Hello Rain

We had the most beautiful wet weekend. Oh it was heavenly! The rain quenched our garden's thirst and soothed my soul. We didn't even mind that the annual CSO Proms concert at Goverment House was rained out. Well, the concert went ahead but we decided not to go. It poured all day, the event organisers had advertised that the concert would be postponed in inclement weather but stubbornly persisted to the dismay of many patrons including us. Such a pity, but cest la vie...we were tucked up warm and dry at home watching a movie and feasting on the picnic I'd packed for the concert.

 

 

Jack spent most of the weekend playing out in the rain...

 

 

In various wet weather outfits, mostly consisting of a nappy and gumboots.

 

Such a good steady soaking. The garden has already started to bounce back, much to our relief, and the tank is full again.

 

Today the Jackman and I made the most of the morning's sunshine and muddled about in the park...splashing in the stream, racing leaf boats and climbing trees.

 

Everything felt clean and bright again after a long dusty summer.

This afternoon a furious storm front rolled in...just as the school bell rang. It must have been a sight watching all of us parents scrambling for cover in classroom doorways. We were completely soaked, umbrellas or no. The rain was coming in sideways and a mini tornado whipped up in the quadrangle. One poor parent copped a serious head injury from a falling branch and the grounds were flooded. Thankfully the storm passed through quickly and the rain eased up enough for a dash back to the car.

Such a stormy, wet afternoon called for popcorn and an after school movie.

 

 

It can pour like this all week if it likes...we are LOVING it!!!

 

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Penny for your thoughts?

Ooohhhh...I just love an impromptu date night, don't you!

 

 

Penny University in Kingston.

Another new absolute favourite haunt in Canberra.

A casual atmosphere, blow-your-mind food, impeccable service and coffee worth staying up all night for.

I had the pork belly with a tangy fennel and corriander slaw.

He had the lamb with date & pistachio cous cous.

We shared the fries with wasabi aioli.

There was coffee & vanilla parfait with blood orange & burnt caramel sauce on my side....and a gingerbread icecream sandwich on his.

And coffee...gooood coffee.

 

Yup, totally love impromptu date nights.

 

(We can't express how much we LOVE our neighbor Claire who's generous offers of babysitting makes these date nights possible. She's all kinds of wonderful!)

 

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Polar bear wear and the fun police.

Last week was a Polar Bear Wearin kind of week for the Jackman.

 

Our fab neighbor Holly brought back gorgeous beanies for the boys from New York last Christmas. Jack has insisted on wearing it every day since. I may or may not have attempted to hide it temporarily and make him wear a sun hat...cause, you know, being summer and all, with the uv index off the charts and temps in the high thirties. Didn't last long, he found it in no time and well, frankly, who am I to quibble with toddler logic!?!

 

 

It was a really lovely first 'Jackman/ Mummy' week together. We spent a lot of time out and about in the Nation's Capital with mornings at the National Library, Questacon and various playgrounds around the city.

 

Harry had a great first week at big school. We seem to have found a good rhythm with his new school routine...(with the exception of me completely forgetting about the boys swimming lessons after school last Thursday, but we can let that tiny oversight slide right?). I love having snuggly chats with Harry at bedtime when he tells me all the new things he's learnt. Its beautiful.

 

We also ventured out early on Sunday for a bike ride around Lake Burleigh Griffin before the mercury shot up into the high thirties...again.

 

 

Constable Callaghan made sure the riff raff were sorted out.

No slow movin hooligans allowed along the lake...no siree!

 

 

 

Must dash...Kindy pickup.

Wishing you all a lovely rest of the week.

xx Em

 

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One of those days

Today has been one of those days.

 

 

The kind of day when the temperature plummets 20 degrees from the previous week's blistering heat and gives you sweet relief. The kind of day when you wake up to the sound of rain drumming steadily on the roof for an hour and you roll out of bed smiling because you've been longing for that sound for an age. One of those days that you KNOW is going to be lovely.

 

Coffee and banana bread in Pialligo with the Jackman. Redecorating the boys bedrooms. Harry telling me all he'd learnt about ant colonies today in Kindy & watching him run back to the classroom to give his teacher a hug. Lots of lovely little things.

 

 

The kind of day when you transform a batch of over ripe fruit into a luscious sweet treat for dessert. And all it takes is a bit of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg and a slow oven to caramelise pears, peaches and apricots to perfection.

 

 

Love having one of those days.

 

 

xx Em

 

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Pixie cuts, Primary School & Protein Balls

 

 

So...this is me...all pixie-fied.

 

I've decided to keep my hair short for a while, a decision mostly based on the need to be practical. Its just easier to not have to style it while I'm recovering from my next mastectomy. Now that it's been cropped again, I rather like it. It feels like me. Not the, 'hair growing in after chemo' me, but the, 'I'm confident enough to sport a pixie crop cause that's the way I like it' me. I may or may not have become a smidge lazy re: hair maintenance too. Perhaps one day I'll grow it back into a bob again and spend countless hours blow drying and straightening and colouring...or maybe I won't. Maybe this is the new long term me...emerging from my cancer cocoon with a greater appreciation for simple, fuss free style.

 

Today Harry started 'big school'. I can't tell you how incredibly proud we are of this kid. He had such a tough year last year. When I was diagnosed he didn't know how to verbalise his feelings which was so difficult for him because he was feeling A LOT as he watched me deteriorate during surgery and chemo. But with patience and an incredible Preschool Teacher who helped him express those feelings through drawings and words, he transformed back into a confident, happy little boy.

 

 

This morning when he woke up he gave me the biggest hug and said "I turn into a Kindy Kid today and I'm not even nervous". He dressed himself in his new uniform, tied his own shoelaces and helped prepare his lunch. Then we picked roses for his teachers, "because I love my teachers so much Mummy". I mean really, could he be any sweeter???

 

 

He strolled through the schoolyard with such self assurance and greeted his teacher with a big "Good Morning Mrs Atkinson" as he handed her the flowers. All kinds of awesome, he is ALL kinds of awesome!

 

 

And so was his well behaved brother who sat quietly with a puzzle while Harry checked out his new desk. After a couple of minutes it was clear that our big grown up boy was having no problem settling into his new class so we gave him a cuddle, Jack hurrahed him with a booming "Goodbye Hawwy" and we left without a tear shed from anyone. It was a lovely!

 

After we dropped Hubby at work the Jackman and I went into the city for some morning tea and a play in Glebe Park to mark the start of a new chapter for us. I am so excited that we get to spend five days a week together...just the two of us. Harry had 3 years of my undivided attention and I dearly wanted Jack to have some competition-free Mummy time too.

 

 

These boys are growing up so fast and I want to savour this time.

Speaking of savouring...(nice segway Em!)...I promised to share the recipe I used for the nut-free protein balls that I instagramed yesterday.

A protein packed lunchbox snack that is incredibly easy to make.

 

 

The recipe for these Amazeballs can be found here.

I substituted a couple of the ingredients with what I had in the pantry (high quality cocoa instead of raw cacao and a carob/oatmeal/linseed mix instead of sunflower seeds and it worked a treat. Be warned though, they won't last long so make a double batch!

 

Here's cheers for a fabulous first day of Kindy...may the rest of the school year be just as great!

 

xx Em

 

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