Nana time

Oh dear, my two weeks holiday is fast coming to an end and I am feeling despondent about having to go back to work . I have had a lovely break, and have enjoyed every second of it.

Towards the end of my first week off my grandson came to stay for 6 days. Being a 2yr old he is very active and inquisitive. He pretty much hits the ground running when he wakes up in the morning, which just means that you have to watch him closely to keep track of what he is up to so that he doesn't hurt himself .

He has kept a little trike at my place, and as there are no peddles on it, he uses his feet to move himself along. I had a brainwave moment and thought that he would surely LOVE to be able to peddle along, so off we went to the shops and I bought a little peddle trike. Unfortunately it needed to be assembled, and assembling things is not my forte. An hour later, and after much silent swearing ( one doesn't swear in front of little ones does one ) we had a trike assembled. Only problem was, the handlebars kept falling off. Ummm small problem. Never mind , all was rectified after a phone call and a visit fom one of the Uncles. Apparently I hadn't tightened something enough.

We had a wonderful time together. We went for walks to the nearby park.

Had coffee with cousin Lucy.

Went to Bunnings and hid from Nana.

Visited new cousin Will.

Hunter is such a sweet little boy, and very easy to look after. I always feel that if a child is happy to go down for their afternoon nap, and happy to go to bed at night, you're pretty lucky.

Anyway I miss the little chap now, as he is staying with his other Nan until his parents come back from their trip.

Aren't Jonquils lovely. Cheery little flowers with a lovely fragrance.

Holidays

I can't begin to tell you how HAPPY I am to be on holidays. I LOVE being at home, pottering around, de-cluttering, cooking, cleaning, hanging washing on the line to dry in the sun and the breeze.
I can't WAIT until the day that I retire. I NEVER get bored being at home. I feel so much more relaxed and less stressed when I am at home.

Today I have made a large cottage pie full of yummy ingredients:  beef mince, onions, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, celery, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes,worcestershire sauce, stock, and topped with mashed potato, and I have also baked some cornflake and sultana biscuits.


Ready to pop in the oven

Later today I will begin the task of making my home toddler friendly in preparation for the arrival tomorrow of my darling grandson H. Glass and china ornaments etc will be moved to higher ground, the toy box will be brought into the lounge area, and his bedroom will be made cosy and inviting.
He sleeps in a little bed at his place, but he will have to be in the cot here. Hope he doesn't mind too much. He's fairly easy going. We're going to do some fun things like taking a train trip into the city, going to a zoo, and going to the beach where we will find a rock pool, and investigate what lies beneath the water and the rocks. I'm looking forward to it. Let the fun times begin !

Family Get Togethers.

It's a cold and rainy Sunday where I live, but this morning we had a little get together to celebrate my youngest daughter's birthday.
Her actual birthday isn't for a week or so, but she and her husband will be away in the UK, so we had morning tea at my place.

I rose early this morning and baked some apple and date muffins, and some mini crustless savoury quiches. We also had homemade scones with jam and cream, and a raspberry butter cake.

I must say it's becoming quite chaotic when we're all together. The older girls race around entertaining the 2 year old boy. The little 10 mth old crawls around, stopping every now and then to pull herself up on some furniture, and to play with toys pulled out of the toy box, and of course there is the newbie, our little 2 week old who must have felt quite overwhelmed with all the noise. He was passed around between all the Aunties and Uncles. It's wonderful really, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I just love the little crochet hats the little ones are wearing.They love them too.

William 25/5/2012

Hooray!!
 We have a new addition to our family. Baby Will arrived safely at 9.25 am on the 25th May, 12 days late, weighing 8lb 7 ozs in the old weights, and guess what.....he was delivered by his Aunty, who by the way is a Midwife.
 It wasn't planned that Aunty L would deliver him, but  she was in the room as a support for her sister, and the attending Midwife suggested that she might like to "catch the baby" as they say, so she gloved up and brought him into the world, and helped his Daddy cut the cord.......so exciting ! His beautiful Mummy was very brave and clever, and opted for no pain relief.
Several family members, myself included, were anxiously waiting outside the birthing unit, and after what seemed like an eternity we were allowed in to meet our new precious little bundle. We have a lovely video recording of the moment baby's 2 sisters raced into the room to say hello to their brother. So special.

Needless to say the weekend was spent making trips up to the hospital, chatting , admiring the baby, fighting for the next cuddle, and comparing and sharing photos.

This morning we all met up again at the baby's house. We decided to give him a bath. It was hilarious, like some sort of  tribal women's ritual. There we all were arguing about the temperature of the bath water, and which was the best way to hold him. His Daddy just retreated into the background. A wise move I feel.

Welcome to the world darling Will!  xx

Thoughts.

The older I get, the less I need/want , and I actually crave a fairly simple life. I no longer desire expensive clothes/jewellery/cars/ holidays. These days I drive a small car with no added extras, I rarely go out for dinner, or to the movies, and the majority of my shoes/ clothes are bought from cheaper shops. I'm fine with all that. My next project is to cull my wardrobe of many of the clothes that I simply don't wear, but have hoarded for far too long.
Don't get the wrong idea, I still like to look presentable, and I like to keep up with fashion trends to a degree, and I like my home to look pretty and neat, but I am finding that I want less, which I think is good.

 I've also been thinking about some things that I really dislike doing. This is not good.

1. Attending to my mail. I pay my bills, but I am really bad at filing the notices away.
2. Putting out the rubbish bin/bins , and bringing them in again. Mainly because I have to unlock a gate! I know.... sounds lazy.
3. Arranging to have my car serviced.
4. My annual visit to my Accountant.
5. Cleaning the shower screens.

The build up of mail  annoys me the most, and when I do eventually get around to attending to it,  I always vow that I will file it as it arrives, but after a month or so it's there again, that hideous pile of envelopes stashed on the kitchen bench.

Yesterday I made a Shepherd's pie. I popped some cheese over the top of the potato which is why the potato looks golden brown.

My little grandson came for a sleep over, so we both "tucked into" the Shepherd's Pie for our dinner.
He has just turned 2, and is getting a little fussy about food. He is also becoming independent, and wants to feed himself which is fine, but you have to be prepared for some mess.



One of my Mother's day gifts was a years subscription to Delicious Magazine. I was so excited to receive my first copy in the mail last Monday.

Oriental Lilies. My favourite flower. I buy them on a Wednesday from the Farmer's market in the city. I think I prefer the white flower to the pink, but they are both just divine, and the perfume fills the house. A welcome fragrance when I come home from work.

We are still waiting for the baby to arrive !!

Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day and the girls and their families came to my place for breakfast. Everyone brought a dish which meant that I didn't have to prepare anything..... I like that idea .....on Mother's Day anyway !

We ate fresh fruit, blueberry muffins, asparagus and cheese croissants, and little bread rolls that had been hollowed out and then filled with an egg, some ham and cheese, and then baked in the oven. All delicious.

I received some lovely gifts from the girls, and also some money to put towards a small TV for my bedroom.

My youngest daughter's beautiful mother in law invited me to her fabulous unit for morning tea. A view to die for, and more delicious food.

Later today I'm off to eldest daughter's place for a BBQ.  Aren't I blessed.

We are still waiting for our little boy to arrive. He is due today, so he had better do the right thing and make an appearance.

My own Mum who passed away in 1990, is always in my thoughts, and especially today. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mums out there. xx

Labor Day Holiday

Today is a public holiday , and what else would you do but make a big pot of Minestrone Soup!

I actually can think of other nice things to do, but the weather is starting to cool down, and it seemed like a good idea to me to chop lots of veges, and create a hearty soup, that will last a few days, and what's more, I can take some to work for my lunch. The best Minestrone Soup I've ever eaten was from a little Italian restaurant in Launceston  Tasmania. It had teeny tiny pasta through it, giving it a nice texture. I have since found a similar pasta  at my local deli, and so of course it has been added to my version.

Just look at that clear blue sky!



Meanwhile, I am crocheting like there is no tomorrow. I'm trying to finish a baby shawl for my grandson who is due in a weeks time. I've got 4 more rows of plain crochet to do, and then 7 rows of a lacy kind of border  to finish it off.  I had better get back to it. What if he decides to arrive early? Yikes!