Jean Jacques Pierre, Canapes, Frittata and Bird Club

This evening Boo learned how to create petit canapes with the renowned French chef, Jeanne Jacques Pierre. Under the master's tutelage, he diced feta, placed olives, and ripped fresh rocket into tiny pieces for garnish. Boo was even encouraged to taste test the cracked pepper biscuits upon which the toppings rested.

Of course, the masterchef was simply me with a dubious accent, but it's still marvellous to watch Boo enter completely into the make-believe of it all -- to the point where he'll try food items he never otherwise would.
Our efforts were for an evening at my parents, where a group of twitchers had gathered to watch the videos of African birds taken by my parents on their latest trip there.
Afterwards, they settled down to watch the movie of the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which is charming and beautiful. I'd recommend it to anyone, but especially any person who has a love of Africa.

Being Busy

We've spent the last week or so being quietly busy.

Visiting friends, getting a haircut, loving the red hippeastrum glowing on the sublit dining table, throwing the javelin at Little Athletics, making a house for a cricket (who has since been released as he refused to sing), creating a "colour book" with pictures cut out from magazines, making foam in the blender (pink foam turns out beautifully!), having a bath on the verandah, swimming, making beaver craft and learning about a beaver's lodge, shopping, cooking, cleaning, surviving days filled wind and red dust,

and creating "balloon pjs" to dance crazily in.

Water Dispenser

We're lucky enough to have a large tank, so use sweet, fresh rain water for all our needs.
The only problem with doing this is that Boo isn't drinking the flouride he needs for strong and healthy teeth. Up until now, we've traipsed to Grandmas every few days to fill large plastic drink bottles with water ... but it's meant a few trips a week, and Boo's little muscles can't lift the bottles to pour water for himself, so each time he wants a drink he needs to ask.


The solution to all these problems is this charming ceramic water dispenser, which cost less than $30 at Officeworks (of all places!). We can fill up 7 litres at a time (or 16 if we use the attached bottle), and Boo can help himself whenever he's thirsty. And he seems to to need a drink at least a hundred times a day -- which I think has something to do with the novelty of pressing the dear little tap.

Cliff-top Walk

A new pedestrian path has just opened along the clifftops all the way from Seaside Village to Toy Town. On Sunday, we trooped down with some friends to take a look.
The views -- everywhere you looked -- were spectacular.

We walked half the track, then had to return to the car as dusk was closing in. But in terms of distance we covered the entire route, and if we allow two or three hours we could easily make it. So one day we plan to wander from one town to another, then have a relaxing lunch and take the train home.

Relaxing

Boo reminds me so much of a pussycat as he stretches out and enjoys the warmth of the afternoon sunshine.

We've had a really lazy day -- temperatures are in the 30s, and there's an unpleasant wind whipping up the dust (and the stinky load of mulch a big truck dumped in the garden this morning), so we figured we'd stay indoors.

We've played board games, done the housework, made a carboard garage and ... not much else really.
Perhaps later we'll take a trip into the little supermarket in town ... or perhaps not. Gran is making dinner, so there's nothing we need to do.
Luxury!

Anniversary Posy

Is it terrible not to remember?

I certainly didn't today, and was surprised when Jumps brought in this little handpicked posy in the afternoon, with a sheepish "Happy Eighth Anniversary!" and a kiss.

We don't tend to make a big fuss of our anniversary. Somehow it seems unnecessary to mark 'big' occasions, and instead we concentrate on loving eachother day-to-day. Still, it was nice to have a special moment.

Today, Boo said something really quite astute and suitable for this occasion. "What's friendship?" he asked. I explained and, after thinking a moment, he said "Well, then you have a married friendship with Daddy".

He's perfectly right! And that's the thing that matters most on our anniversary.

$25 Tent

I hate camping.
That said, I haven't actually slept outdoors for more than 25 years. Back when I was just eight, we spent a year in a campervan and tent, travelling around Australia while my father wrote a guidebook for tourists.
Sure, there were some good memories from that trip -- Cornetto icecreams, swimming pools at campsites, possums that ate out of your hand, and the vertigo-inducing pit that is Mt Isa. But, on the whole, it was a long year of car-sickness, sweltering nights with no air-conditioning, squabbles in the back of the car, boredom, and no where to really call your own.
So it was with some misgivings that I agreed to spend a weekend camping with friends beside a lake. As well as the obstacle of my own resistance to camping, we had to consider the fact that we own no gear, except maybe one sleeping bag (not that I plan to use a sleeping bag at all -- I'll be taking sheets, pillows and soft fuzzy blankets for my corner).
So it must have been fate that at the market on the weekend a lone stallholder displayed the sign "new tent, $25!".
We put it up on the weekend for a trial run ... and I can't help liking it. It's sturdy, large enough for 6 people, and well made. When you're inside it's breezy and light and green -- almost like being up high in the a tree.

That said, I still didn't like it enough to sleep there overnight -- Boo and Daddy did that, while I curled up in my warm bed with a book and cup of tea!

Little A's Begins

Boo's first day at Little Athletics was a hit -- after crying and moaning all morning about attending, he finally agreed to give it a try, and naturally had a marvellous time!

Here he is running up for the long jump -- the Tiny Tots also practised discus, races and hurdles. I particulary like that the kids compete against their own previous best -- and get certificates and trophies based on this -- rather than jostling eachother for first place.

Today

Our cottage sitting in the sunshine, under the wide Australian sky.

Babies on the Beach

There's no toy you can buy -- and no experience you can pay for -- that will give a child more pleasure than pottering about on the beach.
Especially this jewel of a place -- which is only 10 minutes from our house -- and where you'll find a harbour, park, beach and rockpool right beside eachother.


And if we decide to spend wildly, a few dollars buys a mountain of hot chips to fill four hungry bellies to bursting!

Sweet Peas

... sweet-smelling bunches picked from the garden.

Sitting Pretty

The table-and-chairs under the wisteria make a pretty sitting place at the front of the manor. We often take our cups of tea here, and sit to watch the chickens peck and the wild ducks and parrots fly down to the lawn.

Oscar Turns Two

Strange to think that this little man has existed for less time than this blog (here's when he arrived)! It was precious to watch as he beamed with delight while he blew out his two candles today -- he knew just what it meant to be the birthday boy, and he loved every minute of it!
His mother hosts the most marvellous children's parties -- even when they're low-key, like today's, there's something special in the air, and Boo and I always have enormous fun.
Boo came home from the festivities exhausted to the core, and even asked to go to bed. While we snuggled under the covers we thought about all the lovely things he did today, and came up with quite a list.

• A trip to Grandma's with Daddy.
• Playing in the park.
• Gardening with Granny.
• Making 'experiments' on the verandah with Mummy.
• A swim with Daddy.
• A lunchtime video.
• A trip to the library.
• A walk to the postoffice -- then a run up mainstreet's sidewalk, swinging around poles on the way.
• A birthday party.
• Shopping for groceries.
• Listening to stories.

No wonder my little boy was ready for sleep!

By My Nephew

.
As age daunts me,
My time comes near
You've been with me,
For fifty years,
My darling sweetheart
Please don't leave me
I want you with me
For fifty years more.

-- by Oliver Gad
(12 years old)

The Tour

Today has been such a bright, light day, and the new kitchen has just been glowing with sunshine. So I finally got out my camera and tripod, and took a few photos.
Isn't it sweet?

I especially love the bookshelves along the left-hand side, which hide the fridge and cover what otherwise would be pretty much a blank wall (which is what it was before). They also give me a place for my cookery books, other bits and bobs, and teatowels and cloths (in the wicker baskets). Of course, the breakfast bar is also a highlight (there is a third chair further to the right, which I didn't get in the shot because I was too lazy to go and borrow a wide-angled lens from my father), and I wonder now what we did without it. Boo and I chat all the time there: him sipping or eating or playing, while I get on with chores. It's also a great place to bake together -- I had three little kids last week making cookies with me, and there was plenty of space.


I went for the most inexpensive finishes (because, simply, we had a budget that I didn't want to break), and at the time I was a little disappointed not to get glass cabinets with little panes in them. But now that it's done, I can't imagine I would have liked them any better than these, which now have all my pretty mugs hanging in them.
Of course, now I wish I'd done a 'before' shot (but at the time I just as too excited to see the old kitchen go, and didn't take the time to photograph it), so unfortunately only those people who actually know what it looked like will appreciate the difference.
But it's a big change, believe me.
For one thing, the kitchen was previously a sortof 'walk through' area, so the wall at the right (where the glass cabinets are) wasn't there at all: instead, it was simply an opening to go into the dining room. And there wasn't a big pantry at all -- that spot was where the oven stood. Which didn't leave much space for cabinets or storage (and meant my crockery was stored in the linen cupboard, and the linen in a bookshelf in the laundry -- but more about that later).
It also meant I didn't have room for a dishwasher -- which you can now see stands in pride of place under the window. Ah! I never realised how luxurious it would be not to wash dishes again!
To continue, we now have a door in the family room wall, which has transformed the whole house for the better. The view as you come in the front door is delightful, and the dining room has gained nearly an acre of space (since it's no longer a walk-through area).

And, finally, several of my old kitchen cabinets have been recycled to become laundry cupboards (you can only see one in the picture, but there's another huge pantry cupboard tucked behind the door), and the dryer has been placed up high.

All in all, I have been able to move the linen and crockery, take two bookshelves out of the house, and I have a huge craft cupboard full of toys and games which Boo can access himself.

It's somehow a whole new house -- and I never realised how delightful the results of all this renovating would be!

Choc Chip Chookies

"Horrible!", declared Boo, who then went on to eat four. According to him they need to be smaller, flatter, and contain more chocolate.
I think they may have been too "grown up" for him, and next time will try to make cookies that are more child-friendly. That said, while I'm happy to accept constructive criticism, and think Boo does have a right to express his likes and dislikes, I'm not pleased to hear such damning comments from his little mouth. Next time I will put all the cookies away, and explain to him that if you are negative about another person's efforts -- especially if that person is doing something at your request -- you will lose out. I think it's an important lesson to learn early.
It sometimes takes me a while to figure out the best way to deal with a situation, especially where Boo is concerned, because generally I can't help thinking he's cute, even when behaviour goes a little beyond the pale. And especially if he doesn't end up having any siblings -- which, sadly, might be a possibility at this point -- he will need to learn that he's not the most important person in the world. (Although he is, of course, to us).

Bits 'n' Bobs

We didn't have any sort of garden in our tiny flat in the city, but every day I'd pluck a pretty piece of foliage or a few flowers while on a stroll, and place them on the windowsill to enjoy. I've always found it more satisfying to have one or two pretty bits 'n' bobs rather than a mass of flowers.
So when we designed the kitchen, I asked if I could have a windowsill built in. It wasn't possible, as we would have lost too much bench space, but instead Rik put up a sturdy, handsome wooden shelf just below the window, which I stained and varnished to match the countertops.
There are so many things I love about the new kitchen, but this little shelf gives me more pleasure than I could have imagined.

*****

Yesterday Boo and Granny were in the middle of a rousing game of dinosaurs while gardening, when Papa came to chat. "Go away, Papa", said Boo "we're busy".
Gran immediately told him to mind his manners, so Boo said sorry, then paused for a moment, before pointing towards the dam and saying, very politely "Papa, wouldn't you like to have some privacy ... over there?"

***

I had plans for a night away with friends on Friday, but woke in the morning with gastro, and collapsed back into bed after cancelling all my appointments and plans. While I was sorry to have missed out on my excursion, I was so grateful to Granny, who whisked Boo away immediately for a day of busy fun (and exhaustion for her!), allowing me to sleep and rest without anything to worry about. Jumps did the washing and dinner, took Boo in the afternoon, and put him to bed. It was terrible to feel ill, but made me realise how lucky I am to have family who will care for me immediately, and without question or fanfare.

Finally Rain

Finally it rained yesterday: several hours of drizzle interspersed with heavy, drenching falls. It's a start, but if we don't have more soon the tanks will run dry, and the grass is already brittle and golden rather than a lush winter green. We've already started conserving water: reusing bath water for washing, catching drops from our showers in a bucket on the floor, and only flushing the toilet if we really need to. September is forecast to be a rainy month, and I hope it will be.

Evening

Boo's seldom sick, but today I woke to the sound of him throwing up, and that's pretty much what today has been about. Hours of rocking, soothing and reading to him, several loads of soiled washing, board games when he's been feeling somewhat better, and tiptoeing about the house or sitting beside him as he sleeps (he frets if I'm not there when he wakes and feels ill).
This evening, thankfully, he's looking pinker and more cheerful, and is now lying on the sofa laughing uproariously while watching "Rocky and Bullwinkle" with his Dad, despite the dark circles under his eyes.
Today has been all about caring for him: how would I cope, I wonder, if I had two or three other children -- either sick or well -- to look after? And, too, how could I possibly manage if I had a child who was very ill for a long period? It's strange that bad times can make one grateful for the good things, rather than leading me to dwell on this difficult moment.

In the Laundry

This exquisite iron hook was a birthday gift last year, and makes a flourish against my newly-painted laundry walls.

Having beautiful little pieces all about the house bring something special to everyday chores.

Father's Day Treat

When Dad was just a skinny little boy, he used to race slot cars with the kids next door. So, when I discovered a funny little enthusiast's shop, tucked away in the city and offering slot-car races, I knew the special experience of sharing some childhood fun with his grandson would be more treasured than any material gift.

We each got a car and a trigger, and were assigned a track with plenty of curves. Drive too fast and the car comes off the track, spinning and rolling into anyone else's car that happens to be in the way. First we did laps, then lined up the cars and raced against eachother.

To this delight Boo won every time -- his smart red car was designed to stick to the track, and outstripped ours time and again!

Sophie's Naming Day

Sophie lay placidly and smiled sweetly at guests who arrived at the pavillion with gifts, then calmly watched the small children race up and down the verandah in the sunshine. The ceremony was homey and relaxed. Even when it was revealed that the celebrant had been double-booked and wouldn't arrive, there was no sign of disappointment or distress -- a family friend simply stepped in and gave a speech of real sincerity and charm, and her mother spoke simply about the wishes she and Mark hold for their daughter. Afterwards there were mountains of homemade food and drinks to consume: sandwiches; pies; pastizzi and salads. And when it was all over, Jumps, Boo and I walked over to the new adventure playground, and all took turns to whizz down the enormous silver slide.

Rubba-dub-dub ...

... two kids in a tub!

Smile ... or Perhaps Don't

Boo had his second-ever dental visit today, and to my absolute horror he needed a filling. Just a small one, on a back tooth that's hard to get to -- but of course no amount of justification can really make me feel less guilty. He took it all in his stride, and because the dentist was so sensible and calm it barely took five minutes (with no need for an injection). Boo cried afterwards in the car, but only because he wasn't allowed to eat or drink for an hour, and I'd promised him a cheese-and-ham bread roll after the appointment.
So, our resolutions are to brush long and hard night and morning, make sure Boo always has flouridated water (we use tank water in the house), and ask Papa to replace the jar of sticky jelly sweeties for chocolate buttons.
On a happier note, the rest of the day was divine -- perfect weather, seven little people and their mothers here for tea and new-kitchen admiration, then Lexa, Angus and Jack staying for an afternoon's play and craft (the kids loved the simple cardboard cats in the picture below: we made them from cardboard rolls).
Lexa stayed for dinner, and we took her home via the video shop, which is our special Wednesday treat: all weekly DVDs are $1, and Boo and I each get a 20c ball of bubblegum!

Fun at the Big Trampoline

I couldn't manage to somersault, but even running and jumping were fun on this giant pillow of air. The kids liked it best when we chased them all the way across and down the edges. Definately a fun place to come for a picnic on a sunny day.

Nearly Done!

The new kitchen is looking fabulous -- light, bright, fresh and packed with storage.
We're nearly done, but have a few finishing touches to put into place. Today I stained the windowsill and varnished under the doorframe -- tomorrow the sill needs to be sanded, restained and varnished. Of course there's plenty to be done in other rooms, too, since cupboards and bookshelves have now been repositioned, requisitioned, and recycled as bits and pieces move into and out of the kitchen .
I'll take some photos when I can say "Done"! But in the meanwhile, here's a peek!

Jasmine Arch in Flower

Ah! A glorious scent wafts down each time we pass under the archway to the cottage!

My Turn!

Boo and I were faced with several surprise players during a game of bocce on the lawn. I wonder if she thought these belonged to a giant rainbow-coloured hen?