Pretty Things in Preparation

At my prenatal visit last week I was told that 'Alphonse' might well be an early arrival -- at 33 weeks my belly is measuring for a 36-week-old, and our big boy is in the 95th percentile. With this in mind, my specialist has warned me that baby might need to be delivered (either by induction or caesarian -- probably the latter), as early as 36 weeks, and likely before 38 at the latest. Which means he could well be here in as little as 2 1/2 weeks!
Nothing has been done -- the nursery is unplanned, clothes need to be sorted, washed and stored, and nappies laid out. Of course, I know that all a tiny baby needs is a soft, warm place to sleep, and lots of time with Mummy, so I'm not particularly worried. It's more my wardrobe that needs to be settled!
So last week my Mother took me shopping -- first to the chocolate cafe for tea and a single exquisite chocolate (for me), a milkshake and a piece of mudcake (for Boo) -- and then to the lingerie boutique in Toy Town. Here I chose a lovely, simple blue nightie with buttons down the front, and a pair of snuggly pastel pink pyjamas which also open at the front.
And, as a treat, the quaint bedjacket I ooohed over was added to the gift.
Who would have thought I'd love a bedjacket? It's always seemed to me to be the domain of little-old-ladies and patient invalids.
ut I've been grateful for it every morning since it was bought, as it's perfect to cuddle into and keeps me toasty when I lie in bed and drink my tea while gazing out the window. And I know it will come in extra handy on cold nights and chilly mornings when I pull Alphonse into bed with me to feed him (we try not to co-sleep, but I do have my babies in a crib just beside my bed, and pull them into the warmth to feed).

Raking the Leaves

There's a big storm on the horizon, so this morning was a flurry of activity in the garden.
I woke late, and opened the family room curtains to see Boo and Granny busily mulching the front border with leaves, then drank my tea while the gardeners (joined by Papa, now) planted 20 small hedges and three large trees in our field. Immediately the expanse of grass seems to have become a garden -- there are still two flowering cherries to be put in, and in just a few years I know it will look magnificent.
Then I puttered about the house, cleaning and making cream-of-courgette soup, while Boo bathed and dressed before going out with Papa on a shopping excursion.
Jumps meanwhile mowed, raked, (sadly buried a deceased chicken), and chopped and stacked wood, and he's now in the shed finishing up a homebrew that needs to be bottled.
The fire's on, windows and curtains are closed, and dinner prepped -- we're tucked in cosily for the night and ready for the storm to do its worst!

Schoolhouse Chocolate Sauce

Sadly, Pleasant View Schoolhouse, one of the most charming of Internet blogs, has ended.
However, Anna has kindly left it up, and I have been getting such a lot of pleasure from browsing the archives. It's also a nice opportunity to try some Schoolhouse recipes at leisure -- like this one, for chocolate sauce.
The sauce is quick and easy to make, and certainly ticks the box for "delicious" -- and it turns into a soft, sticky chocolate toffee after resting in the fridge overnight (ask me how I know!).
Boo enjoyed it on his icecream, but drew the line at putting the syrupy stuff in his morning hot chocolate -- he knows how he likes it made and he's not going to change!
A good store-cupboard treat for cold and rainy days. Just like today, in fact.

Flowers for Lexa

It was Lexa's birthday today, and Boo decided that he would pick a bunch of flowers as his gift to her. Even though I had made a gift to give her, he was still determined to give something from himself -- and he spent a great deal of time walking around the garden to choose, then picking each long stem and putting it into his bucket.
Then we made a bunch together and tied it with a thick pink ribbon. I think it's splendid, don't you?

The birthday girl had a host of friends, an ice-cream fairy cake, and a treasure hunt. It was a lovely 5th birthday.

Boo Builds a Fort

This afternoon I was exhausted (at 33 weeks pregnant the tiniest bit of housework and a morning out seems to be all I can manage without collapsing) so Gran kindly sent me off to bed, while she and Papa took charge of Boo. He had a ball!

Three hours later I wandered down to the manor to discover he'd spent the afternoon watching Papa, Daddy and Bob take down a dead tree -- they'd used a chainsaw, ropes and the tractor, so it had been very exciting. Then Boo and Papa had taken a trip to the shops together (small boy came home with a chocolate treat, as was to be expected).

Finally, he and Gran built a magnificent fort/castle for his new soliders out of tupperware. "It is only for South American soldiers and Boo is in charge" he told me.

Boo Visits the Chickens

Children always love stories about wicked mothers, or nasty and devious aunts who plot cruel deeds against them. A few weeks ago, while waiting at the doctor's surgery, I made up a story about an evil mother, who turned her little boy out of the house late at night, and sent him to sleep with the chickens.
But when the little boy went into the coop his loving chickens made him a bed of soft feathers, and kept him warm all night by placing their motherly wings around him.
So, last night Boo announced he would "sleep with the chickens".
Jumps and I were quite amused, but told him it was much too cold and dark and smelly in there. "Of course it's not!" declared Boo. "I'll simply take my sleeping bag and torch with me."
We decided to see how far he'd get, and helped our little man pack a box of biscuits, a bottle of water, his sleeping bag and torch, then waved him good bye as he marched out the door into the dark, dark night.
Of course we then peered out the window, and to our surprise saw his little light bobbing further and further away down the field, then heard the creak of an opening gate as he entered the pen.
We were both astonished at his bravery.
"If he's not back in 10 minutes I'm going to get him," said Jumps, while I silently determined I'd give him five minutes at the most!
But almost immediately we saw the little light bobbing closer, and a small voice asked if someone would come to help him open his sleeping bag, as he was having trouble. When Jumps suggested that perhaps Daddy could come and help him bring everything inside after all, Boo agreed to come home for the night and sleep in his own warm bed. When it's summer again Daddy promised they'd set up the tent in the garden just beside the coop.
But what bravery! And how fervently he believes in fairy tales!

Replanting

Hardy bromeliads are a sensible choice for my medieval-style concrete planter. It sits beneath the Asel tree, and since hauling it closer to the house would be quite a business, it's unlikely to be moved. This means I seldom remember to water it when I do the borders.
For a long while it sat empty, but I think these intriguing, sturdy, almost primitive plants rather suit the mysterious bas-relief depicted. Which, by the way, shows the ancient story of St Hubert and the Hart.

Geranium at the Front Steps

Nothing says "cottage" more, I think, than a brick-red geranium flowering at the front steps.
My mother propagated this pretty plant from one flourishing in her front garden -- I've taken slips and potted two more, so hopefully in a few months I'll have at least one matching plant at the other side of our entrance.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Sunday 16 May 2010

Outside My Window... Evening is drawing in, and the air is quickly turning cold. I've just put on the fire -- which I'm becoming quite expert at -- so that when Boo comes home (he's gone with Papa to take Oliver home after the weekend) the house will be toasty ...

I am thankful ... for my marvellous endocrinologist, who returns my emails at 11:30pm on a weekend(!), is practical, forthright and kind, and the foremost specialist in Australia on pregnancy and diabetes. (And did I mention she is free? So I'll be thankful here too for our medical system, which ensures free comprehensive pregnancy care -- including delivery, obstetrics and ultrasounds -- for every Australian) ...

From the kitchen... Fresh-baked bread (make by Jumps this morning) but very little else -- Dad has made beef stroganoff for tonight, and tomorrow evening we're off to Grandma's for a meat-pie dinner. So a break from the kitchen for me!

I am wearing... huge maternity pants and a warm brown tracksuit top (which no longer does up at the front -- Alphonse is shaping up to be a BIG baby) ...

I am creating... still more name banners (birthdays every week it seems!) -- these for Rory, Jaxon and Lexa ...

I am going... to the prenatal endocrine clinic in the city every two weeks from now on, with an ultrasound at each visit to check baby's well-being and growth. I'll also have to stay in the city fulltime for three weeks before my due date, which on one hand will be a holiday, but I will miss home and find it difficult to be idle when I'm sure to be in nesting mode ...

I am reading... I know you've got soul by Jeremy Clarkson, Freak onomics, and a host of New Scientists and Economists. I'll pretty much pick up anything that looks interesting and is lying around ...

One of my favorite things... is one-on-one chats with either of my parents in their cosy loungeroom or spacious sitting room. I so enjoy the adult relationship we have now -- they're both very interesting people whose ideas and opinions I respect (even if we don't always agree on everything) ...

Here is a picture thought I am sharing... (autumn leaves brighten up the fruitbowl in the dining room) ...

Visit to the Dairy

Although we live in a dairying area, our family isn't involved in farming, and surprisingly Boo has never watched cows being milked. But today we were lucky enough to visit a nearby farm, and be part of an evening's work on the land.

The milking shed was busy when when arrived, with cows waiting patiently while the farm workers attached the milking machines to their udders. Boo was astonished by the spurts of white milk flowing through the transparent vibrating hoses, and into the chilled milk vat.

Then it was time to fill buckets with fresh milk the feed the calves. I love how Boo always jumps into new experiences enthusiastically -- he was first to carry a bucket, and petted the calves without fear. He's seldom shy around adults, either, and laughed uproariously when the farmer let a calf such his fingers. At first Boo said he'd never let a calf do that to him, but before long he was offering fingers, elbows and knees to the babies to suck!

Autumn Mornings

Most mornings (and I am usually this lucky), Jumps wakes me around 7-ish by placing a cup of hot tea on my bedside table, and opening the curtains to let the pale light in. After a few minutes I prop myself up on a mountain of comfy pillows, and sip the warm, milky liquid peacefully, while I watch the sun rise above the trees and touch the Liquid Amber with gold.
At the moment the tree is a rainbow of colours -- reds, greens, pinks and yellows -- but before long there will only be bare branches and cloudy skies to look at, so every morning now I drink in the view.

Soon Boo bounds into the room and cuddles down into the warm blankets, warming his cold feet on my legs and causing delightfully merry havoc with my peace. That's when my day really begins! (And I know that when the new baby arrives my mornings will be turned upside down -- so I'm determined all the more to relish my quiet moments now.)

Geranium by the Window

Honey Joys

Unashamedly party food -- sticky, sweet, fatty and delicious!
Not that Boo and I had a party to go to, just a happy day at home for the two of us. So we halved the ingredients and only made five nice big joys: one for daddy, one for mummy, one for Boo, and two for preschool.


Ingredients
(makes 12)

90g butter or margarine
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
4 cups Corn Flakes

Preheat oven to 150°C.

1. Line 12hole patty pan with paper cases.
2. Melt butter, sugar and honey together in a saucepan until frothy.
3. Add Corn Flakes and mix well.
4. Working quickly spoon into paper patty cases.
5. Bake in a slow oven 150°C for 10 minutes.
6. Cool.
   
   Recipe from Kelloggs.

Mother's Day

A special card ...

"I love you because you play with me and let me go into your bed sometimes in the morning. And I love all the lovely things we do together, like craft and cooking and walks. And thank you for being the best mummy in the WORLD! Love from Boo."

... breakfast in bed, then fish and chips for lunch at Toytown's wharf ...

... my precious men (big and little) ...

... a wonderful Mother's Day.

Camellias

The tree by the front door has just burst into bloom -- I can simply stand on my front steps and reach out to pick a bunch of these beauties.

Lunch

For the last few months I've had a hankering for Chinese dumpling soup, and generally indulge myself at lunchtime. It's low-fat, low-carb and packed with vegies, so it's a craving I'm happy to satisfy.
We've found a supplier of mouthwatering frozen dumplings in several varieties: pork and coriander; vegetarian with tofu; chicken and water-chesnuts; and beef and bamboo shoots.
I simply boil up a pot of stock (as easy as putting on a saucepan of water or premade stock, and throwing in a package of spices), and once that's bubbling toss in a handful of dumplings. Three or four minutes to chop a carrot, some capsicum, snow peas and bok choy, then into the pot with those, too.
Finally some shredded coriander, a quick mix through the broth, and into a deep soup bowl to slurp in the sunshine.

Healthy, filling, low-fat and delicious.

Boo's Little Path

Although the property we live on is large, the two houses built on it -- the manor and the cottage -- stand quite close together at their nearest point. Despite this, both abodes are very private, as a luxuriant screen of trees and leafy shrubs shields one house from the other, and there is a wire fence running between the houses.
This arrangement meant we always had to take the long way around from one house to another -- down past the Asel tree and across part of the driveway.
But a few months ago Gran decided that Boo needed a special pathway straight to the manor, and so she cut a hole in the fence and built a pretty shortcut through the trees.

So now Boo can pop over in a moment to visit his adoring grandparents -- (and he does) morning, noon and night. How kind of them to be willing to open their house and hearts to him at any time of day!

Cherry Sultana Cake (with a hint of Mandarin)

Every now and then the urge to bake hits me of an evening. Since Jumps is the only one in the household who's open to eating cake right now, I chose a dense, moist cherry sultana loaf, which he can nibble at over the next week or so, and which will actually mature rather than go stale.

I must admit to having had a corner to eat (who could resist, and a little surely won't send my blood glucose soaring?), and loved the hint of mandarin that is infused from the dollop of mandarin marmalade, which soaks into the buttery sultana mixture.
This is an easy melt-n-mix recipe from Taste.com -- Jumps suggested it would be perfect with a cup of tea and a scone at the church social.

I'd Hammer in the Morning ...

Boo spent a good half hour this morning hammering nails into a log meant for the fire -- then he looped around the nails with coloured wool to make a spiderweb. Finally it was time to add three spiders -- a daddy and two babies.
He insisted we have one "redback spider" (the poisonous variety which we see around here every now and then), and then two "greenbacks" (his own invention).

Tissue-Paper Flowers

How else to describe these exquisite camellias, floating daintily in a pale blue bowl?
It really is the only way to keep these little flowers fresh beyond a few hours: placed in a vase the petals drop too soon.

Boo Infront of the Fire

Drying off after a warm bath ... Boo snuggles in his warm minky blanket and soaks up the heat infront of the fire.