Down in the bottom corner of Nonna's back garden is the most enormous mulberry tree. Heaving with mulberries, I could only just reach the lower branches to collect perfect, ripe berries for our morning tea. Stained lips, stained fingers, Missy could not resist. The Rooster was apprehensive but was determined not too miss out. I think this sums up how my two approach life, one with gusto and with level headed caution.
I loved the secret feeling of carrying my babes, of feeling their movements and their cycles. It gave me a spring in my step knowing that I was growing a tiny human being as I went about my daily business. Growing babies was something I could do with relative ease. My heart aches for those mama's whose pregnancies are trial, who awake to sickness almost everyday of their 9 months. It surely taints the joy when you feel poorly for most of the day. 
My sister in law, way over in Canada is pregnant and I feel just a teeny bit sad that I will miss this part of her life when she blossoms and blooms into a mother. I will miss seeing my brother be a first time father. I have watched him play with his godchildren, my two little super heroes. He has buckets of patience and an abundance of knowledge. Too boot, he really is just a big kid at heart. I will miss witnessing him guide his babe into the world.
But I really wanted to post this one. A few months ago I dropped into Mathilda's markets to visit a special somebody over at bugandpop. She had blogged about this gorgeous cape and when I clapped eyes on it, I knew it was just the cape to match this one. 
There is something very special about a little girl walking around in a little red cape. She wears it almost daily and the comments we receive as we wander down the street are just amazing.
My friend has a twenty-something son who recently applied for a job in children's television. His CV stated that he is waiting patiently for the day when capes will make a comeback.
Missy is not waiting for any comebacks. She and the Rooster think their capes are the bomb. Just today, the Rooster was marvelling at how his cape was blowing in the wind, just like a real superhero. 
Today she came face to face with this little creature. Having discovered rabbits a few weeks back, she immediately thought she had met another. 
"Bunny Mama".
Our little friend, a true Bindi Irwin and wildlife warrior in the making, had Missy entranced. 
Already she loves the bigger girls couldn't help but mimic all the actions of her older friend.
How she would have loved to have taken this critter home and patted him to sleep, all the while singing, nina nana, till his little eyes shut.
Count them.1…2…3…4
I was right. It is all about the cake. Tucking our tired little birthday boy into bed tonight I asked him what was the best part about his party and he said the cake. He loves it when people sing happy birthday to him and he gets to blow out the candles. Such a simple 4 year old pleasure.
So too is brooming cars in the mud. Not that there was any mud about on this unseasonably hot August day. Just a very big water container and lots of toing and froing with plastic cups. Wet, muddy happy boys. Is there any other way they should be?
My kids love the party treat bag. I on the other hand, usually don't. My children don't cope with sugar well (a bit like skinny girls getting tipsy on one glass of wine) and go pretty feral on just the smallest amount of sugar. With that in mind I sent this little stash home. (I must credit my friend Bec, who doesn't have a blog but should because she is making the best smocks as we speak, who made nearly 4 kilos of green play dough to add to our treasure bags)
Borrowed from Bec over at Red Chocolate, they are filled with crafty bits and pieces to create an alien monster. I can't resist a little competition, so instructions were given to make and then forward photos of their creation so that the Rooster could pick his favourite. The ultimate long distance party game.
Not sure what I was doing all day but I came home with only 4 photos on my camera, all of which have been posted here. The last, our family shot, taken for prosperity.
The Rooster has been tearing the numbers off his countdown book one day at a time. While patiently waiting for number 18 to arrive, he has been browsing our very old birthday cake book for inspiration for his cake. He was teetering between a racing car, a dump truck or a race track number 8, until he spotted this book at the library. I have no idea how he knew it was a birthday cake book, but he snatched it off the shelf and found exactly what he was looking for.
Each morning our Rooster makes a rocket with his Lego while he waits for the morning to arrive. This cake was right in his universe. It was the one he was waiting to discover.
He knew something special was waiting for him downstairs this morning. He snuck down and found his Rocket ready for take off.
We like to recycle our cakes and get a few uses for our cake making efforts. The cupcakes, 30 moon and stars, were for preschool with instructions that the rocket could not be cut. The rocket will make its maiden voyage on Sunday at the Rooster's party.
I am almost too embarrassed to reveal this collection. I have a vague idea how it all began. I was about 8 and a family friend brought a Mickey Mouse spoon back from Disneyland. Cue the floodgates and look what happened! My mother recently dispatched these from her house. At first I thought I would sell them on ebay. Ehhh....too hard. 
