stressful pumpkins and paint

This is a picture of the long awaited pumpkin. Champ has been looking forward to getting a pumpkin all year. We wanted to attempt to grow our own but we got our timing wrong - in other words when the kids first asked to plant one it was too early...and then I forgot :oP

Hubby picked this one up from the supermarket yesterday. I think he is hoping for some pumpkin pie.

I have lost count of the amount of times that I have been asked to carve it - finally I told them that it was an activity for Daddy to help with.

Instead we made these. The kids made the two small pumpkins out of beeswax and I needle felted the larger one. The toadstools are also made from beeswax.

It was a little cold today so it took us a while to warm up the wax. The kids get a little frustrated when the wax is hard to work with and loose interest quickly so I have taken to making them keep little bits of wax under their arm pits while they are working :o) and yes it still smells nice when they are finished - in another few years that may be a different story.

Oh and the candle is from Ikea. I love the colours and am really kicking myself for not picking up a couple more for the living room.

2 years ago, champ and boo dictated a little Halloween story which they then illustrated. They found the books again last year and wanted to write another story - so 2 years running means that it is a family tradition and now they don't have a choice in doing one this year :o) Actually it is something that they look forward doing..no forcing on my part.

And with all the lovely autumn colours around we decided to do some autumn paintings. Kiki and googs did a looong painting

such concentration

And the older two did a water painting

here is Kiki's masterpiece - hers was not mean to be a watercolour...

and neither was Googs

Champs...

and Boos.

I actually found today really stressful. It wasn't really the children's fault they were doing what they always do - have fun, play games, fall out, experiment, shout, laugh, scream ... its just somedays I find all the noise and running about and issuing warnings of disaster that are never heeded a little too much.

To be honest I think it was because I was a little distracted. I have set up a public speaking club and the second meeting is tomorrow night. I always get really nervous and it makes me so cross with myself. I know that it is stupid to be nervous but I just can't help myself...maybe time will sort it out :o)

So anyway, after getting cross with the children over silly little things, I thought I needed to relax so I put Kiki down for a nap, the others went off to play and I sat down with my craft box. (Boo soon joined me)

I decided what I needed was a new keyring and came up with this

you can see I needed calm because I stitched this on the back. I thought that it would be a good reminder when I am rushing around trying to get everybody in and out the car to just take a deep breath... and relax.