Stringing a few words together...

Exterior, National Gallery of Victoria promoting the Stadel Museum exhibition (I haven't had time to see that yet either!)

Sometimes it's hard to find time to string more than a few words together (or worse still to take photos, upload them, find and insert links etc) while still having time to play with the kids, go to work, get some crafting done and keep the house running. It's been one of those weeks...

Kids In The Kitchen...

Every school holidays we try and spend at least one day together in the kitchen. We choose a number of different things to make none of which take too long and all of which give us lots of breaks in between stages. Yesterday we started with cupcakes. I think you can tell from this photo just how excited Henry was...

Of course licking the beaters is one the best fringe benefits...

Although licking the icing off is pretty good too..

After a bit of a run around outside and a trip to the supermarket we made pizza dough. The kids loved the kneading process and kept checking to see if the dough had risen over the next couple of hours. Look at the concentration on those little faces - Junior Masterchefs in the making! The Hawaiian and Margherita pizzas they made were delicious...

...and we finished dinner with the kids favourite desert, 'Frog In A Pond' which we made earlier in the day while the cupcakes were cooling. We let the jelly set a little too long so they were more 'Frog On A Pond' but they do look sweet don't they?

Run Caz Run...

Originally uploaded to Flickr by By id-iom

Today I went for a run. I've never been for a run before. Ever. Tom always jokes that in all the years he's known me he's never seen me break into a run. I always joke that he never will but lately I've had an unexplicable desire to feel the wind in my hair. I just couldn't work out how to fit it in. Henry already gets up at 6am every morning and I just can't bring myself to get up any earlier than that and I don't fancy running after dark so today we ALL went for a run. I was totally amazed by how far and how fast the kids could both run! We ran much further than I thought we would before the kids had to slow down but once they had a little rest they were off again. We all had so much fun that we've decided to make it a regular weekend activity. Who knows - maybe next time I'll even catch up to Isabella.

Spring clean...

Originally uploaded to Flickr by By Thoth, God of Knowledge

Things have been a bit crazy around here recently. The re-stumping is finished, we've had ducted heating installed and bought a new car. All these things have involved talking to lots of people, getting lots of quotes, making lots of decisions and spending more money than we would usually spent in several years! Both Tom and I are both a bit adverse to spending big gobs of money so we've adopted the bandaid approach (spending quickly to minimise the pain associated with indecision). The house now looks like a bomb dropped on it both inside and out but we no longer have dipping floors and we are toasty warm!

School holidays have started and there are activities planned for next week (movies, sleepovers, train rides) but this week is all about putting the house to rights. This afternoon the kids and I are going to go through all the toys and separate into 'keep, donate and chuck'. We're also going to clear out the cupboard under the kitchen sink and do the same to make way for lovely china and glassware I inherited from Mum. I've promised music, dancing and special snacks in direct proportion to helpfulness so we'll see how we go!

Ode to Barnabus

Image via

Yesterday I bought a new car. Today I'm experiencing a little buyer's remorse. Not because I don't like my new car but because I miss my old one. I spent 10 years with my old car. He was bluey-green and we called him Barnabus (or Shrekky car). The new car is red and has more safety features than you can poke a stick at but as yet it has no personality or associated memories. I'm conflicted.

I did almost 200,000 kms in Barnabus. There were lots of memorable trips including one almost non-stop trip to Canberra to rescue Tom when he decided he desperately wanted to come home for good. Tom came late to driving and I remember vividly being driven to hospital to have Isabella when Tom was still on his 'L plates'. Now that was a scary ride and of course he had to catch a taxi home after the birth because he didn't have a licenced driver to accompany him! Barnabus also helped us move house four times and has carried more theatrical costumes and props than any small car in recorded history.

The story of how I bought Barnabus has gone down in family legend. I literally went down the street one Saturday morning to buy the paper and came back with a car. And a fine car he was too. I'll miss him but his day had come. Time to make some new memories...

Five Things That Made Me Smile...

Image via

Here are some of the things that made me smile this week...

1. Finding a pink post-it note from Operation Beautiful on the back of a toilet door. It said, 'You are beautiful just the way you are'. What a lovely surprise!

2. Following Manu's lead and joining the Yate's Garden Club. The mess the re-stumpers have left has been a bit deflating and we still have more work to do outside so I'm thinking our 'vegie patch' might be more of a potted garden this year.

3. Buying new black jazz shoes from Bloch where I bought my first pair of dance shoes as a child.

4. Finding these great packed lunch ideas over at Lillabilly.

5. Finding out that my best friend Loretta is coming home to Australia to live!

Hope you've had plenty to smile about too...

Not for the faint-hearted...

We're having our house re-stumped and what an dramatic process it is. First you have to clear out under your house. This is what we found (not the blue clam shell) and now have to get rid of. Tom also found lots of bones and shoes which completely freaked him out!

Once they actually lift the house and make it level this is what happens to your walls...

...and this is what happens to your garden. Isabella cried and cried when she saw what they had done to our 'lovely' garden. In truth the garden wasn't actually much chop but they did dig up the Snapdragons she planted last season along with everything but our two rosemary bushes.

...and this is what the house looked like when we went to sleep last night (that's our bedroom wall). Look Mum no hands!

So as you can see we have a lot of work ahead of us sanding back, plastering, painting and gardening. There's no going back now...

The Past Is Another Country...

Image via

The weekend before last I went to my 25 year school reunion (I thought there had been a misprint but it seems it has been that long since I left school). Of course I agonised over whether or not to go. My year level consisted of 11 girls and 80 sports-mad boys (mainly boarders) and I knew that only one or two of the other girls were going. There was also the remote chance that my 'first love' would be there and I wasn't all that sure how I'd react seeing him after all this time. Would I be like Debi Newberry in Gross Pointe Blank...'What is this I'm feeling? Is it pain? Panic? Hunger? Am I hungry?'...and would he be like Martin Blank...'I freaked out, joined the army, went into business for myself, I'm a professional killer'?

Luckily for me the night went off without a hitch. No dead bodies, no 80s music to evoke unwanted emotions just a really noisy crowded pub where small talk was really all we could manage. 'First love' did not turn up (where are you now David?) nor did any of his close friends. There have been lots of emails and Facebook friend requests floating about since then but I'm wary about visiting this other country known as the past. No-one really seemed to have changed that much and while it was nice to be able to connect the dots and see what people have been up to, I didn't feel a burning desire to re-establish any old ties. I already keep in touch with the people who were really special to me then (as they are now) and I'm content to leave it at that.

How about you? Have you been to any of your school reunions? Have you ever run into your first love after many years of separation? What was it like? Do tell...

Four Simple Goals...

Recently I visited Tracey over at Quiet Paws and saw that she had joined the Four Simple Goals project started by A Beautiful Mess. The idea behind the project is to think up four simple (easily achievable) goals that will make your life richer and happier before 2011. Who doesn't want that? So here are mine.

1. Bring music back into my life. I'm embarrassed to say that I've had an iPod since Christmas and have never really used it. I did set it up when I first got it but then I sort of forgot about it. A few months ago the radio in my car broke and I haven't replaced that either. Going back to dance classes recently reminded me how much I've been missing music in my life.

2. Buy some beautiful new bed linen. Tom and I have trouble agreeing on colours and patterns and as a result we pretty much do nothing and struggle on with whatever boring stuff we already have. Well no more I say! Beautiful soft linen here I come.

3. Get more sleep (in the bed with beautiful bed linen). The older I get the more I realise that if I don't get enough sleep over the space of a few weeks I get a bit (a lot!) ratty. With Daylight Savings just around the corner I know that Henry will be getting me up at 6am rather than 7am so this going to bed at midnight for no apparent reaon needs to stop. I'm going to aim for 10.30pm with some reading time on top.

4. Resurrect the vegie garden. I have tried, really I have but I just can't seem to keep the up the momentum. Yesterday I read that the best way to plan your garden was to make a list of things you like to eat rather than a list of plants and the lightbulb went on! So this Spring I'm going to plant tomatoes, strawberries and salad greens. I'm also going to add to my herb garden and buy a lemon tree.

Doesn't sound too hard does it? And I think I'll be happier and springy-er if I can get them all ticked off. Perhaps you'd like to play along too? More details are available at Elsie's blog here and I'll keep you posted on my progress as I reach each goal.