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Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

Sharing the wonderful journey of our precious gift - Thierry 

Thierry's first communication - my bras is very tight and my little boobies are growing...Daddy glanced over and said "You're pregnant" - don't be silly, at my age. Daddy went straight down to the supermarket and back with the test. Two lines, two lines. Tears of joy!

 

Next day we took two lines to the Doctor. It was Melbourne Cup Day and she was in a hurry to get to the local race meeting. We wanted to tell the world.

Next day we took two lines to the Doctor. It was Melbourne Cup Day and she was in a hurry to get to the local race meeting. We wanted to tell the world. We were given a referral to the Gyno. I felt so good, the very next day - more communication - sickness like you never would believe.

Not morning sickness, it would hit real bad at 5.00pm and go on for hours. Come December I had a stay in the hospital, my first hospital visit.

They put me on a drip to for rehydration and we had our first peep at Thierry. His little legs were like a thrashing machine.

Once the sickness disappeared, I didn't have any more troubles. We decided not to have any tests as we knew all was well. How I loved that belly growing and did I glow, probably from all the fish oil. Loved those boobies growing too. We found out that our gift was a boy! A brother to Aaron and Sarah. Now I could relate to my little man. I used to drive a lot in my job and I would sing to him and talk and I bought some special little books to read too!

I finished work the end of May and we cleaned and did lots of gardening and walked around the river and I continued to sing and read lots of stories to my beautiful boy!

Thierry was due the end of June, but we were late. Come 2nd July 2004 our beautiful gift came to us right on the strike of midday - a Friday's Child. Dr Sam helped deliver Thierry after Mummy had a very active natural birth - 10 hours of pleasure (umm!)

Grandma and Poppy were at the hospital and Rhonda was there for the delivery. Daddy cut the cord. Thierry went straight onto booby and suckled for over an hour as the midwives were very busy delivering babies.We went and bathed Thierry and I went to my room and phoned all our friends. I put him on my chest and he has slept there ever since.

Home from the hospital, we settled in to a new life for all!

Thierry has always been a nature boy - loves his walk around the river, feeding the turtles and ducks.

At 8 months of age we ventured to a Montessori group, but it wasn't for us. At 11 months we found a lovely Steiner Playgroup and met a beautiful family, who at the time lived very close and we had many great visits to the local parks. So nice to meet like minded people who enjoy bringing up our children with lots of love and organic food and don't have to compare. They helped Thierry celebrate his 1st birthday along with dear friends Natalie and Paul and baby Tenzin and Ailish. Matthew from Playgroup joined us as well. I made Thierry a happy face cake, his first taste of cake - no sugar or nasties though, iced with beetroot juice and goats milk yoghurt, he was teething and not interested in cake, more interested in his flannel with chamomile tea. A lovely celebration - 2nd July 2005.

For Christmas we ventured to Brisbane, Thierry's 1st plane trip, and had a lovely time with Grandma and Poppy.

2006 we started our own Steiner Inspired Playgroup, we met at the Railway Estate Community hall on a Wednesday morning from 9.30am - 11.30am, and moved to home in Annandale in September, 2006.My aim was to meet like minded parents who have the same passion for organics etc.

Thierry celebrated his 2nd birthday, 2nd July 2006, telling me he wished for a machine party, we thought very hard, thinking we would get a load of sand and get his friends to wear digging clothes and go for it! We then decided to go with the idea of inviting just his age + 1, diggging invites went our to his dear friends Grace and Cait and our neighbour Kyle, who had family commitments.

We had a beautiful day with Thierry's big sister Sarah and brother Aaron and Kylie and family arriving to help celebrate the perfect day. We decorated the tables with fresh picked flowers, ribbons and Grace, Cait and Thierry did a lovely job decorating the machine birthday cake, and spending lots of time in the new sand pit amongst the tropical bromeliad garden.

Another special Christmas 2006, we spent a few days at Jupitor's in Townsville. Thierry had his first swim and loved it! Thierry loves all the Christmas lights, we have been doing the light tour every night. We decorated our special twig Christmas tree.

Easter 2007..

We went on a very special holiday - almost 4,000 km's of car travel for Daddy driving and Mummy and Thierry sat in the back seat and read many many books and played dress-ups with hats and made caterpillars from pipe cleaners and wool and put stickers in a special book. Lot's of fun!

The highlight for Thierry was seeing big sisiter Sarah in Brisbane and the old steam train ride around Brisbane, and the long trip out to Charleville was well worth the long trip to visit Grandma and Pop and seeing the little chicken just born. We went to the Bilby talk and tour on Good Friday, and bought some beautiful Bilby books.

Grandma tried hard to give chocolate eggs, by buying a chocolate Easter bilby, beautiful Thierry was not interested. Grandma gave up and boiled some fresh eggs with brown onion with rubber bands around and eggs soaked in beetroot  juice and red cabbage (which made the most beautiful blue colour). The Easter egg hunt began on Easter Sunday, with such a beautiful yard with all Poppy's lovely vege garden, which Thierry just adored and collecting eggs was one of the real hightlights of the holiday.

For Mummy the highlight was visiting old friends, finally getting Thierry Christened. on Easter Sunday in the beautiful old church with so much family history. Beautiful Grandma Stein would be proud.

Another highlight for Mummy was the trip to Northey Street Organic Markets, we took Sarah to dinner at Mondo's Organic restaurant, and we bought big at the most beautiful shop we have ever been to - Fundies at Newmarket and had the most delicious organic lunch as well, if only we had an organic store and a market like that, Mummy would be very happy.

Back home, to some sadness, as our beautiful boxer dog, Kaiser has gone to dog heaven. We got the book 'Dog Heaven' by Cynthia Rylant to try and explain to Thierry, although at almost 3 years he insists that Kaiser "has just gone to the Dentist, and will be better and be home soon". As Daddy recently wasn't feeling well and went to the dentist and the next day was all better!

We stopped our Playgroup in March this year, but we are now thinking of restarting with an occasional play day, as had quite a bit of response. We started gymnastics at the same time, and went for the first term, not really that happy as they change the programme each week, we feel that repitition is much better for parents and children.

We had more sadness, just 5 weeks after Kaiser went to doggie heaven his beautiful boxer brother, Beau joined him. Bonnie the old 14 year old boxer who we thought would be first to leave us has had a large tumor removed so we are giving her plenty of love. We had planned a dog party for the 3rd birthday, and Thierry says that Beau and kaiser will come back.

2 July 2007 a very special day - Thierry's # 3 birthday

We had been planning our special dog day for at least 6 weeks prior - we bought some old white sheets from a thrift store and got some dog paw print stamps and made beetroot juice and stamped away, even put Bonnie's feet in the juice and got her to run over the sheets. We cut out spots from wool felt and glued over some old white nappies for table cloth covers. We got out the beeswax crayons and coloured spots over brown paper bags for the doggie bags to take home and we stamped on some calico bags. We emailed the invites to Cait and Grace and Joe and Kazia, with a request in lieu of gifts to bring a gift for a donation to the dogs and cats at the local RSPCA.

It was a Monday, and a public holiday for Townsville Show Day, just perfect for our 4 guests and the parents. We set up the party area, balloon free to help protect the turtles and dolphins as Thierry said. We used ribbons and tied lots of bows and some paw prints from the front of the house to the party area and scattered some flower petals that we picked yesterday. We spread out our beautiful creative dog print sheets with Bonnie's special touch and made up play stations - cooking area - blocks etc, dolls area - and Daddy put up the jumping castle a gift from Aaron, Kylie and Sarah from last birthday.

The four pups all arrived with lovely gifts for the animal shelter. They created some lovely take-home treats of carob balls made with lots of love and organic carob powder + dried apricots + dates +  cranberries + organic berry muesli + orange juice + pepitas + sunflower and sesame seeds + coconut and rolled in coconut / seeds. Put into the spotted brown paper bags ready to take home and enjoy.

Puppy chow time was enjoyed by all with a platter of organic goodies - sprouted bread cut into dog shapes with a dog cookie cutter, avocado and yoghurt dip, carrot and celery sticks and snow peas, fresh picked cherry tomatoes from Thierry's garden. muffins made with buckwheat, millet and amaranth and coconut flour + grated beetroot and zucchini and apple + dried dates and apricots and sultanas + yoghurt. Dog meat balls + spelt kibble mix + fresh organic sliced fruit. Fresh brewed chamomile tea + water + a party punch of watermelon juice, strawberries, carrot and orange and herbs. Enjoyed by all!

We made up bubble mix and the pups enjoyed Thierry's sandpit.

Daddy made the birthday cake - we purchased a scoobie doo dog cake tin from Ebay. We put frozen fruit through the champion juicer and created pink for the tongue from raspberries, chocolate sapote for the nose, yoghurt for the white of the eye, the rest was banana and mango. Yummo!

Story time, Thierry's gnome birthday story, The pups than shared lovely songs, collected the decorated calico bags with their dog bowls, fair-trade dog finger puppet and the carob balls they created.

The following day we delivered all the gifts to the RSPCA. A lovely time we had with the cats.

Home to our two little new pets - Purry and Fluffy, our beautiful guinea pigs, who love our organic vegies.

September 2007 ... Mummy's birthday and a very sad time for us, our beautiful 14 year old white boxer girl dog, Bonnie, went to Dog heaven to run with her brothers - Beau and Kaiser. Mummy was so sad that Daddy took us on a holiday to Cairns and the tablelands. We went to the Yungaburra markets and my highlight of the holiday was a visit to the Kuranda butterfly sanctuary. Mummy said that I was the chosen one as the most special Ulysses landed on my shoulder, hand and my foot.

Mummy was serching the web and came across Yaps animal shelter in Cairns and guess what? Yes, another boxer wanting a new home, Mummy's theory was that Bonnie had sent him to us - "Sometimes the best legacy to a dog that has passed is another that needs a better life". So Tyson came to join our family, he is the same age as me, and we are great play mates, playing tug-of-war with a hose and playing ball. Mummy takes Tyson for two walks everyday and he gets three dogs worth of loving - plenty of kisses and cuddles, which he and Mummy love.

26 October 2007...  Another very special day Thierry is an Uncle ... we welcome Caspar Aaron and congratulate Aaron and Kylie.

December 2007 ... One of my must special months of the year. We have been busy getting ready for Christmas. On our morning walks we have collected, fallen twigs for Christmas trees, gumnuts, pinecones, dried leaves. I help make the Christmas decorations, with much fun and love. Mummy melted my old beeswax crayons in the oven and dipped gumnuts and pinecones and cut up Daddy's old silk shirts and other finds to make bows. We made some gingerbread men and stars and candy canes. We decorated our unique Christmas tree, and hung some fairy lights that I turn on for special times at Dinner. Outside, we decorated the trees in the garden and pots and put up a wreath on the wrought iron gate. I love to go on our light tour at night, many of the homes close by are all lit up and we can take Tyson for a walk as well.

We had a Chistmas party for my special friends and collected dog toys for Tyson's old friends at Yaps. Mummy made some beautiful food and we made spiders for the Chirstmas spider story and we also had fun making gingerbread biscuts for my friends to take home.

Christmas 2007....

My sister, Sarah, came home for Christmas and we had an organic Christmas feast for breakfast - berry bircher muesli, tropical fruit platter, yoghurt, freah tropical juice, lemon grass tea (from my garden). I helped Mummy make a collection of breads and muffins and fruit and nut balls, and a Chistmas cake. We also made lot's of healthy treats and packed and delivered to all our friends and neighbours on Christmas Eve ... the most magical night of the year! We placed 8 fat crunchy organic carrots for Santa's reindeer and a slice of Christmas cake and a drink for Santa on his busiest night!

Much to Mummy's disgrace (not natural, organic / wood) Santa bought me a big crane and I love it, as I love to watch cranes on construction sites and now I have one of my own, which to Mummy's pleasure I have a lot of respect and care for it so carefully, it has a remote and I put my little wood men in to be operators and fill the bucket up with wood blocks etc.

Mummy Santa filled my stocking with all her organic and more natural treasure's ... home-made bubbles and wands, organic bubble bath, toothbrush and gel,  beeswax crayons, eco paints and crafts, my favourite nature story books, a Christmas shirt. My crane was the fav, though!

We hang a Christmas stocking outside for Santa to fill for Tyson, he loved his chewy rawhide bone and a rope and tennis ball toy.

New Years Eve ... we pack a luscious picnic and head to the beach and watch the 8.00pm fireworks, and farewell 2007.

Have a great, happy and safe New Year. For our New Year resolution / pledge, we are extending our organic vegetable patch - I have got my own garden and will create a special Fairy and Gnome garden. We are getting some chickens so that I can collect my own eggs and Daddy is making me another play area outside and making a bigger area for my special guinea pigs.

I will look forward to sharing photo's of my new garden with you in 2008. Love Thierry.xxx

February 2008

For our Gumnuts and Caterpillars playgroup day, we helped celebrate Valentine's Day. I helped Mummy get the play area ready, and we made some cardboard hearts to decorate our entrance. We made some hearts and heart biscuits for my friends to take home. Sang lovely songs and had a great morning.

We went to the park for a bike party to help celebrate my mate - Tenzin's # 3 birthday. He had a lovely Spider Man cake that his Daddy had decorated with beetroot icing. We had fun climbing on the big web at the park, and I slipped over in the puddles, as it rained, which made it even more fun!

Easter 2008

We woke early Easter Sunday to find that Easter Bunny / Bilby had left a trail of carrot. We followed the carrot chunks to discover in the vegetable garden - - green, orange, blue and purple eggs.

We sat out on Daddy's new timber deck, and ate some of the pretty boiled eggs. We had a beautiful berry smoothie and of course, carrot juice. We fed the carrot chunks that Easter Bunny had left to the guinea pigs. Happy Easter!

Autumn has arrived and Thierry's vegetable garden is flourishing. The fave ochra has produced a great crop and will soon be replaced by many more fave's. Our first crop of corn and cucumbers will soon be hitting the plate. Along with many more vegetable varieties. Purry and Fluffy are enjoying our produce, especially the parsley, spinach, mint and lemongrass. Tyson enjoys an occasional munch on lemongrass too! Tyson loves his daily walks and Thierry dons the running shoes and runs with Tyson every morning and night.

Mother's Day 2008

We had so much fun preparing for Mother's day. Thierry helped Mummy make delicious beauty treats for Grandma and Aunty Jayne. We made chocolate lip balm and Thierry got his own container and had his first taste of chocolate. Very delish, made from organic cocoa butter, coconut oil, bees wax, organic cocoa, peppermint, lavender and lemon oil and vitamin E oil. We then made some raw organic eating chocolate with soaked cashews overnight and into the blender they went, along with raw organic cocoa butter, coconut oil, honey and cocoa, freeze for 1/2 hour and cut into yummy small chunks.

We made a range of beauty products and Thierry helped by pounding the lavender and chamomile buds for the deodorant and head to toe body butter.

Thierry painted a beautiful flower card for Grandma and a guinea pig card for Aunty Jayne. Mummy was thoroughly spoilt on Sunday 11th and as requested Daddy got a collection of photo's mainly of Thierry and made a wall of photo's in Mummy's office.

Thierry has set up a play house and we are enjoying going outside each night and reading by the lavender candle light. The beautiful smell of the garden is a delight. There is very little room left after all the treaure's have been put inside, just enough for Mummy to squeeze in with Thierry and sometimes Tyson joins in for story time too!

2 July 2008 - Thierry's #4 Birthday

We had a lovely quite celebration, inviting just two friends. Thierry decided on a spider theme party. We made a lot of spiders to hang and decorated the sheet for a tablecloth. Mummy made organic playdough from coconut oil, salt, coconut flour, apple juice and cinnamon and another mixed with beetroot juice and peppermint oil.Which made great party fun and for take home gifts. We requested no gifts but a spider song to sing after the spider story. Mummy made a lovely selection of healthy party food and Thierry helped make the spider birthday cake. The spider cake was made with frozen fruit put through the champion juicer. Frozen mango for the spider body, slices of kiwi fruit for the eyes and organic spelt licorice sticks for the legs.

For a special birthday gift we drove to the Atherton Tablelands for a holiday. We visited the butterfly and birds at Kuranda and Mummy caught up with old friends. We had a fantastic holiday.

Thierry helped Daddy create a very special "Secret Garden". Secret tracks that lead behind the garden to Thierry's sandpit and a blackboard running along the fence. Every Saturday we go garage sale shopping for special treasures to add. We have collected pewter insects to hang from the tree branches and a gnome house.

September 2008

Thierry and Mummy flew to Brisbane for a family reunion which coincided with Grandma's birthday and Fathers day. We had a fantastic time staying in the big room with Aunty Jayne on Saturday night. Sunday morning big sister Sarah took us to the Northey Street organic market and than we went by train to Uncle Jim's and Aunty Sandra's home. It was great to finally meet my cousins Tom and Duncan and the rest of the family and to catch up with Grandma and Poppy. We spent a few lovely days at Uncle Jim's before flying home to Daddy. It was the first time Thierry has been away from Daddy. Thierry helped Mummy bake and decorate a late father's Day cake for Daddy. Mummy also had a special birthday.

December (Christmas ) 2008

December has been a very busy month preparing for Christmas. Making Christmas cards, gifts and decorations and going on nature walks to collect new treasures. We made a beautiful Christmas tree from gumnut branches and seed pods. We have collected many different seed pods and made gifts. Thierry has had fun doing a Christmas beetle survey. Recording all the different beetles that visit the yard.

The week before Christmas we drove to the beautiful Atherton Tablelands and stayed for a long weekend. We visited the Christmas markets and Thierry bought some butterfly-attracting bush seeds and vegetable seeds to add to his garden.

Christmas 2008, bought special gifts, homemade organic food and money which was spent at the nursery adding to Thierry's special fly trap plant collection.

New years eve was spent at the beach with a lovely picnic and fireworks to celebrate another year at 8.00pm.

January 2009

28th January - A special day and a sad day for Mummy. Thierry starts pre-prep. Thierry was just so happy and skipped into the lovely school. We have been visiting the school many times on our daily walk + open days for the past few years. Thierry was so ready and Mummy shed a few tears as our baby goes into another stage in life. Thierry told Mummy "not to worry as you can see me from the window, that we are that close". Bless you Thierry!

Thierry goes for a five day fortnight - Monday, Tuesday + Wednesday and Monday and Tuesday the following week. We started with just one day the first week. Thierry felt robbed when he saw children walking past going to school.

Pre-prep is split into two groups with Thierry being in group one that consists of 11 new friends. It has been pouring rain and they have started the year with a frog theme. Thierry has bought home some real treasures - frog puppets, painting, counting frogs etc. Each day I recieve the frog tour and we have eagerly watched the tadpoles grow. They did make some frog cakes, but Mummy's beautiful boy told the teacher that he was not interested as they contained sugar. That he ate organic and no sugar.Isn't it amazing what they pick up? The two wonderful teacher's understood and asked if we could bring in some of our own recipes so they could share Thierry's food too.

Thursday we have 'Thierry Day' with Mummy and Thierry visiting the local Aquarium and doing other fun things.

2 July 2009 #5 Birthday

Where have five years gone? Our special boy turns 5. We celebrate with 6 lovely friends from school. Another dog theme party and we collect some beautiful gifts (dog toys for Tyson's friends from Yaps - Young Animal Protection Society).

The party started with face painting followed by fun in Thierry's secret garden. Windy wizard arrived for a magic show. We had our organic party food and of course a special birthday dog cake.

Daddy bought Thierry one of his favourite transformers and a telescope.