Funny Girl

This child of mine has the wickedest sense of humour and is forever cracking me up with the daft things she says.

On Sundays we like to have Takeaway food for dinner and on this particular night it was Kentucky Fried Chicken. On the way home, Caitie was talking to something, saying, "Hello, how are you? Are you having a good day?" My glance slid sideways and I said to her, "Just who are you talking too?"

Her reply?

"The drink bottle, Mum...after all, its always nice to make new friends."

I almost drove off the road!

***

A few years ago, a friend of mine informed me that she was expecting her sixth child. On hearing the news, Caitie exclaimed, "Six kids! Lordy, she's gonna run out of plates!"

She makes me laugh and smile. She is the only one who I play slappies with...and she loses with all the grace of a buffalo! (Slappies is taking a sneaky chance at slapping a bare bit of skin on a leg or a butt or a thigh...it hurts like billy-o but it IS funny, as only random pain can be!) And when she scores one on me, by jove she can run fast, giggling the whole way.

Most importantly, I have to say that I am extremely proud of the way she has knuckled down and taken her studies seriously. Last year Caitlin had a teacher who was , for lack of a better word, appalling. He was a bully who liked to yell at the kids, slap desks in a threatening matter, deny them access to the toilet, throw chairs...get the idea? Caitie learnt nothing and her abysmal maths results took a dive for the worse. This child was suddenly getting lower than a D in maths.

And had absolutely no interest in school.

This year, she has a fantastic teacher, with a wicked sense of humour, a fantastic teaching style and she is blooming.

So, I hafta say, "Thankyou Mr K, thankyou from the bottom of my heart."

Cin

Sometimes there are happy endings.

They say a picture can tell a thousand words, well this one heals a splintered heart.

Last night, after another day of sorrow for our grieving Mum, she settled in under the bed, on her own. A few minutes later, there were distinct slurping sounds coming from under the bed. An inspection revealed three bundles of fur who had decided, "Hey, if no-one else is gonna use this Milkbar, then we sure as heck should!" Puddin had two of the older 8 week old bubs and the 7 week old polar bear snuggled in and she was purring her head off with a smile from ear to ear. The other mums are happy to have a break and she is beside herself now that she has some babies.

All is right in her little world and it makes me glad.

Cin

Grief is Universal

One of our beautiful Queens was expecting this week. After a visit to the vet on Friday, Puddin proved to be in first stage labour and we settled in to wait. By Saturday afternoon she had started contracting and we were anxious to see the new arrival.

Around 5pm, Pudd gave birth to a stillborn black tortie female. The little one didn't take a breath at all and appeared to have been in some distress. Watching her clean her daughter and try to get her to breathe was heartbreaking and I sat there with the baby in my hands and wept. I allowed Pudd time to cuddle her baby and then quietly took care of the body.

Pudd is such a fantastic Mum that the loss has hit her hard. She has been calling for her baby and mothering the other kittens. Her cries break my heart and the anxious way she checks on the other babies and paces the floor have proven beyond any doubt that my baby girl is grieving and grieving deeply. This evening she curled up half on and half off my lap and just looked at me. Her ever present smile was gone and their is a look of puzzled hurt in her beautiful green eyes.

Animals feel pain and joy, sorrow and grief, they share our triumphs as well as our tragedies and no scientist with a clipboard will tell me any different. Her baby is in good hands, sleeping with our Arthur Bean at Rainbow Bridge.

Pudd will recover. She is going to be desexed and enjoy retirement with a loving family. Cuddles will be forthcoming as long as she needs them.

In happier times with an earlier litter.

Cin.

Bananas and Oranges

The lovely weather continues though the heat has come back..sigh. I want to bring out the doonas'!

For the first time in a very long time, we had a full weekend with the children, rather than having to work on Saturday and then do the market run on a Sunday. I decided it was the perfect oppotunity to whip out an Orange Poppyseed cake and for Caitie to make a banana bread. We had a ball with Conor helping as well. The results were edible and we have enjoyed them immensely, with enough over to bolster school lunches this week.

Cheers,

Cin

We woke up this morning and the air was crisp and clean. It smelt like snow...or as much like snow as Australia can smell like! The wind was whispering through the Silky Oaks and I felt myself settle and become calm. I had an overwhelming urge to break out the stockpot and make Potato, Leak and Bacon Soup and put flannelette sheets on the bed. I just stopped myself from spontaneously singing Kumbaya!

For the first time in a long while, we had breakfast on the back deck and I treated everyone to homemade Double choc, berry and coconut muffins with lashings of hot tea and juice. I know, chocolate for breakfast buy hey, the kids are only young for a little while and soon they will be too "cool" to even eat breakfast! It was glorious with the wind whispering through the Silk Oaks and the native birds calling out.

I love this time of year. While most gardens are becoming bare and barren, mine is gearing up for a floral burst, with the Grevilleas and Banksias in full flower to feed the hungry hoardes of native birds that come down to indulge in the sweet nectar. I remember a neighbour commenting how her garden was sad in winter and I smiled because mine is bursting with life and colour. Did I mention I love Autumn??

Silky Oak, a favourite of mine. We have just planted one. Ok it will be taller than the house but I don't care!!!

Banksia Integrifolia with its unusual green flowers that turn yellow and then become evil Banksia Men. For years I hated Banksia trees as they were the most awful characters in May Gibbs famous "Snugglepot and Cuddlepie". Now I see the beauty in them and the fantastical shapes they become once they go to seed.
You can see where May got her inspiration from!

And here is my absolute favourite. Grevillea Honey Gem, a medium sized shrub with gorgeous bracts of huge flowers. Absolutely stunning, the contrast of the dark green pinned foliage to the eye popping gold is just awesome!!!

So happy Autumn everyone! I'll be thinking of all the American readers who are going into summer.

Cheers,

Cin

Pirates and Soap Bubbles

I know I've been slack, I know I haven't popped in but it has taken us two weeks to pack up the shop and move the whole shebang home. Add to that the customers are still coming thick and fast and you could say I've been slightly busy.

Conor had a Pirate Day at Prep on Friday and we used some cardboard, paper, tape and a whole heap of imagination and came up with...

Yes, he has tattoos, yes he is wearing an earring (an idea he had on his own) and no his front teeth are still there, just blacked out! Far too cute, thats for sure!

Caitie is working very hard at school, in fact I don't think I've seen her work so hard before. Her writing is alot neater and she is even attempting maths! Its fantastic to see her struggling yet overcoming what, to her, is goobledygook. She is attending tutoring twice a week which will be scaled back to once a week soon.

And Aiden? Well, Sunday night found us settling if for a night of tv. The boys were in the bath when Aiden came out, dripping wet and soapy saying, "I don't know what happened?" I'm scanning him trying to figure out what was going on when I saw the blood running thickly down his throat. Oh, snap! Tony grabbed a wad of tissues and we mopped up the blood, took one look at his chin and I said, "I think its my turn for the hospital run?" I went into the bathroom for a quickfix bandaid only to discover the floor had been liberally painted with soap! Yes, SOAP!! No wonder the silly bugger fell over. Luckily it was only a small gash, about a centimeter so all it required was some glue. The biggest punishment has been that he can't go swimming this week. Some life lessons are learnt the hard way.

Have a great week!

Cin