Far Ma

Excuse the crop on the photo but we have a new farmers' market in our neck of the woods and it is GOOD!

I've been a little off farmers' markets since the last one I went to whilst heavily pregnant with number 4 and three toddlers under four trying to get on the pony while the big fella went to look at some tools.

I ended up perched on the curb holding them by their shirts in the dust. It has taken me years to recover. Sunday, a friend summoned me to the new local ones. The trick, it seems, is to go later when it is less busy and amazingly cheap.

So this year we are wagging the Ekka*. Once upon a time the school took the kids for us but those days are long gone. The youngest two offspring are Ekka-neglected. However, as far as Shorty Divine and her friend No-no go, they have been to something Ekka-ish and it's all good.

At the market there were farm animals- baby ones to cuddle and large fibreglass ones to climb.

There was fabulous food and a generally orange theme it seems. These tangellos were such a big hit they were deemed worthy of brain break for Prep. We bought a bag for $2.

There were rides and games to play...

We also went to the local shops to do free craft activities as I love anything free/ crafty and Shorty was desperate to show No-no the medallion making area. (Commonwealth games related)
The rides at this sideshow alley were $2.

Then all that fresh produce got the baking mojo fired up again. This double batch of cookies lasted till breakfast this morning. They can't eat while they sleep.

Ekka schmecka. Too hard basket with the fivesome this year. Maybe next time.

*Ekka- The Brisbane Exhibition or show. Big, loud, noisy, expensive and you always get sick afterwards but it is FUN!

It must be fete.

It's fete season again. Luckily I only had to buy two armbands this year. For a couple of years there it was a very expensive exercise to get the wee uns on the rides and out of the hair for the day.

When did these big ride fetes become the done thing? I remember taking the boys to fetes preschool when the wagon behind a ride on mower was the thrilling highlight of the day. Ironically they don't do that any more because it's too dangerous!?

See that boy third from the left in a blur of sweat and panic. That would be my second one, Twin 2- he, with astonishing eyesight for finding the tiniest objects and a serious dislike for anything high. It may be because of that time he fell off the bench as a baby. I had been bathing him after making inky hand prints (as you do) when the other one crawled across my foot wanting something. I looked down for a millisecond and the higher one did one of those bionic baby lurches and shot off the bench. He was always a good sleeper so of course he dozed off soon after but I was afraid it might be concussion as I couldn't wake him. He was a REALLY good sleeper. The ambulance men arrived post haste and bustled into the darkened room. I heard a panicked voice call out, "Quick. Get in here! His hands are blue!" I had to apologetically mention that it might just be the residual ink on his hands. Turned out he WAS just a good sleeper.

The other one never slept and has no sense at all when it comes to height, speed and danger. Twins! Today he is going to the Ekka to throw himself on as many rides as his meagre purse will allow. He is going with another twin who is of the same ilk. That twin's twin and my other twin will be staying home to chill because they see no sense in blowing all their money at the Ekka and have better things to do.

Planning where to meet, what rides to go on, what to eat and if we can squeeze a skate in beforehand.

This one, below, also has no fear of height and has also been leaving a lot of DNA on the tarmac around our suburb with the footy and the skateboards, etc. He also appears to be channelling Rodney Dangerfield which he has done since he was two. I  recall him staggering out of a bouncy castle when he was little, wet with sweat in a floral shirt looking for all the world like a frat boy emerging from a mosh pit.

Ah. Good times!

They were giving these hats away in case you were wondering. Mine like to jump the trash and treasure when the fete is finishing to bring home replacement stuff for the stuff we just donated...

 ...like this bunny. Yes. Another stuffed toy. Sometimes life is like walking up the down escalator.