Category Archives: Kids Play

Hay Work

It’s that time of year again, time for new life, with lambing starting. As it hasn’t rained and feed is becoming a little thin on the ground we have been feeding out hay and grain to our Ewes that are currently lambing or are feeding baby lambs. This helps to keep them strong and in good condition for looking after their baby lambs and providing them with enough milk.


We load up the truck with big round bales and cart them out to the mobs of Ewes that are lambing. The Muddy Girls love getting up on the truck and trying to help push them off. Then they help unwrap the netting from around them, round and round in circles they go til it’s unwrapped and the sheep are able to get at the hay. The hay we’re feeding out at the moment is Sorghum hay, which was made out of a summer crop. We can also feed them Oaten Hay that we produce from early winter Oat crops.

We also have a feeder bin that we put on the back of one of the utes and this feeds out a strip of grain to the Ewes for them to eat, which will also help keep them in good condition. Muddy Bubby loves watching the Ewes come up and chase the ute as we start to feed them.

The Muddy Girls have also discovered a new trick with the Big Round Bales while we’ve been busy feeding the Ewes – They make a great stage!

 

New Family Members

My Muddy Puzzler only had one request for her 3rd Birthday – Ducks. Our first attempt at the Poultry Auction was a sad outcome, we came home with nothing. Now, however I’m quite pleased we came home with nothing, because I found 6 little ducklings to fulfill the request, and to top it off they’re my FAVOURITE type of ducks. They are Indian Runners, they can’t fly, so they can’t escape on me, they’re great for training your sheep dog (so Muddy Hubby is happy), and they are so good looking and friendly once you’ve got them used to you.
They had a long trip to make it home to our house, I picked them up and they attended their first baby shower, before spending the night in Nana’s shower recess, then a 6 hour drive home. They were very pleased to be put in their new home, have something to eat and a nice bath and drink, before the Muddy Kids started the cuddles!
They have kept the Muddy Kids entertained for hours, just sitting and watching, or sitting and holding. Muddy Bubby has tried to climb in with them a few times, or tried to pull down their light, but he’s getting used to them.
There’s one little duckling we’re keeping an eye on, she’s a little bit smaller than the others, the runt of the bunch. My Muddy Organiser has named her Sprinkles and yesterday she was being bullied a little bit, today the other ducklings are being a bit nicer, she’s getting something to eat and drink and seems to be growing and happier. There’s no doubt about it, they’re a very welcome addition to our Muddy Family.

Balancing it Out

I don’t like getting too dirty. I don’t mind if I’m working around the farm and get dirty, that I can cope with, as long as once it’s done I can have a hot shower and clean up I’m fine. I can be a bit of a fussy parent at times too about the kids getting dirty, I KNOW that it”s all in fun and it helps with learning and creative play and all that, but still it’s dirt! Which is why I LOVE that Muddy Hubby is the opposite, he gets dirty and doesn’t even notice, comes home and goes to sit on the lounge filthy and I have to stop him before he sits down. I love that when the kids go with him it’s almost guaranteed that they will come back having had a wonderful time and covered in dirt. If I go along with them I am fussing and trying to minimise the damage. Muddy Hubby on the other hand lets them go hard until they’re worn out, no matter how dirty they get.

The same goes for risk taking, I am not an overly adventurous person, I always over think things and stop and hesitate before jumping into a task. Muddy Hubby again is the opposite, he whacks the kids in the bucket of the Dingo and doesn’t hesitate to raise them up in the air, while I on the other hand fret about ‘What if they fall out’. When he discovers an Emu nest he jumps right in and gets the kids in to check it out, while on the other hand I am having visions of angry Emus finding me in their nest and chasing me around the paddock (yes I have had this vision several times). Muddy Hubby has the confidence that the Emu has long left the nest and the few remaining eggs will not hatch and it’s OK for the girls to pick them up and bring them home. He doesn’t flinch when the Muddy Puzzler drops the Emu Egg on the Dining Room floor and it smashes open,while I am having a heart attack about how to clean it all up (true story)!
This balance we have evens it out for our kids. I’m sure if it was 100% up to me my kids would end up reserved, clean freaks with no sense of adventure.

Wordless Wednesday – A Little Light Show

A couple of years ago my Muddy Sister-in-law gave these delightful cupcake lights to my Muddy Girls to decorate their room. Initially they were great, then we moved rooms, didn’t set them up, then there was a loose globe. Now finally Muddy Hubby has them going again and each night is like our own personal light show (we take what we can get out here!). Then for his Baptism Muddy Bubby was gifted with some lovely star lights, so we now have a light show going in 2 bedrooms each night! It puts a smile on everyone’s face each time they get switched on.

Linking up with Trish at My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday and showing a bit of pink in support of her breast cancer fight, sending love and hugs to Trish and her family.

A Muddy Weekend in Instagram

Do you ever feel like you’re just treading water, like you are busy, busy, but when someone asks you, you have trouble remembering what’s been keeping you so busy. I get very forgetful when I’m in this state, forgetting appointments, jobs to do and worst of all groceries when I’m shopping and left the list at home. I hate this state, it makes me feel like I’m not accomplishing much and worse still my house is in a total state of disarray.
This weekend was one of those weekend, a not much, but lots happening kind of weekend. We did lots of baking, for gifts and to take to a party. We made a cool cubby house using the sheets and chairs, which was fun til Muddy Bubby came and pulled it all down. We did have fun rebuilding it though!
We checked on the bathroom renovations at ‘Mummy’s old house’ as the Muddy Girls call it, and I’m feeling a little better as it’s almost done (thank goodness). While Muddy Hubby painted I started the big clean up and some of the ‘to do’s’ to be done before new tenants can move in.
Then we finished up with a big birthday party for a very cute 2 year old. My Muddy Tribe had a ball, playing in the big shed and getting dirty, making new friends and reacquainting themselves with cousins. It was so nice though to drive home watching a beautiful sunset, snuggle up on the couch to watch ‘The Block’ and then have an early night. It’s the simple things I love the most.

Having newly discovered Instagram and LOVING IT, I’m keeping track of what we’ve been doing and reminding myself of why I feel so tired and want to be in bed early!

How was your weekend? Do you tread water like me, feeling like you’re going nowhere?

May Mayhem – In a Shade of Green

I’m not sure what happens Nine months before May but in our family, whatever it is has resulted in 4 cousins all sharing May for their birthday. This means we’ve had a few weeks of presents, cake and birthday goodness, all culminating in a big joint birthday party on Saturday. The Dress code was ‘A Touch of Green’, and because I get carried away when there’s a theme, there were green invites and whatever green lollies I could find at the shops, there were grapes and green balloons, green lolly bags and a treasure hunt for green turtles that were bubbles! The dessert was a green (peppermint) ice cream slice and my Muddy Sister-in-law did a stellar job with the Green Turtle Birthday Cake.

Everyone got into the spirit, including the Muddy Great Grandma who came out home for the celebrations, decked out in green attire. I never realised just how many clothes in green the Muddy Kids had until I went to get them dressed on Saturday morning, I even found stripey green socks for Muddy Bubby.

There’s something special about the Muddy Kids and their 6 cousins (my Muddy Sister-in-laws have 3 each), they have a very special bond that never wavers, when they see each other each time it’s like they’ve not been apart, there’s not the Muddy Kids usual shyness or reluctance to leave my side, they’re straight in the swing of things. We live about 2 hours away from each set of cousins and between the 10 cousins there is only 4 years and 9 months that separate them all from oldest to youngest. I’m not sure whether it’s this closeness in age that has bonded them so firmly, or whether it’s a feeling they get that these people will always have my back, will be by my side. Whatever it is, it is so lovely to see, and to watch them together. I do anticipate though, after watching their antics together on Saturday as thick as thieves, that they will certainly be getting into some mischief together as they get older!

Firm Friends, Muddy Bubby and his cousin, born 3 months apart.

Muddy Bikers

My Muddy Pixie was gifted with a beautiful new bike for her birthday, this meant a move up the chain for my Muddy Puzzler, from the 3 wheel trike to the littlest two wheeler (with training wheels). We’ve been out and about the house paddock practicing our peddling and getting better and better each day. My Muddy Organiser likes to make a race of it, in her funky gumboots she’s like lightning streaking away from the others, practicing her turns as she comes and loops around us all, as we try to catch her.
As we all get better we’re riding a bit more each day, a bit further, and a bit further. Our next challenge is the long driveway to the front gate and letterbox. Last time we tried I ended up pushing the Muddy Puzzler and the Muddy Pixie walked 3/4 of the way, bike abandoned at the first bend, while the Muddy Organiser’s training wheels kept getting stuck on the rocks, it was a long slow ride. How quickly things change, and things like bike riding remind me that my babies aren’t babies any more, they grow and change so quickly, so it’s so important to capture these special times on camera, at the same time as being in amongst the fun.

The Block

I will be the first one to tell you I haven’t been coping some days while Muddy Hubby has been away up north. The Muddy Kis have been largely good, but it’s the whiney voices when they’re tired and the bickering between them that I really struggle with. We have been spending most of our days outside, drinking in the autumn sunshine and warmth, rather than be inside in the cold house going stir crazy.
While it has been so lovely to enjoy the outside time and some old favourites of bikes, the sandpit and my washing, it has not staved off ‘happy hour’ come dinner and bed time. No matter how I work my day it still ends in fights and tears. We are at the point where the Muddy Kids are all in bed by 6-6:30pm as by then we’ve all had enough of each other and they’ll be up in 12 hours to start it all over again. I have moved everything forward, the animals are done either before I pick the Muddy Organiser up from the bus or as soon as we get back. We have swapped dinner and bath time around to see if that makes a difference – it hasn’t. Day sleeps make no impact, it’s still a battle, I still end up doing my ‘block’ at least once before they fall into blissful slumber. I am hoping things settle down a little when Muddy Hubby returns, as I really hate doing my block before bedtime, I feel bad all night and don’t sleep well at all.
The benefit of such an early bed time though is that I have time to run around and get my jobs done before ‘The Block’ starts. I have become a little addicted I must admit, surprising as I was a little put off the last two seasons, but there’s something about this season that has drawn me in, Muddy Hubby too, he’s been asking for updates via phone as he sits on the tractor at night!
Today we have again spent the morning outside and tomorrow will bring some Day Care respite and funnily enough I’ll be eagerly waiting to pick them all up and bring them home right on ‘Happy Hour’.
How do you manage ‘Happy Hour’ at your place, I’m in need of some ideas and inspiration!
Are you addicted to ‘The Block’ too?

Feeling the Pressure

Wednesday is Show Day! A very exciting time in our town. We get a local show day public holiday, and it’s a fantastic chance to catch up with friends you don’t see very often as we wander around the show checking out all the exhibits, machinery, animals and competitions.

I am starting to feel the pressure though. Ever since my Muddy Organiser was born we’ve been entering 6 Hen Eggs either brown or white in the Egg category, and every year we’ve been a prize winner, first prize at that! That’s four consecutive years, that’s a lot of pressure! We’ve been avoiding using eggs for the past two weeks, as we gather a bigger pool from which to pick six winners. Then today we will sort them out and pick the ones for the show. It honestly doesn’t bother me if we don’t win, but it’s the comments from everyone else that are putting the pressure on ‘got your eggs ready yet Nat?‘,‘hope you’ve got some good ones because we’re putting some winners in’.

To try and distract ourselves the girls and I have been looking at what else we can enter. They have grand plans of decorated arrowroot biscuits, a packet chocolate cake, a drawing, pet rocks, decorated fruit and vegetables, a decorated saucer, the list goes on. Somehow I think time will get the better of us, but it is so lovely to see their joy and excitement in getting ready for the show and participating in a real community event.

Last Year’s Production Line for Arrowroot Biscuit Decorating
Muddy Organiser Collecting Eggs, back when it all began.

Just so you know, in case you were planning on entering an egg competition anytime soon, the judges like consistency, they don’t have to be the biggest but consistent in colour, size and shape.

Library Time

Over the past few months we’ve been spending a lot of time at our local library. It is sadly an under utilised resource in our town, and what we’ve got I do like to try and support and make sure we don’t lose it! I have been an intermittent visitor to the library since Muddy Organiser turned 1, but since the summer holidays we have been trying to visit on a weekly or fortnightly basis.
It’s a lovely little library, with really friendly and welcoming staff, comfy chairs and comfy beanbags (from which I took most of my photos). The kids wander around looking through the books, they are allowed to borrow one book and one puzzle each. While the Muddy Puzzler is quick to make a choice the Muddy Pixie agonises over her choices, she is always the last one to make a decision, browsing through all the shelves and intently studying each puzzle before she makes that all important choice of which one will come home with us. The Muddy Organiser on the other hand is surprisingly fickle, she’ll pick one say ‘It’s my favourite’ keep walking around and quickly drop it in favour of another ‘this is my favourite’. It’s become a lovely little ritual for us to visit the library, spend some time with the books and even I can have a browse and pick up a new read every couple of visits.
The Muddy Kids love to come home from the library and tell Muddy Hubby all about the books they’ve borrowed and show him the toys or puzzle they’ve borrowed. They swap them around amongst themselves and make up stories to go with the pictures if we don’t have time to read the book 20 times a day as they keep asking us to.
I am a BIG believer in reading to kids from an early age, doesn’t matter what you’re reading to them, as long as they’re seeing and hearing you read. Muddy Hubby likes to read to the kids the nights he’s home in time and is often reading them articles from the paper, although their favourite thing to do is spot photos of machinery in The Land. I have a real love of books and reading and am so pleased to see my kids are developing the same.
Muddy Organiser at 12 weeks being read the local paper