Caitlyn Nicholas

Introducing Vermeer

2012-01-24T10:42:00.000+11:00

My mother is an alpaca enthusiast. To date she's had two alpaca's and two sheep

Jock, Pepe, Blackie and Brindle

Sadly Blackie the sheep and Jock the Alpaca have succumbed to old age in recent months. Leaving Brindle the sheep and Pepe the Alpaca to wander around like lonely clouds in a very big paddock.

Mum is about to kick off her Great Alpaca Adventure, and is in the process of acquiring a flock of knocked-up Alpaca ladies. However, when the people at the Alpaca stud heard of lonely Pepe and Brindle they sent Vermeer to keep them company.

Vermeer - aged 2

He is only 2 and has never met a sheep before, so is very wary of Brindle (who is taking full advantage and chasing him when she thinks noone is looking). I wonder what Vermeer thinks Brindle is? Maybe a very short Alpaca who collided with a wall??

We all adore him

He's also a lot tamer than Pepe and talks to you when you get close. The whole family is completely smitten and Miss 6 and 7 keep sneaking off to feed him bits of hay and check he's not homesick.

:)

Trip Back In Time...

2012-01-22T08:18:00.000+11:00

Last weekend we had a family adventure to Jenolan Caves.

The weather was lovely...

Road in

The accommodation was modern...

Our TV - it had one channel which played religious movies

The caves had the same displays they did 25 years ago when I went as a kid, and the guide was still making mother-in-law jokes

I paid $60 for my family to see that

And the views were spectacular...

Road out

The kids loved it :)

Getting Organised: Bag Nook

2012-01-21T11:12:00.003+11:00

Just over a week to go and the Screamies are back to school. My sense of deep relief is tempered by a strong sense of foreboding, as I think we're in for a challenging term with Miss 6. The end of last year was desperately stressful, and we've been working throughout the holidays with some awesome people to make sure that this year is played to a different (better, happier) tune.

I'm still worried though. And though repeating 'its going to be fine' whilst eating lindt chocolate is helping a lot, I've also been working hard to get the house organised - so that things go as smoothly as possible, and also to stop myself thinking about it all too much.

My first area to tackle has been our bag nook (I always think bag nook sounds like a delicious Middle Eastern dish, maybe that's just me, hmm).

This is how it looked a couple of days ago...

And today...

Going to hang the noticeboard later on

Hats will go up the top, bags on the hooks, shoes and other guff in the baskets.

I bought a cheap corkboard and covered it with some material from my stash. This will hold invitations, notes going to and from school, as well as the kids routines - a pictorial one for Miss 6

The school bags have been washed (which is why it is now pouring in Sydney, if anyone was wondering). Despite strict instructions not to wash them, I kind of had too (ew, that is all), but did it on a delicates cycle with lux flakes and they're all good.

Next challenge is to turn the playroom into a better space for playing/homework. It used to work wonderfully, but its not kept up with the kids changing needs and is now just a cluttered space.

This has all been inspired by...

Year of the Painted Toenails

2012-01-10T09:54:00.002+11:00

Went shopping for nail polish with the kids yesterday.

Rarrrgh

Was after something low-key, ended up with lurid pink and purply-grey.

I made three new year's resolutions on Twitter very close to midnight on the 31st.

2012 is going to be the year of writing, and painted toenails, oh and gin.

So far I've been all over the first and the last, and yesterday I felt it was time to redress the second. Yes I know it says toenails, but seriously people, you do not want pictures of my feet up here. Seriously.

K.I.S.S.

2012-01-09T08:31:00.003+11:00

Sometimes the simplest advice is the most effective.
Also, this diagram is a lot cheaper than years of therapy - trust me on this.

Summer Peaches

2012-01-07T11:15:00.002+11:00

WOW, its been an amazing start to the year! I had so much fun with the giveaway contest and still can't believe I had so many entries. Thank you again to everyone.

Its full swing summer holidays at the moment, and days are spent at the beach or playing (well supervising from under the gazebo) in the garden.

The vegie garden is looking very scrappy, I tend not to grow stuff over summer, as it only takes one 40 degree day with a westerly gale and I lose everything. So I'm harvesting what we've got (leeks, so many leeks!) until its time to start the winter planting at the end of February.

Today we ate the first of our peaches.

They are white peaches and tasted utterly divine

Well, if you don't mind about the wretched fruit fly larve!

Happy New Year - Gift Card Giveaway

2011-12-30T01:00:00.000+11:00

And the winner is...
Craig Smith

email coming to you

Congrats Craig
And a huge, huge thank you to everyone who entered.
I had 304 entries in total!!
And it was such a lovely lovely way to celebrate my 40th Birthday :)
Thanks again

Celebrating Forty

2011-12-29T15:44:00.003+11:00

I have been away to a place so remote that the internet goes at DIAL UP speed, AND I had to drive down the road to get phone access. Yes. I have been at my parents house.

The Horror.

Civilisation I have missed you.

On Sunday it's my 40th Birthday. 1st January. Oh yes indeedy.

I bid my thirties farewell without much regret - though I do miss my early thirties pre-babies flat tummy (miss you xxx). I'm looking forward to my forties, I think its going to be an awesome time for me and my little family.

Over the last few months I've been mulling over how to kick off this next decade. Hubs and I have discussed a few ideas...

Party - great except I'm an anti-social introvert
Dinner somewhere nice - great except I like to be in bed by 8pm
Holiday - great except travel makes me constipated - which would be a terrible state to start my 40s in

Oh I kid. Any of those would be utterly wonderful and I'd love them, but hubs's work contract has just ended and we're hoarding the pennies.

So I got to thinking about celebrating my 40th in a meaningful way without spending much money (or none at all). And that led me to thinking about the things that fill me with joy, and then I realised that those things don't cost anything anyway!

I ended up with this list

Walk
Cook
Give
Learn
Grow

And my plan to celebrate my 4th decade (5th!! its my 5th decade, ahem, thanks Jennie :)) on the planet is going to go something like this...

Walk - a dawn walk on Long Reef Beach with my family watching the sun rise up out of the ocean, we'll bring breakfast with us and thermos of tea. Perfect. Also rain is my favourite beach weather, so I don't mind what the weather is.
Cook - a feast at home. Huge bowl of prawns with homemade mayo and a cold beer - something fun that doesn't take hours
Give - I love to give and I love to knit. So over the year I'm going to knit 40 of my world famous dishcloths and give them away - via the blog, watch this space! (On the subject of giveaways, a book voucher giveaway is starting here tomorrow - shhh, its a surprise)
Learn - I'm starting Embroiderer's Guild courses this year
Grow - you all know I love my garden. So I'll be planting an avocado tree and watching hubs turn the front garden into a space that fills me with delight.

I just cannot wait :)

Christmas YAY

2011-12-24T21:29:00.001+11:00

I am trapped in the house with my family and Miss 5 has just locked us all out of the bathroom. Help meeeee...

The Gingerbread house

2011-12-21T20:47:00.000+11:00

Today was gingerbread house decorating day....

Decorated by hubs and the kids

I left the decorating to the rest of the family this year.

I am writing a novella at the moment (30,000 words). I'm planning to submit it to Entangled Publishing on 15th January as part of their call for Geek Girl stories. So far I have a kick-arse story, but its only 10,000 words long. Which has turned me into a bad tempered headphone wearing individual who is glued to her computer - well, in between over-compensating the kids with lollies and movies, to alleviate a massive glut of mother guilt because I'm not rushing about with carols on full blast and the house smelling of frankincense and myrrrr.

Honestly, if I'd been left to decorate the Gingerbread house, it'd would've ended up looking a lot like Edenland's House of Doom...

This sublime gingerbread house has an accompanying blog post and vlog over on Edenland's blog, which if you don't know it already, is well worth a read :)

The SAHM 12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-14T15:33:00.001+11:00

On the First day of Christmas the Universe gave to me:
Very long school holidays

On the Second day of Christmas the Universe gave to me:
Two tired children
and
Very long school holidays

On the Third day of Christmas the Universe gave to me:
Three ice-skating lessons

Two tired children, and

Very long school holidays

On the Fourth day of Christmas the Universe gave to me:
Four swollen tonsils

Three ice-skating lessons, Two tired children, and

Very long school holidays

On the Fifth day of Christmas the Universe gave to me:
Five days of rain