joining in

Last Saturday was the first day of auskick, I had waited until the Friday night before to buy Zach his footy boots. just to be sure he didn't grow out of them before the first day. So we went to fountain gate shopping centre and bought the boots, a few pairs of tracky pants and we meet his dad there. I had a night shift that night and made it clear to Zach's father that the first auskick for the year was on the next morning, everything was organised.

The next night on my way to work, rang up to say hello to my little man and I asked him how auskick was, the poor boy didn't know what to say. Turned out they didn't go. His father knew his car was low in petrol, but didn't any. The Saturday morning, couldn't get his car started, by the time he got petrol, Zach would have been a half hour late, so they didn't go to auskick.
I was fuming, I didn't arrive at work the night in a chirpy mood. Zach didn't know what to say to me, because he didn't want to lie to his mumma and he didn't want himself or his dad to get in trouble for not going to auskick. He is such a sweet boy!

So yesterday was the first day of auskick for Zach this year. We took photos of his new boots.

 I found his tigers shirt, he needs a new one, it's a bit short now.

Spoke to the coach about Zach and got Zach to introduce himself. We were early so Zach could be comfortable about being there. First was warm up, Zach joined in, then there was handball drills, Zach joined in, waited in line for his turn. Then they split into two teams and played a game and Zach joined in! He had come so far in the last year! There was still some nail biting, but he joined in! Next week I can relax a bit more and I will be taking my knitting

For lunch we went to a friends house, it was a birthday lunch, ended up spending the rest of the day there. Food, wine, going through youtube, choosing songs, my friend can somehow put what is on the Internets onto her tv, that is so cool! I am technologically challenged, so I am easily impressed.
Zach and his friend played the whole afternoon, he learnt how to play on the wii.
I tried to teach the birthday girl a new knitting stitch that I learnt the other week. My friend wouldn't let me put the youtube knitting tutorials up, "give me a song name" "bee stitch" "no!"

I can knit and purl and do bee stitch and today I learnt Eiffel tower stitch which uses knit and purl and putting the yarn over and purling two together. So Excited!

Makes little Eiffel towers and then you can knit heaps together to make a bigger Eiffel tower

Making a scarf. Totally addicted to all the knitting tutorials on youtube, so many cool stitches! 

good night ♥x♥x

does he have a problem with his brain

We went camping, for two nights. We got to the campground well after lunch. It seemed to take forever for me to pack the car and we needed to get some groceries from the shops as well. When going away, I pack in a hurry, and always seemed to forget something, this time spare socks (first time ever, usually have twice as many pairs as what I need) and sugar. My car felt over full for two nights, distribution rough. I pack so haphazardly, because I am just itching to just go! anywhere!

I chose Bunyip State Park, it is close, the campground is only twenty k's from Gembrook, could have campfires, Zach learnt how to toast marshmallows and was free.
I didn't realise it was popular for four wheel driving and motorcycling or that not many people go camping there.

We drove fifteen kilometres on gravel road through the park to get to Nash's campground, my car is so dusty, potholes big, real big! Only one other car when we got there, so I set up camp near them. It was a dad and his eight year old son, Zach made friends, I was relieved.
Set up tent, collected firewood, organised dinner, small talk with the dad, who I noticed mentioned his wife almost straight away (I must so look single) he didn't need to, wasn't interested, just making small talk, being friendly. I'm friendly, you know.

Dinner early, then toasting marshmallows, hot chocolate early (with extra marshmallows), melatonin early all equals bedtime early, Zach asleep by 6:45 it was super dark early too in the forest.

Sitting at the campfire the nearly nine year old says "I can't understand Zach sometimes when he talks to me, does he have a problem with his brain"

oh just stab me in the heart, why don't you!

his dad who was rummaging in their tent, came out to the fire pretty quick

Mind not clear, I did say " he has autism" and "No he doesn't have a problem with his brain" not even sure how I explained it. I drank a lovely plastic camping cup of merlot after that.

To many people think about problems and how to fix them. Zach's brain is not a problem to be solved, he is like a cryptic crossword. Today at a party, a friend who buys the paper solely for the crosswords explained that she uses both the straight out clues and the cryptic clues to work out the words, but there is nor rhyme or reason to the cryptic clues. It just takes time to work them out. That's Zach. I then taught her how to do soduku, which I love! so logical and all numbers have a place. Also gave my friend another reason to buy the paper.

Sunday morning was cold, the day was warm. Our camping neighbours packed up and left by nine and then it was just us. Zach wandered around the campsite and played pac-man or ninjago with some lego that he had and some sticks and rocks he found. I started reading a book 'Eat, Pray, Love' we ate nearly every hour. by 2ish Zach was bored, so went went for a short drive to see some big rocks.

I drive a little car. The roads through this park are narrow and the potholes are big and deep, all the transportation that I saw driving were motorbikes or big four wheel drives. The road to see the 'Four  Brothers Rocks' that road not made for two way traffic and in parts I was shitting myself. Also discovered if I go up really steep hills, appears that my car have significantly more petrol than when I go down really steep hills.
got to the car park, one other car, looking at the stickers at back of car, a family with two daughters, no axes in any ones hand. good. No, I'm not a paranoid who worries a lot, just when it's me and Zach alone in a forest, I know, why go camping!

according to map 500 meters from car park to massive rocks

to big rocks, yes. massive rocks a bit further away than that

My friend Rachael would love the moss on this rock >

a bit further Zach sees this rock showing through the track, looks like ghostbusters, must take photo

He also likes to set up photos. this is just when we get to the massive rocks

Wow, these rocks are massive!           

                                          

got someone in the non axe murdering family to take

a photo of Zacharias and Myself

check out the termite nest in the tree

on our drive back to the campsite, checked out the helipad

Then Zach played some more, I read some more. Dinner was cooked, a fire was built, more marshmallows were toasted and more hot chocolate drunk. It was a great day. It was a relaxing day.
Zach went to bed, I planned to have a wine, some cheese, crackers with this amazing spiced plum paste from maggie beer and just sit and watch the fire.

I hear night time birds and animals, Zach hears them too, he should be asleep, he has had his melatonin. But he is scared and fear keeps a person awake. He calls out 'Mumma! whats that noise" I scull my my wine, cheese goes back in the esky, a small log, knife and the bottle go in the tent with me. Zach falls asleep as soon as i'm next to him, he knows mumma will keep him safe. And I take ages to fall asleep, thinking about axe murderers and crazy people that might live in the forest. next time we are camping at a more populated campground.

Monday, today! We sleep in until 7, we have a birthday party to go to at 11 my plan is to pack up and leave by 8:30 go home, have a quick shower, I stink. Then go to party.
We leave campsite 10:03 get to Emerald, first stop buy socks, a birthday card, birthday present (lego) then to party we go.
We got home after 3 and I'll clean out the car tomorrow, I might even give it a wash, my car so dusty.

school holidays so far

Zach has school holidays, two and a half weeks of them! Next Wednesday he is back at school.
 He had Easter at his Nanna and Pa's house, he really enjoyed it!
We went to Healesville sanctuary with friends, such a great place, so glad it is free for children during the holidays.
I've been cleaning and rearranging and bidding on tables on ebay, need to sort out a permanent sewing space.
Yesterday, went and saw 'Pirates" movie, took two days of talking about it, before Zach was ready to go to the cinema
Today We are going to go camping for a few nights, just decided Bunyip State Park is where we will go, it's close and we can have campfires, must buy marshmallows on the way.
 I have seen my guardian owl again, I have seen her at the top of power pole at the end of the driveway, watching over my house, but usually at dusk. Thursday afternoon, lying down in the bedroom, looking out the window, saw a bird in the tree. took a while before i realised it was an owl.

didn't realise from this angle that there were two

do you see them

mumma owl and baby owl

going to pack the car now, have a wonderful weekend! x♥x♥x

pear tarte tatin

On the stove I have pears, butter, sugar, cinnamon and mixed spice all getting fried up. The smell of the caramel sauce, pears and spice is so so yum. I am making pear tarte tatin, I am a cheat and am using frozen puff pastry instead of making the shortcrust pastry from scratch.

Cleaning up the kitchen this morning, just couldn't throw out these pears and bananas, they have seen better days, so banana cake and stewed pears it is. Then I remembered the packet of frozen puff pastry, lets be adventurous and try that recipe that I always wanted to try pear tarte tatin!

So it is in the oven now and smells beautiful.

When it is ready I will have a big piece with a huge dollop of cream,

 then have an afternoon snooze

take out of the oven and flip it over

it was very rich, very yum, not bad for first attempt

Tomorrow when I pick up Zach from his grandparents, we will make those bananas into banana muffins, Zach's favourite.

Now time for an afternoon snooze  x♥x♥

sometimes dinner is a toasted cheese sandwich and a bottle of wine

Happy Easter! I've worked the weekend away and am now home alone. Zach has been the last three nights with his dad and his nanna and pa. Today was the Easter egg hunt! I spoke to him earlier on the phone, he is having a great time! And found lots of eggs!

One more night shift and then nine days off! So many plans, go to the sand sculptures in Frankston, go to Healesville, see the movie 'Pirates, band of misfits' looks funny, go camping for a few nights, go to a birthday party... just hang out with Zach for the school holidays

One more night shift, some sleep, then I will pick up Zach from his grandparents.

But now I am home alone and I am hearing things, just bumps, creaks, possums, my dogs barking at random things, normal things. But today I am a little jumpy, maybe because the cat who sleeps 23 hours a day is walking around with extreme caution or maybe because I am home alone. Being home alone is odd, if I work Zach goes to his dad's house, if I don't work, Zach is with me.

On the rare occasions that I am home alone, I cook meals that I know Zach won't like or stay up reading novels or do some sewing or weed the garden by spotlight. but today, after sleeping most of the day, after a late afternoon chat with Zach, I went on facebook, checked emails, google, wikipedia ... I need to eat

lazy shiftworker dinner is... toasted cheese sandwich

nerves on edge, cause I'm home alone and I hears things, wait I have some sparkling in the fridge.

Dogs go on sudden rant and bark like crazy, I nearly scull first glass in less than a second.
Should be used to random barking, they are Chihuahua's!

So now I have eaten a yummo toasted cheese sandwich (and taken photos of my food)
drunk a few glasses of sparkling wine (wine with bubbles)
and feeling very brave, beware the intruder who tries rob my house, who needs a man around! (but still not brave enough to ask out that man I have crush on)

I won't do any knitting tonight, normally it relaxes me, but tonight my tension would be all wrong, wrong, wrong! My tension depends on my tension, so nervous, scared, jumpy, tipsy, drunk, tired = no knitting

It is very dark now,
I think I will sleep very well tonight
Goodnight x♥x♥

the flower show

On Sunday, Zach and myself went to the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

We just call it the flower show.

I love going to the flower show!

The colour, the ideas, the inspiration,

now just need the motivation and the money to put it all into practice.

Even getting to the show was fun!

Took us a while to get ready, Zach had to wear his auskick hat and wear his auskick backpack and decide what lego he would take with him. I did manage to convince him to leave the lego in the car.

 We caught the train into the city, Zach was very excited, lots of hand flapping, he loooves trains! nearly every station, the question was "is this our stop, is the flower show here?"

 

Parliament station has a surreal, seventies science fiction feel about it, I love the mod blue striped walls. The escalators are so steep, I had to stand behind Zach, he very worried he fall backwards.

First stop was the sculpture avenue

my favs

  

Zach's favs

the meerkat statues caused a lot of discussion

"what type of cats are they?"

 a lot of explaining that kat is just part of their name, they not cats.

ten minutes later

"what type cat, meerkats?"

 ~

We saw so many different garden displays, last year the theme was being water wise. This year, big emphasis on on food production, growing food in limited space.

The little veggie patch co display made growing your own veggies look so easy!

www.littleveggiepatchco.com.au

so inspired!

~

I loved this display from Lille Fro

A greenhouse designed for Himalayan conditions

Lille Fro is a greenhouse program for indigenous communities in the Himalayas

www.lillefro.org 

amazing how a small patch of earth can be cultivated

  

 ideas i liked

 Zach was so impressed by the bum chairs at this pavilion

 "they funny"

He was also convinced these performers would actually be able to fly their bike 

Hooray!

We found a garden that featured a train!

Zach in heaven, more hand flapping and we had to watch this train go around and around the track

 

 

a tulip petal

It was so busy, was amazed at how Zach coped with all the crowds,

We managed to see all the the garden designs on display as well as the displays on my list

Gave the great hall of flowers a miss, too many people for both of us

got a free rain gauge! joined the diggers club and got free seeds!

~

It was such a great day! big bonus, tickets were free! gift from my friend

Hope you like all the pics! good night x♥x♥