The Reeve's Down Under

Harry Houdini

2011-11-12T18:07:00.000+11:00

Callan is like a little Houdini when it comes to swaddling him for sleep.

He can get his arms out in minutes... the boy likes his arms free.

So I bought him (preloved of course for $15 rather than $80 new) this gorgeous Mama & Papas sleep bag to see him through the warmer weather by which time he will be big enough to use Filay's old ones.

and while i was there the lady selling the sleep bag also had this for sale for $4...im a sucker for stripes and bright colours on boys so this ticks all the boxes as far as i am concerned

Happy boy with wiggling arms

Lest we forget...

2011-11-11T18:03:00.001+11:00

With thanks for the freedom and liberties to those that fought on my behalf...

Mama time

2011-11-05T15:06:00.000+11:00

a little craft with my angel because he needed to spend some time having his mummy all to himself.

Simple Pleasures...

2011-11-04T14:54:00.002+11:00

Apparently I am the best mum in the world because I made Finlay butterfly sandwiches for lunch

{Simple Pleasures}

Callan

2011-11-01T01:00:00.000+11:00

Callan - 3 months

Love...

2011-10-31T14:24:00.001+11:00

Oh dear...he is ever so smitten.

Thankfully though he doesn't realise people can have them as pets!

Fried Eggs anyone?

2011-10-26T14:10:00.003+11:00

This morning I asked Finlay what he wanted for breakfast, normally he asks for 'cereal and bitty toast' (bitty toast is wholegrain bread toasted) but today he asked for eggs!

Wednesday morning we go to a music and dance class for Finlay. Between getting up and breastfeeding Callan, getting both boys dressed have a quick run through the shower myself there was no time for making eggs - partly because Finlay loves cooking so would of course want to help and we all know that when a toddler 'helps' things take 3 times as long and make 8 times the amount of mess so this was my compromise!

And do you know what, he didnt even notice that i was in the shower long enough to wash my hair as well!

I think we will put some eggs into Daddy's lunch box tomorrow for work - he's going to love that!

Family Bathroom and toilet

2011-10-25T13:59:00.000+11:00

WB 17/10/2011

clean windows
remove cobwebs
clean inside windows
clean window gutter / fly traps
Do a check for any mould and remove
Cull bath toys
Scrub bathroom floor
Give toilet a good clean
stock up toilet paper
clean skirting boards
wipe down sink / bath / toilet / shower
wipe down moulding on doors

37

2011-10-16T20:44:00.000+11:00

Today is my birthday, I am 37.

My hands are almost as full as my heart!

Lounge Room - Progress

2011-10-15T14:42:00.000+11:00

~~remove cobwebs on cathedral ceiling~~
~~brush down fireplace~~
Wipe down shelving
~~clean window gutter / fly traps~~
clean inside windows
move all furniture and clean skirting boards
Vacuum behind furniture and rest of room
wipe down moulding on doors and clean glass

Introducing the most deadly spider in Australia... (sort of)

2011-10-14T11:20:00.000+11:00

playdough fun for Finlay while i do a 15 minute blitz in the kitchen

(which was nearer 30 minutes because Fin and I kept on playing)

Lounge Room

2011-10-13T08:49:00.000+11:00

WB 10/10/2011
Lounge
remove cobwebs on cathedral ceiling
brush down fireplace
Wipe down shelving
clean window gutter / fly traps
clean inside windows
move all furniture and clean skirting boards
Vacuum behind furniture and rest of room
wipe down moulding on doors and clean glass

General Tidy
These are the unedited before pictures after a busy morning playing in the lounge
We tend to use this end of the lounge, TV, toys sitting down with a cup of tea, play etc

This end tends to be used for drying washing!

Better get to work!

Deep Clean the House before Christmas

2011-10-12T08:37:00.001+11:00

10 weeks to Christmas...

Here is my deep clean countdown

WB 10/10/2011
Lounge
clean windows
remove cobwebs on cathedral ceiling
brush down fireplace
clean inside windows
clean window gutter / fly traps
move all furniture and clean skirting boards
Vacuum behind furniture
Wipe down shelving
wipe down moulding on doors

WB 17/10/2011
Family Bathroom and Toilet
clean windows
remove cobwebs
clean inside windows
clean window gutter / fly traps
Do a check for any mould and remove
Cull bath toys
Scrub bathroom floor
Give toilet a good clean
stock up toilet paper
clean skirting boards
wipe down sink / bath / toilet / shower
wipe down moulding on doors

WB 24/10/2011
Rumpus
remove cobwebs
clean inside windows
clean window gutter / fly traps
Cull toys
clean skirting boards
clean dado rail
dust / clean all pictures / photos
clean glass on door in corridor
wipe down moulding on doors

WB 31/10/2011
Bedroom corridor and Finlays room
clean skirting boards
clean dado rail
remove cobwebs
clean inside windows
clean window gutter / fly traps
pull out furniture and clean behind
tidy fins book shelf
wipe down moulding on doors

WB 7/11/2011
Master Bedroom / Walk in Robe and Ensuite
Pull out furniture and vacuum behind
clean skirting boards
remove cobwebs
clean inside windows
clean window gutter / fly traps
wipe down shower / toilet and sink
wipe down moulding on doors
Mop / scrub ensuite floor
Get all things up off floor in robe
Tidy robe so it is fully functional

WB 14/11/2011
Kitchen and dining room
Mop floor
clean skirting boards
remove cobwebs
clean inside windows
clean window gutter / fly traps
wipe down moulding on doors
clean kick boards
clean chairs - seat / back legs
Clear and keep clear the window ledge
straighten and dust photos
Tidy junk pile

WB 21/11/2011
Childminding room that will become a bedroom
Move portacot to Callan's room
Take wardrobe out
Vacuum
clean skirting boards
remove cobwebs
clean inside windows
clean window gutter / fly traps
wipe down moulding on doors
Clean glass on doors
pull out bed and clean behind

WB 28/11/2011
Spare room that will become study and lobby
Vacuum
clean skirting boards
remove cobwebs
clean inside windows
clean window gutter / fly traps
wipe down moulding on doors
Move mattress into master bedroom and store under bed frame
Move bed base out to shed, wrap and store
Wash and fold all spare bedding (possibly move into new spare bedroom)
move wardrobe out into spare bedroom.
clean glass panes by front door
tidy books on bookshelf
tidy shelf under sewing machine

WB 5/12/2011
Verandah and outside of house
Clean all external windows
Remove cobwebs under verandah and relocate spiders
pressure washer on verandah floor
toys into toybox
buy a new washing line and install
remove cobwebs on windows
remove cobwebs on brickwork
paint garage door to perk it up.

and with that im hoping to be complete with a few weeks to spare.
Also in that time i will be doing a 15 minute blitz whenever i have a spare few minutes

Oh dear...

2011-10-10T19:14:00.003+11:00

Goats...

love them or hate them they bring s little excitement to every day!

Pizza night!

2011-10-09T21:16:00.000+11:00

Pizza night in our house is no grand affair. I make the dough in the morning, knock it back a couple of times in the day. After Finlay's nap we roll it out and add whatever needs using up in the fridge. Today it was capsicum and some onion that had been chopped yesterday but not used. The salami I keep in the freezer in pizza sized portions.

It is one of Finlay's favourite dinners.

Yummy!

15 minute blitz

2011-10-09T14:26:00.000+11:00

Here are the before and after photos of my baking cupboard that I blitzed while the boys were settling down to their lunch time naps

Before

After

Feels good... what did you do in your spare 15 minutes?

Toddler baking

2011-10-08T03:00:00.000+11:00

baking and icing cupckes

and

lots of spoon licking!

Menu Plan

2011-10-07T12:02:00.000+11:00

im trying to look closely at what we eat and ensure we get some variety from week to week. I have a tendacy to cook the same things from one week to another so hopefully writing down on my blog will help me keep a better check on things

chicken drumsticks, jacket potatoes, salad and salsa
meat pie, chips and veggies
sausage, mash, onion gravy
chicken fajitas
pizza - toppings whatever is in the fridge
chicken curry, naan and poppadoms

Changes are on their way...

2011-10-06T08:08:00.000+11:00

In the time before Callan arrived Fin and i would roam the garden for hours on end. Now that Callan is here and i am breastfeeding Im not so able to spend the hours outside with Finlay that I previously would have and with that comes the issue of his safety. He is a boy who loves the outside bringing him in for the 1 hour feed is several times a day is simply not a workable option for us. He would be bored and he NEEDS the release of energy that being on the go gives him each day

So with that comes a plan, an order at the fencing place, the hire of some equipment and a working bee from a couple of friends

More photos to follow...

Toddler Baking

2011-10-05T21:22:00.000+11:00

De clutter - stage 1

2011-10-04T16:05:00.002+11:00

Since we moved into this house we have lost our 2 guest bedrooms into rooms for the children. Our dining room and study have since become rooms with beds in them and lots of junk mounting up in them (i wont acutally say they are guest rooms yet) We have some renovations in mind for the forthcoming year when these rooms will become a formal bedroom and a formal study area.

Today I have started to reclaim these areas from the junk / multipurpose within them.

Here are the BEFORE pictures

I have jsut realised though that i totally forgot to show you inside the wardrobe which is full of boxes of things i have for sale on ebay and facebook

Clutter

2011-10-03T14:11:00.000+11:00

Inspired by a post from LinnieLou and Rose over at the Down To Earth Forum I am spending my time dealing with the clutter in my home. See Linnielou's post here and Rose's post here

I am going to blitz one area at a time during afternoon naps sometimes it'll be big sometimes small but it al needs to get done

Off to sort out my week by week list now...

Good bye!

2011-09-23T13:54:00.000+10:00

When we had our visas for coming to live in Australia we started to get our belongings organised. Through research we knew what front loaders were expensive over here and we knew they were cheap in England. We boought a nice new front loader to come over with us in our container. When we got here it was a few months before our belongings arrived so we went to the local washing machien repair shop and bought this little second hand top loader for $60 including delivery. Well my UK purchased washing machine gave up about 6 months ago, the motor literally fell out of it! So this little baby came out of the shed and back into the house. For 6 months its been working great. About a month ago the goats got under the house, when OH when into the crawl space to get them out he came back muddy and wet, the washing machine had been leaking...most likely for the last 6 months! The insurance company have come out and assessed the damage, the builders will be here soon enough to put things back to normal. In the mean time i have a nice new washing machine, low energy use, low water use, 30 minute quick wash and NO LEAKS!

Now to get rid of this one...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T14:53:00.000+10:00

Mothers Group

2011-09-20T14:16:00.001+10:00

Here are the kiddos from my lovely mothers group. We first came together in a New Mothers group for our then first children. We have become firm friends, our kids great pals. It's quite a rare thing for us all to be together (as one of our mums has moved further afield) so when we do meet up we try and take a group picture of the kids... and sometimes there is a shy mum in the photo too!

6 toddlers and 8 babes less than a year old which includes 2 sets of twins

Phew... a busy morning!

Who needs clean clothes anyway?

2011-09-17T20:22:00.000+10:00

So, who needs clean clothes anyway?

Not us that's for sure... Butch took a liking to my washing line this week and so, it is no more!

Music Man

2011-09-15T13:34:00.000+10:00

He may have a headcold but this boy loves to have fun!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T08:44:00.003+10:00

Raiding someone elses dress up box is always great fun!

2 months

2011-09-13T08:43:00.000+10:00

Ummm excuse me...

when did you get permission to grow up so quickly...

stop it, stop it now!

My plans for the day...

2011-09-12T08:34:00.001+10:00

My Plans for the day...

out to friends house for toddler play at 10am
back home by 12.30 / 1ish for nap time
while the boys are sleeping i need to do some ironing of hubby's work shirts
dinner of spaghetti bolognaise is in the fridge jsut need to heat the mince and cook the spaghetti at dinner time
bath for boys
prep tomorrow nights dinner after big boy is in bed - chicken fajitas (hopefully)
tidy lounge room before bed
sleep!!

also hope to
get a load of washing on and dry infront of fire tonight
make lunches for wednesday
clean lounge room windows
bring wood over to house for fire

fingers crossed it all get done!

The babes under 1 year old playing

The Fridge Bandit!

2011-09-10T08:54:00.001+10:00

So finally we have proof of where those little things have been going!

Hypoglycemia

2011-07-16T15:10:00.000+10:00

Callan has hypoglycemia, we are working hard to maintain his

blood sugar levels between feeds.

They only check babies for this as standard if they are born over 4kg so i

assume it is fairly common in bigger babies.

He needs 3 consecutive feeds where his sugar levels do not drop and then they will stop taking blood tests from him... poor little thing has a bruised foot from all the blood tests so far :(

My Boys

2011-07-14T15:06:00.000+10:00

And here is the first photo of all my gorgeous boys together.

one sleeping,

one curious,

one fatherly.

He's here!

2011-07-13T14:53:00.000+10:00

Callan Michael Reeve joined us at 10.02am on Wednesday 13th of July

weighing 4.085kg (9lb 1oz) and an almost identical to his big brother.

A wonderful addition to our family, welcome little one xx

Soon...

2011-07-12T14:46:00.001+10:00

"You said the baby is on it's way mum... i cant find it anywhere!"

Things to do...

2011-06-24T10:25:00.003+10:00

Its been a while but finally here is my latest To Do list...

~~OB appointment to see if baby is out of breech position and possibly attempt turn if needed / advised~~
~~major wood chop~~
~~unload chook house from trailer~~ and put in shed
tidy cupboard
clean fridge
pressure wash pavers
~~Get hospital bags in the car and keep them in there~~
Tidy and deep clean kitchen
move bassinette into our bedroom
start bringing a few baby items into main living area so farmboy is not overwhelmed when baby arrives
Make another 2 x dinosaur tails for a friend and our dressing up box

2011-06-23T06:45:00.001+10:00

Due to an unforseen change in circumstances an Australian friend of ours is moving back to Japan with his wife and children. He had jsut spent a couple of months making a chook run for his garden.

As he is planning on renting his house out he needs to get his property tenant ready...

He thought who he knew that might like his little bit of handy work and kindly asked us.

no whilst we are not planning on getting our chooks until the baby has been here for a little while this will give us the chance start earlier than expected and without the expense of setting up a home for them ourselves.

There are a few things we need to change / reinforce but would also welcome any suggestions.

It is about 9 foot long and under 4 foot wide.

How many chooks would this be suitable for?

Family Football

2011-06-22T14:01:00.000+10:00

A few weeks ago we went to an AFL game between Hawthorn and Fremantle.

It was a resounding victory for Hawthorn (our team) and we had a lovely

day making some precious memories.

Boom boom acka-lacka-lacka boom, boom boom acka-lacko boom boom

2011-06-21T15:16:00.000+10:00

Open the door
get on the floor
everybody walk the dinosaur.

Not the best of photos but it's hard to get dinosaurs to stand still!

A little bit of upcycling... a 25+ year old pillow case from my mother in law and

some scraps of felt left over from a craft project I did while teaching.

The filling is some of the contents of an old pillow.

About an hour of my time.

Gotta love a free lunch!

2011-06-20T22:07:00.001+10:00

OHs school had a professional development day on Friday for report writing. No students in just staff. Lunch is bought in by the school, it is always over catered for! So when I got a phonecall from my lovely husband to say i didnt need to cook dinner I was understandably delighted!

No cooking on a Friday night was just lovely!

Burn, Baby Burn!

2011-06-16T14:07:00.000+10:00

Hubby is a teacher in a local school. The woodwork department have a HUGE amount of waste in the form of offcuts that simply gets put in a skip {Argh} A little while back hubby asked if they could save him the offcuts that were going to be binned and he took in an empty goat food sack. They emailed him by lunch time and told him it was full and ready to collect. He brought it home and we eagerly sorted though it, many big pieces of wood that can be repurposed about the farm were sorted into another box in the shed and then the half full bag was partly tipped into our kindling basket. We dont use it as quickly as the woodwork department collect it for us,however we keep collecting it, I cant bear the thought of it going straight to landfilll! Farmboy sits on the verandah with his textas and colours them in or paints them sometimes. It burns beautifully and my elderly neighbour is often the recipient of an extra bag or two for her to use to help her get her fire started. The rest is sometimes bartered with neighbours and friends and stored in the shed.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T08:37:00.005+10:00

{ love }

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-01T02:17:00.000+10:00

{Pensive}

Watching the ducks at the lake and hoping he will get to play in the water soon

Weekendings

2011-05-31T02:46:00.005+10:00

This weekend we donned our gum boots, waterproofs and outside clothing...

We took a walk to the local creek.

we collected leaves, we picked up sticks, we watched a digger.

But best of all we played poohsticks!

Mama Sewing

2011-05-30T14:31:00.000+10:00

If i was to tell you this was the best photo i managed to get this morning you would hopefully understand it's because little boys and cloaks dont stand still for even a nano-second! There has been running, spinning, flying, jumping etc non stop! Tired boy has worn himself out and asked to go to bed early!

for your own entertainment here are the photos that didnt get used!

Ive had to crop most of these photos because today is the day i do my childminding and I do not want the little boy I look after to be recognised through the blog.

Wheels!

2011-05-26T03:23:00.001+10:00

As soon as Farmboy goes down for his lunch time sleep at 1pm I set up for his activity when he wakes.

Today we are playing with things with wheels. I raided his toybox and got out any toys i could find with wheels. I set them up and when he wakes from his sleep he comes to the toybox and chooses whatever toys he wants from the selection and plays away. We race them on the floor, roll them along the window ledge, crash them into each other, beep beep as they pass by. I love to give him a selection of something and watch him choose. There are 4 wooden cars on the left hand side that I bought him when he was about 6 months old all the rest have been given to us from friends and family while clearing out their own kids toy boxes! At the bottom of the box on the floor are his 3 other most used toys at the moment. Bubba on the potty, a pink care bear and his hobby horse (an $8 op shop find that still had its original packaging and $35 price tag on it)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T02:15:00.002+10:00

Veggie Garden Winter 2011

2011-05-24T13:47:00.000+10:00

Well with the new babe due to arrive in the middle of winter I made the decision earlier in the year that we would not be winter cropping in the veggie garden this year. The goats are thoroughly enjoying that decision as they chomp away on anything and everything that grows in there at the moment. The pea straw laid down to help with nitrogen levels has been happily munched on, the grass is super short and there is loads of poop everywhere! Yeah, seems like a perfect solution to me as i could not imagine me going out there to tend to the crops with the little one in its' carrier while that cold wind blows on us. No matter how rugged up a newborn is you jsut dont want them catching a cold if you can avoid it. Besides which if i end up with a Csection then i simply wont be able to physically manage the garden for at least 6 weeks and i hate, hate, hate the thought of seedlings once tended jsut dying off from neglect!

What do you want for the new baby?

2011-05-23T13:51:00.000+10:00

"What do you want for the new baby?" is a question we keep on being asked by our well meaning family. The truth is we need nothing. Are there things we would like? Sure there are, but do we need them? No. After all, this is baby 2 and I kept everything from baby 1... just in case!

I have been giving a standard response to my family "if you could / would like to make something then that would be lovely but if you are spending money we would prefer that you went to KIVA and give someone a loan that will change the lives of many.

It is heart breaking to me that so many people 'just dont get it' they question why, ask wouldn't we like some new clothes for the baby etc so we sit down and try to explain, some go away and we know they will end up buying gifts others go away with their eyes a little wider and a little more knowledge about poverty in the world.

We sit back and cross our fingers that people understand... even if it helps one person its worth it as far as we are concerned!

Things to do...

2011-05-19T03:17:00.002+10:00

Here we go again with another to do list... Im feeling a little under pressure at the moment (pressure to get everything done and 'perfect' before this babe arrives)

complete last of medical paperwork
pay OB/GYN :(
~~vacuum out car and boot~~
finish packing hospital bags
put hospital bags in boot of car
~~buy bassinette clip for car~~
finish making bassinette liner
~~install baby bassinette in car~~
~~make 2 or more swaddle wraps~~
light big bonfire
pack Farmboy's bag in case he needs to do a sleepover at a friends when labour time arrives
~~Continue with Lemon Fest 2011!~~

Oh gosh Im sure there is more but it's a bit depressing to write any more!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T02:10:00.002+10:00

{Happiness}

2 years and 5 months old

Lemons - Status Update...

2011-05-17T08:25:00.002+10:00

Ive made about 6 jars of lemon curd
many, many batches of lemon muffins we with and without lemon drizzle icing
about 60 cubes of juice are in the freezer in ice cube bags
1 ice cube tray of lemon zest in the freezer

Its been fun so far but there is still one bag to go!

Baby Hawks

2011-05-16T14:10:00.000+10:00

My lovely friend Sue in WA has been busy with her knitting needles for our little unborn baby. Its going to be amazing to have our 2 babies in their matching Hawthorn tops having a cuddle and looking gorgeous!

Just Kidding Around!

2011-05-15T11:08:00.000+10:00

These three are never apart when outside. Butch and Sunny follow Farmboy around like they are his shadows!

Trip to IKEA

2011-05-12T14:45:00.000+10:00

Recently we did a big trip to IKEA in Melbourne to get some furniture (drawers) for the new babes room. As you can see little boy was so excited to be in the "big town"

He was such a good boy as we went around the store. He stayed nearby and didnt take things off the shelves (my personal pet peeve) However, he fell in love with the tiny wee snake he is holding in his left hand. I slipped it into the trolley as we walked around as a treat for him... as if the ice cream afterwards wasnt enough of a treat!

And finally as we pulled out of the IKEA carpack having loaded up the trailer we looked back and saw this scene... he slept the entire 90 min journey home waking jsut as we pulled into our driveway.

30 / 40

2011-05-12T14:16:00.000+10:00

Only 10 weeks to go until i am a mother of 2 and this little boy goes from being an only child to being a big brother!

Lemon Muffins

2011-05-02T15:31:00.000+10:00

Lemon Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups self raising flour
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon
1 egg
1 cup milk
60g butter - melted

1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated white sugar

Method

Mix flour and sugar together. Beat egg, milk and lemon rind together then add to dry ingredients. Add melted butter and stir until just mixed.
Pour into prepared muffin tin and cook for 15-20 minutes at 180 degrees celcius in a fan oven or 200 degrees celcius in a regular oven.

While they are cooking mix the lemon juice and sugar together well, microwave for about 20 seconds to warm the juice and help dissolve the sugar. As soon as the muffins are cooked take out of the oven and spoon over the lemon/sugar mix until it is all gone. Leave the muffins to sit in the muffin tin for approx. 3 minutes before taking out so they can soak up all the juice.

As you can see this recipe made 12 standard size muffins and 6 mini muffins (mini muffins take 5 mins in the oven)

Banana Bread

2011-04-30T13:04:00.000+10:00

Whilst taking a break from the lemons I made a batch of Banana Bread using the frozen bananas I have been collecting over the last year!

Yummy!

TEST BATCH : Lemon Curd

2011-04-29T08:55:00.000+10:00

Lemon Curd

100g unsalted butter, chopped

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Place butter, sugar, lemon rind and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cookon a low heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Whisk in eggs. Return to heat.

Continue stirring with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat. Strain into hot, sterilised jars add lids and turn upside down so they button on them goes in.

this recipe made 1 1/2 salsa jars full, we loved the taste of it and it reminded both of us of the filling for lemon meringue pie! Yummy!

When life hands you lemons...

2011-04-28T14:39:00.000+10:00

you get your bake on!

On my local freecycle network someone offered the lemons from her backyard tree. All you had to do was go and pick them yourself, easy!

okay so the first photo was from Google but this one isn't!

To Do List

2011-04-27T12:57:00.007+10:00

Now that farmboy and i are on our own again since DH has gone back to work Im needing a little focus to my week. I only have afternoons at home this week, seems like Im going to be busy in the afternoons.

Things to do this week…

~~Tidy kitchen Wed / Thur / Fri~~

~~Unload Dishwasher Wed / Fri~~

~~Pick Lemons~~

~~Music Class with Farmboy~~

~~Play Date with Mother's Group~~

Phone health insurance and check new baby is registered

Check health insurance to see if prenatal massage needs a Drs referral

~~Sort dinner Wed / Thurs / Fri~~

~~Toys away Wed / Thurs / Fri~~

~~Play date after Music Class~~

Ironing DHs work shirts

~~Tidy master bedroom~~

Blackout blind for child we mind on Mondays

Medicine Cabinet with Baby / toddler items (check dates)

List items for sale

Pay Hospital Excess - probably on Tuesday

Fill out other medical paperwork and pay any excess

~~Book blood tests~~

Wash outside windows where goats have rubbed up against them

~~Collect Wood on trailer Thurs / Fri~~

~~Collect parcels at the Post Office~~

Sunny

2011-04-26T20:08:00.000+10:00

Sunny (Sundance) decided that I had put my washing basket in a forbidden zone and was not happy until he had removed it from one of his favourite vantage points... I should have known better!

A Day Hanging Out with Mama

2011-04-25T11:26:00.000+10:00

Pepper

2011-04-22T19:59:00.000+10:00

Introducing Pepper, we picked Pepper up from the pound a couple of weeks ago. She is 4 years old. She was besotted with hubby and a beautifully placid dog so calm with Farmboy. On the first day we had her at home I took her for a walk on the lead around the garden (she had never been lead trained) and we used a Gentle Leader to help her learn - it had worked welll with our other dogs and we were confident in its use. She was great. She saw the goats and seemed relaxed but curious. We walked closer, all the time i was talking to her. The goats were nervous but not jumpy. As we got closer Pepper lurched at Butch (the black goat) her teeth were bared. I pulled her back and took her to the dog run. I checked on Butch, he had a small nip on his ear, a little blood. I felt sad, poor Butch, poor Pepper. What were we going to do? I talked to hubby, we decided that for now at least we would keep her away from the goats and make the introduction more gradual, perhaps i had rushed things. The next day we kept them seperate, it was going great. That evening hubby let Pepper out of the dog run and walked to the back door with her, one of the goats in the distrance bleated, Pepper bolted in their direction. Hubby ran after her and called her, she ignored him. She made a beeline for the goats, she got to a couple of metres distance, and then stood as though she was stalking them. Hubby got to her and slipped the lead on. We headed inside with our hearts breaking we knew the conversation we were going to have to have. I phoned a friend of mine who is a dog obedience trainer, we talked, i explained. She helped me understand that even with proper training we would never be able to trust her to run free in the garden with the goats about, I hung up, we took Pepper back to the pound.

So sad... and nowhere near as simple as i have made it sound.

Explaining

2011-04-21T13:35:00.001+10:00

Although Farmboy has known there is a bubba in my tummy for a long while we decided to try to a little graphic representation of what is happening.

Gave us a good giggle and maybe farmboy is a little wiser!

I'm just hoping he doesn't think I eat babies!

26.5 / 40

2011-04-20T20:20:00.000+10:00

A beautiful baby belly, it brings me much happiness in the form of kicks and rubs

Nesting

2011-04-05T16:12:00.000+10:00

It didn't happen with Farmboy's pregnancy and i didnt mind one bit as i am a pretty organised sort of person but oh my, nesting has kicked in over the aslt few days and I am tidying like i have never tidied before!

so far i have boxed up our DVD and CD collection to put most of them up for sale.
cupboards have been tidied
the laundry reorganised (again)
toys packed up according to use and stored away
clothes for new babe washed, aired and pressed

We need some drawers for the new baby's room, Ive been looking at 2nd hand shops but am finding it hard to find something in the dimensions we need. A little internet shopping reveals the perfect set at Ikea so we will be doing a trip down there over the school break to pick them up. Only $50 each so a good price too as some of the not quite right 2nd hand ones i was looking at in the op shops were $150 and had the handles removed or were water damaged!

Im giving myself 7 more days to get the new baby's bedroom completely sorted out, there isnt much we need but its hard to do anything when you have no storage to put the things you are unpacking!

6/9

2011-04-04T08:23:00.000+10:00

With pregnancy hormones all over the place at 6 months this pregnancy is starting to get easier. No more vomitting 24/7, complete exhaustion gone and replaced with mild fatigue, dislike of all food gone and love of all sugary food arrives (not so happy about this one), a kicking baby in my belly, perhaps the greatest joy so far and i should also mention this one seems to be practicing kickboxing in there! So whilst i am delighting in this new found love of being pregnant I am both sad and happy at the realisation that in 3 months Farmboy will no longer be an only child. His position and heirarchy in the family will change. How will i cope with going from being a totally devoted mother of one to suddenly being a mum of two. Will he get the attention he needs, will he be jealous, sad, unhappy. What if the new baby is another reflux baby like Finlay was and needs to be held 24 /7.

Im sure it will all be fine and i know that there will be teething problems that will work themselves out as our whole family transitions but if anyone has any advice I'd be most happy to hear it.

xx

Tomatoes

2011-04-02T06:58:00.001+11:00

The tomatoes are coming in thick and fast these days but it is a race to see if i can get any red ones in my basket before the Farmboy has gobbled them all up. He usually manages about 10 cherry tomatoes in the time it takes me to fill this basket, seems like a fair deal to me!

Things to do...

2011-03-31T12:37:00.002+11:00

As you may know i love a list, so here is today's

~~Wash Oscar's dog beds~~ and toys, I finally feel ready to do this and have been spurred on by Laura's post today over at OUR WEE FARM
~~Darks and Lights family wash~~
Change bedding
Cut pattern pieces for child seat
~~Slow cooker chicken casserole for dinner~~
Washing away (if dry)
~~Hang washing on line~~
~~Sandpit fun with Farmboy~~
Tidy toys from grass as it may get mown at the weekend
Empty fire pit
Restock fire pit ready for next cold evening
Burn a few fire piles around the farm
30 mins tidy up and sort out in New Baby's bedroom

At some point a little rest and relax would be nice too!

Flowers for Mummy

2011-03-30T14:34:00.000+11:00

We even took them home to feed the goats!

Stop to smell the flowers

2011-03-26T23:32:00.000+11:00

Ahh the sweet smelling flowers to brighten our day

These flowers are in the shopping mall we walk through to get to our favourite slide in town!

22 weeks

2011-03-25T08:24:00.000+11:00

This ultrasound picture was taken about a week ago, im a little late posting it, so much has been going on. You can see the head clearly on the right hand side of the picture, including features like an ear, the eye socket and a cute little button nose!

We did not find out if we are having a boy or a girl, even though we are desperate to know!

Ballarat's Biggest Playgroup

2011-03-24T13:30:00.002+11:00

We went to this free event in town this morning. I had a hospital appointment to book in at the hospital and we needed some fresh fruit so it was a good use of petrol today. After the first tw jobs were done, we headed to the Old Mining Exchange.

Plenty of kinders were there advertising their sessions (Finlay is already booked in for 3 year old kinder starting January 2012) Ballarat City Coucil had a lot of things organised too, circus skills, the toy library, sand fun, face painting, music and singing, paper crafts, colouring, playdough, painting, ballons galore! It was lots of fun. We didnt want to leave but bed time was beckoning.

~Circus Skills~

~Cars~

~Seesaw~

or in little boy talk "boat, mummy boat"

(Almost) Worldess Wednesday

2011-03-23T14:59:00.000+11:00

Sometimes, getting out of the house, having a change of scenery

and treating yourselves is just what the Doctor ordered!

(even if it's not in the budget)

Sadness

2011-03-22T14:00:00.000+11:00

Im still feeling so much saddness at the loss of little Oscar. It comes and goes in waves, he should still be here, I miss him such a lot, he didnt deserve to die the way he did When we moved to Australia it went without saying that my boys would come with us. They helped me transition to a new country so much better, i had to get out every day to take them for a walk, the snuggled up when i battled with depression. Charlie and Oscar were such great friends, so much better to me than some of my own family members, loyal, companionable and non judgemental, they truly loved us and we loved them, They were my family, they are my family even though they have now gone.

We went to the animal shelter yesterday to look for a new companion, we came away empty handed but we arent in a rush, we are keeping our eyes open while our hearts heal. We are not planning a new dog as a replacement to Oscar but he went so suddenly, we didnt have time to adjust to it like we did with Charlie. Charlie's health went downhill we knew what was coming with Oscar his life ended in a flash. We want a new dog for the sole reason of love, companionship and some woofy fun. I hope our little friend is not too far away in the future.

RIP Oscar

2011-03-16T19:54:00.001+11:00

Goodbye our beautiful loyal friend Oscar who was a constant companion to Finlay

13.12.2003 - 16.03.2011

You will be sadly missed and are leaving a hole in our hearts

x x x

Kids and their kids

2011-03-11T08:34:00.000+11:00

Every evening Farmboy and I take the goats for a walk on the leash around the garden. They free roam most of the day but we think it is important for the goats to be able to walk on a leash in case we need to take them into a vet or if one of them breaks free and we have to go and collect them from a nearby wooded area etc. Its just in case really but it also makes great bonding time with the goats

Seeds For The Future

2011-03-10T03:19:00.000+11:00

Recently I entered a competition over at Little Eco Footprints and was so lucky to win this set of organic seeds.

They come from an Australian Ethical Fundraiser called Seeds For The Future

I can't wait to get planting and have these beauties growing in my veggie garden.

Thanks Tricia and thanks Seeds for the Future

Dining out

2011-03-09T03:18:00.000+11:00

We dont often dine out for dinner, we prefer to be at home. Finlay sleeps most of the afternoon but this time he woke after a 90 minutes in a great mood. We hopped into the car and of we went to get Daddy from work.

We picked up Daddy and then drove into town for a dinner followed much to Farmboy's delight by his first Banana Split. We specifically asked for no sprinkles and only a little sauce as we wanted him to sleep at some point that evening!

And no, he didn't eat it all, he graciously shared with his Daddy!

Garden Visitor

2011-03-08T03:08:00.000+11:00

Introducing the Red-spotted Jezebel, what a very cool name for a butterfly

She was sat on the driveway for about 20 minutes.

So beautiful.

Helping Mama with the chores

2011-03-07T13:48:00.000+11:00

Such a good little helper, there is nothing he likes more than completing jobs he sees the 'big people' doing.

In March

2011-03-05T05:07:00.000+11:00

In March we plan to

erect the electric fencing for the goats
mow the grass before the ground gets too wet
prune a few trees back into shape
make cages for our fruit trees so the goats keep off them
declutter the DVD / CD collection and hopefully earn some cash
get the new baby's room prepared
Choose a hospital to have the baby in
book the hospital
major tidy in our bedroom (its become a place to store things with all our overseas visitors of late)

February on the Farm

2011-03-01T14:01:00.000+11:00

February was an odd one for us, we had 2 sets of exchange students come to stay with us so a lot of our weekend time was taken up with showing our visitors around and doing touristy things

Goats and shelter moved at least once a week, more often twice weekly
Butch and Sunny both commenced their 'lead walking' training
Some raking done amoungst the trees, mostly in areas that were occupied with goats
Basketfuls of tomatoes collected every other day (Fin loves the cherry toms straight from the vine)
Sand pit raked and leaves removed
the baby in my belly has started kicking and moving lots

Ive also been trying to take it easy as i have been diagnosed as iodine deficient so far in this pregnancy. The tablets i am on to control it are makign the vomitting and nausea much more bearable and i am on an iodine rich diet, slowly my energy is coming back :D

Lawn Bowls - Aussie Style!

2011-02-28T14:08:00.000+11:00

Or as we call it over here, Barefoot Bowling

Farmboy's Godfather Visits

2011-02-27T08:10:00.002+11:00

Toddler Sleep

2011-02-25T14:37:00.000+11:00

So my little boy has been a great lunchtime nap sleeper for about a year now. This past weeke though has been hard work. He has not gone to sleep at lunch time at all. He stays in his room and happily plays but no sleep, yesterday in fact was the first time this week that he has sleept and he managed 2 hours. For the last 3 months before that he was doing 3 and a half hours in a stretch. Im exhausted, by bedtime he is exhausted... its not a happy household i can tell you. In his room he has a few toys in his bed but thats it, nothing else to stimulate him. He has his curtains pulled and black out curtains as well. He opens the curtains and sits looking out the window while talking to the birds or reading a book. I know a time will come when he drop his lunchtime sleep but i cant fathom how one week a little boy needs 3 and a half hours at lunch time and then the next week nothing at all.

Before bed he has his milk and then we head to his room and read 4 books as he lays in bed, no change to routine there.

Any thoughts or ideas appreciated.

Toddler Fun - Tape Pictures

2011-02-21T10:16:00.000+11:00

Masking tape, coloured card / paper and a Mama with some scissors

So simple to do, grab a piece of coloured card / paper and then cut some masking tape into little squares and pass them to your toddler.`

As Farmboy works out what to do I am able to cut a few in advance an stick them onto the side of the table for him to take at his leisure.

Farmboy With Goat Love

2011-02-17T14:17:00.000+11:00

Big steps

2011-02-10T14:19:00.000+11:00

Sunny has come a long way in just a few short days. When he first arrived, he would run away from us to the point of straining his tether. We feared he would snap his collar easily under the pressure.

And now, after frequent visits where I would just sit on a chair and talk away to him. His natural goat curiosity got the better of him and he started to come over towards me. I didnt move at first and jsut continued to talk. Eventually I was able to stroke him on his head and his sides.

Now we are another step closer Oliver and Finlay are able to approach him too without him making a dash for it as long as there is food to be had

When he sees me leave the house he calls to me and continues to call until I go over to him.

Im so glad he is settling in well

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-09T14:40:00.000+11:00

Apollo Bay, Great Ocean Road, VIC, Australia

Butch and Sundance Day 3

2011-02-08T14:50:00.000+11:00

So this morning Finlay and I went over to see our little goat friends with their food and Butch's milk. As Finlay and I were giving Butch his milk, Sunny walked right up to me and nuzzled my elbow for his food!!!! I put the bowl of food down by my feet for him and stroked away for a few minutes while he gobbled it all up, he was happy as anything... so was I.

This is his first stroke from me / anyone in our house. His coat is so silky, very different to Butch's, his hair is longer and so much softer. Butch's hair feels like a puppies fur or a newborns fuzzy hair, I wonder if it will change?

Butch and Sundance Day 2

2011-02-07T06:15:00.002+11:00

Bottle feeding Butch

Sundance (Sunny) is settling in well and becoming more friendly

My it's been a whirlwind few days. Butch and Sunny are settling in very well. Butch (black and white) is so friendly, having a hand reared goat is a blessing, he loves human attention but doesnt seem to crave it. He loves cuddles and is a friendly, patient little fellow. Sunny (white) is becoming more friendly, he seems a lot less nervous and has stopped running away from us when we go new him rather he stands still and lets us walk by. Yesterday I went out to give them a few bits of chopped apple and Sunny stretched his neck out as far as it would go to reach me (his feet didnt move closer) he sniffed my fingers. Whilst he didnt take any apple from my hand I was delighted to think that in 24 hours we have already made such great progress with him. He is a happy talkative little chap.

Welcome to the family boys x

More Babies... Well Kids To Be Exact!

2011-02-06T07:07:00.000+11:00

Just arrived

eat away boys!

Introducing Butch and Sundance

Butch is the black and white goat (he is a British Alpine) and Sunny the white goat (he is a Saanan crossed with a Boer)

Holiday Memories

2011-02-05T01:21:00.001+11:00

Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia

Look Out July...

2011-02-04T08:45:00.000+11:00

age 3 weeks

age 12 weeks

Looks like there is going to be another little Reeve Down Under!

Beautiful!

Things to do list

2011-02-03T08:08:00.001+11:00

This week my to do list

ironing
tidy pantry cupboard
dust house
~~clean windows inside~~
tidy verandah
vacuum house
make new set of black out blinds
~~sort and store some toys~~
set up trailer for collecting goats
pack up and store any clothes that no longer fit Finlay
mow grass
~~wash dog beds~~ and clean dog run

Oh I am sure there is more to add to this list so i will add to it and cross things off as the week continues

A helping hand

2011-02-02T09:58:00.000+11:00

Being being a good neighbour has its own rewards...

While our neighbours were away on holiday we were asked to look after their chickens and ducks.

The 'payment' was to be able to help ourselves to any eggs as well as any fruit and veggies that ripened while they were away. What lovely neighbours we have.

January on the farm

2011-01-31T14:27:00.001+11:00

In January on the farm we have been

fixing broken fencing due to high winds
chopping down trees that were either dead wood or in the way of new fencing
tending the veggie garden mostly tomatoes, potatoes and squash - the weather has been all over the place
organising and pricing up electric fencing
finding out about goat keeping...so much to learn
purchasing goats (they arrive sooooooooon!)
keeping the grass short as there are a lot of snakes about
building a goat shelter
stacking, stacking and stacking firewood
keeping the firebreaks clear

Im sure there is more, i will add to the list as i remember things

Penguin love

2011-01-25T15:14:00.001+11:00

So Im sure by now you all know Finlay LOVES animals, so here is one of the latest photos of my little Dr Dolittle at the penguin exhibition at Melbourne Aquarium. To say he was in love with them would be an absolute understatement.

Finlay loves his "Pee-bees" his Auntie bought him a stuffed penguin too and it has hardly left his side since!