Thursday, March 28, 2013

12/52






He : is wearing the masterchef hat and apron he made at scouts.

She : running her library of little golden books on the lounge.



Thursday, March 21, 2013

Daylight robbery

Things have taken a short pause around here but I wanted to make a quick update so you know what is going on. Our renovation has been delayed about a month by the incessant rain we experienced for most of February. At this stage we are looking to start in early May.

Two days ago we came home from work and discovered that we had been robbed.
The two laptops that contained every picture of our children for the last seven years were taken, and a string of pearls given  to me by my dad when I graduated from university. While Legoman did back our photos up to an external hard drive, it appears that the back up is incomplete. I have not fully investigated how many years of baby photos are gone yet as I need a bit of time to get my head around it first. For a prolific photo taker like me it is a sad, sad day.

However, there are several things to be grateful for. We are all ok, we are insured and how it heartened me to realize that nearly every important moment in my kid's lives  for the last two years has been kept safe on this little blog. I intend to make some time to print out more of my favourite photos and display them. Our wedding photos ( being pre digital era) are all safe. The policeman who came to fingerprint the house recently lost every image of his life for a decade, including all his wedding photos, when his external hard drive blew up.

So, I thought I would use our situation to remind you all to back up those irreplaceable photos of your children and let you know there are built in functions on iPhones, iPads and Apple laptops that once you have enabled them, will let you track where your device is. Thankfully, my camera was not stolen and as soon as I can borrow a computer from my mum, I have lots to share.

Monday, March 18, 2013

11/52


a portrait of my children, once a week, every week in 2013 via Che and Fidel


He :  start Joey scouts a few weeks ago and is loving every minute. Desperate to earn some real badges but his birds will do in the meantime.

She : playing "babies" with me, lots of patting and tucking in and pinching the dolly dummy for herself.  She likes it even more if she is the mama and I am the baby. 

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Frock up Brisbane Fair


What a splendid thing it is to discover that not only has the sun finally decided to shine after weeks of rain, but there is a vintage fair on this weekend. I had missed this fair the last time it was in town, this time I was determined to go and have a poke around. And my goodness, I was not disappointed.

There were vintage frocks galore and  beautiful hand made bags,


lovely piles of vintage sheets and fabric,



some wonderful kitchenalia, and something very special, can you see it hiding at the back?


Yes, that would be a box set of 1971 Richard Scarry books,


four gorgeous hardcover books,


yep, they absolutely came home to our place. So many new stories to choose from at bedtime.


and these lovely pyrex ramekins came home too ( well the bottom four as I had the top two already). Now just to find the ever elusive turquoise one..... is it just me or is turquoise pyrex as rare as hens teeth?



So while we spend the rest of the weekend choosing our favourite stories, feel free to head over and enjoy the final day of the fair tomorrow. It's called the "Way We Wear Fair" and it's on at the Mt Gravatt Showground from 10-3 or head over to Frock up Brisbane  if you want to know more.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Big birthday bird love


My big boy turned seven last week. Seven seems like a milestone of some sort, as if he has mastered this boy-hood caper and for the first time I am seeing glimpses of the man he will grow into. He has one massive front tooth and an equally massive gap next to it.  His shoulders are getting broader from swimming laps after school and for the first time in his life he needs a shirt size larger than his age.

In the last year he has gone up twenty reading levels and when I tuck him into bed late at night sometimes he is curled up next to a book and a torch. (Mostly, it would be the Lego ideas book which is not what I would describe as cuddly). He is absolutely quirky, but with some sort of bonus magnetic charisma.  He stands out, but so far he has no idea and consequently does not care one jot. I am curious as to when peer pressure will catch up with him, hopefully we have a few more years.

He has been wearing his white ankle school socks pulled right up to his knees for two years.  Recently I made the discovery that at least one of his friends is now adamant about wearing his socks this exact same way. More shocking was the discovery that the other school mums thought I was making him do it!


He has friends, real friends who he disappears into the school rainforest with, to build humpees and fairy gardens and to look for creatures.  He has found his tribe and we are grateful, so, so grateful for this little group of mates who share a love of science and nature but who also tolerate some less than tactful commentary on how they could do their work better. We loved filling our yard with an inflatable plastic structure so that the tribe could all come over and celebrate a bird inspired birthday.



We did manage to follow his party suggestion list quite well, there was a pass the parcel, musical chairs, a scavenger hunt, hosing on giant slide, sausages and chit chat for the mums. And the best part of his day? That Rainbow lorikeet cake. His love of birds, particularly lorikeets and other colourful birds, has endured for the last few years. He loves colourful fish and rainbow colour schemes with the same passion. Like me, it's all about the colour.   Presents were easy, Bird badges, Bird Bingo, a rainbow clock, and another Usborne factual flap book to add to his collection and of course some lego.




And the gift that almost made him faint with excitement? Well that would be this framed bird teatowel that I found for half price at the WAC. Although I am secretly hoping he grows out of it so I can have it back.



We love you Roboboy, with your terrible knock knock jokes, cold spoon tricks, cheeky smile, complete inability to lie, and resolute commitment to being your own quirky self, even when it results in dire humiliation for your mother. It has only taken seven years, but  I have almost forgiven you for getting me out of bed at 430 am for the first three years of your life. 


Sunday, March 10, 2013

10/52


a portrait of my children, once  a week, every week in 2013 via Che and Fidel



He : turned seven this week. While the sense of time passing hastens with every year, I relish the fact that my big boy still wants me to piggy back him to bed every night. I tease him that one day he will be a big man and I will expect him to return the favour. 

She : was on the receiving end of a spontaneous brotherly display of affection, in this house a moment rarer than hens teeth. (A thank you for a set of  bird badges for his birthday). The light of joy in her eyes shines for the special nature of this moment, and fills me with love for them both. 

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Rainy day blues


It has been raining pretty solidly here now for close to three weeks. The ground is boggy, the dryer is running almost continuously and the windows are misty with condensation. It was the  perfect weekend to take the kitchenaid for a spin and pop out some melting moments, that lasted all of about five minutes. Luckily, despite a hint of cool autumn in the evenings, the days have been warm enough to get out and enjoy the rain.


When the rain eased back to a drizzle we headed out to hunt down some puddles and some mud.


There were dams to build, and mud to splash in .



Miss Liongirl was keen to fill her flower basket.




We snipped a bouquet from the  huge native trees on the footpath blooming with flowers and full of feasting rainbow lorikeets.


And then we trotted home to enjoy some wonderful treats that came my way this week. Having crafty mates is fantastic when you have a birthday. My mum made me this lovely bag,


And one of my sewing group gals made this gorgeous one for me too.


And then just when yet another day of rain was enough to leave a girl slightly unhinged, an unexpected parcel arrived at Betsy's front door. From a blog buddy in another state no less.


Allison from Just Underneath sent me a little pile of  blue goodies to chase away the rainy day blues. A gorgeous tin for my fledgling collection, a lovely little vase and a cracker of a tea towel that is a pretty good match to Betsy. Al, you sure now how to perk a girl up.


And miss Liongirl so enjoyed filling up that little vase with her basket of teeny tiny plucked flowers.


We love it Al.


We hope now that we have more that half our usual annual rainfall done and dusted 9 weeks into the year, that the rain might move on, to other places that need it more. In the meantime, if you too are a tad soggy, I can highly recommend a batch of these.


Rainy day melting moments.

3/4 cup butter creamed with 1/2 cup icing sugar.
Add 1/2 cup self raising flour, 1/2 cup plain flour and 1/2 cup cornflour. Mix until forms a dough. 
Roll into small balls, flatten with a fork and bake for 12-15 mins in 160 degree oven.
Cool and make icing.
I cup of icing sugar, 2 tsp butter and 1 tbsp hot water. Mix until forms a thick paste and use to glue to biscuits together.
Makes nowhere near enough ( about 10 iced biscuits). Scoff with hot tea on a rainy day. Next time, triple the quantities. 

9/52



a portrait of my children, once a week, every week in 2013 via Che and Fidel



He : was so excited to go on a hunt for puddles, the after shots heavily featured mud.

She : brought her scissors so we could fill a basket with flowers.