A Beautiful Day

Ah - it's such a beautiful Autumn day - and the first weekend when we've had nothing much to do except twiddle our thumbs. And rake up leaves.

We're loving this space of ours.

The house we lived in previously was very, very private. It would be a rare day to hear any kids playing next door. And that's what I'm finding strangely comforting here. I love the sound of kids playing next door. It could hold the promise of new friendships for my own smalls.

Back when I was four my best friend was James. We were inseperable. I remember climbing through the fence to go visit him. I remember hiding in a bush giggling madly with him. I vaguely remember jumping in a swimming pool when he was in swimming. And I couldn't swim. Subsequently my Mum had to dive in to fish me out. Oops.

Other things I am digging about this new place.. the crepe myrtle that's smack bang in our garden. I love crepe myrtle. They remind me of my grandmother's garden.

The small space I am thinking might be prime position for a wee cubby house.

The oak tree with it's old branches - prime position for a swing? Even if our driveway is littered in its leaves (they're so last season), it's such an enchanting tree.

The fact that we're on the flight path for Mr Whippy. This is still high on our love list.

image is from jprowland's flickr stream

Tiny Bursts:: The Urge to Purge

We've been enjoying meandering around the neighbourhood lately. The weather is so blissful, and to be completely one hundred per cent honest, it seems to be throw out time around our 'hood. Everyone seems to be decluttering madly.

Tiny goes gangbusters on her motorbike.

Sal from Georgie Love recommended 'Raising Your Spirited Child' so I hot footed it to the library to borrow it. Along with a mountain of other parenting books. Now I just have to find some spare moments to glean the brilliance from within!

If you promise to be good I'll show you some of my recent roadside finds later this week.

Autumn, It's Love

Autumn, I used to write you love songs. Your very own sonnets. I used to scrawl little ditties, scratch out lyrical miracles. I walked inner-city streets in the creaking dusk, look around, chalk the walls with my love for you. I wrote of you, I romanced you, I loved the way you swept in, shooed Summer out with the sweet of your cool. And then I left you for the suburbs.

But I still think of you. I think of lying in my own bed, fresh linen gracing the sheets, humming songs out of tune. My bones would ache from walking, or dancing into the smallest of hours. I'd climb into bed. And I would always, always leave a window open so you could creep in while I slept. I love the way you wrapped yourself around my limbs. The way you rushed across even the most scarce of my bare skin.

Autumn, I wrote you poems. I loved you. I love you still.

Autumn Swimming

It's suddenly turned chilly here. Summer is swept away in constant breezes and grey skies. Autumn is upon us.

Which is all well and good when you don't have to take your child swimming. Which actually involves you getting into the pool. Moon tan and all.

The Doctor is now old enough that his classes are done with three kids and a teacher.

Tiny, however, is still tiny enough that she needs me in the water with her.

I only have two swimsuits. And today I had the really bright idea of wearing a different one. One that fitted me really well straight after I had Tiny and I was fuller in the chest department. This bikini has padding as well. Which is fabulous. Unless of course, the padding is way too much and just looks like you cut a tennis ball in half and shoved them down your top. But the good thing is you can remove the padding. Which is not so good when the top is just too big for you and it's all saggy, baggy elephant territory. So I put the padding back in. And didn't realise 'til I got there that I think I put it in upside down.

I hope you've got your bra on the right way today?

Autumnal Afternoon Walks

The smalls and I have been enjoying afternoon walks. We make our way, late afternoon, down to the park, in time for the smalls to play for a while, the Doctor scoots around the path on his scooter, Tiny goes crawling off into the crisp leaves. It's clear from her expression that she's having a hoot.

Tiny loves the swing, and it's usually at this time that Matt rolls in fresh off the train.

We've been enjoying the fresh Autumn air on our faces, watching the trees shift from greens into golds, reds, leaves crunchy underfoot. Sometimes the smell of someone's fire, the Doctor asks me why they have a fire. Conversations transpire, conversations evolve. The Doctor shows us his break dancing, begs to go and play leaf races. Alas, there's been no rain lately, so leaf racing is off the walking menu. But we make our way through the second park and watch the dogs prance around on their evenings walks. We greet strangers. And those who divert their eyes - as though we're imaginary - I make sure I say an extra jovial hello. What am I, cellophane??

I don't think I've ever enjoyed Autumn as much as I do now that I have children. It's like rediscovering each of the seasons all over again.

Spider Hunter

Lately we've been enjoying getting out and about and feeling the crisp Autumn air on our fresh little faces. The smalls and I have been going walking and park-ing (not to be confused with parkour). When those to-do lists are getting to hideous to conquer, it's so good to be out and.. spider hunting!

Have you noticed the spiders wrapping up their food parcels? The big fat spiders are all about the place around our 'hood. We look for the biggest to point out on our walks. Sounds a little boring. Perhaps a little weird? Trust me, those webs are magical. When caught in the sunlight, incredible.

We've also been enjoying crunching the Autumn leaves underfoot. Tiny's been learning to listen for the birds. The Doctor's been mastering the fine art of scootering. I've been enjoying some greenery and some thinking time (don't worry, it's not been hurting too much).

Please note: The Doctor doesn't usually wear a helmet on the swing. Only for extreme stunt purposes.

Knit-Picker

Last night I decided to cast on the Doctor's scarf. He wanted blue, and since I have a mean addiction to Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran (all thanks to Alexis at Knot Sew Crafty), so I sourced this pale blue. I like to think of it soft as a snowflake (and in fact, I think I will throw in some Winter white to mix things up a bit).

Lo and behold, I had completely forgotten how to cast on. Well I thought I remembered. Did it, cast on 40 stitches, started knitting - and uh oh - it all went wobbly. So I had to pull it all off the needles and start again. And again. And again. I googled a few casting on videos but man, do they think I am Inspector Gadget with go-go gadget fingers?! I can't cast on that quick - that's why I am watching a video via the interwebs peeps! Slooooow down.

And then I came across this pearler. Super simple, easy to follow, I didn't even need to watch the whole thing because I got it. So easy!

New knitters, come, watch this video and cast on without shame!

Going Great Guns

According to the Doctor, I am going great guns on the scarf. His scarf. That I am only just casting on. I've only cast on 10 stitches, yet, I am going great guns. How's that for your own personal cheer squad? Pretty damn good. Perhaps I should make him some pom-poms that he can use in his cheers. I wouldn't say no.

Can you imagine doing the mundane jobs? Hanging the washing out? Supermarket shopping? Trying to find a park? With your own personal cheers squad all of this becomes interesting. Exciting. I could even start wearing my hair in pigtails and wear a short flippy skirt. On second thoughts, I know about my moon tan, let's scrap the short skirt.

I know you've been wondering what I've been up to. Racking your brains you have been. Twiddling your thumbs. Doodling on notepads (pottymouthmama, potty. mouth. mama. pottymouthmaaaaama). Don't worry. I'm just psychic like that.

Well here's the big news. So listen up. I have been incredibly busy. So incredibly busy. So incredibly important. Doing nothing. Yep. That's right. Nothing that I think anyone would be interested in. Not even my husband. Not even me. That's right. Things at home have been booooo-ring. Well I could tell you the trivial things. Clothes washing. Cleaning the kitchen. Playdough-ing. Clearing the floors. Mopping the floors. Oh my life. It's oh-so-glamorous (please imagine me reclining on the couch, hand to brow in a silk-satin dressing gown, hair in rollers, false eyelashes and some spectacularly stupidly high stilettos to totter around the house in. Truth is, old t-shirt, pyjama pants and high - oh-how-I-love-them ugg boots). Did I mention my nails are splitting from all the washing up?

Oh Groundhog Day. Release me. Release me. Send me something exciting. The highlight of my day lately is Masterchef. Is there something wrong with me? I may need to start singing Gershwin (out of tune of course).

Another highlight, walking to the park. To the shops. To anywhere. It's so great to be outside in this chilly-billy weather. Winter, you're early, but oh how I adore you.

Cold Feet

french knot sheep

Every Winter is marked by my cold feet.

Matt's solution last year was ugg boots. I wear them. But I still put my cold feet on him when we are in bed.

Ugg boots are not to be worn out of the house a la Pammy Anderson. If I did this, I'd just look like some housewife loosing a war with bad fashion and lack of sleep.

Want more Cold Feet? Looky here.

PS - Pammy is a spokesperson for PETA, right? Well what's she doing wearing uggies? Uh oh.

Back To Magical March: Day 12

I've missed a few days. Punish me if you will, but I needed to take some time out of trying to see things magically for a moment to push through the week.

Today is Magical Thursday.

After forgetting to attend a meeting with my accountant on Monday, I turned up to see him today, albeit it 1/2 hour late. He's a rad guy. He didn't mind. He didn't even blink an eye when he saw the state of disarray my tax/accounting is in. Man, oh man, did I mention I hate paper work?

I stayed up late last night continuing Magical Methodical March. Silverfish be damned because you're not going to be eating here tonight. Awright? I even just found an invoice I've been hunting for for the past 36 hours. Magical and then some. Turn it up!

Since the last time you saw me, I've become magically hooked on Twitter. My favourite for the moment is Diddy. My goodness, his updates have made me laugh. But then I decided that things were going Twitter-ific when Matt exclaimed, "PottyMouthMama, now you're twittering to me about Tweeters." It's true. I hang my head in shame. IN SHAME MY FRIENDS. My whole life has become one online par-tay that I must attend at all hours. Breakfast, count me in. Lunch, snore - already here. Dinner, what's Diddy eating? Shame on me.

This afternoon we're busting out of the house once Tiny decides to rouse from her beauty sleep. We're heading to the park. There's no dinner to be had (let's just get it over with and delete it, no one's interested, alright?!). We're busting up some bark chip and we're gonna get vertical on the slide. Awww yeah. Magical March. Ain't nobody like you.

Magical March: Sneaky Day 5

Autumn is playing with me. Already racing me up in the morning, making it all crispy, cool. What a flirt!

Late at night I jump into bed, rustle under the covers, try to get a little warmer and ahhh - bliss, I am asleep. Tiny slept through last night. What a champ!

This morning I woke to a duller morning, I could even call it a little bit cold. I grabbed my hoodie and got the washing on.

While it's mundane, days at home are some of my very best. I love being able to hang the washing out at my own leisure. The Doctor and I have made a simple banana cake, the smell has filled the house with that goodness. Tiny has given herself a beauty treatment with a Laughing Cow cheese (she must have read in Baby Love that it's good for her hair and complexion). Life is good. Autumn is super.

So Autumn, we're in love. Even if you don't know it yet, we're in crazylove.

Magical March: Day 2...

Ok so it's really day three, but I missed yesterday and really, I'm lucky to be sitting here typing at all. Call me pooped, I feel like I've spent most of the day in the car. Hello Sydney traffic!

So Magical March, where are you? Playing in the trees that are about to turn? Skipping in the gentle afternoon breeze? Come out, come out, wherever you are!

While technically it's not Autumn just yet, but I go by the calendar, and to me, this is the beginning of it.

SOME (but not all) good things about Autumn:
- stomping on crunchy leaves
- raking leaves and running through them, throwing them skywards
- exit hideous Summer
- rugging up a little more each day
- that sweet cool air that lets you know - I am alive!
- rosy cheeks

Today is a pictureless post. Forgive me. But do tell me, what are your favourite things about Autumn?

Welcome Autumn:: Hello Magical March

So it's the first day of Autumn here. Thank goodness.

I got to enjoy some time outdoors with my smalls. Just me and them. It was calm. Beautiful. They'd both had huuuuge sleeps, their batteries re-charged. We played hide and seek. The babes giggled. We dug in the sand pit. Tiny sampled some. Delicious! Extra fibre! The Doctor and I dug roads and rescued trucks. I looked skywards - oh how I love to look skywards, through tree branches. It almost makes me giddy, those green leaves, that sky. Oh hello Autumn, we welcome you with open arms. We're waiting for the coloured goodness you're about to show.

Later the four of us went for a walk. A nice long walk. The Doctor rode his trike. We saw the black and white bunny again, but she hid because of the dog. Next time we hope to stroke her softness.

Welcome March, and welcome Autumn.

This is the start of my 'Magical March'. Each day I'm going to find something magical to blog about. Play along if you're feelin' it. Tell me too. (I might even go so far as to make a Magical March sidebar - I know, I know, amazing. But it is Magical March after all.)