Somehow in the past two weeks we have ended up with new cars – each! Well, mine’s not brand new, but new-to-me. After much protesting about lifting 20+ kg Eleanor in and out of the Patrol, and the shopping and the pram and not being able to fit anywhere, my perceptive husband bought me another car. That’ll do little pig, that’ll do. It goes forwards and backwards and gets me from A to B, tick tick tick. Three cars is quite ridiculous, but someone insists on having a vehicle to go camping in (fair point, actually) and Matt’s work car isn’t ‘ours’ I suppose, so really we’re still a two car family…with a brand new Hilux thrown in for good measure.
With the weather warming up our little tiny town’s play group has started up again, and all of a sudden we have busy days! Play group day, gymnastics day, and we’ve just started a little music class on a Friday at Fiddlesticks in Warragul. The outings are great and keep us busy, sometimes being at home is lovely and needed, but sometimes Eleanor ends up watching far too much TV or we all get a bit snappy with each other as mummy tries to get some work done. Living about 20-30 minutes to town is just enough time for Harriet to have a little snooze though…and decide that’s all she’s having for the day! It used to be good when Harriet was in the midst of ‘one decent sleep and one little catnap to tide her over’ stage, but now it’s a write off for the day type of situation. I said to Matt the other night that it’s easier sometimes for me to just stay out for a full day rather then attempt half days to town and back, because inevitably Harriet will sleep in the car and then refuse any more once we get home. Sigh… small people. Befuddling creatures. With Eleanor starting kinder next year though, I can see our days filling up with *gulp* school drop-offs and pick-ups one day, so while they are little and we’re a bit footloose and fancy free I thought I’d do these fun things (plus Harriet really likes to shake her maracas at Fiddlesticks!)
A few weeks ago Amy and her tribe trotted over the hill and delivered some new chookie friends for us. Well overdue, but I was procrastinating about introducing new chooks to our lone one ‘Buk Buk’ and/or cleaning out the chook pen (our last chooks died of a mysterious disease). Turns out though that the two new chooks and ‘Buk Buk’ get along famously! No hen pecking or nastiness or need for off with your head. Except for the fact that Buk Buk pretty much doesn’t lay eggs anymore and now I don’t know which one she is… But we are getting 1-2 eggs a day now – huzzah! Not exactly up there with what we were getting once upon a time with six hens laying like the clappers, but I’ll take what I can get. Also on the to-do list is make Eleanor a little step, because some 6’4″ person made the egg collection hatch fit for a giant. Of course.
I had a birthday last weekend, 31 turns around the sun, not much fanfare but still lots to celebrate and be grateful for. Husband dearest even baked a cake! And made me dinner! And I got a few things on my wish list: a Country Style subscription and a Red Tractor Designs calendar. Which has got me thinking about 2018 and all things organisation…you see I used to be a diary girl, I diligently wrote things down and kept notes and was oh-so-organised. Then I had children. Having a diary floating around the nappy bag lasted all of a few weeks, so I don’t think I’ve done the diary thing since 2014. We have a calendar (the Red Tractor Designs one) in the kitchen always, but am wondering about a planner of sorts? What do all you busy mums use? I’m sure there’s many and varied options. Please discuss and advise!
Around the time of my birthday we always pack up the fire, making the call that it’s warm enough now…and then just you watch as the weather turns to freezing again as soon as I’ve cleaned out the fire and packed away the playpen. Every dang time! We do have a split system that we run of a chilly evening or cold morning, but it’s just not the same. Come on warm weather! Enough already with the jumpers and tights and gumboots. Enough. It’s not unusual to be having a fire on Christmas Eve though, I know this, and yet it still gets me every year with the slightest whiff of warm Spring weather.
Other exciting news? I got a new stovetop, because our old one decided to not work on the front two elements…about four months ago and I’d just been using the back two ever since. I would love gas, but not an option on the farm obviously unless I get gas bottles (can you even imagine have GAS HEATING!!!) So we just replaced the good ol’ electric hot plates for now, one day I’ll get that dream farmhouse kitchen of my Pinterest dreams. One day. Not today. For now our el cheapo Bunnings kitchen (which is totally functional, and not what I’d choose but not hideous either) will suffice. My lovely friend Elli sent me this gorgeous print to brighten up my kitchen, and it’s just perfect. It seems she knows me well – I love it! Now, just to not let it get splattered with food…
Our washing machine also decided to give up on actually spinning last week (kind of a critical element to it’s function…) so I’ve been running up and back, up and back to my Dad’s to do washing. Not ideal. I have to go on a major road to get there too, rather than being able to rattle through the paddocks with the girls, so means kids in carseats multiple times a day. Really not ideal. Although I don’t think my new Commodore would rattle too well through the paddocks…perhaps I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge my poor big old Patrol after all.
Got a new/old/big/standard car you have a love/hate relationship with?
Doing a few activities with the billy lids?
Got a gas, electric or induction stovetop?
How many eggs a day are you getting from how many chooks?
Diary or calendar or fancy family planner thingy? Help!
Anne@GritandGiggles says
I love Red Tractor Designs, I must need to go Calendar shopping. Happy Birthday, by the way. I am impressed, a cake and dinner. Can he come and teach Mr Sparky a thing or two? I hope your new henny pennies settle in well. We need to look at some more to add to what we have. By the way, at least your kitchen isn’t salmon pink.
Emma says
Get onto the calendars because they sell out! I always want one for Christmas but they’re often very hard to find, so wised up this year and got one for my birthday in October.
Tori says
I have a moleskine diary which I love but scarcely ever use post kids, despite planning to get back into the swing of it each year. Sadly everything just ends up entered into my phone calendar.
And induction stovetop. Used to have gas pre farm, then electric ceramic on farm but upgraded to induction and would never go back to gas now!
Emma says
I haven’t ventured into using my phone calendar…I just can’t! I need something written down. I am not sold on induction…my inlaws have it in their newly built home, and I think I still prefer gas?
Katie - Sew Old Fashioned says
Gas stovetop always! I’m so lucky that we moved to a town that has gas – the next town over (which is bigger) still doesn’t have gas, but we get to enjoy central heating and a lovely gas stovetop. We had a gas stovetop in the house I grew up in, too – it came from bottles and they lasted a surprisingly long time.
Also: hello! I have been reading your blog and enjoying your photographs for a little while now, but I don’t think I’ve ever commented before.
Emma says
Lucky indeed! Central heating blows my mind. We had gas growing up, mum had bottles and yes they do last a long time! If and when we ever renovated here/built elsewhere with my dream kitchen we would have gas bottles I assume.
Thanks for the comment – they can be few and far between these days with blogging, ha! Seems everyone reads/scrolls social media but doesn’t comment.
Elisha says
– Kia carnival is the best. I can fit everything in it with ease and it drives so well. Good clear vision at the back when reversing too.
– really need to do something with Ollie this term. Thankfully he loves being home and helping his grandpa with farm stuff to kill plenty of hours.
– no chooks – had a mite issue at our old place and couldn’t face that again…
– my iPhone colander is my diary though I’m trying hard to record my gardening efforts in a seperate diary. I rely on sms for my appointment reminders.
– we have an electric St George stove and cooktop and it’s magic.
Beautiful pics as usual matey X
Emma says
I really loved Matt’s Territory he had for work previously, would probably like something like that maybe for my ‘mum car’. Farm stuff with Grandpa sounds perfect! Mites do not. Not sure what happened with our old chooks but they mysteriously dropped dead one by one?! Except Buk Buk. I have a seperate garden diary, it’s not very ordered and a bit whatever, but it’s there. Might do a blog post on that actually!
sandra says
Right… I have a small calendar in the kitchen for family birthdays, and just to have a place to easily get the date. Kids use it too. I have a calendar in my office for wages and farm bookwork stuff… and then I have another calendar for when the bulls and rams get put out, rain gauge numbers, when the lamb sales are, shearing, drenching etc..
But wait… I have a Kikki K planner for all of the everythings I do… tennis, swimming, footy, school excursion, reading at school Kinder meetings. etc etc etc bla bla bla… My sister bought me the fancy leather outside one year and every year I just order new inserts… CANNOT live without it. I am an organised nut and I like it that way!
And its great to get out now cos once kinder and school start you gotta run by the clock… GET OUT NOW hahaha! Not complaining…but its term 4 ya know and I’m frazzled!
My washing machine died at the start of the year and I got a new fancy Italian made one and my goodness does that thing SPIN like nothing else…its a thing of beauty!
Emma says
I knew you’d be all over this…
We have a perpetual birthday calendar in the kitchen (but still have birthday’s on the ‘main’ calendar too? I think this is doubling up and has to stop next year!) We have a big calendar/whiteboard on the wall in Rod’s office and Dad’s farm diary for farm stuff, handy to refer to to see when I may be feeding shearers or have a tractor dirtying my washing or spray drift on my garden. I’m thinking I need something like the Kikki K planner though for all kinder/activities/etc. Will have a look.
That was my thoughts with activities, I’m sort of like get out while I can, but also trying to savour just the time at home with my little girls.