This morning

This morning we are getting to know our new baby chooks.

Giving them some love,

admiring chicken hairstyles,

and watching them from the kitchen window, in their repurposed dog kennel & yard.

Meet Veronica (hair do), Texta (named & claimed by Charlotte) & the little grey one who isn't named yet (Billy is still thinking).

This morning I'm thinking about the lovely Phillippa & Tania who I saw yesterday at the Daylesford Maker's Market.  Both these clever girls had tables full of original, gorgeous wares....but where were all the customers? It did seem very quiet, which was a shame. Anyway, it was great to have a chat & a laugh or two!

At home we having been busy making things, such as these cute cut out dolls we found at Merrilyn's shop. Aren't they cool?

More dolls destined for the market...

and some crazy cartoons. Bill has been hard at work creating his own comic, lots of explosions & evil guys! Oh, and the odd chicken.

We have been loving the warmer weather, planting vegies, playing outside, hanging washing on the line and smiling at our lovely ducks who like to relax under the apple tree.

I'm so happy about the more frequent sunny days and big, blue skies. What's happening in your world?

Hope you all have a wonderful week, see you soon xo

ps. here is a super big blue sky for you x

Nice weather for ducks

While it's all very well and good that we have had such a lot of rain lately I am feeling that end of winter mood that seems to sweep over me every year about this time.

It's cold, it's wet, everything seems damp, mouldy...muddy.

The charm of winter has faded somewhat. If, however, you are a duck it's probably heaven.

The changing of seasons in the central highlands is a long and drawn out affair. Kind of like a relationship breakup that takes forever. One sunny day....two weeks of grey. A little tease of warmness and then some long blasts of arctic air. Getting the picture?

The up side is that living here we really do get to feel the seasons. I know from the little bits of blossom around the place, and the jonquils and daffs, that things are changing and spring is on the way. I just wish it would hurry up!

Meet Wolf Man, he called by on the weekend.

Bill spent quite a while in this guise, I really like the colour - it made up for the lack of blue sky!

Extreme weather conditions call for extreme hot water bottle action. Do you like my tea towel cover? I had plans to make more, or should I say HAVE plans, it's a matter of finding the time. Where does it go? Have I told you that shortly I am going to be returning to study? Yep, it's official. I will be attempting to get a Diploma of Children's Studies. This will hopefully lead on to a further year of study doing a course called Pre & Post Natal Care. I really want to work with women and help them through this important time of life. It's going to be a lot of work and I'm a bit scared about how I'm going to fit everything in. But I'm also excited and looking forward to this new part of my own life.

A lovely girl from school made me a little origami horse recently so I made this lavender birdie for her from scraps of alpaca. It smells gorgeous. I've been sewing some lavender hearts too that the kids put in their pillows to help them sleep.

So even though the sun isn't out and things are a bit ho hum I can see light at the end of the tunnel. At least this winter we haven't been as sick as last year, we had a lot of gastro and colds which was horrible. And we are lucky enough to be going away in a few weeks to the very beautiful Mooloolaba! ( The last time we went was before Rosie was born and Sunday was just a wee little baby floating in an orange ring in the pool. Awww. She was so cute.) I can't wait to feel some tropical warmth.

How was your weekend? Did you enjoy some time with your family or friends? Maybe it's becoming autumn in your part of the world. Lots of love to you all xo

ps: I bought this frame recently for two dollars at the opshop. I didn't realise until later that it had a face!

Like magic

It was a..

sweet lovin',

breaky in bed type,

chooky,

soup making,

bunny creating,

Abba singing,

jonquil growing,

chalk drawing,

outdoorsy, wood collecting

egg gathering type of

Sunday.

A relaxing, family Sunday which was just what I needed as Friday was a blur of tears and feeling low, for no particular reason. Hormones? Melancholy..who knows. I didn't feel like making anything, talking to anyone, blogging. I felt overwhelmed by the household chaos, the cleaning, the cooking, the looking after of others. A blind came down and stayed down. Sometime during Saturday it eased up a little and by Sunday the sun was shining through my window again and we had a special, wonderful, lovely day. The house was full of happy sounds & smells, kids singing, soup bubbling away, Swedish gingerbread biccies were baking, our lovely neighbours visited. Spring was in the air & Rosie & Sunday went to the park, splashed in puddles and came home to a hot bath and spaghetti for dinner. As we were eating Rosie said quietly, "I love all of you, and Charlotte & Nan." Things don't always run smoothly do they?.. but when they do it's magic. Days you want to keep forever.

Yes...they're back!!

Yes the chicken pops are back in town! Rosie, aka the Princess of Grunge, has been waking up at night this week and now I know why! So far she only has a few spots but I guess they could multiply over the next day or so. Let's hope not. So I admit I was feeling a little flat this morning, a bit over tired and teary. I'm ok now and have hopefully adjusted to this new challenge. Because, lets face it, life is challenging and ever changing. Without being too Pollyanna about it I realise it could be worse, chicken pox is not the end of the world. Anyway now I need to try to reschedule hair appointments, negotiate how to get the older two to their school sleepover tonight without infecting the school community, and generally get my head around being house bound for a few days. Phew! Hunch is away on a year 8 camp and is due back tomorrow so that will help. He did mention that gastro has been sweeping through the camp...hmmm. I may need to quarantine him!

To cheer myself up I have been taking photo's outside and enjoying spring.

Handsome Max, he is such a lover boy!

Sunday took this one of me looking wistful (demented?) in our garden.

Despite illness there have been many lovely things happening lately. I am really enjoying sewing and creating and have found it has given me lots of new energy. The more I make the more ideas I seem to have and this is so exciting!! If only I had more time to do everything - but family life is so demanding isn't it? Anyway, I feel like I've carved out a little place for me within the domestic whirl and that feels good. I'm looking forward to the Maker's Market and sharing a stall with lovely Steph. Both Steph and my good friend Allison, from Lark, have written some great things about Dandelion on their blogs recently, how sweet are they?!

Other great things... Billy (6) is loving riding his bike after finally mastering riding without training wheels. He has also started circus class which is excellent and so much fun. Lucy (8) is loving Girl Guides and is getting ready for her dance concert. Sunday (5) is making lots of amazing things at home and at Goanna Kinder, and just loving being with her friends. Rosie (3) is into everything as usual and is so much fun to be around. Charlotte (16) is in the middle of her Drama production which sounds fantastic, I wish I could be there to see it. Char has her L plates now too, wow!!!! My lovely Mum has been here for a couple of days and that's always fun. We always have good chats and she is making some beautiful little knitted clothes for the bunnies. Thanks Mum!

Better skedaddle... bye for now x

ps. comments have been disabled somehow...!!! I can't work out how to change this back....any advice? email me x

Little notes...

Last weekend I popped down to Melbourne to have special birthday dinner with my eldest daughter (turning 16!) & my lovely mum. We also went to see the movie, The Duchess, which was beautiful to watch, if a little unbelievable. One scene that really struck a cord with me was when Georgiana (The Duchess) receives a set of little wrapped up letters from her children. Just about to leave her husband for her lover the notes make her realise her love for her children whom she cannot desert. It is a sad but beautiful moment & made me think how powerful our love for our children is. Imagine then how amazing it was to come home to find my own set of pretty little loving notes on my bed! Oh it's nice to be missed and to also be reminded of how important my children are to me, and me to them.

On Monday my dear mate, Carm, visited with two of her girls. All the kids played happily in the sandpit and outside in the garden while we chatted and had a cuppa, or two. How good it is to be with an old friend! They couldn't stay too long but it was so nice to have them here. Next time I hope they bring Daisy Kate.

Spring as sprung here in the country and there are flowers and blossom everywhere. The quince and apple trees are looking gorgeous and the chooks are loving the green, green grass.




A funny thing happened with our chooks recently. Because they free range alot they lay their eggs in random spots in the garden. This works well for the local crows who greedily grab the eggs and fly off. Sometimes these eggs fall and they have been landing in the childcare centre nearby. The children at the centre have been finding eggs in the garden and wondering where they came from!! This explains where all our missing eggs have gone! Naughty crows.