and dropped a travelbug

... a perfect summer day ...

• to see creatively •

2010-06-25T20:02:00.000+01:00

... I cannot but wonder at the gaze that is directed by the muse ... for she plays with light and motion to capture my attention ... the attention of the eye that sees ... the heart that feels and the soul that yearns to stare at itself in the mirror ...

... can one teach to gaze or is the gazing inborn .. flying like a wild bird caught on the updraft if a light breeze ...

... to nurture the gaze..

... to nourish curiosity

... I will walk with you ... so here ... hold my hand

• I wish •

2010-06-25T18:39:00.000+01:00

... to feel connection ... to see myself in her eyes ... to know that she has chosen me as much as I chose her ....

... when tiny feet wriggle closer to feel my skin and only come to rest when the warmth is detected and the soul made connection ...

... I feel memories of when I was her age ... looking for connection only to be met by separation ... here is a chance again ... to experience that which was denied ... only know I am being mirrored back that which I could not before ... and I bow in understanding

... unschooling trains of thought ... to know that we have the freedom ... the unpressured time to linger in a moment a little longer .. because the moment teaches us all that we have come here to know ....

...

• balance •

2010-06-25T16:32:00.000+01:00

... arms stretched wide, a skip and a jump and then a moment of freeflying ...

... before hands sturdily support the fall ... propelling motion

... maya asked me what life would be like without hands ... and I paused ... and offered no other thought for a while as deep contemplation sank into the both of us ... no hands ... I could offer no answer but a suggestion ... to try and bandage our 2 hands and then try walking through life for a while ... it was quiet again ... until we moved on to another topic in our conversation

...

· as a new day dawns ·

2010-06-25T10:45:00.000+01:00

as a new day dawns... a simple blooming is caught in the glimpse of a soul stirring .. I hear hear breathing, I see her rising and emerging deeply into the new day

sleep ..the wonderous passenger that tells stories of long lost cities hiding between the veils of knowing ..sleeping like a baby ..innocent to the knowing .. she sleeps and dreams herself into being

• as fragile as a feather •

2010-06-25T10:04:00.000+01:00

...sometimes life seems as fragile as a feather, twisting and turning in the wind as the ebb and flow rises

... and then we land .. in a new place rich with possibility waiting for us to explore ... observe ... and stay for a while

m&M

• something is stirring •

2010-06-25T09:54:00.000+01:00

Something is stirring, something has been stirring for a while now.. stirring in my heart, my soul and as I watch myself wander along the periphery of this life I am beginning to feel deeper and deeper connections .. to my daughter.. this beautiful soul that has chosen to walk alongside me for a while ..

It is our heartfelt soul connection that continues to nourish me everyday ... here I would like to celebrate that connection, honor the passages from here on in and fill our well with images

walk alongside us if you like
m&M