Lemonade for sale

When the Moon was Blue

When the moon was blue

the sea was made of lemonade

and my boat was a rasberry bun

All the trees where golden cheese

which melted in the sun

I went to a school in a swimming pool

with a teacher who was a seal

I dressed up in a banana skin

with a hat of orange peel

My house had feet and roamed the street

to a different place each night

It got up and ran passed the garbage man

and gave him a terrible fright

All kinds of flowers rained for hours

until the city looked like a fair

People had roses under their noses

and daffodils in their hearts

I was alowed to choose some special shoes

which walked on walls and ceilings

I went up like a fly 10 storries high

it was a fantastic feeling

My wooden bed was a rocket ship instead

and it took off one afternoon

On a long flight which lasted the night

and landed me on the moon
When the moon was blue

School holidays continue, and this week we've had playdates and visits from neighbourhood children, a long-awaited call from the electrician to fix the dodgy circuit once-and-for-all, and a lemonade stand in the back yard.  There must be some instinctive motivation for buying and selling in the human race.  Playing shops has always been one of our favourite past-times.  Not 'once in a blue moon' kind of thing at all.

Poem Joy Cowley.
Photo by me.

B-Well Report: Chocolate between meals

The Vulture eats between his meals

And that's the reason why

He very, very rarely feels

As well as you and I.

His eye is dull, his head is bald,

His neck is growing thinner.

Oh! what a lesson for us all

To only eat at dinner!

~ Hilaire Belloc

We played a new board game called Imagine If last night.  It was a hoot.  So were the Lindt chocolates.  Imagine if ... I'd only stopped at one! 

Still, it IS the holidays and what is a family board game without a warming beverage and a 'little something'.  Charly also has a box of Cadbury Roses lurking in the pantry.  She opened it tonight and contented herself with sorting her favourites and declaring that she, and no other (Mummy!), would consume the Strawberries and Cream.  There is nothing quite as sweet as the anticipation evoked by an opened box of chocolates twinkling in their foil wrap. The lid even lifts up like a treasure chest. The vulture is circling.

A Clash of Civilizations

The Land of Counterpane by Robert Louis Stevenson

When I was sick and lay a-bed,

I had two pillows at my head,

And all my toys beside me lay

To keep me happy all the day.

And sometimes for an hour or so

I watched my leaden soldiers go,

With different uniforms and drills,

Among the bedclothes, through the hills;

And sometimes sent my ships in fleets

All up and down among the sheets;

Or brought my trees and houses out,

And planted cities all about.

I was the giant great and still

That sits upon the pillow-hill,

And sees before him, dale and plain,

The pleasant land of counterpane.

Photos by Ro-Ro who loves his knights, soldiers, swords and tanks.  We had a battle between medieval and modern foot soldiers on the floor of the living room.  "Who would win?", he asked.  In hand-to-hand combat, it's hard to say. 

Shark's toothpaste

Some tortures are physical

And some are mental,

But the one that is both

Is dental.

~ Ogden Nash

Last week at school, the children took part in the Amazing Science of the Mouth show, which is an oral health education presentation created by Macleans and Mad Science.  They each received a showbag full of fun things to encourage them to experiment at home, including the shark's toothpaste experiment and a pH Reaction Kit game.  Perfect for the start of the school holidays. 

The toothpaste experiment (variously referred to as the volcanic lava trick depending on which science module you are trying to teach) involves the fizz-inducing combination of vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, detergent and food colouring.  I'm glad we did it in the sink.  Mac the Shark's pearlies are now sparkling.

Mozarella cheese, pizza, pizza please

The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again. ~ George Miller

We made our pizzas last night with ham and fistfuls of mozarella cheese on a base of tomato paste, and whatever else could be found in the fridge to perk them up for the grown-ups.  It was also 'movie night' when we bunker down with water bottles, slippers, knee rugs and cushions.  This week's feature was Casper and Wendy, a 1990s rendition starring a young Hilary Duff.  It was awful.  I dithered about cleaning and made a chocolate pudding instead of sitting down.  It seemed to appeal to the children enough for them to persevere without collective moaning but I don't think it is up there as one of their all time favourites.  It received a bit of a bland reception - no belly laughs, shared intakes of breath or intense subdued moments.  The pizza was more memorable by far.

Their homely fare dispatch’d, the hungry band

Invade their trenchers next, and soon devour,

To mend the scanty meal, their cakes of flour.

Ascanius this observ’d, and smiling said:

“See, we devour the plates on which we fed.”

Virgil, The Aeneid.

Gratitude is...

Time to pause and reflect on the good things.

(Playing along with Maxabella via Pink Patent Mary Jane)

I'm grateful for:

• School holidays and public holidays, 27 September to 8 October 2010 

Rest and play.  The next two weeks will give us time to re-charge the batteries for Term 4.  The last stretch to the Summer holidays and the last 10 weeks of Kindy, Year 2 and Year 4.

• My personal IT HelpDesk. 

The strong silent one has a thing for technology and cables.  As much as I deplore the expense and effort involved in maintaining our home computer set-up, he does make it easy for luddite-me to Google, blog and email.  He's always just one call away to trouble-shoot and does so with immense patience.

• Home-made pizza dough

One sachet of yeast, a pinch of sugar and two thirds of a cup of luke warm water and we are away. 

Breathing spaces

To one who has been long in city pent,

'Tis very sweet to look into the fair

And open face of heaven, - to breathe a prayer

Full in the smile of the blue firmament.

~John Keats, Sonnet XIV

In the midst of the grey Parliamentary Triangle in Canberra where public servants roam and new building construction ominously signals more parking congestion in the future, it is always a relief to fund some pockets of green.  Here are a few insider's pics of Sydney Avenue, one of the main thoroughfares in the government precinct.  I always breathe deeply when I see some open space, the cherry blossoms and an totally unexpected bed of pansies under a wisteria vine in a building courtyard.  I hope the powers-that-be preserve these little gems.  They bring a little soul to the place. 

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  SouleMama

Floriade Farm Animals

There was nothing special about Somerset County."  "It was a deeply ordinary place."

[After the goose's eggs have hatched]

Wilbur: Congratulations! How many are there?

Goose: There are seven.

Charlotte: Seven is a lucky number.

Goose: [proudly] Luck has nothing to do with it! It was good management and hard work.

Wilbur: [to a lamb] Wanna play?

Lamb: [to older sheep] May I, papa?

Old Sheep: Certainly not. In the first place, you can't get out of your pen. In the second place, sheep do

not play with pigs.

[The family arrives at the farm to take Wilbur to the fair]

Homer Zuckerman: There he is!

Mr. Arable: That's some pig.

Avery: He's terrific.

Lurvy: He's radiant.

Mrs. Zuckerman: Well, he's clean anyway. That buttermilk certainly helped.

"Fern says the animals talk to each other. Dr Dorian, do you believe animals talk?"

I never heard one say anything," he replied. "But that proves nothing. It is quite possible that an animal has spoken to me and that I didn't catch the remark because I wasn't paying attention. Children pay better attention than grown-ups... Perhaps if people talked less, animals would talk more."

Quotes: Film adaptation of the book, Charlotte's Web, by EB White.

Photos by me.

Orange we lucky?

What and Why and When And How and Where and Who

I keep six honest serving-men

They taught me all I knew;

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who.

I send them over land and sea,

I send them east and west;

But after they have worked for me,

I give them all a rest.

I let them rest from nine till five,

For I am busy then,

As well as breakfast, lunch, and tea,

For they are hungry men.

But different folk have different views;

I know a person small--

She keeps ten million serving-men,

Who get no rest at all!

She sends 'em abroad on her own affairs,

From the second she opens her eyes--

One million Hows, two million Wheres,

And seven million Whys!

Big day at school today.  It was the Term 4 "Learning Journey" when parents are welcomed into the classroom to view their children's work displayed in portfolios and on walls and desks.  We hot-footed it from room to room to spend time equally with all three and to let them visit each other.  What excitement!  Little Wanna has terrific drawing skills, illustrating everything in exquisite detail right down to curly eye-lashes on her figures. Ro-Ro is amazingly self-assured about his abilities - he's willing to have a go at anything and not afraid of failing (perhaps not too inclined to improve either but let's applaud his confidence). Charly seems to have taken to maths and genuinely enjoys it. She's a good all-rounder. We are so blessed to have capable and enthusiastic learners.  These primary years are precious.

To cap it all off, Ro-Ro launched into Book 2 of Alfred's Piano Basics in his lesson this afternoon and is working on a simplified version of the William Tell overture.   Which could well be the sound-track for the day. Hey-ho Silver, away!

Poem by Rudyard Kipling
Photo by me.  Floriade 2010, Canberra.

Jelly Belly

Miss T.

It's a very odd thing—

….As odd as can be—

That whatever Miss T. eats

….Turns into Miss T.;

Porridge and apples,

….Mince, muffins, and mutton,

Jam, junket, jumbles—

….Not a rap, not a button

It matters; the moment

….They're out of her plate,

Though shared by Miss Butcher

….And sour Mr. Bate,

Tiny and cheerful,

….And neat as can be,

Whatever Miss T. eats

….Turns into Miss T.

Poem by Walter de le Mare.
Photo by me.  Wanna eating fresh raspberry jelly - see previous post.
A slower sort of' 'busy' has taken over this week.  I'm in a new job with masses of reading, perched in a temporary seat.  The electrician is due any day to re-wire the dodgy circuit but keeps cancelling.  We are fast approaching the end of term 3 and the children need new books for piano lessons.  It is a period of transition and upgrades.  Enough to give us jelly legs.

Wibble, Wobble

The Quangle Wangle said

To himself on the Crumpetty Tree,

Jam; and jelly; and bread;

Are the best food for me!

Two little people in this house love jelly. One is just so-so about it.  This morning instead of diligently making school lunches, we made raspberry jelly in individual 1960s cut crystal parfait glasses.   At least there will be no tussles over who gets how much.  It's very satisying making jelly.  A good start to the day.


Poem by Edward Lear.  The Quangle Wangle's Hat.
Photos by Ro-Ro.

Floriade 2010..again

 

Floriade. Canberra's flower festival. Love it or loathe it, it provides a great reason to go for a stroll in Commonwealth Park, eat a Paddle Pop, watch street performers and enjoy the beautiful Spring weather.  We've been to them all since the children were born.

Template Tempers

Uh-oh.  Trying to fiddle with templates has turned into a major, creative disaster.  I've lost my original design and all its settings.  This will be a major job I can see.  Just what I need.   Sob...

Swimming, swimming

Hi girls.  We're ba--ack!

Swimming in the Swimming Pool

Swimming, swimming, in the swimming pool
When days are hot, when days are cold, in the swimming pool
Side stroke, breast stroke, fancy diving too
Now don't you wish you never had
Anything else to do, but ... (repeat)

Lyrics: Traditional song courtesy of Mr Mac at school.
Photos by me.  Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  SouleMama

Go for Gold

All That is Gold Does Not Glitter

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.

Poem by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
Photo by me: Inside the Big Pineapple, Woombye, Sunshine Coast, Queensland


Change is on the horizon.  New job starts soon.  There have been lots of 'lasts' this week and more farewells tomorrow.  I've been slowly and somewhat half-heartedly signing off on tasks, leaving notes for my successor and indulging in deep introspection about where I've come from and where I'm going - not far on both counts I expect.  All a bit ho-hum 'round here today really.  I'll pack my box of books and clear my drawers tomorrow.  Rinse my coffee mug and have one last gaze at the view from my office window.

B-Well Report: Why I don't wear stilleto heels to work.

I continue to experiment with my walk to work (from where I park the car - heh).  Rather than risk life and limb crossing avenues along State Circle or taking the long way along National Circuit, I now shimmy over Canberra Avenue across paddocks where I am eyed by magpies and cockatoos.  This involves traversing mud puddles and uneven grassy tussocks and inelegantly negotiating my way over fallen tree branches.  It requires stout shoes and sensible accessories.  However, despite the wardrobe constraints I am rather enjoying my unconventional morning and afternoon bushwalks to the office.

An over the shoulder glance at Parliament House where all the fuss takes place.

Yellow Food

On top of Old Smokey,
All covered with cheese,
I lost my poor meatball,
When somebody sneezed.

It rolled off the table,
And on to the floor,
And then my poor meatball,
Rolled out of the door.

Most yellow and orange food is packed with carotenoids, which give them their vibrant colour. Three of the most common carotenoids – alpha-carotene, beta carotene and beta cryptoxanthin – can be converted from foods into vitamin A in the body. This nutrient is needed for good vision in dim light, normal growth and development, a strong immune system and to keep the skin and cells that line the airways, digestive tract and urinary tract healthy.

Choose from apricots, rockmelon, mangoes, nectarines, peaches, papaya, oranges, satsumas, grapefruit, pineapple, passion fruit, carrots, swede, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkin, yellow and orange peppers, sweetcorn.

Oh, you don't mean...

Household staples.  How long can I keep rotating Passage to India Butter Chicken and Sharwoods Large Pappadums, spaghetti bolognaise, lasagne, weiner schnitzel, tuna casserole, macaroni cheese and Old El Paso Burritos?  How come, when I am feeling vaguely adventurous, I always end up with improbable ingredients in the pantry or fridge like one lime, a packet of dried apricots, a tub of salmon mousse and half a butternut pumpkin?  I really should audition for the daytime TV show Ready, Steady, Cook where the object is to create a sumptuous meal out of a random collection of foods.  That's me every night.  It's not for want of trying either.  You should see the recipe collection.  Somehow something always seems to go awry in the execution or fatal shortcuts are taken.  I really like toast these days but I can even manage to burn that. 

A New Timetable

This week we try a new piano teacher for Ro-Ro and a new timetable.  His teacher is a lovely girl we've met before who writes notes about the lesson in an exercise book, and inscribes helpful tips for home practice.  We hope she can make him focus on learning the notes rather than memorising the key strokes and zipping through the melody at breakneck speed.

There is no more soccer practice. Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings can be reclaimed until October.  Charly is going ice-skating at the Phillip rink instead this week. (A gem of a place. So unexpected in dreary Woden, right slap bang next door to the swimming pool.)  There are birthday parties scheduled from one end of Canberra to the other. Girl Guide notices arrive at the last minute heralding a miscellany of events.  Other things just crop up unexpectedly.

So, the pressure mounts to get better organised individually and collectively.  We should avoid trying to construct an entire convict settlement in miniature before breakfast for a class presentation that day, and we need to think about our News item during the week and practice it at times other than the drive to school on the morning it will be delivered. 
 
When Mummy says "What did you do at school today?", this is a cue to pass on class information, hand over notes and regale her with impressive accounts of what you learnt.  'Nothing' and 'I can't remember' are unacceptable responses.   
 
I have the 2011 month-to-a-view calendar desk mat already.

Cloudy and a Chance of Meatballs

The Rainy Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,

But at every gust the dead leaves fall,

And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,

But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,

And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;

Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;

Thy fate is the common fate of all,

Into each life some rain must fall,

Some days must be dark and dreary.

 

Australian Capital Territory and Canberra Forecast

Forecast for the rest of Saturday

Cloudy.Rain periods, heavy about the western slopes of the ranges. The chance of a thunderstorm. Winds northeasterly averaging up to 50 km/h tending north to northwesterly 40 to 55 km/h around midday. City Centre: Rain. Windy.Max 16 Chance of any rainfall: 100% Chance of no rainfall: 0% Rainfall:15 to 25 mm.Fire Danger: Low to Moderate[0-11]UV Alert from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 5 [Moderate]

Soccer finals cancelled!  Paper completely drenched on the front drive.  I love still, steady rain on a lazy weekend, but golly - why today?  Blow. Boo hoo.
 
Just as well we arranged for the badges and plaques to be given out at the school assembly yesterday.
 
The lovely G's are having the whole team over to their fabulous, enviable new digs this afternoon for an end of season celebration.  It was meant to be a BBQ and swim in the pool.  Now it will be indoor games and a pot roast.

 

{this moment}

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. SouleMama