Tuesday

Outside at 7:30am this morning, right before the storm hit!

Monday

Well, here we are back to Monday again after a busy weekend. That's the last of the birthdays in this house for the year. Next it will be Jonah's in September.
The girls only have 2 weeks of school left this term, so they are getting a bit tired now and looking forward to a bit of a break. I say a bit as they still have some dancing classes in preparation for upcoming exams. They have their mid-year dancing concert on the first day of the holidays as well. There will be lots of fun and down-time in there too.
It's a lovely sunny day today, supposedly the last before a week of rain. The washing is all out blowing in the sunshine, the housework is done, fruit and vegetables bought for the week and a few other groceries.
I hope you all have a happy week ahead!

Happy 10th Birthday Kate!!!

This beautiful bright bubbly girl ...

grew from this amazing baby!

Happy 10th Birthday Kate, We love you xxx

Kate's 10th Birthday Party

the ipod cake made by Amie

Kate chose ice skating to have a party at this year. 

A few friends from school (2 couldn't make it) and family

This is the fourth time the girls have been ice skating, so are pretty good at it now

Jonah potted around watching everyone skate and pinching marshmallows from the party room

Lots of fun for everyone!

Smiley wee man!

Kate, Shaylee, Sarah and Isabella

Ella and Ruby

Jonah and his new friend Isla

Hannah and Isla

Brendan and Amie take to the ice!

Kate opens a present from Amie, Brendan, Ruby and Jonah

An ereader - lucky girl!!!

 These two were taken on the morning of her birthday!

 

Birthday

I made lolly bags yesterday for Kate to take to school today to share with her class. I usually make cupcakes, but was short on time and even though I would have got the cupcakes made, getting them iced after getting home late last night would have been a different story.

I made these bags (30 of them!) in under an hour.

Making the most of the Winter sunshine

Today is our one fine day in amongst two weeks of rain. The next lot is forecast from tonight until next Wednesday. We really need it though after a long dry summer. The lawns and garden are loving it, everything is growing and turning green. The washing machine has been busy all morning. The windows and doors are all open and a nice breeze is coming through the house. Short sleeves are all that is needed. I'm off outside again to enjoy it while it's here.
Hope everyone is having a good day!

Sunday Baking

MINT SLICE

250g plain sweet biscuits
100g butter, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
70g peppermint chocolate, chopped coarsely


CHOCOLATE TOPPING


200g milk chocolate
2 tsp vegetable oil


1. Grease 19cm x 29cm slice pan. Line with baking paper
2. Process 200g of the biscuits until fine. Chop remaining biscuits coarsely
3. Combine butter and condensed milk in small saucepan until smooth
4. Combine processed biscuits and chopped biscuits with peppermint chocolate in medium bowl. Stir in butter mixture. Press mixture firmly into pan.
Refridgerate 20mins until set
5. Meanwhile, stir ingredients for chocolate topping in a saucepan until smooth. Spread mixture over slice. Redgerate until firm before cutting

Early Birthday

Very excited to get just what she had been asking for

We gave Kate an early birthday present this morning (an Ipod Touch) as Phil is going away for work again on Tuesday and won't be here for her real birthday next weekend. And seeing as she is turning the BIG 10  and has been asking for an Ipod Touch forever that is what we got her. She was very excited!

I think she will be busy for awhile!

New Fridge

After our old fridge being on the blink for a couple of days, we got up yesterday to it having gone altogether. So after we dropped the girls to school we went fridge shopping.
We actually only went to one store where there were some massive specials on. We opened and closed what seemed like a hundred fridges until we settled on this one.
We only needed a small freezer space as we have an upright freezer as well which used to sit in the dining room, but now lives in the shed. So we have more room in the dining room as well.
We couldn't get over how fancy some fridges are now, we didn't need one that delivered crushed ice and cups of cold water. And I can't believe that some people would spend $3000 plus on a kitchen appliance! Ours was a third of that in price and will do us nicely.
Off to fill it up a bit more today!

Dancing Competition

Kate dressed as a mouse for ballet

Today Kate competed in the ATOD dancing competitions. They were held in Kwinana, 5 minutes from Amie's house, so we picked Amie up at 8:45am and headed to the Arts Centre.

Kate's tap which is Bronze Star was in Section One, so we didn't have long to wait. She placed 3rd out of 5 girls, some pretty tough competition out there, so she was thrilled with the result.

Section two, after morning tea was he ballet - Bronze Medal - 6 contestants, and again she placed 3rd! Absolutely thrilled.

Then it was a lunch break. We headed up to McDonalds, it was absolutely packed with different dancing school grabbing food in-between competitions. Amie & Ella had had enough of watching now that Kate had finished performing, but Kate wanted to watch the third and final section which some of her friends were in. So we dropped them back to Amie's house and we went back again. The day was over at 3:30pm and we went back to Amie's to pick up Ella and spends some time with Ruby & Jonah.

School Excursion

The orchard is set on 40 acres

I went along with Ella's class today on an excursion to an Orchard. I would have to say it was one of the most interesting and enjoyable ones I've been on, and I've been on lots!

We were greeted by Emily when we arrived, who was our tour guide.

Emily tells the children of the different fruits they grow

We learnt about the history of the orchard which belongs to Emily's husband and family. It was established in 1939.

We walked along the rows of apple trees

Emily talked about what fruits they grow there, which trees were which, and about what happens during the different seasons

The garden where they dug for worms

Then it was on to digging for worms - well Emily dug while the kids all found a worm each

Ella gets down and searches for her worm

And here it is!

The kids all compared their worms while the others were getting theirs

They then went and fed their worms to the chooks who were waiting patiently.

The chooks waiting for a snack

We then met up with Phil who explained what he was about to do on the orchard (clean up with his tractor around the trees

More learning from Phil

Then it was time for morning tea. Everyone was pretty hungry by then. Emily brought around plates of cut up fruit which was delicious!

Ella waiting patiently for some organic fruit

Ella gets some Pink Lady apple

We then met Farmer John (Emily's husband) who was working in the shed. He explained about his Grandfather and Dad building the sheds. He showed us the coolstore.

Farmer John talks about the shed and cool stores and what happens inside

The kids learnt about the process of getting the fruit from the packing shed to the wholesalers, to the retailers to home.

A look into the coolstore

Then finally after lunch they all got to enjoy a short ride on the apple chariot back up the hill to the bus.

Ella (back right) gets a ride with her friends