Tumtum & Nutmeg

I love things miniature. I love things good. I love things that make you want to create. I love little happy worlds and happy endings and Sylvanian Families. When I was little, we used to have a small box frame with little compartments that housed copper kettles and pots and eeny mini kitchen things and it pretty much sums up the things I love.

Find these things in a book and youve got me hanging! And... my boys love adventures, soldiers, fighting and heroes. Amy enjoys anything sweet and tiny. Sam loves a story that captures imagination and is full of good morals. Its rare to find a book to read as a family, that covers all the criteria. But the Tumtum and Nutmeg books tick all the boxes and have become a favourite in our household.

These books are akin to Beatrix Potter and the art of bringing animals to life with quirky character and believable plots. Two little mice, Tumtum and Nutmeg, who live in a cottage in the broom cupboard of the home of Arthur and Lucy. Two kids, who they loyally tend to, to make their lives better.. never being caught or seen. The stories are not infantile, yet simple enough to make sense. As the parent reader, Ive found myself chuckling and enjoying reading aloud, just as much as the Cahill kids enjoy to wriggle and listen. And most of all, I love that the stories are as simple as good and bad character, and morals that are easy to understand. A comfort which highlights a bone I have to pick with Disney over Frozen. Despite being a fan of both Olaf and Elsa's hairdo, Im still perplexed by how to explain to my children that the Queen who was born with an evil power, was a good queen and becomes a good person by an enstranged sister overcoming said evil power with an act of love. Tell me that its not complicated!! Anyhow! We all know the benefits of reading to kids. As a homeschool mum, and an (almost) trained teacher, I place reading to as *the* best thing you can do for your children in their education. But in the name of keeping it real, and not having you imagine four pint sized bundle of perfection sitting lined upon our couch, while I sit in my orderly home and read delightful stories of wee mice... Heres how we do it. I read most days, 2-3 chapters a day and we get through most books with speed. I think this helps keep the tension of a story going, creating anticipation, but not so stretched out that it becomes an agitation. Listening and sitting still is an art form, and we really do work on it, but for the most part, I have the kids grab a pencil and paper and draw while they listen. Their drawings will often be of something that captures them in the story and some of the masterpieces theyve created are going to make me rich oneday. Oneday. (maybe biased mum speaking). The most favourite aspect of Tumtum and Nutmeg, for me, is the scope for creativity and craft. The story talks about yoghurt containers used as dining tables and toy cars used for mice to travel about in.. suddenly the ideas flood in of all the possibilities of containers and everyday items that we use around the home, to be a miniature world of order and beauty. Weve got clay and made our own little wee mice and matching furniture. This lesson was equally good for discussions on scale, working in 3D as it was molding, firing and texture. These arent ours.. but inspiring none the less..

Then there is Maileg. Oh I swoon. A Danish company who designed a range of kids toys which really are adult toys marketed for parents who use children as an excuse to revisit childhood. The prices are a little, um, up there. Ive contemplated pretending I have the lifestyle of Duchess Kate and making a small collection of Maileg for my own satisfaction.. under the guise of 'for Amy', but Mr Husband would have a hard time believing it.. especially since Id likely be storing them in my closet with a "KIDS DONT TOUCH" sign. So instead I have my talented parents lined up for a little woodwork and sewing.. and in the interim, using an old milk carton to create a mousehouse, or an empty matchstick box (with a full and thorough firesafety message issued prior of course), to make a mice bed, is an exceptionally marvellous lesson on recycling!

Then there is the minature food options. Reading the stories are rather like eating a chocolate biscuit with a nice mug of warm milk on a rainy day. And that feel good feeling is captured all through the story with the mice's diet of pies and cakes and all things taintalisingly eaten everyday. If you are a mouse. Of course this isnt a book along the lines of Nourishing Traditions, so I wouldnt advocate that you use it as a basis for healthy eating. But then cockcroach pies keep the balance of appeal here. Instead, designing and creating mini food is the alternative. And who could resist this for an idea

Or you could follow up teaching healthy food with this book Ive ordered from Karen Le Billon, who wrote possibly one of my 'you must read' books: "French Kids Eat Everything"..

Not that Im suggesting you try cockroach pie, I should add. But perhaps you could dive off on parsnips and introduce them creatively using the book above. Lets not forget too, the art of hospitality. Putting on the kettle as force of habit, the moment your guests turn up.. which is something my best buddy does without a moment of hesitation, the moment you step foot in her door. In fact, she wont greet you without first filling it up and embracing you in a smile and a hug and before you know it there is a hot mug under your nose and a cheery "how are you?".. like I said... An art. And on that note of hospitality, there is a world of ideas: how to greet guests, menu planning, budget and respect and making people feel welcome. I could not go further than telling you that you HAVE to read "Shaping Of A Christian Family" by Elizabeth Elliot for all ideas on how to do hospitality well.. she quotes "There was always enough money for unpretentious hospitality...My parents saw the entertaining of God's people as a great privilege and blessing to the family...no matter what our economic condition...". If your up for more inspiration.. you could do any of these things:

Allllll that to say... buy the book. Book Depository has it for $22 for a hardback set of 3. Please go to my friends blog and order it from her affiliate link.. www.homemakingwithheart.com. I dare you not to get distracted on her blog. And both the book and her... Absolutely worth it. Have fun :)