"No reading at the breakfast table"

Just having a little ponder about Easter today. Was disappointed yesterday when I realised that my 6 year old wasn't all that clear on the finer points of Easter. We're going to use the Resurrection Eggs (see the image) tonight and go through the Easter story.  It's sad that my kids haven't been kind of hammered with Easter in Sunday School and Scripture. I feel strongly about this one because Easter is the main game for me as a Christian.  It's the weekend where I am reminded of all that I believe. I do feel that we talk more about Jesus dying for us than we do about the resurrection.  But for me, if I'm going to invest a huge part of my thinking and time and money into something, I'd like to be trusting in a God who is alive. I grew up in a country where people worshipped statues and I could never understand how putting your trust in a dead rock that another person made would give purpose and comfort. However, here in the West, as far as I can...

Sewing is like painting to me. When the kids were preschoolers they always wanted to paint at home and I mostly suppressed their creativity and said 'no'. Yes, I'm one of those mothers. The mess and the cleaning up of the mess was too much for me on top of all the normal, day-to-day life mess. I was pleased they went to preschool - I could pay money for them to paint. So, I've put off teaching the kids sewing or knitting. Mostly because you need to have some chunks of uninterrupted time to teach them-plus the physical and mental energy to stay patient through the process. But now that my daughter has been taught the basics by someone who is paid to do it (she's learning to sew at school) and I was in the right headspace, we could pull it off. We had fun (actual fun - not just gritted teeth) making a 'scrappy owl cushion' * today. I helped with some of the trickier bits but she did most of it. I'm not the world's greatest sewer but I re...

Recently I've been spending a lot of time thinking about what I'd like to be doing more of if I had more time. What I'd like to be doing ... Cooking and baking more from scratch Sewing quilts Knitting Making kid's presents Taking photos of all the above and putting them into a beautiful blog Developing photos and putting them in an album Practicing the piano Having long conversations with friends Decluttering my house properly What I'm actually doing ... Going to work Tidying my house so we can move through it and not contract serious diseases Picking up stuff off floors Meeting up with some of the uni staff girls Washing clothes Cooking meals that are essential for existence Leading my Bible study group Food shopping at speed Studying (yes, back at uni this semester) Helping children practice the piano Taking the children places - many, many places Writing cheques to pay for the 'many, many places' that my children visit Havi...

So we randomly chose a winner for the earlier competition using our 'sophisticated' system. All the names in a bowl. She closed her eyes ... and ... drum roll We have a winner ... PIP! Since I know the lovely Pip personally, I will be getting her prize to her in the mail this week. ENJOY :) And thank you for all your inspiring contributions.