finding time

There's a rule in our house, that for any occasion warranting a present, the gift should be a book.  We have what we need and though we covet plenty, we both love books and we want to read, even if I don't necessarily have time.  There's also something rather modest and heartfelt about giving a book, and I like that with so many to choose from, giving a book still requires some imagination and effort.

My collection of unread books has been growing since becoming a mother.  I blame the sleep deprivation and the fact that some days, I'm still in my pyjamas at lunch time, so escaping into a good book isn't exactly a priority.  I didn't think it would be possible but I've managed somehow to finish a novel, and in a reasonable amount of time, too.  A Barbara Kingsolver novel of course (The Bean Trees), and I'm already reading the sequel!  The irony is that it's because I'm a mother that I am now managing to read, thanks to my sleepy little feeder Max, who lets me kick back with a book while he has his fuzzy evening breast feed.  Perhaps I need to stop worrying about the seemingly endless tasks and projects I'd like to accomplish and be happy that at the very least, I get to sit down every day, read a book and then write about it.

thank you

It took until Max was 9 weeks old but with the help and patience of my dear husband, who nearly had a meltdown trying to use our printer, I finally got round to making and sending thank you notes to friends and family that were so kind to us when Max arrived.  I love to make cards; it's so personal and I know that if I were to buy them, there'd be something or another that I wouldn't like about them so I'd rather spend the time doing it myself.  (I'd like to think I save a few pennies too.)

Anyway, it may have taken a while but the main thing is that we've now sent out our heartfelt love and thanks and in doing so, I took a moment to think about each and every friend that our sons are lucky to have in their lives.

autumnal inspiration

I've always thought living in Brisbane meant missing the changing of seasons.  The arrival of spring and the promise of summer doesn't have quite the same appeal as it did when I was living in England, but lately I've been struck by how lovely Brisbane is in the autumn.  Trees do shed their leaves, the air does become crisp and while it's still sunny and warm, it's a bearable heat that reminds me of late summer days from home, with the sun low in the sky and and a freshness that turns to cold by the the time it's dark.



I've been looking for inspiration for the quilt I plan to make for our son Max's first birthday.  31 March 2011 is a long way off yet but Ollie's quilt took me four months to complete, back in the day when I had more time (and probably spent less time blogging), so the pressure is on.  Anyway, the long and short of it is that I've been thinking of making an autumn inspired quilt top, greens, yellows, browns, oranges - a big tree quilt.  I mentioned this to Will, when he was walking home from the park the other evening, he picked up these beautiful leaves, the colours of which I think will make a gorgeous quilt.  The shades are quite amazing but I might experiment a bit to give the quilt a more contemporary palette.  Nothing like the onset of winter for sitting under a quilt in progress.

sundays rule

Sunshine, play dough, pyjamas.  I love Sundays.

fuzzy and blue...

Lately, I haven't been feeling so good.  I've been tired ever since Max was born and while he's a good little boy and I have the unending support of my husband (I can't imagine doing any of this without him), I am finding breastfeeding, looking after Ollie and dealing with sleep deprivation exhausting.  After dealing with the first of the winter's colds (which had me sleeping during the day, something I rarely do) and trying to recover my sleep deficit, I now have an unsettling bug that's left me nauseous and without appetite.  And at the end of last week, I heard some particularly sad news about a good friend of a good friend who took his own life.  I can't stop thinking about him, his loved ones, the beautiful wife he left behind and the talent that he was.

I know I have a lot to be thankful for, and there are those that deal with so much more with little support but for now, I'm a bit glum and hope the next few days bring the energy and good health to help me make the most of this precious time with my boys.

(Update:  I've got giardia!  A little confusing as we can't work out how I could have got it but that's what it is.  Good news is that it's been diagnosed.  The bad news is I've had to stop breastfeeding Max for four days while I am treated.  There's enough breastmilk in our freezer for a couple of days so we are having to supplement his feeds with formula.  It's with some reluctance as he's so young, but it's important that I'm better again and can carry on breastfeeding him as soon as possible.  What a relief to know I've not been imagining my ailments!)

paniyiri greek festival

Just after Oliver was born, I remember feeling like I couldn't really leave the house.  If I wasn't breastfeeding him, Ollie would be sleeping, and we were so keen to get him into a routine that worked for him and for us that for the first 3 months, we didn't do much apart from feed and sleep.

So when Will suggested we go out for the day to the annual Paniyiri Festival which celebrates all things Greek, I surprised myself with how enthusiastic I was for it.  It may have been the promise of grilled haloumi, dolmades or spanakopita and sure, when we got there, food was the only thing on my mind, but it didn't detract from a most welcome day out with our little boys.  Ollie too loved the food, dolmades in one hand, haloumi in the other, and Max was a good little guy, happy to be strolled around, napping when he needed to.  The music was loud, the barbecues smoking and the dancing made me want to come home and watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding (again) but most of all, we all got out of the house for a lovely, sunny afternoon.  Opa!!

making clothes

(image from here)
I was reading one of my favourite blogs the other day and came across this post.  I know I need to make time before I start making clothes (and quilts and bags and the rest), but as I'm a bit uninspired by most boys' clothes I see in the shops, I'd like to have a go at making some practical but stylish little things for my sons.  I think it'll be more challenging than making girls' clothes but I'm willing to give it a go.  Hopefully Ollie and Max will like wearing clothes made by me.  I just need to get my sewing machine out and shun the housework for a few days in favour of doing something I'm actually interested in.

something sweet from stockholm...

from here via here

introducing...

Max Henry, the now officially named, newest addition to our family. He's lovely.

so easy being green

My ma's cooking is legendary and she's proving it at every meal time by cooking the most delicious, nutritious and flavoursome food.  After getting the boys to bed, it's such luxury to sit down to a  lovingly prepared and delicious meal.  Everything mum cooks is vegetarian and most of what she cooks is green, leaving us feeling virtuous and satiated after every meal.

The last couple of weeks have been chaos to say the least, and having mum around makes me wonder how we coped before she arrived and how we'll cope when she's gone but in the mean time, my craving for my ma's home cooked North Indian food is well and truly satisfied.