Five and seven

Yes, I'm the mega flukist. All of my kids are born in the same week in November. 

My girls turned five and seven during last week, and my son turns 24 today. 

Isabel and Summer were born two years and two days apart. This means joint birthday parties every year, getting the celebrations done and dusted in one fell swoop.

I can't lay claim to any of these photos. Luckily I had good peops who womanned my camera while I was otherwise occupied for two hours of craziness. 

I did manage to sit down for moments to drink a glass of wine and to scoff some cheese and crackers. How I love cheese.

The cakes were easy this year. Summer was happy with a Shopkins cupcakes, all made from a packet mix.

The day before I had no idea what Isabel's cake was going to be. I baked a buttercake slab and cut out a number seven. Thankfully she was happy and even helped decorate with the sugar sprinkles and wafer flowers. 

All over and done with for another year. 

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The 140th annual Millicent show

Circus Elements, entertaining the families with his mean feats on the unicycle. Thankfully for this fella, he made the jump!

Isabel did well in the primary school aged indoor entries, winning three sashes, with several other firsts and seconds in cut flowers, photography and produce.

• Best Primary Produce for her eggs
• Best Primary cut Flowers for her purple flowers
• Best Cooking for her chocolate crackles

No sashes for me this year. But I was awarded a bottle of stinky organic fertiliser for receiving the most points in the produce section! 

I did recieve a few firsts and seconds in the other catagories I entered, photography and flowers. 

Summer got the most points in the kindy section too, and won a present for that.

All round we all had a fantastic show. Except for Brett, his wallet has been diagnosed with anorexia and it seems he has to work a bit harder to fill it up again!

November garden

It's  hasn't warmed up a hell of lot down South in south Australia. Not like the past years. We are lucky to be getting any temperatures up in to the 20s. 

The flowers are emerging slower than previous years. We're getting there.

All my kids've been born in November. The last two, the girls, while we've been in this house, in 2009 and 2011. 

I've made gardens in every house I've lived in since I was twenty years old. I remember even digging a bed along my mothers driveway and planting Petunias to brighten it up.

My favourite garden memory here has been, when I have come home from hospital with each baby girl, and driving down the driveway to an explosion of roses. The seem to have all come out to welcome our new babies home. Just magical. Those were hot Novembers, with the temps well into the high thirties. 

These white flowers are from a brassica. I think it's a bok choy plant or something like that. I always pick a flower or two to eat, as I walk past. They are edible and I love the taste.

I haven't tasted the flowers from the broad bean plant, I do like the flower though. Plus from the flower a broad bean grows. We all like eating those, straight from the bush.

Charles de Gaulle rose

Cistus 'rock rose'

I love the smell of these mini carnations. Divine.

This is the Harry Wheatcroft rose. I have a soft spot for this one. It's one of the first roses I planted when we built this house. I never thought of myself as a gardener who talks to her plants. But every year when I see this rose flower for the first time in Spring, I always say "Hello Harry!"

Just Joey rose

Statice makes a fantastic dried flower. It lasts for ever in the vase inside too.

Another fantastic fragrant flower. Sweet peas will never fail to send your sense of smell into overdrive. 

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And that was October, over and out....almost

Happy Halloween!

For the last few years, the girls and I have donned our scary outfits on the last evening of October. Me driving around for two hours, or more, and them getting a massive sugar rush, and sometimes an adreniline rush at one particular house, that even freaks me out. 

This year however, we are staying home and having everyone come to us. I am not really sure if this was a good idea, but I hope the girls have as much fun, and the weather is kind. I also need to whip up a couple of spooky ghost costumes by 4:30 this afternoon! 

It's been raining and blowing a gale, which is not conducive to prize winning flowers for the show. I made the mistake of saying it outloud to Izzy, and nek minute, she walks inside with just about every flower cut off my Just Joey rose, to save them from the weather. God Bless her little soul. I hope none of them were the winning rose! 

The Millicent Show is on this weekend. The girls and I are putting in entries this year. Last year I won a sash for my Irises. That was pretty awesome, and unexpected, so I am hoping the weather doesn't batter the garden anymore this week.... please. But I guess everyone is in the same boat. Thursday is drop off day for all entries. Thinking about is making me nervous! 

The girls birthdays are the weekend after the show, which I have done NO organisation for. The only thing I know it is going to be a small affair, not like last years whole class party! so much going on! I am trying to not think about it all at once, because I start to panic. What I really need to do is make a day to day list, so my brain can digest it in smaller, organised chunks. 

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