Every Days

We've had such a busy, happy time lately, enjoying the rhythm of the everyday.

The autumn weather is glorious, with sunny days and crisp nights, and it's lovely in the evenings to snuggle infront of the the warm fire while we listen to Eric's reading homework.

There's been an almost magical transformation in his ability to recognise and sound out words -- Geoff and I were speechless when we heard him almost effortlessly read his way through a level 11 reader this evening. All of a sudden it's clicked into place for him -- and while he's not the best or most advanced reader in the class by any means -- he is improving on his own personal best every time we hear him read.

He's also loving soccer, both the practise and games. It's fairly time intensive for us, as he needs to be at training on Wednesday evenings, then play on Saturday mornings. But his coach is marvellous and lets the boys have fun while giving them gentle instruction, and Eric is nothing if not enthusiastic!

With a friend's help Jumps felled this large tree in the corner paddock on the weekend, then cut and stacked it for next year's firewood. I love that he's so sensible and is willing to work towards the future.
We're having much more success with our seedlings in the hotbed now -- I replanted vegies and sweetpeas, and the latter are already up and setting their first seedleaves in the open. Hopefully Dad and Jumps will get my borders netted over this weekend, and when the next load of manure arrives we'll finish up the second new circular border. I have 10 new David Austen roses (barerooted) arriving in June, and the beds need to have settled by then.

I've been cooking, too, and trying a host of new recipes. Tonight was Indian -- a golden egg curry, chana masala curry with a coriander salsa, spiced rice, and fresh chapatis made by Jumps. A feast!

Grandma and Eric popped out to the school's music night last week. I loved seeing them having an excursion together, and they had a fabulous evening by all accounts. Mum and Dad have generously offered to pay for music lessons for my little boy, and Grandma has agreed to fetch him from school one evening a week so that he can practise on her piano. Such a nice idea, and a whole new world for Eric to enjoy!
Jumps and I also went to see a longtime schoolfriend friend perform in a musical -- she was fantastic, although the musical perhaps needed some tweaking -- while Papa and Eric spent the day together at the big zoo in Sydney, and the Grandmothers minded baby.

And we've been to two birthday parties -- one for little Hannah next door, and the other for a puppy who just turned one! Bouncy Dulcie wore streamers, received presents and cards from her guests, and even had a cake shaped like a bone!

Lots to Learn

Our first attempt at growing seedlings in the hot bed wasn't at all successful. These long, thin, weak sprouts are useless. It turns out we need to take the babies out of the little greenhouse as soon as the first seed leaves appear, then toughen them up outside.
I've thrown these out and put in new batches of brussels, cabbage and English spinach.
Hopefully we'll have better results in a few days -- I dream of having dozens of punnets of sturdy seedlings at next to no cost. They'll make lovely gifts for like-minded friends, too.

Autumn Baby

Lights, Camera, Action!

It was Book Week at school, and the theme "Lights, Camera, Action!" meant movie heros were all about.
Eric decided to wear his uniform to school, but when he and Geoff arrived and saw that most of the kids were already in costume, he quickly changed in the car, then spent the day as a Clone Trooper.

One of the other boys in his class dressed as Darth Vader -- I wish I'd got a picture of the two of them together -- Eric said Noah spent the day in character, bossing him around!

After the parade the little kids were called up on stage to receive awards which the older children had made for them. I love that the school encourages the big kids to enjoy the younger ones (at Easter the year 6 class drew chalk bunny prints all over the playground, then donned a pair of giant bunny ears and hopped past the library window!).

Warm Mash

On these cold, crisp mornings, the chickens cluck excitedly when they see me walking down the field towards their run. In my hands I usually have a jug full of kitchen scraps, doused in plenty of hot water, with a teaspoon of garlic and a dash of milk powder in it.
I open the gate to the run, pry off the lid of the feed bucket, and scoop four cups of ground pollard and a few handfuls of grain into a large plastic container. Using a stout stick I mix until I have a witches' brew with a porridge-like consistency.
Then I let the girls (and boy) out, and try to avoid tripping over them as they cluck frantically around my legs while I empty the warm mash onto a pile on the ground.

They love it -- and I'm hoping this bit of loving care will keep me in eggs throughout winter!

Ah ... Much Better

Same crisp, deep-brown crust. Same beautiful, hearth-baked look.

But a second cool rise produced a fine, smooth crumb, and a silky texture.
By Jove, I think we've got it!

Lunch Alone

Baby in bed. Boy at school.
Autumn leaves on the table. Tomato, basil and cannelini bean soup. Crusty homemade bread. And a new Good Taste magazine, just arrived in the mail.

Half an hour of bliss.

No Knead Bread

The highlight of the 'Jam and Preserves' workshop yesterday was neither jams nor preserves -- but instead the crusty artisan loaf, upon which we smeared tastes of homemade jam.
Suddenly the bread I bake seemed spongey, pale-skinned and insipid. At the suggestion of the baker (another student at the course) I was inspired to try the no-knead recipe listed on Breadtopia.
And this was the result ...

Crunchy, chewy, crumbly ... and divinely easy-to-make. Definately a marvellous addition to a bread-making list.
I'm not convinced on texture, though, as this has a springy, holey inside, reminiscent of ciabatta and other Italian loaves.
What I do like, however, is the baking method, in which the loaf is cooked inside a cast-iron crock, heated to blazing temperatures in the hottest oven you can manage. It's this that elevates the loaf to 'artisan status', and gives it that beautiful burnished look and crackling hide.
Next, an attempt at a kneaded dough cooked this way, then maybe a sourdough or part rye loaf.

Playing Boo

On My Table

Everything's been moved about at our house.
The living-room sofa and chair are -- at least for now -- in the lounge room, helping to wall off the dining room as a 'lego and craft' area. Adam is just too interested in putting anything he finds in his mouth, and Eric needs a play space of his own, where his creations can be left safely, and won't be destroyed by baby fingers.
All of this means that the dining-room table is now in the small family room beside the kitchen, and it looks wonderful there! I can sit with my cup of tea and look out of the big, light-filled window, and open the front door in the afternoons and enjoy a lovely breeze.
The downside? Anyone who passes (myself included) is tempted to put whatever they're carrying down on such a handy space -- and leave it there!

Lovely Things (281-300)

#281 Home Readers by the fire before bedtime.#282 Teachers who notice and reward hard work. Eric decided to practise reading and writing over the school holidays, just so that when he returned to school his teachers would see a difference. They did -- and rewarded him with a Merit Certificate and an advancement to reading level 8!

#283 Weekends and afternoons with my big boy -- having him away at school during the day makes these times all the more precious.


#284 My mother's lovely autumnal arrangements to decorate the tables loaded with goodies, at the yearly CWA Opera function.
#285 An evening of glorious music and incredible voices. Free tickets for both Geoff and I in exchange for help ... he served wine at intermission, and I took photographs for publicity (hopefully one of these will appear in the local paper!)
#286 Long mornings in bed with both my boys.
#287 The perfect Mother's Day card and gift. I love how Eric has made just the card that he would want most himself, with the thought that I also would value it. The gift (chosen with great care from the mother's day stall at school) was a nail-care kit with a completely gold case, which zips up to look just like a pure gold bar. I did have to stop myself laughing when I opened it! He was so proud of this shiny gift, and told me that another child had begged to swap gifts with him, but he refused since his was so precious and special.

#288 Papas who are pleased to see babies even early in the morning.
#289 The boys huddled around their Gran, on Mother's Day.
#290 Zucchini slice, fresh and golden from the oven.
#291 A new place to explore -- the flood shifted so much along the riverbed, that now there are new pools, streams and stone quarries to discover.
#292 Our first batch of seeds planted and placed in the hot bed -- we're excitedly waiting for the seedlings to appear!
#293 A vegetable garden that grows huge, flower-spangled marigold plants. Nothing else at the moment, unfortunately, but at least these orange globes look lovely!
#294 Babies who'll eat anything -- even lemongrass!
#295 Getting ready for winter ... first time wearing gloves to school.

#296 Little cheese and bacon quiches, cooked and frozen for quick meals for the boys.
#297 Big boys who are kind to little boys.
#298 A visit to the firestation Open Day, where Eric climbed into the fire engine, chatted to the firemen, enjoyed a sausage sandwich, and had his photograph taken to appear in the local paper!

#299 Each Tuesday morning I spend a few hours helping in the classroom at Eric's school. I love the welcome I get from the littles, really enjoy working with them, and treasure the lovely comments Eric's teacher makes to me quietly, telling me about my little boy's wonderful progress and good manners.
#300 School movie night -- a big screen set up under the stars on a crisp night. Children swaddled in hats, gloves and scarves, playing and running in the evening light. Me serving sausage sandwiches as fast as I can, and chatting with the other lovely mums while we pack up, while Eric cuddles up in a sleeping bag and watches with Gran and Papa. Chilly, but what a night to remember, and such a wonderful school community to belong to.

Looking Up

When I put Adam in his swing these days, he leans back as far as he can and gazes upwards into the rustling gold-and-green of the Liquid Amber tree.

It's so beautiful -- and reminds me that we should all look up more often.

White Camellia

Adam at Ten Months

This morning I slept and slept and slept. I could barely get out of bed. In fact, I didn't get up until 8am ... Geoff took Eric to the bus stop, and Adam spent an hour being spoilt at Granny's house.
You might think I was tired because baby kept me up all night. In fact, last night was the second full night of sleep I've had for months, and I think my body was catching up. For the last two nights I've given Adam a full bottle of milk at night, and little person has slept until 5am. It's a wonderful way to begin his eleventh month -- I can only hope it continues!


At ten months Adam is a bright little baby with sparkling eyes, ready grins and a hearty, chuckling laugh. He is as good tempered and contented as ever -- he loves company, and is always happy to be out and about.
He is happiest in the garden, and will crawl off the rug and across the field, putting sticks, rocks and leaves into his mouth as he goes. I'm always racing along behind pulling things out before he chokes or poisons himself! Thankfully, in the last week we've managed to fence in the verandah, so he now has a huge, safe outdoor play area, where he can explore while enjoying the sun and wind, while I don't have to worry too much about what he'll get up to.
He pulls himself to standing on anything -- especially up my legs, which can make it difficult to get anything done. He'll also cruise along the sofa, and loves to 'walk along' if you hold both his hands. He crawls quickly and on all fours (he stopped the 'mudskipper' crawl quite a while ago), although he much prefers to be upright. I won't be surprised if he's walking before he is a year old.
For a while now he's been saying "UP!" quite clearly when he wants to stand or be picked up. If you ask him to clap he'll oblige, and he's happy to wave and say "Bye, bye" to visitors. In the last month his usual vocabulary of various forms of "Bah!" has changed, and he now babbles with all sorts of sounds and intonations, including "Mum Mum Mum". I don't think this is something he does more around me ... infact, it's mainly heard when he's tired or frustrated.
A tiny little white tooth has finally appeared in his bottom gums. I can see another there, too, and feel several suspicious bumps further back. I've a feeling all his teeth will pop up at once, to make up for being so slow to appear. Whether or not this is a good thing is uncertain ... in the last few days he's certainly become a little bit miserable, and I think these emerging teeth are bothering him. But if he's sad it's generally easy to distract him ... we go for a walk, or visit the chickens or Gran and Papa. A few pushes on the swing are guaranteed to set him laughing, especially if I tickle his toes each time they come near.
Adam's hair is growing and coming in quite dark, and I'm curious to see exactly what colour it will be. As Grandma says, "Once he has hair and teeth we'll know what he looks like!".

He now makes it very plain that he adores the family, and he is less ready to smile at strangers. When we went to fetch Eric from a church fun day last week, Adam calmly accepted all the fuss and attention from the grey-haired ladies there, but when Grandma came by he held out his arms to her and gave a huge smile.
Eric is a source of great delight and entertainment, and is kinder to Adam than I could ever have imagined. He insists that Adam be included in almost anything, and will interrupt his games to give baby a proper kiss and cuddle goodnight.

Adam will still eat anything and everything with enthusiasm ... yesterday's potato and leek soup was a bit hit, and all sorts of fruit are eaten with relish. He loves finger food, and is becoming very dextrous ... although it's funny to watch him trying to keep hold of a piece of peeled pear! Lately he's losing interest in nursing, and is taking milk from a bottle quite often. We still nurse a few times during the day, but it seems he's self-weaning, and quite honestly that will suit me about now.

Lovely Things (271-280)

#271 Little leather lion shoes -- soft and warm and non-slip. Just right for someone who pulls himself to stand on any surface!

#272 A bright little man who's always willing to clap handies when requested to do so!

#273 Sweet potato vine starting to spread from the little runners I planted not so long ago.

#274 A first lost tooth -- bottom front -- but there's not much of a gap since the big tooth was up and waiting right behind.

#275 Fresh, warm eggs.

#276 Porcelain teacups for tea from a flask, at the beach. Plastic mugs just aren't acceptable!

#277 Autumn leaves on the windscreen.

#278 A new swing for Adam, hung in a tree near the washing line. Now the chore of washing has become lovely fun for him.
#279 Children and babies having lunch together -- it's great to be part of the 'gang'.

#280 A handsome fluffy white hen.

Fejoas

While feeding the chickens last week, I noticed a little tree, covered with heavy green fruit, planted in the middle of their pen. I didn't recognise the thick-skinned, sweet-smelling fruit, so picked a few and took them to show my mother.
"I think they're fejoas", she told me, surprised to discover a new fruit in the garden.
We searched the Net to find out how to eat them: it turns out you cut the fruit in half and scoop out the centre with a spoon. They're pungent, sweet and taste almost like a guava, with a hint of fruit salad. A very nice -- but unexpected -- addition to the fruit bowl!