six

Ella turned six last week. There'd been a lot of ongoing discussions about her party (a whole year's worth) but on Thursday we sat down together and had a bit of a planning session about what we'd do. How I love these discussions - a girl after my own heart - a fairy corner, a royal court, a night sky (I found a note she had written on the topic: "moor stuf - wot ubat wee can mac a nyt skuy").

-

I suggested some crafty and maybe a few dress-ups, and she came up with the genius suggestion that the kids could make masks and then get dressed up for a Samba parade "like at Womad". Brilliant. And then we thought we'd have a wishing tree - where Ella could attach leaves for each of her party friends and they could attach leaves for her. We did a lot of thoroughly enjoyable preparation - painted party bags, drew a tree, cut and painted leaves, picked glitter and lanterns.

-

All of this pretty much worked out - this short sentence underlying a fair amount of activity and chaos and joy and excitement. I thought they might have lost interest, but the kids insisted on a Samba Parade up the street with flags, drums and tinsel. They wanted to go further, but the grown-ups were flagging. Of course I didn't get one photo - too busy banging the drum and tying elastic on masks.

-

What a joy to be six.

first day of school

My little big girl, all ready for first day of school. Messing around on the step. Excited and nervous.

hoteliday ---<>--- christmas

Tamara and Ella's Recipe for a Hoteliday*

Take:

one girl

one mummy

one hotel room

one christmas 'tivities' plan

some chips

some fizzies

one spa bath

lots of little hotel packets

some fabulous outfits

a surprise auntie

Method

mix it all up - have lots of cuddles - discuss everything - befriend people - take a taxi and a tram - read in bed together - get room service

The mum and girl should be exhausted by end and ready for quiet night in and a bit of regular bedtime.

---

This recipe is quite adaptable actually - any combination should be great - as long as you don't miss out the little hotel packets.

*Hoteliday = a holiday in a hotel for a day

you spin me round round

Here is Ella at Kinder for the last time. So beautiful - dressed up to the nines - spinning a full circle on the trapeze and yelling to her friend Felicity to 'leap onto me!'

one of each

I am going to school

Orange hat, green hoody, lime dress, rainbow leggings, pink socks, red boots - tall little girl full of anticipation. We went to Ella's first school orientation visit - she was so keen and nervous and shy.

And just a moment ago:

Ella's recycling talk

Ella did a talk on recycling at the Storytime session at our local library today. Walking along one day Ella saw some rubbish on the ground and was wondering why people didn't recycle their rubbish. We talked about how some people don't know about recycling or how important it is. She wrote to the children's librarian, her friend Jeanette, and asked if she could do a talk on recycling to the kids at Storytime. Jeanette thought that was a great idea. Ella planned how it would go and we made a poster and she designed an activity for the kids (colour in the recylable and stick it on the recycling truck). She was so nervous, but there was no question she was going ahead with it. She's a strong, smart girl. My heart swelled to see her growing into herself so beautifully.

under my desk as I work

Playdough Shop

Ella says: My friend Kaelan made some chocolate mice and I made lots of different little biscuits and cuppacakes.

sharks are friends

Ella's started a campaign against shark-finning and is learning about sharks ("Sharks are good people"). At the aquarium she could identify the shark species we saw - Port Jackson, Leopard, Carpet and Grey Nurse. We stood among the Grey Nurse sharks, stingrays and large fish in the walk-through tank. She stands proud in her defense of sharks - sees them as beautiful and good, deserving of sympathy and respect, and rejects the popular view of sharks as killers. I heard her telling a boy at the aquarium that they only bite humans "by accident sometimes."

reading to Ella's dolly

Ella writes: I was reading to my dolly. The book was about animals. I was reading her the book because she was getting a bit upset. Her name is Anika.

a box full of chatters

Ella's chatting away, chat chat chat, as I'm putting her to bed so I say:

"Chat, chat, chat - do you ever stop chatting? Stop chatting now - it's time to go to sleep."

And she says:

"I am a chatterbox. Yes I am just a box full of chatters."

--------

girlympics

so beautiful

I love this picture. Ella's arm wrapped around me, cuddled tight, a quiet moment. And how the camera can deceive - in real life Ella is hanging on to me for dear life - about to go for a crazy, noisy ride on the Mummy racing car.

Have wings, be sparkly, wear red shoes