Actually it’s a long weekend so we still have another day to go, but Mr Good and the girls have plans tomorrow and I’m staying home so I thought I would do the wrap today anyway. This weekend has been so very wintry, cold, grey and wet, in fact it has drizzled on and off for most of the two days. Thankfully that hasn’t stopped us getting out and about.
Firstly there was another trip to a Farmer’s Market, this one at Collingwood Children’s Farm which is just about the perfect place for a market with kids in tow…. better perhaps with children who actually like animals though. Given the weather I decided to leave Miss One and the pram at home to get a good sleep after swimming and give Mr Good some time to himself as well. This was a very wise move given the amount of mud on the ground when we got there. Thankfully we had picked up Miss Three’s raincoat and gumboots (which seemed to be mandatory attire among the other children there) making it the perfect opportunity to ‘splash in muddy puddles’ – thank you Pepper Pig! It was all fun though.
As markets go it was fabulous (I think it one best Farmer’s Market in 2010), with mostly same stallholders as the one two weeks ago at Abottsford Convent. There were a few changes, several new mandarin stalls, not as many meat and dairy sellers and the quince man was missing (much to my friend’s disappointment). For some reason I found it hard to concentrate on what I wanted, thinking later that I should have picked up this or that. But my picks of the week were some limes at $5 per kilo (so much cheaper than the supermarket), two types of mandarins, one seedless variety and the other perfect toddler sized and some terrific organic, free range bacon. I was also thrilled to find apples unwaxed and full of the marks that home grown apples should have. Miss Three and I picked a variety of tiny little ones for her (which she eats core and all!!) and bigger ones for me. The organic dried apricots were Miss Three’s pick again, I was going for the dried pear, but there was no changing her mind.
And just so we ensured full enjoyment of the market, Miss Three and I started with a fair trade coffee for me and a chocolate cupcake for her and finished the morning with an orange juice icy pole (well Miss Three had this, I don’t know how in such wintry conditions) and a wander around the farm yard in the drizzly rain. There were chickens free ranging around, Miss Three wasn’t keen on this, the ducks doing the same didn’t seem to cause the same level of distress. She was much more attracted to the different and sometimes weird looking chickens in the enclosures as well as two beautiful cows in a paddock. I, of course, was interested in the vegetable garden, though we didn’t get to have a good look around this. By the end of the morning Miss Three was spent and insisted on being carried back to the car, quite a feat considering I was also lugging our shopping around. She was asleep within minutes of getting into the car and I was just glad I had stopped for that coffee.
Today was another fairly cold and early start as I took the girls to Little Big Shots, a children’s short film festival at ACMI in Federation Square. We went to this last when Miss One was only three weeks old and loved it. This year was just as good, with a few real stand out films like the gorgeous Latvian film, Acorn Boy. It was probably not the right fit for Miss One (actually it’s designed for 2-5 year olds), she spent most of the time crawling around on the floor and looking at the people behind us while standing on my knee. Miss Three, on the other hand, was in fits of laughter for many of them, clapped after each one and grooved it out to one particularly musical number. It was a great morning though the 9.30am start was a little on the early side for a Sunday morning, and I do find the eateries in Fed Square particularly child unfriendly (couldn’t even get a high chair) so instead of the promised morning tea we went straight home. I usually don’t have a problem with some areas not being designed for kids, but it was a little annoying when that same place was also the host to an event designed specifically for kids.
We had a quiet end to Sunday. Mr Good and Miss Three took Mr Good’s brother to the air port and stayed to watch some planes taking off and landing and Miss One and I played at home. Dinner was a homage to the market, consisting of simple scrambled eggs and bacon cooked by Mr Good and this Lime Ricotta Tart.
I hope everyone else found something interesting to wile away these cold and grey weekend hours. And if you’re lucky enough to have a public holiday tomorrow enjoy that too.
The New Good Life 