Just look at my big bro's beautiful family!

Love you guys!!!

Head-butted and Concussed!

Oh Ollie, we were having such a lovely cuddle in bed last Sunday. You were being so sweet and gentle and giving me lots of your beautiful little kisses. And then . . . something must have possessed you as you flung yourself back without warning and the back of your head crashed smack into my forehead right between my eyes.

Everything went black for a second and then I saw stars and then I heard you start to scream. Thankfully your Daddy was home and came running because I was sobbing too and kind of out of it. You seemed to be completely recovered within a couple of minutes but my head was tingling and hurting all day and I was so so tired that I just stayed in bed for most of the day.

The next morning, when I woke up to continuing pain and tingles, I decided to visit the doctor who confirmed our suspicions that I had a concussion and sent me home for two days of bed rest. Taking it easy sure did help, and I'm feeling heaps better, but would you believe that today (now six days later) I still have a little bit of tingling and a dull headache?!?!

You little boys sure are rough on your dear old mom!

Halloween Party

We must have been crazy.

We certainly didn't bank on the weather being cruddy forcing all the littlies inside the house with sticky fingers and screeching squeals.

But we decided to throw a Halloween party for Elliot and Oliver's closest friends. And despite the weather and the sizeable clean-up required to get the sticky off the floors and walls and furniture, the kids really did have the best time giggling their little noodles off and eating way too much sugar.

That almost made it all worth it as we were putting each and every book back on the boys' bookshelf, vacuuming mysterious piles of dirt up out of Elliot's bed and removing half-chewed gummy body parts out of the gaps in the floor boards.








Book Club aka Food Fest aka Cheap Therapy

Just over three years ago, my good friend Amanda and I started a book club, and I think it's high time to unveil the mystery of our secret little society. We may be a small group with very sporadic meetings, but what we lack in numbers and regular attendance, we more than make up for with our ability to put away massive amounts of tasty vegan gluten-free goodies and to discuss the world's most riveting and important issues like vajazzling. We are also damn intelligent, creative and opinionated young women who aren't afraid to say the things that we're not supposed to say. On occasion, we even discuss a book that most of us have probably read.

I am so thankful for our get-togethers where I can vent about the less glamourous and rewarding aspects of being a mom and my less than inspiring current career path (or lack thereof!) and feel free to go off on my frequent feminist rants and random tangents or just release a little emotional baggage. You're special women and very good for my soul!

Best Friends

How cute will these photos be if these two end up married one day!?!? Aine and Elliot are still the best of friends and so completely in their own world when they're together. It's pretty special really.

Kelmscott Show = Fun!

Another year and another trip to the Annual Kelmscott Show and guess what? It was as fun as ever, even more fun actually since we ran into Aine's family and we got to enjoy the show together. But I'm getting a bit a head of myself.

First Ollie and I went on a pony ride. I was a seasoned rider and completely relaxed in the saddle, but Ollie wasn't so sure about this cowboy business and kept a pretty tight grip on Mommy.

And then we made our way over to the animals and I fell in love with the alpacas (there was a baby there that was only a week old!!!) and I kept feeding them and feeding them and feeding them. Ollie couldn't keep his hands out of the alpaca feed either, but he kept feeding it to the chickens!

After all this farmhand business it was time for a bit of a snack, but we ran into Aine and Jareth, and we forgot all about eating and started dancing in the bubbles being blown next to one of the food vans instead.


And then we were all off to the rides together. Jareth and Ollie rode on the teacups with their mommies and daddies, but not big kids like Aine and I. We rode in a teacup all by ourselves!

Later, after Aine and her family left for home, Ollie and I played on a jumpy slide thingie where I repeatedly thrashed a blow-up clown and we had a buzz (ba-dump-bump!) driving some flying bumble bees too!

Then Mom and Dad insisted on getting some dinner, but Ollie and I were too busy dancing to the Beach Boys cover band, gobbling up our first cotton candy (or fairy floss as they call it here), and impaling anyone in sight with our new inflatable swords.

To top off a perfect afternoon, we walked over to Uncle David's house to watch the firework show with Rebeka, Rhiannon. I was pretty proud of my little brother. He held on tight to Mommy, but never flinched or cried as we admired all the pretty colours even when the big ones went BOOM!!!

Bring on the 2013 Show! ~ Elliot

Working in the paddock

Grandad Keith hasn't been feeling well these days, so Daddy, Uncle David, Elliot and I went down to help out with some yard work. And Daddy even let us drive Grandad's 'tractor'. Elliot loved driving all over the paddock chasing Nacho and nearly running into trees. Me, I'm a bit more of a serious farmer. ~ Oliver

Splish Splash!

We love bubble baths!

We love the zoo!

Elliot's a bit obsessed about having babies these days . . .

. . . so he decided that he was going to have a whole bunch of babies in his tummy (and biceps too!)

Look! I BAKED a pie!

Pretty, huh?

Once upon a time . . .

OK, so it wasn't so long ago . . . less than two months actually, but it seems like forever since my little escape to visit Danika in Canberra for a weekend of kid-free fun.

And was it ever fun! And relaxing! And all-in-all good for my soul!

We chatted and ate delicious food in restaurants that I wouldn't dare take the boys to. We chatted and explored the sites of Canberra (like Parliament House and Julia Gillard's house). We chatted and drank a fair bit of wine sitting around her kitchen table. We chatted while reading books lying in the grass and soaking up the sun. We chatted while winding around the National Museum. We even chatted while out at a club listening to a very awesome band (Alpine).

It was lots and lots of fun and something I think I might have to make into a yearly ritual. You won't mind, will you Paul?

So good to see you and your new hood, Danika!

We took a momentary pause in our conversation for a happy snap!

One of my most favourite sculptures ever!