gee, thanks

Sam rode home from the bike track the other day. As I met him at the door he walked in, handed me a purple lilly pilly seed he had plucked off a tree and said "This is for you Mum, I'm pretty sure it's poisonous."

reading

Sam is starting to see reading as an appealing thing to do when he is left to his own devices and Milly is always up for a story.

shenanigans

There has been all sorts of carrying on at bed time of late. This is not something we have ever had to deal with. Bedtime has always meant exactly that. Not so much at the moment. Two nights ago we discovered this when we checked on them. Very naughty but also cute.

garden bed #1

The small garden bed in the corner is starting to look like I want it to. After weeks of waiting for seeds to germinate, grow and harden off on my sowing bench I have planted out an abundance of vegetables - Runner Beans, Parsley, three types of Lettuce, Dwarf Peas and Strawberries. Milly and I direct sowed some radishes and carrots last week and the radishes are already poking their heads up 5 days later in a very satisfying straight line between the bean frame. The apple tree has flourished in the face of transplanting and is covered with blossom. Once the beans start climbing up their frame they will give shade to the trampoline and sandpit.

There is another garden bed, much longer, sitting in front of the shed. It will be planted out soon, all that stands in the way of a crop of corn and abundance of tomatoes is an estimated 5 hours of shoveling dirt and compost. That is the job for this weekend. At the moment this is most definitely the 'before' shot. Stay tuned for the after.

as clever as clever

Sam turned six today. An early morning wake up; helium balloons and bunting; unwrapping presents in mum and dad's bed; a remote control helicopter; cupcakes at school for the whole class; 3 friends over to play; parcels on the doorstep; chocolate cake with candles; free choice for dinner; phonecalls from friends and family. That pretty much makes for a great birthday. No wonder he wants to stay six forever and ever.

 apologies for blurry (that should be blergh-y) iPhone photo. It was 5:50 -  I was too tired to operate an actual camera.

treasure from across the border

I bought two treasures while I was in Adelaide. This is one of them. A very rusty (not even rust-ic, just rusty) handmade wire birdcage that I think is beautiful in both its form and function. It was bought at a farm clearing sale and I can imagine a workman making it painstakingly for his love. I wonder about the birds that have lived their life within its fragile wire contains?

And of note in this photograph is the blue sky and fresh growth on the buddleja reaching for the verandah ceiling - both wondrous signs of spring.