Posted by Sarah in The House on May 15, 2011

Life has been a bit of a blur lately, mainly because my glasses are constantly covered in sawdust.

Glenn is working on the cleaver bolt thingies Dad came up with that will make the bed look so much cooler and give the kids more room to play. It involves climbing around in the cramped and dusty ceiling space but I’m told it’s worth it and I’ll let you judge when I post photo’s of the finished job.

Dad came around again to give us a hand with the last of the construction parts apparently I can be left to myself to tidy it up and do the finishing details…apparently.

There was a lot of fussing with bolts that were long when they should have been short and twisted when they should have stayed still but by the end progress had been made. The whole operation was carefully watched by the Tiny Overseer who later told me that they did a very good job.

Posted by Sarah in Family on April 28, 2011

Mum and Dad’s backyard is a wonderland of nooks and crannies of hidden corners and jungle like growth. Adventure beckons blossoming imaginations in the rubble of old building projects, the fractured remnants of structures long ago moved, altered or torn down.  Even in the ordinary plod along days the kids adore going there but Easter is something special. Oh the thrill to be had scanning the gardens for that moment of adrenalin when a sparkle of coloured foil reviles itself.

We don’t make it easy for them either, can you spot the egg?

Lani brightened up on Panodol and the thrill of the moment.

Grandma teaching Sabrina to fetch eggs for her and bring them back to her basket.

I always feel it’s slightly disturbing that they like to play with the bunnies, introducing them to each other, even naming them before they bite their heads off.

Posted by Sarah in Family on April 28, 2011

This is where we found Eli Easter morning I guess he was keen to start the lounge room egg hunt.

We have never encouraged our children to believe in the Easter bunny or Santa for that matter, I feel it’s lying and as a Christian I can’t justify it in my mind.  The bible clearly states that deceit is wrong and I can’t bare the thought of my children loosing confidence in my honesty. I want them to grow up knowing that their parents will always be approachable and that all questions no matter how big or small will be answered in truth.

That being said we still have an egg hunt every year, it’s a game just like a treasure hunt at a party and just like they know that the pirate who hide the treasure chest in the backyard was Mummy and Daddy they also know that the chocolate eggs were hidden by us as well. I have to say to anyone out there who feels a spark of conscience over misleading their children that the excitement of Easter egg hunts even when you know that there is no such thing as the Easter bunny is still extreme.  I sometimes think even more so because they don’t have to doubt and wonder about the oversized bunny business they just have to enjoy the thrill of finding chocolate and we will never have that moment where they learn the truth and feel robbed.

Except Sabi didn’t really get it this year she thought we were finding toys….

…till her brother helped her out then she never looked back.

Fuzzy morning hair and their chocolate stash.

I kind of stuffed up though, I left Glenn’s egg in the car so his Easter treat was a melted blob of chocolate goo.

After all the eggs were found we piled into the car to head off to church only Lani started to feel sick so we got out of the car and pilled back into the house and did the Church bit at home.

I printed off colouring in sheets and we made a salt and four based finger paint.

I read from the bible to them about Jesus’ burial, resurrection and ascension. Then we discussed what we had read and prayed together.

So apart from Lani vomiting it was a very sweet family Easter.

Glenn and I also looked at a few Easter clips on Utube the first one we watched in Church on Good Friday and the second is just cool. hope you all had a Vomit free Easter.

Posted by Sarah in Family on April 25, 2011

Thursday was our 10th Wedding anniversary. It’s funny really, we fell in love as penniless uni students and for a brief second entertained the idea of waiting, saving, establishing ourselves before tying the knot. You know, as society would put it “The sensible thing to do” then we said stuff it, I love you, you love me what more do we need lets just get married. So we pooled our resources bought a ring and pretty much started married life with zero in the bank account. At that time 10 years seemed to float so far away in the future that we would give each other promises. We’ll have a real reception for our 10th, we’ll postpone the proper honeymoon till our 10th, for our 10th we should get a real photographer to do proper photo shoot, I’ll buy you the big diamonds for our 10th…….and here it is, here we are at our 10th…..and…we didn’t do a thing on that list. You see what Sarah and Glenn of 10 years past didn’t understand was this, yes we would have higher paying jobs than nightshift at Big W and weekend helpdesk at Planet Netcom but we would use that money to bring four gorgeous little beings into the world. That we would save it not for a flash second honeymoon but to buy them a roof to keep above their heads. That we would spend our time and energy not on spoiling ourselves but on educating ourselves so that we would better understand our God’s plan for us, our children’s needs, quirks and insecurities and our own love for each other.

I had thought that it would be nice to try and gather our wedding party together again for a sort of reunion, maybe a fancy formal picnic, I’ve always loved the idea of a picnic in ball gowns. But Our 10^th also happened to be the day before Good Friday, I have never been very good at organising my time. Maybe we could do it later in the year I mean it is our 10^th year of being married for a whole year right?

By the time Thursday came I had totally convinced myself it was a hopeless case and just to let the day slide by but Glenn had sneaky little secret plans. He organised to have the day off and my wonderful parents took the children over night. So we had a rare day to ourselves. And what did we do with that precious day? Well we bought preservative free dried apricots, gluten free bread, dairy free cheese and a book on Asperger’s (that’s what normal people do on their anniversary isn’t it?) We spent they day at Leura and Katoomba two of our favourite places, wandering in and out of quaint little art, craft, book, antique shops like we used to do before pram accessibility dominated out browsing capabilities. It was just as it should have been, just us wandering and talking and sharing ideas, just being in each others company. It was beautiful.

We also (I’m smiling as I write this) had dinner at Lillianfels. We have stood many times like a child staring through a toy store window, wanting to go in. I firmly believe if Jane Austen had come upon this place in her travels she would have declared it most happily situated.

Lillianfels is more than a nice place to get a meal, it is an experience. As you wander through their manicured gardens towards the dining room you are transported back to a time of elegance and genteel manners. Inside was so delicately formal that after sir’s coat had been taken for him and madam had been helped into her chair I completely lost the ability to talk for a moment. However they were never cold or sterile I soon relaxed under the staff’s sincere desire that I should enjoy my dining experience and came to feel welcome as if I was visiting an incredibly wealthy relative.  I sometimes feel out of place in fancy restaurants but I could happily linger in their atmosphere all night . And the food could only be described as an artwork on a plate.

Oh and I have to show you the little gifts we got each other. 10th is supposed to be tin if you are into traditions but tin is tricky so we just stuck to metal. He got me pretty and I got him deadly.

Happy Anniversary my darling, you are now and will remain forever my best friend, my fellow traveller, the face I long to see and the smile that makes my heart skip a beat. You are my Love.

Posted by Sarah in Uncategorized on April 17, 2011

Posted by Sarah in Uncategorized on April 17, 2011

Our poor children have been sleeping in makeshift conditions for so long now Glenn decided he would take a solid week of work in the hope that by the end of it one of the rooms would be in a usable condition.

We all promptly feel ill and spent the first three days in bed.

So my lovely Dad came around at the end of the week to help us out.

During the lucid moments, when the hacking and coughing was tolerable and I was able to climb a ladder without toppling off in a dizzy spin, I patched, shaped and sanded the new wall that used to be the top of the wardrobe.  

You can see more clearly in this photo. We chopped the top off the built-in wardrobe and gyprocked in the little alcove it made. There was also a space above the hall cupboard that runs next to the built in so we put in an open ended storage box that Eli will be able to access from his loft bed. I like surprise hidey holes it adds a little adventure to a room.

After days off plastering and sanding the frame part came together really quickly.

In fact the only thing that held us up was Dad and I changing the design every time Glenn went to the shops for more supplies, I think he hates us now. Nerds don’t cope well with change. 

Poor Glenn, since marrying me he’s had to get used my crazy renovation plans and the manual labour involved in bringing them to life. Also he’s had to get used to Dad’s sense of humour. Dad would stand, holding the beams for Glenn patiently waiting till the head of the hammer made contact with the nail then scream out in fake pain just to get a reaction. It got him every time. I’m pretty sure at one point during the day Dad had Glenn convinced he’d drilled into his hand. I think it’s called male bonding, that or evil father in-law syndrome.

Wonky photo is to show the relationship between Eli’s loft bed and Lilly’s "Little on the floor is not as much fun as an Up bed" Bed. Must quickly think of way of making on the floor bed cool (for some reason this must be read in a robotic voice maybe my inner voice is bionic) 

Anyhoo this is were we are up too. So progress but poor Eli is still sleeping on the cot mattress in the hall way and Sabi is still bed sharing with us. Pretty sure she doesn’t mind her arrangements half as much as Eli does.

Posted by Sarah in Toys on April 10, 2011

Early Sunday morning police were called after a family member located the misshapen remains of Mr John Thatsallwhywouldyouthinkhehasanothername was located at the bottom of the refrigeration tower in his own place of residence.

After examination of the scene the police have ruled out any foul play. “Mr Thatsallwhywouldyouthinkhehasanothername had a reputation as a midnight snacker and we believe the victim lost his footing while attempting to scale the fridge and simply fell to his death.” said officer Plod

The local member of The Plastic Toys Protection board had this to say about the events of Saturday night “we can speculate from the victims attire, that was not at all suited to the cold autumn evenings, that the misuse of alcohol may have been a contributing factor to this sad happenstance. It is a sad truth that in resent years with the promotion of Natural Echo Toys members of the Plastic Society are turning to illicit substances to drown out their feelings of inadequacy and guilt over the demise of the whole planet.”

A private funeral service will be held for Mr Thatsallwhywouldyouthinkhehasanothername on Monday morning.

Posted by Sarah in Family on April 6, 2011

Oh the excitement! Sabrina loves the little bonnet that Tabitha at Small Things made for her.

I am in love with this little hat, it is soo sweet and it’s the first hat that I can actually keep on her head. I think the softness of the fabric doesn’t irritate her as much as other hats we’ve tried and also she can’t undo the knot so that helps. It doesn’t even fall off when she runs which she always does.

I love that it covers her neck and ears and protects them from the sun.

Also It makes me think I have a little Elizabeth Bennet running around my backyard see those bonnet wearing Austen folk new a thing or to about practical fashion.

Posted by Sarah in My place & yours on April 5, 2011

Green wall and my favourite green skirt totally crumpled and unironed, sorry Mum. And a beautiful super sweet bonnet for Sabrina made my the very talented Tabitha at Small Things which I can’t wait to try on my buba but can’t because she’s at her Grandma’s. Beware, expect a ton of posed bonnet photo’s come tomorrow’s light.

Also I was handed this lovely letter while I was taking the above photo and just had to include it, it’s green.

Posted by Sarah in Food on April 4, 2011

Our Family has intolerances to certain foods Dairy being the big one, we have also cut out colours and preservatives and overly refined foods and are trying to eat as many whole foods as possible to help with Hyperactivity and Autism, isn’t our family fun? Sabrina is on a very restricted diet at the moment eliminating gluten and soy as well. When she is on the diet her reactive bowels settle down and she is skin rash free, but it is very hard for a little buba to see her sisters and brother eating her beloved cheese and Nutella sandwiches without her so we haven’t been buying it. To be fair it was mainly a treat at grandmas house anyway. But in a moment of inspiration I thought of an idea for an alternative.

We had all of these ingredients in the cupboard. The Nut paste is made of 100% nuts ground into a thick butter consistency nothing added at all, I would like to try and make my own with just hazelnuts to get a more authentic flavour but I do really appreciate the ease of just popping open a jar.

So here is the simplest recipe in the world.

1 tablespoon of nut paste

1 tablespoon of honey

1 teaspoon of coca powder

combine all ingredients and eat.

It only makes enough for one persons breakfast, two if you spread it thin but really who would want to do that. I would suggest if you want to try it to make up this quantity first to see if you like it then multiply to suit your needs.

Oh and by the way the kids are begging for it for every meal at the moment so it passes the kids’ test.