blue motorbikes are cool

I feel like I have started a tradition with the handmade backpack in our family. After making Ruby's Pinky Pegasus bag when she started pre-school I thought it was only fair that the young fella get the same special treatment on his first day at 4 year old Kindy. While Ruby's favourite descriptive word these days is "pretty" or "beautiful", everything to Sachin is "COOL". When quizzed what he'd like for his backpack, he decided he'd be pretty happy with a "cool blue motorbike". So this is what he got!

The fabrics used for both the kids bags were a gift from my sister (thanks Lorrin) a couple of years ago after living in Uganda, Africa. Other than the fact they fray like crazy (especially when you are stupid enough to cut holes in the wrong place after the bag has been sewn up) they are a great heavy weight fabric.

So off Sachin went to Kindergarten today for the first time. It sure has been an exciting week for the young members of this family!

all teary eyed

My beautiful girl started school today.

I couldn't be prouder. She has a contagious joy and energy - such a happy approach to life. She is determined, head strong, loving, courageous, funny and loud. She is our Ruby and we love her.

I'm not afraid to let her go into the world - infact I know she will blossom as she grows and experiences life outside our home, but I'm sad for me. I will miss her. She is my buddy - my pal - we argue - we laugh - we cuddle - we dance. Thankyou Ruby for making my first five years of Motherhood so fulfilling and amazing. You have challenged me, entertained me, surprised me and at times tired me - but most of all you have taught me.

May your school journey be full of adventure.

impatient harvesting

We've been watching our little produce garden grow now for a couple of months. Anyone would think we were green thumbs, but alas, I put it down to beginners luck. We've even been in a position to share the love and make up a few bundles of parsley & herbs for friends and family.... I know.... who would have thunk it???

All this excitement lead Ruby and I to the assumption that our baby carrots must be flourishing like our herbs...  so we took to the little patch with much enthusiasm and pulled those babies.

It was ever so exciting to see them come out of the ground, even better to see my five year old pulling them given she planted in the first place. 

Sadly, after washing and cooking we discovered that they were a little too premature and not quite sweet enough for our palette. Fortunately we have another 2 bunches which we'll patiently leave alone for a while longer. The back yard is starting to look like a blank canvas (this is good, as it means the weeds and junk are going) so we are getting closer to creating our dream veggie garden with fruit trees and a few chooks. First project will be to plant potatoes in the old tyres. Isn't Spring just the best season for getting motivated and productive!

40 before 40

Next June I will be celebrating the big 40. I've never been one to focus on numbers but I must admit to feeling a little anxious about leaving my 30's. You see I remember quite clearly my Dad's 40th.... and yes at the time I thought he was... well... old. Is that me? It can't be!! To add fuel to my own fire there has been another major change in my life that has left me questioning that number. I am due to become a Mum again in April.... yes .... there is a baby in the making. I am 13 weeks pregnant (although I look about 5 months thanks to pathetic stomach muscles). We are very excited! The last few months have been spent going to bed at 8pm, napping during the middle of day (often bolt upright on the lounge after convincing the kids they should sit and watch a bit of TV with me) and eating like a horse (my way of keeping nausea at bay). Happy to see the back of that first trimester. Yes-sir-ee.

So with the April change coming around I started to put together a list of  incomplete jobs around the house that I wanted to finish before then. Let's face it, not much gets done when a little baby enters the house. While writing this list, I remembered the 30 before 30 list that Nicole of Making it Lovely put together. My list then morphed into 40 before 40.

1. Install bookshelves and a laptop  space (and unpack the gazillion boxes of books downstairs)
2. Get shelves made for the kids bedroom
3. Clean out the cellar
4. Install an external shutter on the kitchen window before summer
5. External blind for our east bedroom window
6. Install the kitchen rangehood (been in the box for 2 years)
7. Find a nursery chair (currently loving the Tessa T21 swivel chair by Fred Lowen)
8. Wallpaper our bedroom walls
9. Relocate my sewing room downstairs
10. Find a low line sideboard for the Lobby  update
11. Hang mirrors (in our bedroom & nursery)
12. Clean out & have a Garage Sale
13. Paint external doors
14. Ride my bike (been in storage for 5 years)
15. Go on a family holiday
16. Deliver a baby Quinn Alice
17. Prepare side yard for the kids swings
18. Minimum 4 date nights with my husband
19. Decorate the Nursery progress update
20. Make & donate a toy to Softies for Mirabel update
21. Plant fruit trees
22. Organise my magazine collection
23. Clean out the bathroom cabinets
24. Create a vegetable garden
25. Make a minimum of 5 handmade items for Xmas
26. Paint the front fence
27. Teach Ruby to sew
28. Play the piano more often
29. Paint the laundry and downstairs bathroom
30. Make Sachin's birthday crown
31. Family day trip to the Art Gallery
32. Plant a Xmas tree somewhere in the yard
33. Seal the concrete in the shed
34. Find a lamp base for Nana's lampshade
35. Finish the half made sofa covers
36. Make a dress for me
37. Organise a slide night to view Pa's old photos
38. Learn to use my camera on manual settings
39. Camp in our tent (at least one night)
40. Make a nut loaf in Nana's old tin

So there you go. That's my wee list. I'll be updating and crossing things off as I optimistically accomplish things over the next 8 months. Who knows, I may even manage to share the odd post about completed tasks if A. I find the energy and B. it seems interesting enough to share.

Maybe you have a list of things you'd like to get done. Jump on board! Share your list and we'll see if we can spur each other on :)