The Country Way To... Do Sensory Play

So I have another timely addition to the series I do called "The Country Way To...". So far the John Deere tractor has featured fairly heavily in this, mainly because my father in law firmly believes that every job is done better with a good tractor.

But today I am deviating from the whole tractor theme.

I have noticed a lot of posts around the blogosphere about different types of sensory play. Often a tub of rice to dig around in, or water. My kids love playing with dirt, or sand, or water (whose kids don't???).

In the country we have plenty of opportunities for sensory play that comes naturally in our day to day lives.... like when we feed the pigs.

We give our pigs grain, which feels great to run your hands through.

We added acorns for an additional texture (also the pigs like to eat them).

There is plenty of room for everyone in the pigs trough.

Plus we have the additional 'learning experience' provided by the pigs, which provide additional 'textures' to our sensory play.

Hmmm... what happens if I pull this??

Yes, we have all the quality activities here in the country.

* Your children will definitely need a bath when they have finished this game.
** Pigs entirely optional for sensory play and not recommended for small areas because they stink!

These Boots Are Made For Walking

So several months ago I found this image on Pinterest, and it gave me an idea for our farm house.

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Boots are compulsory footwear outside the yard at the farm. In summer we have all kinds of prickly things growing in the paddocks, as well as snakes and creepy crawlies. When it is cool and wet we also need boots so that our regular shoes don't get trashed.

The pile of boots outside the back door was annoying me, because I am a klutz and manage to trip over them regularly. With this in mind, County Boy made us our own boot rack using some old boards that have been lying around the farm, and some old broom handles (farmers never chuck anything out - we also had 7 single beds in the house!).

Country Boy used a plane to shave back the wood, but left it still looking "distressed". He then used a spade bit to drill holes. We worked out how far apart the holes have to be by lining up our boots on it.

He then cut up the broom handles, sanded them, and then glued and screwed them in.

Finally he ester-poled it to protect it and screwed it to the wall.  

How cute are Toby's boots!

So there you are, an easy boot hanger, and then I can also say that I have made something from Pinterest (OK I gave Country Boy the instructions and he made it, but you get the idea!). Not sure I can call myself a DIY blogger yet.

First Day of School

First day of second grade... and first day at a new school!

 Toby and Meg insisted in being in a photo too

She had a great time, and hasn't stopped talking since she got home!

Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday.

All Things Vintage

Sunday has come around again and I am sharing some of the good things I have found lately on Pinterest. This weeks I am sharing some of the vintage images I love.

If you click on the image credit for this one you can print the image - it is free! Perfect for labeling books for school.

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How beautiful is this advertisement??? I would love this on my wall.

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This is an old greeting card. I love that the blue eggs contrast with the red berries - it is my current favourite colour scheme

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I love this vintage alphabet. Each letter has beautiful pictures of animals, except for M which for some reason has a miner digging a hole... go figure. Click on the image credit and you can download and print them.

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And finally, some excellent parenting advice for all of you who really want to do the best by your child!

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You can find all these on my All Things Vintage board on Pinterest. I am linking up with Tina Gray {dot} Me for Piquing My Pinterest, and 5 Minutes Just For Me, for Pinning and Singing on the Weekend. You can also follow me via facebook, or any of the other ways on my side bar. Thanks for stopping by!

On Sleep, Or Lack There Of...

My girls are good sleepers. Hannah is a bit of an early bird, but (luckily) she is now old enough to get herself up. They go to bed without any complaint, and will lie there relatively happily if they don't feel like sleeping.

It wasn't always this way. Hannah was a shocker up till about 1 year of age, waking hourly and needing resettling. Luckily she got her act together, and by 18 months of age we could count on a full night sleep on most nights.

Lucky he is so gorgeous!

Meg was a dream baby. She pretty much fed and slept on cue. She was sleeping 10pm till 6am from about 3 months. When she was 4 months she needed to wear a hip brace at night (she had clicky hips), and she began night waking again. Not surprising when you saw the position her legs were in. Generally though she just needed help in adjusting her body, then she was ok. Once she got out of the brace, she went back to sleeping through. As a toddler I could lie her in my arms and tell her to go to sleep and she would. I know... freakily good.

After such a good run with Meg, I was easily convinced to have number 3.

Toby isn't terrible I guess, but after Meg, he is not really up to scratch! After our move he has become really quite difficult to settle at night. He then will wake several times during the night and need help to resettle. We have been putting off letting him just cry because we don't have the mental energy for it. Hannah sorted herself out with time, and I guess we are hoping that Toby will too. I am lucky that Country Boy gets up to him a lot (particularly when I am working), but it affects us both.

By the time he is a teenager, hopefully he will have out grown it!

{Recipe} Thai Fish Cakes

On Monday I was planning to make Thai Fish Cakes for dinner, but everything went pear shaped, and I got no further. On Tuesday things looked up and so I had a go at it. My kids love fish, providing it doesn't have too many bones in it. I have made these a few times before and they always go down well.

The recipe is based on a recipe I saw on one of Rick Steins' cooking shows, but please don't ask me which one. It is not necessarily authentic, but it is yummy. Ideally you make it with fresh fish, but it is a little hard to come by here, so I buy frozen fillets and they work pretty well too.

Ingredients
3 Bread slices
1 lime zested and juice
2 garlic clove - roughly chopped
3 shallots - roughly chopped
1 chilli (or more to taste) - remove the seeds if you don't like it hot
1/2 bunch mint (I don't like fresh coriander and so tend to replace it with mint, but you could use half of each if you prefer) - leaves picked off
1 stem lemon grass - grated
2T fish sauce
600g boneless white fish fillets (eg perch)
1 egg
20 green beans cut into 1/2cm lengths (I used yellow beans from our garden, so you can't see them)
oil for shallow frying

Method
1. Place bread slices in food processor and pulse for a few seconds or until it forms crumbs
2. Place the lime zest and juice, garlic, shallots, chilli, mint leaves, and lemon grass into the processor, and pulse until it is all finely chopped and combined.
3. Add in the fish, fish sauce, and egg, and pulse until well combined. The mixture should be slightly sloppy, but still retain its shape.
4. Stir through the green beans
5. Heat oil in a frypan.
6. Using wet dessert spoons, drop equal sized portions into the hot oil. Fry until golden and set. (the wet spoons will prevent the mix sticking).
7. Drain on paper towel.
8. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

If you don't have a food processor, just chop all the ingredients finely, and then combine them.

Bag Nooks

So it seems that everyone around the blogosphere is showing off their new bag nooks. Most parents, they can't wait to send their kids off at the end of the holidays. I, on the other hand, hate it because it also means that I need to go back to work (even if I am only working part time this year). So whilst other bloggers were merrily showing off their back to school stuff from the beginning of January, I have been in denial until the last few days.

So here is our "Go Table". We keep all the things we need to be able to grab when we are leaving the house, whether it be to go to work and school, or up the paddock. We had this table at our old house, and kept hats etc in a drawer and bags underneath.

Please imagine a beautiful wooden floor and new paint - I do!

Since moving to the farm I have added a basket which has water bottles, sunscreen and insect repellent in it. Sunscreen is a must outside, because we don't have much shade. The water bottles are there to grab when we are taking the kids up the up the paddock (otherwise they invariably announce they are thirsty once we get there!). We also have a basket for collecting the eggs each afternoon. The girls take turns in collecting the eggs, and they are very eager about doing so!

One of the drawers has sunglasses etc in it, and another has homework supplies and is where Hannah puts her homework etc.

We also have an additional row of hooks along the wall near by. When winter comes, an outdoor coat is essential around here (it is freezing) so the coats and beanies will be hung here.

So as you can see, I am impressing myself (if no-one else) at how organised and grown up I am being!

P.S. Don't you love these hooks! I saw some antique ones on eBay but they were going for an incredible amount, so I found these reproduction ones for about $7 each! Country Boy put them on some sanded back pallets for me!

One Of THOSE Days

Yesterday was one of THOSE days. It started so promising too. Country Boy shut the bedroom door when he got up and left me to sleep. I got up and dressed, and faffed around on the internet for a while... so far no problems. Country Boy had to go check the sheep for flies after the rain last week, so I gave Toby lunch and put him to bed, and the girls played some games by themselves. Again no problems...

Until I went to make dinner. It serves me right for being smug and thinking how clever I was to make dinner early. I was planning on making some Thai fish cakes, and was also planning on taking some photos, to show you all how clever I am (again that smugness). Then I noticed a strange honey coloured puddle on the ground, sort of under the pantry. I opened the pantry to find that the honey coloured puddle was honey coloured because it was honey. Worse still the puddle was all over the entire bottom 2 shelves.

It took an hour and a half to clean up. I had to wipe everything down multiple times. I unloaded the entire pantry so that I could clean under it. I finally got it clean, but before I could put the food back in the cupboard Toby sprinkled an entire container of cinnamon sugar all over the carpet. At this point I would like to let you know that my most treasured possession is my dust buster.

Whilst the sugar incident going on, the girls were supposed to be picking up their mess craft. Meg didn't like cleaning up any more and became uncooperative. Hannah was stuffing around too.

I lost it. There is no other way to say it. I got cranky. I hate it when I lose it at my kids, but I did. I apologised later to them, but I am the adult and I hate it when I forget it.

Dinner was late, and it wasn't fish cakes.

When we lived in the Blue Mountains, I could take the kids to visit my parents, sister, or one of my friends. I could get a change of environment when I need it. Down here, I don't have that same option. I can visit my mother in law (but she was away today), but that is really it. I know that it takes time to settle into a new community, to make friends and develop a support network. Yesterday, I just wanted to pack up and move back home. Today is a new day...

Work

Did I tell you I have a job this year? I can't remember! Any way, I have a job for this year. I will be teaching 3 days per week at a town a little over an hour from here. Quite excited about having a job (income is always a good thing) but also a little nervous about starting at a new school. Previously I had taught at a school in western Sydney, and although the behaviour of the children was "unsatisfactory" (read disgusting) at times, I could handle them pretty well, and I knew all the kids (which makes behaviour management so much easier).

Anyhoo... after 13 years at the one place (with time out for babies) I am ready for a change, but changes are still hard, and lets be honest, we have had a few changes lately! I am also ready to have a face to face conversation with some one other than my children, the in laws, or the Country Boy.

Speaking of the Country Boy, he is also in the process of organising some work. He is hoping to pick up 2 days a week of work. So far he has had several offers, but none have really suited (too far to travel, not on a suitable day). In someways it seems silly to be turning them down, but we moved here to have a better lifestyle, and travelling an hour and a half on winding dirt roads, is not a better lifestyle. He is currently talking to someone about 20 minutes away, so hopefully it pans out soon.

I have got Hannah all sorted out for school. I did the mammoth job of labeling everything on Friday. It was as if we had started Kindergarten again - summer uniform, sports uniform, jumpers, bag, lunch box etc. It turns cold here much earlier than our old home, so I have got her winter things as well. We had a huge fashion parade and were shown ever possible uniform combination.

Still have to enroll Meg for preschool, but will do that this week.

So far our time on the farm, has seemed like a bit of a holiday. Lots of picking fruit, cooking, and relaxing. Now we are about to hit real life and see if living in the country really works.

Amazing Cakes

On Friday night I had a lovely time sorting out my Pinterest boards and looking at all my pins. One thing I notice is that I mostly pin food - hardly that surprising. So I am sharing some of the amazing cakes I have been looking at.

How amazing is the piping on the top of these! They are almost too pretty to eat.

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I love the bold colours and graphical design on this cake.

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This is one of those cakes that looks pretty simple, but I think it would be hard... no spelling mistakes and no second chances!

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Beautiful colours and design on this one.

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This is amazing!

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I love this, and I think I might actually be able to copy it.  Pipe the chocolate on to baking paper, allow to set then put on top of a cup cake.

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While I was putting this post together I stumbled across cakewrecks.com and so Country Boy and I spent an hour and a half falling of the couch, crying in pain from the laughing so hard. If you need a good chuckle, head over there (unless you have pelvic floor issues, then avoid it).

I am linking up with 5 Minutes Just For Me for Pinning and Singing and TinaGray{dot}me for Piquing My Pinterest. You can find all these pins and more on my Pinterest boards. 

Things That Go Bump In The Night

Since moving down to the farm, most of my posts have been fairly upbeat. Picking fruit, large vegetables, home baking (there really isn't much going on here at the moment). I seem to be channeling my inner farmers wife, and the Country Boy is loving it (particularly the baking part).

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There is only one thing that mars this idyll.... rodents. On Monday night I could hear them scampering about, and there was a tapping sound somewhere too. At about 3.30am we heard the noise, and I sent Country Boy to investigate. He came back with nothing, but I made him escort me to the toilet, in case a rat was in my path (not sure what he was going to do about it, but I felt better having him there) as was part of our marriage vows (I promise to love, honour, and protect from creepy crawlies and rodents, for as long as we both shall live).

As you know, I am not really a country girl. The thought of creepy crawlies freaks me out. I just want them gone, but unfortunately they are not complying! I haven't seen them yet (and I hope I never do), but I know they are there, lurking, waiting for me!

Meet The Girls

Our newest family members arrived yesterday, to much fanfare.

Meet Laila, Bessie, Molly, Bluey, Eliza, Ada, Spot, and Squeaky (please don't ask me which one is which because I don't know!). That's what you get when you allow your children to name your chickens (prizes for who can guess which child chose which names).

Hannah is a bureaucrat in the making, and promptly wrote a list describing each of the chickens. Today we are going to paint a sign to hang on the chook shed so that everyone who visits the chickens will know their names and what they look like (that will be the highlight of the farm tour).

Growing up we had chickens, but I had zero interest in them. Even now, I can see that they will be good to have (cheap, fresh eggs for breakfast), but I am not in love with them. Unlike Hannah and Meg, who are so excited to have the chickens that they are freaking the chickens out.

Lets see if the excitement continues, once they realise that they have to feed them everyday and collect their eggs (even if they have chook poo on them).

I took this picture of Country Boy. It has nothing to do with this post, but it is a good one of him (I think).

Slip and Slide

The kids were given a slip and slide for Christmas. Yesterday was the first day that was actually hot enough to use it! Thankfully the garden water comes from the dam,and not the tank, so we have plenty.

It's a Wordless Wednesday and I am linking up with My Little Drummer Boys. Thanks for stopping by!

{Recipe} Rhubarb With Strawberries

My fabulous brother and (soon to be) sister in law gave me this fabulous book for Christmas. Truly inspired choice.

Then my mother in law bought me this massive bunch of rhubarb (yes I know it isn't red - it's a green variety apparently!)

So the rhubarb was crying out to be cooked, and the book just needed to be road tested, so I did (sort of)...

Poached Rhubarb with Strawberries (only I didn't poach it)
1. Slice a bunch of rhubarb into 5cm lengths
2. Place in an oven proof pot with some sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and a good slurp of vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste if you had some!).
3. Cover and place in the oven at 150*c for about 1 hour and 15 minutes (or until tender and almost collapsing).
4. Slice a punnet of strawberries, and while the rhubarb is still hot, stir it through. Taste and see if it needs any more sugar (rhubarb is very tart).

I imagine that it would look a whole lot prettier with  red rhubarb, but trust me when I say the syrup is to die for!

I am sooo getting into this country baking thing!

Mulberry Picking

The farm has the remains of the original orchard, planted by Country Boy's great grand parents. Most of the trees have gone, but there is still a fig tree, an apple tree, a pear tree, and a mulberry tree which blew over in a storm but kept on growing.

Each year we always go berry picking when we visit the farm, so the other day we went down with a bucket and picked some. A late frost killed off a lot of fruit blossoms this year, so there wasn't as many as some years.

The kids love picking mulberries, and Hannah loved climbing the tree to find juicy, black ones.

Toby loved eating them, though he tended to eat any he found on the ground, regardless of whether they were ripe. Keep in mind that this is in the middle of a sheep paddock, so I don't want to think too much about what he was eating. He had a great time, and looked like he was in a b grade horror movie by the end.

Now I just need to do something with them!