Put your best headpiece on

Saturday was race day in the closest town to us, a big day once a year where people get together, not just for the horses, but for a social outing before the harvest build up kicks in. The Muddy Kids had never been to the races and it's been a few years since Muddy Hubby and I had been, so we got all frocked up. This of course included the Muddy Girls wearing my complete set of fascinators to finish off their outfits.

 

Once there they could not be convinced to enter the children's fashions on the field, despite being potential strong contenders with their headwear. Their sole focus was the horses, watching them run, watching them cool down and watching them be hosed down. For them it became all about the horses and the colours the jockey's were wearing, as it should be really at the races.

 

We are not horse people, we don't have any and I am convinced that every horse I go near has it in for me, to the point where I have been spat on and thrown off twice when riding them. Hence I stay away. The Muddy Kids however gravitated towards them, they even got to pat a winner while it was waiting for it's hose down, now you can't say that every day! 

 

A Tailing We Will Go.....

I got a lovely email from Corinne about the fact that her kids have never asked her 'to go lamb tailing', chances are they never will, and sometimes I wonder why my kids love it so much, the baaaing the dust, the battle to save the poddy lambs and more baaaing. BUT love it they do.

I captured this week's lamb tailing efforts in pictures for our non-farming friends to be able to experience it through us. The only thing missing is the smell and the noise!

 

 

 

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A Portrait of each of my Muddy Kids, Once a Week, Every Week in 2013

Muddy Organiser - Keeping Muddy Hubby organised and making sure the rings are always ready
Muddy Pixie - Her own style, her own world
Muddy Puzzler - In where the action is at, stylish in thongs
Muddy Boy - Glued to Muddy Hubby's side, loving every second

Crossing Off Our List

The last few weeks have been typically busy, I have come to realise that it's just the way it's going to be, there is always going to be something happening, a new challenge to keep us on our toes. Last week it was Muddy Hubby and the Chicken Pox, this week who knows.

To help make holidays a little less frantic and more about the kids I sat down with them all on Saturday morning and we made some lists of what they'd like to do these school holidays. The answers I got when I asked them what they'd like to do I found surprising. They were simple things, but things to do together as a family.

There were no major holiday activities like theme parks or  zoos or movies. They included - Make Pizzas, Plant seeds, Water the Garden, Bake, Go Lamb Tailing, Ride our Bikes and Help tidy the house. It was a little bit of a wake up call to me that these kind of things have been let slide in my busyness and that these are what my kids value and enjoy and I need to make more time for.

The downside to writing a list is, that like me, they want to pack as much as they can into one day so they can cross them off their list. So....we're all trying to slow down a little, pace ourselves over the holidays and savour the activities and time together rather than rushing. A nice reminder for me, to just hang out with my Muddy Kids.

Ring Trophy

The other day  I packed up the Muddy Kids and headed to Baradine! It was where it was all at! The annual Ring Trophy Carnival between the Catholic Schools from neighbouring towns, this is where they all come together, they have competitive marching down the main street, then a war cry competition and then the fun begins with races and relays, tunnel ball, captain ball, tug-o-war and then the novelty races. It is a great day, by the end of it I was busted and so were my 4 little people, just walking around the oval soaking it all in seemed to exhaust the young ones. Let alone my Muddy Organiser who marched and war-cried and played her little heart out. It was a proud Mum day as I watched her march so focused and go in the three legged race with her bestie, not caring who won, only that they worked together to stay upright.

I know there will be lots, lots more of these over the years, but I think each one will be just as heart warming and as exhausting!

The Stone Age

Each year the school puts on a concert, every student has a part to play and most have a line, there is lots of dancing and singing and it keeps the audience in fits of laughter. So much time and effort goes into these concerts each and every year. There is a theme through each year's performance.

This year it was 'The History of the World' and each year took a different part of history and turned it into a fantastic performance. Year One had 'The Stone Age', complete with The Flintstones and lots of cave people. I am in awe of the teachers that pull all this together and also of the sewing skills of some of the parents that make costumes! I do wonder how they'll top each year, but somehow they do!

38/52

 

'A portrait of each of my kids, once a week, every week in 2013'

Muddy Organiser - She's come a long way, she used to be afraid of lambs, now she's happy to feed them
Muddy Pixie - Sitting in the audience at the school concert, in awe of the spotlight and action on the stage
Muddy Puzzler - Not wanting to miss any of the marshmallow!
Muddy Boy - I love that he has no problem at the moment with wearing girly clothes, hats, pink shirts, I know this will change soon, but for now I love that he gives it no thought.

Killing them with kindness

So 12 months after the big Fox escapade which wiped out our poultry we are starting to branch out again into other breeds. We have had a couple of plain brown chooks for a while, they were rejects from the neighbour, a testing bunch, just in case the chook yard wasn't truly fox proof. After almost 6 months of survival we've used the Muddy Puzzler's birthday as an excuse to get some Silkies. I did think we were getting chooks ready to go straight into the yard. Unfortunately I was mistaken! We now have 4 baby chickens, we put them out in a cage on the grass in the day and bring them in to a brooder box next to the hot water system to keep them warm at night.

 

The Muddy Kids are loving it, soaking up all the squishy cuddles, overfeeding them, effectively killing them with kindness, as I think they are so well fed they'll soon have trouble walking. It is lots of fun though, and has been bringing smiles to the kids faces and lots of conversation about names (Dora, Pink cupcake icing, Thomas and Barbie Fashion Show are the current names they've been given). 

 

36/52

 

A Portrait of each of my kids, once a week, every week in 2013

Muddy Organiser - A rare smile, at the moment exhaustion is setting in with the end of Term 3 closing fast
Muddy Pixie - Delighting in the veggie garden
Muddy Puzzler - So proud to be wearing Grandpa's Beanie that was found after being lost shifting sheep in July
Muddy Boy - Thongs - no more to be said

Linking up over at Che and Fidel for 52 - A Portrait a Week

A lot happens in the space of a few weeks

So much happens when you don't blog for 3 weeks, big events, little events, lots of lovely family time. We've checked crops, been to parties, celebrated a special 2nd Birthday, explored the Warrumbungles and the observatory and enjoyed just being together as a family.  We've said goodbye to an old worker and welcomed a new one into our world. We had an awesome Father's Day and spent it with friends at the local pub.

 

We have gone from jumpers and long pants to shorts and T-shirts, with thongs and sandles, it is such a fantastic time of year, not too hot, the flowers are starting to bloom, the roses and grapevines are greening up and it's so much fun to just be outside, in the sunshine, in the garden and soaking it all up before it gets too hot! No matter what the rollercoaster of life has kept up it's momentum!

 

 

35/52

 

A portrait of each of my kids, once a week, every week in 2013

 

Muddy Organiser - So serious, thoughtful and contemplative

Muddy Pixie - Mum- do you have to take my photo again

Muddy Puzzler - Let loose on the hammock

Muddy Boy - I'm not too sure about this hammock Mum - I think I like it!

 

I think I am done playing catch up now, finding the time to blog has been hard these past few weeks, I still captured those moments with my kids, but the time to upload and put them together has been harder. Trying now to get back on track......

 

 

34/52

 

A Portrait of each of my kids once a week, every week in 2013

Muddy Organiser - Taking in the spectacular Warrumbungles
Muddy Pixie - Enough with the shoes already - I'll carry them
Muddy Puzzler - Captured in a moment that cheeky smile
Muddy Boy - I want to do what my sisters are doing

33/52

A Portrait of each of my kids, once a week, every week in 2013

Muddy Organiser - Intent on taking photos
Muddy Pixie - So confident as she strides through the chickpeas
Muddy Puzzler - Taking the Tonka Hardhat everywhere
Muddy Boy - Desperate to keep up with his sisters from under his big hat