Babies Born ~ September 2007 #68

[Cassius2]

I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...

no, he is the apple of her eye.

[AnyDream]

I only remember because I found it hard to imagine our mild mannered Clare turning into a screaming, apple wielding banshee lol.

It probably says more about me than Cass that I can imagine it all too easily LOL (thing-flinging may or may not have occured at some point in my personal history...).

Cass your day out and lunch sounds lovely.

Trill, good luck with the fete tomorrow, the bakery stand is always a huge success. So much so we "invented" a new stand for the guide fete - they already had a cake stand, so we went ahead with a confectionary stall (included slices and biscuits in that). Wild success!

Arte, wow, no sugar. I admire your will power. If the reflux doesn't clear up, check out whether there are any pediatric osteopaths around - we got good results when we took Missy E along.

[Cassius2]

oh yeah! we had amazing results with M using an osteo...i'd try that too arte...i couldnt live without sugar

[AnyDream]

I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend. I had a sleep in this morning and escaped for MD time this afternoon which was nice, followed by a family outing to (am I CRAZY) a poetry event LOL. Actually it was pretty good, it was in a park and there was a conveniently located grassy hill for the kids to entertain themselves rolling down while we took in the culcha. Tomorrow, veggie patch planting. I'm trying melons this year, going to water them with the proceeds of the evap aircon (= regular water on the hottest days) so they'll be nice n juicy.

Speaking of which Trill I forgot to update you on our mystery feral pumpkins which we harvested mid-winter. Defying all known rules of pumpkin cultivation we got several huge sweet beauties of a shape and colour I've never seen. Good eating. I think DH chucked all the seeds out though which is a pity, I'd like to try them a second year.

Trill how did the bake sale go? Did they sell your gorgeous bickies at a premium price? Good luck with your exam and papers.

Arte I hope the family visit is going well.

[Trillian]

Well I'm pleased to say that my goodies sold like hotcakes! The rainbow and chock freckle cookies were the first to go literally within minutes apparently. I missed the start of the fete by about 20 minutes and they were long sold by then. The other stuff sold well too and they certainly weren't passing any of it around for free with the other unsold stuff at the end of the day LOL.

MD, did they get a frost on them at all? If they had a frost on them they will keep for months in a cool dry place, but if they had no frost they wont keep as long. Would be a shame to loose them to rot. Interesting they came out looking like they did. FIL had one grow out of his compost once and they were really odd looking too. They looked like a queensland blue in colour and had the ridges along it, but it was really long, like a watermelon would be. Didn't affect the taste at all though. So what else are you planting? The kids have got their own vege patch going with corn, capsicum, carrots, cucumbers and lettuce in it and they are looking after it really well. A waters it in the morning when the kids have gone to school and L waters it in the evening. L does ag at middle school so he's quite into growing things atm which is great. The poetry arvo sounded lovely!

Cass, I forgot to ask you the other day about your UN job. Will it mean you have to come back to Aus at all? or is it all doable from where you will be based OS?

Work is going well - got the annotated session plans done yesterday and I only have the report to do today. I should get it done easy enough. Then it gets submitted tomorrow and I only have the maths exam on the 9th and I'm done for the year! I think DH is looking forward to it more than I am LOL.

[AnyDream]

Trill, GO you!! Well done on those awesome bicckies flying out the door. I'd love a link to the recipe you used for the rainbow looking ones - I reckon the same method could have a million different colour-based applications LOL. You're such a powerhouse getting through all that and then all the study on top. The finish line is sooooo close !

Re the pumpkins, they got a teensy bit frosty but the leaves managed to protect them pretty well. I wish I could explain, them, they were kind of like an acorn pumpkin, but huge, and green with dotty yellow stripes along the length. I've trawled that many pumpkin websites trying to work out what they were, because they were all the same. Wish I knew. The kids' veggie patch sounds great, it will thrive if all that love and care continues. We're doing pumpkins again, zucchini, some yellow beans, cucumbers and trying some rockmelons and watermelons too. I've already got some beetroot and spring onions going too. Oh and some sugar snap peas but I think I've left it too late for them, will chuck a few seeds in and see how they go.

[Trillian]

We would have loved watermelon too but we really don't have anywhere suitable to grow them atm. I think when some of these new varieties actually do manage to propagate that they can get some pretty funky genetics making them grow different to what you'd expect them to grow. The recipe I used was dead simple and was actually for a completely different biscuit - it's just one of those ones where you have a good 'base' and then you can add different things to it. So it wasn't specifically a rainbow cookie recipe - I just added the colours. I'm going to make them again in a green and red christmas stripe for the kids christmas parties at school. And they certainly aren't hard to make, it is just a bit time consuming. I'll post it for you tomorrow when I have a bit more time - I'm really supposed to be writing my position paper LOL

[AnyDream]

I'm not sure if they were a new variety. I have a very dim recollection of buying some heritage seeds at a flea market a while back and I might (in a fit of chemobrainness) have jammed them into the soil and forgotten (because lots of strange things I couldn't account for like that were happening for a while there ). Either that or they might've been one of the cultivars from a butternut pumpkin (cos I buy a lot of those so plenty of seeds in the compost) but I haven't been able to find any info about what specific cultivars that are crossed to get butternuts. The weird thing (that makes me wonder about the chemobrain element) was the fruit was really consistent across several vines but when I've had feral pumpkins before they've produced lots of random shapes.

That recipe would be great, I have a die-hard honey biscuit that ices up nicely but I've done that to death now.

[Artechim]

Trill, not long to go now! You won't know what to do with yourself with all the extra time you will have over summer

MD, thanks, the family visit went well. We stayed by the beach and the weather was fine with no wind and it was great. The kids had a ball. I organized a family BBQ and everyone came! And they all stood together for a photo for me - I hope we got a good one.

Poor Erin has another snotty nose! Poor little chicken is only 7 weeks old and has had 2 colds and a vomit bug already The other two kids didn't get sick until 7-8 months old but with all the world cup tourists this year there are a lot of extra bugs around. So not much sleep for me the past two nights - now that nights are so good around here it is a real strain to have to get up 2 or 3 times! E usually only wakes once.

The only downside to the weekend was that W got bitten by some sort of bug at the beach and he had a reaction to it - was all swollen and sore where he was bit. I kept him back from kindy today because he woke up with one eye swelled shut.

[Cally]

Arte - oh dear, 2 little sick kiddies for you. Glad that your little family break went well.

K managed to scratch her throat quite badly this evening from a nacho chip. And on Friday night (while we were out for dinner) she did two massive poosplosions. Luckily it was all over in less than 45 minutes, but th epoor little thing was so upset. I suppose I can put that down as her first diarrohea experience. Can't believe we got to over 4 before it happens (still waiting for that vomit bug to come through)

Trill - wow, so close to the summer break for you! What are you going to do with yourself?

On the vegie front, I've just got capsicum's in and we tried some carrot seedlings which seem to be going OK. K is very impressed with them, they're getting plenty of water!!

[Cassius2]

hi guys!

Sorry for the one line responses lately....hectic times, sleep deprivation have become the norm lately...urgh!

Arte: holy moly! I hope W is ok! poor man! do you have any claratyne or something for him? I hear you on E the crapness of little babies being sick. Miss M was sick for the first time at 3 weeks and then since has been afflicted almost constantly by the snot monster. I guess for us, it comes with the bugs that Miss L brings home from kindy.
Your family visit sounds great. I love any time away as long as there is good weather and an ocean to view....ahhhh i want a holiday!

Cally: our carrots have been very very slow to mature this year. i have almost given up. not helped that i didnt spread them that well. we have had great success with the silverbeet and broccoli, but the beetroot has also been dormant pretty much
You have done awesomely to reach 4 years without gastro! but commiserations on a sick kid. not much fun, and they can get so upset about the runny bum

MD: can you share your biscuit recipe????? mmmmm mm mmm. i have one, but i dont get the 'snap' in my mine....

Trill: ok, i have DECIDED. we MUST have our Sept 07 group meeting at your house.....your baking is a WINNER lol!!! mmmmmmmmm.

JM: i just wanted to pop in here and say CONGRATS on the fundraiser!! bummed that i missed out on the pillow, but happy as a pig in mud that it went so so well!

G: miss seeing you in here!

MP: miss you too!

AFM: well, as i mentioned we have been hit hard by Miss Ms sudden desire for midnight parties. i cannot get over it! 3 hours the other night and constant wakeups (every 20 minutes the night before). this has been going on for almost 2 months to varying degrees. thankfully last night she slept through without incident (had also coincided with her walking full-time....could be related?

Oh, and has anyone else noticed that their 4 year olds ears have fallen off?? we are having pretty major issues with it ATM, and that is coupled with her having meltdowns and bad moods in general. i am perplexed (and a dash frustrated!).

[AnyDream]

Cass, this one doesn't really have a snap but they're quite good for doing biscuit cutter shapes, and the icing dries hard so you can pop them into cellophane bags or whatever and they stay nice. It's out of the Woman's Day ABC of kid's cooking:

125g butter, room temp, chopped
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg yolk
2 cups plain flour
1 teasp. bicarb
1/4 cup of honey

Heat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line trays. Beat together butter and sugar for 2-3 mins until creamy, add egg yolk, and beat well. Fold in combined sifted flour and bicarb.
Heat honey in microwave on high for 20 secs. Stir into dough. Mix well then cover in wrap and chill for 30 mins. Knead gently on a floured surface. Roll out between 2 sheets of baking paper until 0.5cm thick.
Cut out shapes using cutters. Bake for 15-20 min until firm to touch, allow to cool on trays.

ICING
Beat 1 egg white with a spoon until frothy. Add 1 1/4 cups of sifted pure icing sugar, 1 tblesp at a time, beating well. When icing is piping consistency add a few drops of lemon juice. Add colouring of your choice.

Easy peasy, but the few times I've made it in hot weather I've had to divide the dough, keep some in the fridge and roll out small batches at a time.

[Ginger]

hi girls
i know I've been mia!! just super busy. getting L's hearing tested today to see if he needs grommets at the same time as tonsils/adenoids. then off to sydney on tuesday so feeling stressed and busy! then when we get back its only a couple of weeks until L's surgery. I'm really anxious

[MamaPan]

Hi all - sorry I am also mia most of the time these days! I do log on to see how everyone is but its hard to find the time to post properly..
G - how did the hearing test go?
Trill - bet you can't wait for it all to be over...
Md - love that recipe - may have to whip some up with the boys soon - just got my oven serviced today
Cass - thanks for missing me!
Cally - amazing you made it this far without a gastro bug...lots going around ATM, I am glad we have bern spared so far
All is well with me. We are off to syd this weekend for my aunts bday. I hope j sleeps ok - he is a nightmare at the moment and we are beyond exhausted!
Arte - am so glad e is a sleeper!
I just finished enrolling for uni next year. Yay!
We are selling our house in Canberra (auction later this month) so will prob go up for the day - have to rush back as bil bday that night... Bit ofna bummer as I would have liked to staymlonger and catch up w people.

[Ginger]

hearing test went 'as bad as it could be'- those are the audiologist's words, not mine. apparently he is so blocked up with fluid that he can hardly hear. feel so bad. i feel like he's basically missed a whole year of kinder not understanding anything oh and to make matters worse, we might not be able to fly to sydney on tuesday.

[MamaPan]

G - stop feeling bad! You are doing the right thing sorting it all out. Poor little guy - he will feel lots better when it's all done

[Cassius2]

oh far out G! thank goodness that you got onto it and persisted! what a shock. What is the fluid from???

[AnyDream]

Ginger don't feel bad. It can't be helped, and they may not have been like that for very long anyway. He's a bright kid, and he'll come through the op just fine and bounce back in no time. The hospy people are very nice and they're especially gentle with kids. I had the adenoids/grommits/tonsillectomy shebang when I was a kid and I turned out smart and educationally well-rounded, if I don't mind saying so myself . The not being able to fly thing is a bummer though, what's the plan there?

Arte, your beach and BBQ weekend sounds great! Sorry to hear little E is sick again. Funny though how much of a strain the extra wakeups are when the sleep has been so good lately LOL. Has W's swelling gone down?

Cally, aw that would've been a bit scary with the nacho chip? Poor little mite. H was 4 and a half before she ever got any type of gastric disease.

Cass, yes my 4 year old's ears have fallen off. We had a protracted period of considerable naughtiness and our evenings went to **** because she would spend the entire time bellowing/complaining/crying about some frickken insignificant thing, then refuse to eat her dinner, etc etc etc. GAH. Seems to have improved this week, I no longer want to leave home...

ETA: which reminds me, I was reading about some testosterone spurt they get (in relation to growth spurt, which E has been having) so I don't know if this applies to girls as well, but if it does it could explain the added aggression/moods etc.

I've never had any luck with growing carrots. We did have one tiny patch of baby ones that turned out ok, but hardly enough/big enough for any real sort of eating. And weird shapes.