In which Turi is a gobbledok and we take a train to the land of birthdays...

 

You may have guessed from my last post that there has been a bit of a Faraway Tree obsession brewing about these parts lately.  This weekend we went to a very special Faraway Tree themed birthday party centred around a journey on Puffing Billy (an old restored steam train).  There are quite a few steam trains throughout the books and the forest around Puffing Billy is very reminiscent of Enid Blyton's enchanted wood, so it really was a perfect setting.

All the children were invited to dress as their favourite character from the book.  Minty decided to dress as Bessie.  For those of you not intimately acquainted with the books, when Bessie visits the Land of Birthdays at the top of the Faraway Tree she wishes for fairy wings that could really fly.  I made Minty's wings in chiffon in a simple gathered Waldorf inspired design.  The skirt was a very quick freehand overlocked number.  It was only about 9 degrees so Minty had to add her coat for extra warmth!  Turi dressed up as one of the three bears (the children visit the three bears to help rescue Jo from the polar bears in the land of ice and snow).  We borrowed a generic animal suit from a friend and paired it with his bear mask recycled from here.  Turi was so excited to be wearing his costume.  He kept whispering to me proudly, 'people will see me'.  They really did look particularly adorable, and lots of random tourists stopped to take their picture while they were waiting for the train!

This post was getting a bit long so I've had to split it into two.  Come back tomorrow for part two.

In which I belatedly discuss the opening ceremony...

 

On the weekend we had some friends over for a little olympics party.  We showed the (prerecorded) opening ceremony on the big screen and ate thematic British food.  I made toad in the hole, fish and chips and fizzy drinks with coloured life savers in them to represent the olympic rings.  Our friends brought bread and butter pudding with custard and quince pudding.  I think all the kids were pretty blown away, as for most of them it is their first olympics.

My opening ceremony highlights - the dance of 'mortality' choreographed by Akram Khan and set to Emeli Sande singing Abide With Me, the oak tree on the grassy hill, the dove bikes and of course the gorgeous olympic torch.  Lowlights - the Frankie and June section (was all a bit lost on me) and David Beckham on the speedboat (just a bit too smarmy!).  Also that whole section with the NHS seemed a bit obscure and I suspect I didn't really appreciate the political subtext.  

What did everyone else think?  Was it as good as Bejing?

In which we make pop biscuits and I am serene...

 

On Monday morning while Minty is at kinder Turi and I usually find ourselves with a little 'alone time' to fill in.  More often than not, we end up in the kitchen together for a spot of baking.  Since Turi is still only two, the kitchen tasks he can actually complete are still a bit limited.  Mostly it's his job to carry the ingredients from the fridge, press the button on the electric scales, tip things into the bowl, and of course the most important job of all, lick the spoon!  Occasionally he will over enthusiastically attempt to crack an egg, slip with the stirring spoon and throw flour all over the floor or 'zero' the scales midway through measuring.  I have to say 'it's not licking time yet' more times than I can count.  I have to constantly remind myself, 'you are calm and serene'.  In other words it's typical 2-year-old fun!

Lately we've been trying to recreate the pop biscuits from Enid Blyton's Faraway Tree (or 'pop cakes' if you are reading from the overly sanitised and Americanised newer editions).  

'She [Silky] brought our a tin of Pop Biscuits, which were lovely.  As soon as you bit them they went pop! and you suddenly found your mouth filled with new honey from the middle of the biscuits.  Fanny took seven, one after another, for she was rather greedy.'

Don't you just love Fanny?  I can really relate.

Trying to actually create a biscuit that is filled with honey is more difficult than you'd think.  The honey completely melted into the biscuits in our first attempt and though they were lip lickingly delicious, they weren't exactly pop biscuits.  This week we used a little tart tin to help the biscuits keep their shape and hold the honey.  The result was certainly more successful with a proper honey centre.  They looked a little bit like a mince pie though so I think there is still room for improvement.

Why I haven't been blogging...

 

I'm having some technical difficulties getting my photos from my flash card onto the computer.  I know, sounds like it should be super simple right?  But for some reason I'm getting all these error messages when I try and transfer them from the server to my laptop and tech support (aka the Mr.) has been working and skiing and hasn't been around to sort out my drama.  I feel a bit naked blogging without pictures. (I took these photos a couple of weeks ago when we visited my little niece)

We have no TV at our new house.  The valley we live in is some kind of media dead zone, which means we would need a 4 meter aerial to get reception.  The Mr. feels this would be a grossly unsightly addition to our abode, so I am forgoing Grey's Anatomy and The Shire in favour of architectural aesthetics.  Oddly, despite being a self confessed raging television addict, I haven't missed it in the slightest.  And since giving up TV cold turkey I no longer feel like listening to popular top 40 style radio stations.  I am living a vaguely puritanical existence in which I only listen to ABC classic FM and go to bed at around 8pm.  As you can see my life is endlessly exciting!

I have been busy in the kitchen, so when I finally manage to sort out my photographic issues I'll share some more exciting things.  I've been making lots of wintery treats like rainbow chard pies, beetroot pesto and Irish beer bread.  Turi and I have even been experimenting trying to recreate Far Away Tree pop biscuits!

In which there is raspberry jam and stress eating...

 

This blog space has been awfully quiet the last couple of months.  I'm really beginning to miss my camera and recording our stories here.  We're finally beginning to get settled into our new house.  We still don't have lights or a proper power connection but all our belongings are here (albeit many of them still in boxes and piles of rubble).  My psyche is gradually relocating here too.  I still don't automatically refer to this as 'home' but I'm starting to feel that sense of peace and relaxation you get when you drive up your own driveway.

We got a little care package in the mail from a friend this week.  It had some cute knitted bunnies for the kids, some homemade raspberry jam and quince paste.  Such a great start to the week!  There was also some almond and cherry bread that I was looking forward to nibbling on with a cup of tea and a good book after the kids were in bed.  Unfortunately Turi burnt his hand on our site flood lights and Minty scoffed the entire packet, with a wild look of panic in her eyes, during the commotion!  Clearly I have raised a little stress eater.  Turi is ok.  Thanks Manu!

Farewell old house!

 

We've finally moved into the new house!  The blog name is officially inaccurate, as we no longer live in Cowes!

Turi was awake most of last night, on high alert like a frightened animal.  He jumped at every little sound (the wind, the rain on the roof, a creak of the floor) and his eyes would pop open to assess the danger.  He spent much of the night climbing from his bed to lie on the floor, his ear pressed to the chip board and his wide eyes staring under the bed.  From what I could glean from his murmurings, he was checking for snakes, spiders and ants.  When the sun finally came up he said to me sadly, 'I want to go home mum'.  When I informed him this would be his home now, he said in a small, distressed voice, 'but I remember my room'.

I know how he feels.  Although I always hated our old house, with its 70s faux timber lined internal walls, and grungy brown carpet, so many of my stories are set inside its four walls.  The Mr proposed to me there, it is the place I brought the babies home from hospital, fell in love with them and learnt all about their funny personalities.  There is a big old, christmas tree that grows on the front lawn and every year we would decorate it… ok that's not entirely accurate… every year until some drunk, bogan, holiday makers trashed it and I didn't feel able to do it again.  I guess I'm just feeling sentimental now because it's the end of an era.

Minty on the other hand has taken to the new house like an infatuated, love-struck teen.  She was so excited to be in her new room and refused to leave the house this morning to go to kinder.  She wasn't even interested in coming back to the old house to get the last of her things.  I hope some of her enthusiasm rubs off on Turi soon!

These are some photos I took of the old house before we packed.  I haven't taken any at the new house yet - it is still a bit chaotic!

House update...

 

Would you believe we still haven't moved in?  We all have the flu so we've had to postpone things a little, while we huddle in bed with hot water bottles and boxes of tissues.  The house is virtually ready.  I just need to vacuum out the kids' rooms and slap some paint on the chipboard (we haven't chosen our carpet yet).  Here are a few photos of the progress…

Some of the kitchen cabinets are in.  That is a temporary bench top and sink.  There is still no splash back, kicker, taps or island bench but it is basically functional in a 'glamping' sort of way.

 

The fridge is in situ, complete with fabric alphabet magnets!  Priorities people!  Eventually there will be a narrow bookshelf next to the fridge for my cook books.

 

The lounge room, with a vaguely clean floor but still no furniture.

 

looking back towards the dining room, still filled with temporary furniture (and mess!)

 

The kids enjoying their first bath in the new tub!  We ended up leaving the tub 'shabby', partially out of laziness but also because I kind of like it that way.  We used garden taps here which I think are very cute!  Also check out the natural stone floor.  I love how this has turned out , and did I mention it was cheap?  The walls still need another coat or two of paint but I'll get there eventually!  I can't wait to put the wall garden in outside to give this window a bit of a view!

 

And just in case you were beginning to feel like this bathroom was almost finished here is a look in the other direction!!  The vanity is still a shell with a temporary top.  That basin isn't going to end up in this bathroom and will probably be used in our ensuite.  We still don't have lights so we have to rig up work lights when we are using a room.  I'm pretty sure this mirror will stay here but I am toying with the notion of spraying it a different colour.

Hope you're all keeping well.  I'll try not to be away so long before my next post.