I don't like shopping at the best of times, but at this time of year, I find that it becomes really unbearable. I try to do most of my christmas shopping (and let me just say, there isn't much of it) online, and even rely on the mister to pick up groceries on his way home from work during the week while I'm out here in the sticks. But every now and then, I feel the need to get out, and the other day decided to head into town for a few things , including a sniff through the local oppies which are always beckoning. I should have known better, I knew it was risky with the christmas crowds and jasper's unpredictability in public, but filled with optimism, I went anyway.
he is by no means an unruly child, it's just that he's either "on" or "off". He was switched to "on" by a well-meaning old lady in the first op shop we visited, who handed him a bright green lollypop before I could get a word in. That's the other thing about this time of year, you can't avoid the sugar. That lollypop kept him going through three more oppies, which was good in itself, but after that there was a weird kind of quietness as the sugar did it's thing. And that was when I made my first mistake and did a '"quick" trip into target. I don't know why, I think it was the promise of 20% off lego and secret santa gifts to buy for carols on the weekend, but I actually thought we could do it. And then I made my second mistake, I saw something I wanted to try on and jasper promised to sit quietly on the little seat in the change room, and I believed him. Mid way through this exercise, he decides to exit underneath the door (why can't they make those things go all the way to the floor??). So, I'm in the change room, trying to wrangle my way out of a pair of cossies whilst calmly calling out to him, but he's not answering. And then a horrified voice comes from the change room oppposite "oh my god, he's in here". Right, so he's crawled under the door of another booth, no biggie. I open my door, and she opens hers, and through gritted teeth, says "can you just get him out of here", whilst cowering behind the door. Jasper by this stage has realised his mistake and is in his hiding place, underneath the chair, crying. Now, I don't know about you, but if I found a small child hiding in my change room, I'd probably laugh, definitely try to make them feel better when they started to cry, and assure the mother that it was no biggie. But no, hostility reigns supreme in the land of fluoro lights and that is exactly why I will continue to do my shopping online and if I do feel the need to get out of the house, it will be by myself.
Oh, and the kicker, the lego I was after was all sold out. Merry bloody christmas, target.
for the past few months, our "sometimes" creek has been a real life stream, and after the recent rain we've had, it's been the favourite after-school hangout for the boys. They spend all afternoon swimming and catching tadpoles...good old fashioned fun. To tell the truth, I'm a little envious of their childish enthusiasm, it reminds me of doing the very same things when I was a kid. Finding suitable accommodation for my tadpoles seemed to be the only real concern I had back then. 
I do love a good stream. Ever since I can remember, I've had a dream of one day having my own little farm, complete with stream. In my mind, it would be something like the one that 
ok, ok, I know it's been ages since I wrote anything here, but there has been so much going on in our lives that I simply didn't know where to start. And really couldn't be bothered, if the truth be told. At the start of last term, we made the move to our little farm, enrolled the boys in the local school and generally decided to just give it a go. Nothing to lose, everything to gain. I had my reservations, but I've been grumbling about living in close-knit suburbia for so long that I really had to try. I knew that it was going to be hard, no washing machine, no running water in the house, very close living quarters...just a whole lot of space (outside!) and freedom, and an amazing little school that is everything I ever dreamed of for our kids. They cook, garden, craft, play music, watch chickens hatch and generally just have an awesome time. Not to mention the great friends they have made. We actually thought this would just be a short term thing, but this place has really got under our skin, and we are still here, despite the lack of facilities (they will come), and I don't think any of us ever want to go back to the burbs. In fact, I think we would have mutiny on our hands if we tried.
I have 10ft of vintage caravan goodness sitting in my driveway, while my car sits decaying under the trees. But who cares about a silly old (well, kinda newish) car when there's a vintage caravan that needs attention.
never fear, the mouldy plywood has been removed, and new stuff is appearing and everything is gradually becoming shiny and new. In a vintage kind of way. Those pink cupboards will remain
I stood by the side of the road and waved goodbye to my biggest boy yesterday morning as he set off on his year 5 camp. They are growing so fast, these boys. Fin will be 11 next month, and he's quite the man of the world, packing his own bags and heading off into the great unknown. Willow has become a lean, lanky 8 year old, and jasper is heading towards 4 a little too rapidly for this mama's liking.
so, feeling a little melancholy at this rapid passing of time, I came home and made jasper a new library bag. He loves to go to the library and it's high time he had his own bag, goodness knows I've made enough for other people. Owls, because he loves them too, grey cord on the bottom and for the handles and a little pocket on the front for that elusive library card and the all important receipt (if I don't have that I have absolutely no hope of knowing what we have at return time). Sweet. Now, apparently, willow needs one too.
it's turned chilly here. Cold and blustery winds and a bit of rain. I have one boy home from school with the sniffles...honey and lemon and blankies are helping. On our last stay at the farm, we awoke to a world of white. The temperature dropped considerably overnight and the whole valley froze, as well as water in buckets and baths. Having hugged the coast all my life, I've not had a lot of experience with cold weather...we've always got by with light quilts and clothes. But now, I find myself seeking warmer things. The boys are sporting alpaca beanies, knit by one of our neighbours who also spins the yarn herself. We eventually plan to have a couple of alpacas on the farm, so maybe I'll be knitting with it myself some day. I'm excited and inspired to be becoming part of a new community; experiencing a different climate and looking at life from a new perspective.
working together,
climbing trees,
a couple of days ago we sadly lost one of our chooks, mymble. I don't really know what happened, over the past couple of weeks she just got really weak, and her comb went flat, and I think the heat we've had this week just proved too much for her. It's never nice finding one of your little friends dead like that. "She's sleeping", jasper said. "no, darling, she died". "oh".
