I feel that familiar feeling of trying to do too much… and so I’m paring back. Again. Walks among crunchy leaves, baking, EIGHTEEN MILLION LOADS OF WASHING. You know, quiet stuff. And the kids are at seriously adorable ages, so I spend a lot of time just staring at them or making them say funny things for my own amusement. Here’s what’s been going down lately…
Making : Two bobble-stitch hat-and-scarf combos for the girls. I’ve made it as far as row 3. Sigh.
Cooking : Lots of stuff! But this week is cauliflower soup with roasted cauliflower croutons, stuffed capsicums with quinoa, feta, pine nuts and pomegranate, brioche, apple-cinnamon cake, regular bread, hot cross buns, yogurt pancakes, pumpkin lasagne, gnocchi, a spinach and tofu curry, and these amazing cookies, among other things.
Drinking : A steady diet of tea.
Reading: Is This It? By Bob Geldof. I bought it years ago and spotted it on my shelf just after Peaches died. It is utterly fascinating, such a great read.
Wanting: To slow down.
Looking: At the leaves changing colour. The parks are very pretty around here!
Playing: Outside in the beautiful warm sunshine. Before we have to hunker down for the winterrrrr
Wasting: Bread ingredients. Still trying to nail a proper loaf in this goddamn machine.
Sewing: This has had the least amount of my attention!
Wishing: That dishes did themselves.
Enjoying: The change of season, and a hot cup of tea.
Waiting: For it to get proper cold before we turn the heating on. I’m trying to see how long we can last! We had a fireplace in our country cottage getaway last week and it was divine. Remind me not to buy a house without a fireplace.
Liking: Reading lots of blogs again. I’ve resisted adding to my reader because I just didn’t have time, but I love the peeks into other people’s worlds so much I have allowed a little indulgence.
Wondering: What I’m going to do.
Loving: Being a mother of toddlers.
Hoping: The toddlers like me as a mother.
Marvelling: Pepper sleeping! (shhhh let’s not mention it in case I tempt fate! but it is GOOD).
Needing: More soup recipes. So I can add them to here!
Smelling: Very stinky cheese, a gift from my mother-in-law when we spent Easter in the Yarra Valley. Oh my, it is utterly delicious.
Wearing: Black woollen leggings from who knows where, I can’t remember. “To Kill a Mockingbird” T-shirt from Out of Print clothing (amazing – if you haven’t been there, check it out!), and a charcoal-and-black cardigan with a heart and crossbones print from Modcloth (aff link). Oh and some TOMS shoes.
Following: Momma’s Gone City on Instagram. When she got Theo, the whole world went a bit soft, even I did (and I’m not a dog person). The pictures she started taking of her boy napping with their puppy went viral, and for good reason! Utterly adorable.
Noticing: I have a smidgen more energy. This is delightful. Also, apparently my hill-walks and half-assed exercising while playing outside with the kids (squats in between kicking the ball, for example) are PAYING OFF. It’s a special feeling, Lloyd.
Knowing: That sleep is the key to everything.
Thinking: About my kids who wander into their bedrooms and shut the door to play. When I knock on the door and ask to come in they say “no!”. So I don’t! It is glorious! So much sibling childhood magic is gonna happen behind that closed door, away from the omnipresent mother. So many hair-pullings and slappings, too I imagine.
Feeling: Like this is a pretty special time of life.
Bookmarking: More toddler activities at Pinterest. They’re getting to that age now where they enjoy this kind of stuff. And I do too, because they do it for longer than 7.34 minutes. Also this grease-fighting lavender dish soap, and this beautiful DIY foaming cleanser.
Opening: The freezer to put in lots of the things I’m trying to store, or stuff I’ve baked in advance, but it’s utterly chock-full right now. I need a deep-freeze – any recommendations?
Giggling: At very dry British humour. As usual. It never fails to make me laugh, especially because it’s so casual – the funniest line in the world thrown in there like it ain’t no thang. Always catches me off guard, which is the best kind of humour.
Listening: To endless news podcasts on Stitcher while I cook. Also the Hope*ologie podcasts, the Beyoncé album, the Oprah/Deepak Chopra 21-Day Meditation Experience, and I’ve been singing the Postman Pat Special Delivery Service theme song for about a week straight now.
Rachel @ Mother Far from Home says
April 29, 2014 at 10:58 amI just bought a deep freeze and clocked a special order at Coles to fill it! I got mine through a friend, but I’d suggest gumtree. And I hear you about the bread. I have yet to make a good loaf of bread, the only thing I can do well there is pizza dough. And even then I forget to turn it on and never have 1.5 hours when I actually need it!
Veggie Mama says
April 29, 2014 at 11:19 amhaha I’ve learned the hard way about that 1.5 hours when you need dinner. Oh my. And I’ve been stalking gumtree! I’ve had some bargains off there lately.
Katie Rainbird says
April 29, 2014 at 11:15 amLife sounds good. I get successful results with the Laucke premix, I prefer the Barossa sourdough or the rye. I don’t even use a machine, just slap it about into a rough loaf shape.
Veggie Mama says
April 29, 2014 at 11:18 amI have had wonderful experiences with regular bread-baking. But a machine? supposed to make life easy? NADA.
Amy @ Mrs Smyth says
April 29, 2014 at 11:26 amRe bread: I rang the Lauke helpline and they are SO helpful. They have a whizzbang spreadsheet for your brand of machine and work out the ratios of everything for you. Give them a call, you won’t be sorry! 🙂
Veggie Mama says
April 29, 2014 at 3:17 pmIs that just for their mixes? I’m yet to try it! So I will give it a whirl…
Mandy dos Santos says
April 29, 2014 at 11:40 amI do love your lists. I love toddlers to. Preschoolers, even more. Amazing conversations. Glorious little poppets.
Veggie Mama says
April 29, 2014 at 3:17 pmOh we’re on the cusp of preschooler – I am SO EXCITED! I feel like that’s the kind of mother I’m going to excel at. I’m dying over the funny little conversations already 🙂
Cybele @ BlahBlah says
April 29, 2014 at 11:41 amAh, winterrrr is coming. This time of year is my favourite. Gentle rainy days mingle with big brash blue ones. The hopeology podcasts sound wonderful. Audible app keeps me happy in the mundane. Did you make that gorgeous hot air balloon light? I’d love to give it a whirl for my boys’ room. Thank you so much for sharing the face wash. I really appreciate it. Have a beautiful day x
Veggie Mama says
April 29, 2014 at 3:16 pmIt’s from Oliver’s Twisty Tales – isn’t it DIVINE?
http://oliverstwistytales.com.au/shop/vintage-hot-air-balloon-rainbow-large/
I love the audible app, and I often listen to a lot of podcasts, especially when going to bed. So much good stuff out there in the ether! And then I jam out to Spotify, which is terribly fun.
I am slowly getting used to this weather, having spent the bulk of my life in Queensland, where there is no autumn! I forget what it’s like to have to wait until the sun reaches you before you can go out. And how cold your bed is at night when you’ve forgotten your hot water bottle 😉
Lisa @ Random Acts Of Zen says
April 29, 2014 at 12:17 pmThat’s a big list of lovely, right there!
I do miss the toddler stage, as we’ve just entered the tweens here, and I’m a bit scared. She’s still my best bud, but it is different.
First remotely cold day here, and I’m lamenting the end of summer already. Think I need a big bowl of spinach and tofu curry right now 🙂
Veggie Mama says
April 29, 2014 at 3:12 pmOh it was so nice! It was a recipe from Sneh at Cook Republic’s new book Tasty Express. Goodness. And even better the next day, of course!
I do wonder what it will be like when they’re older. I hope they still love their mamaaaaaaa and the tween years don’t scare me with their bras and talking on the phone and general parent-frightening goings-on! Let me know how you find it…
http://www.cookrepublic.com/my-book-tasty-express-simple-stylish-delicious-recipes-for-busy-people/
Lila Wolff says
April 29, 2014 at 1:15 pmThat all sounds a bit lovely, mostly because I kept seeing the word sleep!
The lauke premixes are pretty reliable in the machine.
Veggie Mama says
April 29, 2014 at 3:09 pmSo I’ve been hearing! I guess I’d better put it to the test…
MotherDownUnder says
April 29, 2014 at 1:42 pmAll good things…especially SLEEP!
I grew up with a mother who refused to turn on the heat. We had a giant wood burning stove…but that only really heated the downstairs, upstairs where the bedrooms were was always freezing! We still moan about the freezing cold conditions. Even now when we go home in the winter, my sister and I always head straight for the thermostat and turn it up five degrees!
Veggie Mama says
April 30, 2014 at 4:03 pmHa I wrote you a big reply and it’s disappeared from here – did you get it? 🙁
MotherDownUnder says
April 30, 2014 at 9:12 pmNo! Sad!
Veggie Mama says
May 2, 2014 at 2:45 pmWah. it was about your mom breeding you guys tough haha
Josephine says
April 29, 2014 at 2:26 pmI love these taking stock posts 🙂 High fives for more sleep and energy!
I have 2 little boys (almost 4 and 21 months) and I’m noticing the food consumption round our parts steadily increasing – I think a deep freeze is in our immediate future too.
Hope the good sleep is a more permanent feature in your landscape 🙂
Veggie Mama says
April 30, 2014 at 4:02 pmWah, I answered this yesterday and it’s disappeared! But I did ask if you find a good deep-freeze to let me know!
The Plumbette says
April 29, 2014 at 3:07 pmI’m so pleased to hear Pepper is sleeping. Does that mean you are getting some shut eye? And I can’t wait to eat some smelly cheese. 11 weeks to go. Love this list and reading about the going ons in your life at the moment. x
Veggie Mama says
April 29, 2014 at 3:19 pmI AM! oh touch wood, but it is glorious. I will have two helpings of cheese, just for you – I’m thoughtful like that. And thank you, as always, for your lovely words of encouragement. Hope all is well with you!
Angie@TheLittleMumma says
April 29, 2014 at 4:11 pmOh, I love that you’ve stopped to realise this magic time and it made me wonder if I did the same when Luca and Zig were super-little. I think I did. I hope I did. And I should probably be doing that now, too, but I just had to do school pick-up in the rain so all bets are off.
Also, we’re a week into night weaning and I can’t believe I can actually report that I have a baby who doesn’t boob overnight anymore. Woooooo! Still not sleeping through but way, WAY more sleep happening all round so I am happy about that. Sleep is key. x
Veggie Mama says
April 30, 2014 at 4:02 pmONE STEP CLOSER! I remember feeling so surprised and grateful and so proud of Peps for growing up. And that we were making inroads to everyone getting the sleep they needed.
I do think I soak in all the stages, but who knows. I think it’s probably part of life to age and look back on your children’s childhood and think you could have paid more attention. I pay ALL of the attention, and I still think I’ll feel like that!
Lily (A Rhubarb Rhapsody) says
April 29, 2014 at 4:40 pmNoooo! Not the Postman Pat theme song! That one’s a killer. I hear you on the soup, I’m just about to make some roast pumpkin and sweetcorn soup for dinner. As for the heating, I’m pretty much spending my whole day in my dressing gown, trying to avoid putting the heater on. I had it on for an hour today and felt like a whimp so I turned it back off again. I’m freezing!
Veggie Mama says
April 30, 2014 at 3:59 pmOooh we’re having roasted sweetcorn and black bean enchiladas. I love corn! And my fingers are freezing. Mr Sun decided to hang out behind the clouds most of the day, dammit. And how funny, I don’t even know the words to the postman pat song so I sing “Special delivery service, doing stuff all day”
Naomi @ Not Just A Mummy says
April 29, 2014 at 7:14 pmMmmm stinky cheese. I am going to get CRAZY on an enormous pile once this bebe exits my belly in a few weeks.. Alongside wine. So Much Wine. I find myself hoping the same thing (that I’m getting at least 3.5 stars out of 5 for my mothering though some days I do wonder) and pinning the crap out of toddler activities in preparation again for the arrival of my belly dweller and the ever increasing desire to get organised and keep the toddler amused!
Veggie Mama says
April 30, 2014 at 3:58 pmPinning the activities is enough, right? RIGHT?
Reannon Hope says
April 29, 2014 at 10:16 pmOh I love this post- sooooo much good stuff!!!
I’m thinking about getting a deep freeze too. The past week or so I have this deep desire to fill my freezer with food & clean my skirting boards & under the loung ….yeah , the baby is totally coming soon 😉
Have you tried barley broth? It sounds a bit yuck but I use the recipe from Hugh’s Veg Everyday & it’s now one of my winter faves. If you want I’ll send you the recipe x
Veggie Mama says
April 30, 2014 at 3:58 pmHaha Nesty McNesterson! I’m a bit frightened of barley, but I’ll give it a go on your recommendation. Hugh can do no wrong. Please email!
Reannon Hope says
April 30, 2014 at 5:13 pmI was very dubious of barley too but this soup changed me. I’m pretty much the only person in the house who likes it but I couldn’t care less! It’s so winter-y & comforting & topped with garlic fried mushrooms is the way to go!!! I’ll email it to you today x
Veggie Mama says
May 2, 2014 at 2:44 pmI think I can do it. I was turned off barley soup when I was a kid. I would probably love it now! especially with fried mushrooms.
Smaggle says
April 30, 2014 at 10:19 amYes, I’m feeling that need to slow things down too… can’t quite get there though. My early mornings are certainly helping. I’ve been getting up at 5.30am for my workouts but I’m a bit unwell today so I ‘slept-in’ until 7.30. I just get so much more done now but it means I’m really tired by about 9pm every night!
Veggie Mama says
April 30, 2014 at 3:57 pmI’ve only just started sleeping so I’m dragging it out as long as I can! but usually mornings are the best time for me. I’m so motivated and productive in those early hours!
Kat - The Organised Housewife says
April 30, 2014 at 11:31 amSuch a lovely list. The weather on the Gold Coast is only starting to cool down now, but the weather is still beautiful during the day.
Veggie Mama says
April 30, 2014 at 3:57 pmmy sister is on the Sunshine Coast, and she said it’s still 28 during the day! I sort of miss that a little bit…
Lisa Mckenzie says
May 1, 2014 at 8:04 pmWonderful list Stacey xx
Kelley @ magnetoboldtoo says
May 4, 2014 at 2:36 pmVisiting: me
Veggie Mama says
May 6, 2014 at 10:35 amLegit – when can I come? x