social commentary Sunday . . . 'how to get the best behaviour from your children on Father's Day'

Greetings all,

My husband & i have been doing this parent thing for a while & celebrated many Mothers' & Fathers' Days (i've spent 10 without my husband to coordinate the children to do nice things for me, yet the military seems to have husbands home for Father's Day, go figure??)  Anyway . . . last Sunday was Father's Day & without even discussing it, we had both planned to take the children out for a picnic lunch, Questacon (science centre) & make the day all about them . . . cue the most perfectly-behaved-happy children a Daddy is proud to call his own on Father's Day.

We have an annual membership to Questacon & go frequently + it's been renovated recently with new attractions.  The free fall is always a hit, even better when the centre is practically empty & your children are told to leave their jump suits on & keep free falling!!

There are so many cool things to see & do from experiencing earth quakes & watching lightening, making Tsunamis & clouds . . .

or go blind staring at 3D puzzles, spirals & lights.

 Most of the science geeks on the floor are senior high school & University students, i actually find many a bit pushy & in your face.  I did science for 6 years at Uni, so i know a thing or two, but they leap in with their own unsolicited explanation, hmmm.

Cap that off with letting the children run loose on the foreshore of Lake Burley Griffen, some shopping in Kingston (where the beautiful people live) & hot chips in a park, then a remedial massage for my broken soldier . . . everyone is happy!! 

So, want to avoid saying "can't you children even behave on this ONE day of the year" & avoid disappointment, do something they will love . . . outdoors, food, adventure & geeky, on a full belly from a delicious cooked breakfast with freshly squeezed juice . . . win win i say.  Personally i dismiss the hype & retail hysteria around these forced occasions, we celebrate being parents EVERYDAY, however, my husband did rather love the Lindsay&Edmunds organic chocolates, Le Creuset salt pig & fancy KitchenAid 4 slice toaster which does crumpets, muffins & super thick toast without getting stuck as his gifts!!  Plus the children made crafty things at school, so happy to let them celebrate their wonderful Daddy . . . any extra chance to spoil him (+ Grandad & Grandpa interstate.)
Happy Father's Day handsome soldier, we love you so much.  Love Posie

things i'm loving 'cooking from the heart'

Greetings all,

Brrr it's getting chilly & soup is one thing i can cook really well.  I planted my pumpkins too late for the season & my magic-cinderella-carriage-sized-pumpkins-dreams never fruited.  Sigh, better luck next year!! 

Anyway, to share with Paisley Jade's 'things i'm loving' this Friday . . . these delicious pumpkins came from the weekend's Farmer's Market, two types of orange (let's call them Butternut & Queensland Blue, i am most likely telling lies, they're the only varieties which come to mind).  Onions, celery, seasoning & stock, how simple.

 Toss in food processor, any excuse to involve KitchenAid apparatus in my cooking.

 Then into Le Creuset to warm & serve.

 I was the most keen - my children all took spoons directly to this pot insisting they didn't feel like soup, then tucked into delicious ham rolls with real butter.  So next time i feel like cooking from the heart without the chopping, cooking or clean up, i have 3 frozen portions to reheat.   

It was all washed down with freshly squeezed orange juice - efficient use of the food processor of course.  It was everything orange for lunch on Sunday.

What's your favourite hearty homemade soup??  Love Posie
PS Have you entered my IKEA giveaway, good luck, drawn Sunday night.