I Went to Visit a Farm One Day...

Dear Tamara, I just want to thank you so much for inviting us to spend the day at your Dad's farm. We all had a great day, one that we'll remember for a long time. Thank you for the fresh fruit and the horse rides. I loved seeing another side to you as you gave Dudley what-for and rustled him into the right paddocks! What a woman - is there anything you cannot do? 

On this day spent at the farm, I watched the vision of childhood I want to manifest for my children coming true. Thank you for giving all us friends one more shared memory to carry with us. Love Cath xoxo.

Mulberry Pie!

Welcome Spring! 

And in our neck of the woods, springtime equals mulberry time! 

So here's a little story and a recipe I would like to share with you.

 We always stop off on our bikes at a local tree on the footpath, but this year, the man came out of his house and invited us in to pick as many mulberries as we could, as he couldn't keep up with them. He got us a stepladder and everything. "That man is really kind", Kees whispered to me. And he is. Thanks Jason, our new neighbourhood friend!

 This is one amazingly productive tree! We ate until we were sick, picked a huge container and barely made a dent in it. It was still loaded with ripe mulberries. And they are whoppers - check out the size of them:

After sharing our haul with friends at the beach, we took the rest home to make mulberry pie. This is a perfect pie to make with young children - really quick, easy and tactile.

Here's the recipe:

 In case you need clarification, that's 4 cups mulberries, 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup flour. Or, tip as many mulberries as you've got into a big bowl, throw a bit of sugar and flour in and start mixing.

While you and your helpers are mixing, preheat the oven. Grease your pie dish and lay a puff pastry sheet in. I baked ours for 5 minutes but you probably don't need to.

The mixing is fun; very easy and satisfying as it turns a really wonderful rich purple colour.

Take your dishes out of the oven and spoon in the berry mixture. A very serious task for a certain little baker.

Slice your pastry into strips then arrange on top in a lattice pattern.

Your pie is ready for the oven! 

Bake on moderate for about 15 min then on low for about half an hour or until you think it seems ready. Leave to cool for a while, as it needs to set a bit. If you can wait ;0)

Then enjoy your delicious mulberry pie!

Mmmmmm. Yum.

Arty Beach Morning

I so enjoyed this morning, doing a bit of art at the beach. It's so nice to pack a few materials and snacks and ride down the beach to do our learning activities.

I always get a bit excited when Kees gets into an art activity, because it's not what he's really into.

It was all going beautifully. Who was I to discourage experimentation with saliva and sand?

Kees made a storm, I did a flower of course, and...

Jimmy's art was very....black. I hope this doesn't express his inner feelings. ??

After that we cemented our knowledge of meteorites and craters by dropping big rocks off the deck and into the sand. xx

Wee hoo!

I know for some parents, an indoor playcentre is a noisy, crazy nightmare. But man, the kids LOVE IT SO MUCH. It's like a dream come true for them. And on rainy days, I am very grateful to let my bold adventurers loose in the ball pit, jumping castle and slides while I do a bit of sewing or check my emails. And who doesn't love hot chips? (By the by, I did - believe it or not - meet a lady the other day who screwed up her nose when I mentioned the possibility of fish and chips for lunch. She actually said the word - brace yourself - "disgusting". I was dismayed.)

 

Knackered. Home for a nap. Yesss!

Butterfly Life Cycle

A beautiful experience to witness the life cycle from caterpillar to butterfly!

"Mum, MUM! It's SO BEAUTIFUL! You have to come and see!"

The amazing golden chrysalis...

Montessori 3-part cards...

Much waiting and checking, until....

"Mum, MUM! It's amazing!! Wait till you come and see!"

A wonderful change....