The Captain and his imagination.

The Captain has always had an extraordinary imagination.  Mostly we have encouraged it.  (We did get a bit fed up with Pup and Dink though!)  I was doing the shopping a couple of days ago. Kids in the trolley. The Captain was in the main basket sitting facing the front and pretending to drive the trolley. He was steering an imaginary wheel, braking and grinding through the gears to his hearts content. I pulled up at the Bakery to pick up some bread and a little boy appproached about the same age as the Captain.  With a withering glance, he scathingly said: "you're not driving."  The Captain's little shoulders slumped and he turned to look at me, confusion and hurt in his eyes.   I just felt and saw his spirit crushed.  The lioness protecting her cub roared!  Loudly I announced to the Captain to take no notice, an imagination is a wonderful thing, drive on.  He didn't do it again though. 


I have thought about this incident a lot over the past few days, then we visited a playground on the other side of town.  The Captain  befriended  a little boy that was a carbon copy of himself. Wavy dark hair and eyes. Both in green t-shirts and board shorts. Is that why they started playing? I don't know, but it didn't take long for them to start playing fire engines, explorers, dinosaur hunters... they had a fantastic time together! When it was time for Tom to leave his mum approached and commented that Tom struggled to find playmates as they often don't seem to understand imaginary play.   We swapped numbers and despite the hour long drive between our homes have organised to play again.  I guess when you find like minded people you snatch the moment. 

Is the lack of imaginary play amongst kids now the result of watching too much television or spending hours in front of computer games?   Love to hear what others think!

The new suit (well, new to the Captain).

The Captain found this suit at an op shop nearby yesterday.  He insisted on wearing it all day, despite the heat (about 25 degrees). Indeed, he is so enamoured with his new dress up outfit that he sat in the laundry in front of the washing machine this morning watching it get washed!   $2.50 well spent! 

This photo is the only time he was still enough whilst wearing it for me to take a photograph!  He alternated between being a mechanic, a pilot and as his dad and I pointed out to him... he really looked like he was all ready to set off down into the mines!  Whilst the new "suit" was in the machine he took a brief moment to come and ask me if I could "go online and find a matching one" for his brother to wear.  I didn't know whether to laugh or be alarmed that online is in his vocabulary!   

Bangkok!

I am feeling a bit in need of a holiday.  I don't know if it is because it is school holidays and I feel like I am supposed to be on holiday or if I am missing my old life a fraction.  In my former life I was a flight attendant, a job I absolutely loved! Plenty of opportunity for travel,  suprisingly generous rest time and holidays, plus the very unique bonus of an ever changing workplace and workforce.  I don't miss those carts at all or the occasional tedious passenger.  I do miss the people, the lifestyle and the travel though, in particular Bangkok!

I have a bit of a passion for Thailand, probably because I was born there and also because it is such a wonderful place to visit. 

Some of my favourite things about Bangkok include:

The unique gardens!

                                                     

                     

The Markets.  The photo above is of the Suan Luam Night Bazaar.  Lots of small shops and some fabulous outdoor restaurants.  Nothing like the notorious (and horrid) Patpong Market.  For daytime markets either travel out of town to the Damnoen Saduak (the floating market) and a must is the Chatuchak Weekend Market.  I have been going to Chatuchak since I was a little girl and am still in awe each visit. 

River life.  Never take a tuk tuk or a taxi if possible. Travel on the river taxi's.  It is the best way to see the city and so much faster and cheaper.  The average fare is less than a $1!  Bangkok is built along a river and is interlaced with canals so it really is a marvellous and scenic way to travel. 

Yes, Bangkok is grimy and corrupt but there is also a remarkable beauty in this unique and dynamic city if you look for it.  I am longing to return. 

Pirates, and a pool update.

I have always been fascinated by pirates, ever since I can remember. As a kid we used to go camping on remote islands off the coast of Malaysia and I can still remember my parents and the friends we often travelled with discussing what to do if we were attacked by pirates. We would travel out to the islands on rickety old wooden fishing boats and all the kids would be crowded around the bow, scouring the horizon, desperately hoping to spot an approaching pirate ship. We really had no idea of the the true dangers associated with a pirate attack! Now as an adult and the mother of two pirate obsessed boys I wonder who the pirates employed to do their PR and marketing? What is it about plunder, pillage and rape that is so glamourous? Is it simply the idea of the individual living outside of society's constraints? Seeking their fortune and sailing the seven seas? Hmmm, it does sound glamourous when you omit the villainous aspects!

Number 1 pirate attended a pirate party on the weekend and also celebrated International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept 19th if you fancy celebrating next year) at pre-school. He LOVED it! His birthday is approaching and he has asked to have a pirate party, of course!





Meanwhile, the swimming pool renovation continued. As the Captain was off at pre-school, the little one sat by the pool mesmerised:



Or if the tile cutting machine got too noisy, he relocated to the chatterbean:

The coping is now finished:

Tiling has begun:

Hopefully photos of us swimming in it to follow soon!

Hmmm, 6 things...

The lovely and inspiring Sarah from One Perfect Day has tagged me as part of the Creative Blogger Meme. Thank you Sarah!

So six things about me...

1. I collect vintage children's books. Obsessively. The majority of my collection (it is in the hundreds!) is made up of first edition Enid Blytons.

2. For my 25th birthday a friend gave me a palm reading as a fun birthday present and rather alarmingly, everything that the palm reader has said has come true (so far anyway....). He even predicted the two boys correctly. I scoffed at him at the time as well.

3. I was born in Bangkok and spent most of my childhood living in different parts of Asia. I attended school in India, Malaysia, Indonesia, France and Australia. Best. Childhood. Ever. Thank you Mum and Dad!

4. I am an optimist and try to always look for the good in every situation and the best in people.

5. I am almost blind in one eye. My mum had dengue fever when she was pregnant with me.

6. I was quite the tom boy as a little girl. (I blame George from the Famous Five for this!). I insisted on having my hair short, loved dressing up as a pirate, was always up a tree (if not reading a book!) and loved playing with all the boys! Good preparation for playing with my two pirates!

The swimming pool renovation begins!

Finally, after various threatening phone calls, emails and demands for our deposit money back the pond pool renovation has begun. We are all thrilled. R and I are delighted as the cesspit in our backyard will finally be gone. The boys, although disappointed to be losing their tadpole/mosquito/bacteria breeding ground, are equally as delighted as the associated activity has kept them entertained for hours. They are both out in the backyard observing/annoying the workmen all day long.




Cleaning the interior with acid! I relocated the boys to the chatterbean (little one can't say trampoline!) for this part:

These are the waterline tiles that we have chosen. We really wanted to use a darker tile colour, however as we are on the northern beaches of Sydney and the odd funnel-web does turn up in swimming pools here (eek!), the pool company STRONGLY recommended that we stick to a light interior and a light tile. They then proceeded to show me pictures of funnel-webs in pools and how much easier they are to spot in a pale pool interior. After researching funnel-webs and their lengthy lifespan under water (an alarming 5 days) and chatting to the neighbour, "oh yes that's right, the former owner was bitten by a funnel-web in the pool!" (what!? eek!!), we decided to follow the pool company's advice.

The new sandstone coping for the pool edge:

Now the dilemma... I have always adored swimming pools that are part of the lawn.

Image: http://www.gotgeoint.com/

Image: http://www.luxurypools.com/

Am I crazy? Will half the lawn end up in the pool? Should we deck the entire area inside the pool fence?

Image: http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/

Image: http://www.ajsmith.uk.com/


Or a bit of both? Decking around part of the pool? Where the sunloungers will be and where the steps into the pool are located?

Image: http://www.topdeck.uk.com/

Love to hear any tips or recommendations!

Project Organise: The Family First Aid Kit

The state of our first aid kit was embarassingly messy and as part of Project: get self organised in order to get child to school on time next year and also to not feel mortified everytime the baby sitter, a friend or indeed I have to get something out of the first aid kit, I decided to go through the contents and do a massive overhaul. As one of the boys has a hole in his heart and the other has asthma, it is something that I need to do regularly.

I found the box in an old junk shop located on the road between Bathurst and Orange about 10 years ago. I was on a road trip with a couple of girlfriends. Well, three girls and one border collie, squashed into a 1960s VW beetle. I had to sit with that first aid box on my lap the whole way home to Sydney. They thought that I was crazy, even the dog was rolling his eyes at me. I just love it though, it is big enough to store all the extras in and it looks fabulous!




It even includes a helpful list of items that should almost certainly be included:



After discarding anything that was out of date and re-organising the contents, my beloved first aid kit has been restored to her former magnificence once again:

Ahh, loving my first aid kit, it not only serves a very necessary purpose but also brightens my day with it's prettiness and charm!

Floriade and a Funeral

Last week one of my dearest and oldest friends lost her mother to breast cancer. She is also 35 weeks pregnant and I was as devastated as she was that her mother never got to meet or hold her first grandchild. So the boys and I packed a few things and jumped on a plane to Canberra. Thankfully, my two little frequent flyers were thrilled as they got to spend some quality time with Grandma while I spent time with my friend.

Even "Richard" is a frequent flyer now!

Despite it being such a sad time for me in Canberra, it was such a lovely time to be visiting. Canberra is in the midst of Floriade, although I do think that my parents garden rivals Floriade in places. In the past their garden has been open to the public as part of the Open Garden Scheme but now my parents just work on it for their own pleasure (and ours!).

The boys gathered daffodils and other bulbs to make the most gorgeous bouquet to give to my friend.

The blossoms were spectacular. All over Canberra fruit trees and ornamentals are in full bloom and the fragrance in the air was delicious.

The tulips, always divine and so sophisticated looking compared to the rest of the bulbs!

RIP Maggie.

The afternoon walk to the waterfall.

Every afternoon I have to exorcise exercise my children in order to make witching hour as pleasant as possible for all of us. We either ride our bikes around the "wetlands" ( a nearby nature reserve) or walk to the waterfall. The pathway to the falls is just down the road from our street:


The little one insists on bringing his pooh bear and blankie:


After a few minutes of walking the pathway is so enveloped by ferns and palms that you can imagine you are in the lush tropics (not in the middle of suburbia!):



Until suddenly the darkness of the rainforest abruptly ends and you discover the magic of the falls.

                                                               It is a little boys paradise!






One of Sydney's secret gems (and one of my best parenting tools, begone witching hour!!!)

Warning: those squeamish about earthworms look away now!

This morning we made a worm farm....

There has recently been some unhelpful digging in the garden. We have read the brilliant Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach several times now and I have some suspicions that the Captain might be planning to try and catch some seagulls. So in order to prevent any further garden destruction,unnecessary worm slaughter and to put a quick end to any harebrained schemes, I have purchased a worm farm for him to observe a handful of worms under supervised conditions.

Simply sifting the dirt to remove large lumps kept him occupied for ages. Thank you worm farm! (note to self: must go back and purchase ant farm):


Layering the dirt and sand levels:

His favourite bit:

If you look closely you will see a worm tunneling to safety on the left. Smart worm! You will thank me in the long run worm, for many worm lives have been saved!

A Garden Swing

Ever since childhood I have had a hankering for a swing in the garden. As a child living in India I was kindly given a copy of Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses. My imagination was promptly inspired by this lovely verse:


The Swing

How do you like to go up in a Swing?
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown--
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

As soon as we saw the garden at this house, R and I both knew that this was going to be our next home. We were so enamoured with the house and the garden that we actually made an offer to the agent at that first open house and had it accepted the following day! Thank you to my lovely dad for making me the swing and to my wonderful husband for risking his life to get it into the tree! Two wonderful Fathers! Happy Father's Day to all!

This child...

Every night before I go to sleep I go and check on my sleeping babies. The slightly damp curls and the soft peacefulness of their faces and breathing normally generates surges of love that overwhelm. Often I even feel guilty for whatever punishments have been actioned during the course of the day. Last night at the bedtime check I found him like this:

Yes. Completely. Naked. Apart from his muslin blankie that he had somehow managed to artfully drape in order to preserve dignity. Oh he looks like an angel, but the mischief of this child!

Street Shopping

I adore Council Clean Up! Truly someone else's trash is often my treasure! I know how much my street scavenging irritates my husband though, so in the car as we make our way through a neighbourhood that is having Council Clean Up, I very discreetly move my eyes over the piles of inviting treasure rubbish until I spot something that has potential. I am then forced to abandon reserve and screech "STOP THE CAR!!!" at my husband. A mad dash follows, incase one of the dodgy old men in trucks gets to the must-have item before I do. Then there is either joy (from me) as I lug the item back to the car and insist we take it home and excessive eye rolling (from husband) as he futilely attempts to prevent me from taking my treasure home! Or there is disappointment (from me) when I approach the item and discover it is damaged beyond repair or not actually what I thought it was, and annoying smug looks (from husband) as he is delighted that the item truly was rubbish. As much as my love for Street Shopping annoys my husband, he is forced to admit that I have found some gems over the years and this is my most recent wonderful find:

I love it!

NB. Please disregard ugly 1980s fabric on the cane lounges. These are yet to be re-upholstered and I have decided to wait until after we finish renovating to have them done. Researching outdoor fabrics in the meantime though!