Dear Lola,

Packing up the house really is a funny little undertaking. It makes you realise things you may never have realised if not for the inevitable move.

Like...

For some reason we use the colander daily, so it should be packed last.

One shouldn’t toss out the sugar in the sugar bowl four weeks before moving out, leaving visitors with sugarless coffee (sorry Nadia).

We never use the sunbeam poach and boil egg cooker.

We have too many chopsticks, meaning our current ones should be recycled more regularly to avoid build up & potential splinters in the mouth.

Bowls with chips should have been thrown away when the chip first occured.

We have way too much glassware.

Packing with an 18 month old is pointless, unless you like your boxes packed & emptied several times.

Tea-towels make a good substitute if you don’t have bubble wrap.

We have three knife blocks.

We have lots of pretty bowls.

Our mortar and pestle is ridiculously heavy.

And.... if you spill coffee when packing,  clean it off the floor immediately before it solidifies and turns into a tar like consistency, leaving it almost impossible to remove!

Wow! And all this discovered after only having packed away three kitchen cupboards! Can’t wait to see all the other marvellous discoveries we make.

Now less typing & more packing Lola-girl! 

Oh and boxes are fun for playing in!

Your mama

Dear Lola, 

With the move fast approaching, my mind often turns to your room & how I would like to create a space you will one day happily skip into and feel both instantly giddy & at peace. 

I love these alternate ideas to your normal run-of-the-mill wooden shelves....

I also found perhaps one of the best door handles ever made! We'll pop it on your wish list.

Alice in Wonderland

Oh and if space & room wasn't an issue, the entrance to your room would definitely look like this...

Narnia... anyone?

We like to dream big around these parts.

Your mama

Dear Lola, 

Did I ever tell you how blessed we are to have four of the best, burly boys living within five minutes of our new home? Well we do, and we are very blessed!

On a grey & humid Sunday afternoon, Grandpa, Uncle Jimmy & Papa (Uncle Lukey escaped this round) went up to our new house & got stuck into the garden. We sat back & watched its solid attempts to gobble them right up, all the while ducking for cover as weeds, tree trimmings & cuttings were thrown in our general direction. We dutifully popped all waste in the green bin & picked on some sneaky weeds, discovering how therapeutic weed pulling really is!

With Grandpa as chief gardener they were never going to fail! They made a big impression in what is a large & luscious garden.

To top it off we meet some of our lovely neighbours who offer us bottomless cordial & tea & warn us of the deer that sometimes find refuge on our driveway! We believe these will come in handy at Christmas time, as we have big plans to deck the front trees with twinkling lights... which means no plastic reindeer in our Christmas display thank you very much!

And this is only a quarter of the yard...

Trimmed a treat

Side entrance to the yard

Secret doorway & hallway to the bush beyond!

Your mama

Dear Lola,

Scene from our visit to the op shop today - you held on tightly to a little teddy dressed in red velvet, as Auntie Jules chased you down the aisles, while Uncle Luke admired a retro drinks tray, & I found some treasure & treats for you. 

Knitted 'seal balancing ball' jumper - to keep you nice and toasty this winter.

Fred Bare pants - lime green with gorgeous little flowers sprinkled over them - perfect for Autumn.

A Dragon In a Wagon Golden Book - this is a classic & the illustrations are stunning.

Retro cotton pastel play long shorts - Your Opapa would say "Are they long shorts or short longs?" 

Ceramic Owl spoon rest - that's for me. For a buck, I couldn't leave the little guy behind.

Sssshhhhh - don't tell papa, but I also made another cushion. I have a weakness for cushions, lamps, chairs & throw rugs. On the bright side, I recycled one of my old dresses to make it, & I think papa will like this cushion that extra bit more, because it has a built in pocket. A function I sure know you appreciate Lola, as I found some of your sultanas hiding in there just this morning.

Your mama

Dear Lola,

What was it about this house? The house we stumbled into, fell in love with, put an offer on, presented our birth certificates, attended various meetings, signed some papers, handed over some money & bought. 

For me it was simple. 

It was that big ol' silver birch tree that greeted us in the front yard as we approached.

It was walking into the living room & instantly picturing a Christmas tree by the window.

It was when you fell onto the grass in the yard and lay there spread out like a starfish laughing. 

It was when we were told this home had raised one family, a German family who migrated to Australia, just like ours. 

It was the garden & the secret passage into the bush beyond.

It was the wood fire heater, the sandstone wall, the sun room, the vintage wallpaper.

Whatever it was, it felt right. We move in a few weeks time Lola-girl. We are all very excited to make this special place our home.

Our secret garden

Your mama

Dear Lola, 

You have been in our world for 25 months (including the 9 months you were in my belly of course) - but did you know your papa has been in my world for 8 years today.

It was a warm Spring night when an 18 year old papa knocked on the door at 26 John Street, and I answered... 

Vietnam

Philippines

Home

Wedding Day

Honeymoon

Santa Claus party

I love him - your papa, my husband, my sidekick - I love him.

Your mama

Dear Lola,

Thought it was about time to put you under the spotlight & record some of the fun & hilarious things you are getting up to as our 16 month old peachface.

Trying to put nappies on your toy frog, negotiating the hallway in mama’s shoes, pushing a dolls pram around & feeding your stuffed friend’s food is all in a mornings play for you pickle -juice! Imaginary play has really taken off in Lola- land, and it has caused many a giggle fit between your Papa & I, as we constantly usher & whisper to each other  “quick, come see Lola”, as you go about your pretend play, leaving us in stitches.

Books, books, books, books! BOOKS. Did I ever fully thank cousin Calvin for introducing you to the story “The Elephant and the Bad Baby”? Hmmm – if not thanks so very much Adelaide Jameson’s for giving you a book you are more than happy to read over and over and over again, till we no longer need to look at the text as it is tattooed in our memory bank for eternity.... as are the words “rumpeta, rumpeta, rumpeta!”                                                                                                                    
But seriously, we love your love of books, and with Papas new book rotation system in place, I am thoroughly enjoying sharing in the adventures of a bear hunt, or discovering how exactly that sausage does escape from breakfast!

Tantrums... I don’t particularly like to use that word. Sooky sooky lala is funnier to say & although you do have moments when you burst out in tears & make a sound similar to Chewbacca, to your credit your “lala” moment doesn’t last more than a few seconds....30 maybe, that's for now at least. Break-downs occur mostly in the period before a nap or bed or when you have to say goodbye to Oma, but luckily for us you can be quickly re-directed & laughing again in no time.

What else...

You’re pretty much running now, and your poor face hasn’t been bruise free in months.

You talk lots, repeating pretty much everything we say, but also using language to get what you want - "apple please", or to get where you want - "up please". Oh, and you also point at everything & name it, or if you hear a plane, truck or car start, you announce that too, before waving in the direction of the sound and saying "ta ta". Your new favourite word is 'slippery' - used liberally if you are walking and there is even a pinprick of water on the ground. You stop dead in your tracks and pronounce “SLIPPERY”, code word for pick me up and get me outta here before I end up with another bruise on my forehead! You're a quick learner.

Food glorious food!  You are by no means a little piggie with your food, but you eat pretty much everything. Strawberries, bananas & watermelon are favourites, especially if accompanied with a boiled egg or tuna or rice or pasta or better still, all four mixed together.  Oh, you can also smell chocolate from a mile away & pop corn is a yummy treat at Oma’s place.

I could most certainly go on, but for the sake of  doing something else constructive whilst you nap, I will leave it here cuddle monster.

You are just lovely & make us so happy we could burst.

Your mama x

Dear Lola,

So just what does mama get up to after I snuggle you to death, read a billion books, sing a bunch of songs, & then lay your little angel head down for a midday nap. 

Well here is a sneak peek from the other day...

We picked this up from our local Salvos store for $5, and although I love the natural wood look, I thought I would like to get a little more creative with this one.

Enter these cool test tube paints from Bunnings. You were a very willing, little helper, & picked the reddish colour suitably titled  'energetic'.

To my surprise & delight, there was no need for a paintbrush as there is a built in applicator, (as clearly stated on the front of the packet!)

In the end, I did decide to keep some of that nice, natural wood after all. Now to think of all the treasures I can hide in those drawers, safely tucked away from prying hands. Well that's my hope anyway.

And with freshly made spinach & cheese scones still warm and ready to be eaten when you awoke, I felt like quite the over achiever! Anyway, better enjoy it sweet pea, because tomorrow may see me on the couch with the telly on, just as yesterday did! 

Your mama

Dear Lola,

If you had visited us between the time of 9:30am and 9:40am this morning, this is what you would have seen.

Your mama

Dear Lola,

Happiness is...

Shaking your hips to Uncle Lukey playing the ukulele.

A long shower full of chatter & laughter with Papa.

Reading & snuggles on the bed with mama.

Your mama