Daisy Kate turns 12

She thinks she's older, but she's only turning 12, this girl of mine.  She's a little bit of everyone, and a whole lot of herself.  She's the ditsy-est, dreamiest, 12 yr old on the face of the planet and she's turning out alright.  I'm actually pretty impressed, and she can make a fantastic cup of tea - I'm serious, that's a great quality, right there!

Under all that pre-teenage angst, there is a sweet, compassionate caring little soul emerging.  She makes me want to scream, laugh and hug her all at the same time.

I love that she still looks to me for direction, reassurance and advice.  I love that she still walks forward while looking backwards, and trips over her feet.  I love the way she gabbles on and on, barely taking a breath in her excitement to get her words out.  I love that she's still very much a Bambi - just on the first journey of her teenage years, with all the naivety of a such a young fledgling.

But mostly, I just love her.

I hope that she always has a little of the ditsy in her.  I hope that I always look at this sweetheart and see part of the little girl that she still is today.

So don't grow too fast Darling, just keep being you because you're our special Daisy-Woo and we wouldn't change a bar of you.

Oh and, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! xxxx

What's the Story, Sister?

And there is a story.  Its been unraveling itself for a while now, and becoming more and more clear.  Here is it.

This girl is effervescent. The one with the long strawberry-blonde curls, the one with the gorgeous big eyes and the perfect lips - well she's bubbly and silly, she's happy and fun.  She thinks she's in charge but I can tell you, that's not the way it is.

Oh, she can be strong and determined, even a little stubborn sometimes.  And she has no idea yet, but she's not in charge.  Not anymore.  

This little girl is adorable.  The one with the loose blonde curls, the one with her Mamas expressions and a little button nose - well she's quiet and shy, she's kooky and loud.  She knows she's in charge and that is the way it is.

She can wind her big sister around her little finger, and does so on a daily basis.  She has already learnt how to be the boss without anyone noticing.   Slowly but surely, she's crept her way up, to the position of authority - and is heard by all.  Clever little thing, she is!

It had to happen.  One of these girls had to rule.  For the sake of Ying and Yang, for the sake of world wide peace on earth in the Wood household, one of them had to set the pace.

 It's just been a bit of a surprise, which one of them it was.

Two halves of one perfect whole.  My little forthright one, taking the lead, just one tiny step ahead.  And my little protector, nurturing and watching, hand held out to steady.

Will it always work this smoothly?  Will it always be sweetness and light?  Ha, I'd be kidding myself if I thought that.  These two will, no doubt, have some hum-dingers along the way...but oh it is soooo blooming lovely at the moment. And in a hectic household of many different personalities all trying to find their place, I am so embracing this!

October Skies

ctober
Where fountains sing and many waters meet,
October comes with blossom-trammelled feet.
She sheds green glory by the wayside rills
And clothes with grace the haughty-featured hills.
This is the queen of all the year. She brings
The pure chief beauty of our southern springs.
Fair lady of the yellow hair! Her breath
Starts flowers to life, and shames the storm to death;
Through tender nights and days of generous sun
By prospering woods her clear strong torrents run;
In far deep forests, where all life is mute,
Of leaf and bough she makes a touching lute.
Her life is lovely. Stream, and wind, and bird
Have seen her face – her marvellous voice have heard;
And, in strange tracts of wildwood, all day long,
They tell the story in surpassing song.

by Henry Kendall (1839-1882)

Australian writer

It's dazzling and true, the colour of the Australian sky.  It holds multi-coloured vibrant winged birds, and on cloudy days, little puffs of cotton drifting lazily from left to right.  It's one of the great wonders that rock my world, and no matter how long I live here, it's not something that I could ever take for granted.  

Aside from the glorious sun, the days spent by the sparkling pool and the weird and wonderful nature that surrounds us, I think the sky is the thing that excites me the most.  I wish I could grab a little piece of it for everyone and post it to them.  

I can share it with this little girl though, I can watch her run under it, play and sing.  She's not aware of it, its just part of her everyday, this sky that I love.  But I did ask her today, 'what's the best thing about the Australian sky?' 

Her answer, "Umm, it's blue".    Yep, can't argue with that! ;)

And my second favourite most lovely Australian thing about October...our Jacaranda Tree!

Sitting underneath it and playing with it's lilac petals is also quite appealing for this little November flower.

Hurray for Australia and all of her October skies!

Gentle Days!

Just chillin today....with my girl.  I love these days with her alone, just the two of us. We do stuff.  We hang out and she's so very funny.

The quirkiest sense of humour for such a little doll, and the dirtiest laugh I've ever heard from an eighteen month old!

At the moment she's into blueberries and raisons in a big way...although I think she's developing a thing for potato chips.  I've had to bungee shut the cupboards, or she'll pull out packet after packet, toddle over to me and with the biggest grin on her face say 'I wanna yummies, yeah?'  And I watch her little face fall as I prize them out of her hot little hands and put them away again.  'No Lulie, no sharp crispies for you, sorry'.  I know she thinks I'm so mean!

She's not an inside girl at all...I just know she wants to be in the heart of the world, hanging out inside our house for too long, doesn't cut it!

 I can only take so much of her gazing longingly out of the window...before I cave and we go off exploring the usual places in the garden...

Well that's more like it..

I can't imagine being in my garden without this little shadow anymore.  The only place where she won't cling onto me, or want me to pick her up.  The freedom entices her and she's happy to become her alter ego, 'Lulu the Brave'.

But even this little munchkin can have too much of a good thing.  As naptime approaches, she gives it away that it's time to go inside, and curl up in her cot for an hour or so, ready for the next garden adventure.

'I'm not tired Mummy, really I'm not!'

And as with most beautiful things, there is another story here...

....Sweet vintage top, curtesy of my friend Robyn, lovingly passed down from her little sweetie, Lila, previously owned by my mate Melissas little darling, Mia.  And beautiful flower clip made by my other talented friend, Andrea!  Lucy and I love them, so thank you. And Meg tells me that little  Zo is next in line for this piece of clothing...brilliant!

For you, Joe!

This is for you Joe, because I finally took some photos of you that you liked enough to ask me to make my desktop picture.  Because you struggle every day with confidence, and because you are the most sensitive little boy soul that I know.

I love your face, I love your thoughts and dreams, I love your kindness, I love you inside and out...and I'm so happy that these pictures made you smile!

And also because your Daddy is away, and he misses you too.  This is for you David.
 
Your Son wants me to tell you that he's doing a great job looking after me while you're away and that he's taken to reading a book each night, 'just like Daddy' whilst snuggled up on your side of our bed before he goes to sleep.

If I could capture this little face and bottle these moments with my boy forever, I would!

A Different Era

Black and White.  I love it.  Back when I was a kid, and when little girls used to continuously ask each other 'what's your favourite colour', I never really knew how to answer.  Blue was my favourite bright beautiful vibrant colour, but the answer I always wanted to give, was black and white - together!  No wonder I'm so captured by black and white pictures.  There's a purity to them that colour can't capture.  Almost like being hearing impaired.  Take away the pretty distractions and what you are looking at becomes so much clearer.

Plus the fact that really I should've been living my whole life in the 40's and 50's.  I can just see myself in a frilly apron tied at the waist, high heels, red lipstick, pin curled waves in my hair and holding freshly baked cookies straight out of the oven.  Obviously this whole scene is in black and white!

Lately we've all been getting our 'retro' on and I've been subjecting my kids to the same 'treatment'.  I'm quite liking the results..

Ok, maybe the sparkly drama princess t-shirt hauls you right back into the year 2010, but I'm willing to overlook these small details..

Now I'm sure this girl is straight out of a advert for Lux Soap Powder.  Although she probably should be sitting in a  small tin tub, surrounded by bubbles..

Now that I think about it, how on earth am I ever going to go back to colour pictures again!!

Even the slightly fuzzy ones, (due to very wriggly babies), are cute.

Definitely glad we went with the dark chocolate brown nail polish..

Giving me her best 'old fashioned' look here.

Yup, black and white - still my favourite.  And now if anyone asks me, I'll tell them so.


And something else really cool.  Some of which is thanks to a lovely lady who has her own really sweet blog, Life is Like a Box of Chocolates, I have learnt how to post picture sets, Taadaaa!  Something I've wanted to do for a while now, so I'm a happy girl!

Rainbows and Unicorns

                          Self Portrait of Miss Poppy Emma Wood, aged 4 & 3/4

Lately I've been thinking that my blog might be a little bit sugary.  A bit too much syrup on the pancake, extra cream in the coffee, a few too many chocolate chips in the cupcakes, and maybe just a smidge to many rainbows and unicorns.  So I had a long hard think about all of this.  And this is what I thought.

I'm not pure as the driven snow by any means, nor am I a 'light' sort of person.  Just ask Viki, Beccy, Kate, Fiona, Vanessa, Becks, Sara, Michele, Holli and Jan, to name but a few.  I'm pretty intense, can be complicated, have multi-layers and I like to get to the root of a person,  I'm really not too interested in the small talk.  I spent years sitting on the fence, because I was afraid to use my own voice and didn't want to offend anyone.  It's taken me a while to realise that if people don't like me or understand me - that's fine.  I've dealt with it, accepted it,  and got over it.  With such diversity and so many personalities in the world, it's not possible to be liked by one and all.  And would we really want it that way?  Would it make the world more or less interesting?  I know what I think.

My friends, family and all who know me, know that at times,  (yep, I know exactly who is nodding in agreement), I am capable of bitching and moaning, as much as the next person.  They know that my life isn't always sugary sweet and that sometimes the hill is steep.  But...what I have learned, especially lately, is that inside - where all the cogs and wheels turn (albeit at different rates according to the time of day, situation, mood etc), I am ultimately a rainbows and unicorns person.  I can't deny it and I won't pretend to be any different.  Because these are the moments that matter most to me.  These are the thoughts that I cherish, and these are the memories that I will take to my grave.  The darker shades of me are very much there, always present and not denied.  They give me the depth to see things as they are, and the pain to be able to understand and be grateful for all sweet yummy stuff, of which there is plenty.

As I think is true of most writers, (and I mean writers in every sense, ranging from writing a sentence, a letter, an email, a blog, to a novel, an article or a masterpiece),  I feel a responsibility to all who read my words.  When they take the time to click on a link or spend precious moments of their day with me, I want to be sure that they don't feel let down.  I want to know that they connect and understand why I have written the piece or why I chose to express myself in that way....

...which brings me full circle back to rainbows and unicorns.  I've realised that that's just me, that I am a rainbows and unicorns kind of a girl.  I make no apologies for it.  When I always thought I was a 'my glass is half empty' person, it's a revelation to realise that really I'm a 'glass is half full' chick.  Seriously, y'all don't know how happy this makes me, I was always so envious of those sparkly full glasses.  Like a little girl standing on the edge of a scene, watching other kids play and not being invited.  Well, actually that's  more of a memory, but that's another story....;)

So if reading my stuff makes you want to reach for the sick bucket,  then just don't read it.  It won't offend me at all.  I am what I am, I can't please everyone and I will continue to keep it real.  I write about what makes me tick, what floats my boat and the world as I see it.  There will be times (probably) when the sugar in my words won't sound as sweet.  When you'll taste something savory, spicy or even bitter...so don't give up hope if you find me a bit sickly - but those Rainbows and Unicorns - they ain't going away!

Speaking of which...here is something pretty darn sweet.  It's todays perfect little sugar-knob and it's as rainbowy and unicorny as they come.

'My Daddy hugging me and Lucy in the garden' by Poppy.
 
This canvas is lovingly hung on the wall, and I'll never tire of looking at it.  SUGAR tastes good!