Those lazy, crazy, hazy days of Summer
Have you seen those memes about the start of a new school year/ end of the holidays where parentals make funny comments such as...
Or even...
That is not me.
I love school holidays.
If I can, I try and take time off with my kids so it becomes my holiday too.
Holiday programs can be a little expensive and when I pick up Sonofagun No.2 at the end of the day, he's way more physically exhausted than from spending a day at school.
We don't do too much. I do tend to be a bit on the lazy side. But we do fun things. (I had written 'lots of fun things', then realised it wasn't 100% accurate!)
So this little post is about how we spent our long summer holidays!
You'd already know from this blog post that we spent 2 weeks over Christmas in Mollymook with the Mothership and the Fatherdom.
They're almost too polite to say so, but I'm fairly sure they were happy for the peace and quiet when we left!
I'm pretty crap at taking fireworks photos. But I still do it anyway. I take hundreds! And then I realise like any Crazy with a smart phone that they all look shithouse, and I should just put down my phone and enjoy it IN REAL LIFE because I'm never going to look back over 247 photos of fireworks in 10 years and be all like, "Awww! Remember that greeny red one from the Ulladulla New Years Eve of 2016? This blurry one is my favourite!"
So we returned home and I continued to make my circles into squares. There were many cups of tea and hours of Netflix involved.
This is where I'm up to now:
I thought crocheting a lightning bolt for my face was the best idea I'd had in years.
If you need a lightning bolt face or even a necklace, the free tutorial is here.
Sonofagun No.2 and I ventured down to our local beach a few times. We found this pair of sunnies in the water with this little sea thing attached. After a few photos, it decided it had enough, detached and swam away.
We visited Melbourne Zoo. SOG2 absolutely had to visit the penguins the minute we arrived.
So I have developed a THING where if I can't or don't feel like working on my main projects, I pick up some cotton and make a mandala.
This one is halfway through being written down and tested as a future tutorial. So bright and pretty!
Down here in Kangaroo land, it was Straya Day on 26th January.
I'm a bit conflicted about Australia Day.
On one hand it's nice to have a national day that celebrates our wonderful country, but not on a day that the Indigenous nations mourn and remember as Invasion Day.
We took the kids down to the local beach for the rides, food stalls and concerts.
We found a spare table and chairs at the park. We took dips and crackers and crochet!
I love this map created by @Amazing_Maps which shows all the different countries that fit into our big island!
Then in the evening, more blurry smartphone fireworks!
While the rest of the country has sweltered in a long heatwave, good old Melbourne has had a nice summer.
My Nashi Pears grew.
They squawk and crap EVERYWHERE. But being the bird lover, I just sit under the tree quietly with a cuppa and watch them happily.
And this hybrid tea is Monica.
Has the mandala bug bitten you?
It bit me on the bum and it still itches. I can't get enough of them. The one above was from a pattern from Simply Crochet magazine.
The one in the bag below is my own design. I am addicted to the process of making a perfectly flat circle and with each round, trying to 'math' properly so it stays flat.
This is my 2nd version of the one above but I've realised the centre is very similar to a mandala that has previously been published elsewhere so it's back to the drawing board!
Or even...
That is not me.
I love school holidays.
If I can, I try and take time off with my kids so it becomes my holiday too.
Holiday programs can be a little expensive and when I pick up Sonofagun No.2 at the end of the day, he's way more physically exhausted than from spending a day at school.
We don't do too much. I do tend to be a bit on the lazy side. But we do fun things. (I had written 'lots of fun things', then realised it wasn't 100% accurate!)
So this little post is about how we spent our long summer holidays!
You'd already know from this blog post that we spent 2 weeks over Christmas in Mollymook with the Mothership and the Fatherdom.
They're almost too polite to say so, but I'm fairly sure they were happy for the peace and quiet when we left!
I'm pretty crap at taking fireworks photos. But I still do it anyway. I take hundreds! And then I realise like any Crazy with a smart phone that they all look shithouse, and I should just put down my phone and enjoy it IN REAL LIFE because I'm never going to look back over 247 photos of fireworks in 10 years and be all like, "Awww! Remember that greeny red one from the Ulladulla New Years Eve of 2016? This blurry one is my favourite!"
So we returned home and I continued to make my circles into squares. There were many cups of tea and hours of Netflix involved.
This is where I'm up to now:
I thought crocheting a lightning bolt for my face was the best idea I'd had in years.
If you need a lightning bolt face or even a necklace, the free tutorial is here.
Sonofagun No.2 and I ventured down to our local beach a few times. We found this pair of sunnies in the water with this little sea thing attached. After a few photos, it decided it had enough, detached and swam away.
We visited Melbourne Zoo. SOG2 absolutely had to visit the penguins the minute we arrived.
He was only vaguely to 'not at all' interested in the other animals.
 |
| "Pfft! Elephants. How boring! Can we go back to the penguins now?" |
My favourite section is the butterfly house. He spent the entire time in here declaring loudly in front of everyone, "These are soooo boring! They'll die in a couple of days anyway!"
My Sonofagun No.2 does not have this thing called 'tact' or 'a filter'. When we went to see Rogue One 'A Star Wars Story' for the 2nd time, there was a memoriam for Carrie Fisher just before the movie started.
As I started to feel a little eye moisture, SOG2 said this so LOUDLY, everyone in the theatre heard:
"HA! IT SAYS RIP! R.I.P. RIP!!!!! LIKE IN THE GRAVEYARDS WHERE THE ZOMBIES LIVE! SHE'S A ZOMBIE NOW!!"
We had to stop by the penguins before we left. To say goodbye of course.
So I have developed a THING where if I can't or don't feel like working on my main projects, I pick up some cotton and make a mandala.
This one is halfway through being written down and tested as a future tutorial. So bright and pretty!
I also enjoyed lots of these! A delicious, refreshing cocktail of Gin, Soda Water, Elderflower cordial, lemon and mint leaves.
I can only have one each evening because I'm a Cadbury girl: a glass and a half and I become a pissy* mess.
*drunken, not urinating
Down here in Kangaroo land, it was Straya Day on 26th January.
I'm a bit conflicted about Australia Day.
On one hand it's nice to have a national day that celebrates our wonderful country, but not on a day that the Indigenous nations mourn and remember as Invasion Day.
We took the kids down to the local beach for the rides, food stalls and concerts.
We found a spare table and chairs at the park. We took dips and crackers and crochet!
I love this map created by @Amazing_Maps which shows all the different countries that fit into our big island!
Then in the evening, more blurry smartphone fireworks!
My Nashi Pears grew.
And the Rainbow Lorikeets ate them...
They squawk and crap EVERYWHERE. But being the bird lover, I just sit under the tree quietly with a cuppa and watch them happily.
I love roses. This one is called Eyes for You.
And this hybrid tea is Monica.
Has the mandala bug bitten you?
It bit me on the bum and it still itches. I can't get enough of them. The one above was from a pattern from Simply Crochet magazine.
The one in the bag below is my own design. I am addicted to the process of making a perfectly flat circle and with each round, trying to 'math' properly so it stays flat.
This is my 2nd version of the one above but I've realised the centre is very similar to a mandala that has previously been published elsewhere so it's back to the drawing board!
So that was our summer. The Sonofaguns are back at school. I'm back at work. And already longing for the next school holidays!
xox
Louise
The Red Haired Amazona
I love school holidays too! I miss my daughter when she's at school :-)
ReplyDeleteYou're crochet is fabulous! All those squares and especially the bright mandala with the beads! So beautiful!!
Have a vey nice day, Sigrid
I love your recount of your holidays. I'm still jealous of the rainbow lorikeets in your pear tree (and the huge pears!), and your colours...... I need bright pretty colours!!!!
ReplyDeleteWish i had landed on your post sooner so would have also done these activities with my children in holidays. Nevertheless, I love my children to bits and love spending time with them in vacations, but still, a part of me does gets relieved when school opens.
ReplyDelete