Not sure many of those thoughts will be about Autumn. Did pick up the first red leaf from our tree yesterday but weather is still warm and humid, thankfully not as hot as a few weeks ago!
Garden news:
- We're on about peach tree numbers 3and4 for ripeness-there are loads this year, though of variable quality and it's often hard to find the window between rock hard unripe and all falling off the tree when you touch it! No pukekos yet!
-In a tale of amazing survival the sunflowers I planted in pots with the kids but never planted out (terrible mother!) have managed to survive and flower- ok so they're a foot tall with 4 leaves and a flower the size of a dandelion- must try harder next year!
- Have been enjoying harvesting tomatoes, sweetcorn, potatoes, blueberries, peppers and courguette (now succumbing to powdery mildew after some damp days). Potatoes are a particular delight- has become one of L's jobs to come and unearth them with me and she always sounds excited when she spots another one! Next year I might (hmm how old will number 3 be in spring?) try larger volumes of things- hoho, or just try and stop weeds taking over!
-The big tree's (see posts from May last year to see it's autumn glory!) days are numbered- we'll be getting it chopped in the next few weeks- its just too big! It's grown notably larger even in the year we've been here. Many are the thoughts about what to do with the garden in it's absence- most of them end with me saying we need to find a competition with free landscaping as its prize!! I am still appreciating its leaf fall from last year though- gets periodically added to the compost.
And in the house......
-We've nearly finished stripping the wallpaper in the kitchen- I say 'we'- I don't think I've touched it since before Christmas, but Tim has been gently working away at it for the past month or so and there's not much left! Might just manage to paint before the end of May if we try hard (maybe when I'm MSc coursework widow!).
-After talking about it for months have finally bought some new (boring cream) curtains for L's room, realeasing the original (red wine colour) ones for our room (goodbye patterned green ones!). They make the room look quite different and free up the bookcase and a bit of wall below her high window. Quite light curtains but there are blackout blinds and at the moment we're heading to darker mornings so not an issue.....
- Ah yes and there's a new addition to the lounge- after more than 4 years we've got a TV! I wasn't at all sure about getting it but it's not taken over as I feared- in fact its all I can do to persuade C to watch any, and he wants it switched off as soon as the credits roll. The programmes in the evening are so dire on most nights that I'm not tempted to watch it much either!
- And its that time of year that almost every day brings a new insect that I've never seen before into the house- even as I write something is crawling towards me- haven't a clue what it is and its moved on so not sure I'll pursue it either!
And us?
We're mostly well I think- bump is increasing (as it should) and babies being talked about often (plenty of them around- well 18000km away anyway- 3 new cousins in the space of 4 months)- might be more tangible when a friend here produces in the next couple of weeks. Amusing conversations with L who normally clarifies 'my baby there' pointing to her teddy, 'mummy's baby in tummy'. Thoughtful conversations with C (so many questions!!). Still 11-13 weeks to go...
Swimming lessons are enjoyed by both though predictably neither that excited about putting their face in the water (seems to be the main aim of L's class!).
C continues to be more confident at kindy, and talks a lot about it at home- is more aware of other children than he has been, and has been talking more there too. Speech therapy seems to be on a plateau stage at the moment- but that's not unusual after recent progress- we're in the midst of another 6 sessions.
L talks and talks and talks (especially when C at kindy).
Sorry for lack of photos- intial excitement of having a new camera has clearly worn off!!
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