Crankypants

Max has done his best to boycott fun and smiling all weekend.

Yesterday:

At ballet - just whining, no smiling.

At Kobie's party - lots of clinging and whining. Even when he was actually having fun on the playground equipment he kept his smile very tight, didn't want anyone to think he might be having a good time. ;)

Today:

Lots of whining. aaaagh. So we headed out. Down to the shops for lunch where Ruby and Max both got to choose something to buy. Max chose Wiggles socks and Ruby chose Dorothy the dinosaur knickers. :) I don't think they've realised yet that when I say I'll buy them something it means I might buy a toy. I'm not going to tell them either. Then home to get the bikes and straight down to the Esplanade to have a ride, play at the park and just have some fun.

We've been trying hard all weekend to get him to crack a smile. He was close to it a few times, he nearly did, but he saved it just in the nick of time.

Not quite a happy little face. But not unhappy either.

peace and love to you from us

xxxx

Debut of the Ballerina Princess

Last Saturday was a beautiful day - and the start of something big for our little princess. Ruby started ballet. She was so excited she could barely breathe, she was amazing to watch. The ballet teacher is Miss Jill and she's all beautiful and lithe and very ballerina'ish. Perfect really. Ruby adores her.

It was lovely to watch - Ruby was focused and intense, but very full of excitement. She was amazing and we felt very, very proud of her. At the end of the class, Miss Jill told Ruby she'd done very well. Ruby agreed.

We're looking forward to next Saturday.

peace and love

xxxx

While mummy works....

other people in the family get to do fun stuff *sigh*

Sunday afternoon and I was working while Mark and Ruby and Max had some exciting adventures, which included balloon animals and face painting. Ruby and Max were very pleased with their faces and were glad to rush home and show me. As soon as I'd seen it, they ran into the bathroom and washed it off! Apparently it was itchy.

these happy little faces make my heart sing.

There's a lot to get excited about this week:

* we've all enjoyed a virus the kids brought home from kindy

* Ruby bought her new ballet costume to start classes on Saturday with Miss Jill (or Miss Annette - not sure yet). Of course, she wore it all day Saturday and all day Sunday. Real leather ballet shoes are a treat, she's in heaven wearing them. She can't wait for her lesson on Saturday morning.

* There are a lot of friends converging on Brisbane this week for a big reunion - hooray! We're looking forward to that. One super fabulous friend, Maria - a composer - is having a piece of her work premiered by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra on Sunday. Kath is *very* excited about going to that. :)

* Mark is going to the Australia/NZ football match on Friday night with the lads - he is *very* excited about that.

It's only really Maxie who doesn't have something big this weekend to get excited about. Maybe I'll tell him he can have more Easter eggs, that'll get him worked up. ;)

peace and love to you

xxxx

Not a baby anymore

sadly. In these pics I took of Max today, I see a big boy not a baby. Actually - I can very nearly imagine the man he's going to become. *sigh*

peace and love

xxxx

A day of ballet

It's amazing how a pair of sequinned dancing slippers can transform an ordinary 4 year old girl into an exquisite ballerina princess.

Ruby got a pair of dancing slippers when we were in Byron Bay last Saturday. Max chose a blue glitter stick, which quickly became a lethal whacking stick, but that's a whole other story. When we got home Ruby donned her dancing slippers and danced and danced and danced. She practised her ballet moves for a long time on the front verandah and then announced she was "ready for her concert". We took our seats and Ruby surprised us all (mummy, daddy and max) with a very special ballet concert she had choreographed herself. Her performance, to a beautiful classic piano piece, made our hearts burst with pride.

Here she is twirling

and twisting

and leaping

It was very very precious.

xxxx

Happy Anniversary to us

10 years flies by don't you think? I cannot believe we've been married 10 years. But on the other hand it feels like we've been married forever. I couldn't imagine not being married to Mark. After 10 years, I'm guessing that's a good thing. ;)

We had a lovely anniversary celebration - dinner at Vino's at Riverside and then stayed at the Sofitel in the city. Ruby and Max stayed with our dear friends' Jan and Col. Thanks guys! xxxx

It was a treat to stay in a fancy hotel. After staying in so many dingy dive hotels for work, it was fabulous to stay somewhere they put choccies on your pillow.

I'd always hoped we would renew our wedding vows in an Elvis chapel in Vegas on our 10th anniversary. We'll have to save that adventure for our 20th, I guess.

Be back later with some pics from Ruby's beautiful and impromptu ballet concert.

peace and love xxxx