Our busy 'back to school' week

This week the kids have gone back to school.



Actually, Miss Moo Moo has just started.

She was very excited about starting school. On Monday morning while I was still at the breakfast table, she disappeared. She soon re-appeared, dressed in her school uniform, socks, shoes and hat (it was raining - it was 7:00am) She had her lunch and drink bottle in her bag and her bag was in her hand ready to go. She had cleaned her teeth and brushed her hair.

I wish I could say that Spunky Monkey has the same enthusiasm. This morning it took me over half an hour to get him to get himself dressed, then he carried on about his sock feeling funny for almost 45 minutes.

Miss Moo Moo has made a best friend. They clicked within the first five minutes of day one and have been inseparable ever since. Running up and hugging each other on arrival and drawing little pictures for each other. How lovely to be five.





We have been loving and hating the rain.

Loving: crumble and custard for dessert, yummy soups for dinner and for lunch, an excuse to go to the movies again, splashing in puddles after school, hot chocolate and cookies for afternoon tea, snuggling up in bed in the mornings to read before breakfast, long slow cooked roasts.

Hating: get soaked at school pick-up despite having umbrellas and raincoats, too many damp towels, tea towels dishcloths and washers piling up in the laundry, local flooding, missing out on a traditional Aussie barbecue on Australia day, mould all over the outdoor furniture, including our daybed mattress and cushions.



I have started reading this book. I borrowed it from the library just before Christmas, I read half of the introduction and went on line to buy it immediately. I have only this week had a chance to sit down with it.

I think it is a 'must read'.

I know that I need to simplify the things in our home (oh my, the stuff!) both for my own sake and the children's. This book tells why it is so very important.

I have just discovered there is also a website, you can take a look here.





Yesterday we celebrated Australia day. We started our day with barbecued bacon and egg burgers for breakfast (yes, is it actually stopped raining just long enough) But with all of our usual traditions canceled, we took Mr Moo to the cinema to see 'The Muppets'. The rest of the day was pretty quiet with a nap, some sewing, a bit of gardening in the rain and an early dinner.



I have spent some quiet moments stitching. It's been a while.



And I spent a day in the kitchen preserving this box of tomatoes that I had bought locally for just $4.00.



Unfortunately the day ended at 4:45pm in disaster!

Today I've already had a doctors appointment and later today I have a dentist appointment. We need to return overdue library books after school, a 20 minute drive away and grab something on the way home to make a simple dinner.

Tomorrow and Sunday I am planning to fall into a heap, and maybe some more reading.

Have a lovely weekend.

Australia Day

(this image is from the book I found at the church stall yesterday for 10 cents. It is called "The Jolly Swagman - Jenny and Sue have an exciting adventure in the sheep and cattle country of Australia" Could there be a more perfect find on Australia Day?)



The sun was shining and our day was spent in true Aussie fashion.

We went to the Australia Day street parade, had a barbecue at mum's house, there was fishing in the river and swimming in the pool, red wine, cheese, dips and olives, a nana nap, some great Australian church stall finds and pavlova.

Thanks Mum, for a lovely day.



I hope that all of my Australian readers had a happy day too.


(another church stall find, 15 recent copies of Australian Country Style magazine for $2:00)

Happy Australia Day

This morning we woke up to the sound of the kookaburra’s laughing. It was perfect, it seems like months since I last heard them, perhaps I’m just not taking notice. I think a tradition has started, as we went for the fourth year to ‘Breakfast on the Oval’ and ‘Australia Day Street Parade’. It was fun but, oh so hot. We spent the rest of the day at my mums place. We had a delicious bbq lunch, too much yummy wine, lots of swimming and a nap. Just lovely.

Thank-you mum for a lovely relaxing and lazy day.

I hope all the Aussies out there enjoyed their day too.

A long weekend

Most of our family had a four day weekend to celebrate Australia Day this year. It seemed a bit like Christmas all over again. Too much eating! Out for coffee and cake, fish and chips, ice-creams at the beach, lots of beach, lots of barbeque's, lots of late nights for the kids. But I have to say, it was all very lovely spending time with our families, that live both near and far. Australia is a lucky country and we are lucky in it. Just sitting around the table last night, my heart filled with love for the people at it. I felt lucky that they are sharing their love with us.