Thursday, January 12, 2012

The second tee-pee


I'm completely obsessed with childhood at the moment.
With stretching it. Prolonging it.
With getting out and getting dirty.
With making stuff and burning stuff.
With pretending and imagining.
With climbing and swimming.
With singing and telling stories.
With laughing.
With exploring and getting lost and falling over.
With grazing your knees.

There is a bit of a tug of war beginning in this house over independence.
Over mobile phones, shopping trips with friends and over outfits.

I acknowledge and remember those feelings.
But I am trying to slow it all down.
There is so much time for those things.

These times are precious and can be magical and wonderful.


xx

46 comments:

  1. so true Kate, childhood is so short and so precious.

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    1. Hi Megan, I just heard that blogger made it so I can reply to you in my comments.
      So here I am trying it out.
      Yay!
      xx

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    2. Ah HOO FLAMING RAY about time. It's sooooo much better I think. x

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    3. You an? That's brilliant! How do I turn it in?

      Oh, and I am in love with your tee pee! x

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    4. Yes! It's all kinds of ace isn't it.
      All I did was go into my settings and change the comments setting to 'embed'.
      I have no idea if you have to subscribe to all the comments to get this reply or if it somehow pings back to you.
      Does anyone know?

      Delete
  2. Indeed there is. I love your teepee... still shocked at your coldness down there.... I am in a similar headspace as I am watching Busy getting ready for school and all that comes with that. I ma trying to make sure she gets sweaty every day from running around - as she is so interested in making things I have to make sure we both get outside a lot. I am enjoying our time together- I can see that you are enjoying it too. xx

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    1. Oh how I love your little avatar thingy.
      I can't believe Busy is getting ready for school.
      That is a very big growth spurty time indeed. x

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  3. Ahhhh the mobile phone debate. We are not quite there yet (i hope its far far away) but is made much harder by those who have (as compared to the have nots). Somethings I am very happy to drag my feet on. Good luck

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    1. Oh Alli, I really hope you don't have to deal with this for a very long time to come. It's hard. xx

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  4. i totally am with you.
    I am the BIGGEST advocate for slow childhood ever.
    having said that I am also aware of the importance of allowing independence & keeping up amongst peers to some extent.
    our tug of war has been going for a while now.....
    we let our kids play game stuff but are SUPER strict about what games we have & the time is SUPER limited.
    my older kids have mobile phones but they are for phone calls only - and I have them in my keep unless they are going out somewhere. no internet on the kids phones. just NO.
    there are the inevitable disagreements about what is or isn't fair and the comparisons to peers and their rules.
    but I always say that I have to live with what feels right to me as a parent and that isn't going to be the same as other people MOST of the time.
    it is about parenting with integrity.
    I love the way you live with integrity Kate.
    xx

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    Replies
    1. Aww, thanks Miss Ruth.
      I feel the same about you guys as parents.
      That balance of childhood vs some independance is such a tough one.
      At least you don't have to worry about midriff baring tops and mascara at yours. xx

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    2. no........but i do have to worry about teaching my boys to see beyond midriff tops & mascara! i find that EVERY bit as daunting!

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  5. Beautiful; it looks like you all had a wonderful and creative day! Your photography is amazing ...

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    1. Oh thanks so much Rita.
      Thank you also for the help with the comment thing. x

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  6. Oh I totally agree!
    All around us my daughter's friends have phones and all sorts of gadgets and I am so happy she still wants to play with dolls... and learn to sew with Mummy. I keep telling our children you are a child for such a short time and an adult for such a long time, enjoy what childhood brings! Its a blessing!
    Now if only I could stop inevitable puberty!!
    Love your pics, they are gorgeous, in fact I thoroughly enjoy following your blog.

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    1. Thank you Leonie.
      It is such a hard one.
      You sound like you and yours have a good balance though.
      Keep it up. x

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  7. Perfect - just perfect. Yup...stretch it out for as long as you can.

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    1. Now I have to come up with all kinds of witty responses like you do so well Kirst. xx

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    2. Saw your chat with Cam below. I reckon that people will come back and check comments if they are really interested in the discussion. Also I think this comment/reply thing is a lovely way to get to "know" people. I reckon I might be more "me" in the comments. Like I have my phone voice on for the post...& then I break out my best matey ocker self for the chat. Having said that - no point in saying "thanks" to an "I love this" comment. Just play it as you feel I think. x

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  8. Reminds me why I'm so so so glad that I grew up in the country....

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  9. hmmm we are only just hitting that space here. She has only just got a Nintendo!! Let alone any sort of internetty/phone thingy! Having been a nanny for some pretty funny (loadsa money/spoilt) bosses, so our two don't get away with much I'm afraid!
    Your Tee Pee is so gorgeous - how wonderful to have a place like that near you!XXXJ

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  10. Wow - replying to blog comments, that is ace - I have no idea how to do that!!! I am with you. Thankfully Miss G is an old-fashioned Miss and has not requested these things yet (aged 12 1/4)... I think this will be Master S! Loving these tee-pee's - I still have not done it - I need to find some giant branches! xx Love xx

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  11. It's such a hard one Jennie.
    I think us parents of pre teens need a support group.
    xx

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  12. Fantastic TeePee, childhood is so precious, and these days seems to be getting shorter and shorter, prolong as long as you can.
    I have a few years til the mobile phone, going out debate, but am already dreading and trying to make the most of them still being young.

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  13. Replies
    1. Testing blog reply.
      Oh, it looks like you can subscribe just to your comment's feed.
      I wonder if I'll ever remember.
      Are you going to reply to every comment? x

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    2. Oh no - it's subscribed me to everyones comments. I just received Andi's comment via email. Agggghhh!

      I'm going to reply by email as I normally do, but if there's someone with that 'no reply comment' blogger thing, then I might go back and comment on the blog instead.

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  14. If you succeed ... let us all know how you did it!
    Won't be long before I'm in the same shoes.
    xx

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  15. I love your idea of childhood playing and keeping it with them for as long as possible. It's important to keep them children for as long as possible. That teepee is the coolest and who doesn't like to make a fire. I think you look like you're doing a great job. xx

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  16. I totally agree. Why rush those things? THere is so much time for them later.
    Childhood is precious and short and once it's over you can't get it back.
    it's actually an issue on which I'm very passionate about.
    xo

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  17. I'm hearin' ya, lady. I'd be rushing (in a slow, deliberate sort of way) to make a bustling teepee CITY.

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  18. I hear you too. It is a tightrope parents of pre-teens walk everyday methinks ... hanging on to childhood is important but so is reaching out to adolescence. Root them in family and place and have faith that you have equipped them to grow tall and true ... it's not easy, but my lot have all made it through.

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  19. Yes....hold on tight. They grow up too fast.
    xo Jana

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  20. Keep childhood sweet and for as long as poss, pre-teen girls in particular are so susceptible, the advertisers are hyenas baiting their prey, it's up to us parents/mums. Get outdoors away from shopping malls and lurid advertising.

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  21. I love the sentiment in this post. My kids are 7 and 4 and the tussle for independence hasn't started yet but I am determined that my children will miss that horrible concept of "tweens" and go from childhood to adolescence in a way that is unhurried and respectful of a time that can NEVER be taken back once it has passed.

    Reading your blog I think you have a great recipe for achieving it Kate - great work!
    Carol

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  22. Ah, yes. Miss 11 has just come home from a slumber party and lets just say that the conversation that went on last night was not the kind of bedtime conversation that I am ready for my 11 year old to be partaking in. The good part about it though is that she realises it was not "nice" conversation and she has come home and sat down and told me. Perhaps we are doing something right?

    I'm going outside to build her a tee-pee.

    XX

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  23. Kate, we once built two tee pee's in our garden and the landlord tried to fine us for setting up "alternative sub-let accomodations'...
    I have done this chapter in the parenting book and it is a bloody hard one. You know, all those things they long for also scare them, so sometimes saying no is just what they want to hear...
    I'm with you in spirit.

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  24. Tee Pee Team Work!! Aw. You guys. Love-attack!

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  25. I had this very conversation with my big boy the other day when he said " Do you realise during our lifetime we will spend more time as an adult than we will have as kids?!" I jumped on this, trying to explain that this is exactly why we should be just loving all the adventure, imagination & fun stuff kids are supposed to do for as long as we possibly can! Oh, drag it out for sure..
    Those Tee Pee's are so amazing, what fun!! X

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  26. Oh Kate, can I come and be a kids again at your house - PLEASE!!

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  27. Oh Wow, that is just magical.

    Looks to me like you're doing a fantastic job of letting your girls enjoy being kids. I should do that stuff more often.

    Rach x

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  28. Hey there! Yay for childhood. Absolutely streeeeetch it out, I say. Gotta mention that the second tee pee reminds me of the "magic cave" they made at the end of Lars von Trier's Melancholia... I am assuming that there is no intentional reference.... right? Recently saw the movie and though I think I enjoyed it (in hindsight), felt a little unnerved afterwards. Cheers, Mook

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  29. yes, i'm going through a similar dilemma. childhood innocence... trying to preseve it for as long as possible!
    mobile phone desires/ipod/computer time etc... all causes for heated discussions at the moment....
    yay! for outside play, building, creating, burning, getting dirty. you are doing an awesome job!

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Thanks so much for stopping by...

I do read every single comment you leave and appreciate it very much, but I should let you know that I can be a wee bit on the useless side when replying to comments, that's just me, everyday life sometimes gets in the way....so I'll apologise now, just in case.

Kate XX

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