lunch | The Lattimore Acre

Colouring

I love being a Mum….. love love love it!! I am so thankful that I have been blessed with a beautiful boy. But secretly I have missed a few little treats. I would often sit in a coffee shop with Ben and think “Will this ever be enjoyable again?”. I seem to be drinking my cup of tea fast before Ben’s on the move again!! Or I choose a cold drink because that goes down quicker. Or we go to a more child friendly coffee shop where Ben enjoys himself but Mummy…. not so much!! I would look around the coffee shop at the little girls out with their Mum’s sitting and colouring. I have asked myself many times “Will my boy ever colour?”

This week my friend Di rang last minute to see if we wanted to go for lunch. I said ‘sure’ thinking all the time in my head that I can just eat fast if Ben starts complaining. Ben and I packed up some Lego men, some other essentials and headed out to lunch at my new favourite cafe – fourthchild. Something lovely happened while we were out for lunch. Ben and I had the most lovely time. We had the most scrumptious lunch, we relaxed, and enjoyed being out IN A GROWN UP COFFEE SHOP. We were in that coffee shop for over and hour and a half. It felt so good. I felt like a grown up again. I also found myself looking at my little man growing up and ‘colouring’ in his own way (well not really colouring but playing with his Lego men). Not once did he ask to go, say he was hungry or whinge about anything. He even ate vegetables for lunch. I’m so excited……….. MY BOY COLOURS!!!

And on a side note if you are local and haven’t been to fourthchild you seriously have to go. It is so refreshing. They are dedicated to food made from scratch, as chemical free as possible and locally sourced. They don’t claim to be organic but just value making food the way our grandmothers did. There is no fixed menu as they make the most of produce in season!! I love the name of the cafe….. fourthchild. The owner has three beautiful children and the shop is her fourth. You really must make an effort to go!

Christmas Day 2009

The anticipation for Christmas this year was enormous. It was the first Christmas that Ben understood that Santa was coming. He didn’t totally understand as he had us up early everyday for a week before Christmas. One morning I heard him wake and hurry to the lounge room where he said ‘Been naughty no presents’ and then he began to cry. But of course Santa did eventually come and Christmas day was magical. Ben woke early and we all hurried out of bed to see his response to Santa’s offerings. But it wasn’t excitement….. Ben was in Santa shock. He stood (still half asleep) observing all the loot. It only took a few minutes to warm up and then the Santa sack was being emptied, and he was on his trike. We had to wait for family to arrive to open the presents under the tree. It nearly killed me. Once again Santa was very kind to us all….. thanks Santa xoxo.

The weather man predicted rain on Christmas day, which I don’t think anyone really thought would happen. We traditionally have high temperatures. But to our surprise the weather man was correct and it did rain….. which was just so lovely. Mum, Dad, Andrew, Ben, Darrin, Carly and myself all indulged in Christmas lunch to the sound of rain on the tin roof. I think it was an extra present from Santa. I also had made a fabulous play list of Christmas carols on the ipod. Christmas just isn’t Christmas without carols….. well my brother doesn’t think so. I wondered how long it would take Darrin to crack. To my surprise he survived nearly the whole lunch. It was the Christmas Macarena that did it and fair enough it did have us all in hysterics. Our lunch included baked glazed ham, chicken, pear and beetroot salad, Mum’s special salad, rolls, rum balls, icecream pudding, ginger bread, fruit mince pies and the odd beverage. By mid afternoon we had had our fill when we retired to the lounge. Some of us had a snooze while others watched DVD’s that Santa had given. Al, Claire, Hugo, Auntie Lorriane, Sterle and Grandma Coles popped in from the coast for a late afternoon visit. We all indulged in a little more food and beverage. There really is nothing quiet like Christmas – family, friends, food, laughter and I can’t forget Santa.

Santa…….

Presents…….

Lunch…… (he’s not related)

Snoozing…..

It’s a Miracle!

Ben goes to Family Day Care for one day a week. He has a fabulous Family Day Care Mum that looks after him as if he was her own – Trudy. To my amazement he is coming home and doing the most wonderful things. Trudy has all the little ones sit at the table for lunch. I thought to myself ‘goodluck with that’. But to my amazement not only does he do it for Trudy he will now sit at the table for snacks and lunch. I do have to keep a close eye on him as he loves to smear vegemite hands on the lounge. But I never thought he would sit at the table. I imagined he would still be in the highchair when he was sixteen!! Thanks Trudy… its a miracle!!