To My Dear 3 Year Old,

Today, Monet, is your 3rd birthday. 3! Now, that's amazing. Just like you.

You never cease to amaze me in everything you do. Where do you learn this stuff? How did you learn to talk so very clearly and who taught you to use all those words? Was it I? Or daddy? I have seriously no idea.

We've had a fabulous year with you which has hopefully taught you about the good things in life. We live in an amazing part of the world and seen many lovely places which I hope you remember. You've been to the Daintree Rainforest a few times. Whenever we ask you what you want to do on a particular day, you sometimes say "We'll go to the Daintree". That's how come I know you like it there.

You've got an amazing memory so that's how come I know you'll remember the places we've taken you.

You are 9 times out of 10, wonderful in public. Impeccable in fact. People are always saying just how well behaved you are, but they don't know you in your home environment do they? *heehee*

If you could, you would spend all day in your nighty. All day. It is a struggle sometimes to get you dressed. Sometimes you're still lazing about in your nighty till 11am.

And if you could, you would spend all day on the swing across the road at the playground. You love the swing. Even at Playgroup you spend half of our time there on the swing. And everyone knows that we can be found at the swing. The past week we've been practising you using the 'big kids' swing, rather than the little kid swing with the belt. You are getting really good at using the slides and climbing the play equipment.

Speaking of climbing, you love to climb. Pity it is the lounge suite you climb and whoever is sitting there had better watch out! You love organising your little chairs in a row and climbing from chair, to chair, to chair. Or climbing from your bed, over the bed rail, onto the chair, onto a little chair, to the floor. You'll be in your room and will be constantly doing that. Backwards and forwards.

You enjoy singing. You told me in the car that Madonna's song 'Sorry' was your favourite song. And you love 'Monsoon' by Robbie Williams. And I cannot forget 'Dirty Harry' by the Gorillaz. You sing quite well to these songs. But not as well as you can sing the Alphabet song (which I only sang to you once and you remembered it!) or 'I'm a Little Teapot'. You are beginning to like Justine Clarke's kiddies songs too. You've requested her CD because of the 'Watermelon' song which got stuck in your head. (And mine too for that matter!)

Dora the Explorer, you discovered this year. Auntie Sarah gave you a DVD of Dora for your 2nd birthday and you haven't looked back. Dora, Dora, Dora the Explorer. She has taught you numerous words in spanish and you can count to 7 in spanish, which I am amazed by. You were very excited to meet Dora at Dreamworld.

You love books. Any books, all books. I often find you in your room, sitting in your cubby, reading to yourself. Favourite books this year include 'Biscuit Bear', 'The Snail and The Whale', 'Lulu loves the Library', 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' and 'Hairy Maclary'. I've made myself a promise this coming year to buy you a good book, once a month. Books are wonderful and I know that you know this.

But most of all this year, you have discovered cooking. Mixing, baking, making a mess and licking the bowl. Both Grandma and Nanna know this because they've given you baking gear for your birthday. Sometimes you know I don't have the patience which I apologize for. You're just trying to help. Sorry my dear.

I see a lot of me in you, but most of the time you are so much like your father it makes me laugh.
You're a sweet, intelligent and good natured girl. Except when you get grumpy and boy, do you get grumpy! You get all cross and say "Don't say that", which daddy always replies "Don't say, Don't say that", which daddy and I always laugh at and then you get more cross and say "Not funny!! Don't laugh" and then we see a little smile which you try to hide.

Sometimes you'll come up to me and say "I love you" for no reason at all, followed by a hug. We give each other a hug everyday. And we practise words each day too. You love saying 'igloo', followed by 'bum burp' which always cracks us up. (Thanks to your Grandad for THAT word) You love toilet humour, you seriously do, which make your daddy and I laugh every time. Skiddies and Mr. Pong for example...

May your 3rd year be full of laughter, hugs and kisses and good times Monet. I love you very, very, very much. Thanks for being you, you beautiful little girl who amazes me.

Always,
Love Melody Mummy xxx

And because it is 'Falshback Friday', here is a photo of you, on the day you were born, 3 years ago today. *smile*

Cupcakes

This recipe is probably one of the most simplest recipes to make and the result is usually pretty tasty too. Nigella uses a food processor, but because I (currently) don't have one, I use the mix master. I have actually made this recipe by hand too and works just as well, just a bit more muscle power is needed. I simply ice these cakes using a butter icing...

*Taken from Nigella Lawson's "How to be a Domestic Goddess", published 2000*

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter, softened

125g caster sugar (3/4 cup)

2 large eggs

125g self raising flour (1 cup)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-3 tbs milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 200c.

Put all the ingredients except the milk in the food processor and then blitz till smooth. Pulse while adding milk down the funnel, to make for a soft, dropping consistency. Spoon and scrape the mixture into muffin tin lined with papers, trying to fill each one equally.

Put into oven and bake for 15-20 minutes (only about 10 mins needed for mini cupcakes) or until the cakes are cooked and golden on top.

Cool on wire rack and decorate as wanted.

Makes approx 24 small cupcakes or 12 muffin size cupcakes

Pesto Corn Hotcakes with Salsa

These were pretty nice, especially if they were served as an entree. A serve of 2 hotcakes is plenty (we had 4 each). Instead of the salsa these could be served with a couple of rashes of bacon I think and could be served for Brunch. I thought the salsa was a little over powering.

*Taken from 'New Idea' magazine*

Ingredients
for the Hotcakes
125g can corn kernels, drained
125g can creamed corn
3 eggs, separated
1/3 cup milk
1 cup Self Raising Flour
1 tbs basil pesto
Fresh Basil leaves to garnish

for the Avocado and Bacon Salsa
3 bacon rashes, finely sliced
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 avocado, finely diced
1/4 cup basil leaves, finely shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Method
To make salsa, heat a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring, until browned and crisp. Drain on absorbent paper. Cool for 10 minutes. Combine bacon, onion, tomato, avocado and basil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make hotcakes, combine corn kernels, creamed corn, egg yolks and milk in a medium bowl. Stir in flour and pesto until combined.

Beat egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric beater until firm peaks form. Fold half the whites into corn mixture, then fold in remaining egg whites. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Lightly spray with cooking oil. Cook three hotcakes at a time. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of corn mixture into pan. Cook for about 2 minutes. When bubbles appear, turn hotcakes over and cook for another 2 minutes, or until lightly browned underneath. Remove and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve warm hotcakes topped with avocado and bacon salsa. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Serves 4

Check. 1. 2. 3!!

I've been pretty busy today. Busy preparing for a little girl's 3rd Birthday party tomorrow. Not that we're expecting masses of people, just 3 little friends and 2 big friends. ie. My friends!

So I've made and baked mini sausage rolls...

...made a mixture of 'Donkey Drops'....

...made, baked and decorated a batch of 'cupcakes'...

...and made (from a packet, shh don't tell anyone) the birthday cake...

Monet thought it has been wonderful as she didn't exactly help me make the items, rather she helped clean the dishes.

*sigh*

Can someone hand me a beer please?

Alicia

"I'm Alicia today"

"Where's Monet?"

"At home. Alicia is with you in the car. You have to call me Alicia."

"Okey dokey"

That was my conversation in the car yesterday on the way to Playgroup with Monet/Alicia.

Go Diego Go! has been watched on our television since our introduction to Pay TV, by Little Miss. Diego is actually Dora the Explorer's cousin who has his own show (who knew!) where he works for the animal rescue centre his family run. He works there alongside his older sister Alicia whom Monet adores. Obviously.

We get to playgroup where we see Leesa, my friend, and her son Connor, Monet's opps, sorry, Alicia's friend.

Connor says to me, "I'm RJ"

I look at Leesa.

"He's RJ today. Some character from some movie."

I say to Connor, "RJ, meet Alicia."

Leesa and I giggle. Monet/Alicia and Connor/RJ look at us like we're crazy.

Imagination hey. Or is it television rotting their brains? *grin*

Completed. (?)

Can you remember this post, where Monet was helping Lyndon with doing 'works' to the balcony?

Well, the outdoor area is just about completed. I'm not sure if we are thinking of doing anything else 'major' out there, bar the fact we are waiting for Lyndon's dad to come up and install some down lights above the BBQ and put in a power point for the little bar fridge out there. Lyndon is talking about putting in a gas wok burner to the left of the BBQ. Lucky for us, Lyndon's dad is an electrician. *grin* (& so is Lyndon's only brother and his brother-in-law!) We still think that we will *ah-hem*, well, Lyndon will paint the metal area under the BBQ black, to tie in with the edge of the fridge door and our windows/glass sliding doors.

So here I present our outdoor area...


Notice the painted walls? It's the same colour we have painted for our feature walls.

It looks pretty good if you ask me. It is so lovely to sit out there, either eating breakfast with a cuppa tea or sipping an afternoon ale or eating a BBQ dinner. It feels good out there. It's seriously like another room and so much better than the balcony it once was when we moved in about 6 months ago.

Can I tempt you with something to drink?

Yesterday and Today

So yesterday instead of going down to one of the local restaurants and indulging in something there, we changed our minds. (Hey, we're allowed to!) Instead we purchased a bottle of one of our favourite wines, Fours Sisters 'Sauvignon Blanc Semillon', and nibbled on this little platter which I whipped up...

...and which I ate most of. This meant our proposed meal which I was going to cook, didn't quite eventuate. (I knew that would happen!) Instead we got take outs from the local Thai restaurant across the road.

Today is 3 years since I went into 'early' signs of labour. Yep, my little 2 year old turns into my little 3 year old at the end of the week.

Today also marks the day when Lyndon was involved in a work place accident which instantly killed the guy he was working alongside. Lyndon's boss at the work site, literally, got away with murder by not taking responsibility of what happened on that fateful day 3 years ago. We hear on the grapevine that the bastard has got new building projects underway after forming a new company. We don't know how he managed to start up a new company after claiming he was 'broke' and not paying his workers, nor compensation to the family whose son was killed.

*Melody shakes her head in disbelief*

But life goes on. There is no use in feeling anger as it doesn't get anyone anywhere. I'm thankful for what I have today, meaning both Monet and Lyndon. Especially Lyndon. I'm lucky he is still here whilst his work mate is not. I think of his young son and his widow often, especially times like today...

Father's Day 2007

To my partner (Monet's dad), to my dad and all other dads across the land, Happy Father's Day.

See how busy Monet and I were on Friday whipping this up? And no, that's not my drawing of Monet, rather a piece of clip art via Mac.

I made Lyndon two of his favourite things for breakfast this morning. Bircher Muesli, followed by BBQ cooked bacon and eggs. I know! It was I who cooked the BBQ and that just doesn't happen around here...

We're planning on going down to one of the local restaurants down by the beach this afternoon for a glass of wine and a wood-fired pizza. Lyndon's choice of course. And for dinner I'm going to make this as it is one of his favourite meals.

'Happy Daddy's Day' Lyndon Dylan. You're a terrific father, one of whom we are all very proud off. We hope you are enjoying your day. xxx