Friday = Forest School day!
He loves playing in the mud!!
Today I received the new catalogue from Community Playthings. These little beds are adorable, so cozy!
Taking Otto for an afternoon walk. It's just so incredibly dark and cold!!
We recently bought Otto a little dust buster and he loves it!!
Helping to hang out the washing (which is never going to dry outside). I always try to give him a little basket of washing of his own to hang up.
Another day as tourists. This is Bradford-on-Avon. So much English charm.
Today we visited Cardiff Castle in Wales. We have visited a lot of castles around the UK but perhaps this is our favourite! And to visit Wales, was amazing. It's so green and beautiful. We also tried some Welsh Cawl - it was delicious.
That's Caspar and Otis up there. They ran up and down these stairs so many times. But it's not so easy to do with a sleeping 15 month old in a baby carrier.
The red dragon.
Cardiff! Love the national pride!
Of course we picked up one of our very own Welsh love spoons, and was told the complete history of them. We love souvenir shops and this one was good!! Is it crazy that I want all of these?
Currently watching!!!
So much love for this little red wheelbarrow!!
Currently reading and loving slow by Isabelle Huiban (UK link only here).
A few things in Otto's Christmas stocking at 15 months.
At what age did you first take your children to the theatre? We took Otto a couple of months ago and I had to take him outside after the interval because he wouldn't stop talking! But just before Christmas (at 15 months) we took him to The Nutcracker and he loved it. It was aimed at children/families so perhaps that why he found it so entertaining. He sat through the entire performance, clapping at the right times and swinging his legs to the music. So proud!
Christmas Eve - watching Christmas Movies in bed with my three children, eating Christmas chocolates!
A couple of interesting Christmas gifts. For Caspar (11yrs) Stories For Boys Who Dare to Be Different. For Otis (7rs) Forest School Adventure: Outdoor Skills and Play for Children.
A few things going into Otis' Christmas Stocking.
Caspar and Otis in their own Snow Globe, in Bath.
Christmas in Bath!
We've been using Bio-glitter this year. Have you used it before? It feels really different to regular glitter. I can't work out what it is made of (cellulose core?) but it's 90% biodegradable.
Caspar and Otis learning how to use a saw at Forest School today.
How do you dress your children for Forest School? Otto is now wearing snow/winter boots (with a wool lining) and they have been a game changer.
Otis made this little Christmas decoration! I think it's a Santa but it could be an elf?! I am loving all the homemade Christmas deocrations on our shelves!
A smaller version of Otis' outdoor weather station! This is so simple, easy to do and the children can learn so much.
Forest School love!! It was absolutely freezing!!
Just chopping some banana and strawberry!
Watering plants at this age is always best learnt outside! These are going to look beautiful.
The older boys and I are trying to make these Christmas stars. We have three books but ALL the instructions are in German!!
Not a day passes when I'm not asked where I am from. Often I am caught off guard. Often I feel like I am fitting in, then suddenly I am reminded that we are foreigners and so very far from home. No matter how hard we try we are not locals. This lovely parcel arrived today from my favourite sister-in-law - Noosa chocolate!
Taking Otto on a nature walk - but all he wants to do is play with the sticks!
Some Christmas themed nature discovery boxes. Perfect for this time of year!
Our Christmas night light - the silhouette is changeable so we can have other themes. It has such a lovely warm glow.
Our Advent candles - before lighting them!
A few pictures from Forest School today! Above is the outdoor xylophone, I wish we had one of these at home. Today we saw some deer in the forest - it was so magical!
And the mud kitchen again! Spaces like this are important to new walkers, he walks around it holding on when he gets tired from standing.
This really cute and natural stacking toy arrived today. I love the texture!
This is a fantastic toddler Christmas book! First 100 Cristmas Words Board Book.
His most prized possession is his broom! (In the new pants)
I am not familiar with this company but thought we would try out these waterproof pants made from recycled materials.
In Australia holly is hard to find and it is expensive. The opposite is true in England. So much holly and it's beautiful!! On our way back from our drive to the farm shop we stopped by at a farm and ended up picking out a beautiful Norway Spruce Christmas tree, a holly wreath and bunches of holly and mistletoe. Very different to our Christmas in Australia.
My children love novelty/shaped pasta. How cute is this Christmas pasta?
A few cute pictures from Otto's toddler Forest School class.
Toy rotation day. Don't forget to rotate the 'big' toys too.
Someone has been growing ... mushrooms!
Otis has been growing beans!!
We spent the weekend on the Isle of Wight. This is Carisbrook Castle. It's amazing to tour real castles.
Loving this - The European Community of Stones Amphitheatre (ECOS) in Frome.
This puzzle is a little advanced for Otto, but I still love it. I think it's called trees of Great Britain.
A lovely new children's poetry book!
The boys love these venus fly trap plants!! This one is thriving.
Otto at 13 months using the strawberry slicer. He is refusing to wear an apron, it's tricky isn't it, to respect their wishes while also protecting their clothes, at this young age it's difficult for them to understand and I feel they are too young to learn from consequences (you can't bake until you have your apron on).
He loves to chop with his little knife.
Tadpole to Frog - I love this board book, it has nice clear photographs and is scientifically accurate.
Have you ever seen a swimming hedgehog? This is a cute pic from one of Otis' subscriptions that arrived today, Eco Kids Planet. Caspar and Otis are still on half term break so it's great to have extra reading material on hand.
Some print making using clear perspex acrylic plastic sheets. We haven't tried this before but both Caspar and Otis loved it!
Beautiful coloured carrots, always a favourite.
Halloween playdough!
I'm finding it easy to spend three hours a day outside with this little one. Not so easy to keep him warm and dry. He will take his socks off and any warm bonnet that I put on him. I received a question on FB about how to keep kids/babies clean while playing outside, if cleanliness is your priority it's going to be difficult to allow the child to fully explore their environment. We almost always finish outside play with a warm bath. It's almost weather for gloves/mittens, I am not sure how we will be able to explore the environment when it gets that cold!
This is a picture from my Instagram account, of Otto's new snack area. I will try to get a better/wider picture soon. He has his weaning table to the left and a small table with his chopping board and his cooking table to the right. He isn't walking but can stand confidently enough to work standing at a table. Putting just three fruits out gives Otto choice without me having to even say anything!
I can't wait to show you this! I will be reviewing this box of lovely materials + more next week!
I wanted to write an article about Almanacs, but I couldn't find many good ones for children. Let me know if you have any recommendations. We will be using this one in 2019!
When we were living in Brisbane, the boys mentioned to a waitress in our favourite cafe, that we were moving to the UK. She told us that we must visit the Frome markets. As it turns out we now love the Frome markets and rarely miss one!
Is it Autumn yet?! Our first Autumn in the UK has been all kinds of special. We found our first acorns today! Pictured below is Otis adding to his conker collection.
This is one of the most beautiful toy shop catalogues I have ever read!
I'm sure I will compile these ideas into a blog post one day. I'm not used to cooking and baking with such a young child, Otto is 12 months and not walking, but it doesn't stop him from helping. So two tips I've learnt from baking with him today, one is to use a non slip mat under the mixing bowl, it makes a big difference, the bowl doesn't move at all when he is mixing. Secondly, this bowl was a part of a set that came with his cooking table, it is useful for the very young child as it is wide but low, it has low sides, it's so much easier for the very young child to lift and tip things into it and to mix, they don't have to reach so high.
Our first time baking together (without Otis). His first time mixing the dough. It was all the feels, all the Montessori magic. I was slow and precise with my movements and Otto just took it all in, there was no throwing, no crawling off, I had his 100% attention, he was absorbed!
Some nature study!
Above, Otto with the shape sorter at 12 months. This one has a changeable lid so it grows with the child!
Otto using the coin box at 12 months.
Practical life at 12 months, tearing basil for pasta sauce.
I presented this to Otto recently (at twelve months) and he got it straight away! Love this threading activity.
We are using the FunPod 4-5 times a day, sometimes more! (A pic taken from my IG account.)
He is such a happy baby!
Our postie puts our parcels in Otto's wagon, and Otto brings them inside.
Otis has been doing some collecting! I was surprised to see what he found and what interested him, he loves looking at the decaying leaves (in the centre of the bowl). We preserved the autumnal leaves with beeswax earlier in the day, so they look nice and glossy here. Autumn is also a tricky word to spell, so it's nice to have it visible on the nature table (Otis is still taught cursive at school).
Apparently, Otis (7 yrs) now plays (tag) Rugby! Above he is about to tackle/tag. It's a school sport, not something I would have chosen for him, but he enjoyed it. Our UK school offers so much more sport than our previous Australian schools. It might not suit everyone but my children thrive being active. In one week Otis played rugby, football/soccer, judo (three times a week) and had swimming and tennis lessons.
Do you remember that feeling as a child, of running down a hill as fast as you can and not being able to stop?
What I am currently reading to the younger boys at night, using the night light! It has references to Cornwall which is just lovely and reminds us of our visit there this summer. Collected Poems for Children.
Caspar and Otis have been making some beeswax sculptures. The candles are perfect for warming up their hands and the wax.
Otto has turned one! We've given him Otis' wooden barn (one of the few toys that we bought from Australia) and a few old Schleich animals. He only has four animals right now as so many of the others are choking hazards, Otto still puts so much in his mouth - the cat, chickens, rabbits, piglets were all too small. For his birthday we gave him the little wooden tractor and trailer, and some new play silks (peek a boo is still his favourite game).
A start of our nature basket for Autumn. These colours are lovely. These were just in our front yard. I've pressed them hoping to do some art with them, but we'll see what the boys want to do!
A few pictures of our Sunday morning. Above Otto (11 months) is whisking his eggs for breakfast. I'm teaching him to use slow and deliberate movements.
Wiping down his table using a little sponge.
Eating (mostly) with a fork. He knows how to use it but often puts it down and uses his hands, who can blame him? He's using this this placemat as it's non-slip.
Drinking with his weaning cup. He's working on putting it down softly on the table when he is finished, not throwing it on the floor.
It's a long weekend here so we decided to explore parts of Cornwall. We started in St Ives which may be the most beautiful place I've ever visited.
It can be difficult taking Otto to the beach because he puts everything in his mouth. So we found a spot away from any choking hazards like rocks and shells. He ate a little sand but was ok. Unlike my other two children he loves textures, he loves the sand. He would run it between his hands and look at it, he loved moving his feet in it.
Above and below at St Ives.
This weekend we also visited Land's End, which is literally at the end of the country!
This is another well-used toy at 11 months. An object permanence ball push. The child uses their hand to push the balls through. Ours is from Absorbent Minds (UK) but I have seen the same at other Montessori specific stores.
Up and down. I love to watch his whole of body movements using his ball tracker.
One of Otto's current favourites (at 11 months), the wooden pop-up toy.
Have you seen these Indestructibles books? There were a couple in our Paris apartment and I was so relieved I could give Otto a book and not worry about him destroying it. These are chew proof, rip proof, non-toxic and washable. They are not as engaging as some of our other books but I would still recommend them if your child likes to chew (or eat) paper books. These are usually in my nappy bag to take when traveling as I don't have to worry about them getting damaged.
This is a picture from my Instagram, it's too cute not to share here. After looking online at everyone's discovery baskets I put a few of our larger shells together (and I purchased a couple new) for a shell basket. The textures are really different and the patterns are amazing!
Otis' treasure found at Lulworth Cove, could it be a fossil (we are on the Jurassic Coast!)??
Lulworth Cove in Dorset.
The UK has such a diverse coastline, so beautiful. This is Durdle door.
Visiting The White Horse at Westbury. It looks amazing.
Caspar reading about the White Horse at Westbury.
Otto noticing the small things. At Westbury.
So excited that we are again going to be working with Soft Star Shoes!! They are a wonderful ethical company that makes really soft infant shoes but also Montessori and Waldorf Classroom shoes.
Loving the texture of this lotus pod.
His first pizza at our favourite (UK) pizza place - Dough. I love this age for eating out - when they can independently sit in the high chair and feed themselves, giving you at least 5 minutes to eat in peace - before they start grabbing for your food!!
Bath really is so beautiful! The boys go to Bath twice a week for Judo and it's also one of our favorite places to shop. The Roman Baths are amazing too.
Earlier in the year we ordered some personalised stationary for Otis, and he loves it! These are the perfect size for little letters or thank you notes.
I wasn't planning on taking the kids to the Louvre, but my husband insisted. I'm SO glad that he did. It was so beautiful and so amazing, and also overwhelming. It was a wonderful experience for all of us.
Otis, living his best life in Paris! On the Eiffel Tower carousel.
Laduree macarons - every day. Also sorbet and gelato every day - it's summer time after all!
Our apartment is only just around the corner from Rue Cler - a wonderful market street with macarons, cheese shops, bakeries, fruit shops, icecream and chocolate shops and cafes and delis.
We are so lucky that our Paris apartment is a perfect fit for our children, it has a baby room, a children's room (including toys), highchairs - everything we could wish for, including little tiny chairs for Otto!
A Sensory Basket for Otto (10 months). This has small parts and Otto is still putting everything in his mouth, so I sit with him while he uses this basket. All of these items are scented and provide a lovely sensory experience, it allows the child to touch and feel and smell real things, different things. In the basket we have a dried lemon and lime, bay leaves, kaffir lime leaves, dried lemon grass, cinnamon sticks and vanilla pods.
When gardening I'm much more capable with indoor plants, or those in pots or baskets. I'm loving our hanging baskets at the moment. I apologise for the quiet start to the week. We had some sad family news back in Australia. Yesterday the boys Grandad passed away. My husband has flown back to Australia but it's been a difficult week. Caspar and Otis are terribly sad and are now missing their Dad, it's hard being so far away from friends and family.
Otis' skittle experiment! It looks so pretty!
This RSPB Nature Clipboard is brilliant. It contains a book with lots of nature based activities, activity sheets, identification sheets and a nature spotter chart. It is British/UK based and is a lovely resource for taking little ones out in nature.
I must be doing something right, my very healthy Pilea is sprouting babies!!!
Otis (7 years) and his friends are crazy about David Walliams. Otis is currently reading The World's Worst Children.
It's not just Montessori things, I am committed to handmade and love Etsy for just about everything, including linen!
We spent the weekend at West Bay Beach in Dorest. All week, all I could think of was the fresh sea air. We are trying to make plans for our summer holidays (including Paris!) but all I want is to find a nice secluded beach. This coastline is absolutely gorgeous, I want to move here. Does it look familiar to you? A lot of the beach scenes from the series Broadchurch (I love a good English crime series) were set here including around this cliff (especially in the the first series, first episode). We didn't know that this was a pebble beach though, it was so hard to walk on. I also made a few DIY Montessori materials for Otto this weekend, hopefully I can take some photogoraphs and share soon.
This is a little fishing town with lots of fresh seafood.
I just ordered this... With free shipping to the UK! I still convert everything to AUD, I can never work out the price in Pounds.
This children's wooden fruit and vegetable cutter arrived today! It's lovely, I actually really, really like it. It would be suitable for a young toddler for cutting fruit, cheese in place of a crinkle cutter and I love the wood feel. I can't wait until Otto is old enough to use it!
I am not sure if all UK schools are the same, but our UK school has a policy that is very different from our schools in Australia. Our school has a 48-hour sick rule. If the child has been vomiting they cannot go back to school for 48 hours. Otis was sick on the weekend but felt better Monday. Because of this policy, he cannot go back to school until Wednesday. It's excellent in that it helps to limit illnesses that can sometimes feel endless because they keep on going around at school. So Otis has been at home being very helpful with Otto, here he is supervising Otto using his nature discovery basket. Otto needs to be supervised with this, as you can see, he put absolutely everything in his mouth.
We made it to Stonehenge which is an amazing place. The boys had so many questions - it was wonderful. So many questions about this place remain unanswered I love that the children can discuss what they think happened and why. This is a must see if you visit the UK!
Otis refused to be in the same photo as Caspar?!?
Trying out Otis' new Illuminated Mini Beasts Centre, it's solar powered and lights up at night to attract mini beasts, what a wonderful idea! This would make a great gift idea too. Can you see the little doors on the sides, so you can observe what you catch for a while before releasing it. The idea is also to support British moths!
And how it looks at night! It really lights up! We can't wait to see what we find in the morning.
There are lots of things to love about the UK, including Farm Shops! They are everywhere we travel and they always have the best produce.
This is picture perfect, can you believe it was taken by me, on my iPhone? We have learnt that there is no such thing as bad weather, unless there is thunder you must get out even in the light rain. This was such a lovely walk and the kids took in so much.
These pictures are from Stourhead in Wiltshire.
We had an amazing day at the Bath and West show. It was our first British show! The boys loved it! Who knew there were so many breeds of pigs, sheep, cattle, and chickens? The pigs were gorgeous, Otis just adored them and didn't want to leave. And now we are all absolutely exhausted, what a big day!
The Horticultural displays were my favourite.
Amazing!!
An Air plant display at the Bath and West Show. So beautiful, I love air plants, they are so unusual. I hope my air plants back in Australia are still alive!
It's our half term break and it's been so rainy. Today Otis made these cute mini cupcakes and some small star shaped Confetti cakes. He used the Confetti Party Cake recipe at Smitten Kitchen. This Funfetti Cake recipe at My Name is Yeh looks good too.
Although we couldn't find the exact sprinkles recommended (the artificially coloured cylinder type) so ours weren't as colourful on the inside. We'll keep our eyes open for the sprinkles and will try again.
Love plants in bottles!
Otis' rocks from Weymouth beach.
Otis' insect collection... when you live in a different country and even the insects are different.
We made a weekend trip to Weymouth in Dorset! We were very much in need of a beach visit.
Although I prefer a more secluded beach!
Still it was very beautiful. The fresh sea air is everything.
The friend who recommended Weymouth mentioned it was very touristy, she was right! There was an amusement park right on the beach. I think we'll visit Bournemouth next, please email me (howwemontessori@gmail.com) if you have any accommodation recommendations.
Otis and Caspar admiring the view from Northe Fort, poor Otto is rarely in any of our sightseeing photos as he is almost always in the baby carrier.
Some new nature books! Lots: The Diversity of Life on Earth, Bug Detective: Amazing facts, myths and quirks of nature and A First Book of Nature. (We already have a copy of A First Book of Nature but unfortunately left it in Australia).
Otis is entertaining Otto with his 'science experiment'. Do your kids do this? It's water with some paint and a few leaves and feathers, and salt - a few things Otis has thrown in to see what happens.
Snack time! Otto at seven months at his weaning table.
Craziness at the Frome Independent Markets. It was so super busy! A baby carrier is a must at these markets, some areas are cobblestone, there are lots of tight inclines and so many people. But it's my favourite market in the UK (so far). We always take home so much from these markets but most of all I love buying handmade ceramics (so I'm feeling fufilled).
Nature walking, it's the best. It's also 25°C and a long weekend!
So much green, it's gorgeous.
The English countryside, the view only a couple of minutes walk from our house.
These are the tastiest things Otis has ever made!! Mini Lemon Bundt Cakes. One of our (German) neighbors recently made this gorgeous Bundt cake. I was feeling so inspired I bought a mini Bundt pan. Within a day or so Otis has put the pan to good use! Recipe adapted from The Little Kitchen.
Otis' sea rock collection from Morecambe (Lancashire).
It's all about the sea here at the moment. Where should we visit next?
Luckily we have lots of resources (books) about the seashore on hand.
I love Otis' little display on the mirror, including the sea glass. Makes me think we could incorporate mirrors into more of our nature displays and perhaps observational work and art work... something to think about. It looks so pretty.
I love how Basil does this and shoots off new roots.
Some cookbook inspiration.The Forest Feast Gatherings, The Forest Feast for Kids and River Cottage Baby and Toddler Cookbook. The Forest Feast books are visually stunning and all three have lots of good vegetarian ideas.
Otis collecting shells and stones at Morecambe. He learnt a lot about tides on this visit, this coastline is amazing. The tide goes all the way out almost as far as the eye can see, when it comes in, it comes in really far, Otis would be underwater. Our hotel overlooked this lighthouse and the sunset views were absolutely beautiful.
This picture above was taken from the balcony of our hotel room. We woke to the sounds of seagulls (which I know not everyone would enjoy!). It was gorgeous.
Love these new nappies that just arrived today, the designs are so cute!
After school cookies and painting!
He isn't reaching for or pulling up on his arch yet so we made it into a tunnel to crawl through!
Otis has been doing some more leaf dye printing Hapa Zome, these are all leaves, mostly geranium leaves, they are nice and thick so perfect for printing! So nice!!
I love the concept of this new release book. It's a bit old for Otto, best for toddlers an preschoolers but I'm glad we have it for later! Wiggles by Touch Think Learn.
Happy birthday to my dear sweet boy Otis!
Over the long weekend we did what a lot of British people do - explore gardens and historic buildings. Here we are at a drive-through Safari. We've never been anywhere like this. We were so close to the animals. Yep, monkeys on your car.
This was so close. The black and white stripes you can see in the car window is the reflection of Otto's top, we were less than a meter away from this lion.
It's not everyday we get to see an Anteater (I've never seen one before)..
or Pocupines. These were so large. I always thought porcupines would be small, the size of echindas, but these were so much bigger.
And of course, the large historic buildings. That's Caspar and Otis in the doorway. It was so, so beautiful inside.
Tonight Caspar (10yrs) cooked dinner. He doesn't really enjoy cooking but will do it when asked. This week it's the school holidays and I asked for him to plan for and cook one meal. He also had to pick out all of the ingredients while we were at the store. I think it's a life skill that is so important. So it was chicken stir-fry! I didn't leave the kitchen while he was cutting up the chicken... I was so worried he would cross-contaminate everything, he was ok but still not completely comfortable with handling raw meat.
It's finally warm enough to for some Spring plantings!! We're using a fabulous, all included Flowers Growing Kit (c/o Manine Montessori).
Today was so sunny and so beautiful! Did I mention the boys now have three weeks of school holidays! Otis spent most of the day outside riding his bike, we had to move to the other side of the world for him to have such a carefree childhood. We are now living in a rural area, some have called it semi-rural, we are within a township but it's small, in Australia we lived in Brisbane in a busy suburb. Anyway, carefree days of playing and bike riding sound really good to me!
Otis was loving this (Caspar did some planting too), it's really our first time gardening here.
We had a super busy day today and I didn't take many new pictures. The older boys has their school Spring Showcase at school today. It was like a school assembly but to celebrate the Spring Equinox. It was our first British school assembly/performance and it was so, so much more professional than I had experienced in Australia. It was fantastic and the boys were really proud to be a part of it. These are a few pictures I took for Instagram. Otto is teething right now (top teeth), so I'm trying to see the bright side of things. Our spring school holidays start next week!
Today... now! It's a snow day. The boys' school is open as it's a boarding school, but there is no way we could make it, we are totally and completely snowed in!
There is something really satifying about using cloth nappies! Is it weird that I love washing and folding them?? I know that I personally like nappies with the velcro (not snap) closures, and I've found these easier than the cloth squares we used when Otto was smaller. I ordered a lot of the specific "nappy wash powder" only to find that my washing machine doesn't like it. The washing machine was brand new in February... it doesn't flush out all the powder from the dispenser area, most of it sits there and accumulates, no matter the temperature I use. So I'm now using a standard laundry liquid (non-bio) which seems to be working just fine.
Cute artwork by Otis using some nature stickers.
Otto has started his journey into eating soilds! Until today, he's only had yoghurt and puree banana, avocado, blueberries, rapberries and stawberries, and often the fruit mixed into the yoghurt. So much fruit! It's time to start him on some vegies! Today I started steaming and making some vegetable puree. Hope he likes it?!? Starting with single foods only, introduced over a week or so, butternut squash, carrots, broccoli and sweet potato. The puree butternut squash tasted so good, I might make it into some soup for the rest of the family!
I ordered these for Otis' birthday. But I couldn't wait and gave them to him as soon as he got home from schoool!! From Dino Raw in Australia.
I read a blog post that said you can grow these, String of Hearts, in water... let's see.
Mother's Day flowers. My first Mother's Day as a mother to three (!) boys. In the UK Mother's Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, three weeks before Easter Sunday? Well that's so easy to remember!
Today's mail, my Etsy haul! Sensory bags for Otto, although I will wait until he stops putting things in his mouth before I give these to him, one has coffee beans in it, which I don't want him sucking on. The gorgeous candle is for me and the British Butterflies and Wildflower Illustrated stickers are for my little artist, Otis.
Crocus is my favourite online gardening store! Their catalogue is lovely with so many gorgeous pictures, perfect for little ones learning to cut and paste.
Otto is spending lots of time rolling and on his tummy, creeping and on all fours rocking, learning to crawl!!
On his back and resting.
Otto, exploring his new weaning spoon.
We had an awesome weekend. The boys made this snowman just next to our front door. Our first ever, real, snowman!
Why we love National Geographic Kids! This picture is amazing and challenges our preconceived ideas - goats in trees?
Could life get any crazier? Now we are surrounded by snow! Most schools were closed today but our school was still open. But now the roads are completely snowed over, so no school tomorrow! The boys spent the afternoon free ranging and playing with the neighbours in the street. They are such a good, good bunch of kids. Sleighs and snow balls abound!
We had a little snow last week but not like this, today was so special.
Shared shelves!
I think everyone in England has some of these growing on their windowsills! It is a lovely way for children to observe growth over the winter months.
Isn't this whale planter super cute!?! Trying to find cute, but cheaper, planters for Otto and Otis' rooms, handmade if possible... it's fun looking!
At five months, Otto hasn't started solids yet, but he has started sitting with us at the table for breakfast and dinner!
I adore this name puzzle, perhaps when Otto is older he can use it to learn his name, it's a really easy name for a young one to learn to write and spell. I remember Otis learning his name and it took him years before he got the 's' right.
On our walk home from school. It's really green here, but cold, look at all the bare trees.
We have been made to feel very welcome here. Over the weekend we attended our first British birthday party. I was cautious, would it be relaxed, casual, and fun, like Australian parties or more formal or uptight? It turns out it's pretty much just like at home, with the exception of some of the food. I've found the same for playdates, they are exactly the same as playdates in Australia, the kids (almost) play the same games and like the same things.
This was a party for one of Otis' friends. The party had a science theme. Here the children took turns holding fire. Above is Otis' before shot (all excited) and the second is during!
Packages from Manine Montessori!! If you are in UK and Europe you must have a look at this store, it has so many Montessori materials for the home.
Rotate mobiles just as you would rotate toys!
"Surround the child in beauty". I love this woven rattle, it is beautiful, completely natural and handmade and it's stood up to every day use including being chewed on. It's a keepsake!
I want everything in here! Loving Muddyfaces! It's a bit like the old Michael Olaf catalogues in that it is filled with ideas and inspiration.
Otto (five months) fast asleep on his floor bed!
These are really awesome puzzles for toddlers. I bought them for Otto thinking for perhaps around 18 months but looking at them I think more like for two year olds. If I see something fabulous I always try to get it, you never know when people will stop making it or not replace it. These are two, three and four piece wood, hand cut farm animal puzzles from Absorbent Minds (UK).
Trying to relax!
There are so many teething toys out there, it's hard to know which ones your child will like. After walking around a store one day and allowing him to literally chew on the sleeve of my linen shirt, I concluded that Otto might like more fabric type teethers. He still loves to chew/gnaw on his skwish, wooden ring and the handle of a wooden rattle, but these two toys pictured, the rabbit lovey and the koala crochet rattle are his current favourite. At four months he has his two bottom teeth and loves to chew and kind of pull on these while biting them.
My hobbies - indoor gardening, and reading about indoor gardening! On the left - String of Hearts.
Generally I'm not a fan of children's subscription services, it's hard to find ones that are good value. This one however we are giving a go! Otis is going to love it!! (I've already opened it and had a look).
Otis on our walk to school this morning. There's no such thing as bad weather! Poor Otis forgot his gloves this morning, natural consequences, I am sure he won't forget again (by the time I found out it was too far to go back). So many good things about walking to school, it's so refreshing but the boys are loving stopping in at the bakery on the way. We are making amazing memories in the every day.
Otis has been asking since we arrived, so today we did it. An after-school visit to the pottery cafe! I can't wait to see the results, he only had time to paint one plate and now needs to wait for it to be fired.
Otto (at four months) is enjoying his rubber sensory ball. I love the different textures!
First and foremost as a Montessori family... go for a nature walk! Today we took a look around (but didn't entirely cover) our local nature reserve, this is the nearby park which is lovely, even on a dark and cold winter's day! We didn't see any wildlife other than the ducks in the park and the gray (introduced) squirrel. We are still fascinated by the local squirrels much to the amusement of our neighbours.
Otto's first ride in his new pram! We did a test walk to the boys' new school. We will be practising what we preach this year about getting outside, and that includes adults too (no pregnancies to use as an excuse). Our walk to school is around thirty to fourty minutes and takes us right through the village centre. It's going to be a great way to get to know our local community. My conclusion after today's walk is that Otto is snug as a bug, but I need thermal gloves, if such things exist (I wore leather gloves and my fingers still ache).
A little life update! All of our boxes from Australia arrived safely today!! I am SO thankful to be surrounded by some of our own things again. Only one minor breakage of a baking dish. My computer arrived in one piece and hopefully I will be back here more often. I found it difficult to publish from my laptop and we've all been so tired. Before we left Australia Otto was sleeping through the night, often for 9-10 hours straight. But it all changed once we arrived in the UK and he is waking frequently. Hopefully he will settle back into a good sleeping rhythm soon. Caspar (10yrs) and Otis (6yrs) had a trial day at their new school this week. They both loved it. They have really small class sizes and I think this helped them to feel welcome. We have since ordered their school uniforms and they should start school next week! I'm excited to relax a little and to start to feel at home here. We are starting to settle into some of our Montessori home environments, which I will share with you soon!
What is one of the first things you do when you move towns (cities/countries/continents)? Check out the local library! We still don't have our Australian air freight, it's due this Thursday. At least now after a visit to the library we have some books to read. The boys have a trial day at their (potential) new school tomorrow. They are both extremely nervous, fingers crossed it goes well for them! I wish there was a way to make it easier for them.
So sorry for the silence, it was not intentional. We have made it to our house in the UK however it took much longer than expected to get the internet connected. We have our new UK furniture but are waiting on our Australian things, including my desktop computer, which are expected any day. I can't wait to be surrounded by a few familiar things again. The move has been hard on all of us, while we love exploring this new country we are lacking any type of rhythm. We are also terribly busy doing lots of administration that is required when you move countries including getting the boys ready for their new school. A new blog post should be up in the next day or so!
We have been exploring our new neighborhood in the rain and looking for paths through the woods. It's so rainy here! Isn't this post office box cute??
We only had two and a half days in London. Otto and I slept the first day. I slept so little on the plane that I just couldn't help but sleep when we made it to our apartment. We stayed on High Street in Kensington so on our second day we went to the Natural History Museum, which the boys loved!! I'd seen so many photos of this museum online it was amazing to see it in real life. While my husband checked into work, the boys and I explored High Street including finding some amazing pastries!
The boys could have listened to this lovely volunteer forever! She was so interesting and engaging.
Yay, we made it to London!! We flew from Brisbane to Singapore (9 hrs) and Otto slept almost the entire way. We had a three hour stop over in Singapore (9pm-12am local time). Then a long flight (13 hrs) to London. The flight to London was sooo long, and Otto had a tooth come through. So thankful for the advice to bring Panadol on board. We arrived in London around 6am local time. Caspar and Otis really enjoyed the flights, so many movies!!
These are terrible iPhone pictures of Otto's little movement area in our new apartment (still in Brisbane). I wasn't planning on packing any mobiles but after I asked for advice on Facebook I received a few suggestions about places to hang mobiles that I had not considered before (thank you Nicole and Emma). Feeling inspired I packed a few mobiles and found it easy to hang them. I also introduced Otto to the butterfly mobile which was completely new to him (he is loving it). Above the butterfly mobile is hanging from an air vent. The black and white images are on the door to the laundry. It has been well worth the effort of setting up this area. We have been able to maintain a sense or normalcy and rhythm for Otto even while travelling. Next stop London!
We have moved out of our house in preparation for our posting to the UK. We are currently staying in a lovely apartment in South Brisbane (above is the view). We fly out next week. While I have internet access I will give a few updates here. I hope to publish a blog post or two along the way! Stay tuned.
I made a set of these for Otto and a set for my little nephew, for when they are a little older. I had heaps of natural wooden eggs and cups so I dyed them to make a colour matching egg and cup set. Super simple to do and it's a cute little colour matching activity.
We had to move Otto's movement area into our living area as we had guests in his room. As we move out of our home in a couple of days we've decided to leave it here, rather than further confuse him and move it back into his room. We had to increase the size of the movement area and combined two playmats, he was moving so much he was pushing against his shelves or his mirror (I don't like him slithering on the old carpet). As our paediatric physio said "environment shapes development". I'll remember that quote forever.
Last weekend he started consistently and repeatedly rolling from his back to his tummy and had two teeth come up, on the same day! There is monumental development at this age (three months). He is also sleeping on his tummy, which I don't like, but I turn him onto his back and he just rolls over on his tummy again.
Finding 'Otto' books at the library!
Cute whales!
Otto's ball basket.
These two!
Always with his fingers in his mouth! Having a morning nap with Caspar.
Lovvving the Dancers Mobile!
Who knew the Skwish was so tasty? It's his favourite thing to chew.
I don't really know how to dress a baby for the UK winter, but I'm loving these woolens!
Way too cute!
In our garden! So many Rainbow Lorikeets at this time of year.
Thank you so much to Irene for the book recommendation!
"Don't come into the kitchen, I'm making you a surprise!" He is the best hot chocolate maker and so good at surprises! Yummo. Trying to catch some one-on-one time with my middle child while his little brother sleeps and his big brother is at a movie with friends. Out of all three he is the firecracker, so full of spark and energy!! And he lovvves those marshmallows!
Otto (3 months) Christmas present is this gorgeous little bird rattle. It's so sweet! Thankfully it arrived in time, you never know when ordering from overseas.
A couple of friends have asked about Snappis! This is it (the blue thing)! We most often use these nappies at home as they are not so good for long car trips. At home I often don't even put on a cover, Otto will let me know as soon as he has used it. Allows the child to be aware of their body and wetness.
At the park, every day!
This is Christmas in Australia! Loving these Christmas lights in our street. Looking at Christmas lights has been a good way to encourage our night walks (more like at dusk!). This is a pretty typical suburban Australian scene.
Loving some infant massage with Otto!
Oh Brisbane!!
Big art!
The Gladiators exhibit at the Queensland Museum (I was told that children get in free for the rest of the year).
GOMA is looking rather bright!
Photographs of Earth!
Beautiful, at the art gallery!
This woven rattle!
Straight to his mouth! (I don't know how he has the coordination to do this, it was ages before my other children were able to bring items to their mouths).
Moving to the UK, I'm not sure my Aussie children will survive! A maximum of 4 degrees, what do you even wear in such weather?? It's going to be an adventure for sure.
Otto at two months (10 weeks) rolling from tummy to his back. Love watching this development.
Montessori has taught me that I can put my baby down, I can put him in his room on the floor, all alone. When Otto is content (well rested, well fed) he will stay here concentrating and engaged for long periods of time. I can do some washing, do the dishes, always checking in on him. This is what I found when looking in on him for about the tenth time, so surprised that he was still content, I grabbed my camera and took a photo (sneaking around the doorway as not to distract him).
Otto is still engaged by the Octahedron mobile! It's a winner for sure. Looking at this picture I can see he isn't perfectly positioned underneath it, he probably should be back another ten centimeters or so and by now the mobile could go up a little! Soon it will be the Gobbi mobile, but just not yet. This is the same Octahedron mobile that Otis used over six years ago (made by lovely Meg)!!! Where does time go??
If you haven't noticed - Otto is growing up fast! He is constantly needing new (and bigger) clothes. So far we have used softer colours but perhaps it's time for something brighter! Here are some great choices from Baby Goes Retro (we have and love the rainbow pants, they are super soft!). They have lots more gorgeous baby clothes here. I adore the balloons and apples!!
My beautiful little chicken, at two months.
Otis was home from school today feeling unwell. However he was able to make us both hot chocolates. He is sooo good at this. Yes, even marshmallows.
We've started packing up our house for our move. We have removalists coming but I'm sorting what few things we are taking with us and cleaning up/tidying what we are leaving in Australia and putting into storage. We will be taking only a few of our toys and Montessori materials. I'm trying to remember what toys my older boys liked before they turned two so I know what to take for Otto (our posting is for two years). I'll take these cute puzzles, I think he'll like them, perhaps around the 18 month point??
It's time to get out those Christmas catalogues!
Another non-mobile idea to promote visual tracking and concentration. A few playsilks hung on the side of the playgym. I put on the nearby ceiling fan too which gave them just a bit of movement.
Where you will find us after school... Marché du Macaron!
I'm going to try making these myself at Christmas! What a fun idea. Also from Marché du Macaron.
I want to rotate his mobile but his still looks at it like this! He's not ready to let this one go yet, he's still too engaged. I've never met a baby who didn't love (and visually track) the Octahedron mobile.
Yes, we do tummy time. He can now push himself one to two body lengths forward. During tummy time I love for his legs (knees and feet) to be free of clothing so they can really dig into the mat.
An iceblock and cookies at the Northey Street market, at least they're organic right? Otis made this cute little person (above next to him) from clay in the Earth Arts section, while Otto slept in the baby carrier, giving me some nice quiet time to eat breakfast. We are really going to miss this market!!
He went to the dentist today (at eight weeks). We all need dental clearance for our overseas move, Otto included. It was super cute, the dentist just had a look and a feel around his gums. He was the perfect patient! And we've moved Otto's mirror into our living area. This movable mirror is one of the best things we've bought, he loves it so much. Look at those little fingers and toes!
Bath time and big blue eyes!
Have you ordered from Jamie Kay (NZ) before? These colours are gorgeous. Wake up Otto, I want to try these on you!
Otis (6yrs) at school this morning, working on the Montessori Multiplication Chart.
Our Spring Nature Table! All rainbows and birds.
We found this gorgeous (and new) cheese shop in Brisbane. Otis was bedazzeled! So many cheeses.
I can't wait to use these. The Mededith Dairy Goats Cheese is familiar though, we almost always have this in our fridge. I've been looking for Pecorino Romano in Brisbane for ages and couldn't find it anywhere... until now. Need cheese? Visit Woodblock Cheese in Bardon (it's on our way to school so it's easy for us to drop in!).
And the store has a lovely story behind it. We met Margie today and she was so helpful and knows her cheese!
This is the largest and most exciting Playmobil sets we've ever had. c/o Parent Direct - check them out for Christmas! This small diving boat has spent a lot of time in our bath tub!!
The bottom part of the ship slides in and out. There are boats, dolphins and so many people!
Surfers, beach buggy!
A playsilk makes the perfect ocean. Loving the cute turtle. This set is amazing!
Tidying and reducing the amount of art materials we have in preparation for packing for the UK!
Last week at the physio. I've never taken any of my children to a physio before so this was a completely new experience. If you are looking for a recommendation for a Paediatric Physiotherapist in Brisbane, send me an email (howwemontessori@gmail.com). Our physio, Lauren, is a good friend and is so respectful and caring.
Sweet Otto. He looks different in every photo.
OMG does anyone have sick children? Our weather has been up and down and everyone in our family has a cold. How do we deal with it? Snotty Grotty Room Spray (c/o Milk Baby) in everyone's bedrooms. Papaya Vapour Balm on the big kids (c/o P'URE Papayacare). For the little one who is so blocked up he's having trouble feeding Fess LIttle Noses!
Caspar turned 10 this week, he's the best big brother anyone could ask for! This is how I shower when Otto won't settle, he really doesn't mind being held by his brothers.
Otis' first Lego technic!
Lego projects! This one is Caspar's! The manual has almost 400 pages...
We are finally feeling comfortable using the Ergo Omni. I've tried (and wasted money) on a couple of carriers but this is my favourite. I've always struggled to feel comfortable using a carrier in the newborn days and I just can't get the soft/cloth/wrap carriers to work for me and feel secure. Otto is now six weeks and he is super comfortable here, it just takes practice! The Ergo Omni doesn't need an infant insert which is fantastic.
At our local library on a ridiculously rainy Saturday morning. I really needed to leave the house and the library is close and great for the kids, they always read so much more after a visit. Otis is wearing (top and bottom) Into the Woods clothing which I adore, it's so soft and comfortable and ideal for children, it's organic and free moving.
I'm appreciating borrowing magazines from the library. Have you read the Wildlife Australia magazines, they are great for the kids, you can see them in my post for magazines for children here.
A few books from the library for Otto. These three are really good and would recommend!
My little Otto. Photo taken by Otis. Don't they love sleeping like this! It's all about skin to skin contact and the maternal points of reference - the mother's heartbeat, breathing (rhythm) and warmth!
Otto (five weeks) playing in his movement area with Otis.
Today was Otto's first visit to the Paediatrician (since leaving hospital). He has a slight side preference (with his neck/head and will need to see a physio) and a mild tongue-tie. He has a couple of other minor niggling issues that I hope sort themselves out before we move to the UK!
Our DIY Swat a Sight Word Game. Using clean/new fly swats and Miss Rhonda's Readers sight word cards. We use some words that Otis (six years) knows and some that he is struggling with. This is non-competitive and a no pressure game. We take turns and swat the words we know (reading the card as we swat them), I also give lots of hints if Otis gets stuck. Otis can also play with Caspar (nine years) which is also fun as they do get competitive (in a good way?) and often end up swatting each other (no one gets hurt!). This game can be played any way you like.
Before going into hospital to give birth to Otto I wrote a post about what I packed in my hospital and labor bag. I didn't end up publishing the post but here is a quick picture that I took. Due having an emergency c-section (after my waters breaking and being in the labor ward for two days) I didn't start straight away with cloth nappies but I had intended to. I met with another mum who recently used cloth nappies from birth, including in the hospital for five days (her husband took home and washed the nappies every day). I felt so inspired, I packed a Tots Bots all-in-one for going home. The kimono style clothing is wonderful for those very tender early days as you don't need to put any clothing over the infant's head. We used the topponcino in hospital as Caspar and Otis wanted to hold Otto all the time! It made a big difference, I am still surprised at how small and fragile newborns are. From previous experience in hospital I knew I needed my favourite hand cream and lip balm, I get dry skin the minute I step into a hospital. The L'Occitane Amande hand cream is good, the problem is they only make them in small sizes which I go through in about a month, the scent is divine. For my lips I use P'URE Papaya Ointment (which is c/o P'URE PAPAYACARE) which uses organic papaya grown in Queensland (also palm oil free), you can also use it on nappy rash and cradle cap! If you are wanting a healthier version of a vapour rub for your children we use the P'URE Vapour Balm which is natural and gentle, using eucalyptus and lemon myrtle (I'm using it on Otis now who is home sick with a cold).
We made it to five weeks! Some times the newborn days just feel like it's about survival, making sure the kids are fed, clean and the big ones get to school on time! This week I was solo parenting, which is tough. Otto and I did all the school drop offs and pickups and even made it to the supermarket and a cafe for the first time. Thankfully I have not had mastitis this week, which is a big focus for me, I've had it two times since Otto has been born and I'm doing everything not to get it again (mastitis hurts so bad). Above Otto is enjoying his Octahedron mobile.
Clean sheet day (and he's fast asleep)!! It's super hot in Brisbane at the moment, so don't worry he isn't cold.
The Chocolate Yogi, this company has a wonderful story! Chocolates are vegan and cruelty-free, contain organic and raw ingredients which are sustainably sourced!
These are the cutest little children's soaps (all palm oil free!).
This rattle! It's a hand turned Australian timber rattle from Etsy.
Wooden beads and rings to DIY some Montessori baby toys!
Otto's wardrobe close up!
Otto and Otis!
Greenery in Otto's room (and a new leaf about to unfold).
Look Look! Black and white board book in the movement area.
Otis (6yrs) and Otto (3 weeks). Somehow Otto sleeps in Otis' arms.
Today Grandma came to visit!
Otto is two weeks old today and we took our first walk to the park! We are trying out the new Ergo OMNI, you can use it from birth without an infant insert. It's going to take a little getting used to (perhaps he needs to come up a bit higher too).
Hummus 101, recipe at Plant-Powered Families. With a baby in the house I need to cook quickly, you just don't know when they will wake from their nap. Hummus is the-most-perfect snack for kids, it's packed full of nutrients, it's wholesome and so tasty (and it only takes around five minutes to make!).
Otis is totally obsessed with these stickers. These are all scratch and sniff stickers and they all smell sooo good. Love the strawberry, watermelon, grape, and popcorn but the pizza are my all time favourite. These are all by Peaceable Kingdom!
Sleepy Otto!
Absolutely loving these handmade, gender neutral and organic baby clothes from Sunny Afternoon (on Etsy). I hope they fit!
I can't wait for Otis to get home from school... he is going to love this!
Caspar admiring his puzzle globe. This a great way to reinforce geography knowledge. Our puzzle globe is c/o Parent Direct.
Still no sign of our baby, I'm feeling really impatient! I'm keeping the house super tidy and keeping up to date with the washing anticipating the baby's arrival! I'm hoping to go straight into cloth nappies and these (wool covers) could do with some more lanolising (water proofing)! We have heaps of all-in-ones (nappies/diapers) so we'll just wait and see which turns out easier for us to use.
Saturday afternoon - Otis is in charge of making the pizza dough! It's always a fine balance between too much water and not enough water. Anyway, it's rising nicely now! I'm telling myself it's the process that's important!!
Both boys are playing with their K'nex today. We are staying in, hoping the baby might come soon! Fingers crossed! I was worried Otis might not use these as much as the age recommendation is 7 yrs+ (Otis is 6yrs), but he loves it as much as Caspar (9yrs). Ours K'nex is c/o the wonderful Parent Direct (Australia). K'nex is perfect for kids who like Lego, but want something a little more complex!
Otis finishing his Crocodile anatomy model.
Always propagating! Loving all these fresh roots.
We adore Sarah Garland and this series of books. This one is gorgeous and an old favourite - Coming to Tea.
A walk along the Brisbane River before school. My very pregnant body can't sit still for long, and the school is so far away (and there is so much traffic!), a short walk helps!
Otis received this fantastic kit for his birthday. We put it aside for a rainy/sick day and today was the day we got it out! I love to have a few ideas put aside for when you need the perfect activity or distraction for the child. This was completely age appropriate and fun. The balls are really bouncy and perfect to give as little gifts (for best friends only!).
Pour the mixture in.
Immerse in water.
And ready to play! These are also glow in the dark.
A Montessori baby can't have too many play mats! This one is gorgeous, found on Etsy.
Loving our new crochet tactile/sensory ball!
Otis doing big work - the Thousand Chain!
Totally overwhelmed, Montessori parents should not enter baby stores! Sensory overload!
Decided we need one of these!
The Stokke newborn attachment, is it worth it?
OMG, too much choice!