~ taking stock August 2015 ~

It's a dreary grey day here.  My big girl is tucked up on the couch dozing after having 4 teeth extracted under GA in preparation for braces in October.  I've made some jelly for her dinner, lit the fire, put the washing on, tidied up and now I feel like napping too.  I'm quite the fan of the nanna nap.

I've been busily snapping blossoms like the ones above (they hang over our side fence outside the small boy's room) for a couple of weeks now.  They're almost finished - the burgundy leaves (probably my least favourite colour ever) are taking over and the petals litter the streets (pretty petalfetti last week when it was sunny - a soggy mess now after all the rain).

Spring starts tomorrow - my favourite time of the year - I'm looking forward to it.
Time for taking stock of where I'm at.


Making : another basket - but I'm sharing the needle with Lily (I'm teaching her to make a basket too so its slow going)
Cooking : jelly and soup - soft and comforting for that poor sore-mouthed girl
Drinking : cranberry and pomegranate tea (such a pretty colour) and icy cold water (straight from the tap - its freezing)
Reading: an old Margaret Atwood book for book club next week
Looking: at pictures of gardens and trying to decide what might be possible here
Wanting: a gardener to help me
Playing: words with friends (I'm a little obsessed)
Deciding: whether to invest in the property market - its a bit scary
Wishing:  it was mango season - I've got a craving
Enjoying: the fleeting blossom season
Waiting: for my birthday (it's soon)
Liking: the anticipation
Wondering: what to make for dinner tonight
Loving: my new wrist warmers (sent by a lovely IG friend all the way from Scilly)
Pondering: why anyone would go on the Bachelor
Considering: what to replace our MOG subscription with (today's the day)
Buying: so many books at the Book Week fair last week (I love that they all love books)
Watching: old episodes of Downton Abbey on Netflix
Hoping: I find my favourite red cardie I seem to have misplaced
Marvelling: at the number of unread emails on this computer - I read them on my phone and they end up on here unread but niggling at my conscience
Cringing: at the state of my desk
Needing: some exercise today
Questioning: our nation's priorities
Smelling: rain in the air
Wearing: jeans and ugg boots and a cosy jumper (this office is freezing)
Following: the unravel your photos gang and looking forward to my online classes which start next week
Noticing: just how big my little boy is getting (too quickly)
Knowing: I need to go outside and get more wood
Thinking: about too many things I can do nothing about in the wee small hours of the morning
Admiring: my daughters' gymnastics efforts yesterday - so proud of them both
Sorting: a huge pile of doilies and linens my uncle gave me over the weekend (they were my grandmothers)
Getting: excited about our holiday at the end of September
Bookmarking: more recipes I'll never make
Coveting: a Status Anxiety wallet I don't need (but its so pretty)
Disliking: how quickly the blossoms fade
Giggling: every day (lucky me)
Feeling: a funny niggle in my L knee  - I hope it goes away soon
Snacking: oranges - can't get enough at the moment (and dark chocolate - always)
Helping: out at school when I can)
Hearing: the fire crackling

~ our joyful moments - outdoors ~

 

Our theme word for July was "outdoors" and our little family spent a great deal of the month outside walking, exploring, playing soccer and gardening. 

The first photo is from Dove Lake at the Cradle Mountain National Park.  We spent a few days there in the school holidays and managed a couple of great walks with the kids through some spectacular and icy wilderness (I promise I will share more photos soon!)

The remaining photos are from our garden and the blossoms from the house opposite. The first signs of spring are always so joyous - its the time I fall in love with my camera again (and then don't know what to do with the hundreds of blossom shots).

#ourjoyfulmoments is a photography project with a monthly theme in 2015.  Karin and I share our photos weekly on Instagram and much more haphazardly here.

~ ten on ten - August 2015 ~

7.16 am breakfast

7.26 am the first abandoned tea of the day

8.04 am the only tidy corner of the house

9.25 am contemplation - I chose the weights class instead

10.59 in her spot for the day

11.14 am when you remove the junk basket from the bench

12.35 pm the best $20 he spends all week

2.02 pm  tidying up - it never ends

2.42 before they come home from school

2.43 pm momentarily tidy

3.32 pm snail mail from the Scilly Isles

3.36 pm on the way to the shops

3.45 pm on the way home from the shops

4.45 pm dinner prep (my favourite lentil soup)

A Monday mostly spent at home this month - tidying, cooking, looking after a sick child.  I did lift some weight and I can already feel it in my legs.
Monday is my get everything done for the week day - its not usually a day when I stop to look around.
It's nearly always worth pausing though.. don't you find that?

~ snow day ~

 

I have such fond memories of the last time snow fell to sea-level in Hobart - we had a day off school and the most wonderful adventures.

Today my children had their own snow day.  We woke to squeals of "there's real snow outside!!"  We watched the cats encounter their very first snow.  We caught snowflakes on our tongues. We took the day off school.  We drank way too much hot chocolate. We threw snowballs and made a very wonky, very small snow man.  

It was magical.

~ taking stock - July 2015 ~

from our trip to Cradle Mountain and flowers from my garden

Making : space in my office so I can actually do some stuff not just navigate around piles of other stuff
Cooking : these amazing date scones by Belinda Jeffery - so good
Drinking : raspberry and pomegranate infusion - so pretty and so yum
Reading: some Louise Penny mysteries and also Paper Towns by John Green (which I read to discuss with Lily as she was reading it too but we haven't done that yet).  My book club book is waiting for me.
Wanting: a new phone (and my lovely hubby has just gone out to sort that out for me I think - total bonus as I hate navigating phone/data plans)
Looking: at some videos of the girls from when they were small (it started when I went to look for one from last time we went to Cradle Mountain) and wishing I'd taken lots more videos when they were little
Playing: May -I?  Its a really fun card game we taught the girls when we were away (Jack can't hold enough cards yet)
Deciding: that we really do need a proper gardener to help us get it all under control out there
Wishing: I'd not volunteered to organise the t-towel fundraising project at school
Enjoying: watching period dramas on Netflix
Waiting: for the rain to stop so I can duck outside and grab some wood
Liking: playing games in front of the fire
Wondering: if there'll really be snow in our street on Monday as they forecast (I hope so!)
Loving: the blossom trees lining the streets
Pondering: where to put some more hellebores in the garden
Considering: starting the mammoth project of sorting out my photos
Buying: new sandshoes this week (hopefully) - mine have got holes in them
Watching: Orange is the new black (I'm not sure I get it yet)
Hoping: I get some more blogging done next month - this month has been a write-off
Marvelling: at my big girl's organisational skills for school and complete lack of them at home
Cringing: at the lame justifications for the racist and bullying booing that has been aimed at Adam Goodes recently
Needing: a back massage (always!)
Questioning: my parenting methods (often)
Smelling:  the erlicheers at my front door
Wearing: stripes and jeans (my daily uniform when I'm not working)
Following: a few people on Twitter (I joined this week but I'm really not sure what I'm doing)
Noticing: how good Yoga makes me feel
Knowing: that its worth paying for
Thinking: life is short
Admiring: how my neighbour's sons have dealt with her prolonged hospitalisation over the last few months.  And her death this week.  I was the last person to see her awake.  It's made for a few quiet and low few days.
Sorting: out old clothes to give away
Getting: sick of the dust and dirt from the wood heater
Bookmarking: recipes for yoghurty pancakes and carrot fritters
Coveting: a new puffer jacket - mine has lost quite a lot of puff
Disliking: when the children whine
Giggling: at Jack's description of how cows and sheep have babies  - "they kiss and they get into love mode and then they have a baby".  Me : "what's love mode?" Jack : "its on Minecraft silly".
Feeling: content (mostly)
Snacking: on dark chocolate with sea salt - its my downfall
Wishing: spring would come quickly - I'm ready
Helping: with homework and reading
Hearing: the wind making the grapefruit tree brush against the office windows