Scenes from the Summer

From Gunnedah to Skye and Beechworth to Briar Hill, it's been a big Summer.  Here's a quick glimpse into how we spent it.

Defusing the Clutter-Bomb

Stuff, stuff, stuff. I don't know about you, but I feel like our life is drowning in Stuff at the moment. Stuff of the tangible kind, especially after spending Christmas interstate with 2 small children and some very generous relatives. Sadly it's not a new phenomenon however - when we moved to Sydney, we shifted 40-something boxes from our tiny two bedroom unit. Even the moving men expressed a large degree of surprise at how we were able to fit that much Stuff in our home to begin with.

Being away for 3 weeks and living largely out of 3 bags has made me realise all the more just how much we have that we really don't use, let alone need and possibly even want! Add to that we're still living in a 2 bedroom unit, albeit a fair bit bigger than our Melbourne digs. My plan for this year, well, hopefully the next month or so, is to work through our home and sort out what we really want/need and get RID of the rest, be it through ebay, freecycle or offering good Stuff to our neighbours.

So very much Stuff, and yet I still find myself obsessively searching ebay for a good deal on an espresso machine... I think it's going to take me a while before I get this whole Stuff/materialism thing really sorted.

Image by A.Currell from Flickr

A Grand Day Out

Recently we took our train-loving 2 year old to The Train Shed at the Vicary's Winery in Luddenham. Needless to say she was bouncing up and down as we got out of the car and could barely contain herself as we took of the ride on Thomas. Mavis was the first train there as arrived at the 'station' and after looking a little perturbed about not knowing who Mavis was (she hasn't actually seen or read very much Thomas), we climbed aboard.

To add to the drama of the day, we were promptly involved in a derailment on the bend approaching the tunnel - naughty Mavis jumped off the track - but we were quickly set right and headed off again. They have five different Thomas trains and I think all of them were running at some point while we were there. We also had an Ouffer voucher that gave us a free children's meal (4 chicken nuggets and a juice box, but Hannah was happy with that) and 2 devonshire teas for my husband and I. While it was a 'make yourself' tea (or instant coffee - though you could pay to upgrade to a cappuccino/latte), the scones were Huge and they were very generous with the cream and jam (much do the frustration of the self-control for 2 people trying to lose weight...). The staff were really friendly and Hannah loved it. Her only concern was that she wanted to drive the train. We have another voucher, so were looking forward to going some time again before April. It isn't super cheap, with 4 rides (lasting about 7 minutes each) costing $18, but it is a fun morning/afternoon with little ones.

The next train we're planning on riding though, is the Toilet Train(ing), which is sure to be a wild ride, hopefully without too many derailments...

In the Quiet Moments

I have been feeling quite overwhelmed lately with just how much I love my children. They are currently 2 and 5 months. Now that the first few harder months have passed with my son and we're getting some more sleep overnight, I feel like life is settling into a routine and we're feeling a lot more "normal". We've developed a routine lately of having a little snuggle just before he goes down to sleep for the night. I lay him on my bed to get him zipped into his swaddle and then lay down next to him to give him some kisses and tickles. I can't explain just how much joy seeing him also enjoy my closeness brings me. It's just a little quiet moment, but so very precious.

I get a similar feeling with my daughter when I get her up from her naps and she just gives me a big relaxed, full body, head-on-my-shoulder hug - it's bliss. Or else when we're in a new place and she comes and wraps herself around my leg because she's feeling a bit wary, the knowledge that I am her place of safety and that feeling of closeness is so very special.

I love those small quiet moments.