Rainy days and Mondays always get me down

Well, it's more that a lovely sunny Monday when I have the kids in daycare when Sunday was rainy will get me down. The back up plan for us when it rains is Scitech in City West. Again you get a unlimited annual pass ($40 for an adult, under 3's free) and although my kids are a touch young for it they still enjoy some aspects. There is a sections for the littlies and they enjoy seeing the big kids and the funny mirrors and bright colours.

I need some space

I seem to be spending a lot of time cruising internet real estate sites recently. Our 3x1.5 seems nowhere big enough to contain two teens, a roving toddler and two adults who occasionally want a little space and quiet. Our house was built ~100 years ago though and I keep thinking that families at the time would have likely had just as many people in the same space (if not more...). Maybe it's just how we use the space. It's so tempting just to go to IKEA and spend a huge amount of money on some new innovative storage solutions but I think a large amount of the problem is the amount of stuff we have. I suspect that the avearge child had substantially less 'stuff' 100 years ago. Even in my generation we also just spent a lot more time outside.

At least we have a yard though, half the mums at playgroup only have courtyards. I don't know how you deal with a energetic toddler in doors all day without resorting to looping Elmo DVDs. At least with the summer weather starting we'll be spending a lot more time at parks and the beach and less time at home in each others hair.

Eating for less

We eat a lot around here. Between a breastfeeding mum, a hard working dad, a very hungry toddler, and two teenaged girls we can consume a lot of food (especially meat) in one sitting. This is my recipe for red lentil soup which is very filling and healthy;

Serves ~6, costs $7 per pot
1 can tomatoes 800g
I bag 500g red lentils
onion/garlic
basil from the garden
two tsp paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp stock powder
Any spare veggies in the fridge

Heat oil in large soup pan. Fry onion or garlic in the oil. Add two litres of boiling water from the kettle. Add the vegetable stock. Add the lentils. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the basil/paprika etc to taste. Add any extra vegetables (spinach is very nice). Cook for 20 minutes.

Serve with toast or crusty bread. Yummy. Any spare is nice as a reheated lunch at work.