My Monday Making: A bird automata!

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds everyone in good health, both mental as physical... and that everyone is keeping themselves safe. Uow, what crazy times we are living, never ever have I imagined that in 2021 posts of mine would start this way. But this is still our covid's reality. 

It has been a long time since I have last published a post about our little makings around the house. Have to say that with lockdown, I have never been so busy and lacking time to do anything. My sewing machine is closed up in a cupboard. And, being completely honest is not as I have the right mind frame be sewing properly . And since I have little people to keep entertained, any makings have to involve tiny hands, and be fun!

I have come across an amazing whale automata when browsing the internet for ideas:

Yes, this at some point will be something for us to make, but.... not in the foreseeable future!

I had to search for something more feasible for us to make. Much easier to do as well! So  more browsing and I found this tutorial at a great website for automata, Rob Ives .

The tutorial I chose to use was this one, for a cork bird. So .... we started to make this little guy!  We begun by gathering all the materials. We have a lot, and I mean a lot of corks in our home (not sure why... do we have someone who really loves red wine??). As I am always printing articles and so on, we have a lot of paper clips. We just had more difficulties finding foam, as it was spread in different places, kiddos love to find new spots to stash their craft materials. You can also use card for the bird body really, but since we had leftovers of foam, we chose that material instead of card.

Cutting the materials for the bird body was easy.  I did made the hole on the cork, which is very straightforward to do. The bit that was really difficult for us (particularly for the big kiddo, although he had fun using mummy's tools) was straight the paper clips, and even more difficult to fold these at the correct angles, as you can see below:

In this image big kiddo is trying to shape the crank. He started shaping the angles, and I finished as the best I could. Not the most easier task even for mummy!

This image shows another step, inserting the legs in the birds body. 

The bird final look! A bit different from what it was suppose to look lol

And here is the bird finally attached to the cork:

But the good part is, even if you get clumsy angles or not straight at all legs, the bird still moves, although in a really funny manner!

It really did not matter if we did not managed a perfect bird, but making this little guy kept us busy, and the kiddos still enjoyed playing with it.

 Let's see if I can start posting more regularly. No promises though, as finding some free time with home-schooling is not easy.  I hope this post gets you some inspiration to spend time at home with kids! Share some ideas below, I would love to hear from you.

xx

{The Ordinary Moments} | My Sunday Photo

#Mutual Aid

 I would not imagine that in the beginning of 2021 Mutual Aid would be so necessary or more comparing with last year. We are at the start of the 3rd lockdown, but this time around this new lockdown, at least for me, feels different. Families have to once again  home-school  my children, which will also be impacting their activities and  work -  if indeed working. I am also home-schooling my children, and know first-hand how truly impossible it is to have some work done. And on top of what already is an incredibly  busy day, it is still needed to deal with the regular chores around the house. Experiencing enclosure this time is more exhausting, and feels that my resilience is not on the same levels as before. All seems more difficult to do. Imaginative plays are not so imaginative, TV is on more frequently, and I am taking more and more time to recover.... Seems when waking up, I am already tired after what was a really long day.  I hope not to get to complain so much, as I wanted today to write more positively... So, I am reserving some quietness around the house to write a few words about how volunteering  with my local Mutual Aid Group  helps me cope, and lifts my spirit a little.

I am volunteering with my local Mutual Aid Group, Southampton Coronavirus Mutual Aid Group and this has truly kept me sane. Kind people, compassion and generosity are still well alive amongst the world. Noticing how the group aids the city makes me feel hopeful and meet so many kind members makes me recover hope in our world's future. When I first started to volunteer I did not expect that after 2020 our Group would be so necessary. This is what I feel it is still so disappointing, as even with such a crisis that my city is experiencing, still so much is left to charities, mutual aid groups, and organic groups and actions that are still popping up to respond to the desperate need of so many. The government and civil entities are coping badly, as austerity has impacted how the immediate response acts. This is what is chocking, as networking with so many charities and groups you also get to learn how so many people are in such a need, and how city councils are limited for lack of funds. 

Not all needs and results from covid and the pandemia, but this has made need, hunger and poverty much worse. And this is still the beginning. As time passes by you understand that more people are left jobless, and how unemployment is reaching new levels. Southampton is already a city that has high levels of unemployment, and I know that these numbers are reaching new heights. Unsurprising, the calls to Southampton Coronavirus Mutual Aid Group hotline for food parcels are increasing exponentially. 

With crisis increasing what I really what to highlight now is how generosity of so many also rises up to the challenge. I want to write how so many Sotonians are helping and donating to City Mission, the Big difference and helping with Southampton Coronavirus Mutual Aid Group food drives. And help is popping locally too, neighbours collect on doorsteps and self-organize to help our Food Banks. These are the positive actions that still make me sane, and learning about all of these positive actions, kindness and generosity only happens because I am volunteering... This keeps me still hopeful, and believe in a better future. I think is as simple as Mr. Rogers story:

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world." 

With crisis, many people rise up to help and face the problems strongly and in positive ways. This is the message that I feel that I am needing right now, and keeps me going - more or less sanely... I am not facing this alone, none of us are. Of course, as many have also explained, we might be facing the same storm, but not all are sailing the same ship. Which is why #mutualaid is needed. Caring people and understanding people, compassionate people are out there, we are not alone, nobody is, and help is out there. And will reach you. It is as Mr. Rogers explains, really comforting witnessing these actions. The prevalence of kindness and generosity. This is what is needed in crisis. 

How do you keep some degree of sanity with the lockdown? 

Let me know about more positive stories!

xx

My Sunday Photo || {The Ordinary Moments}

My Sunday Photo || {The Ordinary Moments}