Clary loves himself a little bit of ipod time. He is listening to 'She & Him' here. He loves popping in the little earpieces and wandering around. I do make sure it's turned right down and he doesn't have it long. Just long enough for a little fix.

And the big girl is turning in to a little bath diva I think. Like her Dad. He has a bath every day, up to three baths some days. For hours (if he's lucky), with either a book or Phantom comic, and snacks. And apparently Ruby's been taking notice. Yesterday morning she decided she absolutely had to have a bath. A very, very long bath which she cut short only when I told her that her little mate from next door was down at the fence calling out for her.

What a life.

Squeaky clean.

Hey hey

I am quite embarassed at how long it has been since I last posted. I have been busy, really. There have been a few times when I have sat down to post but as more time went on it just felt awkward. Like when you ring a friend and it's been, ah, say 12 months since your last phone call. I mean, really, when there's been no legitiment excuse for letting it go that long? Except, that just 'things' popped up and stopped you. From ringing, or posting on your blog, or whatever it is that you just let go too long.
My sewing is pretty much non-existent. No time, no space. Frustrating. It's definitely still on my list of things I would like to be doing. But any spare time I do have (and I have none) I spend on photography. I feel very 'stuck' with my photography, like I'm just not moving with it anymore. Hilariously, given my track record here, I am contemplating starting a photography blog, LOL.

Anyway in other even more trivial matters, I am very much looking forward to Summer. We are quite lucky here as the weather really is pretty good at the moment. I even took to wearing my thongs (flip flops, whatever people) today and pretending that Summer is a lot closer than it actually is.
I am hoping that in a couple of months we might be able to head off for a week at the beach.
And I would love to be able to pack something like this. (Anthropologie)
Or this. (Pin Up Girl Clothing)

But let's face it, these are made for people with actual boobs. Which I don't have.
And, ooh ooh, I found this I would love for Ruby.

But more than likely I'll just be packing my trusty old black Speedos. And Ruby will take her pick of about five swimsuits she already has : )

And Clary? Well he won't give a rat's, he'll wear anything.

One of the other things we're doing is working on our little garden, getting ready for spring. We have silverbeet, brocolli (kind of), garlic chives and onion chives and plan on planting lettuce, zucchini, carrots, cucumber and, um, more, can't remember.

Not making any promises but hopefully it won't be five more weeks until my next post.

I can almost smell the Developer.

I can still remember the first camera I ever had, it was pink and took 110 film. I can't remember the brand or model or anything but I can still see it in my head. It was like one of *these* (<- that is a link there, can never get my link words to look like links), but pink of course. I loved it and tried to take all kinds of fantastic pictures with it, I wish I knew where they all went. Although they were just all blurry-with-the-heads-chopped-off kind of pictures.

I took photography in high school and I can almost still smell the developing chemicals we used to use, mmmmmm. Loved it. Wish I could have that smell in a bottle.

I moved on to using my Dad's old SLR for a while, until it just didn't work anymore (although I still have it and hope I will be able to have it revived one day). Then I just fell back to point and shoot cameras until I remembered how much I love taking photographs. And by then things were turning digital, and so that's what I got.

But I've always wanted to have a film SLR again. Wasn't in a hurry, just something I wanted 'one day'

Yesterday I found one. I got this Minolta with three lenses and a funky carry case for $75!!!! Cannot wait to use it. I'm sure the results will be somewhat disappointing at first (it's been a while) but it will be fun!

And bugger blogger and it's crazy picture placement.

Blogging.

I have been wondering if I can keep this blog up. My posts are getting further and further apart, and more 'nothing-ish' every time. I have a lot to say, but everything in my head spins around so fast, and more and more I just don't have the time to slow down, sort it out and get it out.
It's very frustrating. But I don't want to can this just yet. Want to get back to it. We'll see how I go.

So, as anyone who has kids would know, nothing is ever, ever the same after you have them. Grocery shopping, sleeping, holidays..............they will never be the same. Even making beds. Used to be that I would just strip a bed, get new sheets, make the bed.
Now I strip the bed, get the sheets, start making the bed, leave to check on my beeping washing machine which is threatening to back it in, then back in to the bedroom to this...........

What could it be??? Now I'm watching 'Ghost Whisperer' as I type this and I think maybe I have a ghost in my computer because I had another very cute picture of Clary playing in the sheets here...............it just disappeared. Hmmm.

So it takes a while to get new sheets on the beds these days with all the hide 'n' seek and peek-a-boo games.

Keeping with the theme of non-stop excitement, LOL, we now have chooks. Seven of them. Well, we kind of have them, because they came from our next door neighbour and they keep running away back to their old home. Ruby is monster excited, now calls herself a 'farmer' and spends a lot of time down in the chook pen 'cleaning', and having a blast spreading copious amounts of grain feed all over the yard. Clary just stands at the pen going 'book, book, book, book', it's very cute.

It's getting a bit chilly here. I have wasted a lot of kindling, fire starters and matches over the last few days, trying to get a decent fire going. I just don't have good fire starting skills unfortunately. Freezing.

Yesterday afternoon I thought I would have a go at getting some pictures of me with the kids. Not that I like having my own picture, but I hate the thought of not having pictures of all of us together.

As you can see Ruby really got in to it.

Not.

Clary wasn't much better. Look at that filthy little nose.

Such a cheeky devil.

So looks like I am destined to have any pictures which include me to be taken at arms length by me.

Will have to set the tripod up. And get a new remote for my camera. I had one but I think Clary's put it away for safe keeping somewhere.

On to lunch

So we ended our visit to the library with free balloons (didn't I tell you the librarian is a gem) and Ruby informing her 'We are going to Jodys' shop for a special treat' (Jody lives across the road from us, she manages the cafe)
We ordered (our ham, cheese, and tomato toasted sandwiches and strawberry milshakes, very exotic, LOL), and then had to settle in and wait. Ruby periodically went up to the counter and called out 'Is my milkshake ready?' Suuuuuch a looong wait for her. But finally it came. Happy.

Clary, too, happy.

Little things can just make your whole day.

Like this.

And this. Although, honestly, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I found it. It's from a set of game pieces I got at the op shop, thought I might use them for scrapbooking or something. Was just flicking through them when I saw this, my mouth just fell open, I swear.

Oh dear.

I actually have more to say but it seems I just can't talk without pictures and blogger won't let me load anymore.

Multiple post??

My posts are getting further and further apart, I know. I decided that I would set aside some time tonight to post and realised that, as blogger won't let me load more than five pictures at a time, I wouldn't be able to fit in all the photos that I wanted to. So I may do more than one post here, LOL.
It is raining here, second day of rain, seems to be setting in. It has been getting colder and I have been lighting the fire this last week. So toasty. The kids have been driving me a bit mad over the last few days. I have a bad toothache making me narky (well, narkier than normal) and I am making myself sick over it. I have the worst kind of dental phobia. It's been ten years since I saw a dentist. I think I need sedation to help me get there. I tried to ring for an appointment this afternoon (don't have one yet, the phone rang out, phew!) and just doing that..............I nearly passed out. Just ringing. Didn't even speak to anyone. Anyway. Enough of that.
So this morning, more rain, monster toothache..........what to do. Money is pretty tight here at the moment, as it is for lots of families. So I knew we really needed to stay home. But, ugh, really, look how bored my kids were So I took $20 out of the goldie jar (that's the jar you throw your gold coins in to whenever you remember to, for a rainy day, I'm sure you're familiar with it) and decided to treat us to lunch at the local cafe.
But first, to drag the outing out a bit further, we hit the library.

I love our little library. Even though I do get really envious when we go away and see ALL THE ACTIVITES they have going in the bigger libraries, ours is still pretty good.

You can draw pictures, colour in, do puzzles, read books, and take home books videos and DVDs'.

But the best part, that money just cannot buy, is that the librarian is soooo nice. She doesn't get cross when we take our books back late (which is every single time), doesn't frown when the kids are noisy, and not even when Clary pulls books off the shelves and throws them on the floor. Maybe she curses under her breath, or complains about us when we're gone, but she doesn't do it while we're there.


Can't beat that.

CWA Love

I finally got a chance to sew some new pinnis' up today. None of these are finished, they all need to have buttons sewn on.
This one is my new favourite, I think. It's made from a CWA tea towel, the denim bits are cut from one of my old skirts, and it's backed with some thrifted fabric remnant. I'm going to get some red buttons for it, those whoppers on there were just for the photo. Ruby hates it.

This one I made from a thrifted skirt. Looks very wonky here but it's not. Really.

This one was formerly a table cloth, backed with thrifted remnants, again (they all were)

I lurrrve making new from old :)

She is.

She is precious.
She is wee.
She is chilled out.

She smells all new.

She is loved.

She is the newest addition to my sisters' family
She is a little sister.

She is my new niece.
She is a new cousin for my own children.

She is 12 days old.

She is Gwendolen.

Showtime

Sunday night already??? But I haven't done anything on my list!! My house is such a stinkin' mess.
But we had a good weekend. Went to Grandmas' (and Grandas') place. The local show was on and we all went. Spent a lot longer there than I thought we would. Pretty much the whole day.

Ugh, please excuse me while I change the TV chanel, there is a show about serial killers starting. Yuck.

OK, so we went to the show. It was very hot. I got burnt. I have bridesmaid duties in two weeks so I hope it's faded in time for that.

The kids (and I) had fairy floss, ice creams, and hot chips. So we had sugar, salt and fat covered anyway. Must catch up on vegetables.

We waited and waited and waited in the hot sun for the Grand Parade to start.

All worth it in the end, for Clary anyway, as he had a good spot to watch the feral utes pass.
He loved them.

And then he snuck himself a little go on a mini digger. There were three other boys on three other diggers/tractors as I took this picture. Little boys just love their wheels, don't they?

And this.

Scary, isn't he?

This morning we went to have photos taken at Kindy. Like many kindys' they had a photo fundraiser.

The photographer was super fast and cheesy but the photos will be lovely, and they will DEFINITELY be the kind of photos that all the grandparents and in-laws will LOVE. But it did re-inforce my love for a different style of photo. Those pictures of families, everyday, wearing their everyday clothes and just having fun. Naturally.

Oh my god, what is with Sunday night television, people are being killed on this chanel too!!! It's got to go off, I can't handle it.

The Usual Suspect

I have a bit of a problem in my house, I have mentioned it on here before.
I have a kitchen critter. I bought another fridge lock today, to replace the last one which broke. The new one lasted about four hours.

Looks innocent, doesn't he? But he's sneaky...............sly................crafty like a fox.

If you have this kind of vermin in your house, you'll recognize his movements here.

He sneaks in quietly when he thinks no-one is watching. Sneak, sneak, sneak.


Gets that door open super fast.

And like a wild tiger, he's got what he wants (yogurt), and he's gone.

Yogurt???

Don't know what you're talking about.

The everyday.

A couple of months ago we started a little vegie patch. We were a bit slack and didn't put a whole lot into it though. We used seedlings instead of seeds. We had a little patch that had been a garden at some point and just dug that up and popped our seedlings in. We've had zucchinis, tomatos, and today some eenie weenie baby carrots. The brocolli never had a chance. They're small but yummy.

Also, we've been doing some free wheeling. Ruby on the bike she got for her birthday. The bike I always wanted, really. With training wheels, a basket, and sparkly things hanging off the handle bars.

Ruby is choosing her own outfits more and more these days (I am very sad about this as it's one of my favourite things to do) and even though you can't see it very well in these pictures this outfit was quite hilarious when she first walked out in it. Those are pink socks with ribbons around the top, and they were pulled up, just about to her knees until she started riding.

I think I'm getting her standard 'NO PICTURES' in this photo below. Nothing's changed there. Hates the camera.

Unfortunately this morning the bike ride didn't last long before we got this.

A flat. Courtesy of a tack. Ruby was very, very, not HAPPY.