Travel

Duane won a carton of Corona through some sort of boy bet.  I'm not sure of specifics, but it had something to do with "my football team being better than your", a typical pissing contest between men/boys.

I've had my  years days of beer drinking and haven't had one for a long time, but decided it might be a nice complement to the seafood marinara pasta that I'd made for dinner.  Duane served it up with the obligatory wedge of lime shoved in the neck.  I took a sip........and that's when it hit me.

I NEED TO TRAVEL

One taste of that sweet cerveza and I was immediately reminiscent of my travelling days.  Sipping corona's on the beach of Mexico, walking through a late night summer thunderstorm after a night out at the nightclubs of Cabo San Lucas, jumping out of a plane in Canada, standing at the top of the Canadian Rockies, visiting a million temples in Japan, walking down the cobblestone street of Old Montreal, dancing in the street as I enjoyed my very first snow fall in Banff.  The world is such a wondrous and amazing place and I want to discover as much of it as I can.

I want to spend chunks of time really exploring a country/place, not just quick little touristy visits.  I'm also toying with the idea of spending a year in another country.  Once I'm a fully registered Midwife (OMG, I can't believe that I'm on the way to that!!!), there are many countries that I can work in.  Canada being one.  Duane and I have talked about spending a year there.  I spent a year back in my youth (gosh, now I feel old - I have youth), and have a wonderful friend living there.  It would be a great base for lots of travel, and would give the kids a taste of another country without the daunting task of learning another language. 

I love my life right now.  I just know that once the kids are older, I can't wait to take them around the world and open there eyes to the amazing planet we live on.  Money is the only thing that will stop us, but even for that we have a plan.  Duane and I have worked out that we can pay our home loan off in 5 years.   So, by the time Grace is 10, which we agree is a perfect age to travel, we should be mortgage free!  It means we have to somehow come up with an extra $300 per week to do it, which sounds doable - I think.  I know that we wont be able to start immediately, but I'm hoping that next year I can maybe get an assistant nursing position and maybe fit in a few shifts every week.  I'm also thinking maybe over the holidays I can pick up some work, then just dump all that on the mortgage. 

So, next year we have decided to start the project.  It will probably take longer, but that's our plan for now.  We want to be paying the last payment on our mortgage by the end of 2016.  I can't imagine how that will feel.  Imagine not having to pay a mortgage EVER AGAIN!!!  Being able to save all that money instead and use it on much better things than just interest!   The hardest bit in all this will be refraining from wanting to get a bigger and better house.  Duane and I often talk about our "dream" home, complete with acreage and ensuite.  However, we both have agreed that to be in our house and mortgage free would make us happier than extra land and a bigger/newer house.

One thing that may have to be sacrificed though is another baby.  Having a 3rd would mean me out of the workforce longer and not being able to pay the house off as fast as we want to.  I may be ok with it too.  Unless I think of tiny little wondersuits - then I'm a mess.  But right now, I'm thinking about making the best life for the family I have here.  If I am blessed with another, we'll work around it and everything will be fine too.

Almost a millionaire

I was almost a millionaire.

Almost had to spend days searching for my dream house & furnishing it perfectly - complete with humungous vegie patch, horse and an orchard.

I nearly got to go to several banks and pay off the mortgage of all my closest friends and family, then present them with their deeds in a frame.

Hubby nearly got to call work and give his notice, then spend his days being a stay-at-home dad who volunteered and spent lazy days on the golf course.

I was > - < close to being able to travel the world as I pleased, taking the kids to winter in Canada, safari in South Africa and any where else that took my fancy.

BUT it all came down to 1 measly number. 1 number stopped all of those ^^^^ dreams.

My husband told me today that he always buys a powerball ticket when he goes on holidays, in the hope that he wins enough money and doesn't have to go back to work. He could just extend the holiday indefinitely. It's not like he doesn't enjoy his job, but it's physically tough and hey, who wouldn't want the option to not have to go to work.

Anyway, today he fronted up to the newsagent and presented his ticket. "Can you check my loosing ticket" He asked. "Sure, but I hope it's a winner for you" answered the friendly shop assistant. She scanned it then looked over at his and smiled "Well, I can't give you that much, you'll have to wait for the cheque", she then said very excitedly. "You've won about $4700, but the bad news is you were 1 number off winning about 8 million dollars" Doh!

I'm stoked about winning nearly 5 grand. Within 5 minutes of Duane telling me the good news, I had mentally done up a wish list, and there wasn't much change.

First thing on the agenda is a service and air-con for the car. Next is the study cupboards done exactly how I want, and also a new solar hot water service. Duane's asked for $500 play money, not sure what he wants it for, but he never spends money so I couldn't really say no hey! The rest (if there is any!!) will go in the kids school account. It's already looking healthy, but considering schooling is going to be a large on-going cost, it needs to be supersized.

Oh, and the number that he missed out. 35. It's his age.

What's hiding in the garden?

We've just got our first crop of tomatoes and they are big, juicy and delicious - not at all like the tasteless variety sold at the supermarket.

The kids and I have been hovering over the green, hard tomatoes every day since they started blooming. It's definitely a lesson in patience, as the kids ask everyday if they are ready to be picked

I was hoping to leave them to vine ripen, but seems there are little worms invading my tomato patch, so I'm picking them once they have a blush of red and ripening them inside.

There is a cucumber also bathing in the sunlight, growing bigger and ripening each day. I'm just hoping the bugs don't start munching on it.

Next thing blooming in the garden is my beautiful Lily bush. Duane and I planted this in 2005, the year Grace was born. It flowered for the very first time on the day she was born, and since we had been tossing up the middle name Lily, it seemed perfect to use it. Its has flowered every year around her birthday - her very special Birthday flower.

Of course every garden needs some fairies and pixies. Mine tend to ditch the glittery wings and run around naked.

Ok, not officially in the garden, but still garden themed. This is the birthday crown I handmade for Grace. It's made out of 100% wool felt and all hand stitched lovingly by me. I adore it.

It's something special that will only be used on her birthday, every year. I plan on making a big deal out of birthdays, making the kids feel like Kings and Queens on their special day. I'm going to start work on Xav's next, just not sure what theme I'll do. Grace was born in Spring, so I made hers in gorgeous spring colours.

And this is just devine. Grace's Godfather Tim, gave her an early birthday present - a beautiful coral Pettiskirt. We had a mini photo shoot today, but I can't wait for some beautiful lighting and a trip to the park to get some better ones.

How cool would this be to wear!! I WANT ONE FOR ME!!!!

Quick update

I started this post a few days ago and for some strange reason whenever I save it as a draft it publishes. It's just a lazy update on whats happening in the Penney household at the moment.

Me - I joined up to Weight Watchers last night and I am determined to loose at least 7 kgs, hopefully 10! I've always hovered around 67kgs, but after having Xav its slowly crept up to around 74 (even though my scales say 72kg), so I thought it was about time to stop calling the extra kg's "baby weight", (especially since my baby is now 2! ) and do something about it. So my mil and I joined up and Nicole is going to come along next week too. It'll help having each other to stay on track and keep motivated. Plus, I'm going to pay a month in advance at a time, so having already paid will keep me going back as I'd hate not to get the value out of it. I'm hoping to loose 1/2kg a week, and hopefully by Christmas I'll be under 67. I don't find following weight watchers all that hard, I did it just before I was married and lost 10kgs quite easily, getting down to about 57kgs. I just have to remember to drink lots of water, watch my portions sizes and make an effort to exercise more. Sounds easy hey? My weigh ins are on a Thursday, so in an effort to keep myself accountable I'll put my stats on every Friday. Crap, now I have to stick it out!

I am also getting very excited about the upcoming birth of Bubba Dew. Trude been one of my best friends for over 10 years and I feel so honoured and privileged that she has asked me as a support person to her birth. She is looking & feeling fantastic, especially considering she is 41 weeks tomorrow. I set up a "guess the stats" game, and every ones birthday guess has been and gone - except for Trude. The crazy girl is wanting to go over, she's even hoping to make it to 7/8/09, which takes her to 11 days over her due date. She has been desperate to avoid family birthdays, but after midnight tonight it's a clear run, so really she can go any time. My psychic abilities are crap, every night for the last week I have thought "tonight's the night", and every night nothing happens.

I feel like a lovesick teenager, obsessively checking my phone for the call out, even calling it from my home phone just making sure it works. Just thinking about her & Murray becoming parents makes my eyes spring leaks. Seeing them meet their little boy for the first time and witnessing the moment where they go from a couple to a family is going to be so precious. I have tried to describe to them how amazing birth & parenthood is, and I'm sure they think they know. But it truly is something that you just don't get until you've done it. nobody can explain to you the immense feeling of love as you've never known it before. I also can't wait to meet their precious little boy - he has chosen a very special family to join. Gosh, I know this little fella is going to send my hormones spinning - but I must stay strong and keep repeating, "In a few years, In a few years".

Grace - She's being a typical 3 1/2 y/o and perfecting which buttons of mine to press. Man, she drives me batty sometimes, mainly with the whinging and constant chatter. Shes asleep beside me now and looking like an absolute angel who could do no wrong. She is lovely, caring and thoughtful most of the time, it's just a few times in the day that she has me hollering like a mad women and ready to ship her off to boarding school. I know that at the moment my patience is thin with her, not really sure why. I think it has a lot to do with being together so much. I love spending time with her, but really the only break we have from each other is on a Tuesday and snippets during the week. I'm going to have a chat with Duane and arrange for 1 afternoon that he takes the kids out every week. he normally does, it's just these last few weeks we have been doing things around the house of an afternoon, but I'm finding I want some time home by myself.

She has been very sweet lately and learning lots of wonderful things at pre-school and her new playgroup. Duane and I both been going along with her to the playgroup, which she absolutely loves. It's at the Steiner school and runs from 1pm-3pm on a Thursday. It's lots of singing, storytelling, craft as well as inside and outside play. The kids also make their own bread rolls which are baked during the session and ready for them to eat on the way home. Whilst the kids are playing the parents do craft. Duane took her last time by himself and got stuck sewing a felt whale, which I thought was hilarious (he didn't!). This week I started finger knitting a flower garland that Grace will wear at the Spring Festival.

Grace is also loving pre-school and is really starting to feel comfortable there. She is still only going one day a week, but from next year it will be 2 days. The teachers are always telling me how great she is and how much she loves doing all the outside things. She's always wanting to visit the worms, play in the veggie patch and potter around in the garden. Apparently she is always polite, friendly and willing to help with anything. The kids are encouraged to help clean, cook and prepare the food - which Grace really enjoys doing. Last Tuesday she told me that she spent most of the indoor time polishing the bookcases - sounds thrilling. Maybe I should save the fees and just have her do my housework!

The Dogs - The dogs nearly got the boot the other day. I woke early before the kids and thought I'd head out for a cup of tea in the peace and quiet. All was happy in my world, until I noticed random bits of green and yellow plastic all around the dining area. On closer inspection I realised it was my LIMITED EDITION Silicone cupcake moulds, damn dogs had dragged them of the bench where I had left them last night after making individual apple pies. Out of the 6, 5 were now laced with canine teeth marks - and even though Tupperware has a fantastic guarantee, I really don't think that being used as a dog chew toy comes under normal wear and tear. Those bloody dogs better hope that research keeps getting released sprouting the benefits of pet ownership, or their time at the Penney residence could be nearly up. Man, why don't' Labradors ever grow up. I mean they are 7 & 8, surely they should be out of the stage of chewing things up? Lucky they are cute most of the time.

The chooks - Well turns out 2 of the babies that we hatched were roosters. Kinda gave it away when the both started wanting "special" cuddles with the other chooks, well actually it was their Mum they harassed the most. Sounds a little incestuous, but I guess technically she was just the incubator as it wasn't any of her eggs so really they weren't related. Either way, chicken sex & crowing was not a good combo to have happening in the front yard. I didn't mind the crowing, but I'm sure the neighbours weren't too impressed with the 4.30am wake up calls. So Frizzle and Da were shipped of to Duane's friends farm and apparently have fitted in well. Also was goof to know that the guy doesn't eat chicken - not that he would get much of their skinny frames. They have the run of a huge area and lots of hens to hit on, so perfect for them. I do miss having them around though. Although they weren't tame enough that we could pick them up, they were both friendly and also beautiful looking roosters. Frizzle is a "frizzle" breed, with beautiful soft brindle coloured feathers that actually grow backwards. Named by the children of course because of the breed, original hey!

~~Frizzle with Da in the background~~

Da is the other chicken, who had a name change after the humping and crowing incidents. Grace had called him Trudy, but after turning into a rooster we change the name to Da. Why Da? Well Xav likes to mess around with people, and insists on only saying "Da" when he is around Trudy, even though he can say a gazillion other things. Da is a small brindle bantam that in the sunlight is a green/black colour. He was the gentleman of the hen house, always waiting outside on dusk to make sure all the other chooks were tucked up in bed. Only once everyone else was in did he head off to bed.

~~Da, Frizzle and their incubater Silkie~~

The other chooks are all happy. Why wouldn't they be though really. They get to wander around out the front from the crack of dawn, eating the kids breakfast leftovers and any other food scraps that they choose. All we ask from them is an egg a day and to stay out of the veggie patch - otherwise everything else is free reign. They really are fantastic animals to have though. I initially was hesitant, thinking that chooks would need a larger area but they are fine on our little 800sq suburban block. Sending the kids out to collect the 3 eggs a day is a big bonus, and then cracking them open and seeing clear egg white and a big orange yolk. Nothing beats it.

I often catch Henny & Bertha nestled in a dust whole, looking like a couple of old bitties having a gossip:

~~"You don't say Bertha!~~

Anzac weekend

What a fantastic long weekend we have had. Even though today wasn't officially a public holiday, Duane's work offered all the employees the option of taking Friday or Monday off. He wasn't going to choose the Monday as that's the day that Grace goes to Pre-school, but as luck would have it, her school day has changed to a Tuesday. I always wanted her to go of a Tuesday (Mondays = a gazillion public holidays), so it worked out perfectly in the end.

Saturday morning we had a lovely breakfast outside of pancakes and cereal. We then headed to one of the local schools as they were having a car boot sale. I picked up a few bargains - a set of Tupperware icy-pole makers and also a set of walkie talkie for the kids. The kids have had so much fun with them already, although coordinating pressing the buttons and talking at the same time may take a while to master!

We then headed over to the Anzac day March and service in Nerang. I was hoping to get to a Dawn service this year, but the thought of waking the kids so early and then having them cranky all day was enough to squash that idea, so a 10am service was the compromise. Maybe next year we'll aim for the service on the beach at Currumbin.

The kids released some energy at the playground as we waited for the march to begin. Once we realised it was about to start we headed up the road to get a good vantage point. I found the most perfect spot. It was elevated, shaded and plenty of room for the kids to run around without annoying anyone. For a while it was just us, until EVERYONE else realised what prime position we had found. We watched as everyone marched, the kids clapping and waving their Australia flags high and proud. I wiped away a few tears as I thought about what a lot of them had been through and also thought about all the stories my dear old Pop had told me.

I don't believe in war at all, but I still want my children to understand about our history and how so many people were sacrificed doing what they thought was best for our country. Its a part of the worlds history, and unfortunately in some parts of the world its still going on. I hope one day that there will be no diggers left to march, but I highly doubt it. War will always go on and we will keep loosing precious husbands, wives, children and friends.

After the march we headed down to the RSL for the service. The kids were fantastic for most of it, only starting to get ratty towards the end. Xav did yell out "Oh, Uh" very loudly during the last post, but apart from that they were perfect. We headed off towards the end of the service, hoping to avoid the stampede back to the cars.

We headed home for a rest and then spent the afternoon pottering around the garden. We had bought some eco-wood on Friday for our veggie gardens. I had searched everywhere for treated timber sleepers that weren't treated with the nasty arsenic. Finally I found some available at the treatment plant, and the best bit was they were only $10 each! Perfect, so we bought 6! Duane nailed them all together and then levelled out the ground to put them on. So now I have 3 nice raised garden beds ready for my veggie crops to go in.

Sunday was a lazy morning. We finished off the veggie gardens and tidied up the front yard. In the afternoon we headed up to Duane's work so the kids could see all the animals that come out of an afternoon. It was nice and peaceful up there, so we took 2 golf carts out on the course and went looking fro wildlife. We found lots of kangaroos, ducks, wallabies and rabbits. The kids love sitting on our knees pretending to drive the carts, and having races with each other.

Baby making

Well after 3 weeks of sitting pitifully on her nest and not budging we have decided to grant Silkie her wish, babies. Now as we don't have a rooster in the house there is absolutely no chance of any hanky panky for her, so we did the next best thing and ordered a clutch of fertile eggs - kinda like egg donation for chickens!

They are sitting on my bench right now, waiting for night to come so we can shove them under the broody hen and hope that she stays there.

I've marked each egg with the word "baby", so we can tell them apart from the other chook eggs. Silkie has a special milk crate to go over the top of her for a few days, so the other chooks learn to lay somewhere else. If it all things go to plan, we should have little beaks breaking out of eggs in 21 days!! How exciting! We are going to keep the chicks until they are a few months old, then give them back to the breeder. No doubt one will stay with us though, just not any of the crowing variety.

Its all very exciting. Due date for hatching will be around the 7th March, which is my birthday - what a present that would be!

Yipee! We have eggs!

The chicken above would have to be the skittiest around. She is so flighty - never wanting to be patted or picked up. Now this could have something to do with being chased around by an over excited toddler or boxed into corners by a very confident pre-schooler, but still with us big ones she has always been a bit of a worry wart.

So I had written her off as just the 3rd wheel in the hen house, not there for her personality, good looks or potential eeg laying abilities - maybe just to appease my desire for a chocolate animal, preferably a Labrador but I settled for the Silky.

Imagine my surprise when this crazy creature decided to bestow on us one of her beautifully fresh eggs. Would you believe that we found it right in the middle of Grace's birthday party - just as I was getting Bertha (the black one) out for a cuddle/maul from the kids I noticed a shiny white object glittering in the nesting box.


"It's an egg, Oh My and Egg, our very first one" I exclaimed excitedly before getting suspicious of everyone, for sure that someone had planted one in there. Nope, it seems that my little Silky is a clever little chook after all. She has since laid everyday since except for Tuesday. Not bad for a nervous thing, 5 eggs already!!!


I'm sure that she had performance anxiety on Tuesday. The poor thing didn't get a moments peace from me peering in on her ever second, wanting to witness the arrival of the egg. I have manage to catch her laying the last 2 days though. She just sits there, letting me pat her and no doubt wishing that I would rack off. Today I went out just as she was getting of the nest, I picked up the egg and it was still so warm. Nature is beautiful isn't it?


So we have 4 eggs in the fridge at the moment. I used one in the tuna patties the other night and it was so exciting to know that it came from our chook!


I just hope the others get a wriggle on so that we can start enjoying some free-range egg breakfasts or some homemade quiches!

Our Chickadees

Well after a few weeks of hammering, drilling, gluing, swearing and cursing the chook house is now complete. I am extremely happy with how it has turned out, and mighty proud of myself for doing most of it! It was actually quite therapeutic taking all my frustrations out on the nails as I bashed them in. It's 3 mtr long, 1 mtr high and 1 mtr wide. Big enough for the kids to go into and have a play with the chooks, and also roomy enough that the chooks could stay in there most of the time and be happy.

I had one end of the wood propped up on the saw horse and the other on the outdoor table! With a lot of moving and maneuvering I finally got it to this stage by myself. Wendy helped me by amusing the kids and holding the wood in place if it got a little tricky.

It was hilarious and no doubt a very unconventional way of building a chook house, but it all turned out AND it seems sturdy. I started off drilling, but the drill was a bit too powerful for me and kept kicking back and throwing itself around, so I packed away all the drill bits and screws and decided to try nails instead.

Using the nails was alot easier, except the stupid wood had so many knots in it, which made it difficult to belt the nails into some places. So each time I couldn't get a nail all the way in, I just bashed it onto it's side. Didn't look that great, but I have embraced it as the "features" of my chook house.
The kids each had a go hitting the nails in and loving every minute of it. When it was just a frame I threw a sheet over the top and made a cubby out of it for them to play in.

Duane helped me with getting the hinges on and hanging the doors, you know the easy stuff!!

~~The kids laying down the straw~~

And here it is all finished:

Next step was getting some lovely little girls to go in it. I called around yesterday to see which of the hatcheries had point of lays available. I was told to get Lowman Browns as they are good egg producers and great for the kids. Unfortunately they wouldn't be available for another week or so, and me being the impatient person that I am didn't want to have an empty chook house for that long. So I found a place that had black Australorps available and they would be ready to lay within the next month. Sounded perfect to me, so once Duane got home from golf we headed out to pick 2 up. The lady selling them had them all ready for us. however on the car ride over Duane and I had discussed (ok, maybe it was just me!) getting some younger hens, so that they would get used to the kids and hopefully be better pets. I mentioned this to the lady and she told us that she had some 6 weekers that would be fine to go straight outside, but they wouldn't be ready to lay for another 5 months or so.

We wandered around and had a look at them. So, so cute! I had made up my mind by then that I would like a hen that would lay soon and also one of the cute and cuddly babies. I then mentioned to her that I always have wanted a silkie hen, well 'lo and behold she had a gorgeous little black one right there to sell too. Duane was getting a little nervous at this stage, after reluctantly agreeing to chickens in the first place and now being faced with me requesting 3. The chook lady chatted a bit and convinced him that 3 was a good number, they are easy to care for and much better to put them all together at the start. So it was decided, we were taking 3 chickens.

Here are our 3 newest little babies:
I did ask Grace what she would like to call them, she first suggested "Allah", I really didn't think that was appropriate though. She then suggested "Ballerina" for the black one and "Silky Oak" for the little Silkie. We had already decided to call one "Henny Penney", so that name is going to the baby. Duane being oh so funny suggested Red Rooster and KFC. I don't think so.

So at this stage the baby has a name and the others are nameless until we all decide on something that doesn't use 11 special herbs and spices or is a religious leader.

And here is how they all slept last night. I know it's hard to make out but the silkie is on top of the food container and the baby is on top of her. The black one has it's bum sticking out of the nesting box. Later on though they changed over and the baby went into the nesting box with the black one and the silkie hoped on the roost.

They are all eating and behaving nicely. The black one has taken to mothering Henny, not letting the silkie go anywhere near her and keeping her close. Silkie is a bit skittish and randomly just runs up and down the cage, crazy thing. The chook lady did say that if the Silkie gets broody to go back and get some fertilised eggs for her to sit on, then when they hatch to take them back. I know Grace would love to see baby chicken hatch, so I'll definatley keep that in mind.

So far I'm loving the chooks. We have spent the afternoon and morning just watching them and their funny little antics. Grace and Xav have gone in their house a few times and sat down with them, its great cause the kids aren't scared of the chooks and the chooks so far seem ok with the kids. Grace loves picking up Henny and giving her a cuddle. Xav pats them all, and is trying to get the courage to pick them up - except he giggles too much to do it!