Little Boys

I just love this photo...

Every little boy needs a little mate to play with... in long grass, in mud, in water, in the sand. There is nothing better than a friend to 'get into stuff' with.

Inspiration

Eggs

The chookies are not really laying many eggs at the moment, we are lucky to be getting one or two a day. We go through phases of eating heaps and heaps and heaps and then I forget about them, and we don't eat an egg for weeks.

But I do have this dear little woven nest that I made one day, which The Little Man has carted all over the garden to share with the faeries and the birds, and it is finally back at the front door. If only Mr Purple liked aubuergines I would have hit the jackpot... purple 'eggs' for Mr Purple. How good would that be? Except he won't eat them and I end up giving them away... often... it is such a prolific plant... it has not yet stopped producing... the Vegie Lady is happy with them... it is my thankyou to her for all the little treats she pops in my order!

Welcome

On the wall in the entry way, I have a rusty iron plaque that says 'WELCOME'. I love it. It makes me feel that my house is open to everyone. It is. I lve to have a full house... it isn't very often, but when it is I love it.

And so I always like to have a nice welcome pot too... it doesn't always work as I most times forget to water it and the dear vegie lady tells me off for that poor poor flower out the front. What would I do without my vegie lady. They are indispensable creatures really.

BEd Bug

My goodness. She loves to sleep. I know she is a baby, but she just loves her bed! It is gorgeous.

At night, I put her hot water botttle in her basket, pop her on top, and she stands there rocking to and fro as her darling little trotters get the feel of the warmth. Then as she really gets into it, she sinks down, legs collapsing and she snuggles in, eyes close and she is off... fast asleep, dreaming piggy dreams till about 7 in the morning. She is better than a 'uman babe, sleeping right through the night first up.

This morning, the alarm went off at 7. Immediately I said "Bags not doing the wee thing this morning!" which meant that Mr Purple had the honours of taking her out into the cold, waiting on the wet grass for her to snuffle and find the perfect place to wee. He stumbled into the bathroom, both of us expecting her to be frantic for some attention, yet she just looked up at us, yawned and snuggled back in. It took her a good 10 minutes before she decided to hop out of bed.

She ran around for a while after that, had brekky (in the bath - it's easier to clean up) and then at 8.20, she's back in bed for another sleep!

Bruises

I love Rosy. She is gorgeous. She snuffles and noses us because she still has the suckling instinct. But it's a bit bad when my back is covered in bruises because of it. I was astounded really when I saw it... goodness me... I knew she was pushing hard and I even got up and said "This hurts!" At least now Mr Purple must understand HOW much it hurt.

Something is going on?

This afternoon, the three girls and I (Ava, Ruby and Rosy) went and say out in the back yard to enjoy the sun and to let Rosy have a snuffle in the grass. Next thing I know, there are two Butcher Birds sitting very close to us and watching us like Butcher Birds do.

It was very off putting. Then a magpie swooped out of a tree overhead and landed in the carport on top of my car... the Butcher Birds were still on duty.

I didn't really like it, got a bit nervous and so went up to give some wheat to the chickens. The Butcher Birds followed us! Bizarro! They hopped up the driveway behind us...

They obviously know something that I don't know... it's definitely not chick season so it's not a nest they are protecting...?

So much to tell...

I have so much news it's not funny!

I also have a bad bad cold and I have lost my voice. The (new) Big Man is off on school camp tomorrow and we have discovered nits The Little Man's curls! So, I am a tad busy and can't write, but man oh man, has it been exciting? YES!

First up, my dear friend Mrs B and I went to Townsville to visit another dear friend of ours... Mrs Reed. It was so lovely to see her. Having relocated with her hubby and kids they are leading a most glorious life! I am envious, but still very happy with my lot! More news about it all later, but I do have these photos to share... (Mrs B became the resident Blog Photographer over the weekend) so I am waiting for the pics to arrive in my inbox before I share more.

That's Mrs B and Mrs Reed settling in for a good old chick flick!

Off to a girly movie the night we arrived... and look at the style in which we enjoyed it! OMG! It was gorgeous... beautiful brocade upholstery, velvet curtains all over the place, mint patties, coconut rough, good friends and a bottle of water each... what more could we want? Nothing except a snuggly pashmina to keep out the air conditioning chill.... ooohhhh and chandeliers! Gorgeous gorgeous chandeliers!

oh...

and in case anyone thought the new baby was going to supercede the old ones, it's ok, the girls (Ava and Ruby) are going to love it, a new sister, a new sleep mate, a new playmate... Ruby will love it... she is the licking dog, remember she licks the chooks to death, till they are all drippy with dog spit. I wonder will she lick the pig? Just so long as she doesn't nibble the pig. Sometimes I find an apple that she had stolen from the fruit basket and it has the tiniest little nibble marks... Ava just chomps on in and demolishes the apples, Ruby is a nibbler.

Gotta go...

it's time for school and I gotta go, but here is the final pic of my baby.

Apparently, she has had her first bath, is all ready to move houses....

I won't have time tomorrow...

so, here is the picture for tomorrow.

And the next day I will be in Townsville, so here is the picture for then.

And by that time, I will be home and she will be in my arms and I will be taking gazillions of photos of her to share. How exciting is this?

Jumble Sale II

What do 10 yr old boys buy at Jumble Sales?

Interesting japanese/chinese mini scrreens ...he was soooo excited about this 'find'.

Another shell bracelet, because you can never have too many of these... and

 

a lovely painted clay spoon that is so beautifully decorated and painted. He was so disappointed when I told him he would not be able to use it to eat with... I think he had plans that it would be 'his' spoon.

So, that's what 10 year old boys buy at Jumble Sales... All cost $1.00, but there was a half price sale and then because he was so gorgeous he got another 50% off, so each cost him a grand 25c. What a shopper!

Jumble Sale I

What did I buy at the jumble sale? 

This lovely, romantic, gorgeous little bag! I took it out that night with me to a 50th birthday party and almost lost it a couple of times to curious bag women.

I did buy more but forgot to take photos and now it is time to go to school, my blog is taking second place... tsk tsk...

Oh... by the way, it was the bargain of the century... $2.00.

3 more sleeps

 This is the day after Rosy was born. Is she not so cute, all those dear little wrinkles. I am getting very excited now. I am on tuckshop duty today and I had completely forgotten! I was going to go and buy Rosy a basket to sleep in, oh well... looks like she'll have to sleep with the children!

The (new) Big Man

Here he is. The Big Man. My Big Man. Kicking a ball to a mate and feeling fine.

I love to watch The Big Man when he thinks no one is looking. He runs and jumps and twirls and whirls and is so carefree. I love it. His arms are outstretched, open to the world. Then he spots me... ooops! Just like a crab, it all gets tucked back in and he is gone again. Just like me... Exactly like me... I only just realised as I was typing...

We are both Cancer. So of course it is logical and fitting that we are like it... probably too why we clash so readily. I understand him completely as he is the image of me, but I am at a different time in my life and I think I try and push? him towards other ways to communicate, to interact etc, ways that I know NOW would be better... but it is his journey and his life and I had better just butt out I think... but it's sooooo hard...

If I only had a girl

Carefree Clothes for Girls:
20 Patterns for Outdoor Frocks, Playdate Dresses ...

 By Junko Okawa

Some sites let you flick through the book and you can see it page by page, it is beautiful!

A Name Change

I have been thinking for a while and realise that because I am still thinking about it, that I just need to do it. I have three men in my life : The Big Man, The Middle Man and The Little Man. But I think The Middle Man should be My Big Man and The Big Man should be Mr Purple.

Clear as mud?

The (old) Big Man adores purple, he exudes purple, he is happiest when in purple, so now my three men are:

Mr Purple - 40 years old

The Big Man - 10 years old (psst... 11 in June)

The Little Man - 8 years old

That's better.

4 sleeps to go

The surprise that I talked about ages ago and then promptly forgot to leave clues to is:

 ROSY

My new pet. She is my 40th birthday present from The Big Man. Forever I have wanted a pig. I have wooden pigs, eraser pigs, fabric pigs, now... I have a real live house pig.

I canna wait. She is arriving on Saturday but I won't see her till Sunday. I am off north to visit a friend with a friend, and when I come home, my little Rosy will be here waiting for me... oh how exciting.

I will post a pic each day until she arrives, her mother has been very kind and has sent updates regularly. Poor little mite, The Big Man is going to sleep with her on the first night so that she is not so worried because all her brothers and sisters and mother are not with her... didn't think he had it in him actually!

The Meditation Tree

This weekend was a huge one. Lots of things happened. Among them was Daddy snapping at The Little Man, perhaps unnecessarily, I don't know, but The Little Man took it deeply to heart.

I had comforted him a tiny bit before moving on to another issue that needed dealing with and when I went back to check on him I found him sitting on the ground underneath a tree that he had planted in the garden.

I went to him and told him how wonderful it was that he had found a quiet spot to think, under HIS tree and that I was so proud of him that he could take time out for himself.

It was then that the little darling came out with "It is Buddha Shakyamuni's tree."

He went on... "I know he comes here to think, Buddha Shakyamuni. I know he is here. I know it... I can tell just by looking at the tree... "

I was so stunned and gobsmacked by the profound statement he had made. I was fairly wordless then as we got out a blanket, some cushions and he lay under the tree shedding the quietest tears as he tried to understand what had happened that day.

The Little Man has so many emotions that bubble up so readily. It is quite disturbing for him at times, confusing and also a subject of taunting by others, but for me, I am so incredibly happy and aware that I have a little man in my life who is incredibly in touch with his feelings. That he is, as yet, courageous enough to explore them, to talk about them, to let them pour forth. He puts it out there and I just hope that I can honour him enough to guide him through the discoveries that he will make.

He will make a wonderful man, my Little Man.

What I love about The Little Man...

I love the way The Little Man wears the clothes that I put in his cupboard. He just wears them.

He dresses himself in them, he packs them in his swimming bag, he wears them. He never complains, he never questions the appropriateness of them, he never questions whether the clothes are cool or not, whether he looks good in them, whether they are a good choice, whether they are new or handed down. He just gets them out of the cupboard and puts them on...

The Little Man is my first child who has done this. I love him for it. It is such a stress free activity for us. "Go and get dressed and pack some clothes for after swimmng lessons please." And he does it.

Bless his little soul!

SUCCESS!

Ah! At last. I have had a success. I am a microlender from way back and every time I am repaid and choose a new person to lend to, I email out to my poor old friends and tell them about it in the hope that they will do it too.... and...

SUCCESS!

My beautiful little Foxtel family have done it. I kne wthey would, it would only be a matter of time. Each of the children have lent $25 to a budding entrepreneur. Brilliant. I am happy with that...

But I will still keep on reminding people... sorry.

My sense of humour

My First Dictionary = http://myfirstdictionary.blogspot.com/

I really do love this blog spot. I don't go there often  but when I do I always manage a smile.

My men

I am writing this post at the end of a long weekend. The weather has been glorious! Absolutely. The weekend has been full on and eventful, but I am grumpy and over it... the kids are being demanding, they are fighting, they are getting on my nerves, so here I am trying to distance myself from them while the dinner is just finishing off.

My head may cave in from the onslaught. And so... I look at this funny picture of my boys and smile when I look at them, and try and remember that they are just KIDS. Kids, kids, kids, little people who have tiny little voices when they call me on the telephone, kids who are only 10 and 8 years old, kids who love lollies and icy pops, kids who can never keep still and wriggle and jiggle on the gym ball all day. They are kids... they will dob, they will taunt, they will tease, they will hound, they will interrupt, they will treat me with ignore etc etc etc.

My job is to teach them and guide them through these years, so that they don't do all those things! Can I make it... Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

Proofreading again

"Distributed Proofreaders provides a web-based method to ease the conversion of Public Domain books into e-books. By dividing the workload into individual pages, many volunteers can work on a book at the same time, which significantly speeds up the creation process."

How many years it has been since I was proofreading... so long, but I have stumbled upon this site and love it... I can do as many and as few pages as I want to, whenever I like, and it's volunteer, which is great because I like to do my bit to help.

Imagine if everyone did 5 pages, it would soon be done! Hmmm... go and have a look and see if you can help out... it's easy.

Hint Number 1

This an image from one of my favourite sites: The Toymaker. Visit it here:

Quite often I visit and just look around, sometimes print out something and the kids and I make it... she is a very generous and creative lady.

Amazing Kitty

Kitty is perhaps the most adventurous cat in the world. She is the beloved cat pet of a French couple/explorers, Guillaume and Laetitia who are on a mission to travel from Miami, US to Ushuaia , Argentina purely on foot. They are currently in Columbia, heading south.

Their cat, Kitty, is often seen resting in the backpack carried by Guillaume while they are hiking down the road. They even set up a little umbrella on the backpack to give the kitty some shade from the sun.

Kitty enjoys the trip as much as the couple. She often climbs on the shoulder of her daddy to get a good look at every new scenery. She does not seem to be shy or bashful about meeting new people and visiting new places. If we have an award for the most adventurous cat in the world, I’d said Kitty is purr-fect for it. You can see the updates on their journey and more photos at their website.

What a day!

Had a wonderful day at the 'Jumble Sale'. I like that better than Fete. It was so much fun. I love old people, I really really do.

So many characters there, and all so happy to be there, spending their precious pennies on so many things... they have all looked so forward to the day.

And I grabbed a few bargains too. I'll take photos and post them, such lovely things I got, but right now we are off to a very dear friends birthday party. He is 50! And so we have to go now before he goes to bed.


Bye

Cakes and Fétes

Oh dear! I've done it again. Gotten myself in too deep again, that is.

Yep, this time I have volunteered four hours of my time tomorrow (Saturday) to help out at the féte for the Aged Care Facility where Grand Nana lives. That's OK, I can do that. and thoroughly enjoy it too... yes, I can, but I also offered to bake cakes to donate as well... and yes, I didn't look in my diary and I am working today. Brilliant.

To make it all a tad easier, I have totally gone against my normal self and have bought packet cakes @#$#! 8 of them! Oh dear! I thought I would just bake them in those cake containers made of pretty paper that you just leave on... but do you think I could find them anywhere. I went to every kitchen shop and they all said "We don't stock those anymore!" Blast and double blast!

So now, to make my life just that little more difficult, I have to line a thousand cake pans! Me and my big mouth... Lordy lordy lord.

Deserve

Sometimes at the end of the week, I deserve something special. This was a frozen daiquiri that was given to me by my secret santa at work (last Christmas obviously). I found it in the freezer last week and thought I probably should eat it... it was very sweet, very very flavoursome and oh so adult. The children watched me eat it (as I rolled it around in my mouth, oohing and aahing and rolling my eyes). They desperately wanted some, but I deserve treats too! And the beauty of a treat like this is, they can absolutely NOT have any due to the alcoholic content (not much at all actually but it was a good excuse).

I think I might try and have more treats for me... you know how we always give them the strawberries and the peaches and the last bit of everything... well... I actually might just go and buy a punnet of strawberries and eat them all myself before they come home from school... imagine it... a whole punnet, just for me! It would be like being single again!

Something is happening...

Oh My Goodness! Something very exciting is in the wings...

Ooooh! I can hardly contain myself... I am going to give clues and see if you can work out what is going on. But first of all I had to share with you this MOST AMAZING origami... wet origami... check out the site, it's brilliant!

Last day of the holidays

No more sleeping the big bed together... giggling all night or bashing each other up.

No more playing all day in the street with the other kids.

No more lazing in front of the telly watching, and rewatching Samantha, Jeannie and Maxwell.

No more endless snacks to supply.

No more endless washing piling up.

No more endless banging of the front door.

I will miss the holidays... or will I?

So pretty then

 

My very pretty red flowers outside on my bedroom balcony.  I thoroughly enjoyed swimming in the pool below and looking up to see the dear little red faces all bobbing in the breeze.

I forgot to water them. They are now straggly and struggling. 

Oh dear... I've done it again. I hope I can get them back, they were so lovely. But plants on a balcony are always hard to keep. I never use the balcony, so I just don't think about watering it, even though there is constantly a bucket in the shower to catch the cold water at the beginning of the shower to water them with. The dogs drink out of that bucket... and leave dirty little footprints in the shower too I might add. They also drink out of the fish pond... I wonder how the fish feel about that?

Discoveries

Found my little camera and when I looked, I found all my last harvest photos! I was sooooo proud of it all too. So here it all is... it's all gone now, of course, all eaten, digested and pooped back out, but gee it was good.

The tomatoes were bowl after bowl after bowl. I dried them all in a slow oven with salt and basil, bottled them up in olive oil and was eating them with salads, just every now and then, trying to savour the taste. Until the day the jar slipped from the hand and smashed to smithereens on the floor. Oh woe!

Inspiration

Doo doo doo do...

Something strange is going on. I am doing housework. I am actually doing it.

We have cleaned out The Middle Man's room (and vacuumed! I don't vacuum!), The Little Man has done his room all by himself and done a fantastic job too! The sheets are off the beds, the washing machine is on her third load, the dishwasher is packed and I am even thinking of cupcakes?

I am confused and overwhelmed. This does not happen to me. Not me. I don't do housework. I have this picture framed in front of me right now... it's been there for years!

"I dreamed my whole house was clean..."

The boys are off playing at neighbouring houses. In our little part, there are a cluster of 6 houses all with boys in them. It is great for them, they get around like a gang, but I have been hesitant to let them be part of it as they tend to get the blunt end of the stick. (Is that a saying, or have I got it all wrong?) But today, they are sOOOOOOO excited as 5 of them are all going to the little corner shop on their scooters to buy a lolly. Wahoo!

Of course, I sit out the front waiting for them to return, checking my watch vigilantly like all 'helicopter parents' do. I guess I am becoming part of this new movement... quite by accident. It's popular in the US apparently : free-ranging your children. Bit scary...

What do Little Boys Do?

The day began with an all mighty tantrum, a long car trip with lots of silliness, and ended up with this beautiful sand castle being made. Finally, they played nicely, swam nicely etc. Then in the car to come home and it all started again.

Swimming lessons should fix that. Off now... 50 or more laps should fix The Middle Man and The Little Man is sure to crash soon after dinner too. Thank heavens for night time.

Helium Balloons

I saw my first falling star only about 12 months ago. I thought that it was all a load of codswallop actually. I mean, in my many many years on this planet, I had never seen one. What was everyone talking about... but I saw one and I felt so special. It was so fast, so fleeting, so private. I wonder how many other people saw that very same falling star as me?

Anyway, I had a thought this morning. I know we shouldn't let helium balloons go up into the air (space garbage or what have you) but sometimes it is just so important to let a balloon go up into the air until you can't see it any more... especially when you are 8, or even 10? Sometimes even 39.

So I got to thinking, and I thought, out of all the millions of balloons that must be let go of every year, I have NEVER just been standing there and had a piece of popped balloon land on me on its descent back to earth. Have you? Do you know anyone who has? I mean, you would think the place would be littered with pieces of coloured rubber, wouldn't you? But there aren't that many bits of balloon lying around that I can see. I mean, what are the chances of it happening? Obviously not much. But I still wonder about it...

I'm going to keep my eyes peeled. I'll let you know.

Off to the Movies

I loved it! It was wonderful. Such a good movie. I just loved the young cousin who comes to stay, I just loved the mother... so much. Such a colourful, happy, lovely mother. I want to be just like her.

And, as I watched, I felt the eyes of The Big Man boring into the side of my head... he just HAD to make eye contact with me and exchange glances about the piglets who played such an important role in the movie.

You see, The Big Man would LOVE to get me a miniature pig for my birthday. MY PIG! No one else's. Mine. Ohh.. and I do so want one, have for ages and ages, but I just don't think it will work. I have finally come to terms with putting the dogs into a kennel when we go away, but who will mind the pig? And it will be a house pig too, and it would be so disappointed and upset if it were to be locked outside like an animal... mmm

My Wasps

This is what I see when I look out my front door, but I have to look up. They are UP there.

This is what my guests see when they come in the front gate, but they have to look up. They are UP there.

These are my wasps. Aren't they divine? I have been watching them build their beautiful nest for ages now. The nest has stayed symmetrical the whole entire time. I love it because I am a symmetrical girl. It gets me in trouble sometimes, not being able to be asymmetrical, but on the whole, it's OK.

I wonder if other wasps do this in other places... build in formation I mean. It is so beautiful, but it does make me have dreams of curious, very very large, humming nests that completely take over my house, all because I am so dreamy and want to watch their latest design taking place.

Weirdo? Or Surveyor of Simplistic Beauty?

Heart in Mouth

Today I had another heart in mouth experience. You know the type, all you mothers of boys. They come regularly, they just differ in the size of the heart that is in your mouth, that's all.

We took a picnic and set off to ride the motorbikes as you do on a beautiful day. The sun was absolutely shining down on us. We found a beautiful spot under a huge big rubber tree ("You should take a cutting of that!" my father said) and set up the table and chairs etc. It was beautiful. Before us was a really large paddock (ex polo field) that the boys can go round and round and round and round to their hearts content. Behind us was a muddy creek  complete with a rope swing and a high descent. Every mother's dream really.

The girls (dogs) got into it straight away. Racing around behind the boys as they rode, till they were worn out and came and lay down on the mat. Then into the creek they went for a fossick, back up and onto the mat... the picnic mat... the mat for humans... yep! Now all wet, muddy and smelly. Wonderful.

Enjoyed a vegemite sandwich, some mandarins, some soda stream for the kids, a coffee for me, reading, knitting, chatting to The Big Man, and then it happened.

They come tearing past, having a race of some sort I would say. The Little Man decides to cut the corner and beat The Middle Man. Zooom.... off he goes and flies up a little hill, gets some air on the top, lands, fishtails, head first into the ground. The Middle Man meanwhile runs him over. OMG!

The Big Man and I are running over the field, when we see The Middle Man's head over the horizon of 'the little hill' still in helmet, carrying The Little Man to us. It was gorgeous. It was a real mother moment. As much as he really shouldn't have moved him in case of serious injury, it was sooooo beautiful and brotherly to just scoop him up and take him to safety (us).

Turns out, he braked and didn't fully run him over, but enough to leave a serious red mark on his chest, and enough for me to take him to the local A&E to be checked. The Dr who saw us had THE BLUEST EYES I HAVE EVER SEEN! So blue, I stopped my monologue about what had happened with a "Oh... I'm sorry, but your eyes are just so blue! My goodness!" (The Little Man said later that forever more that Dr will be known to us as "Blue Eyes".)

Then back to the issue of my son lying on the bed. He was fine, a little sore around those six-pack muscles that little boys are so desperate to develop, but on the whole, fine. Just as I had suspected, but one never knows and one does not want to wake in the middle of the night and find that one has made a bad judgement call, does one?

Home again, home again, ice creams for everyone, a bath with colours in it fixes most things, just like the old Band-Aid, and they are now all snug together watching Bewitched.

So, for the time being (perhaps it will last till the morning?) they love one another and are cherishing each other. Both of them were just shattered that it had happened and The Little Man wanted us to worry about The Middle Man because he felt soooooo bad about running his brother over. The Middle Man kept pushing me away when I neared him because he wanted me to check if The Little Man was OK. Everyone was concerned about everyone and the dogs just ran around like mental dogs getting in our way. Except for The Big Man – he just slowly and methodically packed everything away and bundled us all into the car and basically was our rock.

We are tired now. Sunshine, fresh air, vegemite, stress, it's debilitating.

Consideration

Speaking of consideration and thinking of others, The Little Men and I were in the car off to the family luncheon, when it suddenly occurred to them that they had no eggs for anybody else! Oh dear! The horrors of horrors!

At ten and eight they have a consceince. Brilliant. I am so proud. And it was particularly delightful to listen to them argue all the way up the mountain about whose eggs they would give away if they felt the need to. "We'll give yours away" said The Middle Man to The Little Man. "Ohhh whhhyyy! I already am one short! Can't we give yours away?"

The Little Man had already had one egg confiscated that morning through rudeness and ungrateful behaviour. But by the time we approached the final turn, they had both decided that they would do what needed to be done and would give theirs away if they did indeed feel bad enough.

Needless to say, they didn't feel that bad, but it was still a pleasure to listen to them try and sort out.

Easter

Easter has passed again for another year. Ours was pretty uneventful. The Middle Man is  fairly sure that it is me that is the provider of the eggs and The Little Man is not far behind. The Big Man is completely not interested and the shops have dulled our excitement by flaunting easter eggs in our faces since late February.

Hmmm. How can I do something different? How can I do something that is not expected. I know. I will dye the eggs from my beautiful chookies and give them as gifts to our neighbours as a tiny show of respect that they tolerate the inconvenient clucks of my babies at ungodly hours of the morning.

They looked beautiful to me. Of course, the children were desperately embarrassed to have to deliver such a thing, but I made them do it. Neighbourly relations just don't exist any more... unless you count The Next Door Boy's coming over with an egg each for boys, sprouting that he got over 20 eggs for Easter! My Little Men's shoulders drops in disappointment... they only got two from The Bunny and one from me. Oh dear!

Anyhow, I am intent on sharing the love this Easter, whether it be with a chocolate egg for My Little Men, or some dyed real eggs for the affluent neighbours. Either way, I have thought about someone other than myself this year. Did you?

Story Books

The Middle Man has finally discovered reading!

It has taken many years and many pep talks and many many books. I thought the moment had come a couple of months ago. He was enraptured by a few chapters of a book and I got all excited thinking "IT" had happened. But since then, he has conscientiously started approx 20 different books and finished none.

... until today? hopefully. Whenever I am looking for him, he is curled up somewhere reading his book. Every 15 minutes or so, I hear "I'm up to page 115 now Mum!", "Guess what page I'm up to now Mum? 134!" He will finish it today and his reward for actually finishing a book is a trip to the book store to purchase one of his choice. Plus he can watch the movie of this book just so he can why it is that just watching the movie is not the same, not good enough, not the answer.

I am sooooo excited for him. All he wanted to do today was lie next to me and read with me... I am into a book I bought on Saturday afternoon. I guess he can see me almost finished and is catching the bug... he is even ignoring our hints at going motorbike riding... he hasn't eaten any easter eggs, he has not argued with The Little Man, he is completely into this book. "I can even hear the boy speaking and sometimes I move my hands like it is ME that is saying the stuff mum! It's sooo good!"

He just walked in "I'm up to page 180 now. I really want to finish this today. Do you think I can?"

You betcha Middle Man, you betcha!

Pyrex

I lurve Pyrex. I soooo love Pyrex. So much so in fact, that I only have one extendable bar cake tin, and a rusty old muffin tray which I put pretty patty pans in, and everything else I bake in Pyrex.

You know the kind... the ones with the navy blue lids. They are miracles. You can bake in them, store them, freeze them, fridge them. Amazing. I love them. And stackable... brilliant. I even bake my pizzas in the baking dish size one, but I do need a pizza stone (before I get my pizza oven! which is going to go at the end of the pool when I manage to get the fence removed (temporarily of course) and the palm trees dug out and the leaking pipe fixed... just a bit of stuff to do). The Big Man said "No!" to the pizza stone, said "Can't you wait till we get the pizza oven?"

"No." It's quite simple really. I make pizzas maybe once a fortnight. We need a pizza stone now. Not in a year when I finally pull my finger out and make the pizza oven happen. Now!

Anyway, being a Pyrex lover, imagine my delight when I turn up at my mum's and see this beautiful set of bowls sitting on her bench. How beatuiful. Of course, my favourite colour being green, I just had to pick it up and have a look at it and ...

IT"S PYREX!!!

My Mum said she bought the set for her mother with her first paycheck I think it was... Imagine it... back then it would have been a huge gift... such an extravagance. I just love the way it all nestles in together and each side has a pourer! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.