Impromptu Picnic

Sandwiches put into a tupperware container, and the boys promptly took them outside to sit on our new - albeit unfinished - deck, under the lemon tree. It is exactly what I want this spot to be.

Sleeping Poppy

Another Poppy doll delievery today for a little girl celebrating her first birthday.Her birthday is actually Christmas day so her parents decided to celebrate on the 25th of November each year. What a hard decision - especially as her mum is someone who LOVES Christmas.
This little doll came complete with cradle - which was a hard rubbish find. A bit of glue and affection and it will again be loved by a little girl. I was up late last night making a mattress, pillow and quilt. Late at night is not the time one should start quilting (especially when not a quilter).
It is all done and delivered. As too are the santa sacks which were all gratefully received. I did actually take the camera to this party - but with so many people (and babies) is tight spaces (due to rain) I found I had the wrong lens and would just end up with photos of various pores - so I aborted pics to focus on the boys. Now off to lie on the couch!

Sacked

More precisely, Santa Sacks for all the new little ones who will be celebrating their first (or second in some cases) Christmas. I have been busy today with the trusty husqy embroidering all the names in gold thread and then just adding some christmas fabric and ribbon onto the poplin sack.This lined lame (la-may) sack was a special request and it has only taken me a year to make. I need to hand it over tomorrow. I work better under pressure. It is big enough for a large infant so that is one lucky little girl!

Sweet

Sometime we all need a little reminder of how sweet kids can be - sometimes we need more reminders than others. Other days they are just the cutest thing that you want to bottle them up and keep them like this forever.

To recent examples of this I had to share:

Alexander - 6: "Don't be a stranger Mum. Come and do reading at school" I don't know where that came from but it made me go and do reading. It wont be long until he wont want me there so make haste!

Benji - 3: Had fallen over and scraped his ankle - with blood. We were putting a bandaid on it, and he looks up at me with his big eyes and says "I hope this works".

Spencer is also beautiful but chose not to participate in this photo and thats ok because you don't always have to do everything the same - even if sometimes I want you to!

Run

We had school sports. They are run at twilight which makes for a long day, but as all the boys are getting older it was actually much more enjoyable than last year and has a really good parents/supporter attendance. The cool change moved in before the rain and it was a really lovely night.

Creativity

I gave way to mess today and let Benji and Spence express themselves. We had glitter and glue on everything - and not usually together. But they had fun. We were making christmas cards.
The real fun for them began when they could blow bubbles. These were in Julia's lovely party bags and our house has been a party ever since. We are seriously running down the detergent but is it all fun.

Its so easy for you

yelled the 7-11 man. He was angry because I moved my car from in front of the petrol bouser to in front of the door. I moved my car so he could sell more petrol and also ensure the safety of my 3 boys as they accompanied my inside.

He was mad because it was hot and he was busy. People were buying slurpees - so many that the straws and cups had run out. He was mad because a buzzer was sounding to make him aware that someone may have run out without paying for $30 of petrol. He was mad because he was the only one in there and couldn't keep track of everything. His biggest problem was getting mad at me.

I was tired. On the tail end of 4 days of solo parenting I managed to actually get the boys out of costumes and into some nice clothes for a lovely party. We had a lovely party but they are busy boys and hard to keep track of. It was prettier and hotter than I had anticipated and while we had a lovely time, I was longing for 5 minutes of silence.

We needed petrol. I don't like filling up with the kids in tow but we wouldn't make it home otherwise. We pulled in and I moved the car. It was hot and I daren't leave the kids in the car. No doubt the 7-11 man would have found time to report me if I did! We went inside and got our slurpees and were actually never far from the front counter. We joined the queue only to accosted by the man.

"Did you get fuel?" He spat at me while still 'serving' someone else.

" Yes" I replied "$30 worth at that pump"

and then his tirade began - telling me that I shouldn't move my car unless it is a busy day and it is a busy day inside the shop but not at the petrol and he couldn't see it and now the buzzer is making a noise and and and "IT IS ALL SO EASY FOR YOU"

I actually gave it back to him (which is a little out of character) and after I got over myself, I thought about it. My aim is to make it look easy, project this perfect picture , like a duck gliding effortlessly across the water. The reality is vastly different and we hide our duck feet frantically paddling underneath.

This is more my reality - luckily there is no sound and you cant see the chocolate I bribed them with.

Christmas commitments

Sometimes I wish I could reign myself in. I have a sack full of things I need to do between now and Christmas (including twins birthday) but I can't stop my mouth. I was asked by the kinder teacher if I could make 10 tutus for their christmas concert. Sure I said. That was before I started making them. 5 down and 5 to go. Cute but tiresome.

A little more squirreling...

I know it really has to stop. I just cant resist a bargain. It is even worse if mum is there with me because often she pays! I am left trying to find a place for it all.

Incident occurred at Dimmeys Forest Hill. We shouldn't even be able to find fabric there. But we managed to sniff it out. A whole lot of 150 interlock and knits for $1 per meter. Only another 27 meters added to the pile. Actually it filled our trolley.

Then it happened. I was looking at some pretty trims and asked how much they were. The lady helping us then directed up to furnishing trims for only 50cents per meter. I think she was tired of measuring and just wanted to get rid of the stuff so was giving us entire cards of trims for only $4. There is a whole card (nearly 60 meters) of fringing that set me back all of $3. Who knows when you will need to whip up a 20's style fringed dress - but I will be prepared when that day comes. All this trim set us, well mum, back a whopping $23. I think it will be cushions all round for christmas.....

Sometimes it pays off

Yes! Finally I can prove that my stockpile of craft goodies does get used. Last January I bought these do it yourself decorations on sale (of course) and put them away in my christmas craft box. (What?? You don't all have one of these??) The boys are getting in the christmas spirit so I pulled out the box and we did a little painting. We put them in the lemon tree to dry but they actually look quite festive there so we will leave them until the actually tree comes.

Not more!

We seem to be going a bit tit for tat at the moment, the big squirrel and me. He was working all weekend and clearing out offices came home with another load of junk - oh I mean other peoples rubbish. No? Clutter for our house - that is as good as I will make it.

He wonders how anyone can survive without an urn and an additional kettle. Oh and we need the atlas, book about Victoria and Dictionary. (The man cant turn on the computer so doesn't know these things are hidden on the little thing known as the internet - takes up much less shelf space!) What about the stickers - not fun kid stickers - but work type stickers, from someone elses work. Did I mention that I had spent the entire day sorting and getting rid of stuff?

Now I must be off to get rid of some more stuff!

Stockpiling for winter

This may seem hypocritical given my scathing attack on the big squirrel and his collecting but this was a sale and I need all of it.

Spotlight had a sale on their flanelette - only 99c per meter so how could I resist. It is usally $8 a meter so by buying off season I actually saved $245!! Now were do I put said 35 meters of fabric until winter?? Hmmmmmm

Bags

Plastic coated bags made from spotlight fabric - ready for christmas gifts for teachers - school, swimming and kinder. A few small ticks on the long list.

Out back

We are in the final stages of our back yard design. With 3 big boisterous boys here we need somewhere where they can go to burn off all their excess energy. There was already a trampoline and the cubby (still not finished) some paving and a deck. We are increasing the deck size and building a path.

We live on a hill on a main road, so the idea of bike riding out front is really out of the question so we have just built this concrete path along the back fence. This area wasn't really used and now with the path there is always someone riding something (probably found on the side of the road such as the batmobile) But with all of these cool things to do do you know what the boys like to play with most??????
the dirt pile- excess from creating the path. Humph.

The Big Squirrel

Yes, He has been at it again. This time it was bikes. A neighbouring suburb has hard rubbish collection, so he has been out trawling. Infact this afternoon it was a family outing. Having all the seats filled does make it harder to fill the car with other peoples rubbish!

Having said that he does always manage to find a few good things. This time the focus was bikes as the kids are all moving up a size of bikes that was his aim. Even if it was just to keep at mum and dads. So with an aim in mind he came home with 8 bikes - not many fitting the actually need but all really good bikes. What we will do with them is yet unclear but I do have to agree they are too good to throw away. (the same can't be said for the skiis, suitcases and numerous golf clubs that also found their way to our place)

The boys set up their own bike wash but I am not sure on the quality control. I don't think soap and enjo are really the best way to clean a bike!

A bit of stitchin

A quick drawstring bag for a poppy doll.

A softie guitar for a new little mr. Sewn and delivered today at a lovely Cup Day party

which was jam packed with kids!

A bit proud of myself

One of our kinder teachers had an operation and will have a lengthy recovery. We were going to send her flowers, but they die and she would probably have a house full of them. So with a little help(!) from the boys I managed to get this together for her.

Using my regular cookie recipe I cut out get well soon and put the skewers in before I cooked them. Of course I had the tin bucket in the present cupboard as well as some florist foam which I made fit the top of the bucket. Then with three punnets of strawberries and toothpick - voila!There were also a bundle of cookies attached that we stamped out a message as our card. A bit messy but thats what you get!

I was pretty chuffed with this because it was different and very low cost. I had all the ingredients on hand, the only cost was the strawberries and that is a lot less than $80 for flowers. Also, arranging flowers is certainly not one of my strenghts so I was really chuffed at how this looked. Finally it was made with love by the boys and we know that makes it so special to her.

Freedom

Ahhh. That is the sound of the load being lifted from my shoulders. I have just paid all of the bills and it is such a liberating feeling, for one minute (and really that is about all it is) not to owe any one any money. You see the big squirrel is self employed and doesn't get regular payments. We can go from poor to rich overnight. Not literally, but you get what I mean.
We have been living poor - something the big squirrel really struggles with - and I mean REALLY STRUGGLES with. This man could spend money underwater! The problem is that he is not buying anything.

A prime example was taking the kids to the movies this weekend. I know we were skint, but with a free ticket and only $6 for the others it was a bargain. I made popcorn and filled the drinkbottles so there were goodies to eat that weren't going to set us back more than the movie. We were running late, so the big squirrel parked the car while I took the kids inside. On his way in, he stops and buys a lemonade! Why would you spend $3 on a lemonade knowing I had a basket full of food and drink. AND $3 for 450ml is not what I call value. Not to mention if he had opened it in the cinema, he may get a mere 50mls once my boys had sniffed it out!

As you can see from my little rant, we have very different attitudes to money. I am a saver (hence squirrel) but also having grown up with parents who are self employed, I have lived the ups and downs all my life. He has not. What worries me is now we have been paid (once again, Phew) he will go back to living 'his' high life, but I know this has to last us through til we are next getting paid. Anyone got any good training advice???