the historic record

Being assigned the role as the chronicler of events upon tummy mountain, it is my task to use whatever methods required to document the little ones for the accuracy of the historic record. In much the same way as historians, archaeologists and etymologists use not only the finest research libraries available, they will also record the spoken word, document cave paintings, and even sift through the remains of lost settlements in the noble search for understanding of not only the past, but our present as well. In this same way I discovered that an event had occurred on tummy mountain and had been recorded for posterity by The Smallest of All upon a balloon.

From examining the artifact I gather there had been a stampede of ponies on tummy mountain.

the importance of a good education

The little ones don't go to school, but that does not stop them playing it. They see themselves as the great educators dispensing essential knowledge to all who will learn. What they need though, and sometimes cannot find, is a willing student. Today's student is the cat. Wee Tiny holds the cat while Wee Small turns the pages of a maths book. The cat does not seem to be focused on what 2 + 3 equals. The cat has a hunted look on its face and makes a break for freedom. Our teachers chase the student all over tummy mountain but he will not come back and tell them the answer. I think this behaviour will look bad on his report card.

Teachers are ever resourceful when dealing with misbehaving students. They have a foolproof plan to lure their student back to school. They are now dressing up as mermaids so that the cat thinks they are fish, and will come to them.

Out of the house rush two bumblebee fairies! Bumblebees?!? It seems the mermaid plan has changed. The little ones rush around the garden wiggling in the plants, pollinating them and having a wonderful time. The cat senses it is safe to come back.

The bumblebee fairies stare at the black cat. The cat stares back. The bumblebee fairies chase after him with strips of fabric. They have decided he needs yellow stripes to be a bumblebee fairy too.

School must be out for the day.

Bath Time

Wee Tiny and Wee Small were in the bath washing their soft dolls.

Wee Tiny was quite surprised that the colour of her doll's dress is actually blue!

Yet Wee Small was having a different sensory experience.

"Mmmm," she said. "My doll smells like fresh carrots."

whoosh!

The little ones have always enjoyed indulging in the nutritionally beneficial food so prevalent at Halloween. Being methodical they have already begun beta testing of this year's essential equipment - dress ups and a fast broom.

All manner of Halloween traditions are being included in a new colouring in book by Yaelfran with lots of artists getting ready for the lolly - I mean spooky season. Check it out here.

a piece of tummy mountain: chapter 6

It has been a long time since I have been able to sit down and return to painting this huge picture of tummy mountain.

This time I climbed up the big tree and painted all these leaves.

...and I started painting a bit of these tree roots out. Not happy with that at all...

...and this is it so far, until I pick up the paintbrush again!

the air and the light

I love the final light of the day. The afterglow when the sun has set behind the mountains, and the valley lies in deep shadows. The twilight creatures are out and about, the insects buzz one last time around the wildflowers, and the little ones know that it is the end of the day and time to come home.

ladybird parade

It is that time of year when all the little ones on tummy mountain clamber onto a vine to get a good spot to see the annual ladybird parade.

This happy event is being included in a colouring in book by Yaelfran, featuring more artists on etsy with their own happy pictures. Check it out here.

new places, new faces

The little ones have been away from tummy mountain visiting... well... visiting a new little one. Up on the high plain away to the south of tummy mountain their newly born cousin was gurgling to meet them.

So off we went.

After a few hours Wee Small commented that she never knew that there was an Earth so big. She must be used to some other smaller Earth - a garden sized Earth, about tummy mountain size.

The high plain is colder than tummy mountain, but not cold enough for snow. This was very disappointing to Wee Tiny. She wanted to make a snowman.

The little ones met their new baby cousin. She was very small. Smaller than Wee Small. Tinier than Wee Tiny. Being only a few weeks old she wasn't quite up to playing chasings or hide n seek yet. But she was up for cuddles and some big sleeps!

Then it was time to travel back over that big big Earth of Wee Small's until we made it back to our little Earth - the one around tummy mountain.