Growing

Our backyard has turned into something of a pumpkin patch.

That may actually be am understatement - it is pretty much 1/3 pumpkin plant. That would be great (or not?) except for the fact that pumpkin makes me gag. My most hated veg (that and cucumber, the two things our garden has produced in abundance in recent months).

Still, even though I probably won't be eating it I couldn't help but marvel at the sheer cheek of the plant - a self-seeded plant that we only tolerated because we hoped it may be a watermelon plant.

Anyhow, last week we did reap this:





The triffid, sorry, plant appears to be producing both butternuts and some other round variety of pumpkin on the one vine.

Strange. Anyhow, it roasted up OK. I even tried some.




The little gal is definitely a pumpkin eater.



Thank goodness - there are a fair few to get through!

Heavens above!

I should start this post by disclosing that I believe in God. Always have, always will.

I don't, however, believe in church or anything at all church-related - because, why would I? My thoughts and beliefs are mine and mine alone. I don't need to be in a certain building to have them and also, they're private! No interest in sharing them, thank you very much.

Anyway. I decided to let E attend scripture at school. It'll be good for him, I think. Because I'm certain other people can explain the concept of God a lot better than I'd be able to.

So E had his first scripture lesson this week. He brought home the worksheet all the kids did and it had an activity that said 'Circle how you feel about God's love'.

This was what he circled:



!!!!

Clearly the scripture teacher has a *bit* of work to do!

Fallen for Finkler

Isn't it the best feeling when you fall so utterly, completely in love with a book that you can't wait to keep reading it and yet you find yourself devastated when you finish it?

I am on the love/loss rollercoaster today because I have just finished this astonishing, remarkable, incredible (enough gushing?) book:



It is very apparent to me why it won the Booker Prize. Very. To me, this book had the right mix of fascinating topic (Jewishness and what it entails) and a wonderful pace and accessibility.

The only frustrating thing about the book is I wanted to immerse myself in it and, well, with work and kids, who has the time?

My favourite book of all time is another Booker winner from years ago: Possession by AS Byatt. I think The Finkler Question must surely be in my top five though.

A gem.

Up and away

The little girl ticked over 17 months this week. And, my goodness, she's on the move these days. T has been walking for about 3 weeks now, and getting more stable by the day (though I have to say that watching her comedy-walk about the house, chubby toddler tum proudly protruding is one of my favourite things to do).



This new mobility is fabulous and all, but it has been keeping me on my toes. Last week, for example, I found her (new! leather!) sandals deposited in the toilet.



I also found the bath plug ... under my bed. And the TV remote? It was outside, hidden under our triffid-like tomato plant.



I'm clearly going to have to keep a close watch on this cheeky one!

Big school boy!

It's a rather momentous and emotion-filled day here: E started kindergarten today. Yes, such was his excitement at the prospect of his first day, he went to bed early last night without a protest. This morning he was all 'is it time yet?', 'when can we go?'



So we packed the ginormous school backpack with a bit of lunch and a tube of sunscreen and off we went.



The great thing about the school he's going to is that it's on the same street as where he attended daycare, so he's aware of where he is. Plus most of the daycare kids are going to that school so they did a heap of orientation. As a result, E just strutted into the school grounds like he owned the place! Then when it came time to go into the classroom he skipped off with not even a backward glance.



Me? Well, I did OK. I didn't linger. There were a couple of tears on the walk back to the car. The real force of understanding came to me when I was driving home after dropping Shaun at work. I passed a sign for Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where E was born and it hit me: those precious 'little' years are over. Gone. I am going to miss that little boy SO much.



But - hey - life moves and changes and throws all manner of things at us. This change is nothing to worry about. I know he'll love school - and that thought makes me very happy indeed.