School Holidays are nearly over :(

Ahhh the school holidays are nearly over.  Sighs of relief and disappointment.  Contrary to many I like school holidays, I like having the children home, the less ordered routines of late breakfasts or early cleaning binges, later bedtimes and earlier risings of the children.  Can anybody tell me why children will rise at the crack of dawn on school holidays but need to be dragged from the bed on school days????
I still have the covering of the new school books to do and the name labels to put on Mr M's new school uniforms.  Yep Mr M is starting prep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh my goodness how the time has flown.  How can that tiny, or not so tiny 4.5kg bundle of newborn baby be ready to go to school?   He is just so excited. 

We had so much banking on the holidays-the day trips, picnics, o/night trips to see family but alas the weather has not complied and most of the holidays has been spent house bound.  We have done some crafting:some cloth napkins, Lego competitions, play dough, modeling clay etc  just the normal stuff. Lots of DVD watching-Primeval being the favorite as Mr J got them for Christmas and a bit of running around in the mud and rain.   P bought the materials to make a go-cart.   Mr B has been asking for a go-kart for ages and finally P has started.  I did warn him that there will be 5 more to make....  Thankfully there are no hills round here as I don't think my mumma radar could cope.

And then the floods happened.  Poor, poor people loosing everything in the floods that have hit Queensland.

Geckos

I finished the geckos, just in time for end of school so the kids gave them to their teachers.

                                                                                pattern from  here

Indian Feast

What else do you do on a weekend except spend 4hrs in the kitchen cooking an Indian Feast

It was well worth it.  It was DEEEEEELISH.  We had fruity lamb, spicey chickpeas, chippattis, popadaums, lime pickle, brinjal (egg plant pickle) and mango chutney and a minty yoghurt dip.

Play Food

I have been doing some amigurumi play food.  MsR loves it.  MsH, MrM and even MrJ!!  I have more planned but am lacking in time as christmas grows closer....

Spaghetti and meatballs.  Not really hard just single crochet in 2strands of off white 8ply the length you desire for the spaghetti (or noodles if you are doing a stirfry.  I'm doing that next)  and balls in 2strands (one choc brown and one brown-it was all I had :)  ) and firmly stuffed for the meatballs.

Fruit bowl from the book Yummi 'Gurumi .

Meatball and Macaronni Soup

Oh My Goodness!!!!  Such deliciousness.  Can be as FAILSAFE as you want or not.  And it only took 500grm of mince to make a big pot that fed 8 hungry people, some who had 4ths---yes I'm looking at you MrJ!!   Definately a keeper.

Finely sliced/grated vegetables-I used carrot, cabbage, frozen peas and frozen green beans
Finely sliced shallots/onions
Finely sliced garlic
Chicken stock, about 10cups-I used a mix of chicken stock, bean stock, quick stock and water as I didn't have enough chicken stock
Mince, about 500grm-mixed with a little rice flour, seasoned and rolled into teeny little balls about the size of your thumb nail
Macaronni, about 200grm

Gently saute the vegetables, shallots and garlic.  Add chicken stock and bring to the boil.  Gently drop in meatballs in a few batches, stiring between.  Sprinkle in macaronni.  Let gently simmer until meatballs and macaronni is done.

Rain rain go away

well at least for a little time...until the tank needs filling again and we need water :)
The kids are going stir crazy, they are used to having a giant undercover patio to play under whatever the weather but here there is a tiny space in the grage under the house that I have drapped with wet washing.
Yesterday we spent the day watching DVD's -in the morning they watched them downstairs as I wanted to keep and eye on them and I was sewing ( 1 of the chrissy present boys nightshirts finished 4 more to go and then on to the girls ones) and in the afternoon it was upstairs to have lunch.  Mmmmm cheese popples

I use a quick rise dough with some fresh/dried herbs and break it into little walnut sized balls.  Place them barely touching on the tray, drizzle with oil and top with grated cheese.  Bake and enjoy.  mm mm mmmmm

After lunch we put up the christmas tree.  Poor thing its getting old, as I said to P "I've had it longer than I've had you" and most of my treasured decorations, that were bought pre-children, are no longer with us but it was decorated with love.  And that is all that matters :)

I have to get cracking on the teachers presents I have decided to do the gekko bookmarks.  They are quick, easy and use little yarn but they are super, super cute.

Back on track....

Time to get my A into G!!!!  I have been crocheting, still looking out for zombies, doing a little gardening and a bit of mothering here and there.    We had my Dad over for a visit and the children loved having their Poppa here, only 2yr until we see him again. 
The end of the year is nearly upon us.  We have been stressing about Christmas presents for the children with MrB and MrM being the hardest to get for.  We could go out and buy the list they provided-after they watched Saturday cartoons- but to what ends?????  More plastic craptastic action figures that narrow their field of play?  More branded tripe?  GAH!!!