Lovely Things (121 -140)

#121 The upside of days and days of rain.

#122 Chubby feet and fingers.

#123 Rowing on the lake ...

#124... to pick sunset-coloured waterlilies for mummy!

#125 A fairy village in the garden, appearing overnight.

#126 A roll in the mud (followed by a warm shower in the garden, then time for a hot chocolate and bed).

#127 A parcel in the mailbox with Eric's name on it (his long-awaited Lego Advent calendar).

#128 The same story requested every bedtime, read time and again -- and still funny! (the current favourite is "the Monster at the end of this Book").

#129 Double pink hollyhocks stretching up so high I can see them when sitting on the verandah.

#130 My Elena rose in bloom. These were the flowers I carried in my wedding bouquet, so it's doubly lovely to have my own bush.

#131 Big boy cousins who willingly carry little boy cousins on their strong shoulders.

#132 Big boy cousins who delight in playing with babies.

#133 Sun shining through palms on a rainforest walk.

#134 Little people sleeping on the sofa after too much excitement, while around them cousins, grownups and family chat loudly and eat dinner.

#135 Three clean and pressed school uniforms -- hand-me-downs that look nearly new and will be perfect for the rough and tumble of coming school days.

#136 A boy who is ready in every way for school, and who looks forward to it with excitement and enthusiasm.

#137 The surprise of discovering that Eric can sound out simple words by himself.

#138 A second flush of Evelyn roses.

#139 Space to ride and run.

#140 Vegies that seed themselves, then promise a fine harvest!

Someone Special

Lately I've started to feel that my biggest boy needs some time out from babyland. He's unfailingly kind and generous with Adam, but has become a little more needy and teary. Partly I'm sure it's because the end of the year is drawing near and we're all starting to feel tired, and then the weather is hotting up, which is draining -- but there's also a nervousness there, and I think he's been wondering about his special place in the family.
So today I asked Papa to watch the sleeping baby while Eric and I had the morning out together.
Our first port of call was the uniform shop at the little local school -- an excursion we both looked forward to eagerly. We bought two broad-brimmed hats and a warm school jumper (a generous friend has handed down several uniforms which are still in good condition).
Next we meandered over to the park, and spent some time exploring along the stream and sliding down the ramps at the deserted skatepark. Then it was time for milkshakes at the village cafe -- this is honestly the first time I've ever bought anything there (and we've lived here for five years), so you can imagine what a treat this was for both of us! We collected and browsed through our mail while sipping, and Eric modelled his school hat for me. On the walk back to the car we stopped at the newsagent and on the spur of the moment I bought my big boy a small toy he admired. We both had a glorious time, and it set the mood for a fun day of games, picnics and doing chores together.
Sometimes, a special someone has to be spoiled and adored, so he knows he's one of a kind, no matter how many little brothers appear!

Lovely Things (101-120)

#101 A trellis covered in delicately perfumed sweet peas.

#102 An afternoon picnic with the chickens, my boys, iceblocks and a new book (ordered from England!) for Eric and I to read together.

#103 Gardening boots, waxed and ready to wear if I can bear to spoil the shine (leather, new, a perfect fit -- $10 at the secondhand shop) ...

#104 A boy who has just learned to dive gracefully (and somersault not so neatly) into the pool.

#105 Bags of fresh herbs, and the Thai beef salad made from them.

#106 Still more thoughtful gifts for my littlest boy.

#107 The gift of several punnets of seedlings -- lettuce, cucumber and chicory -- to start off the vegie patch.

#108 The glorious warm, wet days of early summer-- every day our baby plants put out new shoots.

#109 The excitement and anticipation of waiting for seeds to burst forth.

#110 Sunflower seeds -- perfect for small hands to plant, and gratifyingly fast to grow.

#111 Roses (of course!) in a frothy pink canopy at the entrance to the dam.

#112 The arrival of the beehive, and the promise of homegrown honey in years to come.

#113 The excitement and sense of achievement I feel as I can finally begin to see some kind of structure in the garden: one day perhaps our featureless field will be a real 'garden'.

#114 Strong tools for digging and hoeing.

#115 A tractor to take the agony out of wheeling loads of mulch up to the top field.

#116 Creamy heads of cauliflower (just a few!), ready to be eaten.

#117 All creatures, great and small.

#118 Mothers.

# 119 Angel's Trumpets.

#120 Boys, and the enthusiasm and physical joy they bring to our lives.

What is a Papa?

It was Papa's birthday on the weekend.
I read Eric the card I had bought, and my small boy seriously nodded agreement at the end of each line.
"But", he said "we need to make some changes".
I took out a black pen and followed Eric's directions, and we ended up with this:

A man who has smiles
to brighten your days,
Who can make you feel good
with his warm words of praise,
Who knows what to do
to make wishes come true ...
That's what a grandfather papa is.

A man who has lots
of good stories to tell
But knows how to be
a good listener as well,
Who's patient and kind,
the best friend buddy you could find ...
That's what a grandfather papa is.

-- kay andrew

Lovely things (80-100)

#81 The family tradition of early Christmas surprises!
#82 Eric's indescribable delight in an engine-red bike with flames painted on it, a hand-brake, bell and — most exciting of all — a stand.
# 83 A Daddy who jumps to the task, and pumps up tires, oils and adjusts the bike straight away, even if he has other things to do right now.

# 84 Babies who laugh hysterically at helium balloons floating above them.

# 85 Ticklish babies who giggle when you stroke the bottoms of their feet.

#86 Slender green stalks of corn reaching towards the sky.

#87 Eating homemade iceblocks in the swimming pool.

# 88 The snub-faced gorgeousness of my Evelyn rose in full bloom.

# 89 A grandma sho lives close by, and who is ready to hug babies and play lego with big boys at a moment's notice. (Especially this week, when I had several days of computer work to do.)

# 90 A baby who is happy to lie in the office with me and play alone for an hour at a time, so I can get necessary computer work done.

#91 Cloud pouring down over the mountain and sweeping rain into our valley.

#92 Viburnum blossom that falls like snowflakes onto the tablecloth.

#93 Blue-eyed babies.

#94 A friendly king parrot, who often stops by for a chat.
#95 The soft-faced shrike thrush, who perched on our back verandah with a stick in her beak, asking me if she could finish her nest in the basket in our laundry (sadly, the answer was 'no' - but I did hang the basket in a nearby tree in the hope that she'll find that a suitable compromise).

#96 Shasta dasies by the wheelbarrow-load: an instant border for the manor's garden.

#97 The canoe, which will soon be in use (I hope), as the waterlilies are beginning to bloom, and Jumps and Eric always row out into the lake to pick me a bunch.

#98 Masses of frilly pink roses festooning the archway to the dam (I know, I'm obsessed with roses!).

#99 Secret corners of prettiness in the garden.

#100 Childhood: when a box so easily becomes a tiny house fit for one. Snuggle inside with blankets and toys and drink warm milk while the rain pelts down outside.

Oliver

We've had a busy time around here lately, with a trip last weekend up the mountains to see a production of Oliver! and catch up with schoolfriends.
The show was marvellous -- a live orchestra, fabulous sets, top-notch costumes, and wonderful singing and dancing.
And see Nancy there, in full song and glowing in her crimson gown?

That's Liz, one of my oldest and dearest friends, who I've know since she was a freckled eight-year-old with long plaits and a chubby face. She's always been bitten by the theatre bug, and has been acting and singing for years, but we were all thrilled when she got the lead in this production. She was wonderful and got some of the loudest cheers and applause. I wouldn't have missed it for the world!
Mum and Dad went up a day early and took Eric to a sweet little holiday cottage that they rented. On Saturday Jumps and I drove up to meet them for lunch and to hand the baby over to be cared for, so we could go to the show. It was a miserable, rainy weekend, but we arrived to find Eric happily settled infront of the fire, busy a huge new lego set.
After the performance we went to dinner with friends, and my parents dropped the boys off, and went to the theatre themselves for the evening show.
The rest of the weekend was just as nice: we stayed with Nicole and Peter and their two girls. Eric had a ball running with the herd of kids, Adam was admired, and I caught up with all the news and gossip.

Bees and Birthdays

I've always thought that bees are wonderful.
I adore their furry little bodies, transparent wings, and gentle buzzing. Of course, it's important to treat them with respect, but I've always been of the opinion that if they will only sting if provoked.
So when we visited Peter and Nicole's house, I was eager to visit their beehives.

We donned suits, hats and gloves, and I was given charge of the smoker (that's me at the front).

Peter found the queen and showed us, pointed out the drones, and set traps for the hive beetles. He gets about 50kg of honey a year from his hives -- I can tell you from experience that it's delicious.

And our exciting news is that we're getting a hive in our garden!. Dad has always had a fascination for bees (that must be where my interest comes from), and for his birthday gift this coming weekend he's asked for a hive. Mum's arranged for a local bee keeper to bring and setup a hive near the dam, and to sell her all the equipment. Soon we'll have our own honey -- and our vegetables and flowers will have all the visitors they need to produce masses of crops.