tiny dancer

Our little sweetie pie had her very first ballet concert lastnight. She was so cute!
During rehersals - I was a bit worried she'd just stand there and suck on her posh pingy (her finger),
but she nailed it on the night - with all of the seriousness a little 4 year old could muster.

At one point one of the little dancers got out of place and bumped Gretta out of her spot - I thought there may be a small child hurled across the stage, but no - my little darling kept her cool and adjusted her spot to fit in her friend. So sweet. My heart bloomed.

we gave her a little oppy bunny and a rainbow big girl necklace
for her achievement over dinner at the pub before the performance.
Was very special to have nanny there to see her big night too.

a very dramatic tiny dancer, Nina...

So proud!

Wednesday.

I think we've finally hit the rhythmic patch and we're rolling along full steam here.  Kids are enjoying their new activities, business is good, and I've just remembered that we've now been here in Victoria for a year (I think even a year ago today!)

we've still got oodles of blackberries to pick - and I'm happy for that, because blackberries are my favourite and my best. Hands down. The picture above just shows you that drains and ditches and mud do not keep us away from plonking fat, juicy little parcels of vitamin C and antioxidants into our buckets.

I drink tea in teacups. Am I the only and last one on the planet? It just tastes better - don't you think?

This one here is from my great grandmother's collection.

look at miss fancypants having a ultra fun mama day in Melbourne with me.

Spoilt or what?

especially when we have chocolate dipped strawberries from Max Brenner for dinner before we go home!

she also has amazing musical talents.....

And here's my ultra cute Montyzooma having South American lunch with mama yesterday

on Gertrude Street. He had every single businessman and woman in their black and grey and brown suits smiling and commenting on how adorable he was as they rushed past to their next meeting. 

I just beam proudly and nibble on him a bit more.

How blessed are we?

xx

P.S. there is a certain young fella that doesn't get to make it to Melbourne with mama on Tuesdays because it's kindergarten day.  However, I think at the moment he would not choose to come with me anyway because he's FAR too busy with Legos. (insert eye roll and nod of understanding here).

first ballet lesson

There have been many good happenings around here lateley... One of which is the little Miss' very first Ballet lesson. It was SO much fun. The girls were allowed to express themselves and have fun, and the teacher and her 2 sidekicks were able to actually get them into first position and a few other moves. Gretta cracked it for the first 3 minutes and then had a ball. Her friend Nina from Fishy also came along and together they did great! Not bad for a 3 year old girl. I shock myself when I am reminded that she is only 3.

Baxter also started Karate this week. We are so lucky to have so many activities so close and handy and of such good caliber surrounding us here.

Swimming has been a smashing success - with both of my big kids (age 3 & 4...) dunking under water, torpedoing to the steps, kicking on their own with faces in water... I'm terribly proud and glad that I didn't push myself while we were in Queensland to start them too early. The 70k each way trip to town didn't excite me, nor the cost of doing it too young. I think we've made the right decision.

We also started our week out at the Koonwarra Village School unofficial Homeschooling group. Baxter and Monty and I had a terrific day at the new grounds. Baxter spent most of the day riding his bike (of which he does with complete confidence and expertise! - no training wheels ever!) and Monty spent the day trashing the place but in a good way. We built a teepee out of some big branches, played games and had a load of fun.  I'm so excited to be a part of this "unschool school" and anticipating an amazing education for our children there.  

I also have some exciting news...

this is MY VEHICLE parked in my .... wait for it....... SHED!!

Holy Crap - and hell has not frozen over yet!

I've been waiting nearly a year to have a shed to park my car in. To have the freezer and dryer in, to have a spare washing line in for those rainy days.... and low and behold - here it is. Hurrah!

and.... we've had some more additions to our family...

they have adorable fluffy tails and are a bit camera shy...

Peter Rabbit and Beatrice Bunny.

Welcome to our menagerie of a family.

around here...

Even though we have not been on "holidays" it has felt a little like it in Chez Paul.

Nic has been milking very early and joining up with us to have fun days at the beach, the Prom, doing farmy things with the kids, and we're all having a very homey holiday!

I like that.

The old, and let me say.. legendary.. plum tree at the old house (Falls Rd) is dripping in sweet little treasures.  Monty just can't help himself, and neither can his mama! I've made a few batches of preserved plums in my new (old) little beauty below... preserved in a light vanilla bean syrup.  Once the top is popped - there's about a minute to spare before they've all been gobbled up. We also did a batch of runny plum jam. It's delicious, and we all seem to not mind slurping up the extra bits that run off the toast.  

...and into the garden.... Gretta is with our box o' strawberries.  Unfortunately I planted them very close in their original clumps, mulched heavily and subsequently we've filled the slaters bellies with a lot of strawberries.  I'm waiting to spread them out when there is not as many flowers and upcoming fruit on them, but I think we'll be waiting a while.  Nevermind - we all seem to catch a strawberry or two before the little chompers get to them. And let me tell you - they're the sweetest I've tasted. Especially with a little stripey skirted treasure like this one at my side!! 

these are the teeniest tinyist little spiders - no wonder they have such an armor!

Nobody in Australia seems to know what to do with these little things above.. But I do. I've got these two cooked and in the fridge chilling.. just waiting to be scraped with a bit of homemade garlic mayonnaise.   

We've got so much fruit on the trees, growing, colouring, plumping, sweetening.

It's like anticipating a treasure. 

xx ... will put up some farmy bits on Ruby Hills Organics later... 

have a happy day.