mammajoy

i love cake

Especially Christmas cake.  Yep, it's that time again.  Can't believe it's been one whole year since this cake took up way to much space in the fridge.  But it's worth it.  And Christmas 2009 is my year to actually EAT Christmas cake because yay.can.I.get.a.hallejujah I'm not pregnant!  Yes!!  The cake will be mine.....all mine!

Here's the recipe I'll be using and my fruit is soaking in brandy as I type.  Just think about that for a second.  Fruit.  Soaking.  Brandy.

Oh yeah.

I'm not sure where we will be over the Christmas break but you can be sure that this cake will be coming with us!
 
 
 

what happens when mamma’s in a rush

and she forgets to make sure the lid of the honey is on?

It leaks.  Everywhere.  I really don’t know how the ants didn’t get to this before I could.  Some friends came over for a visit and so it was left for a few hours.  Which was kind of nice because hey, out of sight out of mind, right?

But then I had to face it.  And clean out an entire shelf of my pantry.  Back there I found a lonely dried apricot and a vanilla bean.  Not to mention the streaks of some brown substance that is, yep that’s right, leaking down from the next shelf up.  Oh joy.  Discovering what that is will bring me mountains of unspeakable joy!  Hello sarcasm.  It’s nice to meet you.

Well at least one of my pantry shelves is now clean and sorted !

keep'n it real

This is the pile of laundry in my lounge room waiting to be folded.

I haven't seen the bottom of an empty laundry basket since 2004.

a date with the boys

While the girls were at a friends birthday party, the boys and I went to the park.  We enjoyed some strong coffee, a chicken kebab, warm sunshine and some pretty cute smiles from Joseph.  It is so nice to see his little cheeky personality back after being so sick.

And speaking of cheeky - look who's been smiling recently!  After weeks of cajooling (that is a word, isn't it?) and talking in ridiculously high-pitched voices, Samuel gave us his first smile at 6 weeks of age.  And isn't it just the cutest?

I'm totally biased though.

 

just call this command central

The blackboard where I keep note of who received what medicine when.  Another trip to the doctors today and another reminder of how lucky Joseph was to have avoided hospital last weekend.  He is still quite sick and every time I try and comfort him or offer him food he throws himself on the floor and just cries.  And cries.  And cries.  So far the only food he has agreed to eat are cheerios (baby hot-dogs for you USA folk), jelly, mini cupcakes and jelly beans.

Rachael has a raging ear infection that kept her up most of last night.  The poor thing would fall asleep only to wake 20 minutes later crying 'Mamma I just can't sleep very well'.  Can you hear that noise?  That is the sound of my heart breaking.  My word that girl is sweetness and light even when she is unwell.

So yeah, this is me today, going from one child to the next with plenty of hugs for everyone.

Seriously, this virus can um...go away now.

happy thoughts

 I love pink
  
{ images from don't forget to fly }
 
 

not so hot right now

What a week.  It started off with a weekend of visitors and a trip to visit relatives.  Then we sold our kombi and then the weather got hot and then my back started to hurt AND THEN, we all got sick.  All of us.  Sick.  Well except for Matt which is such a relief because someone has to keep this ship running!

I am feeling slightly better, apart from a vicious sore throat.  Poor Joseph has had a fever all day and we didn't move off the couch for hours.  Play School has been on repeat pretty much all day and I think I want to marry Rhys - he's such a funny guy.

To end off this weird week it's my birthday tomorrow.  Matt has a lovely breakfast planned and I'm looking forward to spending time with my poor, sickly, lovely family doing nothing much.

one of those days

What do you do when your day is quickly going pear shaped and you just.don't.have the energy to keep up?

You throw all your plans to leave the house out the window, make three batches of fresh play-dough, gather the 'lil ones and give in to the moment.

Being creative is such good therapy.  We played for hours and I watched their little imaginations create snail gardens, snail houses, stars and pizzas.

It's a nice reminder for myself about letting go - my house may not be tidy, my laundry is constantly in need of folding, we are down to one packet of wipes, Samuel is using nappies three sizes too big, and the refridgerator really needs a clean.

But I'm learning to care less about these things.  Because really, when push comes to shove I'd much rather be enjoying my children and in the moment with them than anywhere else.

Maybe we'll try and make it to the shops tomorrow.

 

it's so pretty it hurts my eyes

Look at what is gracing my entry unit at the moment!  (Just down from the pile of 'stuff' that gathers there for their annual get-together). 

A dear friend of mine gave me Handmade Home, Amanda Blake Soule's latest book and I just.can't.wait to start sewing again and this book is the perfect way to begin.  Remember this big cupboard clean-out?  Well that big basket of old t-shirts and dresses is, um...still sitting beside my sewing desk, and I'm dreaming of a quilt made with a mixture of the girl's old shirts that are so full of memories.

This book is full of great projects that are practical and family-friendly.  I love sewing.  And sewing something that I know the family needs and will use everyday is super satisfying.

Thank you friend!

you could barely call it 'cooking'

But I'm going to anyway.  Well and truly gone are the days of baking an apple pie a week.  Or spending an evening in the kitchen once the kids were in bed whipping up slices and biscuits.  Oh no siree.

But the other day I was itching to make something.  So this is the closest I've been to baking in quite some time...

Chocolate Balls.  Remember these Pepper?  These were a staple in our family when I was growing up and they never lasted more than a day.  We loved making them as kids and I can't remember any school holidays without making these once or seven times.  I mean really - anything with condensed milk in it has to be good.

Throw the biscuits in a food processor and give them the worst day of their life.

Put them in a bowl.

Add about 2 tablespoons of cocoa, or more if you want them really chocolately.

And then add the tin of condensed milk.  Make sure that you lick out the tin 'cause, you know, it's condensed milk and no more needs to be said.

And then mix all together well.  Does this look very appealing? No.

Does it taste yummy? Yes.

Roll the mixture into balls (I always make mine way too big) and roll in coconut.  You can eat them straight away or refridgerate for a while to harden.  Store them in the fridge though.

Needless to say they were delicious.

And we ate them all that day.

It's tradition.