The last 10 months (in one post)

So I haven't blogged since April 2012.  I guess I just got tired with it maybe? I don't really recall why I stopped. But a couple of things have inspired me tonight to sit down at the computer and create a new post. One is that a friend of mine has started blogging (over at http://brisbanepaleofamily.wordpress.com) and that motivates me to get back to it. But maybe moreso, that I read through a lot of my old posts recently and I love that I've documented so many important things in our family's lives.  So when I started thinking about all the things I'd missed blogging about in the past 10 months, I decided it was time to sit down and create a 'last 10 months' post.

Since I last posted, here's a catch up on what we've been up to:

In May, Simon and I spent a weekend aboard a cruise boat from Sydney to Brisbane. We went with some great people and really enjoyed some time to ourselves.



In June we added to our kitchen, and bought ourselves an Excalibur 9 tray dehydrator. Simon saw it as an opportunity to make jerky. I liked the idea of making healthy snacks for the kid in it (pictured is my first and last attempt at rollups.. I must try them again)

Andrew had his very first taste of Great Nana's cheesecake in September

and that same month, we staged a mini photo shoot for Lola's birthday invitations (it's worth noting here, that her pony love has now moved onto a Littlest Pet Shop love).

The kids started back at swimming lessons (Lola's swimming really improved a lot, and Andrew just enjoyed having a splash and a squeal).

My gorgeous girl got her haircut off (I believe the motivation behind wanting it cut, was a 'Small Potatoes' song called 'Haircut' which she sang all the way home)

And then she turned 4.. just like that...

In November, we had our annual 'get together and make christmas treats' with four generations of women from my family (plus my wonderful mother in law)

I took this picture of my gorgeous kids in November too.. (God they make me laugh)..

I finished piecing together the top of Andrews quilt one rainy weekend (and made Simon snip the threads and trim the edge to straighten it up)

In December we had another great day at Stowe's family christmas party (this pic is of the kids in the baby animal farm). Andrew was quack quacking and cheep cheeping all over the shop)

and then my baby turned 2. We had a combined party for him and his mate Ethan, and we also went to Seaworld for the day with his cousins (where he blew out the candles on a brownie-stack-cake).

Christmas was lovely. We had two Christmas's this year. The Caloundra christmas was a beautiful day spent eating and slip and sliding into the evening.  Then on Christmas day, we spent the morning at home, and then had lunch on the Gold Coast with family.

Much of December and January were spent swimming (mostly at the Robertson's beautiful home). 

Both my boys got matching haircuts in January

And last but not least, we spent a rare Saturday together last weekend at the park.

We've a lot to be grateful for with the time we've spent together over the past 10 months.  The kids are growing up quickly, and they make us laugh (and want to cry) most days. They're pretty normal 2 and 4 year olds though I reckon.  And Si and I have had plenty of time to ourselves over the past year as well, thanks to our families and neighbours who are always there when we need them.  So 2013 is looking like it's going to be a good year. I'm all about the food this year. I'm going to do my best to improve our diets, and try to wean my kids (and husband) off sugar. It'll be an interesting journey, and quite possibly the topic of more blog posts to come. 

Thermomix philosophising..

5 weeks ago, my family bought a Thermomix.  I decided it needed to be blogged about because it's been quite an 'event' in our household, but I don't quite know what to write about it.  In the last five weeks, I've prepared a fairly even rate of successes/failures.   There is a definite steep learning curve (as there is with anything new?) but the more I use it, the more confident I feel.   The contents of our pantry has changed a lot too since it arrived. We have way more nuts, grains, flours in our pantry and fruit and veg in our fridge. I am loving the Northey Street markets every Sunday morning - I swear I've never bought so many lemons in my life?!

I will admit though, some evenings I feel overwhelmed by it all. I want to whip up a whole food / gourmet / flavour rich / soul liberating dinner that the whole family will love to eat - but we're so not there yet.. And I remind myself often that the thermomix bloggers that I love, took some time to get there too.    So instead I'll use the thermomix to make a nice salad to accompany our dinner, and while the oven is on, i'll make a batch of cookies in it as well.

And I must say, I have made some incredible things in it - the kneading setting is awesome and has made some killer breads. I've made a fantastic coleslaw in no time at all, and Simon made some great cocktails at Easter time.

I've been to a couple of cooking classes lately and I leave there feeling refreshed and excited about trying new things. I think I'm reaching a turning point where I'm learning from my mistakes and feeling more in control. Menu planning is helping, and we are starting to embrace the new tastes (although Lola is still not sure about quinoa - despite us telling her it was like magic gum that pops in your mouth!).

I love my thermomix, and any issues I've had are purely my own insanities (it's not you, it's me :)).  I've decided I'm going to go back to the oldest entries of my thermomix bloggers, and read their oldest posts rather than their newest ones. I bet their experiences will be the same as mine to start with :) and every now and then I can jump to their latest posts to get inspired about the potential this amazing appliance will one day soon have in my home :)

Some photo's from my first day of thermomixing - marble cake, beetroot hommus and Anzac cookies.

Easter Bunny Bunting

The kids are doing much better at kindy.  9 weeks in, we're able to say our goodbyes each morning without the screaming and the horrific looks of betrayal Lola used to send my way. And while Andrew's protests were never as dramatic as Lola's, he is now content to be left to play in the sandpit each morning.

There is an event coming up at the C&K kindy, and it will involve an Easter raffle as a fundraiser. Donations were called for, and after a trawl through Pinterest, I decided to make some Easter bunny bunting (first blogged about by Dana).

Every Easter for the last few years has involved some craft (see here, and here) but the searching this year was definitely made easier with Pinterest.  I cut out the bunnies Friday night, and sewed it up Saturday night (oh how my life has changed).  Lola actually helped a little, by picking which colour cotton best matched each bunny.

If it turned out well, I had planned on making another set for our home.  And while I love the way it sewed up in the end - it was too fiddly and time consuming for me to contemplate another :)  So I will take it in to kindy with the kids in the morning, and donate it to another family.