Best picnic ever

Today was such a beautiful example of spring in this corner of the world, and we took a picnic to Brownhill Creek with some extended family. So long as we choose to ignore the fact that pretty much all the vegetation in these photos is introduced and spread as weeds along the creekline (buttercups! blackberries! Salvation Jane! figs! willowy things!), well, this was simply the most perfect spot on the most perfect day for a picnic.

It's all still so green and there was even a decent amount of water in the creek.

 There was space for cricket, and Jasper declared that he would like to have a go at cricket this summer, which simultaneously makes me thrilled and also a bit weary thinking about adding something else into our schedule. Is that bad of me?

 Can you spot the boys? (Clem, his cousin and cousin's friend, as seen from the other side of the creek.)

  This small man had an absolute ball and got bumped, scratched and filthy, which is all a bit outside his usual comfort zone, and I was so proud of how he bounced back and kept up with his older cousin and even older friend.

 This is a water skink that the boys discovered in the creek (and let go again). I didn't even know there was such a thing. Even Andy's sister who identified this for us, and has a creek at the bottom of her hills garden, hadn't seen one in real life before. What a beauty.

  We brought Skylar, who could barely believe her eyes, ears and nose with all the wonders of this place. Since she was raised in a kennel, many things are very exciting new experiences for her. She explored and explored and explored but finally gave in to the pleasure of a Sunday afternoon nap on the grass. Ahem yes, she's wearing a Liberty kerchief.

 Being dragged down a slope by your feet is apparently all kinds of awesome. And back for more.

  Sliding down the dirt slope by himself: "Watch this one, it's going to be really really really really really really really really hardcore!" (Clem also told me the other day when we were throwing and catching his soft toy Miffy that it was 'hardcore' so I'm not entirely sure of his definition.)

 Big dead tree across the creek. Charlie thrilled at being in photo for scale.

"I didn't realise it was going to be this much fun," Clem said.
Those clothes and shoes will never be the same again.
One hundred percent worth it.

I hope you've had a happy weekend too!

- Jane x

Monday at The Block

It's raining, it's pouring
it's getting somewhat boring
we mustn't complain
about the rain
even in school holidays and hey at least we got out on Monday and anyway the kids have been taking it in turns to succumb to some fever sore throat thing and lie on the couch lah dee dah something ending with 'oring'.

Yes. At least we got out on Monday to my parents' block!

 My dad recently had this huge fire pit thing fashioned by an engineer.

 Fungi aplenty in various shapes and colours.

 My favourites, the sundews.

 Echidna diggings - there was a heap along one of the paths, perhaps they like the soft ground after lots of rain. Look, nose holes!

 Clem making a strange face (this hardly looks like him) but he thought these hakea nuts looked like ducks.

 'Bug words' inside bark. (Clem said they are writing 'yum'.)

 Can you spot the red, red robin below?

 Clem and Grandpa found this old jar.

 Cleaned up a bit, it had cup and pint measurements on the sides. (Can't be too old since I assume that is metric cups, but it felt like treasure.)

We had sausages and potatoes and damper for lunch and spent a lot of time wandering about picking up fallen branches and putting them on the fire to help reduce the summer bushfire risk. Honestly I can look at the world with a vastly improved attitude after a day like this. And I'm trying to hang onto that feeling this grey, grey week! Is it grey where you are?

- Jane x

Newsflash

12 year old is cutting his own fingernails without even being asked.
Major Parenting Breakthrough. Hello, light at end of tunnel!

- Jane x

The last few weeks in photos

I have to touch on the horrible violent event of last week, just to acknowledge it as I post my daily normal-ness here. Sigh. Surely some things must really change? We can't just become numb or put it in the too hard basket can we? It's been occupying my mind a lot. Anyhow. That's not why I'm here right now. Moving on (here, now).

For twelve years in this house we managed with a bathroom that was horribly ugly and became more broken and leaky and damp and nasty until we had about four plumbers standing around looking at pipes and saying it was, really, not worth investigating and mending any further. Hello, dear bank lender....

Now we have a nearly-finished bathroom that is just so luxurious in comparison, despite being only 2.1 x 2.1 metres square, and sure beats the heck out of 'washing' ourselves in the laundry sink as we did for several weeks. It's fabulous. And I have wanted one of those telephone-shower things in the bath for as long as I can remember.

We've picked strawberries and made jam. Clem's drawing and writing has taken off like a rocket since he's been at school. Um, including a lovely picture of 'farmers' on the wall by his bed. And spelling Jasper 'JasB'. He has been running a shop out of his bedroom for a couple of weeks, selling us back our wine collection and his toys and books in exchange for handfuls of buttons. Cute as that may sound, he has been driving us all nuts on the behaviour front at home. We have researched more strategies that include a lot of clear, consistent (and firmly enforced) rules, calm in the face of tantrums, encouragement in self-help skills and chores/responsibilities. It's coming along.

I have sewed a bit, including the 'shorts' (longs) for Clem from Cloud 9 organic Ed Emberley lions and tigers, which I have loved for ages. Also, a dress for me that you can hardly see in the pic above and I really should devote an actual post to because although it's incredibly simple it has been in high, high rotation in our speedily warming summer.

Charlie's been sewing. We have Wanderer caterpillars. A friend and I have been working very hard to set up a new business (more on that, I hope, soon!). You know. Life. 

I hope yours has been safe and happy.

- Jane x