Baking, vouchers, beach and bikerides

We are having a very quiet holiday this January, due paartly to Fixit's mean employer not granting him any time off this month, and partly to financial restrictions.   I don't really like going away without Fixit anyway (except to Craft Camp/ Spa weekends with Jen and Astrid, obvs. that's totally different) but also, my car's steering is definitely dodgy, which means I don't want to drive anywhere too far away.  Specially on my own. We're at that point of working out whether we throw a lot of money at the old Corolla, or investigate a new car, which will mean even more money, a bank loan, research and just general botheration.  I will miss my car if we do this, I am very fond of it.  But on the other hand, I keep thinking how nice cupholders and keyless entry would be.  (Except when you leave your clicker in your shorts' pocket and it accidentally goes through the washing machine.  Then you can't drive, until the rice dries it out.  Ask Fixit if you don't believe me.)  Plus I have so much work I need to get done for my tap business, to do with the website mostly.  So even though my sister very kindly offered us the use of her house (she lives near the beach now) while she is away, we are opting instead to mooch around our house.


 Mooching boys in my faithful car.  Climber can't actually drive but he certainly looks the part.

The boys had a few Christmas vouchers so one day we went into the city to see what we could spend.   The expedition to Dymocks Bookstore to spend my Mum's gift vouchers was a success; both boys bought some Doctor Who paraphernalia, Fixit bought a fixitty How to Make Anything book, Cherub bought the latest David Walliams book (Awful Auntie), I bought More Fool Me by Stephen Fry and The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood and Climber bought a really good baking book (Baking Recipes and Secrets from Our Test Kitchen by The Women's Weekly) and we have so far made coconut macaroons, a spongecake and today we're trying the gingerbread cake.


Sponge cake, so good

Even the cat is benefitting from the baking book. 


Whipped cream, mmm.

We then went to to see what they could do with their Myer vouchers. Sadly, Cherub's are still burning a hole in his pocket owing to the traditional January Lego-Drought in All Major Stores (We've also tried Target and Kmart to no avail.  January is a terrible time of year to buy Lego.  It used to make buying for Climber's birthday a real pain). Climber chose to spend some of his vouchers on nice clothes, so I took him to the boys wear section (last year of getting him into boys wear I think, he is now taller than me even if I put on high heels) while Fixit took Cherub to the deeply disappointing Lego sections.  They saw this while we were there, a Lego replica of the MCG. Pretty impressive.



Cherub spent a few nights away from us in Queenscliff with his best friend.  He had a lovely time and came back tanned and fit from all the beach cricket.  Climber was very quiet while he was away, not unhappy but fairly introspective.  It was lovely seeing how much he came out of his shell when his brother returned.  They do get on so well.  Lots of laughing, lots of trying to make each other, and us, laugh.  It makes me so happy.



As always in January, Melbourne throws in a few +40 degree days to punish us. We were able to escape one of them by driving to Barwon Heads to see my Aunt and Uncle.  Cherub was very impressed with the recliner chairs.



We drove over the bridge to the awesome beach at Ocean Grove, where the waves are perfect for boogie-boarding.  Bliss.



The cool change arrived as were leaving so we travelled with it back to Melbourne.



Small expeditions aside, the days are mostly spent round the house, with me periodically encouraging the children away from the computer for some exercise. Or as Climber puts it forcing us to go on bikerides.