bfg mug

as many of you know, because im sure i have mentioned it before...(in this post), one of my very favourite authors is Roald Dahl, and one of my very favourite books by him, is the BFG. i remember reading this book in the third grade, and i still have the very copy of the one given to me then. i mean, who doesn't like a story about a tiny girl who rides in the ears of a nice giant, while mean ugly giants eat her friends, and have names like bonecruncher and  bloodbottler? all the while eating and drinking things like snozzcumbers and frobscottle? come on, this stuff is golden!

anyway, a couple months ago i found this website, so i bookmarked the page and swore to buy one someday (but then promptly forgot!). then one day as i was organising my bookmarks (everyone does that, right? right?), i found the link again and ordered it straight away. i could hardly contain myself when the postman came to the door.

"i is the only nice and jumbly giant in giant country. i is the BIG FRIENDLY GIANT."

the week in which clay was away

last monday clay flew off to germany for a pastors conference, and it was the longest amount of time that willow spent away from her dad (dad? whoa!). 

we actually had a really nice week too! we mostly stayed inside as the weather was atrocious (are you surprised?). but we did make it out to vacuum out the car, pick up some milk, have a lunch date, have a breakfast date, etc.

on wednesday we had two of our favourite-est friends over for a little sleepover/all night chat session. i felt like a child again! maybe it was all that homemade chocolate ice cream? i swear i didn't put anything in it!

he finally came home on saturday, and in preparation for his arrival, we made a welcome home sign, hung some bunting, and baked his favourite chocolate chip cookies. 

i had wanted to introduce paint into willows life for awhile now, and this was a perfect excuse! although all she wanted to do was eat the paper/chew on the paint bottles, i thought she looked darn cute covered in paint. here are some pictures of her experience. 

(see? CHEW CHEW)

its nice having clay back home, and things back to normal. willow certainly missed him. i could tell. she would get all quiet when i would talk about him, or when he would talk to her over FaceTime, she'd get really happy, then really sad all quick. sweet girl. 

i, however, didn't miss tripping over his giant sized boots...but i did miss his giant sized face! (love you babe.)

almond butter

i made some almond butter a few days ago, and let me tell you, its heaven! and easy as pie!

first, lay 3 cups of raw almonds flat on a baking tray, and roast at 175 celsius (350 f).

then, wait 10-12 minutes as a glorious smell fills your kitchen! let them cool and try reallllly hard not to munch on a handful while you wait (i may or may not have been so patient)...

then, pop them into a food processor or vitamix (my dream machine!) with some oil if you'd like, a couple tablespoons or so. i used rapeseed, but next time i won't...i think it would be just fine without it...let iblend up nice and smooth, or you can stop it sooner if you like a more chunky spread (did i just say chunky? shudder).

then, pour into a clean jar, and try not to eat it all at once! 

i had some with jam on homemade bread. yummmm.

hello mid-january, where did you come from?

wow guys, i guess i was really serious when i said id try harder to get more posts up. hence why i dont make new years resolutions!
so far this year has been nuts. and i feel like i have so much to say about it. we haven't really gotten off on the right foot, 2013 and i. but we are working on it.
willow, on the other hand, is getting along smashingly! and actually, one of the reasons ive hesitated to post is because i wanted to try my darndest to write something that isnt about my daughter and all her amazingness. but really, my life only kinda sorta revolves around her, so what else do you expect?

anyway, to keep myself  from diving into any details about this year so far, how about some pictures of the good that sum it up? ("thats a great idea, jannelle!")

ive been trying my hardest to make the perfect sourdough loaf! haven't gotten there yet, but i still have 1,000 more ways to try...

also have been trying to take more walks on the lovely strand (that is, did i mention, right outside our home? NO excuses!)

waiting for the tub to fill...(our only form of instant hot water is from the shower in our bedroom, so its a real treat when we heat up the water tank for a bath in the big tub (pictured below) )

oh yes, and penelope was dying to get in the bath with her (not joking, she's weird). so i let her in, but i promise i don't make a habit of it! willow was delighted though...

there was a good 18 hours where i was sick as a dog (food poisoning perhaps?), and clay was mr. mom for the day. take-your-daughter-to-work day indeed!

but on those days that we don't see much of clay, we do a little FaceTime. thanks steve! (jobs, that is.)

and then there are some days, (ok, there are lots of days!) where we cant really go much of anywhere because of the weather. but sometimes thats ok, there are still many things for a baby to do. stairs to climb! books to shred! dirt off the floor to eat!

on those days we do get out, although driving into town is preffered, sometimes we take the bus (it runs a whopping TWICE a day people!).

found these great items at a charity shop. clockwise: a teapot and creamer jug, two brass spoons, a cross stitch of a house covered in plants (also, notice the two distant birds? my favourite part), a large brass mirror, a stained glass christmas tree on a wooden base, and a wooden duck walker with rubber feet!

we (finally!) bought willow a highchair. its wooden, and can be a booster seat for when she is older!

and well, that is all i have for this bit of january. how is your january going so far?

being willow worrells mother: month 8

being willow worrells mother means watching as she gets better and faster at the whole crawling thing, because i know that even though she has still stuck with her original method (you know the one, like when those guys training for the army are in the mud under a barbed wire net? yes, that method), she sure is mastering it!

being willow worrells mother means making sure every scrap of paper is out of sight (which is particularly hard around christmas time, with wrapped presents under the tree and all), because I know that she will eat and thoroughly enjoy every piece she can get her hands on. which also means I will have to wrap a certain present over again at least three times.

being willow worrells mother means walking in her room to get her after her nap, because i knew that by the sound of her voice, she had just done something particularly daring, of course to find her proud little face looking at me with such excitement because she figured out how to stand up in her (not yet lowered!) crib.

being willow worrells mother means finding out that she finally got her two front teeth, because of a certain blood curdling sound coming from her mouth. yes, the terrible sound of opposing teeth grinding together.

being willow worrells mother means teaching her how to wave hello and goodbye, because i know that she thinks it quite rude to enter (or leave) her room without properly greeting the little wooden dancers atop her music box.

being willow worrells mother means having all the nappy changing accoutrements ready and at hand for her next nappy change, because i know that if i don't do it in a flash, she will start doing her favourite yoga pose, the "bridge" as i know it. and if her bum is still dirty, you can imagine how messy it can get...

(month 7)
(month 6)
(month 4 & 5)
(month 2 & 3)
(month 1)

2012

last year was certainly one to remember. just thinking about how much can happen in one year is mind boggling. i mean, this time last year willow was the size of an eggplant, and now? she is here, she is growing, she is crawling, she is communicating, she is a force to be reckoned with! and us, we are parents! responsible for another human life! whoaaaa.

some of my favourite posts from last year!


our "first" anniversary (oh, you'll get it. read on)

the ramblings about public toilets (excuse my ninth month pregnant brain on this one, please)

sweet willow was born (or as my husband likes to refer to it - "the best and worst day of his life" - pretty accurate, i must say)

best baths ever (did i really bath my child in a plastic tupperware bowl? mom points, over here)

welcome to our village (some of the people here are kinda mean, dont let the pretty photos fool you! serious. watch your back!)

california in june (oh the sweet sweet water of sallys pool in june. its like something from the heavens!)

an ode to my rolly poly babe (need i say more?)

willows nursery (well, she likes it! i think...)

growing and growing (she literally, never stops!)

meet penelope (click only if you are brave!)

a tale of going to california (but guys, it was worth it.)

my favourite weeks in ca (gosh, can someone invent a teleportation machine soon?)

christmas (or you could just scroll down...)



so, going through all these old posts i noticed the slim pickings! im sorry! i will try better. i will certainly not make it a new years resolution, because thats just asking for failure. but i will say that i will try to update more. there, i said it!