Hard rubbish

This Monday morning bright and early I saw my child Beatrix off to school camp, without looking in her bag, trusting that she'd packed well herself.

I made her shoe laces Sunday night while she slept. Seeing her appreciative smile and receiving her warm hug was the best reward, but Facebooking these laces and receiving a whole heap of comments on them was fun too. I'll be whipping up more of those.

It's also been hard rubbish this week. I found a great-but-huge chair on the side of the road. Cramming it into the car with the children while my three year old is not entirely getting in on the spirit, not so much fun.

In fact she is telling me she hates the chair, hates me, hates her dad. And all of her siblings, apparently, all this over a chair. This is not her normal self, she is sweet, loving and incredibly fun to be with. I know now that she was beginning to feel unwell, but at the time I was just amazed.

Well I wasn't going to have her dampen my spirits. After I got home and piled everyone out of the car I called my husband to share my glee. And our daughter's hate, he'd want to hear about that too. He just laughs, I bet, and thinks he's lucky to be at work. I thought he'd care about the chair, and I was right.(he likes to send me on a wild goose chase)

He went on tell me where he'd seen an "amazing 50's chair" the night before. Well seeing as he was in on the thrill and excitement I had no hesitation before piling the children back in the car to drive five blocks to get that chair for him. I quickly made some peanut butter sandwiches and some cut up apple, we always have these in the car.

A little food will buy you time when it comes to children. Bribery, threats and intimidation, those are the keys to successful parenting.

Eliza my three year old was by now over the initial adversity to this picking through other people's hard rubbish. She even proclaimed to like this particular chair that was still exactly where he said it would be, unbelievably, and looked even better than I'd imagined. I called to tell him it was his, it felt good.

Latter that day I reorganized my veranda to make it cozy and nice,that was fun, sitting out there with a cupcake and tea with a much perkier and happier Eliza, now that was more like it. I'd sat there for quite a while before I realised that Aaron had totally trimmed the trees and bushes while I wasn't looking, and that's why it was so nice. Go him!

Although we may not be out there as much in the winter I have enjoyed the space this week and like coming home to a neater veranda. Alison over at The Idea of Home has made me all alert this week for a skinny old bench to put alongside the front door to pop my bags down on whilst I fumble for keys. I have been driving slowly weaving the streets looking for it It's out there. I can feel it.

Ohhh I love hard rubbish time.

In my part of the world we are coming to the end of Autumn, we had had a rather cold week and then a lovelier dry all that washing kinda week this one past.

In our house the nightly routine now involves a lengthy process of water bottle making. Three of the children and one for us adults to share. We line them up, we dole out the water, secure the tops, and hand them to eagerly awaiting babes, it's a production line.

They snuggle that rubber bag in it's tatty old cover and hop straight into bed with less fuss and more calmness the yawns usually follow and then the snores. One likes the bag on her tummy, the other two on their feet. Personally I lay mine into bed before I get in, then when I am ready I slide in between warm sheets. I hold it to my cold hands and then I like it on my feet, too.

Those tatty old covers, I should say, barring one: a custom-made green monster, one my husband made for our boy out of an old jumper is staying just as it is.

Mine however needed a new cover. One of my favorite books, linen wool cotton, has a great water bottle cover.

So I made it.

I had all my fabric chosen: some nice wool, some flannel and some rick rack. "What is rick rack," I think I hear. Yes, I too had to goggle "what is rick rack." Well now I know.

It is "a decorative zig-zagged trim," one which I might add isn't easy to sandwich-and-sew. It is small and you need to be precise well... So one side worked out the other not so well. I do think however that all in all my cover turned out well.

I am now warm and a little more stylish in my bed at night. Now I have orders from my eldest to please make one for her! how can I not when she is so appreciative of all my handiwork.

I hope you are feeling warm and cosy or cool and relaxed wherever you are in this here world.