44

An early start and a long morning for small legs. We joined thousands of others this morning in the Run for the Kids supporting the Royal Children's Hospital. It was a perfect day for it and despite a few murmurs of dissent, Ella walked all bar about 250m when I gave her a piggy back and Leila walked some of the 4.5km short course.

We're trying to shift the balance of things around here. We're comfortable in our home, our possessions, the things we do and see, but at times we feel the girls can be little dismissive of the good life that they lead. Things like this, participating in a fun run for the pleasure of it and the feel good factor of knowing they're helping others, they should be more common in our life. Things come a little too easily at times, a treat here a treat there, until you get to the point where you think none of it is really appeciated as what is is, extra, special, a treat. So, we trying to par things back, less uncalled for treats, less television, more activity, more doing for others.

43

The early evening of a day approaching autumn. The smell is different in autumn, it's delicious. The light is golden, the breeze still warm yet with the coolness behind it. I love it.

42

I need some advice. I have finally finished piecing the top pieces for this but am not sure how to proceed from here. The inspiration was taken from Soo's Material Obsession quilt with a bit of Orla Kierly thrown in because, frankly, why not?

I'm going to frame around in a red matching the stems, with some wadding and a white backing for the top piece, but do I quilt it? If so, what colour so it doesn't detract (can you get clear thread?) and what pattern? If I don't quilt, how can I adhear the wadding quilt top and backing to each other so that it stays together moving forward?

Really not sure about this one, any ideas welcomed.

41

This cake, it's a good one. I'm not generally a chocolate cake person, but this recipe in the latest edition of Delicious appealed. Dear friends are arriving from the UK in a few weeks and one of their birthdays falls on a day they'll be spending with us - a birthday cake will therefore be required. This cake just looked so moist, the icing so smooth and delicious, that I felt it deserved a trial run to make sure it wasn't just all show.

Having said that I'm not really a chocolate cake person, this one appeals to the aspects of it that I do enjoy. The cake itself is deliciously moist with a really fine crumb. The icing is the best chocolate icing I've ever had - it's close to a ganache, but has even MORE deliciously bad for you things in it than ganache. Suffice to say Ella's eyes literally rolled back in her head as she licked the bowl.

40

This morning Geoff and I went to get bread for breakfast, just the two of us. On the rare occasions when we do get to do normal things without the girls, it really feels that we're stealing a wonderful moment together. We went here to get the bread (which is always amazing by the way) and stayed to have a quick coffee. They have an old Space Invaders style game, and it's free play! We had a quick game of Galaga (which I won!) and honestly, what a hoot. I think we were probably gone maybe 20 minutes, but that's long enough to be reminded of all the things we sometimes forget about the one we love most.

39

Unfortunately I missed the one where they were all holding hands and looking both ways, so cute. I would point out it's not a road, just a pathway through the winery/cafe area. A lovely lunch with good friends, it was hotter yesterday though than we anticipated. We got some rain at my folks place last night but thank god we weren't at ours as I think today our new car would be one of the many that was written off by the golf ball sized hail!

38

I'm feeling under the weather today. Whenever that is the case, it's a busy day. I have a natural aversion to taking it easy, just sitting, having a cup of tea, relaxing. I am not alone in this affliction, I think it just one of many changes that overcomes many of us when we become mothers. Don't misunderstand me though, I'm no martyr, I do complain about how bad I'm feeling and draw attention to the fact that I haven't relaxed all day!

So in the spirit of feeling lousey I felt it necessary to bake today and for some reason decided to match a double batch and include some cheese and ham rolls and some cinnamon scrolls, because what else would you do when you have a head cold?