January On The Farm

I have not blogged much about what is happening on The Farm recently. Things are still ticking over though.

January and February are traditionally the time for taking stock, planning and budgeting for the year to come.  In true workaholic farmer style The Farmer has bought his desk top computer and set it up at The Beach House.  Likewise he still spends quite a bit of time on the phone each day to various people and companies. When we return he will be closeted in The Farm Office with my father-in-law for meeting after meeting.

The admin side of running a farming enterprise seems to increase from year to year.  I think that side of it is like running any business.

Today and tomorrow The Farmer has scheduled meetings in The City. The Farmchildren and I have decided to join him, stay overnight and do a few city type activities.  The Farmchildren's two favourite things to do are go to the Zoo and go to Ikea!

I need an Ikea stock up so a trip to the everpresent Swedish retail giant is firmly on the agenda.  I love Ikea, there is something about everything being so organised and neat that inspires me to domestic organising greatness.  Then I get home and realise 3 plastic containers and a couple of baskets do not automatically make me an organised uber Mum.  I do live in hope though...

Needless to say The Farmchildren are super excited and have been "googling" the Zoo to see what is on.  Farmboy loves the word "google" and if I don't know about something he just gives me an exasperated look and says

"Just go and google it Mum."

We are looking forward to our little city jaunt.  I hope you all have a great Wednesday,  wherever you are.

Old Shed, Not Ikea Like At All

The Big DeChristmas Declutter. A Move Is In The Offing.

The Farmhouse has been an absolute flurry of activity this morning.  The Farmchildren and I have taken down the Christmas tree and packed away the decorations.  We have also managed to find homes for all the Christmas presents.  I did a sneaky bin run with a few old and broken toys.  I had to distract The Farmchildren as They. Do. Not. Ever. Want. To. Throw. Anything. Away.  Do other people's children do this?  Or is it just mine that seem to develop sudden emotional attachments to broken bits of cheap plastic that they got from Hungry Jacks three years ago (but only when said bits of plastic are going near the bin, not when they are gathering dust under the couch)????

Anyway I am feeling much happier now that our surroundings are calm and ordered again. I have never been one of those Mums who can embrace chaos and clutter.  I just can't.

Christmas Decorations, Packed Away

I felt a bit sad packing the decorations away.  Partly because we had such a great Christmas.  But mainly because it will be the last Christmas we have in this house.  That's right, a move is planned for The farm Family this year.  Don't worry, we will still be farming and still be in the same area...!

Earlier in 2010 year we expanded our farming business and bought more land. The new farm comes with a new house.  When we were looking at it I immediately said to The Farmer - "I'm not moving".  I adore the house we are in now and we have only just finished renovating it.  The Farmer then suggested that as the new house is only 10km from town (as opposed to our current 35km) and I go in 4 days a week I might just want to think about it as I drove past the new farm gate each time.  I did this for a week.  The same week Farmboy fell asleep twice on his 45 min school bus ride home.  By the end of the week I agreed to move, mainly to make life easier for us as a family.

So, as sad as I will be to leave here, I am choosing to see the move as a new and exciting step for our family.  Change is always inevitable and I have decided to embrace it.

The new house is much newer, very large and in the longer run will probably be more suitable for us.  It also only needs superficial work like painting and stuff.  I like old houses though, so am having to get my head around it being new.  The Farmer pointed out (quite rightly) that while an old house is charming etc a new one is a hell of a lot easier to live in.  I have resolved to look only at the positives of the new house.

There is one other problem - I hate moving house.  I thought part of the benefit of marrying a farmer would be living in one house for years and years.  Something went a bit wrong with this plan though because this will be our fourth move in eight years!  I am determined it will be the easiest.  This won't be hard to achieve as the first move was carried out while The Farmer was unwell recovering from meningitis, the second I was pregnant and had horrible morning sickness, and the third I had a 3 week old baby...

We aren't moving for a few months yet though so I will keep you all posted.  At the end of the day it will be exciting for us.

Sunset At The Farmouse (One Of The Reasons I Don't Want To Move!)

Take care.

A Dolphin for New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve is going to be laid back and relaxed here at The Beach House. We are having champagne and sea food, and some friends are popping around for a quiet drink.  We may or may not make midnight. Since the arrival of The Farmchildren our New Year's Eves have been considerably more low key than they used to be...

We started our day with an early morning swim at the local marina beach.  We call this the "Baby Beach" because it is absolutely perfect for small children. Shallow clear water, clean white sand and shaded grass.  All the boxes are ticked.

Baby Beach

While we were sitting on the grass putting on sun cream we saw a dolphin swim right into the shallow water.  By the time I had found my camera it had swum out a little way.

Dolphin Fin (With Attached Dolphin)

It was a wonderful start to the day.

I hope everyone has a great New Year's Eve, wherever they may be.

Take good care.

Farmchildren as Beach Babes

The Top 5 Things About Having Children

In a break from the beachy theme that seems to have taken over my supposedly farm blog I have decided to  join in Kate's (over at Kate Takes 5) Top 5 list link.

 I have been spending lots of time with The Farmchildren recently and her list topic got me thinking.  What are the top 5 things about having children??  Sometimes having children is hard work.  The rewards are very abstract in comparison to the concrete realities of caring for them on a day to day basis.  Having said that - The Farmchildren are the greatest gift I have ever received.  I'm completely smitten.

So here we go, my Top 5 Things About Having Children.

1.  They are the most beautiful creatures I have ever set eyes on.

There is something about your own babies that gets you every time.  Perfection.

Perfect Sleeping Baby Farmboy

2.  They return all the love I give (and I give a lot) tenfold.  

There is nothing like little arms going around your neck and small mouths kissing you, whilst saying that they love you to infinity. And back.

Perfect Sleeping Baby Farmgirl

3.  They make me laugh.  Daily.

Farmboy, In Disguise

4.  I have learnt to play again.

Us

5.  I can watch them develop into their own little people.

Both The Farmchildren have their own personalities.  Some traits they have inherited from The Farmer or myself.  Others seem entirely their own.  I like that.

Gorgeous Toddler Farmboy

A Weekend Visitor

My gorgeous friend F has been up from The City.  We have had a lovely weekend.  She bought me these pretty Christmas tea towels as a present.

Pretty Christmas Tea Towels

We drank lots of coffee and spent lots of time chatting and catching up.  F has been living overseas for a while so it has been a long time since we have been able to spend a decent amount of time together.

I decided that she could be the "blog star" today.  Here she is enjoying our evening drinks.

F With Essential Evening Equipment

F was worried because she thought being a blog star sounded a bit like being a porn star.  I told her it was OK as it is actually more like being a rock star.  She was happier after that.

She had to spend lots of time with The Farmchildren doing very important things like jumping on the trampoline and colouring in pictures of Ben 10 Aliens.  I have been reliably informed by The Farmchildren that she is a very good "colouring inner".

She was also required to read "The Night Before Christmas" to The Farmchildren.  The Farmer  has read this story so many times that he has become a bit bored and has come up with a version that involves Indian takeaway which he reads in a terrible Indian accent. (As you do...)  In it Santa gets to have mango chutney and papadums.  Poor F was very confused when The Farmchildren kept asking when she would get to the papadum bit.

One thing F did mention to me was that she had commented on the blog.  I have never received her comments, so if this has ever happened to anyone else feel free to email.  The address is on the side bar.

F has just left to drive back to The City.  We miss you F, come again anytime!