First day of Spring!

This house, this garden, this little sanctuary that we all live in.  I still can't believe that we own this place sometimes, this little piece of land, this tiny part of Australia.  It's totally ours and I feel so lucky.  The garden is the best place to hang out right now. Spring has arrived, along with growing chicks, flowers on our strawberry plants, and little shoots pushing their way up through the soil just about everywhere.  The birds are singing (loudly, its pretty deafening sometimes), and there is a warm breeze caressing the whole of Queensland, it's just magic.

Apart from the fact that she always seems to want to go up and down the bloomin big stone steps, (touch wood, no accidents yet), and we're always trying to guide her away - the garden is the place that Miss Lucy wants to be.  She runs around, the wind blowing in her curly curls, chasing her brother and sisters, and it's just the greatest thing for me to take a seat, (with my Canon, of course) and click away...ahh heaven!  Poppy drags out her princess dolls, teddys, crowns, fairy wings and enters the make believe place that only Poppies can go, singing away quietly to herself as her imagination takes her on a journey.  And Joey is a little fireball of energy, bouncing on and off the trampoline, chasing Poppy and running from Lucy.  It's a busy hive of activity around here at the moment, and so fun just to sit back and watch them all...

And when Daddy comes home at the end of the day, it's another race to see who reaches him first..

I'm going to make the most of this Spring, and from me over here in Oz...G'day! :)

Popping and Jumping!

A-Poppin.....

Popcorn - food of the Gods.  That's what I used to think as a little girl, and I still do.  Katie and I would sit with big wooden bowls full of the hot, salty buttery goodness on our laps as we watched our very favourite series, 'Little House on the Prairie'.  Back then, we thought of it as some sort of gourmet luxury, in the same category as truffles and Samphire, (a delicious wild edible seaweed, that grows on estuarine mudflats in Norfolk) .  Kind of odd when you think that our 'basic' diet consisted of the green sea-salty Samphire (when in season), peanuts, all raw vegetables including avocados, globe artichokes, and whole lemons.  
I often wonder, had I been born ten years later along with my little Sis, Fiona, whether I would have had her very different but just as bizarre eating habits. No fruit or veg for her as far as I remember.  Just  bucket-loads of bacon, pizza base with only cheese on top, turkey burgers and taramasalata dipped chip-sticks.  Her friends used to stare in disbelief as they were offered pink coloured fish-egg dip with vinegar flavoured  chip-sticks as a yummy snack!   This though, is the girl whos best friends were Sadie the Dog, and Henrietta the Sheep, who thought she was a dog.  The girl who, aged 7 decided to 'run away to live with the horses' and was found miles from home, with half a loaf of bread wrapped up in a spotted hanky, hanging on the end of a long stick, slung over her shoulder.  I think that years Panto, must have been Dick Whittington.  Yep, another odd one for sure, but I think life's more fun that way!  And speaking of slighty kooky, here's another one...

Not only does she do a very good visual impression of her Mama, but 'Little Em' also seems to take after me in the popcorn department.  It doesn't come from David, who tells me that he can't stand the stuff.  I have noticed though, that he manages to polish of half a ginormous boxful of those 'polystyrene balls' when at the Cinema.  Bit weird that, but I guess eating popcorn must be compulsory while watching a movie.  


AND A JUMPIN

We've owned a trampoline, on and off, for the last 7yrs, but I did wonder when this one arrived just under a year ago, if it would get much use.  It was so hot and the pool was the place to be...but during the Aussie Winter months, it's been an absolute god-send.  I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were little round worn away jumped on patches on it.  Whenever I can't find the kids....this is where they are....

Hehee, Little Minx!!

8 Years and Counting.....

On 23rd August, our sweet Joey turns eight!  Our little serious, sensitive, eccentric, fluffy, goofball of a boy is entering the 'aware zone'.  And by this, I mean, the layers of innocence that come with the first seven years of little lives, are slowly peeling away.  From experience, every year now that passes, we will see more of the 'grown up' in him shining through.  He's going to be more aware of other people and his surroundings and what it means to exist in this world.  So bittersweet, watching the transitions of your child, as their last baby characteristics fall away.

Already things are changing.  No more big kisses goodbye in the school carpark, no more wiping the crumbs from his face in front of his friends, no more "have a nice day - I LOVE you" as he waves goodbye.  Now its just a quick hug, a straightening of his collar and whispered 'love you sweetheart' under my breath and I watch him walk away......

Things are changing for my Joe-Boy but it's comforting to know that deep down he's still the sensitive, sweet, loving little boy who was placed in my arms almost 8yrs ago.

No time to think about it yesterday, no time to be nostalgic and sad about the years rolling by, it was PARTY TIME!!

We kicked off with a treasure hunt, which had kids flying all around the park in a big screaming mass, trying to find clues...

Followed closely by the 'Doughnut eating competition'.  The funniest thing was looking back at the photographs that I'd taken and seeing, along with our huge line of party friends,  about 5 'unidentifiable' kids all chowing down on doughnuts, and nobody having a clue who they were, or where they came from...

Next was a spot of lunch...yum yum...

The 'tidy up your room game' that had various pairs of socks flying around the park...

The one request from Joey, was a Pinata (but not a donkey one please).  A nice toothy shark seemed to do the job...

The two hours passed in one big birthday blur, which I'm guessing is a good thing..

Even the ridiculously unprofessional, huge comical cupcake seemed to go down a treat!  And I swore that pictures of this monstrosity would not make it to my blog, as I was icing it...

The present opening was a very serious affair, but the cards were the sweetest things.  Seems like, eight year olds love spending time drawing 'best buddy' pictures inside them, along with captions and arrows pointing out who is who....love it!

If I close my eyes, I can still see that small little person, staring back at me, with my eyes, my nose, my mouth, my features, but all of his Daddy's expressions wrapped up in a white blanket, all tiny and new.   I'm so proud of the little boy that he's already become.  I won't will the years away to try and peek into the future, I'm planning on savouring each and every moment of this little man. 
Joe-Boe, Joey-Boy, Joe Boe Belly-O Big bum Billy-O, Joseph David Gene Detroy Wood, BoBo, or just plain old Joey Wood....Which ever way you say it, it all sounds pretty wonderful to me....Happy Birthday lovely Boy!