~ chasing some sunshine ~

We're off on a little adventure - we're chasing sunshine, pina coladas and the chance to use our (somewhat limited*) Fijian.

We'll be making memories and having fun

See you soon

xx

*{ok - very limited - we've mastered "bula" so far}

~ snap it ... fresh ~

Very fresh basil, coriander and mint in my super cute new doily pots (from Ikea...transported by my lovely friend Sarah) ready to pick and use in cooking (or cocktails)


Playing Snap-it with Sarah and others most weeks.


♥

~ apparently ~

For months Jack has been telling us "When I'm a big boy.  When I'm 4."

Well 4 is tomorrow and, apparently, these are the things that he'll be doing from now on:

          * sitting up at the dinner table every night with everyone else

          * eating (or at least trying) meat, potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, tomatoes, capsicum, eggs
             {he used to eat EVERYTHING - I'm not sure when it all went wrong}

          * sleeping in his own bed every night

          * eating breakfast all by himself

          * wiping his own bottom 

          * have his hair washed without a tantrum

I always knew 4 was fun and fabulous and feisty.  But, apparently,  its so much more.
Bring it on ( I say bravely, barely able to believe my baby is turning 4)



♥

~ grateful for ... the AWW kids birthday cakes book ~

I made this today
Total hit.  Although all the PC parents would only eat the sparkly sea and not the whale.

4 days ago it was going to be the fairy mushroom (the only son's 4th birthday...I could sense that maybe wouldn't end well) but several mind changes and an ultimatum that he had to choose RIGHT NOW (so I could buy the bits) later and we ended up with the whale (yay).
{My hands are still bluish.  I used jif in the end to get out the (very unnatural) food colouring.  Desperate times and all that...}

This is about the 15th cake we've had from the bible of children's cakes in the last 10 years.
It's one of the most read books at our house.
It looks like this;

Months out from a party any one of the wombles can often be found, head bowed, flicking through the pages.  Minds are made up and changed many, many times before the big day.

Its often used as a boredom buster too :
A womble:  I'm bored (or...what can I do?)
Me:  Only boring people get bored.  Why don't you play cars, colour in, unpack the dishwasher, choose your birthday cake....and off they go.

These are some of our past hits:

Boredom buster, font of inspiration, total how-to manual...I'm so very grateful for this ripped, beautiful, stained book full of sweet memories.

I try and join with the grateful gang most weeks (inspired by Bron)...there's always something to be grateful for.

 ♥

{what is the secret to removing food colouring from hands??}

~ grateful for ... us ~

Its chilly outside, rain is falling, I'm thinking about lighting the fire for later (already).
6 years ago today where we were was warm and sunny, bright and breezy.
It was our wedding day.
We'd been together for 10 years and had 2 beautiful children.  
Life was great (sleep deprived but great).

We eloped, took our little family to a beach far away and got married.  
Didn't tell anyone.  (ANYONE.  That did not go down well)
I'd never been one for fantasies of white weddings, meringue gowns, having the "big day"
I felt I already had it all.

From the very beginning all I'd felt was certainty.  
The rightness of us.
What we ran to was a marriage not a wedding*. 

Life's changed.
We're a family of 5 now, we've renovated our house, we have different jobs, new friends, a new set of priorities.
That promise to share a life, to hope for the best, to be there for each other just keeps expanding.

We're still so right.
And I'm so very grateful for that. 


 ♥


*{Bron wrote a beautiful piece about this topic that spoke to me from the first time I read it - like she'd examined my half formed thoughts and made sense of them}

~ snap it ... breakfast ~

{Sometimes when it all goes pear shaped I have this after school drop off}

{My weekend treats - Pigeon Hole sour dough and raspberry jam}

Breakfast time around here used to be quite stressful  (3 kids, different tastes, ordering from the menu in their head.... )
That is until I introduced the "school days" and "other days" rules - on school days they can choose between weetbix or porridge (and then add extras like fruit/toast), on other days they can choose from the cupboard (usually nutrigrain, rice bubbles, mini wheats or cheerios) and campaign for eggs/pancakes etc as well.  There's always fresh fruit available.  They drink water or milk.
No fights.
Breakfast sorted.

I usually have porridge in winter (topped with stewed rhubarb or stewed apple) and bircher muesli in the warmer months. ( I mix Carman's muesli with grated apple, yoghurt, cinnamon, honey, nuts, dried apricots, craisins and have a big tub in the fridge...yum!).  The Doc has a banana on his way out the door... I still need to work on him.

Do you have breakfast rules?
See some other yummy breakfasts here where we play snap-it each week.

♥

 

~ tulip fever ~

I had the biggest treat on Friday.
(A day to myself, in Canberra...to do whatever I wanted...I chose Floriade...its been on my wish list for sooooo long)
The Doc booked the flights, organised the babysitters, arranged everything.
He even (apparently) ordered the gorgeous sunshiny day.

 

 

It was perfect.

I wandered and marvelled.
I snapped (and snapped and snapped) ... my thighs are killing me...squatting to tulip height for 300+ photos will do that to a girl.
I caught up with the lovely Jennie (from posie blogs) - and was spoiled with a little gift box of girly treats.

I caught tulip fever...badly.

Not sure what I ever did to deserve him.

 ♥

~ garden mood board ... September ~

{the gathering}

{with Jack's extra sprinkles}

{informal}

{the official shot}

Blustery, fickle, beautiful spring is here.
And its all about celebrating the pretty. the transient, the explosions of colour.
I love this time of year in the garden - the potential realised, the daily discoveries, the overwhelming joy of it all.

I'm joining lots of lovely people who share monthly garden mood boards here

♥