Baking bread and Best Start.

Happy days!
Jonas had his Best Start appointment at 12.15pm today so we made the most of the morning after dropping Andrew off at school. We searched for and found a Taronga Zoo app because Joe decided that with a whole week to ourselves before school starts we could fit in a visit to the Zoo. What a fab idea! It is a great app with maps and a photo challenge. We can't wait- he has been to the Perth Zoo, the Adelaide Zoo but not Taronga!!
I got stuck into the kitchen cupboards and drawers this morning and created another rubbish pile, and lovely neat cupboards. I found it so frustrating to go from a tidy and orderly house with 2 kids and part- time work, to 3 little boys and full-time work and chaos! It is so hard to get it all done and I hate mess, but more often than not have to turn a blind eye to the unmade beds and the piles of washing in the study. It will all have to go back to our 'normal' chaos once I go back to work but at least we will have neat cupboards :)
We decided to have a go at some homemade bread rolls to have with our chicken burgers tonight. After running out of flour and substituting with oat bran I was worried we would have to settle for chicken and salad. They were yummy!!! We also had enough to make lunches for everyone for tomorrow.

Jonas did a great job of his Best Start and although he was very nervous to start with, he was relaxed and happy by the end. The magic touch a wonderful teacher can have on a child is a very special thing.

Making the most of every day :)

It is a lovely thing to wake up in the morning knowing that the day ahead is precious and all mine. Despite my very late night of tossing and turning, and too much thinking until some time after 3am, I was happy to face the day ahead.
I got to give Campbell a proper farewell with photos and hugs as he started his first day of High school. Even though he hates posing for photos he tolerated it for my sake. I got to take Drew to school on his first day of term! Joe and I got to do whatever we wanted for the rest of the day!! 
How to pack as much as possible into each and every day- day 1:
1. Came home from school drop off to do the necessary chores- washing, tidy up etc. With the company of my favourite 5 year old the time passes so much faster.
2. Off to the shops to pick out new school shoes and school supplies. This also included lunch, a ride on the Rouse Hill shopping centre train, a visit to the fruit market, buying some lovely fresh seafood for dinner and looking at all our favourite shops (Joe- toyshop, me- Kikki K and typo). 
3. Back to school to get Andrew and chat to the teachers. It was lovely how many people stopped to ask after Campbell and to tell us how much he will be missed. Drew was very excited about seeing his mates and spoke too fast for me to absorb every detail of the latest in minecraft!
4. Afternoon Tea- ALL of us, together!! Watermelon, bread sticks and cheese.
5. A swim in the pool- FINALLY. The hottest day in Sydney this Summer and it had to be the first day back at school.
6. A feast of crab, whole fish baked in the BBQ, squid and salad.
7. A family walk with Charlie to the creek and back.
8. Another swim.
9. Baths and bedtime stories.
10. Lots of phone messages and chats tonight to check in on first day excitement!


A fabulous day of being a Mum. Happy me! I wonder how much more I could fit in to a day once I get into the swing of  it.

Beautification!

The beautification plan is starting to come together. Today, late in the afternoon, we thought "let's do it". So that meant that the ugly lattice came down then and there. Our BBQ area was something we knew had to change but didn't know what to do. So we just ripped it out! While Eric pulled down the big wall of lattice to reveal the lovely garden hidden behind, I started on the pantry. A spill of tomato sauce lead to one thing and then the next, and before I knew it the pantry was sorted. That meant 3 garbage bags of stuff I decided we could live without. Ahhhh it is a good feeling to clear out junk.
We have to research and plan for the next step for the BBQ area- Eric has grand plans for a built in kitchen area (our Perth visit has left us inspired again). That would be lovely! We have lots of gorgeous and well established plants to move first. I am so excited that we are on our way to making our house the home we love.
 I also, finally, had time to pull the Christmas Tree down today. We left Boxing Day for our trek and we have been frantic since we got home. Finally packed away, and the hand me down tree from Mum is going in the bin!!! I am sick of the dust and itch every year, so next year we will start fresh.
Now I will have to see what is next on my long list.....

Half way there.

My hero!!

The reward- Margaret River Chocolate cocktail :) We deserve it!

Planning...

I spent lots of our time on the road pondering how I can make the most of my long service leave. Of course the most important thing is being there for the boys and spending time in their classrooms while I can. I can't do that all day though. I have decided that I can use my few hours everyday to start a house beautification project! I started some "research" on the iPad in the car and started making plans. Painting the lounge room is high on the list- the size 4 fingerprints all over the walls are getting me down.
The first night we were home I used an idea from a blog (Christmas Wedding)  to put my heirlooms to use. The glasses were badly chipped but I couldn't part with them because they were a special family gift. I love this!!! I can picture a lovely long table with these running down the middle, or a cluster in the middle of my big square table.

Inside the glasses are some lovely paper flowers I got at the Vintage Fair.

Books of 2012

January

Just as amusing as the front cover promises it will be, but also very touching and honest. I loved it and will read it again at some stage.

Better than I expected. The movie didn't seem to get very good reviews but it was a good read. I will look forward to seeing the movie.

Started well but got pretty miserable- as to be expected since it is about the death of her mother. The second half was hard to endure- lots of detail about the depressing aftermath and nearly gave up on it.

Kindle books-

'The Wedding Gift'

'The Real'

February

The Harp in the South Trilogy.

This time I read it starting with 'Harp in the South', followed by 'Poor Man's Orange' and then 'Missus'. This is the order in which they were published and it was the best way to read them. I read 'Poor Man's Orange' first when I was about 11 years old and it is a book that often comes back to me and reminds me not only of the characters but of that time in my life and where I read it. This is the 3rd time I have read the entire series and I never tire of it. As I get older I understand things differently and appreciate things from a different perspective.

'The Collectibles' - Kindle Book

'Megan's Way'- Kindle Book

Mildura, Wagga Wagga, home!

My neck was giving me too much grief for the last 2 days to think about blogging- we are home!!
We ended up staying in apartments in Mildura and Wagga which was a nice way to wind down before home- I was also pretty useless in helping set up the tent.
The boys did enjoy the TV both nights and were excited to catch up after 4 weeks of no ABC3. On the way home from Wagga we had McDonald's for the first time in 4 weeks!! Can't say we missed junk food at all. The best lunch on the run that Eric and I could remember was somewhere on red dirt with nothing but a picnic table and a baguette, some smoked salmon, cream cheese and rocket leaves. Pretty flash and so, so good! Heaps better than Maccas too. We got pretty good at throwing together a meal with the bits and pieces we had in the esky and camp kitchen. The boys voted for their "hobo dinner" as their favourite meal- that was their name for a mini tin of baked beans with a spoon. Goodness me!
It is lovely to be home and very, very good to see our Charlie. We all missed our crazy pup.
Mum and Chris had a lovely dinner ready for us once we had unpacked the car and trailer. They had also stocked the fridge with some essentials to see us through until we could shop. We are still working our way through the mess of washing and packing away though.
I will sit everyone down at the dinner table so they can all share their holiday highlights.
I spent the day at work today for the Kindergarten picnic and then trying to get some planning and organisation done back at school. It was lovely to meet all our excited newbies and their Mums and Dads. I will have to go in again tomorrow to finish off all that needs to be done before my 4 precious weeks of long service leave- I have big plans for those weeks of being "just a Mum" and hope to make the absolute most of every day.

Nearing the end :(

Damn! Woke up this morning with a frozen neck and in so much pain Eric had to help me up. My body must be trying to warn me that holidays are almost over. Thank goodness for a divine lunch at Maggie Beer's, because without that today would have been a terrible disappointment. There is a pretty big cycling event in Adelaide at the moment and it seems every time we want to go exploring we get in the way of bikes. They were everywhere in the Hills the day we went and the day we decide to do the Barossa- there they are again! There were road closures all around the Barossa and it took us 2 hours to get 1 hour out of Adelaide. Every bump in the road and I was in agony. Found some anti- inflammatory medication somewhere in the Barossa and we finally found Maggie. Our intended tour through the Barossa was ditched! We didn't even get to the 'Ross' winery to get Ross a bottle with his name on it for his Birthday. We will just have to enjoy the Barossa another holiday.
Struggled on to Mildura for the night, but still in a lot of pain. I need my chiropractor!!! Only two more days of driving and we are home. Campbell is trying to negotiate an extension of holidays...wish it was possible.