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.