atticus & the stickybeak

Noah had to visit the doctor yesterday - what I thought was a cold is actually ear infections - poor little baby. Today I am extremely grateful for antibiotics and the speedy way they fix things!
But on our way out the receptionist had left the gate to the reception area open and Atticus wanted to explore, I was juggling Noah, trying to sign the paperwork and keep Atticus out, when the receptionist said to Atticus,"it's ok, you just want a stickybeak don't you?". Little did she know the dramas that one sentence would cause.
Atticus had never heard the word 'stickybeak' before, and the only times he'd come across being 'sticky' is after eating some tasty treat that's left his face and fingers sticky, so naturally he thought the receptionist was referring to a delicious delight! It was such an effort to get him to the car, with him screaming 'STICKYBEAK' at the top of his voice, the only way to get his seatbelt on was to promise him something yummy from the bakery on our way home. And yes it was sticky!

time flies

OK so it's been some time since I wrote a post, I can't believe I missed a whole month, actually almost two! And to be perfectly honest I couldn't tell you what I've been doing... well apart from running around after Atticus, working, turning 30 and trying to prepare for a new baby while staying on top of the daily boringness of life.

Coming up in the next month, besides doctors visits, physio visits and the obligatory beautician visits, will be a new baby!! Hopefully sooner rather than later, as my back is struggling through each day now. And as much as I want this baby out, I'm also freaking out about the whole newborn and toddler balancing act... too late to worry I know, but it's on my mind anyway. Our other major dilemma is a name for this baby, I fear that this poor kid will be nameless even though we had nine months to think of something and agree to it. Any suggestions will be gratefully accepted...

playtime

We all know that Atticus is an amazing kid, but the afternoons can get a bit hairy, especially if he hasn't slept much through the day.  My solution now that the weather has warmed up a bit is to take him outside to have a play with Buckley... the problems begin when it's time to go inside again!

 

Oh, and if you have any tips for trying to photograph a toddler and a dog together, please pass them on!!

lemon's life lost

the lonely lemon

The life of our one and only lemon ended last week, and it was good! After much deliberation I decided to make some Tangy Lemon Slice, one of a handful of ways to enjoy a single lemon! This slice is an absolutely delicious burst of citrus goodness for your tastebuds and I could've eaten the whole tin of it, but in a fit of generosity decided to take it to work so I wouldn't eat eat it all! Though I'm kicking myself for it now, not that it would have lasted this long, I'm just so hungry all the time...

making sure nothing was wasted

Tangy Lemon Squares

125g butter
1/4 cup icing sugar mixture
1 1/4 cups plain flour
3 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/2 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 180C. Gease 23cm square slab pan; line base and two opposite sides with baking paper.
Beat butter and icing sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the flour. Press mixture over base of prepared pan. Bake about 15min or until browned lightly.
Place eggs, caster sugar, remaining flour, rind and juice in a medium bowl; whisk until combined. Pour egg mixture over hot base. Bake about 20min or until firm. Cool in pan on wire rack.

the finished product

coughs & colds

Ok, so this wasn't supposed to be gardening blog, even though that's not what it looks like at the moment!  Unfortunately being sick for the past couple of weeks means there have been no further updates.  After two weeks of coughing, nose blowing, sleepless days (and nights), a trip to the children's hospital and lack of appetite we're all doing much better, so I thought I'd better get back into things.

The only good thing to come out of being sick was having the time to read...  Although I haven't read anything great for a long time some friends - one of whom has read six books, four being this series - were raving about the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer.  I wasn't too sure about a teen vampire romance, but gave the first one a try and ended up reading all four books within a week. The story was gripping, the characters interesting and a bit of escapism was just what I needed.

         

         

spring has sprung

You know when it starts getting lighter earlier in the morning, the birds start singing earlier and the chill is gone or not as bad as usual, that spring is on it's way. Today was one of those mornings. Driving east, with the glare in my eyes - I need to get some sunglasses and clean the inside of my windscreen - I even felt a bit warm wearing my coat...

the glory days of our vegie patch

In anticipation of warmer weather, Daryl has refilled our vegie patch with dirt & compost - twice. It seems to be Buckley's favourite place to dig, but I'm hoping that this weekend we can plant some seedlings and he will leave them alone. What are my chances?? And more importantly what should I plant? 

some of last year's tomatoes

I've read that you shouldn't plant the same vegies in the same spot two years running as they may attract bugs and diseases, but the cherry tomatoes last summer were so delicious, a flavour that can't be found at the supermarket, and now I want more. Plus nothing beats home grown lettuce and rocket, but again we've been planting these for the last few years too. Decisions, decisions... any suggestions are appreciated!

lemon, lime & envy

I hate to admit it, but I'm suffering from serious envy. Is it something I should be worried about... probably not... But every time I walk out our back door it hits me in the face (not the door, just the envy!). Our neighbours have the most heavily laden lemon tree I've seen in a long time, and after 3 years of carefully nurturing our own lemon and lime trees, saving them so many times from the destroying paws of Buckley, watering them through the long dry summers and blitzing the leaf miner attacks, what have we got to show for it?

One solitary fruit on each tree.

Yes that's right, 1 lemon and 1 lime. That's after 3 years nurturing people!! So now the challenge is to work out how we're going to use our precious bounty!

Our lonely lime

If I could drink at the moment we could always crack open some coronas, but that is not an option, and with the average price of a lime being around $2 this little one is very precious!

One lovely lemon

I suppose I should be glad that our neighbours are very generous and so far we've been gifted with bags of lemons (and mandarins). And to be perfectly honest I wouldn't know what to do with as many lemons as they have, I guess I'd just like to have more to show after 3 years!

cheeky monkey

I just couldn't resist, he loves wearing Daddy's hat!

billo withdrawals

Last week we got to enjoy a visit from Paula & Jason, home for the week from San Francisco, it was fantastic to catch up with them in person rather than via a computer. Highlights included Paula getting to meet Atticus in person, spending lots of time with our friends and of course dinner - child free - it really took me back to the old days. Remembering when we would spend hours together on Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday nights, or even our naughty-on-a-school-nights. Or at least some of us would hang out and I would fall asleep on whoever's lounge we were parked on! 

This week is a bit sad, knowing they are all the way back on the other side of the world, and being reminded how life moves on. We cant hold onto the present, but only treasure the moments as we live them. I constantly find myself wishing Atticus could talk or be toilet trained and all sorts of other little things, but have to remember that along with these milestones come other changes, so I need to cherish the way he is now. So having said all that, I hold onto the memories of the good times we've been able to share with our friends, and look forward to creating new memories over the coming days and years.

Cant wait to see you guys again!