Deck Daze

We have had beautiful weather in Melbourne this week. Sunny and pleasantly cool, with the sound of birds and the scent of jonquils and freesias in the air. Our willow tree has new leaves, the plum trees are in blossom, and you can tell that spring is just a few days away.

The girls and I have finally been spending time on our back deck. It is actually a bonus not having any furniture yet, because the extra space is perfect for riding the car or crawling backwards!

On Tuesday Emma (my sister-in-law) and Ayla spent the day with us. They are down from Sydney visiting Emma's family in Lilydale, and we'll see them again when my brother Andrew arrives on the weekend.

I predict a lot more time will be spent out on the deck before we move in January.

Potential

We purchased a new home today. Well, it will be a lovely home one day. At the moment, there is a large, overgrown garden and a house that has seen better days.

Here is a little taste of what it looks like at the moment:

The plan is to sell our current home, and settle them both on the same day. Then we'll stay nearby for a fortnight while cleaning and repairing the interior of this house so we can move in. We'll live there for about a year while Neil draws up plans and obtains permits, then rent while the house is demolished and new home/s are being built.

There's always an element of sadness to leaving something behind, particularly when it is a lovely, renovated home with a huge kitchen, spacious and clean showers, heating and cooling ... but I won't dwell on that!

I actually find it really exciting to figure out how to make a home in a less than ideal situation. I guess I've had a lot of practise! And planning something new and spectacular is fun too!

Stay tuned and I'm sure you'll see lots of before, during and after shots in the months and years to come.

A Sabbath Picnic That Ended In Lipstick

Yesterday was a lovely, sunny Melbourne day. We travelled to Plenty Valley Adventist Church in the morning, to reconnect with friends from what was previously my home church. Then, after a 45-minute drive (so the girls would have a little sleep) we had a picnic lunch in a park near where we planned to visit Neil's aunt in hospital.

Our menu was simple. Grape juice, grilled vegetable loaf (for want of a better name!), and fresh strawberries for dessert.

Here's the 'recipe':

On Friday I bought a fancy "artisan cheese" loaf of bread from Woolies. When I got home I cut it in half, and spread each side with chunky basil dip (the yummy one with cashews and parmesan in). I grilled some sliced zucchini, capsicum and pumpkin - but no eggplant because I hadn't been able to find any in the supermarket. Some semi-dried tomatoes, feta, and rocket and baby spinach leaves completed the fillings, which I placed in the loaf of bread in layers. Then I wrapped it firmly in cling film, tied it up with string, and put it in the fridge overnight with a pumpkin on top so that it would be nicely compressed. The result was easy to slice and very yummy!

Charlotte found it hard to keep her eyes open in the bright sunshine, but we all enjoyed being outside again after a long period of wintery weather.

After visiting Aunty Margaret, we climbed back into the "big blue truck" for the trip home. Which is when a bored, tired two-year-old wreaked a little bit of havoc! Grace found my make-up bag on the back seat (I'd put my make-up on in the car on the way to church, as you do when you have little kids!). By the time I realised what had happened, the damage was done!

Needless to say, the first thing that happened when we got home was a bath! If only the clothes were so easy to clean. Any tips on how to remove the stains would be very welcome!

Change - A Story in Numbers

Australian Census - Tuesday, 8th August, 2006

5 years
1 engagement
1 wedding
1 honeymoon
2 hand operations
2 renovations
1 unit sold
1 house purchased
1 dependent mother-in-law
1 funeral
7 IVF cycles
2 children
3 overseas holidays

Australian Census - Tuesday, 9th August, 2011

Sock Buddy

I bought a fun craft book at K-mart recently - 'kid's crafternoon sewing', edited by Kathreen Ricketson (see below). I figure projects for kids to do in an afternoon should be projects I can manage!

One of the projects is a "sock buddy" made from a knee-high sock. I got myself a cheap pair of socks and a needle and thread (I didn't bother with the sewing machine this time) and made a little soft toy. Here is a photo of the finished product:

It was a pretty inexpensive project. I only used one sock ($2), some thread, buttons and felt from my sewing/craft cupboard, and a little strip of red polar fleece from Neil's snuggy (some fabric in my stash which he has adopted as a blanket when watching TV). The stuffing was repurposed from a dead cushion I was going to throw away.

I put the body together on Tuesday night (although I have to confess, I stayed up until 11:00pm to do it!), and then added the face and other finishing touches last night.

This is a bit of a staged photo, but Grace does really love her new "teddy". She (I am informed it is definitely a girl teddy) went to childcare with Grace on Wednesday - without a face or scarf. (In the photo in my last post you can probably see her on the floor beside Grace.) Then today she came to the shops with us, and is in bed with Grace tonight.

In time I'll have to convert the second sock into a "teddy" for Charlotte. It is very gratifying to see the pleasure that something so simple can bring.

Sisters

I sat Charlotte in the bumbo to watch TV this morning while I packed her bag for childcare. Grace came and sat beside her, and read her a book. They looked very cute together.

Charlotte's face lights up when Grace comes into the room, and she reaches out to touch her (and grab her hair!). Grace loves to cuddle and kiss Charlotte (although it can look more like a headlock sometimes!), and they both enjoy a giggle together. I know that they will have plenty of arguments as they grow up, but I hope they can always retain the special bond they share.

I have a younger sister, Janelle, and there is a similar gap in our ages. We had a lot of fun together growing up, as well as our share of fights. As a teen it was great to have someone there and on my side. Even if she was allowed to do all the things I had waited for years for permission to do!

Julie and Janelle (about 1976)

Neil's mother, Iris, and her elder sister Margaret, spoke on the phone several times a day in the years before Iris' death. They spent 85 years as sisters and shared all the ups and downs of life.

Margaret and Iris (2004)

I'm hoping that in 80-something years from now, Grace and Charlotte can look back and appreciate having had each other.

Charlotte's First Day at Childcare

Today is my precious little baby's first day at childcare. Only a mother could know how it feels.

Intellectually, it makes sense. A space is available now, which we need when I go back to work in November. She is at an age where she might be less troubled by my leaving her with other people. Without the pressure of being at work, I can send her for half days while she gets used to it. I think it is a good centre, with capable and caring staff. And over time she will develop social skills, and learn things that I can't teach her.

I can make good use of my child-free time. There is a huge list of things to do around the house, and it means I can attend medical appointments without having to organise and pay for a babysitter.

But despite all that, it feels wrong. She is so little - only seven and a half months. Even good carers can't give the one-on-one attention she can get at home. And I miss her!

She's a very happy little girl, with a beautiful smile. She is very curious, and it is fun to watch her reaching out and exploring things, rolling and sliding to get where she wants to be, and gurgling with delight when she solves a problem.

That's probably the main thing. Time is passing. She's growing up. And even at this young age, I'm having to learn to let her go. That's hard. But I definitely need all the practice I can get!

'My Family' Book

Grace and Charlotte's grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins all live interstate, so for awhile I've planned to make a family book for them. This week I finally put it together.

I collected photos of as many family members as I could, and glued them to coloured card.

Then I wrote each person's name underneath, and laminated the pages with my handy new laminator.

Lastly, I punched holes and bound the sheets together with three rings, which are easy to open when I want to add or replace pages.

Grace loves reading through the book and naming all her family members, as well as telling me what she remembers about them (e.g. "Benny ... no spitting!").

As long as our family doesn't grow too big, we'll be fine. The laminated pages are wonderful and sturdy, but get pretty heavy when you put them all together!

Daphne

It's a shame we can't yet share fragrance online. As it is, you'll have to imagine the wonderful perfume of  the Daphne bush by our front entrance.

This is a very hardy plant, having survived three years of renovations going on around it, and lots of loving attention (i.e. leaf picking) from Grace. 

In honour of its tenacity we built the corner of the front deck around the bush, and it takes pride of place as you walk towards the front door.

Spring is coming!

Grace's Room

I tidied up Grace's room today while she was at childcare. It has been in a bit of a mess while I rearranged the wardrobe to store some linen.

I thought I'd better take some pictures before she comes home and takes everything off the shelves!

As you can see, I managed to squeeze quite a bit into the wardrobe.

It's not a really fancy, styled room but I think it is a beautiful space for a little two-year-old girl.

One Perfect Day

Well, almost. It still started well before 6:00 am, and there was the moment, after Charlotte had done a number three that required more wipes than a small container can hold, when I realised I'd forgotten to pack a change of clothes ... but I digress.

Yesterday morning Neil and the girls took me in to the Craft & Quilt Fair at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. I spent over three hours filling my mind with inspiration and ideas, and filling my backpack with enough brochures, fabrics and patterns to last me for a very long time.

These are the two patterns I purchased, and the fabric I chose to make them with:

Aren't they cute? The giraffe will be for Charlotte, and the bowling buddies for Grace.

I also added a spectacular collection of other assorted fabrics to my stash. There were some good deals, and it isn't often I get the time to linger over choices like that. Now I can't wait to make something!

The girls didn't take long to get bored, so Neil took them home for the morning. But they came back to get me after lunch. It was such a beautiful, sunny day we decided to go on to Williamstown.

We went for a walk, getting blown about by the wind, and had fun on the playground equipment. Then there was just enough time for ice-creams (and a rusk for Charlotte) before heading home.

Two happy little girls, a Daddy who enjoyed spending all day with them, and one grateful and content Mummy.