23 months...

Morganne is fast approaching two years old...twenty three months old today...I read somewhere the quote "the days are long but the years are short"....so true! especially for one who is rises before 6am and is very perky to boot! I am not so perky at that hour! She can say lovely things like "nie nie" for good night or when she is putting the dolls to bed...She still is very keen on the dolls...and she loves to "draw" or "write"...mostly on the paper...but often on the walls too! She says "lus you" (love you)...she is mostly an adorable happy little girl who I must stop calling bubba! But we are sure getting a few of the inevitable tantrums happening!

She sings almost constantly...especially in the car...she does the actions to The Wheels on the Bus and "the babies on the bus go wah wah wah" is rather funny! She says "arf arf" for the dogs barking and any cream dog gets called "Dazz" (Jazz)...She is a bit of a rat bag and is quite happy to spread wipes or tissues around the house...and the other day she tipped out TWO litres (so a LOT) of olive oil all over the pantry...fortunately a lot she poured into a crockpot in there but it still was a horrid mess! She loves to dig in the dirt and play on the slide...and likes the trampoline too. And she can spot a plane anywhere...She will say "Dadda werk" when she is talking about Ben..and says this when he does a video call too...and will wave to him and blow him kisses! She will point out "dada's" and "mama's" for our cars. She is stringing a couple of words together now too. We are keeping an eye on her ears as she has had 3 lots of infections in two months...the ENT specialist that E goes to said they were fine at the moment but will have to watch them. After E's speech and hearing problems we do not want to let M have the same problems. She likes to help make her drinks and can unscrew the top of the "Quik" and spoon it into her cup..I add the milk, she stirs and then I put on the lid! And she likes to watch very closely when I am cooking...She can now jump and get both feet off the ground! And she loves to twirl around and puts music on the dance! Very cute. She is just starting to watch TV...she will watch "Playschool"...she doesn't take any notice of it much other wise which is fine by me. We limit TV watching around here anyway and it is only ABC.

She adores Evangeline and misses her when she is at school pointing to her car seat and says "gone"...She has no chance of getting E's name out yet! And loves to play with her. And E is a great big sister and mostly plays very well with her and is very tolerant and lets her play with all her things...they have their "moments" as all siblings do but they are few and far between...

She is about 13.5kg and about 87cm tall...so she has had a little growth spurt but her weight is about the same...she still has little feet...size 5 heading into a size 6...wearing the sandals that E had as a one year old! Her blonde curly hair is getting rather long and she is mostly happy to wear a clip so I have avoided having to cut it yet...she can also climb onto her change table...aaargh! She is trying to get her leg over the cot but hasn't managed it yet but I am thinking soon she will have to go into the toddler bed.Ben's mum has been to visit today and the girls thoroughly enjoyed it! And that about wraps up 23 months...Lissy

flying practice...

I have finished a few of the fairy wing backpacks...they are looking rather cute!

Evangeline decided she needed to try them out and do some flying practice! And not stopping still for any photos either!

We have a cute book called Alice the Fairy...she is a temporary fairy...not a permanent fairy...and practices flying and such! I might have to make the girls some temporary fairy badges or something!
I have more fairy stuff to do...which would be easier if I were not woken up at 5.15 am most days...E is sleeping better now that she has a digital clock and knows there has to be at least a 6 on it! But now Morganne has started waking up with the birds! aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!Lissy

the fairies have been busy...

I am getting organised for Evangeline's 6th birthday party...and thankfully the fairies have been helping out too...Evangeline found this in her fairy garden this morning...
Dear Evangeline
I am Nissa. I am a Birthday Fairy.
I have heard you are turning 6 soon and would like to have a fairy party!
What a wonderful idea!
I have made you some special fairy invites to give to 9 friends who would like to be fairies for the day.
And there is one for you to keep!
My fairy friends and I will come along and join in the fun but remember you won’t be able to see us but there will be little signs around the garden that we are here!
Maybe I can sit on your birthday cake?
We fairies are very excited! See you at the party!
Love Nissa
And these invites!

Fairies, fairies, did you hear?
Evangeline is 6 this year!
She will be Fairy Queen Evangeline for the day…
We fairies have planned a party so come along and play
At her party you'll dance, you'll eat, and you'll have sweet fun !
You'll be a fairy before it's all done.

Wear you fairy best, we fairies love pink too!
Your wings and accessories await you.
The party is on Saturday, November 28th at 2pm, please say you'll fly by.
Evangeline’s fairy god-mother for the day awaits your reply! Lis 9274 1706
Love the Fairies in Evangeline’s Garden
The fairy wing back packs are nearly made...these will be the wearable party bags...then it is onto fairy skirts...I am making little mini fairy colouring books and have fairy soaps to go in the bags with the skirts...and the wands and houses the girls will make themselves at the party...we will decorate paper mache fairy wands with a few jewels and such... and make fairy houses (out of paper mache plant pots)...and find what treasures the fairies have left around the garden!

Evangeline is hoping Harmony and Rhapsody of The Fairies will come too...

Stay tuned...Lissy

father christmas in the forest...

I have posted off most of the stuff I have here to Children of the Forest...including the baby carrier for Poppi and October (see post below)....and lots of undies...five very large parcels weighing about 5kg each! 25kg of stuff!

And I will send off more stuff as it arrives....so keep it coming...I nearly have enough for another parcel or two...

They are getting organised for Father Christmas to visit....

from Mark's email....

"This year for Christmas we have told the children that Father Christmas can only bring a clothing item. Hat, shoes, jackets etc and we have asked the children to write a letter choosing an item.

Daniel introduced FC when the project first started not realising that FC would soon have 150 children to visit.

Perhaps some of the things that you might be able to send in the parcels could be used to help our already stretched budget."

Things that you might have that you can give me to send....

Hats, jackets, hoodies, shoes (such as thongs, crocs, sandals etc...I am not sure about trainers etc)...

Also bags and backpacks...if you look at the photo below you will see the kids keep their clothes etc in a bag...

We know they will be getting lots of new underwear but wouldn't it be nice if they all got what they asked for too!

Have you looked on the website...here are a couple of photos of the home and school...I think most of these photos are from a while ago and now the number of children has doubled! Here is lunchtime...
And dinner time...
And inside a sleeping hut...
And one of the classrooms...
Evangeline was looking at these pictures and asked why they are all built of sticks..She asked if we could send them some bricks...one of her favourite stories is The Three Little Pigs so I think she is worried they may all blow away...lol...

So if you have anything you think may be useful please let me know! I am hoping to get stuff sent off soon so it will arrive before Christmas...many thanks...Lissy

birthday planning and such...

Goodness me...November already!

I am starting to organise Evangeline's birthday as she will be six soon!
We are having a Fairy Tea Party...so I am busy making fairy wing backpacks and such...all top secret!! It is the first party with just a few girls as previously it has been a big mixed group...We will actually have the party a couple of weeks after her real birthday as Ben and Mum will be home...Ben has never been to one of E's parties as he has always been away at sea...she is VERY exited but is worried the party is too girly as it is a fairy party...but she thought he could come as Peter Pan....lol...I can just see Ben in green tights!

Mum flew to Melbourne today to see my cousins for a few days and then off to New Zealand with a friend on a garden tour...she will also see another of my cousins who now lives over there!

Morganne has been busy at playgroup...

We visited Ben's family on Sunday and then went to Alli's for lunch...and came home with this...thanks Alli...M loves it!
Other than that I have been feeling sorry for myself...lol...sinus trouble....

And after E's party we will have to get organised for Morganne's second birthday party...probably a polka dot or rainbow theme!

And then of course it is Christmas!

I am still making E's curtains..I must get them finished! One set just needs to be hemmed and then I can make the other set.

And that is abut it around here...the weather is mostly getting to about 30C now...Benis home in about 3 weeks...Lissy

boat...and ears...and the dog...

Here is the boat Ben skippered down from Singapore...pretty impressive I think!
Unfortunately the email on the boat has died and he won't be in phone range much so we won't be hearing from him much in the next little while....

And poor Morganne has ear infections...again! But she still enjoyed music this morning.

Evangeline has decided she wants to be a vet when she grows up! So she was very excited when we took Missy for her vaccination and checkup after school today! Mum came over to look after Morganne and is staying for tea...I am roasting some of the beetroot from our garden to go in a pasta dish...Lissy

see... we are making a difference...

I have SO much stuff to send off now to The Children of the Forest which is wonderful!

I even have had contact from people I do not know wanting to help...how great is that! And some offers to help with postage! Thanks muchly!

I have several tubs of clothes for all ages and a huge tub of underwear! And I know some are in the post as we speak!

At this rate it looks like we will be able to supply each of the children and parents in protection with a least one new pair of underpants by Christmas!

If you are yet to buy and send to me.... it is sizes boys 2-3 , 3-4, 6-8 we have less of and as yet I have no boys sizes 8-10 or 10-12 or 14-16 and older.....girls we have less off sizes 2-3, 6-8, 8-10 and we have no girl sizes 14-16 and older...I have a few pairs of size small ladies...but could do with some more of those and some mens too...

Here are the numbers at the centre as of a month ago or so ago...

Actual numbers of children in protection centre:

• Older childrens Protection Centre (Daniel) - 40 @ 12 -18yrs
• Middle Children's Protection Centre (Duang) - 22 @ 8-11 yrs
• Young childrens Protection Centre (1) ( Ku Kai) - 16 under 7 yrs
• Young childrens Protection Centre (2) ( Ka Nika) - 23 under 7 yrs
• Babies Protection Centre ( Talai theuw) - 5 under 1yrs
• Mother & Child Protection Centre (Tar) - 7 children under 6yrs
• Village children (Tar) eat with Mother but COF provides water and education- 43 @ 2-12yrs

Actual numbers of adults on site.

• Mothers in Protection Centre (Tar) - 8 + 1 pregnant woman
• On site adults - single fathers and mothers. Mothers have moved from 1st phase of Mother & Child Protection Program ( local village leader ) -16
• On site staff- 9

About 50 50 boys and girls.

I am just aiming to send at least one pair of underpants for each child and parent in protection...but of course they need more than one pair each! So keep sending...

I am just waiting to hear from Mark as to what they need sent most urgently! He sent this email today...

"Dear Lis,
Wow, once again many thanks for your generosity and ongoing care for the children of the forest. Please have a look at some of the photos of the children with items that you sent recently. There is a photo of Poppi and her new baby. Poppi came to our Mother and Child Protection Program about 2 or 3 months ago. She fell into a fire a few years ago and was terribly burnt. After all that she went through she was then raped but thankfully she found her way to us and now we are helping her take care of her beautiful baby boy that we have called October. Your clothes have helped Poppi and October too. If one of your friends has a back or front pack for a baby Poppi would be most grateful. She lost an arm in the fire and the feeding and carrying is quite difficult for her. Thank you Lis for your ongoing concern and generosity.

Kind regards,
Mark and all the children of the forest.

Porpoiyee sends a special hello and thanks you for the drawing, photos and the clothes too."

So you can see that the pregnant woman mention in the numbers above is none other than Poppi and her little one October! And do you know what is so great...someone has given me a baby carrier that I can send straight off to Poppi and her new baby October!So I will be packing up some stuff to send off this week! And then the rest over the next couple of months...thanks so much everyone for your help! I will be collecting stuff to send on an ongoing basis so keep me in mind! And keep those undies coming! Have a great day! Lissy

"dada werk"

This is Morganne's favourite saying at the moment whenever we mention Ben or she sees his photo...and here he is...at work...in the middle of the ocean somewhere yesterday I think...I asked him to email us a photo...this trip he is Master...so we are very proud of him... He flew to Singapore while I was at the scrapbooking retreat where the boat (which is about 78m long and 17m wide) was in refit and they are on their way back to Australia...they passed Bali yesterday and that is about as close as we will get to an exotic holiday....lol...he has been gone a week but we don't get to see him for another four weeks. But at least he will be able to phone again soon...Lissy

perfection...

I have just found perfection in curtain fabrics for the girls...I have been needing to make Evangeline some curtains for about 2 years....oops...but finding no fabric I liked I was just going to do pink and applique....I made one drop before Morganne was born but didn't like it...so it came to a grinding halt...until this week in Spotlight!

They are both the most lovely heavy weight linen type fabrics...not your normal horrible children's curtaining fabrics! It look like expensive designer stuff...but was very cheap...amazing! I found this gorgeous ballet dresses one for Evangeline...at $8 a metre...I checked with her first in case she did not like the brown background...the colur is slightly different in real life...and this divine Geisha doll one for Morganne...at $9 a metre...Hopefully she will move rooms soon and we will go back to the master bedroom...but we shall try and finish E's bedroom first...Ben is making her a tree house bed...it is half done...It needs a roof and a door...curtains for the windows and it will be painted pink by request of E! And I shall make a couple of beanbags to go underneath...

And speaking of the bed...Morganne is a climber like E and climbs into the bed to play...unfortunately last Wednesday she fell out on her head and ended up in PMH with concussion...but thank fully all was OK...she still wants to climb in but we wont let her until there is a door! And she does say "fall off!" So obviously she remembers! This is Evangeline's drawing of the event...the doctor at the top...Morganne on the bed and the rest of us at the bottom left!You can pick ups by our hair dos!
Ike has been down with my sister for a few days on school camp...Evangeline went to mum's with them last night for a sleep over after we all had tea here...a and so today it has just been M and I...Morganne has been up to mischief all day...drawing on walls and such and changing the babies nappy...but she is cute...We are mostly all over our colds...I had a very painful muscle spasm in my back on Thursday...where the ribs and spine join and the pain was excruciating every time I coughed or sneezed...thankfully a trip to the physio Friday sorted it out..I should have gone on Thursday! oh well!

And we have had our first mango of the season...if you are reading this Ken Evangeline is waitng for her box of mangoes from Papa in Broome!A bit of a dreary day here today...but not too cold...so we have been outside a bit...we might get a shower of rain which would be good for the garden...that is it for now...Lissy

so true...

"Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them"

Lady Bird Johnson

Here are my latest creations for the girls and them playing in the garden yesterday...yay for warm weather...it is a cupcake top to go with the twirly skirt for Evangeline...and pants and a top with very cute Geisha fabric for Morganne...

I have lots of fabulous fabrics and more things planned...now I just need a bit of time...in the meantime I am busy blogging and cleaning...lol...Lissy

the retreat...

I thought I would share a few of the layouts I did at the Retreat....as well as having a wonderful time and laughing way too much I actually did some scrapping! YAY!! And I did a couple of the girls classes...
This was one of Gayle's layouts...I used BG June BugAnd this was the sampler Sharon did and I have made for mum for Christmas...I think I may need to put it in a black frame...it is not so purple in real life!And another one of Gayle's pages...And then some other layouts I did...all pretty simple pages...I really struggled with these school ones to the point that I nearly threw them in the bin! But they finally worked out ok! This one I ended up ignoring the blue in the photos and choosing the other primary colours red and yellow to create the page...I have also forgotten to add the journalling...Sharon was relieved...lol...and asked if I was over my grumps!

I have a couple of more layouts to finish as I need to do some journalling on the computer...I printed enough photos for about 100 layouts....lol...so I have plenty to keep me going! I just need to unpack and get organised! And then maybe do some more! We all have colds so we are feeling a bit crappy...stay tuned...Lissy

generous women...

I just spent the weekend with a bunch of very generous women....

About 60 of them in fact at Scrappin’ Outback's 9th Wave Rock Scrapbooking Retreat..they were SO generous with their time and friendship and laughter and ideas...sorry no group photo to put here as I was too busy enjoying myself and laughing (oh and teaching...lol) to take any photos...

But also so generous with their giving for the Children of the Forest...look at this pile of stuff...it nearly filled up the back seat of my car coming home! Thanks so much ladies...it is so greatly appreciated...There is everything from underwear and pencils to babies clothes and teenagers clothes....FABULOUS!

I know people only found out about this in the week before the retreat and would have made a special effort to get something organised even though they live in the bush and not near any shops! And some that couldn't get something in time gave me money to buy something...Thank you!

Now I will just mortgage the house to pay for the postage...lol...Lissy

edited to add....postage is about $55 for 3kg...unless you are a registered charity...if anyone can help with a contact in a charity please let me know!

PS thanks for the response to my post asking for underwear...please email me on lis.cassey@bigpond.com if you need my address to post your knickers!

look like a pro...

It is so easy to look like a pro...well almost...lol...just get a new camera...I am still on auto...and these are uneditied...imagine they looks lots better in a higher resolution too....lolNot perfect but I am very happy with them...The first batch I took were hopeless as Sharon had been playing with my camera on the weekend and it was not on auto....lol...I took them Sunday night when I got home from the retreat....I need to do a huge update on here but haven't time at the moment....stay tuned! Lissy

skirt...

Mel is hosting a make a skirt thingy this week....so I joined in...here it is....I will make a top with the cupcake fabric too...it is pink so Evangeline is very pleased!!I have more sewing planned for the summer but this week is TOO busy! Lissy

twenty two months...

We are fast approaching Morganne being two years old....she is communicating pretty well these days and even said "Mama, wer Dada?" the other day! Other new words..."for off" (fall off) is a current favourite as is "ous" (ouch), "cut" and "hoc" (hot)..."Gone" is still very popular too! She loves to get out side and dig in the dirt or water the garden...and inside the baby dolls are very popular too...and she like to help make her own drinks and food...and she can open all the doors...She can point to all her body parts and has names for all her clothes and is shoe obsessed...and points out every plane...which is a lot when you live close to the airport and they ALL go over the house...lol...and she wants to cut everything up with a knife at meal times...her favourite food is pasta and meat...bananas and strawberries are pretty popular too...she loves to brush her teeth and her hair is quite long now and she is delightful! She likes to put any cream she can get her hands on on her face or in her hair...jsut like mummy! She says "ni ni" for good night, "lus you" for love you and today when Evangeline went to school she said "miss you"...adorable...Lissy