I'm back

It's been a while between posts but I think I have mustered the energy to start again.

Life is good for us. Always chaotic. Often overwhelming. Happy. And good.

We've had some marvellous adventures these past 18months (since my last blog post). One of the greatest was our big trip to France, the UK, Italy and Sicily. A happy adventure. This photo, taken in Palermo near the very end of our trip is one of my faves. We were relaxed, happy and enjoying ourselves. Food was a highlight and in Sicily it was fabulous. We never knew if we were going to get what we'd thought we'd ordered! The people at this restaurant treated us like family, they were generous and thoughtful and very kind to us. We enjoyed it so much that we went there for dinner every night we were in Palermo.

We're super excited that we're planning our next trip - to Spain, England and Ireland in May/June next year. Lots going on in our lives, but I'll be back soon.

peace and love

xxxx

A list for Sunday

Nablopomo's theme for November is: there is no theme. Quirky. :)

1. I miss my camera.
2. Watched Cat in the Hat today. Not once, but twice.
3. Heavy rain was very surprising.
4. I'm grateful Mark went to the shops.
5. 2009 has been a tough year.
6. Eight cups of tea today. And counting.
7. I really need a coffee.
8. It's confirmed - I don't like poo jokes. To Max's dismay.
9. Loving our big comfy lounge.
10. Do not want to go to work tomorrow. Weekends should be 3 days long.
11. Happy to have stayed home all day today. A rare treat.
12. Wishing we had less 'stuff' at our house.
13. Searching, searching, searching for a Christmas Day dress for Ruby. Showed her about 97 dresses online today, none are right.
14. I love Etsy.
15. Cannot believe it's November already.
16. Just sent Mark out to the charity bin with 2 boxes and 5 big bags of 'stuff'. Just a scratch on the surface here, but it's a start.
17. Making curried sausages - Ruby's choice for dinner.
18. Sounds I can hear - Ruby and Max squealing and laughing; lawnmower from neighbour at the back; neighbour across the street playing the saxophone. Lovely.
19. Kids and I spent some time drawing pictures for our Christmas card. Not sure we'll use the ones from today though, they're a bit dark. Inspired by Halloween no doubt :)
20. Loving the smell of summer in the evening.

a pic I love from November 2004 :)

Remember this

Here's my precious girl in her first ever bikini. She chose it herself :)


Remember this beautiful photo because she'll be famous one day.

School holidays were exhausting. None of us are ready for school to start back this week. It's a busy week: 2 birthdays, a day trip to Adelaide (yes I am mad) and a birthday party with about a gazillion kids coming. It looks like I have to make 4 birthday cakes (1 for Mark and 3 for Max - for daycare, kindy and his party). Send me wishes for lots of energy this week. I know I'll need it.

peace and love to you
xxxx

For Mark

Father's Day - with all kids, big and small. It was a lovely day. :)



xxxx

The search is over

I've been searching for perfect red boots for a while now - probably most of my life ;)

Found them today in the Valley in a Doc Martens store. Sadly the store was closed. *sigh*

Now the challenge will be to get back there in daylight hours when they're open - and before winter ends!

Yum Cha, Valley markets, good coffee and lots of sunshine. A good Sunday.

peace and love

xxxx

Well done Ruby

This is a post about Ruby :)

I went along to Ruby's parent-teacher-student interview on Thursday morning. It was lovely. Of course.

From Ruby's report card:

Teacher comments
Ruby is a very diligent student who always puts an enormous amount of effort into the presentation of her work. She has made exceptional progress in reading, achieving considerably higher than the expected level. During recount writing Ruby is able to identify most of the sounds when spelling phonetically and can read back her own writing with ease. She is beginning to experiment with full stops and will usually begin her writing with a capital letter. Ruby has also achieved excellent results in Early Mathematical Understanding and can confidently apply the concepts covered this semester. Time management with regards to desk tasks not being finished in the given time framew and speaking clearly at carpet times are two goals Ruby could work on next semester. Ruby uses a very loud voice during free play and needs to carry this volume over when delivering responses at carpet time. Ruby is a very sensible and trustworthy member of our class and continues to be an excellent role model for her peers. Well done Ruby on a very successful semester.

Student comments
I really enjoy coming to school because it is lots of fun playing with my friends and doing handwriting. This semester I have enjoyed learning the sounds, doing sums and doing Art. I am good at Go Maths, Soundwaves and Art. I would like to improve my handwriting because I would like to be neater. I prefer to work on my own because it is quieter and I can focus. I get along well with people in the playground because everyone is friendly. My favourite thing about Year One is free time. I am proud of the friendships I have at school. Next semester I am looking forward to having more fun.

As she did so well we decided she could have a treat. I thought she'd ask for a DS or a camera, as they are high on the wish list. But she asked for a Beanie Kid. Hooray!

Well done Ruby.

In other Ruby news:

• she's preparing for her first ballet exam on Wednesday afternoon. I wonder how much pressure is too much pressure when you're just 6 years old. The little ballerinas are being pushed towards little ballerina perfection. I've decided not to do the bun, but to outsource to Miss Annette (who's a bit like Miss Lily in Angelina Ballerina). Every bit counts.
• Ruby announced this morning that "this Barbie couldn't go to her marriage because she had to go to work". Cripes. What does that mean? I wasn't brave enough to ask.
• I watched one of the boys at school give Ruby a kiss on the cheek (while she was happily doing something else) on Thursday morning. I asked her if he kissed her often. Her reply "that wasn't a kiss. That was just Z putting his lips on my face. He does that every day". Oh dear. He is a very sweet boy though.
• she's currently obsessed with Beanie Kids, Masterchef, Darcy Bussell Ballerina books, rainbows and other fabulous things.

wishing you peace xxxx

Artists at work

There was a bit of scrapbooking action here last weekend. Ruby and Max have found their mojo. They proved they really are dedicated artists by spending hours rifling through mummy's photos and precious supplies in search of the most perfect, most glittery, most sparkly adornments. It was worth the drama.

Both children have shown great interest in glitter. Ruby has created a new technique called "lipgloss on a page" and has a penchant for butterflies while Max's specialty technique is cutting butterflies in half to edge the page. Beautiful work.

On this cold, wet and windy day - there are sure to be more beautiful creations coming soon.

peace and love

xxxx

A bit of this and a bit of that

We had a very quiet and lazy weekend, but we did a bit of this:

and a bit of that:

As you do ;)

Our quiet weekend was a treat. Maybe we should plan more of them. Who knows what other beautiful creatures might visit.

peace and love

xxxx

On this day

I've been looking through lots of old photos today. I found this little treasure from 20 May 2005. We were in Sydney to meet up with lots of other families we had come to know and love from an online parenting forum. I'm pretty sure Ruby and Max were the most beautiful kids there ;)


lots of love
xxxxx

A good list

I love lists. I've received this one 3 times this week, so I thought the universe was sending me a message to read it and pay attention. It's a good strong list. Love it.

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.

FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye..

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT.. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely..

TEN... In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN.. Don't judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN! ... When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'

FOURTEEN.. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN.. Say 'bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY- ONE. Spend some time alone.

A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

Been lots happening here. Promise to post something more meaningful sometime soon.
xxxx

Happy Easter

We've had a wet and weird Easter. But of course there was chocolate galore to appease the chocolate monster within all of us.

A couple of weeks ago Ruby wrote a letter to Easter Bunny. It was really more of a letter of demand. This is a girl who has not eaten a single chocolate egg collected in Easter hunts for 4 long years. I don't blame her for writing a demand note. Easter Bunny needs to pay more attention. In this life, you need to clearly state what you want. Ruby learned that young.

I asked her to add in "please". She did, and laughed. And then drew a few sweet pictures that Easter Bunny might like, including one of Jesus getting down off the cross with the use of a ladder. Can you see the little red man just to the left of the big green bunny? Max drew a picture on the page too - a bunny in a bath tub. Just to the right of the word "blak" you'll see it. But only if you look at the pic upside down!

Happy quirky Easter to you and your family.

xxxx

Super conscientious and super cute

A few weeks ago Ruby's class decided what their 'class focus' would be for the year and invited parents along to hear about it. It was a really delightful mix of songs, poetry and declarations of intent. Ruby declared she "would work hard so she can learn more". Of course there's no time for slacking off when you're in Year 1. ;)

She's super conscientious.

Love you Rubes.

xxxx

Real life. Right here, right now.

I love the Shutter Sisters. And I love their challenges, like this one:

http://shuttersisters.com/home/2009/3/3/tag-youre-it.html

So here's "the real me, right here, right now". Note that: Sundays are NOT my best days......

Tag. You're it! xxxx

43 things to do before I turn 44

I think this list may be slow to build. I sat down to write the list but only thought of a few things. In a year where I want to go slow, that's probably a good thing. Right?

1. Host a tea party. A grown up one with pretty frocks, ribbon sandwiches and champagne.

2. Sew the curtains for Ruby's bedroom.

3. Take Ruby and Max on an aeroplane.

4. Plant out the front garden.

5. Read a new author every month.

6. Try a new recipe a month - to expand (my fairly limited) cooking repertoire.

This will be me by the end of the year....

well maybe not, but perhaps my family will be more interested in dinner.

That's as far as I've got. I'll keep adding.

xx

Weekend happiness

I bought a new lens. An insanely fabulous 85 mm lens. I'm loving it. Desperately need to get out and about more to take pics.

I know there are many people blogging "a photo a day" projects, I'll try for a photo a week.

From this weekend, our beautiful chooks:

Last weekend, Jan and I had a brief photographic adventure in the parkland under the Story Bridge. A glorious couple of hours.

Have a happy week.

peace and love, k xxxx

A list

Life has been chaotic. So of course I'm back obsessively writing lists to regain some sense of control, or at least the illusion of control - which is sometimes just as good :)

A list of things for today:

• prepare for the new job (news: I got the job I desperately wanted. I'm very pleased).


• frantically finish everything at current job so I can leave in 2 weeks time :)


• make practical plans for getting to work on Monday in the rail strike. Bob help me.


• find the school shirt we borrowed from Emily (I know it's here somewhere)


• remember to polish school shoes


• find library books and missing Roary car (no chance)


• collect toiletries to send to Victoria - a friend's sister who's a Red Cross volunteer says there's plenty of food and blankets and clothes and toys, but a shortage of toiletry items.


• remember to write down the stories that Ruby and Max tell me....for example: I was thinking today about when we were at Noosa. Ruby and I made 3 trips to a shoe shop. Ruby eventually decided on a pair of Birkenstock sandals. By the 3rd visit, the shop assistant knew our names and most of our life story - Ruby became very animated and chatty in the presence of comfortable shoes. She even helped to sell some shoes, praising the virtues of Birkenstocks (a bit like an evangelist) to everyone who walked within a 50 metre radius of the shop door. When we left the shop and were walking back along the Noosa River foreshore, Ruby was wearing her Birki's and chose to stop everyone we saw - who was wearing Birki's (and there were a lot of them) - to ask them how they liked their shoes. She was a cracker. When we got back to the unit and were having afternoon tea she said "when I'm a grown woman I won't do work like mummy - because it's boring. I will have a shoe shop and I will only sell Birkenstocks". I suggested that she might like to have a bookshop because she loves books so much. She quickly changed her mind and declared that she would have "a shoe shop and a book shop and a small place for mummies to have cups of tea". Sounds like a divine place, I can't wait to go. Max, meanwhile, can't decide if he wants to be a champion racing car driver or a firefighter. Both noble aspirations.

Other snippets from today:

Ruby has been working on her "vision for learning this year". The teacher didn't seem to know about this when I asked her this morning so it might be something Ruby has started for herself. Where does she get this stuff? Anyway, her vision so far is: "to work hard so I get more free play time". And she wants to practice a virtue. She's chosen "peacefulness". I suggested she does peacefulness very well and she might want to choose something else, but she's determined. So be it.

And a quote from Max: "why does school start so early? Do they know ABC kids is still on?"

wishing for some peace and calm.

Incomprehensible

The tragedy across Australia today is heartbreaking.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/our-darkest-day-20090208-810q.html

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25024363-3102,00.html

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25024236-3102,00.html

I can't imagine how the families impacted by this horrific weekend are going to rebuild their lives - but I hope they find the strength, courage and support they need for the days, weeks and months ahead.

sending peace and love, x

Flourish - fabulous, elegant, so pretty and now open

It was our very great pleasure to go along to the opening night of a beautiful store which is a new business venture for our dear friends Jan and Ruth. Flourish is a scrapbooking store with flair. Beautifully decorated, thoughtfully stocked with delicious products and with incredibly fabulous creative souls in charge of their classes and design (Lorna and Briohny). I can feel the promise of many happy and creative days spent there with these beautiful, kind, warm and generous women.

Megan took some amazing photos on the opening night.

the tres chic entrance area:

some lovely products (and one of my fave photos):

beautiful Bazzill (row after delightful row of it):

the glamour girls (Briohny, Ruth, Lorna, Jan):

some lovely guests and super scrapbookers/photographers - Rachel Richter, Leanne Stamatellos and Michelle Jamieson:Ruth and Jan with super talented and super fabulous Ngaire Bartlam - looking very much like a formal and fancy pic with the Queen :) : and lastly, a pic I like because if you look really hard you'll see a photo of me and my love :)
If you live in Brisbane, you should pop in to Flourish - it's at 3/12 Kenrose St in Carina. Jan and Ruth will make you very welcome.

wishing you peace and love, k xxxx

And so it begins.....

Ruby started back at school on Wednesday. Max started at a new kindy on Friday. It's been a week of excitement, drama, tears and joy.

Ruby was happy to get back to school and her friends and to continue her relentless pursuit of knowledge. She was anxious about starting Year 1 because she can't spell "investigate". Not quite sure why it was such a big hurdle for her, but when I told her there are probably some grown ups who can't spell "investigate" she felt a lot better about starting Year 1.

After dropping Ruby off at school I took Max to kindy. The very same kindy he's been going to for 3 years now. He sobbed and ranted and clung to my leg. "I need Ruby, I need Ruby, I need Ruby". Oh dear. I wasn't expecting this to happen. Then he realised that all his friends (he only has a few close ones) have started school this year. More drama. It was a tough job convincing him to stay.

Then on Friday, Max started at his new kindy (Wynnum Manly C+K) where he'll go every Thursday/Friday from now on. He was excited about starting, but collapsed in tears when we actually got there. "They don't know me, no one will like me......." and on and on and on. I wasn't expecting it to be quite the drama it turned out to be, but then that's Max. After he questioned the teachers endlessly about why he had to call them "Mrs..." and what they would be doing at specific times of the day and what kind of toys they had and what programs were on the computer and whether the teacher actually really liked little boys or if girls were their favourite......and more, he began to cut them some slack. When I left he was sitting on Mrs O'Shea's lap snuggling into her neck - all part of his cunning plan to make them love him so he never gets in trouble for doing crazy naughty things.

At the end of the day Max declared that it was "the best kindy ever" and that he loved everything. He has happily agreed to go back next week. Thank heavens.

There's been a whole lot of other stuff happening this week which has been completely exhuasting. Looking forward to a better week ahead.....

sending you peace and love

kath xxxx

A week in Noosa

I had almost convinced myself that I wouldn't enjoy going back to exactly the same unit in exactly the same town for 2 years in a row. Of course I was wrong.

We've just got back from a very fabulous and restful holiday in Noosa. Going somewhere familiar, was just what we needed. Ruby and Max enjoy feeling connected to a place and to people, so they loved visiting the same places around Noosa, doing the same activities (going to the beach, going out in a boat, swimming in the pool, going to the movies) and catching up again with Frank (resort manager) and his little dog Buddy.

We were all feeling very calm and zen when we got home last week. So much so, that we've already booked 2 holidays for this year - to Melbourne in March and Yamba in December. :)

peace, k x