Grateful again

After posting every day for 3 weeks, I have only posted once since the challenge finished. I open up my blogging window more often than that, but an information overload leads to a kind of impasse! Too many thoughts, so little time, or something like that ;)

Anyhow, I thought today how I am grateful for bits and pieces I observe around home. I am so often frustrated with mess - which is pretty standard - and look around my house with a critical eye. Not from perfectionism or neatness, but more of a consideration of what I can do to make things better. Where things can be placed differently or whatever. Details are usually mess! But I have enjoyed noticing details that are cool little pieces of our life.

There's a planet mobile that Ash and I made one day, very quickly cutting circles out of cardboard and colouring them in together. It was his idea, but he was becoming frustrated (which can lead to destruction) so I stepped in to move things along, and he was so thrilled with the result. It was hanging in his room for quite a few weeks, but recently fell down. I temporarily hung it in the lounge and I quite like it. It's so handmade and child-oriented. Like us.

Sienna is obsessed with Inspector Gadget at the moment. It's quite hilarious, and cute. She is really passionate about it, though. Spies get a look-in, but Inspector Gadget is the real winner ;) She made a couple of pictures today - on the theme - but I'll have to photograph them later. But a blog post needs a photo, so I'll just pick something now!

Pretty pictures

I actually had even more fun than usual with this Hambly page, using as many of their products on one page as I could! So sad that they are closing down! Even though I know Alison's designs are being made by Echo Park next, I have just adored this transparency transfer technique lately.  Anyway, I love it because it reminds me of a gift from a friend, and because it is about me for a change and about how I feel right now. And because it's pretty, with the misted colours and teal / yellow focus, two of my most frequently worn colours at the moment too.

These pages were made for Aussie Scrap Source and you can see lots of gorgeous contributions over at the blog!

 

 This page used Crate Paper and was a fun non-standard way to scrapbook a "first day of school" photo ;) Mostly I was playing with freestyle here, and playing with paint and mist and randomness with the Crate Paper stickers and paper, and tiny gilt frame!

Day 21 - Doing things

Doing things, and keeping on doing things. I am grateful for that. It's an approach to life, I think, and a bit of an attitude thing. Proactive, I guess? Persistent, perhaps. Stubborn, probably. It's kind of the opposite of a victim mentality, or a waiting attitude. Taking action. I'm not an insanely active person, or anything, but I do try to deliberately focus on what I can do, instead of what I don't like, and it's an approach I am grateful for as it is a good starting point on the days when things seem like too much.

For instance, today we had a good first session with Sienna's new psychologist. And I thought to myself, yes, I'm glad I did the research and made the appointments and got the referral and so on. Deciding that something wasn't working, and doing something about it. And then, in the spirit of this blog series, I thought I am grateful that I have that response, reasonably naturally, to pursue solutions instead of dwelling on problems. I think of the problems, they make me feel crap, I do my best to push them aside and go, "Right, what can I do about it?"

Occasionally I do spend a day reading (while parenting, of course, as with everything) in complete denial of my to-do list, true, but a delaying tactic is sometimes just some much-needed time off. And then it's back on. A couple of things I read today also reminded me of this feeling - one was the blog of my friend Lauren. She was talking about weight loss, becoming strong and healthy. Reflecting on her amazing progress in order to remind herself that she is doing something good, she is getting somewhere, and she can keep going toward her goals, dreams, ideals. It's in her power.

Another reminder was my friend Lou talking on Facebook about making progress in the scrapbooking industry. She had a friendly rant about not giving up, putting in the dedication to your goals and dreams, waiting it out, keeping on trying. Good things will come, and do. Don't give up quickly, time could be needed to see your ideas pan out. It is an approach I like, especially when feeling hopeless about something - take action, it's the only thing you can actually DO about making things better.

Edited to add: I just went and read another fave blog of mine Maxabella Loves and just had to add here one of her comments today: "From now on, every To Do list will include a To Doing component to make sure we are heading in the right direction. Life can just go on without focus if we let it." Love it.




So I remind myself, with decisions to make about which fencing quote to go with, or whether to get another, and research about other renovations which may be possible over the next however-long. Travel which may be possible depending on saving and earning. Creative satisfaction which may be possible if I take time to do the work. If I make things work. I remind myself: don't feel helpless, help yourself. Work out how you can make it work out. Make another list - even though you lose most that you write - and get things out of your head and into the real world. Commit, to yourself, to making things happen. Step by little step. And remember to feel grateful along the way.

And I am.


Images are of the K&Co Smash Journal - Eco Green - that I worked on for Aussie Scrap Source. I love this journal, and will gradually share more pages as I fill them with dreams, plans and actions.

I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth. This is my last day and I am at 86% of my goal - thank you! Only $40 to go until I meet my target of raising $300 for Open Family Australia :)
 

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 20 - Helpfulness

Recently I've been doing some research into psychologists in Melbourne, in particular any who specialise in Aspergers, for Sienna. Her last psychologist went on maternity leave last Spring, and we've been feeling lately that it would be helpful for Sienna to do some more work on that aspect of managing things. Ash has been doing really quite well with having had regular psychology sessions this year.

Anyhow, I found one who sounds perfect, in East Melbourne, and made an appointment, but the earliest she could be fit in was October. So I booked that, anyway, but today they called to say there was a cancellation for tomorrow at 3pm. I accepted that, of course, and quickly went rearranging. The GP appointment I had booked for Sienna at 3:45 tomorrow was rescheduled to 3:30 today. I phoned the council respite we sometimes use and politely asked really sweetly if our carer was available to watch Cedar for me (and later was told she was available and would come). Booked Ash into after school care. Went to get the kids early from school.

Sienna did not handle being picked up from school ten minutes early at all well. By the time I had Ash as well, I was putting a kicking screaming girl in the car for the short drive to the dr. While she calmed down over the next hour, I was very grateful today for the calm helpfulness of her GP. He listened to me and spoke directly to me in his gentle manner, whether I was sitting down, standing up or being pulled by one arm to the door by my daughter.

In a small room with three noisy children, including one very emotional girl intent on interrupting us, he prepared for Sienna two referrals (psych and paediatrician), a mental health plan for her psychologist and an enhanced care plan for her speech pathologist. While I was impressed and happy that he didn't show any irritation at all, I was mostly grateful for his helpfulness. Not all drs have that patience and efficiency combined. I know he has a toddler Cedar's age, and he couldn't resist Cedar's "lolly please" at the end!

 I'm just finishing this blog post on my phone, so please excuse my lack of linking to the 21 challenge here.

 I am writing grateful posts on my blog for 21 days (and quitting sugar) to raise money for homeless youth in Australia. More specifically, for outreach officers to be able to help such young people. I have raised $250 so far and am aiming to raise $300. Thanks so much to those who have donated! If you can help even a little, please scroll down to my previous post for the fundraising link!

Day 19 - Everyday luxuries

Today I am grateful for everyday luxuries. Stuff that doesn't seem like a luxury. But when you think about it, that's a totally first world attitude. That's fine, that's where we are at, but it is good to acknowledge now and then I believe and be aware that the things we consider essentials are essentially luxuries to a large percentage of the world. Rice cooker, for instance. Coffee machine. Microwave. Vacuum cleaner. One I love, and don't consider essential but revel in it's luxuriousness, is my electric blanket!

For instance, today I went and bought a toaster. In between taking Sienna and some classmates to her school soccer game about 15 minutes away, and later returning to watch some games and take them back to school, I drove to Chadstone. On a side note, bad idea if you only want to buy one thing. Full of evil attractive temptations for our little consumerist hearts. Peter Alexander, for instance, warm and foresty window display. Love.

Oh, um, back to the story. We did have a toaster, which was all well and good and fine, but on Sunday morning it sparked and fizzed and shorted out the electrical circuit it is on. Ahem. So, a new toaster.

I got a pretty funky one, I think ;) I had a Myer gift card to use, which I'm glad I hadn't spent on a whim now on some random thing, as I applied it to buying the toaster. A shiny red toaster. Which toasts bread. How exciting! And funny, too, that toasting bread can be done in all sorts of other ways, yet we consider a toaster to be an essential appliance. Rather than, say, a fire and a stick. Or a frypan or whatever. It's essential to our daily routine. An essential everyday luxury. But it's a nice toaster, it looks vibrant on my boring kitchen bench, and I'm grateful for that too. If something is "necessary" it is nice if it is also aesthetically pleasing in some way. Ooh, pretty!

Also, pumpkin scones are really nice. I made some this afternoon, which I haven't done in a long time, and they were tasty. Everyone enjoyed them, the kids, the friends they had over playing, Ben, me, my friend. It reminded me to bake more with pumpkin, which also happily suits my no-sugar challenge :)

I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth. With a couple of days to go, I am at 83% of my goal - thank you! Only $50 to go until I meet my target of raising $300 for Open Family Australia :)
 

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 18 - Books

We've had a bit of a book-ish couple of days here - yesterday stopping in at a local book / art supply shop to pick up some modelling clay for the kids and we let them get a book each. Cedar got a chuggington story, Ash a pirate pop-up book and Sienna a 2-in-1 Famous Five chapter book.

This afternoon Cedar and I stopped by the library to return a couple of books, and picked up some others while we were there. Cedar actually ignored most of the books and grabbed an abacus type toy they had, dragging it around the library with him until I was finished :) Anyhow, I grabbed Sarah's Heavy Heart, a picture book - above - for Sienna to read, and she quite enjoyed it this afternoon.

We have lots of kids books, I particularly like those with imaginative, whimsical storylines and illustrations. For obvious reasons, pirate titles feature heavily ;) Some of my favourites are by Shaun Tan, and Stephen Michael King is one of my favourites too.

Do you have any top choices to recommend?

There are only a few days left in the 21 challenge, and happily I am 76% to my goal of raising $300 for homeless youth. Thanks so much to everyone who has donated! The thing I appreciate about this cause is mostly that it's not about grand plans of solving huge problems permanently, but focuses on improving the lives - perhaps even saving lives - and having a positive affect on people as individuals.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 17 - Baby girls

I felt so grateful and happy to receive a text message yesterday with the beautiful news that my friend's baby girl has arrived safely. Congratulations to Sylvia and family :)

And here's my own baby girl today, a big 8 1/2 years old. Still a bit little for her age, but eating like crazy lately and growing fast. I wrote about Sienna's birth, with first pictures, awhile ago...

I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 16 - Possibility

After my post the other day it should come as no surprise that I am grateful also for possibilities!

Dreams and ideas are rooted in possibility, after all, and I have reams of those. Something that I took from Flora Bowley's Bloom True workshop last weekend - now that I've let it filter through my mind for a few days - is a celebration of possibility. Layers of paint are created semi-randomly, with a variety of marks and colours added without specific intention, with the faith that possibilities will evolve out of such intuitive creativity.

In some ways the process was less intuitive than my usual approach to painting, which is similarly without intention but with rather less method, LOL, but in other ways it was a process of more faith and acceptance. It also was a bit more of a journey, with these two 30"x30" canvases being produced over two and a half days. I would normally work a bit faster than that. But I'm good with taking my time, it was quite a nice approach, less judgemental of what is happening on the canvas.

And when it comes to ideas and plans and dreams, whether they're for travel, hobbies, household renovations or new habits around the house, possibility gives them power. Possible, rather than not, means that something is key - actions we might take ourselves, or time, or happenstance - but our dreams have life. And if you feel a lack of possibility present in your life, then it may just be time to follow your dreams and ideas somewhere new. Anything can happen. Taking chances has a power of it's own.

On a side note, the "no sugar" part of my 21-day challenge is going well. I am using Sarah Wilson's ebook as a guide and feeling quite content about it all. Possibly because I didn't eat all that much sugar or fruit before. In any case, it's all fine :)

I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 15 - Imagination

Today I am grateful for playing, dreaming, creating things, inventions, make believe and pretend.... My favourite things about childhood, and my favourite things to observe (and hopefully facilitate) in my own kids.

This layout I did for the 'White Space' design challenge over at Aussie Scrap Source. It's a reader challenge, too, so you can also participate for the chance to win some goodies! Click over to the blog to have a look...

Today we are going to the Melbourne Museum to learn about The Wonders of Ancient Mesopotamia, since the kids have a curriculum day at school while the teachers write reports and whatnot. We're going to have dinner out afterwards, which will be nice, and may even help us avoid the appalling Friday night traffic in the city. Or it might not, hehe. I was going to take us all on the train, but worked out that it will cost DOUBLE what parking at the Museum will cost us (as members). So we shall drive forth!

It's noon now and we are about to head out. Hence the early-in-the-day post :) Have a great weekend everyone!

Day 14 - Far off friends

I had another thought in mind for today's grateful post, but when I read my friend Sylvia's blog post this afternoon, I changed my mind. I got a bit teary and felt rather emotional, actually. In a nice way though :)

For the record, I have soft and silky Boo curled up on my lap again ;) Lately I've been getting tradies around to quote for me on a couple of different things, mainly a fencing project, but also getting a replacement front door hung (our house can be a bit odd shaped and I don't have the right tools). Today's handyman person is also quoting me a rough figure on converting our carport into a self-contained / enclosed garage. It would be a studio, but technically could be a garage too. It's all theoretical, of course.



The fencing will happen soon, and I've booked in the door for next week, but all the other stuff I am thinking about (including painting, bathroom changes, kitchen cabinet doors, a chook shed, new roof and gutters, attic ladder / flooring) are all more long-term plans and ideas. At the same time as juggling detailed budgets, I try and allow enough room for interesting outings for the kids, tasty food, enough art supplies to keep us all happy. And I try and incorporate enough saving plans to make another trip to Europe, to visit my lovely friend Sylvia and her family too, possible.

I've been adding research to the quoting and plans and things. It's frustrating and exciting at the same time. It's weird, too, that I feel uncomfortable with skype and phone calls, for some reason it makes me feel anxious to have someone looking at me, or it's pressure or something. Anyway, sometimes I don't feel like I do justice externally to the feelings I have inside. Well, sometimes I know for certain that I don't.

But I'm grateful to have a lovely, genuine connection with far off friends.

Oh, and if anyone knows a way I could do some photo sessions, workshops or so on in France or Germany, do let me know ;) A bit of wishful thinking never hurts!

I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 13 - Cats

Today I'm a bit tired from rearranging storage in my bedroom all day. We have a quite small house and our bedroom is actually the biggest room, but as it also houses all my art, sewing, scrapbooking, photography supplies, gorgeous and colourful stock for Curious Bazaar and The Outback Pride Corner Store, bags full of stuff to sell on ebay, clothes the kids don't yet fit into, the linen cupboard, the kids computer, my desk, various household storage (like inflatable mattresses, spare pillows), video games and so on, you get the problem.

It's fine, it just takes creative rearrangement on a pretty regular basis. Deciding to keep the big suitcase under the house, and the carry-on one under the bed. My cello stays, hidden in a raised corner behind the door, and boxes of books and magazines go under the house with the suitcase. The fan goes, and other stuff mostly just gets shifted around to use up every bit of space. Between my Ikea step stool and the wooden chairs I have in front of the two desks in there, I can reach everything in the room, if need be, which is the main thing!

In any case, I'm sitting on our red velvet couch in our little lounge room, with our ginger long-haired cat Boo stretch across my lap. Neko, the glossy black short-haired cat with a slightly stumpy tail, is curled up to my right. I don't have any time for the cats during the day (mostly because they like people sitting still on the couch) but in the evenings, they are soft and stretch out. Their relaxation is almost infectious. I do like having them around.

And I almost forgot to blog tonight. But I didn't. So that is also something to be grateful for.


I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 12 - Pumpkin

This evening it was almost 5 before I decided what to make for dinner... wondering what vegetarian meal I can come up with that didn't involve pasta. Sienna had requested Italian Meatballs (like she had in a cafe in Belgrave, so I'm setting myself up for failure there, lol) but that will have to wait until I can get to the butcher to buy some mince...

So, we mostly had zucchini, onions, pumpkin. Um, in the garden we have thyme, native thyme, sage, rosemary. I did a bit of searching and found a tasty recipe by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on the BBC website and ended up making Pumpkin risotto with crispy sage. Yum!

I love pumpkin. I usually buy butternut pumpkin, and roast it or use it in pasta sometimes. It always feels like it suits Autumn - pumpkin, chestnuts, warm tones. I think I might grow a pumpkin patch. Today I am grateful for the ability to choose and buy vegetables. I'm grateful for the tasty pumpkin that was in our dinner :) I'm also grateful to have naturally sweet vegies for the 'giving up sugar' part of this challenge I'm doing!

I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 11 - A pretty smell

This morning I felt grateful for the pretty smell of my orange shower gel. It just adds something extra nice, enjoying a lovely scent in the morning. Something simple.

The photo above is of apples, not oranges, but it's still pretty ;) I took the photo at Reedy Creek, at Ben's folks place. Cedar had a lot of fun in that tyre swing while we were there, back in March.

Mike and Gayle were also featured on ABC Landline again this week, talking about Outback Pride and in particular how big-name chefs are taking native produce on board and are really excited about it. Check it out here.

I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 10 - Taking Chances

A big part of Flora's approach (in the workshop I've been attending this weekend with Flora Bowley) is about letting go. Permitting opportunities, and embracing the process. Accepting the inevitability of frustration and awkwardness in the creative process, so that you can move on to the 'figuring out' part of the process. Being open to all possibilities and all moments.

Drop into your intuition. Identify your soul longing - that which may not make rational sense but which makes you feel alive.

To go with the flow of this painting process, it involves a lot of taking chances. Covering up stuff and experimenting. Things which may not work, or may lead for further frustration. But doing it anyway, continuing on that journey. Letting go of expectations. Today I'm grateful for taking chances. They might not always end in a fairy tale, but the process of surrender and acceptance - relaxing and not stressing about expectations - is just as valuable as any end product.

I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 9 - Colour

At the moment, I'm doing a painting workshop with Flora Bowley, she of Brave Intuitive Painting, at Gasworks in Melbourne. Well, at the moment I'm at home, drinking wine and watching tv with Ben, but this weekend anyway. Painting in Flora's layered approach is fun, and interesting, and a bit confusing, LOL. I am used to being free with colour and form, but there are parts of the layered, quick changes but lots of time painting process that feels a little strange!

In that, though, I am loving the paint, the colours that so quickly change the feel and tone of a painting. Sometimes they're quiet, sometimes they are alive and vibrant. I'm enjoying cobalt blue and alizarin crimson, among others!


I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 8 - Committing

Today I'm grateful for committing. Not committing me, to some sort of institution - shut up, dad ;) - but me committing to stuff. In advance. Optimistically.

Today, for instance, is the first day of a three day workshop I'm attending with Flora Bowley... it was by some quirk of blog-hopping that I came across her artwork and read that she was doing a Melbourne workshop at the same time as discovering her work. On a whim, emailed to find out details, found out that it was booked out. A couple of months later was emailed that a spot had opened up, thought it sounded, and booked in. Just said yes, la de da, no problems.

Over the past week or so started gathering the supplies, bits and pieces that I need for the workshop. Making plans, stuff stuff stuff. Then in the last few days starting quietly stressing out about showing up to a room of strangers and channelling creativity and whatnot. I've done it before, it's not an unknown thing, it's more that I call upon a degree of self-possession in these situations, and it doesn't at all come naturally.

BUT I am grateful that I commit to this stuff, just say yes, confirm, whatnot, without even entertaining this process of anxiety that I go through, even though I know it happens every time. Pretty much every time I know I will be meeting someone new. But, you know, I commit and then I have something to live up to. So that's a good start.



I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 7 - Making Food

Yesterday I made up a new recipe for Season with Saltbush, which I will upload soon. And I thought, I am grateful for these fresh vegetables to cook with. Herbs and spices to season and flavour with. A reckless disregard for recipes that leads to interesting discoveries ;) My naturopath's advice to avoid certain vegetables while embracing others. At the end of the day, these are beautiful luxuries. I didn't grow these plants, though I could have (and vegie gardens are part of my lovely plans for the yard).
I didn't need to. Which is pretty great.

That said, I do really want to add the vegie garden to my plan of action this year! I've had fencing quotes coming in to enclose our yard properly, and to add an enclosure for chooks too. Won't that be fun, and a shade more self-sufficient :)


I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 6 - Escapism

Chick lit. Romantic comedies, in book form. While I appreciate and enjoy a good literary novel now and then, today I am grateful for escapism. Primarily in book form, this week at least, though movies are good too :) Perfect for, well, escaping, funnily enough. Time out from reality in general, absorbed in the unrealistic yet fun shenanigans of an old Jill Mansell novel.

It also qualifies as managing to achieve some sort of light-hearted "me-time" (though that phrase makes me twitch a bit, LOL), while still capable of stopping periodically to make sandwiches, change nappies and answer kiddy questions. This rewrite of Pride and Prejudice by Melissa Nathan, 'Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field', is one of my faves of the escapist fun genre. Quite funny and gooey at the same time - there is a Mr Darcy character, after all, so the ending has to make you feel squishy inside. If not, this genre is not the right kind of escapism for you ;)

I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 5 - Warmth

Ooh it's been chilly today, and yesterday too. I had a nice hot shower to ward off the chills, and we've had the ducted heater going all day. When our heater has been broken we still have an open fire to use in the cold weather, which has its own lovely charm. Cedar has a virus again, nothing serious, but he's been tired so we stayed around home this week so far. I'm grateful for the warmth we've been able to enjoy, despite the Winter temps.

A local blog reader sent me an email a couple of days ago, and let me know that there was a young homeless couple staying nearby in a cubby house. Which is awful, especially on such cold nights as these. Apparently there were people making a particular effort to help, so hopefully they'll be sleeping somewhere warmer tonight.

I did this painting (above) about 14 years ago, just after moving to Melbourne from Adelaide. The colours seem particularly cosy to me.

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I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 4 - Deadlines

Aussie Scrap Source have two brand inspiration posts on their blog every Friday, and I created these two layouts for the October Afternoon feature last week. I used the Sasparilla range to create two pages in quite different styles. I remember sitting at Bec's kitchen table making these when we were in Adelaide in the April school holidays, with the kids also crafting away in between watching a movie or two and playing with Napoleon!

This morning Cedar was telling me "Beccy is at work" (somehow I doubt it, as it was 6:30am in Adelaide) and "Napoleon is in Beccy's house". It's funny how different family members come to his mind at random moments, it's very cute.

Today I am grateful for deadlines. Without assignments and deadlines - I design for Aussie Scrap Source and Scrapbook Creations Magazine colour team at the moment - I may have lost the habit of scrapping. I do enjoy it.




I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.

Day 3 - Listening

Sienna had a bit of a melt-downish afternoon today, and I realised that the bigger she is getting, the more difficult it is to move her when she is fighting! We managed to get home from the meeting without her actually jumping out of the car, despite her best efforts, and then she and I had a chat when everyone else had gone in the house. Mostly about how she was apparently going to get on a train and live in a tent in Melbourne, and what she should pack. 


While she started off heading inside and collecting clothes for her intended relocation, I bustled her along with me back into the car a short while later, as I wanted to pick up a few paints at a shop in Belgrave (not far away). She came with me happily enough, chatting all the while about how she would pick up a television from hard rubbish for her 'tent', and come home to 'work' for money. A few home truths came up about powered and unpowered camping sites, which sent her mind spinning.

But then we were there, we wandered around the book / art supply shop for awhile. I spotted 'The Red Tree' by Shaun Tan, one of my favourite books which is actually a really artistic children's book, and read it aloud to her sitting on the floor. She didn't understand that some of the expressions were metaphors, as opposed to literal, but she did recognise that she felt the same way as the girl in the book. I love that the book ends with a beautiful image of hope, a gloriously glowing red tree that just grew at the end of the day.




Then I took Sienna next door to the Reel Cafe for a couple of tapas-style snacks and a strawberry milkshake. She talked and talked and talked. Random randomness, and about how much she wants to go to Disneyland. But it has to be the Paris Disneyland, not any other one, it has to be the same one! She loves the photo of herself with Mickey Mouse at 18 months old. Damn she was an adorable toddler. Anyhow. Chat, chat, chat. We dipped in and out of meaningful subjects, but mostly she was just so happy to sit there and talk her head off and see me listening to her.


I was grateful for a chance to be there listening to her. Funny little girly.


I am blogging grateful posts for the 21 challenge, raising awareness and funds for Australia's homeless youth.

If you would like to sponsor me or donate to the challenge, please click here.