Spring has sprung!

And as a result I’ve been rather busy.

We have a new seasonal table stand on the seasonal table. We have a very nice wooden stand, but I fancied a change.  This painted wooden one is from Erzi and injected a bit more ‘spring colour’ into the table.  The candle is handmade from Brighter Blessings.  I knitted some eggs, but most went to the Seven Hills Steiner Initiative Parent and Child group, I only made a couple for here, in a little knitted dish with some wooden and a marble one:

I made a purse for Ted.  I don’t do very much sewing and on reflection the mouse’s tail could be a little longer, but he really likes it:

  

I also made a little knitted and beaded rose for Nin, but she squirrelled it away before I could take a photo and now can’t find it *sigh*.  Doubtless it will turn up and some point.

We’ve done some cooking – Erk making a salad for lunch) Yes he lives in Clash t-shirts (he’s wearing a different Clash one in the photo further down – it’s becoming a bit of a standing joke here):

Some digging.  We now have 2 blackcurrant and 2 redcurrant bushes in, plus broccolli, radishes, lettuce, carrots, spring onions and various flowers.  I’ve been given a rhubarb plant by some friends, so I really need to get that in soon too.  All I’d like now are some raspberries and gooseberries and I’ll be set (give me bowlfuls of raspberries over chocolate any day!)

  

We continued making papier mache shields – these aren’t happening fast, but one day they will be done.  Erk has been busy making a papier mache model of a geyser (he’s been learning quite a bit about volcanoes and geysers I now know more than I was ever really that interested in knowing 😉 ):

Attended the Easter egg hunt and various crafts at Longshaw (my youngest children are now convinced that they could possibly find a chocolate egg *anywhere* if they look hard enough).  Erk peeled one of the eggs before dye-ing it blue, then tried to eat it (yuck) and very quickly spat it out (but not before having dyed his teeth blue). I think I might suggest a more natural approach to dye-ing next time around!  Below Ted has a peeled dyed egg (just the shell dyed on this one) with complementary bit of egg stuck to his lip.  T’other Erk is doing a ‘bored teen’ pose whilst helping Nin and the other little boy isn’t one of mine (hence the back shot).

  

And Ted found out what happens when you go upstairs to play with your sister: she insists you are a princess and must wear a dress (whether you want to or not…)  Note the blue ink stamp on his forehead as well.  He was not impressed and ran downstairs to escape the attention.

I’ve also finished the lace scarf (it needs blocking) and have nearly finished the knitted and crocheted top (was going to be a dress, but will now be a tunic) for Nin – it seems to have taken forever with the various other projects I’ve done inbetween.  I also felted a few bowls ready for the new kindergarten and have also worked on a shaped knitted head for the little bendy dollshouse dolls I make.

I also had a birthday (yesterday), I’m not a big birthday person, so enjoyed a quiet day finishing the aforementioned scarf.

When this cold has subsided I will record a few more songs that we have been using in our April story time. One about Spring and one about rabbits.

With Spring it seems quite a lot of change is in the air and life seems pregnant with possibilities 🙂

The other fairly big news I have is that I have now officially applied to do the Foundation Degree in Steiner Early Years Education at Plymouth University.  I should hopefully hear sometime in July whether I have been accepted or not.  So, in two years time I could be a qualified Steiner Kindergarten teacher, with the option of doing a third year and either doing Steiner teacher training or going for Early Years Professional Status.  I am really excited about starting the degree (especially the craft and music side, plus the opportunity to learn something about Eurythmy).