Wow... where have the months gone?

Just before my darling eldest started her school journey this year my mother innocently said in conversation  that once your children start school the time just flies and before you know it they are adults....

My response???

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I think there is a bit of a grieving process that happens with each new stage that our children reach, experience and pass.

Some people thought I was nuts when I was somewhat saddened by both the weaning off breast feeding and then later the toilet training of my youngest.

Yes, I was happy that she was learning and growing but it was mixed with a sadness and a realisation that I may never be breastfeeding or changing the nappies of a little bubba that was my own again. I was saying goodbye (reluctantly) to a stage of my life too that I may not experience again.

*Sigh*  yes, the ability to stop time would be much loved. Everyone says they grow up too quick, it's nothing new... but I sure am hoping to pack as much happiness and 'slow' moments into the whirlwind that is their childhood!

Well, that's where my head is at this morning and here's a peek at the fabulous family weekend we've just had...

Can someone say MOOMBA? I loved watching the parade as a child on tv but never experienced it in person. This year and last year we have made Moomba part of our family traditions.

We had found a spot right against the barriers for the kiddies to enjoy the wonderful parade - albeit on the sunny side of the road (I think I lost kilos melting in the heat!). The girls loved all the floats and especially all the marching bands.

The hubs was kept happy as Moomba weekend also falls on the opening game weekend for NRL... So that meant we all got to enjoy a game on the Sunday - My girls love it for the cheerleaders and the fanfare at the scoring of try's. 

Big Little Miss M was super excited to get a photo with one of the cheer girls after the game (She spent most of the game gaining their attention and waving at them - we were seated right near them on the sidelines)!

The Moomba festival also meant a few rides and a wander through the sideshow alley. 

Seriously!!! My little miss is SUCH. A. POSER!!!

The ferris wheel was once again a big hit!

As were the Alice in Wonderland teacups...

We sat on the banks of the Yarra Sunday evening and listened to the girls 'wowing' over the brilliant fireworks show (and their super unhealthy but much enjoyed Korean Potato Spirals - who knew they were of Korean origin???). A large tree branch obstructed the view of the fireworks a little but the girls didn't even notice and space on the banks was at a premium!

The girls also had awesome fun 'flying' way up on the bungee trampoline! I tell you, it was nearly melt-down stations after we'd purchased tickets then waited for close to 45mins in the sweltering heat to get to the front of the line when the little miss declared she'd changed her mind and didn't want to have a bounce anymore (can't say I blamed her after waiting that long I kinda wanted to pull the pin after 20mins... but there's a reason they work the line and pre-sell the tickets as soon as you queue up... after parting with $30 for the tickets for a 4 minute bounce I wasn't going anywhere but suffering that slow moving queue!). At the last minute the little miss changed her mind once again and decided it did look like fun after all... they both had a ball! All four minutes worth!

Such a good weekend... I'm thrilled the girls love Moomba, the hubs is pleased it coincides with the NRL Storm homegame and I'm already looking forward to next year!!!

Sewing... what sewing??? I'm struggling to find the time just at the minute but soon lovelies, soon!!!

xoxoxo

Firsts...

Yes, I am a sporadic blogger... 

albeit with good intentions on most days to actually complete a post however it seems that the hours escape me and before I know it another day is done and I've not managed an update!

BUT....

today is a day that MUST be logged!!!

If you follow my insty feed  (the_spangler    - and yes your more than welcome to check it out, follow along and get a 'closer' peek into my little occupation of the world)

then last night you would have seen and read this:

"And so in what seems the blink of eye, tomorrow I will help her into her uniform and walk her through the gates, give her a kiss and squeeze her tight, tell her how much I love her and how proud I am of her, thank her again for giving me the most special and important gift that only she could give - making me a mother. Then I entrust to the school the educational care of my firstborn... Both she and I will be sharing this new experience in different ways..."

Yes, my eldest, Big Little Miss M has embarked on a new chapter of her life... school! 

There were of course the obligatory happy snaps...

Little Little Miss M just adores her big sister and was so proud of our school girl! She jumped around all crazy and excited at just seeing big sis in her school uniform... though the poor petal was missing her dearly by 11:30am and we had a further four hours of asking to go pick her big sister up... every ten minutes or so!

Little Little is having a first of her own today... 

S visited and met her kindergarten teachers and had orientation for her kindergarten program that will start next week. She is so thrilled about making new friends - all her friends (mostly) are friends of big sister as she has been her shadow for the past few years... constantly reminding her big sis that what's yours is mine, but what's mine is mine... toys, lollies, friends you name it, little sis will claim it!

My girls are growing up so so fast... it truly only seems like yesterday the hubs and I were driving home with a kind of surreal feeling, having been entrusted with the care of a tiny, dependant, almost foreign (but oh so loved and gorgeous) little bub!

Oh, where does the time go? Ever since I was a little girl myself I always wished that I had the power to stop time... like that character in the eighties tv show that would touch her fingers together and everything would stop... I still want that super power from time to time - just to freeze a moment and soak it up, adore and cherish it just a little more... like a photo but with more realness and in the moment!

Anyhoo... I'm just a proud parent today. My girls are growing into ever more beautiful creatures day by day - their affection and dependance on each other is everything I dreamed but never experienced having a sister would be like.

xoxo

Silly Season Update featuring our Elf on the Shelf: ELFIE!!!

Okay... 

so life can get a little crazy around this time of year.

It doesn't lessen one bit my love for it though - the magic and joy of children at this time, the Christmas carols playing at home, the sparkle of my girls eyes as the watch in awe of the Christmas lights.

And of course there's Elfie! 

My girls are MASSIVE believers and they ADORE Elfie and his antics.

Here's a quick photo montage to bring you up to date (I'm such a slacker at keeping you posted!):

DAY 6:

The art of the Elf

Elfie found the toothpaste tube and thought it was the perfect way to remind the girls to be good (whilst still getting to release a little elf mischief at the same time). 

Oh and yes, why thank-you! I do have the most lovely retro grey-green, black and salmon pink vinyl tiles... urgh! I do love retro but just not my bathrooms style of retro! It matches the lovely pink hand basin and bathtub... my bathroom screams renovation - but it needs to get in line and take a ticket! Hopefully our kitchen will be getting a facelift in the next month or so... then, maybe then we'll start the bathroom!

DAY 7:

Just Hanging About

Elfie was taking it easy today... just sitting about in the Christmas tree with a couple of new jingle jangle baubles.

DAY 8:

Sleep Over with Elfie

We were in the city visiting my brother and his daughters and Elfie of course was along for the ride. The girls awoke to find he'd been digging into the Christmas candy and thought the perfect way to introduce himself to the cousins was to spell out his name.

We all had a great day with my brother and his two girls... park picnic for lunch,

 feeding ducks, on the swings and slides and then off to the berry farm to pick some berries...

How gorgeous is this entrance to the wonderful family run bramble farm?

So after an afternoon of berry picking the girls and I set off on the 4+ hour drive home and with a bucket full of berries Elfie got busy that night!

DAY 9:

A berry berry nice pie

1/2 way there

How pleased does Elfie look with himself?

And out of the oven...

Then presented to the girls... oooh, that Elfie knows how to impress!

And so we are almost (okay maybe not really) caught up... but it's super late and I need to be catching some Zzzzz's so I'll continue with the catch up REALLY soon...

If you are ultra keen to catch up on Elfie you can always head to my facebook page: 

SpaNGle*

or follow along on Instagram: 

the_spangler

Take care and I hope you are staying safe, being merry and spreading joy and cheer!!!

xoxoxo

Thrift shop love and an Elfie update...

Who loves thrift stores, op shops, and random second hand or vintage stores?

Oooh, me! ME! ME!!!

Here's some of the latest material objects of my affection, having been found at a local thrift store for loose change!

I'm always curious of the life vintage and retro pretties have had before coming to my hands... oh to be able to hear the stories of previous owners and the tales of the items themselves!

I have a whole HUGE tub full of vintage and retro patterns - one day I will begin to work my way through sewing up each and everyone of them... one day - could be a very long way off, but one day!

How cute is this Japanese strawberry plate? For a single coin I just had to have it!

Oooh... my favourite find of the day: 

A set of six perfect and gorgeous little Yamato China teacups and saucers with the most beautiful pearly finish together with such delicate gold trim and pink accents... so so pretty!

This is why I will always love being thrifty!

Tell me about your most favourite thrift store find... I love hearing of amazing and pretty finds... you know the one that is "Thrift Shop Gold!"

And now onto Elfie... the girls are loving him as much as last year if not more!

Day 4: REINDEER GAMES

Elfie was up to some old, tried and tested Elf games... He turned up on a brand spanking new and sparkly silver reindeer and in possession of a rather bright red lippy!

He of course had painted their noses so they could be reindeer's too!

He left this note for them:

"Oh girls, 

What sweet reindeer's you'd be,

If you'd travel to the North Pole with me!

Look in the mirror for then you will see, 

What games I've played - little mischief me!

Love Elfie"

xoxo

Day 5: DECORATING ELFIE STYLE

Elfie decide to add his own touches of decorating to the tree...

The entire contents of the girls underpants draw now hangs from the tree, whilst our cheeky Elfie surveys his handy work from the air balloon he fashioned from Christmas decorations and another pair of the girls underpants!

Oh boy, that cheeky Elf!

The girls thought it was hilarious and my Big Little Miss M was envious of Elfies view and air balloon - she wanted to try it out herself!

So do you do Elf on the Shelf? 

Time for me to go for now, I must help Elfie get organised for Day 6!

xoxoxox

Time to decorate...

Well, it's all about Christmas... 

Some Chocolate Brownie Christmas Trees I made last week using THIS   brownie recipe - a nice recipe but just a bit too cakey rather than brownie for me... I'm thinking I'm going to try these in a Chocolate Fudge next time!
Candy cane and tree idea courtesy of that Pinterest addiction so many of us have ;)

Elf Radio is playing non-stop here (www.eflradio.com.au)... my girls without even thinking about it have been playing, eating and getting about whilst dancing, foot tapping, humming and singing along to all the carols. Listening to their renditions of Christmas tunes and seeing the happiness that is Christmas oozing from them is simply pure BLISS!

Elfie had been up to his Christmassy fun and games last night and had "trapped" the girls in their bedroom whilst they slept with some genuine elf-made streamer decorations... Maybe it was a hint that we should put up more decorations? It was fun for the girls - they had a great time experimenting with different escape and re-entry methods and agreed that we should put up more decorations... One can never have enough decorations can they?

So as the sun sets on another day you can be certain that the next page of the Elfie diaries is about to be created!

I hope you are enjoying the lead up to Christmas as much as we are here!

Do you do Elf on the Shelf? If so, what has been yours or your childs favourite Elf antic?

xoxoxoxo 

Elfie Diaries... Making the dough!

Yesterday my girls pleaded with me to make some homemade play dough for them... 

I would have loved to but unfortunately it was a crazy day and by late afternoon when I finally found five minutes to cook up some coloured squishyness I discovered that I had only enough salt to make a half batch when I knew they were hoping for a full rainbow selection that would have taken at least 5 times that! Urgh... what's a mum to do?

I promised that it would be a priority in the morning after a trip to the supermarket for salt. 

But guess what?

Elfie does not only have eye's everywhere but apparently ears too... 

The girls awoke this morning to discover Elfie had slaved away (actually, it's a super easy play dough recipe that takes less than 5minutes per batch... but Elfie is only small and his little arms could only stir so fast) and whipped up 7 wonderful big and bright playdough mounds... he then fashioned a wishing well, filled it with coins and scattered a few coins about for some extra girly wishes!

Recipe link for the play dough is from fabulous blog "Musings of a SAHM" and can be found  HERE... the only thing I did differently was to knead in a little extra oil in after it had cooled on a plate slightly just to give it an even smoother/silkier texture. Seriously, the quickest and most simplest recipe for fabulous playdough!

The girls were so thankful to Elfie and spent a good 3 hours playing, moulding, and shaping dough whilst making random wishes...

Then it was all systems go for another hectic day of ballet concert rehearsals... thank goodness my big girl will only be taking classes at one ballet school next year - I don't think I'd cope with another year of multiple ballet schools considering my littlest miss will also start ballet at a different ballet school again come February next year!

There's something I can't quite put my finger on that I just LOVE about this  'inbetween' shot of my beautiful little ballerina.

And of course my little miss never misses a photo opp... She loves to pose, she loves to smile, she loves to dress up... She does NOT love having or keeping her hair done!

And after ballet concert rehearsals some play time in the sunshine was just what we all needed!

See what I mean with the hair? Ah well, hair done or not I still think she's gorgeous - I love how easy a smile spreads across her face and deep into her eyes. ♥

Till next time...

xoxoxo

He's back in residence... ELFIE!!!

♫♪ So this is Christmas... ♪♫

I just love Christmas with children... and my two love their elf on the shelf - Elfie!

Last year December 1st 2011, he arrived for the first time to spend 24 days of fun, tricks, shenanigans and games.

He flew home to the Nth Pole last Christmas Eve with a promise to return and this is the beginning of his 2012 Christmas adventures... 

It all began on November 30th when a mysterious parcel addressed to my two little misses turned up on the doorstep whilst we were out. 

It contained Elfies book and a letter from the star of this adventure himself!!!

This led to a flurry of Santa letters and drawings and a trip to the local post office to stamp and send a letter direct to the North Pole.

Sure enough, Santa's mail service is like no other in the express department, for at the crack of dawn today, the 1st December 2012 there were squeals of delight and excitement!

Elfie was back!!!!

Same cheeky smile and glint in his eyes...

He'd been busy during the night and prepared a wonderful feast for the girls of fruit, waffles and a couple of treats for later in the day.

(I seriously was nearly sprung helping Elfie get ready this morning... the girls were up before 6am!!! Crazy... I think it's time I put a clock in their room!)

So... I wonder what troubles, mischief and fun Elfie will get into this year?

You can follow "The Eflie Diaries" here on my blog (although I am sometimes a little behind - as I am today... grrr blogger was giving me grief!)

or

over on my Facebook business page SpaNGle*

or 

for the earliest peek of the day at Elfies shenanigans follow my Instagram feed: 

the_spangler

Updates coming daily!!!!

xoxoxo