.....and that, ladies & gents, was Summer 13/14

Werribee Zoo visit - just last weekend. A great end to Summer.

Notice the zoo map sticking out of my pocket? That was the same zoo map we spent most of the time looking for and found it in my pocket just as we jumped in the car to head home.

Looking through images from the last three months, I can't believe how much little P has changed.

At aged 18 months he's finally started to walk, thank goodness, 

a 14 kg baby makes ones arms & shoulders a little strained.

He's in the 98th percentile for weight & height, coming in at 88cm!

What a little man he is.

The words coming out of his mouth include: Dizzy, moon, baa-baa, Dadda, Mama, cheese, shoes ('sooz'), oh-ohhh, ball, bath, bye-bye, hi, nigh-nigh, car, a version of truck (guk), and of course 'noooooo'. Very impressive!

This climbing thing is over-rated...

First day of Summer.

And his hair has finally grown back after my 'trimming' attempt - never again little P.

First of Feb!

An early start this morning, alarm set for 6.30am (on a Saturday!?)....some consideration of the snooze button, but no point. What's not studied now will have to be covered at some point!

So here I am - sitting on the couch - grey sky outside - though it's meant to be a warm one. I can hear little P stirring and can see on his monitor that he's kicked his blankets off. Do I risk sneaking in to cover him, though it's 25 degrees in his room? Will think about it....

I love the first day of a new month...SO many possibilities. Last month of Summer, this is the month of fruit preserving, jam and chutney making which means I can use all the jars filling one while cupboard since this time last year.

But, it'll all have to wait until after my exam - 19 days and counting!  The only extracurricular activity I can fit in now is a daily beach walk with Dizzy & Piet.

Now, off to cover up little P and another hour or two of reading about 'New Product Development'.

(PS as this blog is quite 'staid' right now because of study I've an almost complete 'adventure' post from the holidays to post tonight. Not sure who may be reading this but 'hi' to you and stick in there - much more to come - and if you get a chance to say 'hi' back that would be awesome!! :-))

Friday morning

Morning beautiful Friday! Three days ahead of us which to be filled with...studying, studying and a little studying.  The heat has been bearable this time around so we're really enjoying Summer.

Little P's chubby legs are out for all to see which puts a big, wide grin on my face. He's growing so quickly, nearly walking and two extra choppers have just appeared.

Ahh...I can hear him now - just woken from a 14 hour sleep...which means this mother also had some rest.  Ready for a full weekend of studying!

Heating up

Each day is becoming just a little warmer, which is a helluva lot nicer than a 20 degree jump from one day to the next.

Early this morning Piet and I got out into the garden (Piet literally) and gave it a good water so it survives the next few days.

Last year this echinacea was eaten to the ground by rabbits, but is slowly growing back...I love him

After watering, the cobwebs started to appear in the sunlight, they're pretty special, sparkling away like jewels.

Summer sun in one's eyes...

This year I've decided to try and achieve one 'great' thing each month. (Besides looking after a toddler, husband, house, garden, working and studying). Something that I makes feel good - or even better that it's over :-)

For the first month of the year I've succeeded in completing a 4,000 word case-study as part of my MBA.  Reading, analysing and writing while looking after a toddler seemed the most ridiculous thing to attempt and is probably what kept me away from the blog for so long, but the minute I sent it up to the 'Cloud' at Deakin Uni for marking a HUUUGE weight lifted off my shoulders and I sensed the beginning of 2014 being a great year! Woo hoo to me!

My boy is growing up.

My boy is growing up and I consciously have to think about what he now can do.  It never occurred to me that he could sit in a chair without falling off.  I've been sticking him in the high chair or on my lap whenever he eats.

It also didn't occur to me that he could open a pack of sultanas on his own and eat them one by one. I've been hovering around him like a new mum handing him a little sultanas when the previous was chewed & swallowed....

So I tried him on a chair and handed him a pack of sultanas.....and tadahhhhh! It was just like he'd been doing it all his life!

He must think I'm stupid.  He may think I think HE'S stupid. Maybe it's because he can't yet walk or talk I'm treating him like a 4 month old.....or maybe I just need to let go and allow him to grow up.

I have to get my mind around the fact that he's growing & learning everyday, especially at childcare where he gets to check out all the other kids and their activities.

Exciting times but I have a twinge of sadness that his days of needing to be looked after like a baby are further dwindling away.

Five fish

Santa came early, with some goldfish for Piet. 

I slipped them into the water lily pond and haven't seen them since!

Little beach holiday....in front of a big fire

Little P and I picked Tony up from work and we headed to Lorne to stay with his parents. Lorne is about 40 minutes south-west of Geelong on the Great Ocean Road of Victoria. Usually in November the night would be lovely enough to eat outside, ridiculously for this time in November we had the fire going and stayed inside out of the rain and wind.

Was very lovely though, I hadn't realised my birthday was coming up so quickly and part of why we were there was to celebrate (apart from Piet's grandparents wanting to give him lots of hugs and kisses xo).

Cockatoos made an appearance on the balcony - I just love when P sees something for the first time in his life.  Imagine what he's thinking of these noisy, pushy birds with yellow bits on their head!!?? They woke me up at 5am yesterday screeching and flying high over all the houses.

The weather today is still not great for us but perfect for Tony who's out sailing in the two-handed race (4 hands really, two crew).  Little P and I will go for a swim this afternoon and then try to choose a birthday present at a store where I'd like to take home everything I can get my hands on, aka Country Road. T's parents also gave me some funds to spend on myself plus water lilies for a water feature (that T may put together??) and Lizzie made just the perfect Wellington boot stand for the three of us.  Little P may receive some little boots form Santa? He has to learn to walk first..haha

This week will be busy at work PLUS a silly snap decision one month ago to try and finish my MBA means the Study Season starts tomorrow and this Thursday night I meet with my study group to begin an essay due in February....and you can put your money on it...our home printer died last night in the middle of printing out 36 pages of Tony's sailing instructions.

More importantly, the second season of Borgen starts on Wednesday night.  You must watch it...fantastic! 9.30pm on SBS.

Now it's shopping time!

Spring farm images

Looking back on pictures I took two weeks ago when the sun spent an entire day in front of the clouds

...onions, oregano, leeks, broad beans, chives, artichokes, spinach, chard, garlic, almonds, poppies, snow peas, lavender...

The grass is just too long, the ride-on lawn mower has decided to take early retirement - bad timing with Summer and long grass a bad combination for the upcoming fire season.

And these guys, well, they are absolutely the laziest sheep ev-er! 

Are they having story time over in their nice little corner! 

Hey guys, thought about munching a few blades of grass at some stage??