When you want something done properly, do it yourself

Posted on by Larissa

I was just thinking how I get a little annoyed when Maeve undoes something I’ve done for her and redoes it herself. I walk away and wonder what the point of it was. Mostly it’s when we’re trying to get out the door in a hurry and I move things along a bit by putting her socks on for her. But she pulls them off and puts them back on herself. Or she’ll hop down from the stool at the bench and climb back up herself if she didn’t want to be lifted up there.

And then today I found myself rearranging the dirty porridge bowls that Anthony had put in the dishwasher. I took them out and restacked them myself.

I was really glad that Anthony didn’t see that or he’d probably have walked away and wondered what the point of it was.

I get it now, Maeve. I see why you do it. And it’s cool.

We had a great time at The Square last weekend and, as we always do at this beautiful market, sold a lot of stuff. And took some orders. I tried something new this time with a laptop on my stall showing a constant stream of product photos. It was a nice talking point with customers and showed them what else I make if it wasn’t already on my stall, or what it looks like modelled by a small child who was bribed with a Freddo frog.

I also have a confession to make. I don’t love our bottle lambs as much anymore. In fact, if I liked lamb in the form of chops, roasts or racks, I would eat them. Here’s why. I’m not a gardener. At all. And much like any other fad I go through (fitness, painting, housework), whenever I’ve tried to like it, my interest has been ingenuine* and short-lived. But recently I planted a boot load of new plants that I liked the look of from the local nursery.
* I’m saying it’s a word. Some people agree. Some don’t.

Turns out, so did the lambs. Very much.

Lately Maeve has been running to me, ‘The lambs are in the yard again!’ And together we go outside on a mission to shoo them out of the fenced house yard.

But after a few ‘Come on, guys,’ Maeve loses interest and walks off to drag her umbrella through a puddle. And I’m left carrying the empty bucket that I was pretending was full of milk, and no longer calling their names in a sweet voice to follow me, but swinging the bucket wildly and yelling some words that I once heard my Dad use in the sheepyards.

It’s like the five of them see us coming and have an agreement to scatter in different directions and just munch like crazy on as many plants as they can see.

They’re at that age that puppies get when they’re no longer cute but they still behave like puppies. Weeks ago I would have thought they were so lovely nibbling and learning how to eat grass. But now I think they’d be really lovely grazing in a paddock a long way from my efforts at a garden.

16 thoughts on “When you want something done properly, do it yourself”

    1. I know – gardening is an expensive hobby, or at least establishing one is! Bad, bad lambs. They could be in the paddock now, we’re just being softies. They’ll go this week.

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  2. Tooo funny!!!! Damn pets – we have a bordie collie cross dog (the boys pet) that is about 5 months old and is at that precise age – not a cute puppy but not grown enough to have any sense (it is male so will, like most males, probably be 25 before gaining any common sense at all!!) I was ENRAGED the other day when I had Alex’s gorgeous newly knitted vest on the clothes airer drying on the veranda (can you see where this is going) and that bl***y, mongrel dog has jumped up and dragged it out onto the lawn and SHREDDED it. And you know the worse thing – I couldn’t catch it to administer the deserved punishment required ie a good/stern speaking to (with a piece of poly pipe) and being tied up for the rest of the day. I guess I should give the dog more credit and is actually learning – lesson number 1 – stay at arms length from enraged woman with poly pipe in hand!!!!
    Christine

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    1. Nooo – not a handknitted vest! That’s disappointing, naughty dog (but yes, clever dog to steer clear of the punishment). That’s even more frustrating because you can’t call the dog to come to you then growl at it. Never mind, you only have two more years of it with a puppy… 🙂

      Hope he turns into a ripper worker to make up for it!

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    1. Hi Cassandra, thanks for stopping by! Oh how frustrating. Doesn’t matter if it’s lambs, chickens or snails, I guess. All go against the work you’ve put in and the enjoyment you’ve been getting from that work.

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  4. Ha ha very cute Larissa.

    We saw your lambs the other day in the back paddock when we drove past. They did look very cute, but maybe only from a distance!

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  5. Great stories! I used to be guilty of the ‘restack’ or ‘rehang’. Now I am just great full that I received so me help. 🙂

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    1. Hi Kim, yes gratitude would be a better feeling than annoyance (on my part and Maeve’s!). The clothes are hanging on the line – we shouldn’t worry if there’s a peg mark right on the front of your shirt! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

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  7. Please never stop writing your Blogs Larissa!
    I’ve never read about the life of a farming young mother, with kids pets and lambs, written up so true to life and capturing the moments exactly (and with the perfect humorous slant). I laugh out loud every time you talk about the lambs and Maeve because I can imagine it exactly.

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