10 months (or the month of the baby that moves)

this month edie finally got mobile in an i-can-get-where-i-want-to-go kinda way. which is really quite marvellous, but i do have to admit that i already miss the days when i could put her down with her toys and know that when i went to make a cup of tea or use the bathroom that she would still be there when i came back. cos damn, babies that move mean i have to move more. she has discovered the joy of poking her fingers into electrical outlets (or she would have if we didn't have a million of those little plastic covers on them all), how much fun it is to pull books off of the shelf and then, if she doesn't get interrupted) pull pages out of the books and also found a thousand new ways to avoid going to sleep at nap time. who wants to nap when you can crawl to the end of your cot at the same time as tangling your body up with the sheets and blankets into complex knots? while this month has presented new challenges and you have eaten more than your fair share of dandelion flowers, i wouldn't change a thing. every day with this little one is better than the one before and i find new ways to love her even when i thought it wasn't possible.

wearing an envelope tee (my second attempt at this shirt)

avocado wins the award for messiest snack this month and every month so far.

oh what? you didn't want these books torn up? never mind, i'll just be cute and you wont mind.

making

tiny pants! i haven't had my sewing machines out for a while. when we made the big move from hamilton to wellington i had to get rid of a lot of fabric so i haven't had much to work with either but after i read a few of rhiannon's 'make my week, baby' posts over the last few weeks (especially this one) i started feeling the urge to get stitching. i started grabbing interesting bits of fabric when i was op-shopping and after some advice from the lovely rhiannon herself about the amazingness of twin needles for sewing knits on a domestic machine i got started! so far the only project i have finished and am happy with are these tiny pants edie is wearing. i also made an envelope tee based on this tutorial but it's a bit rough, being the first time i used my new twin needle and also made from a very slinky knit. i drafted a pattern based of a pair of her leggings but added a bit more room for her cloth nappy bum and the result is these. leggings i love and would totally wear if i had the fabric to make em in my size.


also, i finally joined ravelry, after noticing that all the cool crafty blogging kids had accounts and were making amazing things (and also i want to get better at knitting. crochet, i got down but knitting? not so much). if you wanna be my ravelry friend find me here.

and so it begins (began)

yesterday was the first day of the trial against the Urewera 4, the 4 remaining defendants charged with 'participation in an organised criminal group' as a result of the october 15 terror raids on homes throughout Aotearoa. for background info on the raids, the arrests and the nearly 5 years of challenging, struggling and hoping for the arrestees go here.

i don't have much to say about this, i just want people to know.

know that the defendants didn't deserve to have their lives turned upside down, their families terrorised, jobs lost and relationships and health strained. the cost, financially, emotionally and physically has been too high.

know that the media and the police used scaremongering tactics to demonise Maori and Tuhoe.

know that Tuhoe have a long history of oppression and control by the state and all they ever wanted was to be independent of that control, to have the power to govern themselves. they have struggled for self determination since pakeha came and stole their lands and their choice to be an autonomous nation.

know that what happened on that day was so wrong. the people arrested were activists, radicals and freedom fighters. when the state starts to criminalise dissent everyone's freedom is threatened.

know that even if the charges are dropped the bigger struggle isn't over. if we live somewhere where the police and the state have the power to do what they have done here then we must keep fighting. for Tuhoe, for Tino Rangatiratanga and for ourselves.

the week that was...

ok, so it's technically been about a week and a half. i'm off to a great start huh? so much for regular posting this year. anyway i'm working on it. this last week (10 days, whatever) has been rather uneventful with us doing lots of hanging out in the sun and staying pretty close to home. j went back to school and e and i are just getting back into the swing of quiet days just the 2 of us.

bathtime splashing. she generally soaks the floor in a 1 metre radius around her tub.

playground swinging (i love j's long hair at the moment).

legolas obsessing. actually, anything lord of the rings related is pretty high in his esteem at the moment.

legolas hair style. he went to school like this today. i'm so damn proud that he is bigger than all of that stupid gender-specific bullshit and just does what he wants. he chose his own outfit today. also he hates when i make him pose for photos. can you tell?

backyard sunshine.

upside-down photo taking. the camera, not the kid.

balancing at the park by the beach in a somewhat scruffier version of legolas hair.

captain apricot on facebook

i finally got around to creating a captain apricot facebook page. i held off doing this for ages because it felt a little weird. a fan page for me? for my work? it's a bit strange for me, someone who has always been reluctant to talk to friends about what i make and sell.

i guess the only thing that has changed is that i am more committed than ever to staying at home and taking care of my kids. i am very privileged in that i haven't had to rush back to work due to financial pressure. i understand this and appreciate it immensely. the past year i have been a stay at home mama and enjoyed all the things i had been too busy for before but doesn't mean my creative and professional selves have to take a back seat. hence the captain apricot facebook page. one step in working towards staying a stay at home parent for as long as it feels right.

go see (and like me, tell your friends, all of that) here

i like the way she moves

just today, edie figured out how to do this.



this may not seem that exciting to some and that's ok but for me? it's seriously wonderful. now, if you'll excuse me i have to go and childproof my entire house.

also, please excuse the slightly frustrated baby. i think she hasn't quite figured out what she can do and her little grizzles are her way of asking me to get the car for her. not anymore edie, not anymore.

the week that was...

i've taken some inspiration from jodi at che and fidel and decided to share photos every week of things we've been doing and places we've been. jodi shares a portrait each week of her own small creatures and so i've decided to do the same, and because my family are all so far away i'm going to add some extra bits from our week. now my mum can't complain of a lack of photos of my kid-lets! it will also help me remember to take photos more often. i always forget my camera. or the battery is flat. or i can't find it. anyway, pictures:

making berry sorbet

eating summertime nectarines. so messy!

my new bag. such a good colour.

building frenzy. a lego-tastic medieval village that j and i worked on all week.

the coolest minifigure i've seen in a while. i sneakily purchased it when we went shopping for boring back-to-school stuff.

walking at one of our beaches, evans bay

a playground trip when my mama and sis were in town.

j commandeered the camera and took lots of pictures of him and e. so matchy!