Double digits

10 wonderful things about a 10 year old boy

Incredible book reading boy

Absorber of information

Dimples when you smile

The gentleness in your soul

Expeditious mind

Calm natured

Peace loving

Warmhearted friend to all animals

Nature lover

Most huggable

Happy Birthday Ethan

We love you so

xxx

xx

Images from our day in the Blue Mountains at Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens on Thursday.

A day in the city with the boys

Last week the boys and I caught the train into the city to do what my mum and I did a few weeks ago on another day out with the girls.  We went to visit Gabby in the bookshop on George st, she was very busy but we managed to spend a long time choosing some books.  My idea for the day was for the boys to choose a book each and then they would have something to occupy those spare moments in the day with.

They each spent ages choosing a book.  The only way I could decide which book they wanted was by observing them and seeing which book they sat on the floor with the longest.  By the time we left the book shop I think Sam and Ethan had already read through half of their chosen books.

We managed to dash across the road from Dymocks into Morris and Sons wool shop, the boys were happy to sit down and read while I soaked in the atmosphere of woolliness.  I didn't buy anything again as they were out of the wool that I had been coveting and their supply truck was arriving with some the next day so I ended up ordering it through their website.  Our tummies started rumbling so we off we went to Le Pain Quotidien for some Belgian hot chocolates.

I love to be able to see the city yet not hear the traffic and noise while relaxing with a hot chocolate.  They also have a large communal table in the middle of the cafe if you feel like sharing your day with everyone else.  I still preferred the window seats.

The boys mixed their own hot chocolates from a jug of warm ganache and a jug of hot frothed milk into a bowl, they were soooo delicious.

 

I like being able to share some of the lovely things in life with my boys and they love experiencing it too.  They just seemed very settled and happy for the day, I think partly knowing they had a book to look forward to at the end of the day and knowing that it was quite a treat filled day.

We even tried recreating our own ganache hot chocolates later in the week.  Equal parts dark chocolate and cream melted together.  Then add to hot milk, frothed if possible.  I sometimes use the slender blender to froth up the milk as we don't have a milk frother.  It's a bit more work than your average hot chocolate, but so worth it for the decadence.

A photo a day: Week 15

April 9

Easter Monday, it was a quiet day at home for us all, the weather was cooler so I spent a bit of time snuggled on the front porch with a blanket, Amelia and a new book.

April 10

A morning at the dog park playing cricket with the boys, another beautiful, sunny but chilly Autumn day.

April 11

A day in the city with my boys, buying books and drinking the best hot chocolates made with ganache.

April 12

My first pot roast for Autumn.  The weather has been cooler just right for slow cooker meals.

April 13

Guess where we went?  I'm sure a post will follow sometime this week to explain, too many photo's taken to sort through.

April 14

Ethan's first official game of soccer today, they played at Holy Cross College which is set up high on a hill with sweeping views of Sydney.  I saw the top of the sandstone building with the cross peeping above the trees.

Moments captured

Autumn is truly here.  The sun is shining, the wind is blowing and there is a chill in the air.  The boys even put on their scarves for the first time this week.  We went to the park on Tuesday to take Amelia for a run and for the boys to play some cricket and have a laugh.  We all managed to bowl, bat and catch a few out.  I bribed the boys beforehand with a reward of nintendo in the afternoon if there was no fighting and they could co-operate while playing.  The bribe was successful.

I was able to play with my new zoom lens, I'm really liking it, even though you need to make sure there is enough natural light, the pictures are lovely and clear and there is barely any editing to do on them before posting.

I even managed to squeeze in a self portrait for the week.

Amelia loves being able to run free in the park and loves meeting the other dogs.  I find it interesting speaking to other dog owners, meeting their dogs and hearing the stories about how their dogs joined their families.  I met two ladies, mother and daughter I think, and between them they had six dogs.  All rescue dogs, dogs that had been abandoned, abused, forgotten and unwanted.  Each of these six dogs was so happy, friendly and gentle with Amelia and my boys.  I love stories like this and I love seeing happy dogs.

A photo a day: Week 14

April 1 (really March 31)

A lovely dinner out with the family Saturday night, I'm afraid I forgot to take a photo on April the 1st so I'm using this one.

April 2

The boys writing on the fence, aren't the balloons sweet, until you see the letter P at the beginning and piece the letters together, not so sweet, but funny.

April 3

My mum went back home from her three week holiday with us :+(

April 4

 Roses from my husband because I had one of those deep and dark emotional days.

April 5

Our nature table with a collection of finds.  Pine cones, feathers, rocks, a stick, most are Toby's finds.  Those orange peanut M&M's came off an M&M tree, I so wish I had one of those in our back yard, but really they are the Magnolia seed pods found here.

April 6

Tourists for a day, our feet did lots of walking in the Botanical gardens in Sydney.

April 7

My sweet little girl has been bugged by tiny ticks again, so here she is warming in the sun after her bath . . . and just before I sprayed her with the dreaded flea and tick killer, she really hates that.

April 8

The Easter Bunny came.

Catch yourself

Tuesday I packed my crochet bag, my camera and new zoom lens in the car before taking my mum to the airport after her three week stay with us.  I had plans to go and have some quiet time at Centennial Parklands before meeting up with Donald for lunch.  After waving my mum goodbye I drove around the parklands to find the perfect spot to sit.  I laid down my blanket and attached my zoom lens and started observing the bird life and anything else that caught my eye.  It was a very peaceful way to pass the time.

Then I picked up my crochet hook and continued on with my blanket that I started when my mum was in hospital last year.  It's almost getting there, still a few more rows to go and then I'm going to give it a border to finish it off.  Here I am sitting under the Liquid Amber tree crocheting for my self portrait for the week.

And here is my blanket so far, it's quite a random mix but I think I would like to put some more green in there.  It's been such an easy project, something I can just pick up anytime and I don't have to think about it much.  I can't wait for some more cooler weather to be able to snuggle under it when it's finished.

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