New babies

Baby plants that is.

Seeing as how we'll be staying put here longer than we'd (I'd) planned, I thought I'd try and get as much use out of our small piece of land as I can. While it doesn't need to look pretty......it will need to when we sell it....I'll have it looking functional instead.

The boys and I have a variety of seedlings to plant out and we have made a start.

But seeing as how this has been the wettest October in Melbourne in 30 years (most of that rain falling yesterday apparently) our planting hasn't got far this weekend.

However, it won't rain forever (surely?) so some of these baby tomatoes will be going in the ground shortly.

Also in the seed tray are seedlings of basil, roma tomatoes, calendula, marigolds and zinnias. Those last three are really for the boys, particularly Mr 5 as he has an affinity for growing flowers at the moment. Though marigolds are supposed to help keep bugs away from the toms, so they'll go in the ground, and a few pots, together.

And an orange tree, to go with the feijoa tree and blueberry bushes...

I've got some spinach in pots and a few seedlings of parsley too, that are holding out against the snails.

I didn't realise how many snails were hiding in the cracks and crevices around here, until a couple of tiny marigolds were sheared off at ground level, the vandals leaving plenty of evidence behind them to let me know who committed that particular crime.

So the boys and I went on a snail hunt a couple of days ago and rousted out about 5 of the slimy critters, which I tossed over the fence and out on to the road. Mr 5 thinks they were landing on the nature strip and heading off happily to a new home. Er, not so.

But during yesterdays continuous deluge the snails were out in force, so I braved the conditions and did a bit more snail tossing. Then a few more when I went out just before dark, and yet a couple more this morning.

Hopefully all of our snails have now found new home.

In snail heaven.

It's a wrap

We're back home and settling in nicely, suddenly two kids and a husband feels soooo easy!

Although there are no nine and eleven year old girls to take my boys off my hands here, darn it.


Soooooooo, we

made hedgehog ( a joint effort of scrunching and munching)

decided it was too cold for swimming so we'd rather stand on our heads
(well, who wouldn't?)

not too cold for us though

tried to squirt the dogs

(the dogs have obviously had a lot of practice avoiding the squirt guns)

did a test run with the diving gear

went dog walking and kite-flying

learned the geee tar

and of course the drums too

gave the library some love

(though this one's going for the fire extinguisher, of course)

decorated cookies

climbed this set of stairs a bazillion times

had a picnic on the upstairs balcony

and took a photo of ourselves to prove we were there, haha

All in all, a fabulous time!

Oh yeah, and the thermomix kicked butt too.

(The thermie at this house has two jugs, so I didn't even need to wash between the really mucky stuff. Culinary heaven!)

Last day at the mansion

We made cookies today...like 'em?

Back home tomorrow.

Phew!

Five kids, two dogs, and me

Life has been NON STOP since last Sunday.

The owners of the mansion are away and asked me if I would like to take charge of their delightful offspring and the two resident dogs.

The scheduled gal broke her foot, so I said yes, and the owners arranged the Grandparents to act as support. The scheduled gal has no kids of her own, whereas the mansion owners knew I'd be bringing my two and they figured a 6.50am run to water-polo, followed by a 7.30am run to choir, followed by an 8.15 run to school all in the one morning might be just a bit much for me to handle with a five and two year old as well, and stay sane.

So the delightful grandparents are doing ALL the school runs, bless their hearts.

I'm doing it as a single parent, because staying here adds an extra twenty minutes at each end of the day to my husband's commute, so he's doing it single at our place.

The offspring are 14, 11 and 9 yrs old (but very nearly 10 yrs old as I keep being reminded) and are for the most part delightful kids. As much as a fourteen year old boy can be delightful that is.

Miss Nearly Ten however is an absolute whirlwind and my Mr 5 ADORES her. BUT, by bedtime he is becoming so overwhelmed that we have had two complete screaming meltdowns over the last three nights. I am doing my best to keep things calm after dinner, but I think a week of Miss Nearly Ten's intensity is wearing on his ability to cope emotionally.

Mr 2 seems able to turn his back and tune her out but Mr 5, not so.

I however, have trouble tuning THIS out...

All fast asleep now though, long may the quiet last...

A sheepish labrador

Hehe, I am house/kid/dog sitting for ten days, with my two kids in tow as well. Right now, the older three kids are at school and my two are parked in front of the tv for a bit.

Well, a storm just came over, thunder, lightening and all. And the big, soppy, chocolate brown labrador has suddenly cuddled himself up at my feet as I sit here at the computer. I was in the kitchen and he sidled over there, looked at me mournfully (maybe it was sheepishly) and flopped down alongside some kitchen cupboards. As soon as I moved to the study, he upped sticks and came too.

I think this big, cuddly lab is afraid of the storm.

How cute!