long weekend

The June long weekend is finally here! There’s something bittersweet about this long weekend, it’s always most welcome after the (what feels like) eternity since easter, but it also signifies the true start to winter and the long slog until the next one in October! We have a few plans for the weekend, I’m hoping we will get a day trip in somewhere one day, we will celebrate Jerry’s 6th birthday (he truly is my first, and possibly most demanding baby - the volumes those eyes and looks speak is impressive), and catch up with friends.

I’m also hoping to finish my book (I’m reading One Hundred Years of Solitude), watch a few more episodes of Sweetbitter (really enjoying that), listen to Echoes in Blue before we see City Calm Down in a few weeks, and maybe cook some pasta from scratch. Oh, and I have an idea for a little screen print in mind....if I get through half these plans I’ll feel successful!

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I've just realised how old these photographs are, the top one is from mother's day....nevermind that doesn't matter. I think they sum up life lately fairly well, crazy kid, time at home and a few different functions etc. To be honest, I've felt a bit flat and that thought of treading water has been on my mind, I'm not particularly a big fan of changes, but I think I need a project! There are still plenty of smaller jobs that need doing around the house: I have piles of frames to fill for a photo wall in the hall, a bed head for our room, deal with the ‘stuff’ in the spare room, paint the brick fireplace in our bed room... I could go on. Unfortunately none of these seem to be easy to do with a child constantly wanting my attention, or more specifically wanting my attention as soon as I start to do something I want to do. It’s tricky, and there just aren’t enough hours in the weekend!! I should start crafting again, or knitting, things that can be picked up and put down quickly. I know all this is pretty normal for mother’s, it is still frustrating though.

seven things for the colder weather

It's not quite winter yet, but we have had some wild weather here lately (storms, flooding, wind - it's rubbish) and our power has been disconnected  four times in just a few weeks, which is pretty frustrating when it happens at dinner time. So, I'm already staring to get into the mindset that winter is just around the corner, and it is not a happy thought. In fact it makes me feel quite flat, so I'm thinking of things to help lift my mood and make the next few months a little bit more bearable.

1.  Paul Smith socks 2. Gascoigne and King candle 3. Scandinavia Dreaming 4. Forestry Wool blanket 5. Colette Bream lambswool hat  6. Playa supernatural conditioner 7. Stelton em press coffee maker

mt field etc

We've been planning to go to Mt Field for weeks now, it's such a beautiful time of year to visit, with all the leaves turning (both the fagus and the european species) but it hadn't quite happened. So, yesterday we got our butts into gear and made sure that we did it! There is definitely something refreshing and freeing about taking a whole day out to just be and enjoy. To not worry about how trashed the house is, how big the pile of washing or whatever other things we probably should be doing. It was one of those typical Tasmanian days were it rained, was bleak and grey, with moments of sunshine which shows in my photographs, and the kid was a bit of a challenge at times but we had a lovely walk around Lake Dobson and then visited Westerway Raspberry Farm on the way home (those berries were so good by the way). I think we need one of these days at least once a month, especially over winter, I am dreading winter so much, so anything to make it bearable!

what I've been listening to, reading, and watching lately

I keep meaning to write about different things, but time gets away from me, so this is going to be a bit of a collection of random things on my mind. We've been having a quiet time lately, weekends with family and friends, I've been trying to lesson my screen time (well social media screen time) and spend more time just playing with Elroy. I think it's been working for us. And the seasons have definitely shifted, we did not have the usual March weather and I feel like April has been tougher to deal with than normal. It's dark so early - already!

I'm looking forward to seeing Isle of Dogs, super excited in fact. I've been listening to, and really enjoying, Adam Buxton's podcasts lately and his conversation with Wes Anderson and Garth Jennings was very enjoyable. I also really enjoyed his conversations with Jonny Greenwood, Paul Thomas Anderson and Greta Gerwig. Next on my list is Sharon Horgan.

Record Store Day is coming up, and there is a lot to choose from on the lists, I think there are about five different ones I want, so I'm hoping out local record store gets a few in.

Yesterday I got a copy of This is Home by Natalie Walton, and read quite a bit last night. I felt compelled to get a pen and notebook out and make notes. It made me think a lot about making our house a home. I do feel like it needs to be perfect, but the book helps to make the point that a home is made over time and that you can't just buy a heap of things and expect it to work. I need time and patience, a plan and some insight into what we want.

I started watching Paris etc on SBS on demand and I'm really enjoying it, something different for a change.

easter break

I have never been a huge fan of the easter break, it has always felt a bit too quiet and slow for me, but this year that was exactly what we needed! On Friday we visited the Art Farm at Birchs Bay which we hadn't been to before, but it was kinda cool and even though the weather was grey and a bit miserable it was still nice to be out walking together (and Jerry was there too). My favourite sculpture was a trio of hills hoist clothes lines bent and shaped to look like trees, and I also liked a little field of flowers made of metal.

We made chocolate choc chip easter buns, had a big family catch up, Elroy had a visit from the easter bunny (he was pretty excited, not that it shows in the last photograph - pretty sure he wanted to crack the bunny open and I said no), and yesterday we took a road trip and visited the Tasmanian Devil Unzoo and the tessellated pavement on the way home. Elroy and I visited the unzoo almost a year ago when Matt did a run near there, and he fell in love with Cheeky the talking corella, so he's been wanting to go back ever since. We saw Cheeky again, and Matt and I had to try very hard to stifle our laughs when Elroy was trying to talk to him and he turned the other way, Elroy was most put out by this and said something along the lines of 'come back Cheeky, I'm talking to you'. It was very cute.

I'm sad it's over, Matt had to go back to work today, and although I get the rest of the week off, I miss having us all home together. Time is definitely something that feels like a precious commodity at the moment, it's a juggle to fit in family time, individual time out, chores and all the other things we need to do.

third birthday

As I mentioned in my last post Elroy turned three over the weekend, three!!! My baby is well and truly a little boy now, even in the last two months it feels like there has been such a leap in his development. Yesterday I went in to his room when he woke up and the first thing he said when he saw me with a beautiful smile was "oooh Mummy I love you" followed by "get out of my room please"(he didn't want to get out of bed), the first part melted me, the second made me smile. He's articulate, sweet but crazy, loud, over confident, terrible at listening, gentle, curious, has the most amazing memory, focused (at times), he loves his bike, trucks, diggers (or anything construction related), books, lego, swimming, throwing the ball, and would happily watch tv all day everyday. He makes me frustrated but also so incredibly happy.

The party was big, it was the first one we've been able to have at home and we may have over-estimated the number of people our house could handle (40-50 is probably too many!). But I got to make a fancy cake (a truck) because it didn't have to be transported to the park, and hang some decorations. Elroy had a wonderful day, he was so happy, loved it so much when we sang happy birthday (he sang too), knew exactly what to do with the candles this year and ran riot with his friends. He's very loved and he knows it, which is the best thing ever.