around here
Our first guest was our 11-year-old friend, Sahri. She’s a young entrepreneur having started her face painting business a few months ago. She saved up to buy the best quality face paints, charges $20 an hour and uses all her income to pay for her dance classes. Isn’t that inspiring! She painted the most beautiful and delicate flowers on all the fairies’ faces and then puffed a little glitter into their hair. Poet was in awe of all the pretty.
Once the fairies had danced and eaten we headed to our neighbours garden for a few photos (and to look for garden fairies in magnolia blooms). And then it was time to say goodbye, put the kettle on and collapse on the lounge. Goodness, as simple as you keep it a child’s birthday party is still tiring for a muma – I’m so glad we only do it once every two years!
We had a quiet Sunday which was exactly what I needed considering Poet started pre-school today. I’m still in shock that we’re firmly in this “next stage” – one at school, one at pre-school, two lunches to pack, drop-offs and pick-ups to coordinate. It’s busy, yes, but it also means I have definite child-free time every week to work and for that I’m very grateful. Poet was ready for pre-school 6 months ago so I wasn’t at all surprised this morning when she kissed Daniel and I goodbye, walked off and didn’t look back. But she didn’t look back! – still slightly sad about her absolute independence.
I suppose now is a good time to ask: how do you calmly coordinate school and pre-school? Any tips I should keep in mind? Beautiful Ruth just wrote on my facebook page: “…it is such a challenge keeping un-busy a priority when just our day to day ‘must-dos’ demand otherwise.” I couldn’t agree more.
Poet's wee party looks just so lovely – a little girl's dream! I have found that choosing a kindergarten/pre-school that is between our house and school is a big step in the right direction to making drop-offs etc more manageable. In the past, my husband has taken the kindy kid on the back of his bike (in a proper seat and helmet, etc) for one trip as the timing of the session fitted well with his work schedule too, meaning I only had to make one trip in the middle of the day (though still the school run at both ends). I think if you can time the start/finish times so that you can pick up one then be there for the next as they finish then that helps too as you only have to make one trip. But it sure is a juggle! At the moment my 4.5yo is on a kindy break, waiting for her younger brother to turn 3 and they'll go together, as it just got way too busy always having to be somewhere – and having to wake the baby up to get there! I hope you can manage to find a peaceful way to make it work. xx
Thanks for your insightful comment, Jess. At the moment Poet is going to pre-school three mornings a week (9-12) so I can coordinate school and pre-school drop-off but have to make two trips come the afternoon. I just have to be mindful of using my time wisely….making the most of the three hour mornings and having quieter afternoons once Poet is home (she was quite weary after her first day) x
That looks and sounds like a wonderful party! I would secretly love to have a fairy birthday party this weekend, even though it's my 30th!
I am very impressed with the face painting and business sense of your young friend! And the girls looks so adorable! I'm sure you'll get into the groove with school. Keep a good updated calender and a designated place for all the paperwork and phone numbers.
a CHARM of faries. i love that, learned something new today. xo
it's possibly my favourite collective noun x
that is so inspiring about your 11yr old neighbor! how clever of her. the party looks lovely. i am sure Poet felt magical. i think any little girl would.
whimsical. important. magic. love.
xx
Hi Jodi, Poet's birthday party looks and sounds so pretty, fanciful, and sweet. I was wondering who makes her fairy wings? I love that they are long and droopy, and haven't been able to find ones similar for my daughter. If you wouldn't mind sharing, I would greatly appreciate it!
They are amazing, aren't they?! You wouldn't believe it though; I found them at the op-shop for 50c! If I was a savvy sewer I would probably copy the pattern and make and sell my own but alas, I have no idea how to use a sewing machine. x
I was lucky because kindy was 9.00 to 2.30 pm and school was 8.40 until 3.00 pm so we could always drop James at school and then head up the road to kindy and vice versa in the afternoons. We would just fill in 15 mins of park time near the school until 3pm arrived. In the mornings I can only suggest you give yourself an extra 15 mins of time (to lose) because one kid can't find his shoe or one needs to go back inside or one is slower on one day than the next. If you have 15 mins up your sleeve every morning and you lose 15 mins you are still on time. It's those days where you have nothing up your sleeve and you lose 15 mins is stressful for the mother and a stressful mother can sometimes be a cranky mother when you should have left home 5 mins ago. So ………get that 15 mins up your sleeve to start with. I think the kindy times have now changed and are more similar to school but it would depend on your area but all I can say is no Muma can be in two places at the one time. Make friends with other kindy mum's in case you get stuck and remember they will be in the same boat as you. Beautiful birthday pics. Kathy
This 15 minutes up your sleeve is such a great idea and makes such an incredible difference – though it's taken me a few years to realise that having that extra time is not wasting time. Thanks for the reminder!
I've been getting up 20minutes earlier than usual and yes, it really does make all the difference. x
I always find the very best motivation for getting the house clean & tidy is when I know I will be having people over! We are having our boys' birthday party this weekend, they are turning 3 and 1 respectively next Tuesday. I should probably be getting a head start on the cleaning & organising….but I know I'll be doing it all on Saturday instead 🙂
I swore after my little one's 1st birthday party that we wouldn't have another party for at least 5 years but these divine images just changed my mind.
I find i do my best cleaning under pressure. If i find out we're having last minute visitors i can do more cleaning in 30 minutes than i usually do in a week!