What's in my kitchen, May 2016

Finally, it's starting to cool down and really feel like Autumn. The days are still sunny and warm, but evenings and early mornings have that traditional Autumn chill I'm used to. Just in time for Winter to start properly next month! I'm hanging out for porridge in the cold mornings, and all the various toppings I can add to it.

Things have been a bit quiet in my kitchen this past month. I've been stretched thin, with work being extremely busy, and Jimmy and Ellie being particularly attention seeking and needing to be constantly near me, if not touching. I suppose it's a side effect of working harder too as we miss each other when I'm not as available. On top of all that, I picked up a university subject, just for interest's sake, but it's taking up more of my time than I expected, so what with one thing and another, my kitchen and its contents and creations hasn't been photographed as much as usual.

Nonetheless, I do have a few snippets to share.

In my kitchen is...

Mayver's Dark Roasted Crunchy peanut butter. I've already talked about how much I love this brand before but the dark roasted butter is a new addition to the range. The peanuts have been slowly roasted before being crushed and sea salt added. They claim on the label that there are at least 153 peanuts in each jar, which tickles me because I like a bit of quirkiness in my advertising! There is also a smooth version, but if it comes to a choice between smooth or crunchy, I'm crunchy all the way.

I was a bit hesitant about the taste at first, as I didn't see anything special about it, but it's grown on me and now I find it delicious - it's good on home made sourdough, spread over apples and pears, and even dolloped over the top of porridge. I like it so much, I've just bought a second jar (pictured as I didn't want to photographically admit just how clean I'd scraped the last jar...)

In my kitchen is...

A mini pink phalaenopsis orchid. Today is Mother's Day and I woke up to find this orchid on the dining table at breakfast time. It wasn't really a surprise, as I'd seen Ellie and Mr Fork scheming over the flowers while we were grocery shopping, but it's the thought that counts.

I also had breakfast made for me - vegemite and avocado on sourdough toast (I was instructed to make the sourdough in preparation last night) and hot coffee.

I've not had the best luck in the past with orchids, but hopefully this little one is the exception. Ellie told me it's small like her and Jimmy, but it will grow too. She's also asked if she can share and can it live with her in her room.

In my kitchen is...

My latest salad obsession. I started making it because tomatoes are constantly on sale lately so I've always got some, and my garden parsley is out of control so I needed something that would include both of those things. Throw in some lemon juice, fresh garlic and some salt and pepper and this quinoa tabbouleh was created. I find it delicious and filling and it travels very nicely for lunches on work days. It's also good warm or cold, so it's very versatile.

In my kitchen is...

My constant little companion. Jimmy is very different to Ellie - where she is happy to play independently and do her own thing, he just wants to be close to me. He is happiest underfoot and always wants to know what I'm doing and be involved by watching and touching. So, if I'm in the kitchen, he generally is too, poking into all of the cupboards and exploring. He likes to pull everything out, and stack them or make music by banging on everything. If I'm mixing something, he likes to help hold the spoon, and he's always wanting to peer excitedly into the oven or whatever pot is on the stove in the hope that it's something delicious for him to eat.

I don't really mind, unless I'm using the knives or carrying something hot and I forget that he's there and nearly trip. I believe that children learn best by being included and watching, so I don't really want to banish him when he clearly enjoys being there. I have finally taught him that ovens are hot and to stay back when I'm opening it so that's something. Perhaps I have a mini Masterchef in the making!

I am linking this post in with Maureen, the orgasmic chef, host of the monthly In My Kitchen event.

What's in your kitchen this month?

Creative play with Bunchems

Brought to you by Nuffnang and Funtastic

Some days, I just can't seem to do anything to amuse my children for any length of time. On days when I'm home with them, we usually bake something, we clean up, snack, play outdoors, read and do some drawing, but I guarantee you, despite providing plenty of entertainment, I will inevitably get asked if the TV can be turned on or if the iPad can be used.

I am always on the look out for fun things to do with the kids and keep them away from electronics (not that there isn't a time and place for those too!). My children love craft, but it often ends up with Jimmy trying to draw on Ellie's artwork, the pens get used to paint fingers, people or furniture, or playdoh ends up in places that playdoh should not be. Thanks to well-meaning friends (you know who you are), there are stickers on pretty much every surface in my house, including the floor and the dog. Never let it be said that I do not support artistic activities! To my chagrin, often as soon as it's set up and they get started on an activity, one or both of them will go running off and spread mess fun all over the house. I love to foster creativity and fun, but why is it so messy?!

Enter the postman (who did not knock at all!), fortuitously bearing a box of Bunchems. We got a Mega Box, which comes with 370 Bunchems, a heap of accessories to personalise the creations and a book with ideas to start you off (rrp $39.99). As soon as she saw what was in the box, Ellie asked could she play with them with me. Jimmy took the box they came in and sat in it humming Row, Row, Row your boat. I count that as a win; everyone wanted to play!

Bunchems are furry little plastic spheres that have "burrs" all over, meaning that can be squished and connected together to create whatever you can imagine. They're quite nifty and feel nice from a sensory perspective - I liked rolling them around. Best of all, there is no glue required, and in a tribute to my eco consciousness, Bunchems are reusable, so the possibilities are endless.

I wanted to make the octopus, but I was overruled by the kids who just wanted to squish things together and get creative. It was a fabulous mix of construction and craft, and there are so many possibilities. We made a monster:

Which Ellie then insisted we turn into a Mike Wazowski interpretation:

We also attempted a unicorn from the book:

Ellie made a tiger. I don't see it, but she does, and that's good enough for me:

Jimmy might be too young to really 'get' the concept yet, but we were also learning colours, counting and patterns while we played. I quite enjoyed playing myself, and I definitely enjoyed spending some quiet, screen-free time with the kids too. Although the product is marketed at ages 4+, with supervision, we didn't have any issues. I have heard reports that the burrs can stick to hair and clothing, but we didn't experience that at all.

I suspect these will be a favourite in our house, as a few hours after we'd packed everything away (the perfectionist in me insisted on separating the Bunchems back into colour groups, which irritated my children who wanted to be onto the next activity), they wanted to play again. How can I say no to such creative fun?

What would you create with Bunchems?

Have you heard of Tsum Tsums?

First of all, let me start off this post by saying it isn't sponsored. I'm writing this because I had a bad purchase experience, which actually ended up turning into something extremely lovely.

Let me back up. Last weekend I was shopping for a birthday present for one of Ellie's friends at a store I won't name. There was a promotion at the time on toys where if you bought one thing, you could select another toy for 50% off. I thought, she's been well behaved and they look cute, so I bought her a pack of Tsum Tsum Squishy figurines (Tsum Tsum roughly means 'stackable' in Japanese). She chose Cinderella, and there was a mystery one included that you could only see when you opened the pack. Hooray (for my Frozen obsessed threenager), she'd gotten Anna! Except well, Anna has no eyes.

When I took this picture, I'd bought it a few hours previously, so I hardly think that she could have possibly played with it enough to wear off the eyes already. Cue disappointed threenager, throwing appropriate threenager sized tantrum. As we couldn't see Anna when we chose the pack, I admit to being sad and disappointed myself, and figured head office would like to know that there was a possible faulty batch out there. I also planned to take Anna back to the store and swap her over.

I had a quick google, and (although I didn't purchase it from them), wrote to Tsum Tsum Australia to let them know what happened, and to give them the feedback about product quality.

What happened next is a lovely experience.

I got a reply saying that Tsum Tsum Australia aren't associated with Disney, they are just a passionate parent who decided to import official Tsums themselves after having trouble purchasing them online. They don't stock the Squishys on their site but advised me to take it back to the place of purchase for a refund, and went on to say they wished they had an Anna to offer as compensation for me.

I wrote back saying, thank you for the information, I did intend to take my purchase back and thank you for responding. I also said the offer was lovely and appreciated, but unnecessary, especially given I didn't purchase it from them. I said that I would make an order through them later though as Ellie had by now become Tsum Tsum obsessed and they obviously knew their Tsums.

To cut to the chase. I arrived home on Wednesday to find an envelope in my letter box with a tiny Marie (from the Aristocats) Tsum inside, and a note saying that they hoped this made up for a disappointing prior experience. They had tracked down my address from the contact form submission and sent an official fluffy Tsum Tsum out of the goodness of their heart!

Marie is not plastic like the Squishy, but tiny, fluffy and a very cute stuffed toy. Look at her! She even has a fuzzy tail (you can see some of the fluff in the picture below, as well as on her head).

That is customer service, above and beyond, for someone who wasn't even their customer. It made mine, and most certainly Ellie's day too.

So, if you ever want to expand your Tsum Tsum collection, and you want something that is authentic, from a business who is passionate about quality and service, may I suggest you look to Tsum Tsum Australia, for all your cute, stackable needs!

This and that

Trying to encourage Ellie to stop sucking her thumbs by making them pretty...

Thought I'd test out making my own thumbs pretty too...

I bought a pair of sparkly purple sneakers. They were half price, I'm guessing because not too many other adults want sparkly purple shoes. Or they don't have kid sized feet. My benefit!

Ellie and I got our hair cut, and she insisted on having a picture taken and sent to daddy from the salon (by the by, thank goodness my hairdresser is understanding about my two children causing havoc while she does my hair!)

We had my work Christmas party. There was a face painter there. Serious debate was had about whether a dragon or a butterfly would do. My suggestion to have both was poo-poohed, and the rainbow butterfly option proved a winner. Another selfie, this one she insisted be sent to Grandma...

Jimmy is really enjoying his new found ability to walk. This stage, where they are still learning to balance so stumble around like little monkeys? I love it so much.

I took myself on a date to see Les Miserable. It was a last minute ticket purchase and this is where I got to sit. Third row back. I was so close I could see the orchestra pit and the spit whenever the actors were especially passionate or enthusiastic. A really great production and one of my favourite musicals.

Happy Monday to you all x

Fame Theatre Company: Little Red Riding Hood

Throughout my school years, I always did some kind of dance. It started with ballet, then when I realised I didn't really have a traditional ballerina body, I tried all types: jazz, hip-hop, street latin, ballroom, pole dancing, you name it! In high school, I still danced, I sang first soprano in the school choir, I played clarinet in the band, and if there was a theatre production happening, you better believe I was going to be in it! I've performed on stage and I've worked as stage crew and I just love live stage shows - there is something about the atmosphere and energy of them!

I was therefore super excited to be offered tickets to see the Fame Theatre Company's production of Little Red Riding Hood, showcasing the talents of the children who train there in performing arts and musical theatre.

In the tradition of Fame school holiday productions, the show has a large cast of singers, dancers and actors as well as colourful stage sets, costumes, music and dancers.

I have to say, I do have a soft spot for musical theatre, and I rather enjoyed the performance. There was humour pitched at the adults of the audience, and plenty of songs and dancing pitched at the younger members. There were plenty of pop culture references, and lots of repetition so that children could become familiar with songs and enjoy taking part in the toe tapping. My toddler companion was mesmerised and was clapping with lots of enthusiasm by the end. The big bad wolf and his weasel companion were one of the show highlights for me, although I was so impressed with the standard of all performers.

I was particularly excited to see that there were two volunteer AUSLAN translators on stage, and thought they did a marvellous job interpreting.

Perfectly timed to run during the June/July school holidays, Little Red Riding Hood is showing at the Brisbane Multicultural Arts Centre, 102 Main St, Kangaroo Point from 30th June to 4 July. Performances are at 10am and 1pm daily, and tickets are $18.

http://www.fametheatre.com.au/THEATRE/

Disclaimer: I attended the show as a guest of Fame Theatre. All opinions expressed are my own.

How to nurture your child's inner artist

This post is brought to you by Nuffnang and Crayola.

Now that I have both an infant and a toddler, I am constantly looking for ways to entertain Ellie so that I can tend to Jimmy without distractions. There's only so much reading we can do, and I'm guilty of putting on a Disney movie more often than I'd like to admit (I know all the words to Frozen, not to mention Nemo, Despicable Me, Monsters Inc and Shrek!) but I also like to let Ellie bust out her inner creative as often as possible too. One thing Ellie loves to do right now is to draw (look at her first recognisable drawing here!).

However, as parents with toddlers can probably attest, my house is also littered with evidence of her growing attachment to adding artistic flair to everything! See some examples below:

Spot probably didn't have as much fun as Ellie did - 

Her couch - 

Biro, and assorted food stains too, on my dining chairs -

Marker which I noticed too late to remove so now permanently on my dining table - 

There are also drawings on my ugg boots, the shelves in her playroom, several of my quilt covers, uncountable items of clothing, and at one stage, Toby our white dog sported some lovely pink highlights throughout his fur. It doesn't matter if I give her markers, pencils, crayons... she finds a way to transfer art to something she shouldn't. It's very hard to be too cross with her when discovery goes something like this:

Me: Ellie, did you do this?
Ellie: Yes, I did
M: Why did you do it?
E: I was drawing and I was naughty. Mama, can you please clean it off now?

I love that my toddler still believes I can fix everything for her, but I am getting tired of trying to remove drawings from lots of things in my house. I was therefore over the moon when Crayola offered to send me some of their Color Wonder products. Whoever came up with the concept obviously was a parent with a toddler I'm thinking! The markers have a special non-toxic ink in them that only appears when used on the Color Wonder paper. Hurrah! That's right, it doesn't show up because it's clear on skin, furniture, carpets and regular paper.

Ellie was super excited to receive a Disney Frozen pack. Each pack comes with 5 different coloured markers in colours to suit and 18 pages to colour in. When you use the marker on the special paper, the colours appear on the page. It's a bit hard to explain, so I took a little video of her doing her colouring in thing to demonstrate - probably best not to have the volume up too loud as it ends with her doing a triumphant  "There!" exclamation.

She really wanted me to put up the video where she is colouring AND singing Frozen's "Let it Go" at the same time, but I don't think the Internet is ready for that just yet!

I have to say, this is one of my favourite products at the moment, so much so that I've hidden all of her regular pens away for awhile. I love that I can sit her down to do colouring, and the fact that she's being quiet doesn't mean trouble and random colouring, just that she is really getting into the moment! If you have an indiscriminately artistic child and you need a pack of these, you can find stockists via the Crayola website.

Do you have an artist at your house? Let me know in the comments where your little artist has created somewhere they shouldn't!

Disclosure: I received two packs of Crayola Color Wonder via Nuffnang to review. All opinions expressed in this post are my own and I received no payment for this review.

Our Australia Day weekend in pictures

So what did you get up to on the Australia day weekend? With a toddler and a nursling in the house, we were never going to get up to anything crazy, but we had a lovely weekend at home. There were family outings, plenty of play, some treats, some chores and house stuff and just plain old relaxing done.

Here are some of our highlights:

1. When was the last time you saw petrol this cheap? I remember when I got my first car I refused to fill up if it was anything over 70c/L. How times have changed!
2. Oh the perils of being the second child and inheriting things regardless of gender suitability. It takes a manly man to rock out a pink hat! I know it's not obvious from the picture either, but baby wearing for the win! This is how you run after a toddler with a baby as well!
3. Churros. Oh churros how I love thee! We went to out local San Churros because I had a craving and it's air conditioned there. Pro tip - if you get the dark chocolate dipping sauce, it is NINJA VEGAN! Oh yeah!! Churros minus egg and dairy and no stomach ache after? Woohoo!!!!
4. Nothing like chilling out on the verandah with some snacks in your swimsuit and the Triple J hottest 100 playing in the background, right! It's an Australia Day tradition to run through the sprinkler in the backyard...
5. Park time! I remember when I used to have to lift her onto all the equipment. Now it's "I do it self mama!"
6. Eggplant bounty! I replanted a bunch of things, planted out new seedlings and harvested all the things that needed harvesting. This batch was turned into a lasagne and some was baked for freezing until I think of what to do with it all.

What did your long weekend look like?

Tips for transitioning an only child to a big sister

This week marked the last week of work for me. All of a sudden, Attila's arrival is becoming that much closer. I've been spending lots of time resting, and lots of time with Ellie as well. She had her second birthday recently, and has morphed into a "two-nager" - lots of meltdowns, lots of temper tantrums, but lots of development too. Her speech improves daily and I keep seeing bigger snippets of personality coming through. She's a real delight most of the time. It has me wondering though, have I done enough to prepare her for the changes which come along with a new baby in the house. After all, she has been the sole centre of my parenting world for two years now... how will having a younger sibling change that dynamic?

We've been doing a couple of things to help prepare her for a new arrival:

• We have been reading books which talk about siblings, and sharing, and how babies grow in mama's tummy
• Mr Fork and I have been running scenarios by each other, and how we plan to react if they happen. For example, if she gets jealous and says she hates mama and the baby, Mr Fork will stay calm and say that he loves mama and Attila and we all love Ellie too
• I've been letting her pat my belly as it grows, and tell her that there is a little brother in there and she has to use gentle hands with him. She loves to blow raspberries on it
• Grandma and Grandad gave her a baby doll of her own at her birthday. She loves it, and carries it around with her, so I'm hoping she can mimic me when I need to look after Attila. She already asks to tuck baby in and change his nappy
• Also for her birthday, she was also given lots of toys that she can play with independently, such as duplo, dolls to dress up, colouring things and play food and high tea sets. The aim is that these are things she can play with beside me with minimal input
• As soon as I could share, I told daycare about our news and they've been working with her too. They give her 'baby' dolls to look after and read her books. They're getting the children in her room interested in all things baby to be honest
• In my hospital bag, I have packed some presents for Attila to give to her that she can play with while visiting in hospital. Little things, like bubble mixes and some Sesame Street pyjamas as she has taken to stealing mine (only just two and already stealing my clothes!!)

I do worry too how I will transition from one child to two, especially as I remember those sleep deprived early days when breastfeeding was hard and the level of care required was oh so high and all consuming. I worry that I won't be giving Attila the same level of attention that Ellie got as an infant.

Does anyone have any other tips to share to help children adjust to a new sibling? Or a mama to adjust from one child to two?

L is for Laughter

Laughter... I really do think it's the best medicine there is. The day that I first heard Ellie laugh was magical. It was just a little chuckle while we were playing, but I froze for a moment and when I looked at her, she was just all lit up with pure joy. I actually have an audio recording on my phone of one of her first laughs. It cracks me up even now. I was making kissing noises and kissing her toes and tummy and she lost the plot. She was laughing her baby laugh so hard that she was snorting at the same time. It's adorable!

 

As her mama, I love finding the things that make her laugh. Now, she chuckles with glee at lots of things.

• She loves tickles. Both being tickled, and "tickling" you. More often than not her tickles are actually pokes and pinches, but she is trying and so I laugh for her because I know the intention is there. We are also staying strong with teaching boundaries and are careful to stop or be stopped if the word is given.
• She loves texture. Blankets and jackets and soft teddy bears rubbed on her cheek are delightful.
• Great delight is also taken in blowing raspberries onto my belly and talking to her "brovver". 
• She is so active. She loves going to the park and swinging, using the slides and throwing herself around. She loves playing catch, dancing to something with a beat (Pharrell's 'Happy' is a constant winner). She will also come to you and ask to be swung around, flung upside down or carried for a piggy back ride. She loves hide and seek and peekaboo, especially when she thinks she is getting the better of you and you can't find or see her. All of these things produce gorgeous giggles (mostly minus the snorts these days).

 

I also think that laughter is healing and definitely helps break up some of the stress that parenting can bring. Especially in the early days of motherhood (oh how I try not to think of those too much, especially with Attila so close now), things just happen, and if you don't laugh at yourself, you might end up crying. Here are a couple of my pearlers:

• Wrangling new born Ellie and I into fresh clean outfits, then having her simultaneously throw up on me and create a poopsplosion that her nappy and outfit couldn't contain. Realising that the shirt I was wearing had to be removed over my head and was now covered with excretion from each end...
• Sleep deprived and home alone with Ellie after Mr Fork had exhausted his paternity leave. She wouldn't stop crying. After trying everything, I wrapped her against me and she finally slept, but all attempts to lay her down were futile. I ate lunch standing up, swaying from side to side with toast crumbs raining down on to her bald-ish little head, laughing like a loon. Mr Fork came home to find me still pacing manically around the house, Ellie sleeping quietly and innocently.
• Finally getting some much needed shuteye, only to hear Mr Fork scream with what I can only describe as horror, and yell for assistance. Dash into the nursery to see him (and half the room including the rug) coated with poop. Obviously Ellie was not done and when he'd lifted her to change the nappy over, she'd taken advantage of the angle and let loose. Oh the horror.

Then there's the things that Ellie does both intentionally and unintentionally that make us laugh, such as:

• The way she calls her dressing gown 'kitty' (it's a hello kitty one). And she can't quite pronounce kitty so it sounds a bit rude.
• When she does something naughty and realises I'm unhappy with her - she'll throw herself at me shouting "Sowwy! Cuddle!" then clasp me in a toddler death grip. It's all I can do not to smother her with kisses but instead accept her apology with dignity.

What has made you laugh lately?

Attitude? Gratitude! And an announcement

It occurs to me that some of my last posts could maybe be construed as a touch whiny and ungrateful. So I thought I'd write about what is making my toes curl (in a good way) lately:

I'm grateful for family. After a rocky beginning, I can now announce that we are expecting baby Fork 2, due November. It was not an easy first trimester, I was severely morning sick, extremely exhausted and generally feeling like I'd been run over by a truck. Much worse than the first time as this time around I have an active and demanding toddler to contend with too. Hence, as I'm sure this baby is trying to kill me, I've dubbed it Attila the Bun (or, just bun for short, but we say it in Cantonese when we're feeling affectionate). I was holding off on saying anything until I had a decent bump, but here I am, 4 months in and... well... see for yourself.

Bump?

I'm grateful for sales and useful things. While Mr Fork and Ellie were sick last month, I took it upon myself to take her out of the house so that he could get some rest. 

A moment here to recognise now, the effort that cost this exhausted, sleep deprived, nauseous, pregnant, viral infected woman please. Thank you. 

Anyway, one of our trips was to Harbourtown so that a) she could get in some sleep in the car there and back and b) I could fool myself that I was exercising while getting some retail therapy and natural air and light. Anyway, Peter Alexander had 50% off all the marked prices in store. Hello cute winter top and summer top, perfect for feeding in, all for less than $20 together!

I'm grateful for unconditional love and furry snuggles. While we were away over Easter, we had a friend pop in and feed the hounds. She reported that they weren't eating much but seemed in good spirits... then when we got home, they shunned us and refused to look at us directly for some time. Which, frankly, wasn't entirely a bad thing as there were a little ripe smelling. After giving them a bath however, I was ready for cuddles... and they weren't. I'm happy to report they are now back to their snuggly selves and constantly making eye contact again. Toby (who is a reliable bun barometer if ever there was one) has resumed being my constant protector and rarely leaves my side if he has any say in the matter (Toby, like Ellie, is shut out of the toilet, but they both stand guard at the door outside). 

I'm grateful for gifts and for sugary goodness. The platter I wrote about in my April kitchen post was gifted to it's new owner... and she loved it! I am always happy when I give something to someone and I know they truly love it. It was also a lovely kitchen tea and I maybe ate a little bit too much white chocolate macadamia slice (but the bun wanted it!). 

I am grateful for the love of my friends and family. For all my friends and family who reached out when we were all sick and provided help. Whether that was watching Ellie for an hour so that I could nap, calling and checking on us, coming over to help with regular house running chores, or supplying edible goodies when I was too lazy/over it/tired to do it myself. To those who offered to do the above but I told to stay away while we were contagious, thank you too, from the bottom of my heart. To my friends who knew about Attila early and who stepped in when I was too nauseous to even get out of bed and risk standing up. Thank you!

I am grateful for having time to spend with my little girl. The #yesallwomen tag and the response to the Santa Barbara shootings has a big impact me when I read through what people around the world have to say. Yes, men don't often see the harassment that women experience. I think what affects me the most reading through some posts is that really, I had forgotten or just learnt to live with things the way they are, and accept them as normal. I consider myself a strong woman but I too have experienced misogyny both socially and in the workplace. I am grateful that I have the support to make a stand and stick to my values to work in paid part time employment. As I've spoken about before, life is a juggling act, and despite the raised eyebrows and the judgey looks I sometimes get for my choices to put my family first, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Early days but... those smiles!

What are you grateful for lately?

The one in which I post some randomness

Life has been busy lately. It's actually been a whole lot of busy with a little bit of life thrown in. Sometimes things are just like that right? I do admit I long for a bit of excitement when things are slow, but then I wish things would just relax a bit when life moves too fast. Can't win!

I had to go to Sydney for work for a few nights, so Mr Fork and Ellie were left to fend for themselves. In a fit of mama guilt just before leaving, I baked her a another batch of apple and cinnamon wacky cakes and made sure Mr Fork had enough meals available so they wouldn't starve. I needn't have bothered; they were well able to fend for themselves.

This was my hotel room view while I was away. Nice right?

Night view

Morning view

Unfortunately, I sleep terribly in hotel beds, so despite a nice cushy mattress and mounds of pillows to myself I didn't really rest well at all. Which didn't really bode well for my teaching style while I was there, as I fear I took my tired and grumpy out on people who didn't deserve it.

However! It was nice to have some time away and even nicer to come home to cuddles from my little family, who obligingly fetched me from the airport.

So now, life is settling back into our routine, I have a home day to spend with my sweet Ellie today. We are going to a water park for morning tea and to play with friends, then we will have lunch, nap and have afternoon tea somewhere nice.

I'm looking forward to having some weekend time to bake and restock the freezer for those times when we need to eat and I just don't have the energy to cook anything.

What sort of things do you make at those occasions?

Easter happenings

On the weekend, Ellie had an Easter egg hunt with some of her friends. It was going to be in a park, but miserable rainy weather caused a last minute change of plans and we de-camped to a house instead. The hunt didn't suffer at all due to some ingenuity and the general age of the huntees meant they didn't know any better. In fact, I think the parents enjoyed it just as much - there was plenty of lovely afternoon tea to consume, photo taking opportunities, conversation with other adults (bliss!), and helping our small people to find eggs and play nicely together.

Putting on her serious look

I don't think Ellie is at the age where she can appreciate chocolate yet, so yesterday, while she was napping, I helped myself to some of her loot. What is it about Easter chocolate that makes it taste so much better than regular chocolate? Those simple, solid little Cadbury eggs are pure evil wrapped in coloured foil. I took to Facebook to confess my guilt about raiding my child's egg stash, and I was assured by other parents that I should take full advantage while she couldn't count how many were missing. I suppose that is one way to look at it. After her nap, I was on the phone for no longer than 5 minutes, and when I'd hung up, Ellie had climbed onto a chair and was reaching for the bowl of her eggs on the dining table. She also figured out how to peel the foil off and discovered the chocolate deliciousness inside. I suppose that is pay back for eating her stash. We then had to deal with a child on what can only be described as a sugar high come bedtime. So not fun.

Instead of giving Ellie more chocolate at Easter (because I know that her grandparents will have her well covered in that regard!), I took advantage of one of her day time naps to whip up a pair of bunny flannelette pyjamas (using my lounge pant method) and a matching drawstring bag. This cute little set took me about half an hour to complete and I was able to raid my fabric stash so I didn't cost me anything except some time and effort. I think being able to sew some basic clothing items is marvellous, especially because as she grows, Ellie doesn't really fit standard sizing. Her legs are so long but her waist so small that it's near impossible to get pants that don't show her ankles yet stay up at the waist. I'm sure day care think she has no clothes as I'm constantly using nappy pins to hold her pants up! Hopefully these pyjama bottoms do the trick and keep her warm at nights!

Flannelette bunny cuteness

Have you started eating those chocolate eggs yet? Do you do egg alternatives?

Love is all around

Sometimes I get so caught up in the little tiny details of life that I forget to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. When those little details are all I can see, when life gets so full of things to do and places to be and lists of things that need to get crossed off, and that's what I focus on, I sometimes neglect to appreciate all the good things around me. This is a bad habit that I have because I truly believe a happy mama means a happy baby and a happy family too.

So without further ado, here's me focussing on what has been giving me warm and fuzzy feelings over the past few days....

• I love Fridays and Mondays, as they're the days that I get to spend with my little lady, and not have to rush her around to get ready so we can do the daycare drop off. 

• Look at this bumper crop of tiny tomatoes I harvested from my raised garden bed! They're sweet and delicious and worth braving the hoards of grasshoppers which seem to have developed a taste for them too! Anyone have any tips for discouraging grasshoppers? I'm deadly afraid of them and run screaming in the other direction when I encounter them, so squishing is out of the question for me.

• On the topic of gardens, everything is doing so well lately! I have eggplants ripening and I keep eyeing them off, ready to pick them before grasshoppers get to them. The tomatoes are prolific! I have pumpkin and passionfruit flowering like mad, but no fruit yet (maybe it's time to get out a paintbrush and manually pollinate...). Sweet potato is spreading nicely, and even the citrus plants seem to be happy. I'll have to do a proper garden update soon I think.

• On Valentines day, Ellie had a play date, so we whipped up a batch of mini wacky cakes for her to share. These ones are an apple and cinnamon variety, with a spoonful of cocoa thrown in to make them a little bit more special. They were a hit! Not to mention that while Ellie and her friend were playing, I got to enjoy some conversation with another adult over tea and bread. Oh my, how grown up and sophisticated does that sound?!

• Blurred photo aside, look at that look of achievement and sheer joy. There was a stage when Ellie was scared to go on the playground equipment but that is past us now. She loves the slide and I love to hear her squeal with glee on the way down. I also feel like I'm getting some exercise in myself when we walk to the park to play. Win, win!

• Not even a year later and those delicious MaltEaster bunnies are back in store. They have them at the checkout counter at my local shops and I'm a sucker for them... so, so good! Ellie is now old enough to be interested, so I've also turned into one of those mothers who hide in the pantry and try to sneakily scoff the chocolate. HA! It's like toddlers and husbands have supersonic hearing for the crackling of chocolate wrappers.

What has been making you happy lately?

PS: Feel like being social? Come join in on the Facebook page!

Growing up so fast

Love comes in so many forms. Instead of a sappy V-day post, I prefer to talk about our little girl and some of the ways she lights up our lives.

Where oh where did my baby girl go, and when did this grown up toddler take her place? Ellie is changing every day now. She sprouts teeth like nobody's business, and Mr Fork and I are starting to have to watch what we say around her these days as she tries to mimic us. She is making fabulous cognitive leaps... the other day we walked past some farmyard sculptures, and she pointed at the chicken and said "cluck, cluck". I was like a proud mama hen myself at that moment!

She has such sophisticated food tastes, and I'm grateful that she loves to eat everything at the moment. Her favourite over the chinese new year period was sea cucumber. I hope she enjoyed it, because at horrible amounts per kg, it isn't something we buy for home (nor something that Mr Fork or I eat at all actually).

Fetch me more sea cucumber!

She currently has a shoe obsession (that's my girl!). Witness those gorgeous sparkly blue ones above! Despite a toy box which is literally overflowing with things to play with, she is happiest with simple things. Like shoes. And trying them on. It's hilarious watching her try on Mr Fork's or my shoes and then attempt to strut around in them. Play time is often Ellie creating a collection of shoes and arranging them around her to her satisfaction.

Shoe sculpture in progress

Speaking of food, she loves to be independent and feed herself. If anyone else is eating, Ellie gets to tax their food (naturally!). She will simply not tolerate not holding the eating utensil, so meal times where the food is small (rice or cous cous for example) require two spoons - one for Ellie to hold and one for mama to feed her with.

So cheeky

She also loves to be helpful and involved with whatever is going on. We've started to get her to help with small things, like picking up her toys and tidying up after playtime. Sometimes this is successful, sometimes not so much. Ellie is obsessed with the dishwasher, and loves to see what is inside at any opportunity. She also helps unpack it and put things away - hurrah! - although she can only carry one item at a time. We haven't had too many breakages... yet. She loves to use the dustpan and, I'll be honest, moves the dirt around on the floor more than sweeping it up. She adores going shopping and especially the trolley. While she will occasionally allow herself to sit in one, what she really likes is helping to push it along. As Mr Fork likes to be mysterious, I have outfitted him in this fabulous Pharrell type hat.

Shopping!

It seems like only yesterday that she was a tiny newborn and now she's chock full of personality and verve. I keep thinking at each stage of her growth is my favourite, but I'm proved wrong every time!

Do your small ones do delightful things? What have they done lately to make you go "awwww"?

Summer heat

If you live anywhere in Queensland, but especially Brisbane, you'll know what I mean when I say, how hot has it been lately?! Seriously, until the massive storm hit yesterday, it was really feeling like spontaneous human combustion was not only possible but becoming extremely likely!!

I'm not talking regular summer heat here, but 40C plus (that's about 104F for my American friends). Holy melt the tar off the road Batman! Mr Fork and I tried to hang out at the shopping centres to take advantage of free air-conditioning, but Ellie was having none of it, and threw one of her biggest tantrums yet. She really just wants to be independent and walk around on her own, but as she won't hold hands, she is constantly running in front of people or off into the opposite direction because she has seen something interesting. If you pick her up, it's an even possibility she'll allow you to wrap/carry her, or she'll scream and thrash around randomly. Toddlers, gah!

Anyway, since we couldn't have free air-con, we grudgingly came home and made ourselves a cool little nest where we all just hung out. The house, except for Ellie's room was locked down and we ran the massive air-con in the lounge, which kept everything at a tolerable temperature and cooled Ellie's room down enough for her to nap away the grumps. Hurrah!

How else does one keep cool in such monstrous heat? Well, ice blocks help. Even better if we got many ice block moulds for Christmas and got to make awesome delicious fruity concoctions.

Mango, kiwifruit and pineapple deliciousness

The blow up pool got a workout too. Even I stood in there and splashed around a bit. Ellie thought that was hilarious. She just loves this towel that packs into a little butterfly backpack that her grandparents got her for Christmas.

The pool actually came in handy when Ellie was scoffing down her mango and pineapple ice blocks. She's not the tidiest eater, or the fastest, so she was a sticky mess at the end of it, and could not be dissuaded from sticky kisses or cuddles... not that I minded (too much).

In the 40+ heat, there is nothing worse than being unnecessarily hot. Even lying in air conditioning, it's still pretty hot. Which is why it was annoying when the puppies and Ellie also chose to lie either on top of me, or right beside me. Lucky they are cute and I love them...

However, not everything hates the heat. Although lots of my garden wilted during the day and perked up again overnight, my eggplants seem to thrive on the heat. They've shot up loads and I can even see a few flowers already. I think I'll need to stake up these babies soon! I do love home grown eggplants too.

How are you coping with the weather where you are?