Enchanted Gardens

My poor kiddies had conjunctivitis last week (what Americans lovingly refer to as PINK EYE! So lovely...) Of course, it was the viral kind that does not respond to any medication whatsoever, so we ended up missing their cousin's birthday party. The double misfortune was that, initially thinking they had bacterial infections, I was pinning them on the floor to pry their eyes open and shove drops in every couple of hours... it was hell. The silver lining was that I kept promising Michaela she would get to go to Luca's birthday party if she let me put the drops in. It was my only bargaining chip, so I played it hard. And then, of course, the morning of the party... crusty eyes. Dave was ready to take them both to the PLAY CENTER and let them spread it around but I just couldn't bring myself to be THAT parent. So we missed out. I felt really bad for Michaela, so the two of us headed to the Enchanted Gardens of Arthur's Seat for some mother-daughter bonding. Here are some pictures:

The "Enchantosaurus". Of course.

In Australia, its called "Snakes & Ladders", so you slide down snakes instead of slides... Michaela loved it. We took turns spinning and moving through the game.

Fairy garden. She loved finding tiny flowers in the water.

Beach house.

Making sand castles in September looks like this.

Panda chairs.

Tire maze. You had to get to the center tire by walking across red, blue, green planks, following that order of colours. I was suprised at how easily she grasped this concept, but then didn't seem to care that we ended up cheating to get to the middle. It was hard!

Rope maze. She was a pro at this. Put on a belt, choose a color, and clip yourself on. Travel through the maze until you get back to your starting point.

Tube slides were the hit of the day. She was too young to go by herself, so I had to ride with her. It was pretty darn fun!

Had to stop at the Amazing Lolly Shop at the end of the day. That is one happy kid.

Creating a veggie garden

I am not going to title this "planting a veggie garden" for I fear we are far from (possibly never going to start) planting my little square of garden that I dream will someday yield us a range of beautiful veggies.

There are many reasons why I want to start a veg garden. There are the "right" ones: sustainable organic food production, teaching children where food comes from, etc. There are the selfish ones: "Dave has hobbies that he enjoys. Why should I spend every week focused only on the kids and the housework? I deserve to do something (albeit possibly something I am not going to excel at) just for ME!" And there are the down-right insane ones: "Everyone else is doing it. Surely if so many friends of mine with children, careers, AND different hobbies other than gardening can manage growing a multitude of produce in their own yards, so can I!" Add to the list of insane the many websites I've looked at that tout the simplicity and enjoyment of veggie growing.

Once I got my heart set on the idea, I knew it would only happen once I started digging. So on Sunday afternoon, I sent Dave and the kids to his dad's. I spent most of that time at the local hardware shop trying to figure out what I would need to add to the soil and how I would keep the dogs out. But then ($75 later! Side-note: this is a LOT of money out of our monthly budget...) I finally stuck that shovel into the earth. It took HOURS to dig up just a few rows of dirt! By my calculations, I would be lucky to dig out my measured plot by the following weekend, provided I had a couple of dry hours to work every day. HA. Add children and weather into the mix, and that is looking less likely. BUT, there is something deep in my blood that hates to leave things unfinished. So I will persevere, even if it means I am planting in the blistering heat of summer, I desperately want to prove to myself that I can do this.

I have one friend in particular who inspires me. She has three children under the age of 4, a huge house that she keeps in immaculate condition, an exceptional range of handmade crafts that somehow she finds the time to make (and sell!), and a husband who works 6 days a week (so she does a lot on her own). She casually mentioned the other day that in a single weekend she set up their new veggie garden and worm farm. Done. I will never, ever, know how she finds the time to do it all, or make it look so simple. This is what setting up the garden has looked like thus far for me:

Two trips to the local hardware store (the second one with screaming kids in tow, constantly climbing out of the shopping cart and running away so they can experience the thrill of testing my patience as I chase them down, corner them, and force them back in again) totalling well over $100 by now (and I haven't even thought about WHAT I am actually going to plant in there once I get started), and 3 days of sporadic digging interspersed with:

"Mom, we want to help, LET US HELP!"

"OK, here, pick up the loose blades of grass and put them in the wheel barrow."

"This is BOOOOOORING!!!!!!!!!"

"OK, look at these worms, dig them new homes in the soil and cover them up."

"Yaaaay! Worms! Look at my worm Mommy! MATTHEW! NOOOO! MOM, LOOK AT WHAT MATTHEW'S DOING TO MY WORM! AGHHHHHHHH!" <Lots of screaming, crying, shoving, a bit like a horror movie as Matthew obsesses with mutilating the worms and Michaela attempts to save them. I get ALOT done while this is going on. NOT. And this is pretty much the default we come back to the entire time we're out there>

"Mom, I'm hungry. I'm HUNGRY! I need a snack!!!!!! MOOOOOOOOM!"

"Matthew, stop scooping out all the soil and throwing it all over the yard!" <I swear the dogs are better at responding to me when I talk to them.There is pretty much dirt everywhere>

"Give me back my tool, Matt. MOM! MATTHEW TOOK MY RAKE! WAHHHHH!"

"Mom, there's dog poop over here. Come get it. Get it now! MATTHEW'S TOUCHING IT!"

Just a taste, really. It is going to take me a long, long, time. But maybe if I write about it on here, you, my loyal fans, will help inspire me. And by loyal fans, I should actually say Hi Mom! Hi Dad! as I am pretty sure you are the only people who look at this on the odd occasion. Love you :)

Welcome back... to winter

After an amazing taste of summer during our holiday in California, it was back to the wet and cold in Melbourne. And now I can appreciate why so many parents put their kids in early pre-school, even if it is just a few days a week. What do you do with bored children couped up in a tiny house during the winter season? Especially after coming from that SoCal sun, I was not about to rug up and head out into the storms. So... I had to get more creative. Lots of baking, making playdough, and...

The fishing game!

A few magnets, spoons, and strings kept them entertained for a while. Granted I had to keep untangling strings and making sure they shared, but it kept them happy at the end of a long boring day after a long boring week of being stuck in the house!

And yes, the house always looks that messy... despite having their own bedroom AND playroom, they still prefer to drag their bedding and toys out into the living area every day. I don't blame them. Its where their best friend, the TV, lives!