Shameless plug....

Madison Lane is a new online Boutique for children. They have some gorgeous and very unique things, including exclusive rights to some overseas designers.

Above is the 'Elodie and Elvis' Ferris Wheel coat. Too cute!!

Why am I shamelessly plugging Madison Lane??

It is my cousin's new business, and she is lovely, and I want her business to go well.

To do list for this week.

I have permission to lay around reading all week. How cool is that!!

Before I leave for my Uni Res School on Sunday I have to:

1. Finish 'Pride and Prejudice' (about 40 pages to go, should finish that tonight??) I also watched the BBC mini series over Easter, and loved it.

2. Start and finish 'Great Expectations' (all 500 pages of it, gulp)

3. Finish 'Othello' (about 3/4 to go!!)

4. Read 'The Crucible' (actually I have borrowed the DVD off our minister, so will "read" along while I watch the movie)

Not even thinking about all the poems, and 'To the Lighthouse'; they can wait.

Goings on.

The majority of this weekend has been spent looking at cars.
I feel exhausted, dirty (Parramatta Rd will do that to you), dazed and confused.
The result? No car, and no idea what to buy and how much to spend.

Why is it that manufacturers make cars with lots of seats, obviously to carry lots of children, but don't put proper seatbelts in all the seats?? How do you choose which children get to be safe, and which don't??

After eating crap all weekend, tonight I really felt like a big veggie fix.
Here is my favourite thing to make at the moment, a big tray of roasted veggies; capsicum, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, whole garlic cloves, and red onion (which I am totally addicted to and put on EVERYTHING). Served on pasta with a big dollop of Dave's pesto, YUM!!

Sometimes I add olives and fetta, but didn't have any in the fridge today. We may have our own olives soon, our tree has finally started to produce after 5 years!! They (all 3 of them) look so beautiful.
And lots of footy happening around here. Dave is teaching the boys how to tackle, and they are loving it.
Matt had another trial game today, and he walked away relatively unhurt. A happy mother here.

The Great Easter Egg Hunt of Mount Victoria .

Poor neglected blog.

It has been almost 2 weeks since my last post..... My excuse? Life.

What a lovely surprise to come home from being away over Easter to find that Rach had nominated me for a 'You make my day' blog award. Thank you Rach.
I love reading her blog too, and am totally inspired by the gorgeous/funky/unique bub's and kid's clothes she sells in her Etsy Shop, she is my applique inspiration!!

OK, so now I get to nominate a few others for this award.
Crazy mumma for her inspiring food forest backyard and her general eco crunchiness.
Bec for her gorgeous 'Magic Faraway Tree' bags and her food porn pictures.
Sara for her funky dreads (that I wish I had) and her totally inspiring principles and beliefs.
Melody who lives in amazingly beautiful place and homeschools her little treasures.

Valerie.

Just found out that Amy Winehouse has done a cover of one of my favourite songs, Valerie, by The Zutons. I am not a big AW fan, but I actually kind of like it.

What do you think??

The Zutons

Amy Winehouse

Home...

That was a bit of a sooky post last night. You will be pleased to know that Dave walked in the door about 5 mins later.

I am used to him travelling a lot, but it doesn't usually happen over the weekend, and I had a scary night on Friday night, with a strange man knocking on the door at 11.30pm, then I think he came back later and tried again, but I didn't go downstairs to check......

Waiting....

I am sitting here waiting for Dave to get home from NZ.

Easter Hats.

It's that time of the year again soon, Easter Hat Parade!!

Annette, Belinda and I decided to join forces and do them all together this afternoon. We (and the kids) had fun and we were very impressed with our creations.

Here is Sarah's. Less is definitely not more.

Contemplating........

Dave is in NZ, the kids are all asleep, and I am left to contemplate some big decisions (while waiting for my Bengali Chai to steep).

Why am I feeling so uninspired about Uni at the moment, amongst other things?

There is a lady in my course with 5 children (that she homeschools), a sick husband and she is doing 3 subjects!! What have I got to feel stressed about?

I would love to stay home all day making things like this.

Happy Birthday Sarah darling!!

It was Sarah's 8th Birthday on Monday. Time flies.....

She wanted to do a Build-a-Bear as her present from Dave and I.
She actually made a Cheetah, called it 'Sophie' and had lots of fun building and dressing it.

This week......

Matt started Rugby League training.
With all the gear on he looked the part, I hope he doesn't get hurt.
He wanted to be a forward and the coach said to him, "OK what's 12 plus 17?". Matt responded immediately,"29!", and the coach told him he was to bright to be a forward and made him a back. True story.
I got a new sewing book I ordered ages ago.
And made this from it yesterday at Friday Craft.
I obtained the application forms to register for Homeschooling.

I am powering through Pride and Prejudice and Othello, and starting to enjoy the poetry a little.

Love this one by Dylan Thomas;

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

I just tried the muffin recipe on the back of this packet and they are delicious.
Very moist and sweet.

Had to post a picture of Matt in his new glasses. He was not very keen on getting them, but is so excited now by what he can actually see. I am sure he thought it was normal for things to be blurry.

I am struggling through this poetry. The title of the textbook says it all, "SEVEN CENTURIES of Poetry in English".

Does anyone know what this poem is about??

The Sea Anemones Gwen Harwood

Grey mountains, sea and sky. Even the misty
sea wind is grey. I walk on lichened rock
in a kind of late assessment, call it peace.
Then the anemones, scarlet, gouts of blood.
There is a word I need, and earth was speaking.
I cannot hear. These seaflowers are too bright.
Kneeling on rock, I touch them through cold water.
My fingers meet some hungering gentleness.
A newborn child's lips moved so at my breast.
I woke, once, with my palm across your mouth.
The word is: ever. Why add salt to salt?
Blood drop by drop among the rocks they shine.
Anemos, wind. The spirit, where it will.
Not flowers, no, animals that must eat or die.

We are back from our weekend away at Craigieburn in Bowral. The place was so lovely and we were well looked after. Dave (who organised the conference) was pleased with how it all went.

We waved everyone off yesterday and hung around for a few more hours, had a sleep, then went for a walk where we found these tiny ducklings and their parents. Papa duck was not too happy with Dave getting up close for a photo. He chased him quite a way which was very funny to watch. You can see him starting to charge in this photo, at which point Dave gave up taking photos and ran!!!
A big thank you to our babysitters Aunty Lisa, Grandma and Grandpa. They did a stirling job dealing with Matt sleepwalking (into Jonty's bed) and throwing up (in Jonty's bed) in the middle of the night. THANK YOU!!!!

OK, back to reality. I have about 8 poems to analyse today, and Matt is home from school as he stomach is still not 100%. Of course the Uni website is down AGAIN!!, but I think I know what I am supposed to do.

Oh, and I started reading Pride and Prejudice on the weekend which is not nearly as scary as I thought it would be. For some reason I thought it was going to be in 'Ye Olde English' , but it is quite readable.