In Blake’s dollhouse, big moves in here too
The last six months or so for our family have been full of upheavals, massive changes like new home, new city, new friends, work changes, leaving regular employment for contracting, getting an accountant, family, life and death. It’s like all that hard stuff has happened at once. Urgh, I’m glad to be able to see beyond that now, the day to day keeping on trucking.
Setting up Blake’s dollhouse, a collaboration between Luna and Blake
So the blog has been quiet, but we’ve been so busy, Luna and Blake have largely rolled with it all, we’ve savoured a lifestyle of non-commitment while so much has been up in the air. We’ve been working on settling in the new house, the garden (oh the garden!) finding our bearings, missing loved friends and supportive community, and finding the same slowly, slowly, here.
Dollhouse kitchen
Some of the activities in photos….Blake really wanted to model a volcano using plasticine, so we bought two hunks of the stuff.
Seuss style building
Slicing and stacking
The volcano with hot lava pouring out
The volcano was struck by a rocket and/or had a rocket blasting off it
Blake’s play and making is all about the process, manipulating materials, telling a story about what is happening he seems free of achieving a certain result, and that great sensory hands on play. It’s fun and liberating. It’s like there is no fail or mistake.
Reading, reading, reading
We have been enjoying weekly meet ups at our new library with new friends. Luna and Blake’s reading has been improving quietly, slowly, with lots of graphic novels, audio stories and writing to friends.
Blowing up balloons for a party
Bush walks!
Gardening and mosquito farming
Miniature trees for the model railway landscape
Materials for making
Progress, trees looking a bit like trees
The final result
Making welcome signs for visitors
Blake and his mark making
Luna inserting a zipper into her birthday dress, pattern chosen, pieces cut out and almost completely assembled by Luna
Building arches, playing in tents, archeology and construction
“Wet pants are a certainty” ~ Blake at the beach
Making tiny food for the dollhouses
And our own play and work room! Lego, lego, lego!
