Growing.... part 2

I thought I should have a separate post for my second growing experience... a vegetable garden. Well it is more of a salad garden at the moment.




As I haven't grown anything before I am pleasantly surprised at how much I love to grow food. I have been mulching and enhancing the soil with organic potting mix, planting and watering. I love that we have a bore and before it gets into the hottest part of the year I am hoping to get a tank put on the shed.

I went to a Landcare 'Day in the Garden's' held at the Botanical Gardens on the weekend. There was a growing food stall and I was told about a community garden based on Permaculture and they have meets every month which happens to be this weekend coming. YAY! I can't wait to talk to a local about what to grow and when to grow it. I have been getting some great advice from quite a few fantastic gardeners but actually being able to see how it does in a local garden will be great, it also gives me a chance to meet people as well. So can't wait.

We are still getting beautiful sweet oranges off our navel tree and the pawpaw's are coming along nicely.
I am looking at getting some citrus trees from the local markets and would like to get some native trees as we have gorgeous birds here.

I am hanging onto the dream of having a full salad made only from my garden, so far H is picking green tomatoes and using them as balls and playing hide in go seek with my basil. Ha.

Oh how nice it is to get my hands dirty with healthy soil and to watch tiny plants grow into beautiful and tasty food. Love it.

Growing!

It has been a while since I have had the motivation to write. I have been busy with change, we have been outside more then ever, gardening and the general life monotonous cycle of things.
It has been 5 weeks since we moved, goodness is that all! I have been struggling with the pressure of what is required. I haven't done well with pressure since H was born so I find myself becoming snappy and uptight. I know that it is another avenue for personal growth and am trying to see the beauty and peacefulness even if I am rushed. I really love living here and although I am missing the closeness of my friends, I feel quite settled.

B is doing really well at his new school. He received an award at the school parade last Friday. Watching him walk out to get the award and then flash his double dimple smile that radiated his pride, I was overcome with emotion. He stood in front of his school showing the award off and gave his Teacher a massive thumbs up while the other students collected their awards. He was then asked to choose a name out of a box and he was so happy that he didn't stop smiling the whole time. I was beaming with pride. 2 months ago I was told that my son needed intense one on one help while he was at school, I watched him in the space of half an hour not need anything more then a word of direction so he knew where to stand. It was so heart warming to know that 1) They got it wrong, 2) He was happy and 3) He was part of the school community.



H is feeling a bit lost without any friends of his own, I am going to look into local playgroups and hopefully he will be able to run amok with some other nearly 2 year olds soon. He is learning so much and it is amazing to watch him grow. He seems to have a limited attention span to any type of drawing activity but adores reading books. He is a joy to be around and constantly makes my heart sing with love. Hearing him giggle to himself while he falls asleep is gorgeous.



We just added My Many Coloured Days by Dr Seuss to our collection. What a wonderful book. I love that he has associated colours to moods, it is a nice way to learn. This week being book week I thought it was fitting to mention a couple of our favourites. H is loving Night Noises by Mem Fox and B will not go to bed without a Small Animals encyclopedia.

Well that is about it on the updating about our family, DP is working as normal and not much else.

We made it!

We have been at our new home about a week and a half now. We didn't have internet for most of that time and although it totally sucked, I enjoyed knowing that I was available. I usually use the internet as an escape. I have hardly been on since we had the internet connected anyway, I think I am enjoying what I am living now where as I wasn't really impressed with my surroundings previously.
We decided to leave a little later in the morning and it ended up to be around 10 before we actually left on our journey. We had booked a motel for the night so we only needed to drive about 6 or so hours not including stops.
It felt like we were making great time on a road that we hadn't driven before as we usually took the coast one. There was



this sign and I so knew that if B could read he would have giggled at the fact a sign had the word BUTT on it. So I had to take a photo to you know, let everyone else know that he would have laughed because butt jokes are hilarious!

The boys were squished in the back between unwashed clothes, toys and food.


Every photo taken needs a CHEEEESE chorused by both young men. Cute.

H had a massive car to keep him occupied



B had a new Woody doll that needed to sit all safe and sound in the belt with him


Well, until he got bored and decided that he would make a brilliant missile to shoot at his little brother.

I had miss placed my sunglasses and was getting a headache from squinting, so we promptly stopped at a service station and Mr P went and got each of us a new pair of shades.....



He came back with these. I have been avoiding bug eyes like the plague yet my only criteria was that they can't squeeze the side of my head. Of course now I have decided that I kinda like them. Huh! (my hand is doing a bad job of hiding double chin.)

We ended up driving 5 hours and got about as far as 2 hours on the coast road so then had to do some serious moving to make it to our motel without falling asleep at the wheel. Mr P and I decided to play trivia for the last 2 hours of the trip, very good thinking Mr P, it was so much easier to get to where we were going after 9 hrs of driving.
We got booked into the motel and got some fatty goodness for dinner. Once in the room my children were doing..





After a hard day traveling there is nothing quite like reading the Bible according to B. H had other plans. Ha!

The next morning we only had about 4 hrs to travel and it was pretty easy going. As the only driver nothing says you are nearly home quite like this




Cane. Beautiful sugar cane.

We are here, we are actually living a life that I have been wanting for my family. We are outside more, happier and less cranky. Gotta love that. B is loving his new school. Mr P is learning the new ropes of his job. H hates the feel of sand and I have been digging a new garden.

Before pics-






The Magpies came to eat rouge bugs while I dug. I just hope they remember my generous token when it comes to Spring.

Moving Day and celebrating an old Man!

It is here!!! (yesterday now, it got too busy to post it and the photos aren't posting. Blergh)

I have spent the last week completely immersed in the world of boxes, rubbish and packing tape. Phew to being at the end of that stage. I took a couple of photos of our ever growing pile, just because it is a massive amount of junk that apparently we can't live without!

Last Wednesday I had organised for a day of returning and getting rid of, so my friends could get there new things, such as Guinea Pigs and bread makers and I could get a bowl back. It turned into morning tea and a packing bee and I will always be thankful that I have met such special people that jumped in even though I didn't really want them to see all my smalls or notice just how much I had ignored the cleaning lately.

I will also be Thankful for a very useful skip that has been a massive step in getting things done on time. Thank you to my wonderful village for organising such a wonderful gift.

The movers are meant to be here in a couple of hours and do you think I can be bothered doing anything constructive like some sweeping... Nope! Like I said, I am really good at procrastination!!

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Before we had decided to move I was invited by my Dad to attend a reunion luncheon for my Grandfather's 70th anniversary of his Battalion in WW2. I was so honoured to be a part of it as my Grandpa never talked about what he went through in the War. His battalion, 2/10th Field Regiment RAA, were involved in a month of active service and then captured by the Japanese. They were part of the Changi group but mostly worked on a railway cutting most famously known as Hellfire Pass. He was then transferred to Japan and spent the last of the war there and even felt the tremors from when Nagasaki was bombed. He returned to Australia incredibly malnourished, suffering from Malaria, and blind in one eye. This is seriously a reader's digest version as I still don't know all of the details of his time as a POW. (By no mean's do I support the fact that the war ever happened, or that these tragic times should be celebrated, just my Grandfather and the men that served during this time.)
He is now a 90 year old man and I am so proud that he is my Grandfather. He has always been resilient and is still quick witted and full of life. My Dad says that even after a hip replacement last year, Grandpa still thinks he could run a 4k run in under 10 mins, even though he was never able to!! He is a man of very few words but when he speaks you know that it will be intelligent and full of wisdom.
I am also glad that I am able to get to know him before it is too late. Since my Grandmother's passing four years ago, he has been a lot more willing to engage in an adult relationship with me, and I think that he is now open to celebrating the victory of returning home and grieving the life that was spent in such a horrible way.

Funkness and all things overcast

Today is a blergh day. The weather is gloomy and I feel the same. Stupid weather adding to my funkness is so stink.



Yep that makes my funkness a little lighter! Bahaha He looks so seedy with that mo!

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!

I would like people to meet me and not know that my child has a disability until they meet him and see his beautiful almond eyes looking so sparkly at them. I like us to be a normal family and not one that is constantly looking at how hard we have it. I like that my partner has always loved B and not seen him as anything but a normal child. I like that H doesn't see anything but a big brother in B. I like that we all love each other, warts (although we don't technically have any) and all.

Most of the people I have become friends with, through this journey, know that their children have additional needs and that they require extra attention and that it can be draining, however, overall they completely adore their children and what they have brought to their lives. They have grown more, loved more, cried more, been angry more and seen the beauty in the small things more. I love this about them and I love that they have also taught me how to see our life like this.

The way I want our life to be is totally about dealing with what we have. I don't always do it the right way and I do have a tantrum every now and then. I ask for my big break, for millions in my bank account, for smaller thighs, for well behaved children while trying to get the shopping done. For life to not have so many freaking hurdles. But in the last 5 years I have become good at jumping hurdles and knocking down the big bastard of a brick wall that stands in front of me. I try to move through the struggles and know that even though I may not have it right, I have people that love me anyway.

I do find it hard to understand when people don't have the same view as me, but that is about their journey, not mine and I have to try to remember that we all have different ways to deal with life and what we go through.

I am comfortable in my bubble, I like my bubble and how I view most things with in my bubble. I am always open to learning and expanding my bubble although it is a nice place to be most of the time.

So my funkness continues but I am glad of who I am and that I can see the world this way. It is a cushy place to be.

In other news, we move in a week. Eeek!

But we have this to look forward to



and this



These photos really don't give our new adventure the shininess that it deserves!!

Gotta have friends

I am completely and utterly blessed by having a gorgeous bunch (hence photo, HA ) of friends that I will always be able to call on.

This weekend I was recharged by some fabulous company, a bit of alcohol and Dahl! We woke to the beautiful blue ocean and a crisp, cool, revitalising atmosphere. A beautiful boy exclaiming 'WOW' bought about by such wonders that we as adults miss the gorgeous simplicity of. We walked with said little man throwing his arms out the side of his pram and marveling in the feeling of the breeze in his fine silky hair and the caress of the sun massaging his soul.
We supported a little girls wish to hold a party every year to remember her sweet presence this world is now without. We laughed together, we shared together, we ate together, and because of our children we now have an unbreakable link!

Today I am still feeling the high of knowing I have sisters that I will always be able to call on. I know that I am loved and that I love them in return. We share a common bond and yet that bond has made us better for knowing each other. Well I know that I am anyway. Each of us don't see each other every week yet we know that we are supported if we need to be supported, we are hugged (even virtually) when we need to be hugged and most importantly we can cry on each others shoulders when life is a little bit tough.

I will never forget this weekend. Thank you universe for being so kind to me and that we can be there for each other. It was beautiful to have an eclipsed moon while we shared company, it added to the undeniably spectacular gift we were sharing.
Friendship is grand and I know that where ever I am, I have fantastic friends.

Part of the process

My Mum came over yesterday, with her she bought a massive bag of B5's baby clothes. I had completely forgotten about them.
I emptied them on my couch to sort and put in bags to recycle, then completely broke down in tears! It was so random. I had no idea that I would be effected by seeing these beautiful tiny clothes. They are only clothes! Well obviously the time we shared while he was dressed in those clothes were more precious then I had ever thought. There was the suit that he wore when he was 3 months in first picture of this post. He had just started to fill out the 0000 sized clothes so I was trying him in 000! It is still so fresh in my memory, the reason he has freaky eyes like that is because he was fixated on the netballers in their tiny skirts that were on TV! Ha! I spent ages to get the right picture of just how focused he was on those awesome colours.
Anyway, that aside, I was really proud of myself. I touched them, I processed and I then bagged them and passed them on. I have never done that before. I would have kept that turtle suit, at least one pair of the tiny socks he wore, so on, so on. I realised yesterday how much I auto piloted the first year of his life. I completely poured myself into him and I ignored everything else. It was hard. I think I used the process of dressing him as therapy or maybe a tad bit of denial, if he looked good then everything was good.
So now it is an end of a hoarding era, I now have gotten rid of all clothes that don't fit H anymore. Sad but yet so exciting to move forward.
A friend just had a small baby boy so I really hope she can get heaps of use out of them, if not then I am sure someone out there will.