The Legs. They Are Talking.

We spent a couple of hours at a beautiful local park on Sunday. We had a mission of climbing trees. So off we went.

The tree climbing lasted all of about five minutes - when the kids decided that they were too scared, and I decided that they needed to spend more time in the country.

We then went on an adventure through the gardens, scootered, and Matt and I enjoyed some time sitting on park benches, on the grass, and just next to each other semi-chatting, mostly watching the smalls and enjoying being outside on a perfect Spring day. There's something to be said for comfortable silences.

We're now just one week shy of the school holidays. I've got some ideas on how to keep the smalls entertained during the two weeks - have you got plans?

Ice-Cream Sunday

How was your weekend? 
What did you do? 
Did you do anything exciting? 


I made raspberry ice-cream with the Vitamix. It took me approximately three minutes. 
I will make a video and show you how, because my goodness, that was soooo good and made a pretty hideous Sunday turn the beat around. Ice-cream has a knack for that. 

Daytripper

Right now, any excuse I get to go out driving, I take it, with both hands, and drive.

You see, we have the new Ford Focus on loan for a whole blissful week. I am a woman in love with that zippy little car. I've never owned my own set of wheels, so for one whole week, I'm living a fantasy - and loving it friends!

Today we drove up to Pittwater, Palm Beach, and then spent a blissful few hours at Whale Beach. Ain't life amazing!

We spent the beautiful day in the sunshine, scouring the beach for shells, eating hamburgers by the beach, followed by milkshakes watching the waves roll in. Tiny buried her stash of shells, and a cuttlefish. Next step she's on the Sea Shepherd. The Doctor drew pictures in the sand, and practised skimming rocks. We chose houses, just in case we win Lotto.

It was the perfect way to finish our week of holidays. The four of us, happy as larks in the sunshine.

I Heart Sundays

Beautiful, beautiful Sundays. How I love them. Come Monday, they are merely memories, but while you're in the thick of Sundays, rejoice! For Sundays are Sundays! And that means one thing! Family day.

We wandered the Lisgar Gardens together, looking for sneeches aka leeches - and celebrated the lack of them.

By now you should understand that I love gardens. The Hunter Valley Gardens. The Royal Botanic Gardens. Lisgar Gardens. They are my oasis in a busy city-life. I'm always blogging about gardens. And yet I am a failed gardener. An ex-composter. A wannabe green-thumb.

This is the four of us. Together in the gardens. Where the Doctor told us he didn't want to be, and then stumbled upon koi fish and was turned around. Where Tiny declared her undying love for 'flowlas'. Where Matt and I explored the layers of flowers, fauna and found a bush turkey.

Hello and goodbye Sunday. Until we meet again.

Stolen Sunday

This morning was a weird one. A stolen Sunday morning when I was meant to be meeting up with a friend but she had to pull out at the last minute. What to do with oneself in the city flying solo? I could always just turn the car around and go back home (given I had to be at home by a certain time to take the Doctor on our date to see Alice In Wonderland). Ah-hell-no.

I had to pick up a catalogue at AGNSW, so I thought - heck, I have not wandered these hallowed halls by myself in years. I used to tread these polished floors almost monthly when I wore a younger girl's shoe. But with kids? ...but with kids. I think the last time I did was with the Doctor in a sling. Clearly that was not yesterday. And I had a park right out the front to boot!

So I wandered around checking out this and that. Enjoying no small people tugging on my limbs. It was good.

What would you do with a couple of stolen hours by yourself?

A Chef Named Sous

This afternoon the Doctor and I got to work in the kitchen. I am an avid fan of Angry Chicken (edit:: oops - Jo Price has corrected me - thank you! It was Soulemama, not Angry Chicken - my bad!), and when she mentioned ricotta gnocchi I listened. In fact, she mentioned it was so good they'd cooked it twice in one week. Sounds like a meal I must get my chompers around, pronto.

I have always been a little scared of making pasta. We were gifted a pasta maker machine thing for our engagement, which I was thrilled about, but totally intimidated by.

No more!

The Doctor and I mastered these beautiful parcels of floaty goodness in just minutes. MINUTES! (These coincidentally only require a bowl, some flour, some hands and a flat surface to roll baby.)

We were so pleased and proud of ourselves. PROUD OF OURSELVES! Matt dug them. Ricotta gnocchi with tomato pesto. Gobbled down in no time.Tiny snubbed them. And commenced a crying bout of approximately 15 minutes until peanut butter toast was delivered to her.

Regardless of Tiny's snub, the Doctor and I have declared Sunday to be 'Pasta Sunday'. Next week.. Something new to add to our past twirling repetoire.

If you'd like the recipe it's from Tessa Kiros' 'Apples for Jam'. Email me if you'd like a copy.

Blogtoberfest Day 4: Sleepy Sunday

Would you believe my feet are still roasted from Friday night? You better believe it. It's strictly ugg-ly (phrase c/- the Doctor) boots material around here at the mo'.

It's a long weekend here in Sydney so we've been going slow on the Sunday front. I've snuck in watching The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas while the smalls caught a few zzzz's. I must admit, I've not read the book, and I hate when I see a movie before I've read the book, I get the guilts, and this one in particular, I think I need to go back and read where it all begin. It's a great film, and well, it's got Rupert Friend.

It's a story told through the eyes of an eight year old boy living through the Holocaust, and it's a powerful story with an amazing cast.

I rate it **** in the PMM hall of films. (That's four stars, not to be confused with an expletive.)

Old School Skating

We went on a leisurely Sunday afternoon walk. We like to do that. I threw a chicken in the oven (that I had stuffed after gagging, I hate touching raw chicken, and stuffing them for that matter - enter the squeams!) and then we walked. The Doctor had a minor meltdown as he couldn't find his helmet, and in our house no helmet equals no racers. So he had to walk.

This may have been fortuitous because just down the road was a pile of rubbish. And you know what that means in our language. Good times. The Doctor and I rummaged 'til our hearts were content. Matt, of course, stood back. Because he's too cool to be seen going through other people's junk. Me? No way Jose. I'm in there. I'll show you tomorrow what I found - not today because today I am too lazy to take a photo. But the Doctor triumphed over his helmet downfall. He scored this old school skateboard (here he is rad dawging), check out the handle that helps him steer the deck, and gain a little confidence, le old school way.

The thing I particularly loved about our work, besides the rubbish of course, was a couple of ginger cats coming out to say hi to the smalls. We've met one of these cats on a previous walk before. But yesterday, not only did ol' Ginger run out, his mate did too. The smalls were in cattie heaven.

Out On The Water

The smalls and I skidaddled out of the house today. Matt's studying so we hit the road and the seas and boarded a ferry. What a beautiful day to be out on the water. The Doctor adored it, and particularly loved the names of each of the ferries. Tiny just loved the wind blowing in her hair - it always makes her laugh.

After the morning out (which wound up being almost the whole day) we tumbled in our front door totally pooped.

Sunday Rolls Around Again

I am completely shattered today. We did a lot of running around yesterday and my poor little body is definitely feeling it. Everything's sore.. Getting sick? No, not me, I'm a beefcake.

It's one of those cold Wintery days when you, by law, should be curled up on the couch watching DVDs. Jeeves - I feel like a hot chocolate. Nanny will take the kids out rugged up for a run on the grass. But it's not to be, and family life stops for no man. Or mama. Onward we shall go.

It's a little over a week 'til my birthday and I'm already feeling as though I own a 70 year old's body. I think I'll take a leaf out of this woman's book and kick-start a new me by going running. Sounds frightening. Walking is easing me into it.

I drew the winners of the Little Innoscents giveaway too:

Winner of the complete set of Little Innoscents products is lucky seven 7. Linda from Two Pink Possums.

And the five lucky ducky runners up are:
Coming of age - 18. Perempuan
Duck and dive - 25. Josephine Tale Peddler
Legs eleven - 11. Julia
Sweet sixteen - 16. Bronwyn
One little duck - 2. Mama Mogantosh

If you can email me your postal address, I can then pass it on and your prizes can be sent out. Thanks to everyone who entered.

Sunday, Sunday

Do you ever have those weekends when you feel like your a leaf blowing in the breeze, blowing this way and that way? That's this weekend for me. Not time to stop, can't be late, can't be late, must keep going.

Peace at last, peace at last, the Doctor and I are lying on the couch snuggled up together. I'm drinking lots of tea. We're both eating freckles and grissini. Strange combo. But it works. Watching Charlie & Lola.

Tiny's fast asleep, growing. Matt's studying. The world is spinning, slowly, so we don't all fall off.

Sunday afternoons. Life in the fast lane can wait. Sundays are or stretching, snuggling and snoozing.

The Queen's Birthday: Long Weekend

I love a long weekend. Particularly when it involves family dos. Today we had a picker nicker at Balmoral. Another incredible Winter day. Playing on the beach. Digging in the sand. First tastes of fish and chips. Coffees from the hole in the wall. Hours in the sunshine. Catching up with cousins.

I am pooped to the max. After the picker nicker we quickly whizzed off to our friend's fourth birthday, and then home again, home again - jiggety jig. I am pooped. Bed - here I come.

Regular PMM programming will resume tomorrow. Until then.

Magical March: Day 8

Are you feeling it? In Sydney, it's overcast, a little cool, perfectly Autumnal. Ideal for snuggling under quilts and watching old movies.

Well. If I didn't have two wee ones, perhaps that's what we'd be doing.

But instead, we went to Bunnings this morning. One of my favourite places to visit. You may think I am odd - but there's something about a hardware store that gets me. Maybe it's the endless possibilities. It makes me feel excited. Gets me thinking about our home and how we can make it ours (no mean feat when you live with your in-laws). I left with two plastic storage boxes to keep the big, fat silverfish at bay, and a tube of gap sealant. Exciting, non?

It's raining too. Just the sound of drizzle. Even more perfect for snuggling, snoozing. Baking. We're making lasagne for dinner.

Today? What's Magical? Sundays are always pretty good in my book. But today I got to finish some old projects. Gulp. Remember these PJs? Well now they finally have buttons.