Little Mama

 

A is for Apple

 

For a brief time as a kid, I wanted to be a teacher. Noble as that career path would have been, I know it was less about a desire to educate and more about being able to write on the blackboard*. My short stint as a teenager giving piano lessons to a handful of neighbourhood kids drove the final nail into the coffin. As highly as I value education, and as much as I love to learn, I am not a teacher.

But back when I entered Year 2, back when 'teacher' was the answer I gave to every well-meaning adult who asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I took to school a set of handmade flashcards that I'd stayed up most of the previous night making. I had thought it through, you see, and I was going to teach my little sister and her kindergarten colleagues how to read. I think it lasted one lunchtime before they gave up on me and headed off to play chasies.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. One evening last week, this was the scene taking place in our lounge room - a very grown-up six-year-old taking it upon herself to teach her little sisters the alphabet. And perhaps she has more of the teacher's spirit than me, because she turned it into a game, sending them off for an apple from the fruit bowl, a xylophone from the music basket, a plastic horse from a bedroom, to illustrate her lesson.

They fight and argue with the best of them, these three, but it's these shiny bright moments of cooperation and care, the encouragement shown by a big sister, and the adoration of two little girls for one big girl, that lets me know we're doing OK.

* Showing my age, I know.

Crackers

The party had a robot theme. I, being me, suggested we get into the swing of things and make some robot masks to wear. They, being them, decided we needed to add a touch of flair - a bunny robot, a three-horned unicorn robot and a horse robot. Neigh.

They're crackers, all three of them. Gloriously, beautifully, relentlessly, seriously crackers.

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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013" via Che and Fidel.

Previous 52 portraits here.

Sew Vintage: Simplicity 7068

My littlest girl is a very big fan of all things bunny rabbit. When I saw some bunny print flannelette fabric at the op shop recently, I knew just what to do with it. She didn't let me forget my promise of new jim-jams until the elastic had been threaded in and the last button sewn on. We chose a pattern from 1978 and some vintage blue buttons from my grandmother's collection. 

I reckon as long as no-one looks too closely at some of the finer details (that collar!) then everything will be just fine.

Pattern: Simplicity 7068

Fabric: New, thrifted

Buttons: Vintage Beutron

Miffy accessory and cutie-pie smile: Model's own.

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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013" via Che and Fidel.

Three photos taken on three different days:

Lola: Morning, wearing that well-worn and much-loved nightie.

Pearl: Midday, a sit-down protest during our walk around the lake.

Stella: Evening, bath-time. She likes some solo floating time before her sisters join her.

Previous 52 portraits here.

27. Winter is...

..getting ready for a bit of spring cleaning.

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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013" via Che and Fidel.

Lola: She (we) made a kite out of paper, pipe cleaners, string and a toilet roll. I was amazed when it took flight. Thank you, August winds.

Pearl: Phrase of the week - "Yes indeed."

Stella: Word of the day - "Whatev-ah."

Previous 52 portraits here.

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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013" via Che and Fidel.

Lola: She implored me to come to assembly this week because she'd be showing some "incredible artwork." How could I refuse?

Pearl: "I know why it's not working. It's run out of something. We need to put more something in."

Stella: The natural progression of life, according to Stella - baby, kid, big sister, teenager, grown-up.

Previous 52 portraits here.

17. Winter is...

..coat, bonnet, boots, handbag. Puppy optional.

5. Winter is...

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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013" via Che and Fidel.

We had a very spooooooooooky birthday party here today.

Lola: Vampire.

Pearl: Ghost.

Stella: Witch.

Previous 52 portraits here.

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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013" via Che and Fidel.

Lola: She likes to share facts. "You know a snake shreds, Mum?" "It shreds, does it?" "Yes, it shreds its skin. It has to." 

Pearl: Watching a roadside crane with great interest, she told me that when she grows up into a man, she'll have long legs and be able to climb cranes. I tried to convince her that, as she was a little girl, she probably wouldn't grow up into a man as such. "Well, Mum...we just need to buy a wand." Righto.

Stella: I call her Mrs McGinty. She calls me Poo-Poo McGann.

Previous 52 portraits here.

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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013" via Che and Fidel.

Lola: We're all big on trading made-up stories at the moment. When her sisters aren't around, Lola asks me to make up an extra scary one for her - "Make it a PG one, Mum, not just G."

Pearl: If we sing a song together, she calls it "singing all in a row."

Stella: She likes to wear my "dangles" on her wrists.

Previous 52 portraits here.

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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013" via Che and Fidel.

Lola: Upon being asked if she could sort out the mess in her room, she responded firmly, "I am not a cleaning machine." Teenager much?

Pearl: I looked questioningly at the two little girls in the bath and the flood on the bathroom floor. Pearl's defence - "One of us is responsible but both of us are not responsible."

Stella: I asked her, "Do you know how much I love you? It's a really, really big number, maybe as big as a million. Can you guess?" She thinks for a moment. "Is it 18?"

Previous 52 portraits here.

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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013" via Che and Fidel.

Lola: Always cutting and pasting and drawing and writing. The other day she came to show me a picture she'd drawn of a "man sitting in a crescent moon with a fishing rod fishing in a pond."

Pearl: There have been a lot of parties recently. Last week she wanted a tiger on her face. Today she insisted on one plait and one ponytail.

Stella: I will never tire of hearing her chase after her big sister calling, "Lolls! Lolls! Hey, Lolls!"

Previous 52 portraits here.

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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013" via Che and Fidel.

Lola: Someone lost her first tooth. And won an award for "wonderful improvement in reading and writing." She turns six this week. Oh, my.

Pearl: Her negotiating skills are mind-boggling. "I'm going to do three lullabies." "Four." "OK, four, but only four." "Ten. Do ten." "Four, Pearl." Ten lullabies later...

Stella: When she sneezes, she tells me she has the bless-you's.

Previous 52 portraits here.