Summer Delights

Friends to visit on a hot, hot day meant a walk in the shady garden, then a game of 'shopping' on the breezy verandah ...


... a swim in the pool where the water was as warm as a bath ...

... and a tower of baby cupcakes, with sprinkles on top!

Eeek! Shopping.

Today was 'Shopping Day'.
Not the puttery meandering through supermarket aisles which I enjoy so much, where Boo and I spot numbers and letters on the price tags as we trundle by, filling our trolley to the brim with delicious morsels. No, this was a trek through miles of gleaming chrome and tile furniture stores, in the hope of finding an inexpensive (yet still tasteful) lounge suite, which was somehow also magically impervious to grubby little hands and leaky bottles of milk.
No surprise that we found nothing. Everything was more expensive than I could imagine, and not what I wanted to boot. I'll stick to ebay, even if it's a bit hit-and-miss. I don't actually want anything really new anyway, as I'd get too uptight about keeping it 'nice', and Boo wouldn't have any fun.
But I did spend $2 on these cute wooden insect cut-outs. It took all of 20mins to colour them in, then I glued a bright baby peg on the bottom of each. I popped them down low on the wall, and Boo is delighted to have hangers for his favourite photos and paintings where he can reach them. I swear he rearranged his pictures at least half a dozen times before bed!

Rhubarb

Found in a wicker laundry basket on my front step yesterday evening, this homegrown rhubarb is part of a vegetable hamper gifted to me by a green-fingered friend.

Stewed and sweetened, and topped with a dollop of honey yoghurt, it'll make a georgous breakfast tomorrow. I tend to have trouble climbing out of a warm bed in the mornings, but this delicious treat will be worth getting up for!

Hosting a Weddding

Boo brought Cottontail to me this morning with a scarf draped over her head: he told me she was getting married to Elmo, and could we please have a wedding today?
With grey skies outside, and Mummy nursing a cold, a wedding was just the thing to put a sparkle into the day.
First we made invitations. Boo insisted they must have 'love' on them, and some heart stickers inside. Granny, Papa and Daddy we invited to join us at 12:30pm for the wedding of Cottontail Rabbit and Elmo Monster, and Boo played "postman".

We had great fun dressing the bride and groom, as well as a bridemaid and pageboy. Then it was out to the garden to gather pink flowers (Cottontail's favourite colour is pink, as she's a girl) for the bouquets, buttonholes and hair.

Of course we also needed a cake, and Cottontail's wedding boasted two beautiful tiers of cupcakes. One pink, to match the flowers and bride's dress...

the other white, for the sake of tradition.

Guests arrived to the sound of classical music, and Boo welcomed them and led them into the lounge, where the wedding party had already gathered. Then our little minister led us through the vows, asking Elmo and Cottontail if they loved eachother very much, and helping them to kiss.

Finally the wedding was over: the guests clapped, the minister cut and served cake, and Cottontail and Elmo opened their wedding gift from Granny and Papa (a balloon-powered wooden boat).
Lots of fun for a rainy day!

Everything's Coming Up Roses

Each time we come home I'm astonished by how lush and lovely our countryside and garden are. All the roses at the manor -- whether untamed bush roses, elegant standards or trailing climbers -- are in riotous bloom, and the grass and leaves are emerald green.

Although I love the busy-ness, sights and variety in the city, I think I'm a country girl at heart.

Our city trip was marvellous fun. As well as a good report from my endo, we caught up with friends for a trip to the PowerHouse Museum (the little poppet in the picture, Ester, is a friend's youngest), several dinners out, and a children's birthday party.

Today -- exhausted -- we stayed at home, cleaning, sweeping and mopping, and later Grandma came for lunch and emptied my entire basket of ironing! My parents had planned to holiday until next Saturday, but came home early as Dad's knee has been sore (and birdwatching and hiking is out of the question), so we had an added treat of seeing them early and delighting in the pretty gifts they bought for us all.

Paint Stencilling

Stars sponged onto paper through cardboard stencils would make pretty homemade Christmas cards.

Adventuring

We'll be away this weekend adventuring in the concrete jungle, as we visit friends and family in the city, and I see my endocrinologist for a long-overdue appointment. Will catch up with you on Monday!

Yellow Irises

These grow along the brook which winds through the manor's garden.

Shopping for Things to Buy

Today was a 'shopping day' for Boo and I -- and boy, did we have fun! We didn't buy anything sensible, spent virtually nothing, and enjoyed eachother's company immensely.
The morning started off with Boo opening his own general store, complete with a turn-aroundable open/closed sign, and stocked with foodstuffs from the pantry. He loved the game and learned alot -- counting out money, giving change, restocking, choosing to sell produce customers asked for (he had to close the store at one point to find apples and bananas, as customers had requested these). Later he even had Cottontail in a cot behind the counter, and discovered the difficulties of being a working parent!

Later we went shopping in reality, and had even more fun.
What made the afternoon really marvellous was the little elf outfit that Boo coveted in the dollar shop, and which I bought him after he promised to wear it cheerfully when I take Christmas card photos of him later this month. He begged to wear the suit then and there (even the red stockings and darling emerald green cap) and spent the rest of the afternoon capering delightfully around the stores, looking for all the world like the most perfect little fairytale creature -- and oblivious to the stares and laughter of fellow shoppers. If anyone stopped to say 'hello' to the 'little elf', Boo told them solemnly that he wasn't infact a real elf at all, but a 'real boy'.
Later we popped into the thrift store for a new outfit for Cottontail -- doesn't she look darling in the photo below? (That's her christening outfit, and we had to 'play' christening at least a half dozen times.) The shop voluteer even gave Boo a tiny toy bear to be bunny's own baby, and altogether the outfit cost $1. Plus we managed to score two pairs of near-new leather sandals for Boo for $3 apiece, and mounds of pretty fabric for my stash for just a few dollars more.

Then off to buy a Dora birthday gift for a party on Sunday (all Dora merchandise was marked 20% off) and we picked up a few Christmas specials for my 'secret drawer'. A visit to Macca's for 30c icecreams, to Bunnings for huge free cardboard boxes (to be made into a cubbyhouse or tunnel next week), to the video shop for a $1 weekly children's video, and a short meander around the supermarket for foodstuffs completed our afternoon, and we returned home with a pile of shopping and our spirits high.

Wildflower Impressions

There must have been something on my lens to make these shots look all dreamy and impressionistic.

Although, oddly, the other half of these photos are clear as a bell.

I rather like the watered effect -- but nevertheless, I'll give my lens a thorough cleaning. Goodness knows it needs one!

Boy in Blossom

Bunting

It's no use asking "But what will you do with it?". Some things you know you just have to have.

For me it's chocolate, flowers and bunting. Yes, festive flags in shabby fabrics strung in glorious curves through the garden or house or ... anywhere, really.
Saturday morning at the church fete the crafty ladies were selling bright runners of bunting that were pretty, but not somehow quite right for me. And ridiculously expensive ... something silly like $15 for 8 flags. Even the lady selling them told me quietly behind her hand that they were much too pricey, then described just how she made them.
So I went home and made some myself from scraps left over from my (unfinished) patchwork quilt.

Next it's fairylights. Yes, I have a yearning for those, too.

Patchwork Pixie

A cat, on a mat.
Looking rather grumpy, really.
Come on Pix ... smile. We need to give these photos to the artist who will begin painting your portrait tomorrow.
Sigh ...

Cherry Blossom

Eyes on the Prize

Two days ago, Boo's Granny promised him a whole shiny gold dollar -- all for himself -- if he managed to swim the length of our pool with no floaties on.
She thought the dollar would stay safely in her pocket for at least a few weeks.
No chance of that! Our little Boo certainly doesn't give up, and his perseverence paid off this afternoon. Well done baby!

And where's Boo now? At the local store, spending his money on six chewy redskin sweeties. I figure that if it's his money, he can choose what he wants to spend it on. But since there will be so much sugar, we've made a deal that the redskins will live in the treat box at Papa's house, and Boo will get one each day.

(Oh, and our little photo shoot led to an impromptu fully-clothed swim for Boo, who was happy to dive into the pool to pick up his money when it fell in!)

Walking the Dog

Eeewee's parents are away for a week, so we've stepped in as surrogates. I'm thoroughly enjoying having a companion for evening walks, as she's an obedient, good-tempered girl -- as well as being irresistably beautiful.

When our neighbours 'rescued' Eeewee, she was emaciated, and tormented by a houseful of small children. Despite this rocky start, she's now the picture of health, and as charming and good-natured as can be.

Under the Trees

In the dappled shade beneath the trees ...

... a chance to paint ...

... becomes a finger-painting activity all over the tabletop ...

... and ends up with a small boy using the paint-slicked table as his very own slippery slide.

Well, that's creative: and painting is all about creativity and having fun. (And I have a handy hosepipe and paddling pool just nearby for cleanup.)

Bunny's Big Day

Cottontail bunny is one of Boo's dearest friends. She's the youngest of Mrs Rabbit's four children (who are Flopsy, Mopsy, Peter and Cottontail).
Cottontail is only a baby bunny, and doesn't talk yet but instead makes "mmfff, mmfff" noises (which only Boo can interpret), and giggles infectiously when she's happy.
She often accompanies Boo on excursions: last week as he left for a pancake breakfast at Grandma's he rushed back into the house to fetch Cottontail because, he told me "Cordelia likes to play with Cottontail, and Cottontail likes to play with Cordelia".

Yesterday Cottontail sat on the swing to watch Boo paint. And, as happens with babies, she managed to get very messy with splashed paint, and needed to be bathed.

I don't think Cottontail is very fond of the water, do you?

But she did like swinging by her ears on the washing line. "It's just like a rollercoaster for her" said Boo delightedly, not at all perterbed to see his baby hung up high.

A Day to Organise

There's very little that gives me greater satisfaction at the end of the day than having had time to unsnarl the tangles of everyday life. Bills to be paid, birthday cards to write and post, doctor's appointments to organise, and those niggly cleaning jobs like the pantry and craft cupboards (which I spot at least twice a day but never seem to get around to).
Today was my chance to catch up on a few of these bits and pieces, as Boo was at preschool and there was nothing pressing in the office for me to do. Although I could fill an entire week with cleaning and pottering and organising my world, today's efforts have thankfully shortened my "to do" list considerably.
(And a note: The roses in the pic above are the first from the bushes at Grandma's new house. The deep pink David Austen smells divine: so much so, infact, that once I had finished assembling this little vase Boo claimed it as his own, and placed it almost reverentially on his bedside table!)

Butterfly Party

Flowers for the lovely hostess...

... pretty treats piled high ...

... the beautiful butterfly birthday princess (note that Boo refused butterfly paint and chose instead to become Spiderman, despite the fact that we made and decorated wings and antennae yesterday evening --- boys!) ...

... and take-home gifts for each child: a fat live silkworm in a decorated jar filled with mulberry leaves, and a pretty butterfly chocolate.

Gathered from our Field

Button Counting

A simple rainy day activity (using things we had about the house) which encourages both colour-matching and counting skills.
I sorted a pile of buttons so that it contained only five colours, then found tiny paper patty cases to match and placed them in a mini-muffin tin.
Boo's first task was to place all buttons of one colour into the appropriate patty pan. Once that task was completed I wrote numbers on the bottom of the paper cases, and Boo set about placing the right number and colour buttons into each case.
The verdict? The colour sorting kept Boo's attention span for quite a while, providing I checked up on his progress and encouraged him every now and then. For the number task I sat nearby, as Boo needed help with any number larger than four. However, he was interested and enthusiastic for a while.
Still, it's a start, and I'll store the activity with our other learning games. Now that he's familiar with this task he'll hopefully ask to try it again, and each time I'll add new numbered patty cases to make the counting more challenging.