Working in the Garden

We have spent most of this weekend in the garden, tidying it up in preparation for the boys' third birthday party next Saturday. We have invited several of their little friends and have hired a jumping castle for the occasion. It is sure to be a great hit! The garden looks lovely now after all of the weeding and trimming. Inger mowed the lawn and I trimmed the edges with kitchen scissors! It looks very neat now but my hands and back are a bit the worse for wear! There must be an easier way................. I used the electric hedge trimmer for the box hedges and lavender and was becoming fairly gung ho by the end. I think Inger was a bit concerned that we might end up with twigs rather than topiaries.

Our cherry tree has borne a bumper crop this year but as is usually the case just as the cherries are turning red they are decimated by our friendly possums and wattle birds. Overnight the tree was stripped bear. Now our first peach tree is heavy with fruit. The fruit is smaller but more plentiful this year. I don't know whether to put that down to the load of fertiliser I used or the lack of water the tree has had this year. Anyway I am going to need to find some recipes for the peaches before they all fall to the ground and rot.

The Hoya on our lattice has just flowered for the first time. The flowers have cream and crimson stars in their centres.

A Single Blue Egg

Look at what I found under our peach tree this morning! A single pale blue egg with mottled brown spots lay nearby. Sadly it was cracked. I don't know how it came to be dislodged from its home in the tree. It is a mystery...........

Ladybird Manor

This week was a landmark week. The boys started their transition to Kindy at a Montessori Kindergarten, the Ladybird Manor, near the Central Market in Adelaide. It is the first time I had ever left them anywhere so it was a big day for us all. I needn't have worried. They took to it like ducks to water and didn't want to come home at the end of the day. What seemed more incredible to me was that they had a nap in the middle of the day with all of the other children. Anyone who knows them knows that getting these boys to sleep is usually a feat of human endurance! Oh, the power of the peer group!! The centre itself is beautiful and exceptionally well run. It is in a 19th century heritage building which was formerly the site of the original Advanced School for Girls. The rooms are light and very spacious. The ratio of staff to children is one to five and the atmosphere is one of peace and serenity. The staff are highly trained and focus on each child's individual needs. They even have a chef to prepare the meals. They focus on play as a vehicle for learning. The boys will be attending each Tuesday.

Today was overcast and drizzling. We decided to take a drive up to stirling in the Adelaide Hills. Our first stop was the Steamroller Park. William and Oliver had not been here before. The park held a couple of challenges which the boys were keen to meet. They both climbed up and along this metal bridge which I thought required a great deal of concentration and balance.

They then had a lot of fun clambering over the old steamroller and playing in the cubbyhouses. We all played out the story of the three little pigs with myself playing the wolf threatening to huff and puff and blow the house in.

We then walked down through the Stirling township to one of my favourite little bookshops, 'Matilda Bookshop'. It is so well set out and has a lovely children's section. I could have stayed there browsing all day. I found some Christmas gifts for family and friends and the new Nigella Lawson cookbook 'Nigella Christmas' for myself. I'll be studying its pages for our Christmas lunch this year.

No trip to Stirling is complete without lunch at the Organic Market Cafe. The food is organic and largely vegetarian. It is usually buzzing with customers and hosts a changing display of local art. We enjoyed a platter of delicious dips with Turkish bread to start with. Britta and the boys then had Provencale bruschetta and I had a carrot and lentil soup which William shared. The boys finished with babycinos.

The next part of our journey took us to Sunset Rock which has been a favourite place of mine for many years. It is the site of a Uniting Church which is perched near cliffs which look directly out onto glorious bushland. It is always a place of peace and tranquillity where the only sounds are those of the abundant birdlife. Kookaburras flew overhead and laughed. The boys and I looked at the bushland and examined an ant's nest, moss rocks and different coloured pebbles. We threw little stones as far as we could out over the rocks.

The final part of our journey took us to Nairne to visit the Flower Garden the Nairne home of David Austin roses and beautiful outdoor furniture and water features. It was so relaxing to wander amongst the gorgeous flowers and shrubs. William and Oliver searched for fish in every fountain.

These Danish elves were a quirky reminder that Christmas is just around the corner!

My little boys

Yesterday when we were driving to the community centre to buy our vegetables Oliver had a conversation with me which went like this:-

'Mummy, you are a big girl'.

'Mummy, you are not a yucky old girl'.

'Mummy, you are a clean girl!'

Well...............I do my best!

After getting our vegetables we went to the Fullarton Community Market which is a monthly market selling handcrafts and some produce. The grounds of the centre are particularly pretty at the moment. The boys enjoyed running through this beautiful arbor.

Both boys have a habit of running off in opposite directions to look at things which catch their attention. Inger has a strong grip on each of their hands.

William was attracted to this small stall selling brightly coloured wooden toys.


William looked sad at the prospect of having to leave the fair.

Waiting to go to Swimming

The boys were up to mischief while they waited for us to take them to swimming. Oliver had wrested William's 'clothy' away from him and had trapped it between his teeth. They both thought it was a great game as they tugged back and forth until mum came and broke up the fun!

Crimson Summer

6pm yesterday.

The bougainvillia arches over our garden shed.

It is a reminder of the tropics.

Update on the chicks

The little chicks are now two weeks old and are growing quickly. Already they are developing their wing feathers and their markings are becoming more distinct.

They are exceptionally quick and very dificult to photograph. This little one was slightly less camera-shy.

Still so tiny.......................

Mother Stella keeping a watchful eye on her babies. She is a solicitous mother.

An Afternoon at the Beach

The day started out like this! We were expecting Sam and Liam over for a play date so I made some frog cupcakes for the boys for morning tea. I actually had time to make these before the boys woke up because they have been sleeping in lately. Also, for the first time ever Oliver has spent two entire nights in his own room. He has made his way into William's bed on both of those nights which I think is pretty cute...................................

Sam and Liam and their mum Catriona arrived after we got home from Kindermusik. We found a shady spot in the backyard and the boys made quick work of the icing off the top of the cakes. Then it was time for some serious playing!


This afternoon Britta and I bundled the boys into the tram and we went off to the beachside suburb of Glenelg. The boys both completely loved the ride in the tram and kneeled up on their seats to gaze out the window. As soon as we arrived in Glenelg we all raced over to the fountain in Mosely Square. It is one of those computerised fountains where streams of water spurt randomly from small holes in the pavement. This led to squeals of joy as the boys ran from one squirt to the next trying to sit on the water.




There was a cental fountain which flowed continuously and offered a great way to cool off on a warm sunny afternoon.







Our next stop was Glenelg Beach. We all loved the feel of the fine white sand between our toes and it wasn't long before we were paddling in the warm shallows. The boys caught sight of schools of tiny fish along the shore and enjoyed picking pebbles and little shells. William kept asking me to pick up the seaweed which he disliked.




Oliver has an ongoing love affair with the water. He often tells me that he is going to be a diver! He was very relaxed just lying on his tummy in the shallow water.



Britta was as much at home as any of us and assured me that she was more than willing to spend many more days at the beach.



For Oliver no day is really complete without a trip to a cafe for a babycino in a 'glass cup with a handle and a saucer'. He knows what he wants! Yesterday when we went for breakfast at a neighbourhood cafe Oliver noticed that the usual duck-shaped marshmallows were missing from his saucer. He had no hesitation in walking up to the counter and asking if he and William could have one each!


I called Inger to join us for dinner in Glenelg after he finished work. We went to a wonderful organic pizza cafe called Good Life which sources most of its produce locally. We were able to sit on the 2nd floor balcony and watch the trams as they clattered up Jetty Road towards the beach.

It had been a long but fun-filled day so I wasn't surprised that Oliver found a little spot for himself under a table. He could hardly keep his eyes open. Both boys found a second burst of energy for the tram ride back home again. William and I sat directly behind the driver so we had the experience of watching him drive the tram. It was very interesting for both of us.


We all had such a lovely day and I'm sure that the sea will beckon us again in the near future.

Mia and Cooper's Third Birthday

Today we were invited to Mia and Cooper's 3rd birthday party held at a shady park in Magill. Mia and Cooper's parents were in our antenatal twin class so we have known them from the very start and they hold a special place in our hearts. Oliver and William were very excited to be going to a party. It was their second party in 24 hours although the first was not quite what they were expecting! Last night I held a handbag party at home. The party was run along the lines of a tupperware party but was altogether more interesting because we all bought new 'designer inspired' handbags and sunglasses. Oliver and William joined in with the party. Oliver was quite a bit more interested in the cupcakes I had for supper than the handbags per se.

The photo below shows Oliver and Mia looking intently at the butterfly cake her mum had made. After she blew out her candles Oliver said he wanted to blow them out as well so Mia's mum very kindly re-lit them so he could have a turn. He is getting in some practise for his birthday on 8 December!

Cooper with his train cake.

The boys then had a very nice afternoon playing on the playground equipment. It is always fun to explore a new park.