I'm just going to have a little rest before I go to bed

Last Tuesday I turned 40.

I had been looking forward to it for a while now, and by a while I mean about 2 years. I don't really know why but I liked the idea of saying "I'm 40".
Anyway I've been 40 for 6 days now and it's been somewhat of an anticlimax. I just don't feel any different. I don't know why I thought I would, I never really feel older I just look older. I still feel about 20 which isn't necessarily a good thing.
I often look at women or pictures of women of "a certain age" (I say that because I'm hopeless at estimating peoples age) and I think they have wisdom, maturity and I'm waiting to feel like that.
Will it ever happen? I don't know and I'm not sure I really even care...................

Kurtis is nearly 4 and I recently noticed he has lost his little pot belly. My baby is growing up and I know I'm biased but he really is a delight to parent. He is in the process of dropping his day sleep. Some days he doesn't sleep but on the days he does its still 2 to 3 hours. Today he didn't sleep and while I shopped and lazed about at the Hot Springs with friends he spent the day at his grandparents. He wasn't interested in dinner and before I suggested it was close to bed time he lay down on the couch and said to me "Mum, I'm just going to have a little rest before I go to bed".
Oh my little buddy bear I do love you. xxxxxx

Kurtis and  Louis

Georgia xx

Heavy metal, reggae and nursery rhymes

3 years and 8 months old. Most people would say something like "wow it seems like yesterday I was holding you in my arms" or "where did the time go?"
Not me, I feel as though Kurty has been around for, well, about 3 years and 8 months. After all I've been right beside him for most of it.

Lately, my little buddy,you have been really getting into music. Not long ago you only wanted to listen to children's Cd's from the ABC Shop. Then one day, literally overnight that all changed. I think it was after Dad put on AC/DC's Thunderstruck, you grabbed your guitar and jumped around the lounge room and you kept wanting to turn up the volume. Since then your taste in music has broadened significantly.
At the moment your favorite songs and bands include;

Love to have a beer with Duncan (you know every verse word for word, but won't sing it too the video camera)
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Black Betty
Bosom for a pillow (that's what you call it anyway)
Gorilla radio
Get up, stand up
Blur song 2

AC/DC
The Beach Boys
The Country Drinking Songs CD (Thanks Clint)
Spiderbait
John Butler Trio

In the car we channel surf a lot and you always ask me to stop and turn it up if there is base, drums and screaming vocals. Think Led Zepplin, Rage against the machine, Soundgarden and Foo Fighters.
You always want me to sing one song before you go to sleep. This could be one of four songs, the Collingwood theme song, Rudolf the Red nosed reindeer, I can sing a rainbow or Sing a song of sixpence.
Nothing like a bit of variety.


On Sunday we had a little family outing to the Melbourne Aquarium and a good time was had by all.
Kurtis cracked me up as we sat at the largest tank for a while just watching the fish do their thing. Those of you who know my son know that he LOVES his food (his first word was "bowl" closely followed by "more" and "soup").
So we are sitting watching the fish, which I find sooooooooooooo relaxing, and Kurtis' dialogue begins.

"Can you eat those ones?"
"You can eat those ones"
"You can eat those little ones in one go!"
"You can eat those ones but you have to chop off their heads first"

And so it went on. And on, and on and on. Always thinking about your next meal aren't you buddy.

random

Funny things Kurty has said,

Driving down Shands Rd "I like bumpy roads, they make my cheeks wobble".

Gives me THE biggest hug of all time "I want to keep you forever"  26/7/2011. *melt*

On his birthday I am going to ask him a few questions and then ask them again every year on his birthday a record the answers.

1 What do you want to be when you grow up?
2 What is your favorite song
3 What is your favorite toy
4 Favorite food
5 Favorite place
6 Favorite story

One week and six days away from 40, feelings today..............indifference.

first hot chocolate

Forging his own path

a little adventure

Today Kurty and I went for "a little adventure" as he likes to call it. That is we walked somewhere that we have not walked before. Today it was the track from Red Hill to Merricks, we didn't walk all the way we just went for a stroll 1/2 an hour each way. I can't believe that I have lived here for 8 years and not walked along here before.
Sorry there are no photos of the trail, I just don't think about taking them when I'm 'in the moment'. It was really lovely, peaceful.
We saw goats and alpacas in peoples back yards, toadstools and horse hoove prints on the ground and beautiful red leaves set against the backdrop of a white cloudy sky. Needless to say it won't be the last time we walk this trail.
Kurty gave me a running commentary along the way, as he does. Then he said something quite memorable to me. I can't remember the topic but he was listing things to me "I have so much information in my head and I'm downloading it to you Mum". Ahhhhh the information age indeed..............................

Kurty and dad watching motorbikes at the Red Hill Show

Snuggling up to his fur buddy

Life is good, change is in the air.

IT IS TIME TO MOVE FORWARD

imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

I try to be very conscious about how much time I spend on the computer while Kurtis is awake. It used to be not at all, but since I got a new laptop and wireless Internet this little device has been seducing me big time.
Apart from the fact that I recently read that some schools have removed their wireless network and gone back to the plug in option because of unsafe levels of radiation, you're simply not present when your on the computer.
I don't mean to say that I play with Kurty all day. I spend a fair amount of time, washing clothes and dishes, cleaning, tidying, vacuuming, cooking in fact anything to avoid pushing matchbox cars around on the floor!
Kurtis also likes to cook, clean and tidy and I try to include him in all these jobs when he's interested. I mean it doesn't matter how long it takes to do these jobs does it, 10 minutes, 30 minutes. Its the process not the product.
I guess that's the luxury of being a stay at home mum. I could clean this house top to bottom in 4-5 hours, it's a pretty big house. But instead it takes 4 to 5 days. Who cares (well sometimes I do if I know we are having visitors but Clint and I are masters of the 15 minute tidy which is totally fine if you don't look too closely).
What I love is watching Kurty with a spray bottle of vinegar and water and a cloth. He cleans floors, cupboards,windows, showers, most things really. He vacuums with the dust buster and the big vacuum, he loads and unloads the washing machine and hangs clothes on the line. He doesn't do any of these things properly except the laundry but that is so not the point.

Anyway yesterday he was asking for my old laptop for the millionth time and as I'm trying to delay his familiarisation with technology for as long as I can I said No, again. (our local primary school uses computers in Prep, he will not be "behind" if he isn't proficient before that and he can already take a mean photo with my iPhone. Don't ask me how I didn't show him!)
All he wanted was to imitate me so after 5 minutes of cut and paste Kurty had himself a laptop.

   The first thing he said was "mum can I have your iPhone I need to download some photos" so much for delaying familiarisation! He then went on to say something about a modem?

I made this really quickly as I was trying to get something else done but you could make it a lot more like the real thing with a bit of attention to detail

Junior laptop:-

1 manila folder
2 pieces of ribbon
texta
staples
magazine pictures (let your child choose and cut and paste them on)
glue

calculator (to use as a mobile phone)

= hours of fun.
OK not really hours more like 10 minutes here and there but he loves it anyway.

Kurty does not get to play with my phone, you may think that's mean when there are soooo many "cute" apps out there (I have been told, I haven't actually seem them) aimed squarely at his age group. If your wondering why I have made this choice click on the link below.
Its in two parts 7 minute each. Its Dr Charlie Teo on 60 minutes but if you haven't seem it before please watch. For your children's sake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq340oQPfK4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvyFbcCZlrI&feature=related

You may think its propaganda and that is your right but with the jury still out on the link between mobile phones and tumours why would you risk it? The fact is that children's skulls are thinner than ours.


Talk again soon,

Georgia xx

long time, no see

Well, like a lot of things in my life I started this blog with enthusiasm then one day just completely lost interest. No particular reason, I think I just realised that I really enjoy reading blogs a lot more than writing them and I always forget to take photos of stuff that I could blog about and I really do prefer a blog post with a bit of eye candy!

I think another reason for my lack of interest is the subject matter. While I'm truly happy about growing healthy food for myself and my family and I'm grateful for the learning opportunity for Kurty I don't love gardening and I probably never will. Although I hope it grows on me. (pardon the pun)

So I will use this blog for other things too. Namely as a record of events and occurrences and the little things that my sieve like memory could never retain on its own.

What inspired me to open up this blog again was that just a moment ago when Kurty was in the middle of this 3 hour day sleep (I can usually set my watch by him and yes at 3yrs and 8mths (OMG really) I really do know how lucky I am to have this time to myself every day) he cried out at 1.5hours and I raced in and yes at 3yrs and 8mths I still cannot let him cry alone for more than a moment, crying during the day when he doesn't get his own way, well thats another story.
Anyway I rushed in to "mum, my arm is fuzzy" bless him "that's pins and needles buddy roll over and it will go away in a minute". Probably only cute because I'm his mum but I thought it was adorable and I didn't want to forget it, and now I won't.
So the house is quite once more except for the chirp of crickets. Some people I believe quite like this sound, I think I used to be one of those people. Not any more now I bloody well HATE the little buggers. They chirp VERY LOUDLY day and night and have been keeping me awake night after night for months, since about October last year, lately I have tried ear plugs and some nights I have even gone to sleep in the spare bed which seems ridiculous. I even called Dawson's pest control, but they told me there is nothing you can do and they are seasonal. Which seasons is what I'd like to know! Oh she did suggest pouring boiling water on them but all this achieved was the death of one previously very nice plant.

So the garden, if your interested, has been good, good for zucchinis that is. I think we pick one or two a day and that has been going on for ages although I think things seem to be slowing up now.
I have only thrown one away of which I'm very proud.
I have made:-
a very yummy zucchini slice (thermomix recipe)
zucchini, feta and ricotta fritters    yum
zucchini chocolate cake      I liked it more than the husband and kurty just wanted icing on it

Zucchini has been a pizza topping, a filling for chicken soft tacos, grated into pasta sauce, added too minestrone soup, pumpkin soup and vegetable soup, added to garden salads, rice salads, pasta salads,beetroot carrot and apple salads and coleslaw.
I'm sure there has been more and I have a recipe for a zucchini,carrot and shallot risotto planned for tomorrow.

I'm too lazy to write any recipes but message me if your interested.


Today Kurty came out with two other little gems. Dad said as they played with a footy "I'll kick it to ya" to which Kurty replied "I'll kick it to you dad, not ya" I was soooooo proud. And then at the beach this morning as Kurty hitched a ride on Dad's shoulders I asked if he would like me to carry him for a bit (to give poor sick dad a break, he is suffering with a horrible cold right now) "No thank you mum, I'm rather happy up here"
Seriously sometimes I think we are raising an upper class English school boy not a three year old Aussie kid.
Still I'm not complaining I'd rather Kurty sound like a snooty little rich kid than a bogan. Is that snobby of me?

Mind you take a look at the photo below, seems were not all that far from bogan status around here after all.
God help me.

Harvest

The good news..................

We are now the proud owners of not one but two zucchini's. Feeling pretty chuffed. Kurtis picked them and started eating one on the spot.
I have a great recipe for the yummiest zucchini slice I've ever had, we'll be having that in the next day or two.

Oh and we have a little baby eggplant, so cute.

The bad news.....................

Something is eating our basil and our corn. What could it be?

Lots of space in the veggie patch to plant what, any ideas?


And totally unrelated cuteness. The other day I thought Kurtis had been pretty quiet for I while, so I thought I had better check things out. This is what I found.

Kurtis was reading stories to Max in the back seat of our car. 

So please tell me what to plant now. I do have books and charts and Internet access but it would be easier if you just tell me :)


Georgia xx