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!