My amazing 5 year old cooked his first proper dinner

I was making Green Thai Curry for dinner and Eli decided he did not want that. He wanted stir fry dinnner with rice and special sauce. His instructions were. Mum you cook the rice.

We picked a pile of gorgeously fresh veges from the garden "Yes I actually managed to grow a brassica. It is a broccoliflower.

Eli chopped all his veges and had to sit around for me to get my dinner ready so he chopped my veges too. I have noticed that if he makes food he eats all the vege!!

Then he put a bit of oil in the pan and the sliced chicken. Cooked it. Added the veges and stirred until cooked. Put the rice in a bowl, then the vege and then the special sauce (soya sauce) and he and Jakob ate the lot. I did not have my dinner finished cooking for another 15 mins!!! Things are definitely looking up in the kitchen to the day when I will be able to roster the cooking. Yipee.

But I am just so proud of him.

Have you ever seen a smoothie machine powered by a Bicycle?

Well on the weekend at the Steiner School fair - We did. It was hilarious. Fantastic fruit smoothies though.

Recycling a chair

Last week Steff and I had a day fixing up chrome chairs. Look at her blog for her lovely stool. My chair took a bit longer. I now wished that I had put the green spot on all the chair back instead of just the back. Hey I guess we live and learn.


This is the work in progress and the mess I make when I am doing things.

Grey Heron Baby

Yesterday I came home from work to hear Morris barking like crazy. He had a baby Grey Heron backed into a corner by the chicken coup. A very stroppy bird too - pecked like crazy as i put it into a box. After calling the bird hospital and the vet we were advised to take it to our local park where Herons were nesting. So down we all trouped and put it at the base of a tree where there were Heron nests.
It was all knees and wings. Could flap and fly a bit but had problems standing for long. Obviously got caught in the wind and deposited at our place (being only three houses from the park).

How to use linen shirts that don't fit

I had a lovely linen shirt that was bias cut. Looked great on the front but on the back it looked awful. So cut it up. Found the end of a old skirt that i had already used for something. Put the two together and hey presto! a romper pants and sun top for Mieke. I am pleased with it even if I say so myself!!!

My latest ReCreation

Yes I have finally finished the quilt for me for the camper. I had been sick of doing boys quilts so this time it is a girly quilt (Aaron will just have to get over sleeping under pink!). I made a matching one for Mieke (not that she is going camping!!) so we will both look wonderfull.
It is again made from scouring the second hand shops and buying any PJ's I could get. It is easy to get a bag of them when the shops only have a bottom or a top, they tend to fill a bag for $4 or something cheap and easy like that.

It was a lovely day to photograph it today but a bit of a breeze came up so the boys held  corner each.

Mieke is so cute sleeping

Today the weather was so fantastic that I madly washed all the sheets from the beds. When Mieke needed a sleep I was not organised so she slept on our bed. A wee nest for her and a pillow as yes - yet another Schulz who has reflux. But all was well and she slept for an amazing 2 1/2 hours.

Stephen and Jess were also here for lunch today so I tried to give Mieke her first cooking lesson. Jess held her while I taught but the photo came out far too dark - Eli took it and there was too much back lighting. I will put the photo in anyway as I do need a record of her first ever cooking lesson (it was making bread in the breadmaker).

Picnic for the Christchurch Earthquake Concert

The Christchurch free concert is today. Started at 11am but we are leaving home at 2.30pm as the boys would not be able to do 9 hours at a concert. Hopefully there will be space!!
So the first picnic for the summer (we have had winter picnics) has been done.

We have frozen bottles of apple juice (as it is 22degC), chocolate covered strawberries (covered in Whittakers Mocha 70% cocoa chocolate), Fruit cake from Annabel Langbeins new book (The Free Range Cook), Smoked salmon, cream cheese and crackers (the salmon is from the Rangiora Fresh Fish Shop) and gorgeous chicken kebabs and rice salad. Yum, I can't wait.

time in Cromwell

Yes school holidays. But we took five days off in the middle and went to Cromwell. The cousins enjoyed the various picnics, walks on the central otago rail trail, playing games and watching Tv in the mornings.

Another hooked on revamping

I have realised that I have changed a skirt into a dress for Montana Rose, I took a photo of the skirt I bought at the second hand shop but no one of the finished article. Will update it later. Turned an old fashioned nightie into a string strap nightie for me and no photos!! terrible. I have been too inspired with the doing. Also while I was in Cromwell my sister and I spent a couple of nights revamping things. she turned a merino jersey with holes into a lovely bolero style top.

Omarama is the most relaxing place

In the school holidays we headed to Cromwell. On the way we spotted something new. Hot pools at Omarama. But these are no ordinary hot pools. They are Japanese style hot pools. No chlorine, new water put in after each hire. There are twelve individual pools and they are all secluded and have their own change room and shower.
It was grey and miserable and we soaked. It totally got rid of Eli's cold and we all felt so much better. We had a picnic lunch in the pool as it did not matter about crumbs etc as the pool would be emptied after our visit.
Having a real fire to heat it was fantastic. Totally recommend the place.

Announcing the arrival of our newest family member!

We are absolutely thrilled and ecstatic to announce to everyone the arrival of our newest family member.

Mum & bubs both doing really well, and Jakob and Eli couldn't be more pleased.

cousin Schulz, 1 month prem.
5lb 11ozs

Back to School

All is becoming normal from a routine point of view. Nothing will be normal for ages and every class has children who have not been able to come back as they are moved, or temporarily somewhere else. But our gang are back to school daily

Kids (and Dogs) get away with anything after an earthquake

The picture says it all.

How to ride a deer

I bet you have never ridden a deer. Well both Jakob and Eli rode Benny the Venny. Not that Eli had much success. As you can see from the photos Benny tried to run off with Eli on his back and Amanda only just caught him in time. Jakob had a little more success.

What to do when an Earthquake closes school

Go on holiday. The boys and I headed out to Amanda and Ewen's farm. What a stress buster that was. I had not realised that the kids were so shattered by it all. On Saturday night Eli went to bed of his own accord at 5pm - he was done in.

We fed lambs three times a day, calves twice a day, rode on the back of the truck feeding out. Rode on Benny the Venny (short for Venison). Tried to ride on Sammy (the steer) but he wasn't keen. Picked up deer buttons (the base of the antlers) and other general farmy things.

Finally Finished

I have finally completely finished the bag that I started at the quilting day I had with Rosealie Quinlan and Leanne in Chch. I am pretty pleased with it as there is a lot of handstitching. All the strips are hand quilted and the motif is all hand appliqued. Well done me.

Swimming lessons were fun

The boys have been doing swimming lessons at QE11 and have gotten on really well. At the end of each session they play in the pool for a bit. Unfortuneately the lessons are in hiatus as both this pool and our local pool are in structural doubt and may get pulled down.

Helping hands

This is Aaron and Jakob helping Stephen to clear his and the adjoining neighbours driveway of all the liquifaction gunge. It took them two days and what a job they did!! Jakob did an amazing job and just kept going like an ever ready battery.