Sunday Snippets

Hi folks,
I hope you have all had a pleasant week.
Our week has been a nice one.  Lots of small things accomplished, many more still on the go. 
We were very happy this past week to return to some 'normal' routines.  Well, Munchkin and Mummy were at any rate.  Daddy wasn't so keen on going back to 55hr working weeks, although he's coped fine.  Grin.

This week:

I loaded Google Chrome onto my computer.  Just have to get it set up on my desktop so I don't keep using Internet Explorer and wondering why I still can't upload photos in Blogger!  Duh. (Just had to save and change internet browsers now!).

Munchkin did some jumping!  He loves jumping, and is allowed to take the couch swabs off to use as ramps for his cars, or in this case, cushioning for lots of jumping.  Boyo caught the moment on camera!

Watched our chrysallis' become butterflies.  Well, we missed them hatching out, but did see a couple as they warmed themselves up for their first flight.  Beautiful.  I just love how they change colour inside and you can see the butterfly patterns.

I made Munchkin some new rice.  His old coloured rice has been very well-used and broken so I decided it was time for some new stuff.  I make it by adding food colouring to basic rice,  mixing it in, then drying the rice out in the oven (around 100degrees for an hour).  We pop it into an old baking tray on a plastic mat, and Munchkin has hours and hours of entertainment.  It comes from a Montesori idea related to pouring and measuring, but Munchkin currently uses it mostly for cars, trucks and digging.  Fine by me!  It gets stored in a jar in the cupboard when not in use.  And vacuumed up every week (yup, it does always seem to manage to escape the plastic mat, even though he's really very good at trying to keep it in the tray!).

Munchkin and I went to Tiny Boppers at the Mount Park on Wednesday.  We used to go every week when he was little, but haven't managed to lately (it's usually at Chipmunks).  We still sing a lot of the songs and do the actions at home, but he doesn't actually like the noise and large group of people so I haven't worried about it lately, seeing as we are often seeing good friends then instead.  But this time we went, and Mummy tried to dance while Munchy did the 'I'm a monkey clinging to my mummy's legs' act.  Then we played at the park and ate under the trees.

Went to Te Puna Quarry Park with some friends on Thursday. Munchkin (and the other two kids) loved the slide! We wandered around, saw lots of pretty flowers and mosaics, and had our lunch under a nice shady tree (it was a HOT day here). Munchkin climbed some rocks, dawdled behind everyone else (inspecting bugs and stones, etc) and generally had a good time. I really like hanging out with these two antenatal friends so it certainly wasn't a trial for me!

Collected eggs and fed chickens every day.  In the heat of the afternoon.  Ugh.  Had the car a fair bit which was much appreciated.  Definitely got too much sun, even though I slapped that sunscreen on and tried to keep out of the heat this week.  I'm very glad that I am back to doing the chooks just a few times next week.  I picked three babaco for us and two for my parents (top left) and there's heaps more on their trees.  Now I just need to get around to peeling, cutting and cooking before they get too ripe (which will probably be tomorrow!).
I started my first kombucha and milk kefir.  Both fermented foods, kombucha is a very healthy drink seen here starting it's several week brew...I made a quick cover with beads and cheesecloth (top right).
We got Munchkin a paddling pool.  Munchkin and I did a major errand running day on Tuesday.  This was one of the errands (among many!).  I blew it up on Friday.  It took ages.  I do not appreciate paddling pools with tricky valves!
I've done a lot more knitting of Munchkin's cardigan.  Just trying to finish the sleeves.  Seen here with the tent we made in the background, and Honey Bear half undressed before Munchkin decided he'd go off and do something else.

Munchkin and I went swimming at the beach.  I have no proof though, other than coming home with wet togs.  This is the first time I've swam in the ocean in AGES.  Like, years and years.  In Townsville I feel I really did have very valid reason (several in fact: tiger sharks, crocodiles, box jellyfish, and more!!!).  But here, it's more a slight personal phobia regarding things touching my toes.  I couldn't find my 'beach' shoes either (I might have thrown them out - bother!) so I was VERY brave and got into the water at Pilot Bay in bare feet.  Munchkin and I had a lovely time.  Boyo was home sleeping (we arrived at the beach just before 9am Saturday morning, having already been up three hours - and the carparks were already filling up - I'm so glad we didn't go later as I'd have got way too hot and sunburnt!).  We played in the sand, then jumped and splashed and kicked around in the water.  We will have to do that again soon.  The weather is warm enough at the moment, for even this cold freak to enjoy it!

I finished two of my skirts!  Finally!  A major accomplishment, and I am very proud of myself.  It took a lot longer to do the elastic than I'd thought, but I finished last night and am proudly wearing one today.  The photo collage was our somewhat unsuccessful attempt at me posing for the camera!  You can also see my two new sunhats, bought yesterday.  I've been going without a lot this summer as my sunhat is too tight and I'm prone to some nasty headaches, so I finally got to a good hat shop and scooped these two kids ones up for $10 each. Yay, now I even have a spare!  They are both quite large on top, but have a tie just over the ears built into the hat so I can tighten in wind if needed.  A great solution. 

Back to the skirts, I just have to show them to you again!  Grin.  They are really comfortable to wear and look nice and 'girly' without me having to worry too much about looking after them.  Very happy to finally have something that works well for me after countless clothing purchases that don't.  And pleased to have made something that really is 'one-of-a-kind.'

So that was our week in brief.  What have you been up to?
Amy

Linking to Sunday Snippets.