Wordless Wednesday - Birthday Fun

Four Years ago today I gave birth to my Muddy Pixie. Happy Birthday Beautiful Girl!

Four Years of Birthday and Cake Fun!

Yesterday we had a Birthday Morning Tea (a day early)

The 'Princess Cake' as requested

Linking up with Trish at My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday.

The Block

I will be the first one to tell you I haven't been coping some days while Muddy Hubby has been away up north. The Muddy Kis have been largely good, but it's the whiney voices when they're tired and the bickering between them that I really struggle with. We have been spending most of our days outside, drinking in the autumn sunshine and warmth, rather than be inside in the cold house going stir crazy.

While it has been so lovely to enjoy the outside time and some old favourites of bikes, the sandpit and my washing, it has not staved off 'happy hour' come dinner and bed time. No matter how I work my day it still ends in fights and tears. We are at the point where the Muddy Kids are all in bed by 6-6:30pm as by then we've all had enough of each other and they'll be up in 12 hours to start it all over again. I have moved everything forward, the animals are done either before I pick the Muddy Organiser up from the bus or as soon as we get back. We have swapped dinner and bath time around to see if that makes a difference - it hasn't. Day sleeps make no impact, it's still a battle, I still end up doing my 'block' at least once before they fall into blissful slumber. I am hoping things settle down a little when Muddy Hubby returns, as I really hate doing my block before bedtime, I feel bad all night and don't sleep well at all.

The benefit of such an early bed time though is that I have time to run around and get my jobs done before 'The Block' starts. I have become a little addicted I must admit, surprising as I was a little put off the last two seasons, but there's something about this season that has drawn me in, Muddy Hubby too, he's been asking for updates via phone as he sits on the tractor at night!

Today we have again spent the morning outside and tomorrow will bring some Day Care respite and funnily enough I'll be eagerly waiting to pick them all up and bring them home right on 'Happy Hour'.

How do you manage 'Happy Hour' at your place, I'm in need of some ideas and inspiration!

Are you addicted to 'The Block' too?

Show Time

There's something about the local show that makes you feel a little like you've walked back in time. It reminds me of when I was a kid and went to the Sydney Royal Easter Show, back when it was at Moore Park, it was a bit dingy, a bit old fashioned, smelly, loud and so much fun. Our showground in town is old, I don't think it's moved in the 96 years we've had the show, the pavilions are the same, some with a coat of paint and some repair work, but still original buildings. The animal yards are probably not as old, but still are not modern by any standard, and the competition categories are still largely unchanged, including pieces of hand embroidery and hand sewn pieces of children's clothing, fruit and veggie growing and my personal favourite for the kids 'decorated fruit or vegetable'.

Muddy Girls with Muddy Pa's Prize Winning Sheep

Checking out the Wool Pavilion

The Muddy Girls had been talking about going to the show for days, we'd put our entries in and they were so very excited to see what had transpired. I am so very pleased to say we had some winners! I had limited the girls to 3 entries, they each got to put in 6 brown hen eggs, 6 iced and decorated arrowroot biscuits and one drawing. Lucky for me the prize winning was spread around.

My Muddy Organiser won a Second Place for her 6 Iced and Decorated Arrowroot Biscuits.

My Muddy Pixie won a Highly Commended for her 6 Iced and Decorated Arrowroot Biscuits.

My Muddy Puzzler kept up the Prize Winning Eggs, gaining a Second Place for her 6 Brown Hen Eggs, not bad given there were 18 other entries.

I limited them to two rides and one game and no showbags, my theory is if I let them start too much this young I've got nowhere to go as they get older. We shared one bag of fairy floss and their Muddy Grandma treated them to an ice cream. I did my bit by manning the Preschool Animal Farm for a stint and we finished off our outing with some hot chips, which Muddy Bubby was most excited about, even trying to steal as many as he could from his sisters. It was such a lovely afternoon, and the Muddy Girls were so excited to call Muddy Hubby to tell him all about their afternoon and their big wins!

Grateful For A Wednesday

Since the start of Term One I've been doing Bootcamp on a Wednesday afternoon. I love this time, it's not something I ever thought I'd fit into my schedule, but somehow it works, around dancing lessons, day care pick ups and Muddy Bubby it all fits in.

It's all thanks to Muddy Hubby, each Wednesday afternoon he takes Muddy Bubby with him to work, on the tractor, in the ute, up the paddock, whatever he's doing he takes his little man with him. It's turned into a lovely part of our family routine. Some quality time for both of them. Muddy Bubby gets his little legs kicking when he sees Muddy Hubby coming and his face lights up with excitement. For us it's been a win win situation. I get some precious time to focus on me, and the men in my life get their time together, to get to know each other and for Muddy Hubby to start passing on all his farming love and knowledge.

Even last week when Muddy Hubby was flat out trying to get sowing and spraying done, he strapped the car seat into the tractor and away they went. I am so grateful for this time and for the great bond my husband is building with his son and am linking up with Maxabella at Village Voices for 52 Weeks of Grateful.

We're all exhausted by the end of Wednesday, asleep in his highchair.

Wordless Wednesday - Drafting the Rams out

Sunday afternoon after a lovely Mother's Day lunch at the local pub we came home and drafted the Rams out of a mob of Ewes. We can expect babies about July/August!

A sad Ram to be leaving his ladies

Heading up the drafting race, Rmas to the left, Ewes to the right.

Some colour in the sheep yards with my Muddy Pixie and Puzzler

Linking up for Wordless Wednesday (not quite wordless this week) with Trish at

My Little Drummer Boys

Feeling the Pressure

Wednesday is Show Day! A very exciting time in our town. We get a local show day public holiday, and it's a fantastic chance to catch up with friends you don't see very often as we wander around the show checking out all the exhibits, machinery, animals and competitions.

I am starting to feel the pressure though. Ever since my Muddy Organiser was born we've been entering 6 Hen Eggs either brown or white in the Egg category, and every year we've been a prize winner, first prize at that! That's four consecutive years, that's a lot of pressure! We've been avoiding using eggs for the past two weeks, as we gather a bigger pool from which to pick six winners. Then today we will sort them out and pick the ones for the show. It honestly doesn't bother me if we don't win, but it's the comments from everyone else that are putting the pressure on 'got your eggs ready yet Nat?','hope you've got some good ones because we're putting some winners in'.

To try and distract ourselves the girls and I have been looking at what else we can enter. They have grand plans of decorated arrowroot biscuits, a packet chocolate cake, a drawing, pet rocks, decorated fruit and vegetables, a decorated saucer, the list goes on. Somehow I think time will get the better of us, but it is so lovely to see their joy and excitement in getting ready for the show and participating in a real community event.

Last Year's Production Line for Arrowroot Biscuit Decorating

Muddy Organiser Collecting Eggs, back when it all began.

Just so you know, in case you were planning on entering an egg competition anytime soon, the judges like consistency, they don't have to be the biggest but consistent in colour, size and shape.

Sowing Love

There's something about Sowing Time, the promise of possibilities, the team work to get it sown, the machinery and the way it needs to all work together, with just the right amount of rain, not too much, not too little. As much as it frustrates me I love it.

When my Muddy Brother-in-law stopped to shift paddocks and fill up the other day I snapped a quick couple of shots on the phone. I really do love this time of year. Once it's over in a couple of weeks we will hope for rain and watch the seeds shoot and grow. Then we can focus on Shearing and after that work towards Harvest, the never ending cycle for our farming life.

Muddy Hubby and Muddy Brother-in-law making a plan (not sure how they hear each other over the sound of the augers).

  

The Air Seeder all folded up, ready to move, while Muddy Hubby and Muddy Brother-in-law fill up the Seed Bins with Wheat and Fertiliser.

One Wing of the Air Seeder Upright for transport

The disc and tine, the disc makes the furrow in the paddock and the tine plants the seed behind it