rain = no parks, but creek exploring

No park playing in this first week of the kindy holidays thanks to the rain so we thought we'd make the most of the rain and do some creek exploring...So the other day the kids donned their gumboots and spent the afternoon exploring the creeks at the bottom of Mt Coot-tha. It's quite a novelty to them to have creeks full of water as it hasn't happened much during the last few years. Of course Aski wasted no time in finding something bigger than him to drag around. They were thoroughly soaked and filthy by then end but very very happy.

rainy day tea party

Hmmm rainy days and kindy holidays... they don't really mix well! This afternoon we decided to make our own at-home fun and 'built' a cubby house to host our own tea party. Aski had a ball, Arkie had just woken up so was a little grumpy. A few lime patty cakes and mini cups of tea later all was well and everyone was happy. Now for an idea for another rainy day tomorrow??

nutty little kid...

Arkie's choice of comfortable television viewing this morning (complete with two of her dolls stuffed in there with her!).

garden antics

Last weekend we have a 'love your garden' day and it was a full family occasion. The kids always love being part of gardening and fully immersed themselves this time. We bought a new tipping garden cart which Askin immediately adopted as his own and we practically had to wrestle him to make use of it at all. After we had dumped all our little piles of top soil ready to be spread out over the grass, Cal got a crazy idea in his head....Why not attach the garden cart to the Vespa and tow the kids around the backyard?? Here's a link to youtube to see the results....they had a ball!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o-vaR5yO2c

campfire dinner

The map with all the clues

Aski studies his next clue...

Cal and his cooking helpers

Two very excited kiddlies watch from a safe distance

We're constantly looking for ways to make dinner more exciting for our two little ones...tonight was a campfire dinner in the backyard. Cal built up a little campfire and snaffled our Webber hotplate to cook the food, the kids were beside themselves with excitement. Next time we'll up the ante and bring on the toasted marshmallows and 'golden boys' to top it off. Last week we did a treasure hunt dinner (one of the best memories of my childhood!) which Aski particularly loved. The treasure map gave clues to the location of each course of dinner starting off with pizza on the trampoline and Freddo Frogs and gingerbread biscuits for dessert hidden in the lounge. I think both dinners will become oft-requested dinner options.

love and cuddles

I've just found myself in tears for the second time in two days after reading or watching something about the strength of a family's love in times of tragedy. It made me want to post this cuddly shot of my two treasures and take a moment in amongst the good times to celebrate how blessed we are to have each other. I'm so thankful to have my two crazy but gorgeous children and the most amazing husband in the entire universe.

a new favourite

I'm back with a vengance: two posts in one day! I thought I'd branch out a tad and post something other than photos of my kiddies and family for once and share some things that have been catching my eye recently. There is a plethora of blogs I regularly read and the pic above is from one I recently discovered and have become addicted to. It's called what katie ate and is written by an Irish foodie photographer/stylist who now lives in Sydney. She cooks beautiful food (I can vouch for many of her recipes!) and styles and photographs it in an exquisite way. I find it so inspiring. You can download her recipes complete with the divine picture and try them out for yourself or just read through, be inspired and salivate! http://whatkatieate.blogspot.com/

a wet weekend camping

this was the ragamuffin state arkie stayed in all weekend

cal finds the perfect paper-reading spot in the kids' blow up boat

arkie having a meltdown on the beach as she was too cold

aski-pooks looking longingly at the water as he sits in the boat on the grass!

Goodness, it has been a while hasn't it? A two-month long hiatus from pumpenickel-land in fact. Apologies for my absence, too many reasons to go on about but I'm back! We're fresh from a weekend camping at Lennox Heads with our lovely friends the Saunders (big thanks to em for the photos above!) and even though the weather was rather ordinary, it was fabulous. I always find camping refreshes and recharges like no other getaway or break - maybe it's the simplicity of it all? Maybe it's the family time, heightened by the fact that we all sleep together all crammed in to one little tent?? Whatever it is, we love it and have vowed to book in more camping weekends between now and the end of the year.