Leftovers, literacy and maneaters on wheels

Sometimes you just come across some mismatched leftovers and just can't throw them out in case they still have some use.

These are bits that didn't quite make it into my erratic posts lately.

There was this selection of old Brisbane postcards which I feel a little sorry to have passed over. The one of the dancing 50's funster would have been worth the purchase alone. What a grin! What a photo! I can't help but wonder who she was and where she is now.

This little bit of brownery is especially for Carmel who is partial to a bit of Nefertiti ware as I remember but has nowhere to put it at the moment. It was in good nick and only $3 but her ceramic cup doth overflow.

Sometimes when I am bored at the traffic lights my wandering eye might spy one of these painted electrical boxes. We must have had a politician with imagination and fun in their bones once upon a time long ago in Brisbania.

There has been reading. This job not only has some nice studio space and media but is equipped with a rather fabulous library...with books in it! I heard a rumour that some big posh schools were thinking of going with bookless libraries. Philistines! That, in itself, would put me off sending a child there. 

Meanwhile back in our book-filled library, I ran my fingers over some tomes and came out with these two. They had a little similarity in that they dealt with relationships between fathers and sons but they were very different. I have wanted to read "The Road" for a few years but never had the fortitude. It is harrowing, dismal, haunting and marvelous read. I will never see the film as the book was quite graphic enough, thanking you very much.

I first heard of "The Running Man" at a book night where the author talked about his childhood growing up in the Ashgrove area and how bits of his childhood all combined to make this fictional story. I may have had a little weep at the end. This one is a lovely story. I needed it to cleanse my palate after "The Road".

Speaking of roads...this is what I came across when I visited a friend's neighbour to see what Lala was up to with her little friend. 

She's fearless, that one!

The leathers reminded Aunty Kath and I of a special movie moment from our misspent youth watching late night Roger Corman trash flicks of the 60's amongst others. Bear with the first minute to get to the poem and ensembles. Classic Corman cheese in a less horrific version of "The Road".

Vrooom, ladies and gents!

Eggstra, eggstra!

T'was the night before Easter and all through the house...

not a creature was stirring eggcept Mother who may have been assembling roughly crafted Easter baskets for the slack teens....

 and crawling about the patio with a bowl of talcum powder to give the lady next door something to ponder.

 The feathery girls down the back have been eggceptionally prolific of late so there were many eggs...

to be boiled and dyed and consumed. Is it just me or does this egg look like Dr Lala just removed an organ from somebodies innards?

We like to buff ours up with a bit of paper towel and olive oil to bring  out the colour in their cheeks.

Of course there is still an egg hunt although the older ones had to be suppressed from finding them all straight away whilst Shorty Divine ran very fast from shrub to succulent in a frenzy of egg gathering.

The counting of the twenty eggs  is of vital importance eggspecially as we like to hide and rehide them until they get a bit crushed and soft. Curiously, after finding 120 eggs, there always seem to be just twenty in the kitty. Eggs here are not kept by individuals but always donated to the egg kitty to be divided up later. We follow Mother's Rule of Eggstrapolatory Eggodynamics-  the total number of eggs is always divisible by the total number of eggsplorers. Even Steven!

Lala suggested we make Easter potatoes too. After all they are ovoid so they too can be eggsamples of eggdom. 

This cut down on peeling time and made for rather pretty spuds.

They lost their  colour but tasted great with some bush herbs and posh salt.

 There's that pyrex bowl again. I just can't use it enough!

Hope you all had a restful and pleasant Easter with no chocolate headaches.

Two becoming fourteen

 These two turned fourteen. It's a funny age as they have elements of little boy and elements of man all mixed in with deep voices and sweat and smelly boots and huge appetites. Strangely there has been a rather delightful return to some very affectionate gestures for their Mum.

Miraculously, they are even showing each other a shaving of affection but I think that's only permissible when one is in rugby gear so one is clear that it is "rough" affectionate.

  

These are the drawings I made them for their birthdays. It was a last minute thought as I had no idea what I was getting them and they actually liked them and have put them up in their room. The transformer is the left hand twin as he was always into being a warrior/ explorer/ space dude. The other one had more of the lego knight about him. He was a little more shy and timid as a wee un but no longer.

How did those big swarthy boys grow out of such poppets. This is one of my favorite photos of them just sitting on the floor in their overalls. They make me laugh, cry, rant, chuckle and tap dance on the front lawn. My first borns. They were never twinny at all just brother's born at the same time. They are each others' greatest opponents and staunchest supporters. As the boyness dwindles away, the idea of having tall men who are my babies is becoming less weird and more interesting.

When we were getting to know each other in the maternity ward, this song kept coming into my head. It always pops back into my consciousness around their birthday although I no longer sing them to sleep with my lullaby version of it. 

Fishy scored a drawing today too as there is more time and space here to make some bigger art than there is at home. The Michelin Man toy appeared on the footpath a few days ago and, as drawing toys is working for me right now, I'm going to follow it for a while. Maybe there could be one for each child like the quilts. Still working on those.

Now for Easter. Bonnets on!

Twosies

In honour of all things twinnie, here are some twosies that have happened this week.

The little missus and I popped into Matt Blatt while Lala was twirling in a hoop at circus. The Child formerly known as Shorty informs us that this name is in inappropriate for a big kid in red group at kindy so henceforth she shall be known as the Divine Miss M. You all know she is Maya anyhoo. 

She chose this chair for her room. Is that princessy enough for you? At least it's a cheery yellow and not pink or purple. The jury is still out on the boar's head table.

Room furniture you want

 In fact she will have to settle for some rather charming felt animals from GOMA and a pink crocheted bowl which has a delightful tendency to glow in the morning sun. I just wanted to show you that because it is pretty...no? I think all gift shopping should be done in the Gomalicious shop especially if it's for me. It beats the pink aisle at Kmart which always makes me feel sightly giddy.

Room furniture you have.

Now you all remember this photo from last week of the Fishboy's room. Did I mention there is a cello and guitar in there as they don't fit next to the euphonium, two trombones and violin in the lounge?

Room sans giant instrument

 Now I invite you to see if you can find something different in these images. Compare and contrast if you will. Those music teachers have been on the Pimms again and are rolling around on the rehearsal room floor laughing. It does not fit in the Big Fella's car as it is for big fellas not big hollow instruments. The boy loves it but does not sleep with it as he does his football. Probably for the best.

Did anyone read that sign...anyone!

Room avec giant instrument

Meanwhile back at Matt Blatt, we saw these chairs. Yes, they were repro! Yes, they were lovely and yes, I wanted one in every colour. Like the bath towels I could allocate one to each family member and they would be responsible for chipping off their own hardened spag bog as a post dining parlour game.

Chairs I wanted

Instead I showed great restraint and bought these. They were display ones to entertain the kiddies of people who actually buy real chairs at Mat Blatt. The D.V. M. (remember the divine Miss M?) loved them and it was her birthday so we bought them reduced as they were a little shop soiled. They ended up in the bath anyway, then were covered in her permanent marker moniker so they were unsoiled then soiled again....the Circle of Life at our house.

Chairs I got

There has been a tiny bit of artistica going on here at work as there will never be time at home unless you count hanging the washing in colour coded spirals around the garden. I found some nice bits of wood and painted them black, then white, then red. Then I sanded them back. I don't know why either. It seemed to be the thing to do at the time. They have some contact stencils on them in Exhibit A. In Exhibit B you can see a couple of them getting worked into something.  Not sure yet. I'll let you know. Exhibit B also has the Michelin man on it as I am making some drawings for my boys' rooms of toys. The real twinnies got one each for their birthday/s.

exhibit A

exhibit B

Back later for more twinniness as it is the flavour of the month this week at our house. Stay tuned...

Bits off the Camera

There was a bit of moving and shaking around here over the holidays. Fishy moved out of Boysworld and into his own room. The chasm between 12 and 14 years of age was widening and he needed to get to sleep earlier and they needed study space. Mind you, he is studying more than them at the moment! He is now happily ensconced in what was Shorty's room. It will be a little smellier when visitors stay than Lala's room but  I'll Glen 20 the footy boots for them to make it tolerable- if I can find the Glen 20.

Meanwhile Shortstuff has adjusted to sleeping in a bunk under Lala and Lala likes the promotion to top bunk. 

The bigger problem has been the pile of stuff accumulated when two girls combine spaces. There has been much culling and storing. Fishy's room is positively monastic in comparison although it is starting to fill up. The girls paintings from Aunty Kath work well together now I finally have them up...

...with the other paraphernalia.

The screen prints were finished and presented as birthday gifts to mother of four, Anna in the 'Woomba and Mrs T. who has six of her own and looks after  Shorty on Tuesdays. She is hanging her blue one canvas aptly over her kitchen bench. Anna's pink one will go in her office. Also quite apt.

Now I have to make another one for the boys' room because I decided I liked it there when it was waiting to be picked up.

Fishy got one of the practice runs on black card which worked just as well as the canvas ones. Frankly, I could hang one in every room of this house right now. 

                              This is how I know the offspring have been on my phone.

And this.

This, on the other hand, means I've been back at the doctor's not tearing out pages.
We are past the lumpoversary. One year- all clear!

Four

There has been much cause for celebration around here this week. Four years ago this little surprise appeared out of the universal ether. It may have seemed like I had a day off to spend it with her but her Tuesday carer was away and I was a bit of a wreck after Monday so it was meant to be.

There was supposed to be a party but one thing I've learnt after five is that it takes very little to make them truly happy at this age. Time alone with Mum is high on the agenda.

Anyhow she had several celebrations in her birthday frock from Aunty Kath.

Cake 1

Location: Playgroup

Cake type:  Choc fudge with freckles and 30 second flag.

We followed playgroup with a quick run to the shops to buy some birthday paper, sushi and Irish Princess crown from the dollar shop.

She got a ride on some wildlife. Amazingly this is the first time in months we have found a shopping centre ride that wasn't "broken"!

 There may have been a quick stop at the oppy on the way home. It's been weeks I tell you! Op shop kharma had accrued. The Universe threw me a bone.

She really does love it there as much as I do. Really! She is my BEST op shop buddy.

Somehow I walked away from this immaculate 1975 setting with original spotless white leather and teak chairs and extendable table. $100!!! Somebody got a bargain!

 Cake 2

Location: Home

Type: Other half of choc fudge cake with strawberry crushed into whipped cream on top.

She was so happy that her Irish Princess crown fell off, a tendency which proved to be a problem later when she was having a quiet moment on her Irish Princess throne and the crown fell in. One of those pleasant motherhood jobbies.

Happy Days. There were another thirty pink sprinkly cupcakes for kindergarten next day and she did wear her crown there too. I refrained from telling them where it had been. There may be hygiene rules about crowns de toilette.

 The Universe threw us a very big bone with this one. Thanks, lovely Maya for joining us four years ago and making every day a delight. You made joy since the day you were  born. 

Happy Birthday!