Times they are a changing

That last few months have flown by and big changes have been happening.

Firstly the change of season has lead to a slowdown in the garden.  I planted broad beans, broccoli and kale with a friend a few weeks ago - the first thing I'd planted in months.  They were doing really well, I had actually remembered to apply snail bait and feed them with a seaweed tonic.  Then a couple of my chickens jumped the fence and snipped all the baby leaves off the brassics and stomped over my newly emerged broad beans.  The worst thing was the rhubarb I planted from seed nearly 18 months ago was just getting established, they now look as if a grown man and sat on them - they are so destructive!  I was so cross I nearly drop kicked the chickens back over the fence (I used a few choice words instead and had a wee cry).  The chickens now have a slightly higher fence and thankfully the little wee kale and broccoli look like they have survived.  I'm not sure about the rhubarb yet, it is looking very sorry for itself.

Another change is my youngest starting at daycare and my eldest starting school. At first my youngest loved daycare. He attended the first 5 weeks with his older brother but now that he has left for school the excitement has fizzled out, now he just wants to go to school - if only he could remember the months and months of begging to start daycare!

My eldest has loved the first 3 weeks of school, he comes home telling me what he's learnt or randomly starts applying fractions to his afternoon tea.  I was a little worried in the weeks building up, he is such a sensitive little soul, but after a school visit with him I could see just how ready he was to learn and focus in school and all of a sudden he's come out of his shell and he is a confident, social butterfly.

My wee man off to school this morning

With Mr 3 starting daycare I had grand plans to fill the 18 kid-free hours out of my 91 hour mummy week.  One goal was more exercise which is off to a good start considering I've been sick for 6 of the 9 weeks I've had time without my boys.  None of my other grand plans have been completed yet - I seem to being catching up on all the odd jobs that never got onto the priority list with 2 boys at home, sorting, mending, digging around in the back of cupboards - so very exciting.  My big plans will eventually happen, I'll finish plastering my bathroom just as the weather is warm enough for painting, I'll have an undisturbed day to paint my dinner table and chairs and my rock garden with get the overhaul it desperately needs - Rome wasn't built in a day.

We are nearly nappy free with toilet training starting after the Christmas holidays, which has left about $15 to spare each week, so I have taken to looking for clearance items at the supermarket.  I don't spend my entire old nappy budget on these things, just a few dollars here and there.  This week I scored a beautiful wheel of brie for $2.40 - I just enjoyed a toasted sandwich of brie and feijoa jam - so good!  Last week I found some blue cheese so I made my blue cheese sauce to have over steak.  Some weeks there is gourmet yogurt, bacon, humus or dips - they liven up the menu that week, I love hunting out a bargain.

Feijoa and brie toastie - what a treat! 

Rounding up sheep after school run last week - you don't do this on the middle of Auckland