capabilities vs complacency

I sometime think that Rory was sent as a challenge, both physically AND mentally. My endeavours at the gym - to lose weight, keep fit and be able to chase after a small tornado - have clearly paid off. The mental challenges are ongoing and the goal posts are always changing with no abatement in sight. It's interesting to note that none of the other kids in my Mothers Group appear to challenge their parents in the way Rory does. He, perhaps, sets the trend at times.

Every so often, we appear to reach a point where boundaries and capabilities are met, silently acknowledged and respected. And then, predictably, a sense of complacency sets in and we (both mother and son) know what we are capable of and life is good. That is, until another skill or ability is discovered.

As was discovered this morning.

Since Rory transitioned to a 'big boy bed' in the past month and a half, he's now able to get himself up and out of his room when he wakes in the morning. Usually, he'll run down to our room and snuggle in bed before his father reluctantly gets up and organises his (Rory's) breakfast. In the past week, he's started taking himself off to play nicely with his toys in the loungeroom.

Until this morning.

I awoke sometime after 6am to hear noises in the kitchen. I was sure I'd shut the kitchen baby gate, which is secured from the wall to the bench. My ingenious son had pushed his high chair to the bench and clambered over (no doubt thanking his skills he'd picked up from Gymbaroo in the process). By the time I'd dragged myself to the kitchen, I'd caught him standing in front of the fridge, with the door wide open, plastic bowl in hand, filled with 'bix' (Weet-bix). It was hard to tell him off for showing such initiative.

Unfortunately, this now means more baby proofing is required in the kitchen, as one of the last few 'gated' areas of the house is now accessible to a small inquisitive tornado. But on the flipside, now that Rory is becoming more self-reliant (by showing that he's able to entertain himself and get his own breakfast), it's a comfort to know that he able to carry out 'routine' activities without a lot of parental help.

Still doesn't mean we get a sleep in though!

there are no donuts in death

Every Sunday afternoon I check the Postsccret site to absorb the writings of postcards of anonymous people wanting to get a secret off their chest. Most of the time, the secrets are slightly depressing, although there is quite often a few gems which shine some basic truth.

Today's batch included the one above. It struck me as being a pretty obvious sentiment. Why forgo all the pleasures that life can give you for an eternity in an unknown oblivion?

I think I want pizza for dinner now.

ANZAC Day Weekend

Spent the l-o-n-g weekend at Leongatha, with Corey's family friends. A chance for us to do nothing (finished a book, started another), not cook (2 dinners out, 1 lunch of chips & pies), be amused by local (Gippsland) advertising on television, and of course, catch up with the family. Returned home and spent the remainder of long weekend with family and friends down at Balnarring.

Saturday: Down to Leongatha just after lunch, chatted, relaxed, played on the playground (small boy, not me). Dinner at local Chinese where everythign that could go wrong, *did* go wrong. Dinner disagreed with small boy so most of Saturday night (from 10pm onwards) was spent cleaning up sick).

Sunday: Ben was dropped off on Sunday at Kay & Bim's. Out on Bim's boat down at Inverloch - he took Corey, Rory (first time on a boat) and Ben out on the water while Kay and I traipsed around Inverloch for lunch. Out of 2 pie shops (the one that claimed "50 varieties of pies" had sold out of pies), we bought hot chips, pies and chips for lunch, eating them at 'Pensioner's Corner' where Bim had driven the boat. Dinner at Leongatha RSL, boy was well behaved at dinner, unlike previous night. Finished early, battled with Rory to get him into bed whilst Corey had retired early.

Monday: Drove back to Hastings, baked some scones and took lunch down to Kim & Kylie's with Rohan & Kinga (& Huon) joining us. Corey helped Kim put some of their new kitchen together.

Big Boy Bed

Aged 2 now, and in his own big bed. Small boy is delighted with his "new" room - I had to totally rearrange the room to fit the bed in. He hasn't fallen out of it yet so that's another good thing. The quilt on the bed is the one I made for him before he was born.

Chocolatey Squidgy Brownie Goodness

(Also known as Nigella's Flourless Chocolate Brownies)



Discovered this recipe recently when a friend posted in her facebook status that she was making them. It's available on Nigella Lawson's website, but I've converted it slightly to suit Aussie measurements, including ingredient recommendations. Nigella's recipe works well as a dessert with accompanying hot chocolate sauce, but I've only ever made it as a brownie.

This recipe is very easy to make, as all the ingredients can be mixed together in the same saucepan and then transferred to a 24cm square baking tin.


Ingredients
225g Dark Chocolate (70% cocoa solids)*
225g Butter
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 cup (200g) Caster Sugar
3 eggs, beaten
150g Ground Almonds**
100g Chopped Walnuts***
Icing sugar, to dust


Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter gently over a low heat in a heavy-based saucepan.
3. Take the pan off the heat, mix in the vanilla and sugar, and let it cool a little.
4. Beat the eggs into the pan along with the ground almonds and chopped walnuts.
5. Turn into a greased square baking tin (or a foil one if you have one)
6. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, when the top will have set but the mixture will still be gooey.
7. Allow to cool and cut carefully into 16 (four down, four across) squares. Refridgerate until it needs to be served.
8. Prior to serving, dust with icing sugar.

Notes
* 2 x 200g blocks of Lindt 70% or Black & Green 70% chocolate works well.
** I used 'Freshlife' Almond Meal.
*** I used 125g packet of 'Lucky' Crumbed Walnuts

birthday boy

Our little boy - even as I write he's still half the size of me, in height - turned 2 last Saturday.

His birthday coincided with the Westernport Festival so Saturday was spent opening presents, watching the parade down High Street at midday and wandering around the amusements, attractions & rides at the foreshore. For dinner, we enjoyed a BBQ tea at the fire station (for brigade members) and topped the evening off with fireworks down the foreshore.

On Sunday, we hosted a small afternoon tea for close friends and family. Hubby took the small boy down the foreshore to look at the big truck display (scoring himself a ride in a crane whilst down there) whilst I cooked, baked and generally got the decorations up before the guests arrived.

Small boy was spoilt rotten with the guests and presents and was in awe of the excellent train birthday cake that his Nana made for him.

self-imposed hiatus.... Over!

Ok, it's been well over a year since I posted. Life gets in the way, and that'll be my pathetic excuse for not posting.

An update:

• The small boy turns 2 this weekend. Tall (about a metre in height, half my height!), blonde, curious, into anything and everything. Speech has finally kicked in, with words coming left, right and centre.
• Gym visits still going strong - 3 times a week. Have lost nearly 35kg (which I'm quite happy with) and starting to reach a plateau, which is to be expected.
• I'm a SAHM. No intention of going back to work just yet, unless a good offer comes up!
• Hatches, Matches & Dispatches update: 2 engagement, 2 marriages, 2 babies (plus another in March). No deaths - anyone that I know closely - as yet.
• House progress - pergola built, laserlight to be attached shortly, gutters currently being replaced. Garden beds built (one vegie patch, one out the front, one for citrus plants). Hot water system replaced and insulation (as per government scheme) replaced. Mostly work outside; inside work relatively quiet, save for some shelves in laundry.
• Current TV addiction: Dr Who and Torchwood.

Until later...