Introducing Vermeer

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...

 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

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

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.

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

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!