So...its the last day of the year!

2013 it about to come to an end...And what a year it has been!
I can say that I sometimes feel the year started with me looking forward to my holiday to Europe and then it finally can...and then I came back and the year is over!
Like having that one big mark in the middle of the year made everything else seem to go by like a flash!
Prior to my trip, most of the focus was on working as much as possible to save as money to be able to enjoy my time there and not worry too much about things...
And the time there was a significant part in Tullula's language...She came back to Australia speaking only French for the first week....I shift in becoming Bilingual and for her the excitement of meeting her cousins and seeing her grandmother again!
For me the 2 months in spent in Europe we a break from everything, a way of accepting that my life was no longer what it used to be and that all my amazing memories of my free life in Paris, were to be memories for the rest of my life and a life I actually no longer wanted...It was a time to reconnect with old friends and brush up on my French as apart from taking to Tullula it has not gotten much practise in the last 4 years spent in Australia!
I came back refreshed, happy to be in Australia, away from the cold and amazed at how beautiful it is here!
Yet a couple of months later my worries, stress and depression I have been dealing with for the past 4years all came rushing back...So 2014 is going to be a different year for me!

2013 has been a year of crafting and in a way its one of the things has made me very happy!
I hope to continue in 2014 with the many ideas I have, that  should not be too hard!
I hope to be able to do the 365 photo challenge, I hope to do a weekly ""the little things that make me happy"" Post...I am going to see how I go at having a "dry" year...Just for the fun of it!
And have time for myself and the ones around me!

So I wish you all the Best for the New Year, and hopefully I will be here a lot more this year!

I have so many things to say....

As for tonight its an early one for us...Dinner at the very delicious Indian in town, a walk down the street to digest and admire the 9pm Family Fire Works and off to bed...

Crafting

I have been very busy Crafting since I have got back from France...

Even been selling my work at the Peregian Markets on a fortnightly basis. I love the markets it give me so much more motivation to create more, I get ideas from the people I talk to and the things I see..And its rewarding to be there, doing what I Love!

I have been making many ornamental pieces, wall hangings and weavings.

This is going to be my next challenge, a huge 1meter Ojo de Dios Weaving!

Holidays

So it the festive Season and almost the end of the year!!!
2013 has all gone by and the last time I wrote was in August...Its not like I had nothing to say, quite on the contrary, playing catch up is scaring me right now!

But for now I just want to wish you all the Best Wishes for the festive season and talk about just that!

 So this year we did Christmas for the first time, for the first time for Tullula as well as for the First time for Stephen and I!
So its all new to both of us...But one thing we knew is that we wanted to make it our own special event, one where we make and share, one that respects earth and not get all consumed in consummating!
So this is what we did!

• We got a real tree, that we will be able to plant at the 2014 Planting Festival...If Every person on earth planted one tree a year it sure would make a difference...
• We each made something for one another...Tullula did a great job keeping secrets...
• And we made our own tree decorations, wishing stars and organic orange peel hearts! Just to add some orange smell to the Chocolate around!

 And so in this very simple way we celebrated our very first Christmas!

I hope to be in full form to get some catching up done,
Will be back soon!

Germany!

now we are in Germany!

the flight over went well...Apart from being really tierd after our 6hrs transfer in China!  
When we were still in Australia when I realised that it had been such a long time  since my last big trip, and that I no longer knew what having jetlag was like any more! We i can say it sucks, and even more so with a todder who has no idea why she is waking up at odd times of the night and why she feel tierd, not to say grumpy most of the day... It took us  good 5 days to get totally over it and into the European Summer mode!  

One of the hardest things was getting used to the fact that night falls only around 11pm...then first few days, i could not get my head around it, could not get dinner to Tullula on time, or even thought about getting her to bed...in the end she would fall asleep, with out dinner and me stunned and confused at the fact that it was in fact 9 or 10pm....   Our frist 4 days in Paris we exhausting...
Now we are in Germany, and relaxing with my friend who has her first little boy of 4 months was what we needed! Taking things easy every morning and spending most of our afternoons by the lake. Some shopping and early nights for all. it has been 10 days of perfection and warm days!  

My greatest amazments has been the cultural diferences, that i have been told some are specific to east germany, and tullula with her french progress!   So we actually did hardly no sight seeing...but we sure did see a lot at the lake! To be more specific, a lot of poeple go topless or even naked...My previos experiences in Gernamy of such exposure had somehow been mostly men; not this time! At first one is shocked, unconfrotable, not too sure where to look and then it all becomes natural and unimportant!
Tullula at first would staire, at my friends breats as she breast fed or had a real good staire at a mans bits a it hang there just in front of her...but within a few min, was no longer interested and it no longer mattered nor was anything any different!
Well apart from her wanting me to go in naked! :-)   I have had a long think of the matter, and had good talks about it and my conclusion is that its actully healthy...Being naked no longer means that one can hide behind fashion (trust some look way better dressed or in bathers). it means that being with someone is not about the way our bodys are but more about who we trully are! Surly it has to be healthy for children to grow up in such freedom?
And it makes me wonder if such exposure takes away some sexism that non exposed countys may have!   Anyway, one thing is for sure, you have to be brought up that way to be free to do so! And i wish my upbrining with no such exposure, i definatly was not able to do so nor do I know if I ever could...

So for the first time in Tullula's life, I have talked to her at times only in English while in Germany...See i know that when around non French speaker, I talking to her in french isolates us. I did not want to do such a thing to my friend so i switched when ever around her. Well the funniet thing is that Tullula has switched a lot more to French. How ironic is that, I start talking to her in English and she starts talking French!

Tuesday Tullula

enjoying the german lake side

Bird Wings!

I have been finding all sorts of inspiration ever since I discovered Pintrest and have been able to make heaps of things with the weekly Craft Night get together!
So here is yet another item I have made for Tullula; Bird Wings!
I used up scraps of material I knew I would end up using some day to made the so called "feathers"...
It has been a super easy, super fun project to make, and I must make a Tutorial for anyone interested (with patterns of course)!!!

Tuesday Tullula

On a walk in the Main Rangers National Park, its fun to be stone stepping!!

Getting Ready!

Its amazing to think that this trip is only days away!
It seems like it has been such a long wait, yet a year has gone by and Tullula and I are about to embark on a long holiday to France.
It will be her first time in France, and doe me it has been 4 years since I was last there...On my last visit, Tullula was only a growing little thing in my belly!
Being in Australia make this trip out to be such a "big" thing, being so far away.
Yet I stop myself and think that its actually only a normal trip, going home for a visit!
For sure this visit is not one that I will be able to afford to do every year, as it maybe should be, but its something I hope to do many other times as my life in Australia continues!
Anyway, it has all become very exiting, and our bags are packed!

I have made myself a weekender bag to be used as our carry on luggage. Long gone are the days of travelling with way too many things that make any sort of transfer/bus/metro trip a hard sweating hassle!
So I am now travelling with mine and Tullula's things  in the same one back pack, and I have become so sane that I have actually down sized my back pack from a 77l to a 65l....This back pack I got came with a smaller back pack that attaches to its back, it has been filled with the gifts, thus will eventually end up empty and will be able to be used as a day pack!
I also found a small umbrella pram found at an Op shop for $25, thus Tullula will not have to walk all the time and I wont have to carry her, during our trip around and transfers!

What I am the most anxious about is the long 28hrs of travel time and how Tullula will go for such a long time, or maybe how I will go with her, alone...
We have travelled together a few times now, 3hrs to be exact...well there was that time we flew from Tahiti to here, but she was only 2 month old then...

Its funny because reality is that Tullula is a good little girl most of the time, so why should I worry?
The Unknown...
But like all parents who take long trips I am going prepared!!

I have a selection of things to keep her busy, like books to read, things to draw with, cards to play, playmobile little people and stickers and activity books! A lot of it actually comes from France...
I have also been telling her over and over again that we will sleep in the air plane, and am going to get her into her pyjama's at our transfer in china (hopefully after a shower) to get her into the mode!!
Hope it works.

As for our first two days in Paris, well we have nothing planned, just to relax and get into the local time of things!

The most exiting thing about this trip is how Tullula's going to go with the French Language?
Since this trip has been getting closer, we have been repeating to her that in France everyone speaks French
and that she too will have to speak French with her cousins and grandma and auntie...(they are all fluent in English, but have warned them not to talk in English with her). Yet she has sort of started to make a little bit of a switch, saying more things to me in French and moistly pointing out that she too can speak French; repeating "c'est bien" to whom ever showed any interest in her language skills!!

So this trip will be very interesting to see how she goes, what will happen, how fast and how well!!
I am very exited about it and if the transition works well i will finally be reaping some reward for my hard work talking to her exclusively in French!

Ten on Ten

Ten on Ten...This month I was at work and I find it hard to get nice photo's or to even take one every hour, but I have tried and this is my day!!

 Tullula has eaten all her weat-bix.

 This morning I start work a bit later, so am trying to finish my pregnancy massage assignment!

 9h30; have dropped off Tullula at Day Care, and am at work!

 Chai latte.

 Everything Aussie...Eucalyptus drops to stop me from coughing while treating my clients!

 Lunch...Open panini toasty with 

 Its wet out side...

Tullula drew me at day care, I have curly hair she says!

 Pizza Dinner.

 A toast to my last day at work and to my trip to Europe!

Tuesday Tullula

She sure does love the swings, and so do I as a matter of fact!

The swings have seen such a changes, from swinging in mommy's belly, to mommy's lap to by herself on the belly, by herself in the baby swing to buy herself with the legs moving and even getting out alone!!

And she still love it!

Swings are Great.

3 little birds!

these little Birds are one of my newest creations!

My little Messenger Birds...

I mount them on drift wood that I find at the beach and have just a few little Red Seed Beads to add some colour and off they are set free to send their messages to the world, new homes!!!

I don't actually write the message...Its too personal I think who knows where these little birds are going?

I just love them!










Some have 3 little Birds, and some have two!!

Here is a close up of the Messenger Bird!

I am starting to also make a collection where one of the Birds is in a little shelter!

The shelter is a sort of nut that comes from Africa (that I bought at the Eumundi Markets) and I cut open into quarters! I had a lot of cleaning to do on the inside but they are clean and create a great shelter for my Little Messenger Birds!

Conversations!

I think we have entered a really funny stage for the world around us!
We have been going out to social events like camping festivals ever since Tullula was a little baby, but I think being in such close proximity with others changes as children get older, start walking and moslty talking, being more social!

Not that Tullula is very social yet, but talking she sure does a lot of!!
This weekend we went to our second "The Planting Festival" and it was interesting to hear how poeple around us were amused at the conversations they were hearing from Tullula and I!
A One way conversation...As reality is they were not able to understand what I was saying, but could understand all Tullula had to say, and could clearly see that we were having a coherent conversation, meaning that Tullula was understand all I had to say....

When I think of it, its true that it must be strange to hear such a conversation...To realise that we are having conversations in two languages, each our own yet understand one another!

Stephen has continued on to tell me that for him, being on the outside of it, he has witnessed many moments where poeple raise an eye brow, or are amused at what they are seeing/hearing...He has found it interesting to stand back and watch it happen...I cant see it, as I am in it. But it must be so interesting to observe!
If it was me, I would want to sit there and stare at myself and Tullula all day!

There also has been a change in the way people per sieve me...I have mentioned how isolating it has been to talk to Tullula in French and all, but I get the impression that now others/strangers realise that I must speak English, as despite me talking to her in French, I seem (well I do, but to others I seem) to be understanding her English, thus I must be able to speak it too!!
And this weekend has be the proof of that, as poeple would speak to me as well without any apprehension that maybe I did not speak English!
How wonderful...


Buts that's just the way it is at the moment...I speak in French and Tullula replys mostly in English!
And I hope someday it will change where we will both be speaking French and just sound like foreigners!!

              Here is a little video of a band that playing this weekend, I just LOve her voice!

TinPan Orange

Enjoy!

For the past few months now I have been working extra hours well maybe it's even more extra days!!!
I have started a new job working at a spa and work there 2 days a week and have picked up an extra day at my original job!!
It's all a lure to get more money, more cash for my Europe holiday!
yes sometime despite all the extra work I never seem to be ahead financially... Crazy world we live in, the more you have the more you want the more we work the more we need to work!!
But at least I have a long holiday ahead... A goal I am working towards!
Yesterday I took my back pack to the dry cleaner to get it cleaned up a bit and well it turns out all the straps are rotten and I have to get a new bag! Good thing Easter sales are on!
Reality is that I am getting tiered,tired of the rat race for more money, for it only to be spent in the end on more material things, sure those things will be special and from France, but what will they be in the big picture? Nothing....Ok I might look and feel pretty good in a nice Skunk Funk dress form Paris...(and reality is that I will get one or two:-)...But what I am trying to say is that I get lost in it all and I am getting tired!
Tired of working for money opposed to pleasure, these days all I want to do is sew crafty things!!!
(but I need money as "Spotlight" is becoming an expensive hobby to have)...
I have a whole big new list of things I want to make, and still one to finish...
Gota get that update out to you all!
I think I am going to skale things down and really try to enjoy special Time with Tullula.
Last night she was asking and asking me to play with her, and I had one thing after another to do (none were craft either, so not much fun for me) but in the end, she just gave up on me and said to Stephen, "you be mommy and I be daddy" so he did, and she said to her daddy "momy, you want to play with me?" so her daddy that had become her "momy" played with Tullula, I mean "daddy"....Very confusing, but they played for a good hour and they never seemed to get confused as to who was who...
I think it was a revenge on me not being available!!
I get so caught up with work, house chores and desperately trying to do the things I want to do, i think I have been neglecting my child!!!
It has to change, something has to change...So of course I dream of sailing away, driving away (in the bus of course, and since I cant drive it I need stephen to be there too)...I even have been having dreams of flying of to Mexico!
Ole!!!
Maybe i am just getting itching pants, of something like that, after all I am not used to being in one place for so long, and this is starting to add up as being the longest time in one place....

 well at least the Kookaburra's out side our window a beautiful and let me come super close!

Oh and for all the non Australians, here is a little song/nursery rhyme that's a Classic in Australia!

Tullula already knows it and sing it to us.

Kookabura song!

Tuesday Tullula

 

A Photo worth a thousand words, that's what I feel this one is!

Forcing the Language!

I am no expect at teaching and I am no child psychologist but so far we have been having some great result with the way Tullula is evolving with the French Language!
So I started to wonder if it was good or not to actually force it upon them was mentioned to me!

I have quite a few multi-lingual families around me. And the children that are in one language house holds really seem to take to their mother tongue so much more..I envy it, yet understand why!
I have one German couple, and naturally their little girl speaks a lot of German, sure she mixes both languages as well, and she even makes up her own words that are half German hand English, but being that when she is at home both her father and mother speak in German, she does too!

Then I know a French couple, their little one is only starting to talk, but its pretty clear that he favors French! Despite the fact that he too goes to day care a few days a weeks, he still is showing sings of talking more French!

Where did she get such long eye lashes from?

I must say, I find it adorable to see these little people taking their native language in Australia, it just adds  another dimension to the word cute!

That's when I was told that maybe I should just tell Tullula that i did not understand her when she spoke to me in English, in order to force he to speak to me in French!
I must say I did do it a little, especially when she would say "Good Night" I would make her say in in French, and she did! Then I would also make her repeat things in French when she wanted something, and she would do it when she wanted what ever it was bad enough!
But then there have been other times where she would just not want to, I know she understood what I wanted from her, but somehow she just did not want to do it!

Like tonight I said "Bonne Nuit" (good night in French) and that's one of the few things she actually was doing, repeating it in French to me...But lately she has not been, and I would just leave it at that and walk out of her room..Tonight I did not, I repeated myself, and waited for an answer...It eventually came...In English!
I told her to say it in French, and she just shrugged her shoulders, making it clear to me that she had no desire to do so!
So I left it at that...

I don't know, should I force it on her, at the risk of her hating French altogether because it was such a burden on her? I don't want to do that...Yet I am stepping on little stones here as reality is I have no idea how its done to raise a bilingual child!!!
And I think reality is there is no wrong or right way, as every child is different in their ability and willingness to do things!

I think for now I will leave it this way and just be happy that she still is understand EVERYTHING I say to her in French, and be happy to hear the few words that she does say in French and hope that this upcoming Europe trip will change the way she does use the language!
I hope, because I really long to hear her talk to me in my mother tongue someday!

Anyone got any ideas on the topic?

My Audience?

Sometimes I wonder, who is reading my blog?

I mean I know my family is since I wrote their email address in the "Follow by email" link!

But who else?? We all know that thease things have stats and all, and like every one, I think, I have a look to see who and how many readers I have, thease days there seem to be heaps from Russia!

So are there? Are the Russians reading my blog? 

Sounds funny now I know, but I am serious, who is reading this Post?

Please leave a comment below and tell me about yourself, what do you want to read more about?

what do you like about my blog and most importantly is there anything I should change?

I say this as I have been wondering if I should maybe split my blog into two, not such a great idea when time is limited and all, but I sometimes wonder if maybe I would get a better audience if I had one Crafty Blog and one Momy Blog?!

Or having both in the one is ok?

Please do let me know...

Happy reading!

Photo Collage

Tullula truly loves to paint, colour, draw and it mostly starts of nice and clean but the temptation of getting it all over her fingers is too great to resist! 

And this time she was also very happy to get a bath as well as show off her very dirty hands!

What fun children have!