I can never compose decent entries on travelling.

The weekend was fun, but tiring. There was lots I wanted to see, but didn't, and met people instead - which was worth it. Adelaide reminded me of Perth without the wholesale heritage destruction.

It had its quirks - CBD is bloody close to the airport, which worked in my favour with regard to taxi fares, I guess. The buses all ran late, and the trains are diesel (here in highly advanced Perth we electrified them YEARS ago, c'mon Adelaide), but the tram is cool. I didn't get much shopping done because of the shopping hours, but I'm from Perth, can't really complain about that. I DID go to the Central Markets Friday night, which was fun. Made a flying visit to the zoo, wandered by the river, but missed the museum and art gallery.

The hotel was also quirky - nice, and the bed was fantastically comfortable, but it had petty things wrong that annoyed me, like no teaspoons for the coffee (instant coffee, sugar, teabags and kettle supplied, but nothing to stir it with), and the fact that the fridge was set so cold it froze and ruined the lettuce and yummy stone fruit I bought from the market.

I'll attempt to post some photos later.

Flight back was good, we had an empty seat next to us so Evie didn't kick anyone while breastfeeding, heh.

I'm flying to Adelaide on Thursday and I am contemplating paying for checked baggage JUST so I can take some knitting. Reee-diculous.

I booked the fare as carry-on only, since it's just me and Evie, and I don't need to take a stroller or anything, the hotel has a guest laundry so I don't need to take enough nappies for the WHOLE weekend. But yeh, can't really take knitting needles on a plane. Mine are circulars with removable tips, so they certainly don't LOOK like a weapon, but the tips are metal, so even if I separate the tips and the cable, the metal tips will still show up on the metal detectors.

I was considering buying a new set of needles when I got there, but that'd cost about $12, and checking a bag only costs $8 each way. On the way home I could post the needles to myself for about a $1 stamp, so I wouldn't need to check a bag then.

It would mean I have to wait to pick up my bag ... but it also means I will have less stuff to struggle with on the tiny plane.

Also, I haven't flown by myself with a child before, and I'm trying to figure out whether to go an aisle or a window seat. We flew Virgin Blue to Adelaide on our way to the Gold Coast, which is who I'm flying with on the way there (Jetstar on the way home), and the plane only had three seats across and one aisle up the side. So the middle seat would be the worst! It's only a 2.5 hour flight so I shouldn't need to change Evie's nappy, BUT if I need to take her up the back of the plane to calm her down it'll be easier from an aisle. But a window might entertain her. We'll be flying at her dinnertime so it should be interesting - a tray won't fit down with her on my lap.

I am *mostly* organised for Christmas presents. So far I have (either hiding in the house or on lay-by), for the kids ...

Emma
Magic Print machine & starter kit (some random 'latest trend' toy she's been begging for that prints onto fabric so you can make little stuffed toys or something. Got it on sale ;))
Summer pyjamas (because I found some at Target that DON'T have cutesy pink flowers or say "brat" or "I'm a hottie" or something else equally stupid/sexist)
I will pick up a DVD for her, and stocking stuffers, and am keeping an eye out for a reasonably priced iPod dock.

Alastair
WotWots DVD
Leapster 2 & carry case & game
will also get him some PJs and stocking stuffers.

Evie
Iggle Piggle fold-out couch
In The Night Garden DVD
I'm looking for an ITNG toddler bedding set, or fabric to make one from - eBay have some but they're a bit pukey-pink. When we move the toddler bed will be hers (A will move into a single) and maybe one day she'll decide to sleep in it instead of with me.
& then I just need some stocking stuffers for her too.

We're not buying for Garry's siblings, as they're both living overseas atm and while they'll be home for Christmas it's just more stuff to take with them (they're not buying for us, either, I'm not being a tightarse!)

I'm getting some vanilla beans in a co-op and am hoping to make vanilla essence for the adults, along with 'cookie in a jar' mixes and maybe some other stuff. Also hoping to make pillowcases for Emma & Alastair, and gifts for their two cousins. But knowing me, I'll run out of time.

Christmas seems like it's ages away, but I can only really shop on Fridays (A's daycare day), plus in the 6 weeks between now and then I have Emma's baptism, a weekend away in Adelaide (just me and Evie!), all the usual end-of-school stuff, kindy orientation for Alastair, and a friend's wedding.

Oooh, I just found out Aussie Farmers Direct will start delivering here in a few weeks!

So I can get fruit & veg on Fridays, and milk & bread (along with eggs, bacon, cheese, butter and cream if needed) on both Wed & Sat, free delivery. AWESOME. Prices aren't bad - as long as the quality's good, it's ALL good. Supermarkets, who needs 'em?

I love some things about summer - we just had an afternoon at the park, and now we're eating peaches, strawberries and watermelon from the growers' market.

The 40 degree temps when they start, I don't love. Oh well.

Our nectarine tree has loads of fruit, too, hopefully the birds and fruit fly will stay away enough for us to get some to eat!

Evie is getting up reaaaaaaally early lately, and I think it might be due to the light. I feel like I shouldn't complain since I voted against daylight savings ;) (we had it for the past 3 years on a trial, it went to referendum and lost)

I mean, she wakes up at about midnight, 2am and 4am anyway, heh. But now when she wakes just before 6 she obviously thinks it's awake time and bam, that's it, she's chattering away and giggling and crawling all over me. Time to get some blockout curtains put up to claw back an extra half hour or so sleep, because dammit I NEED that half hour.

I am so bone tired lately. I have that total can't-get-out-of-bed feeling, which is rare for me - I'm an afternoon collapser but can normally get out of bed pretty easily. The membranes under my eyes are really pale pink, which is generally an indicator my iron's low again, so I bought some Floradix today (liquid iron tonic with vitamins and herbs ... I hate iron tablets with a passion) and hopefully that helps.

Today I found a gorgeous Lisa Ho dress (Aussie fashion designer) for $1.50 at the opshop - and it fits me perfectly! How awesome is that? Well, almost perfectly, it does slightly highlight my post-baby belly but hey, that's part of me.

So now where the heck do I wear a Lisa Ho dress? It's not at ALL practical for everyday wear, not only because I don't really go around looking dressy every day, but because it doesn't have breastfeeding access. I am wondering if I could pull it off for a friend's wedding in December, it's quite a casual print but I think it could work for a summer wedding. I'll have to take a pic and poll LJ for advice :P

Then I took Emma rollerskating this afternoon for a school fundraiser. Wow. The Morley Rollerdrome has NOT CHANGED since I used to go for school fundraisers when I was in primary school ... getting on for 20 years ago. LOL. Same sweaty skate smell too. I didn't actually get to skate 'cos I had Evie (I don't think skating while babywearing is a good idea), which is a pity because that would have been fun! Emma enjoyed it, though.

Oh yum, I just made a batch of savoury scrolls for lunches this week and sneaked a piece - they are SO DAMN GOOD. And so was the fruit bread I made last night and had toasted for brekkie this morning.

And yesterday I bought 10kg of organic bread flour so this is all organic! (Well, mostly - a couple of the minor ingredients aren't.)

Of course, my waistline is probably not grateful. LOL.

Oh, and I was reminded by Shelly's Facebook post that Evie is learning lots of new words. Her latest:

"daisy" (or "day-ee") for Upsy Daisy from In The Night Garden
"bubbles" (sounds more like "bubbee")
"baby" ('cos she's not a baby anymore? *sniffle*)

I don't know if I said, a while ago, she started saying "whazzat?" and "look at that" and "here you go", which sounds super-smart, but I don't think they're sentences as such - she thinks of them as one word. "Here you go" is what she says when she gives us something, or when she's asking us for something.

She seems to have firmly settled for saying "bah" when she wants milk, which suits me fine, somewhat more polite than yelling "BOOBS" in public places.

And her favourite word is, of course, mummy. Mummy mummy mummy mummy mummy mummy.

I am so. damn. tired. After netball today I took the kids to a playcentre, because it's right next door to the netball centre, and I had a voucher so Evie got in free.

It was fun, but yes, tiiiiiiiired.

In 10 minutes I'm going to make a pig of myself on roast chicken with rice salad for dinner. Yum yum yum.

It's 8.30pm, Evie's been in bed for an hour and has already woken up twice. She was able to be soothed back to sleep quite quickly, but that doesn't bode well for the night ahead!

We had a lovely day at Whiteman Park today, though. Yesterday was just HOT (37 degrees/nearly 100 Fahrenheit) and too suddenly hot - it was 18 and raining a week or so ago! But today was nice, yet still warm enough for the kids to play in the little pool they have there. Then we ate lunch, played on the playground and took a walk through the Children's Forest.

I turned my ankle playing netball this morning and it really hurts. I had to walk around for an hour or so running errands before getting home, which probably didn't help. I can walk on it, but if I turn it at all or put too much weight on it it is very painful.

The good news was we only lost by 14 goals! We lost by 40 the first week, 30 the second, and this was our third game. So we're improving. LOL. It is good exercise, especially since we are usually one or two players down and I play the whole game in centre.

The other good news from today is that Emma's birthday party is all organised. She's having it at a fairy shop, so she's ecstatic. I'm a little horrified at the price, but it will be less chaotic than an indoor play centre and I'm not up for organising a park, and DEFINITELY not for having it at home, the place is too messy. I just have to hope not everyone we invite can come. Because she only wants to invite girls, we have to invite all the girls in the class, because inviting 10 - my usual limit for expensive parties - out of 16 'contenders' is a bit close to excluding people for my liking. They do all the food, and it actually isn't too bad: fruit platter, fairy bread, cheese and salad mini-rolls, and fondue with more fruit/marshmallows. Better than Cheezels and cordial, anyway.

I also found a fairy dress big enough for her there, so present shopping is nearly done. She's also getting a fold-up scooter that I bought with reward points from our credit card, and I'll pick a couple of books next week.

Evie loves everything about books.

Awesome, right? Mostly ... it's common to see her sitting on the floor with a book open and turning the pages just as if she were reading it. She'll bring them up to me to read to her. It's very cute.

But she really loves EVERYTHING about them. She loves pulling my paperbacks off their little bookshelf and caressing them, flipping through them, occasionally chewing on them. Oddly enough, she never rips them - not on purpose, anyway. The floor is always covered with books, and perhaps I should be stricter about it, but she's so obviously motivated by love. Plus, like I said, they're just paperbacks, and a good proportion of them were bought secondhand anyway.

Thankfully, she doesn't pull all the books down at the library or other people's houses - I did nip that in the bud, so I'm not totally lax.

I made a plain white loaf in the breadmaker last night, and then dough today, to make finger buns - the kids love the Baker's Delight ones.

O.M.G.

Sooo yummy! So easy *swoon*

The size of it is still a problem. Might have to keep it on the laundry bench or something.

Hey Perthies, have you seen the new GO! channel? (Okay, it's not really that new, but I only just discovered it.) It's on channel 99 if you have digital TV. They play heaps of classic old cartoons like Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo - the old ones from the 70s, the Jetsons, the Flintstones, Josie and the Pussycats - it rocks!

I scored a breadmaker on Freecycle today! I've been stalking for one for aaages, and this happened to come up two suburbs away and I got in first. It's a Sunbeam Cool Touch Bakehouse - no manual but I found it online easily.

It is huuuuuuuge though, not sure where it's going to fit in my kitchen, heh. Hopefully it makes yummy bread :)

I could be graduating officially right now, but I'm not. I woke up feeling like crap - because that's Evie's fourth night in a row of constant waking - and having no voice, anyway. I convinced Garry to stay home from work because the kids can't hear me, so I took a nap and then felt much better. Still not much voice, though. Hopefully Evie goes back to her 'normal' sleep soon, where she only wakes three or four times a night. :/

Today was a gorgeous day, the kiddlywinks spent lots of time outside playing, and we planted the seedling I got free at the Royal Show yesterday (it's a honey myrtle or something, Emma was trying to convince me we should take a eucalypt seedling, uh, no way that'd grow in our small backyard!)

I got a sample of Aeroplane Create-a-Jelly at the Show too, and made it for dessert tonight with apple juice. It's basically just unflavoured gelatin with sugar already added, but it appeals to the lazy in me - I've had gelatin in my cupboard for ages but never gotten around to working out how to make jelly with it. The create-a-jelly does have preservative 220 in, but apparently if you boil it for 3 minutes that boils it off. I didn't bother, it's still an improvement on jelly chock-full of artificial flavours and colours. It tastes much better too, I don't really like the chemical taste of regular jelly.

FINALLY, a proper spring day!

We lazed around in the morning, went to the markets after lunch, bought fruit & veg and afternoon tea, and came home. The kids played outside all afternoon, and ate copious amounts of watermelon. Yay!

We're going to the Royal Show sometime this week, I just need to decide which day. Tomorrow's a public holiday so it'll be too busy, Tuesday the forecast is AWFUL (possible hail), Wednesday is the day where kids can get in free by bringing a milk carton - so I'd expect lots of kids, and I've already bought Emma's ticket online, Thursday looks nicest weather-wise but that might mean everyone goes then. Friday is out because that's Alastair's daycare day. I'll probably stick with Thursday. I'll take a nice picnic and the kids will get one showbag each - I always vet the choices so they don't get one full of absolute crap. Alastair needs a new backpack to take to kindy next year so he may as well get one in a showbag!

I can't even find time to post about the holiday, let alone current events. Argh ...

school holidays soon!

I need a holiday from the holiday.

Tonnes of housework to catch up on, email correspondence and volunteer work stuff. A breastfeeding protest rally to go to tomorrow, and netball to play on Wednesday.

And somewhere in there I'll have to give you an account of the trip, and photos of course!