Not a moment to spare...
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Thursday, January 08, 2009
I Like These Blogs
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Ringing in the new.
If I were to do a little precis of 2008 I would say...
Anyway, because that's not such an exciting list, I give you instead a picture of my new dress, all silk and purple and art deco. I've been supporting the economy, as requested -and funded- by our Prime Minister. Shopping never felt so virtuous. The dress was on sale, half-price. I held it up to show Fixit and he completely ignored the loveliness of the dress as he gasped at the price tag and exclaimed Ninety nine dollars for a dress! When I tell my girlfriends this they roll their eyes and say $99 is cheap for a dress, especially a silk one. I love my girlfriends.
Last night we stayed in, being as I am a grinch about New Year's Eve festivities. I made a nice roast lamb dinner and sticky date pudding for dessert and hired dvds to be watched in comfort from the new pull-out sofa-bed. The boys of course were entranced by a Bed In The Lounge-Room and so of course we had to have bedtime stories all tucked in there together. Climber has already asked if he could sleep in it for a night, but where would Fixit and I sit to relax if Climber slept in the lounge, hmm?
Anyway, I would like to wish all who read here the very best for 2009, and give a special mention to my little network/family of blog-friends (you know who you are xx) whose friendship I treasure so much. And I thought I would also ask a small favour. I suspect there might be a few lurkers who also read here, so as a New Year's present to me, won't you please de-lurk and say hello or happy new year or anything you like, really. Go on, don't be shy.
Happy New Year to you all! Cx
Climber: Grade 2, and a little love affair - very good year.
Cherub: Kindergarten, huge improvement at swimming, finally picked up a pencil - very good year.
Bertie Wooster: arrived at our house, caught lots of mice and got loved to bits - a good year
Stomper: Tap school starting to do very well, got some real grown-ups' furniture at home - good year.
Fixit: Career change, tired, stressed, grumpy - hard year. (But we knew the first year in to the career change would be tough so our fingers are crossed that 2009 is easier and happier)
Anyway, because that's not such an exciting list, I give you instead a picture of my new dress, all silk and purple and art deco. I've been supporting the economy, as requested -and funded- by our Prime Minister. Shopping never felt so virtuous. The dress was on sale, half-price. I held it up to show Fixit and he completely ignored the loveliness of the dress as he gasped at the price tag and exclaimed Ninety nine dollars for a dress! When I tell my girlfriends this they roll their eyes and say $99 is cheap for a dress, especially a silk one. I love my girlfriends.
Last night we stayed in, being as I am a grinch about New Year's Eve festivities. I made a nice roast lamb dinner and sticky date pudding for dessert and hired dvds to be watched in comfort from the new pull-out sofa-bed. The boys of course were entranced by a Bed In The Lounge-Room and so of course we had to have bedtime stories all tucked in there together. Climber has already asked if he could sleep in it for a night, but where would Fixit and I sit to relax if Climber slept in the lounge, hmm?
Anyway, I would like to wish all who read here the very best for 2009, and give a special mention to my little network/family of blog-friends (you know who you are xx) whose friendship I treasure so much. And I thought I would also ask a small favour. I suspect there might be a few lurkers who also read here, so as a New Year's present to me, won't you please de-lurk and say hello or happy new year or anything you like, really. Go on, don't be shy.
Happy New Year to you all! Cx
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Christmas 2008
Our Christmas this year was, as I think it should be, about family. We started the day at 6am with 2 little high-pitched voices in the next room squealing excitedly: Cool!! Shortly afterwards they appeared in our bedroom clutching the loot from their stockings (it took a few trips, but clearly, untying the stockings from the bed was too much effort) and showed us what they'd received. Cherub was ecstatic to find the requested Mighty Mac with hooks ...
...and Climber liked his Lego, and his Slinky...
... but the Rubik's Cube that Santa delivered - which promised all the fun of the original plus 6 exciting electronic games - turned out to have No Moving Parts at all. Which, when you think about it, is really all the fun of the original and of course what Climber had been after. Still Santa is a very busy person so I don't blame him for being taken in by that spiel on the packaging. We'll just have to take the boy shopping so that we can own a plain AND a fancy cube.
After breakfast we gathered under our Christmas tree and exchanged our gifts to each other. Surprising me, Fixit gave me a globe; something I've always wanted but never bought due to feeling they were an expensive luxury. And thanks to kind handout from Mister Rudd's government, Fixit now has his very own ipod, an engraved blue nano.
It took supreme restraint on my part not to get him the purple one, I can tell you.
We drove out to Fixit's parents' house for the morning where we caught up with almost all the Fixit family. Fixit's brother, partner and kids were there, as were his sister and her husband, over from Adelaide but without their children.
Grandma Fixit has a big array of Christmas doodads, including a jack-in-the-box Santa who said ho ho ho when he popped out and made Climber jump. We had a lovely morning and it was hard to drag ourselves away but onwards we went to my uncle and aunt's house in time for a splendiferous feast and more presents.
Climber was lucky enough to be the Kris-kringle recipient of my aunt Carmel, who never having kids of her own was always the spoiling aunt to me, my siblings and all my cousins. So Climber not only received the Dangerous Book for Boys (Carmel likes to buy books being a great reader herself) but she was totally sympathetic to my tip that he was still young enough to need a toy alongside of a book - however good the book was - and thus also delighted him with a Transformer. Kris-kringle money limits are as nothing to Aunt Carmel.
We had a gorgeous day with the family, ate like royalty and left the childcare to my cousins. (Well, I was still suffering from the stupid parvovirus -still am, sad to say- so I think it was quite okay for me to sit around doing nothing more strenuous than lifting a wineglass to my lips.) We also spoke on the telephone to my Mum, my sister & her kids and my brother as well, who were enjoying their own celebration in Canberra.
We left just slightly later than the boys' bedtime, feeling like we'd had a great day. Cherub summed it up for us by telling us that Christmas is the best day ever, and noted wistfully that it is now a long time till the next one.
...and Climber liked his Lego, and his Slinky...
... but the Rubik's Cube that Santa delivered - which promised all the fun of the original plus 6 exciting electronic games - turned out to have No Moving Parts at all. Which, when you think about it, is really all the fun of the original and of course what Climber had been after. Still Santa is a very busy person so I don't blame him for being taken in by that spiel on the packaging. We'll just have to take the boy shopping so that we can own a plain AND a fancy cube.
After breakfast we gathered under our Christmas tree and exchanged our gifts to each other. Surprising me, Fixit gave me a globe; something I've always wanted but never bought due to feeling they were an expensive luxury. And thanks to kind handout from Mister Rudd's government, Fixit now has his very own ipod, an engraved blue nano.
It took supreme restraint on my part not to get him the purple one, I can tell you.We drove out to Fixit's parents' house for the morning where we caught up with almost all the Fixit family. Fixit's brother, partner and kids were there, as were his sister and her husband, over from Adelaide but without their children.
Grandma Fixit has a big array of Christmas doodads, including a jack-in-the-box Santa who said ho ho ho when he popped out and made Climber jump. We had a lovely morning and it was hard to drag ourselves away but onwards we went to my uncle and aunt's house in time for a splendiferous feast and more presents.Climber was lucky enough to be the Kris-kringle recipient of my aunt Carmel, who never having kids of her own was always the spoiling aunt to me, my siblings and all my cousins. So Climber not only received the Dangerous Book for Boys (Carmel likes to buy books being a great reader herself) but she was totally sympathetic to my tip that he was still young enough to need a toy alongside of a book - however good the book was - and thus also delighted him with a Transformer. Kris-kringle money limits are as nothing to Aunt Carmel.
We had a gorgeous day with the family, ate like royalty and left the childcare to my cousins. (Well, I was still suffering from the stupid parvovirus -still am, sad to say- so I think it was quite okay for me to sit around doing nothing more strenuous than lifting a wineglass to my lips.) We also spoke on the telephone to my Mum, my sister & her kids and my brother as well, who were enjoying their own celebration in Canberra.
We left just slightly later than the boys' bedtime, feeling like we'd had a great day. Cherub summed it up for us by telling us that Christmas is the best day ever, and noted wistfully that it is now a long time till the next one.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
You'd Better Not Pout.
The kids gave me their slapped-cheek disease (or parvovirus) for Christmas, which is what the arthritic pain in my joints and the itchy feet were all about. Symptoms could go for up to 12 weeks, but at least my cheeks are not red. Yet.
Climber wrote another letter for Santa, but it wasn't a request for toys. It's just an up-front thank you to him for coming tonight. We've left it on the boys' bedroom door for him to collect personally.
We'll leave him a beer too and a drawing from Cherub.
Seriously, kids make this time so special, even when they give you the parvovirus.
Happy Christmas everyone. I hope you have a really splendid one, with love from us all here at Blog Stomper. xx
Climber wrote another letter for Santa, but it wasn't a request for toys. It's just an up-front thank you to him for coming tonight. We've left it on the boys' bedroom door for him to collect personally.
We'll leave him a beer too and a drawing from Cherub.
Seriously, kids make this time so special, even when they give you the parvovirus.
Happy Christmas everyone. I hope you have a really splendid one, with love from us all here at Blog Stomper. xx
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Backwards
Something has been so horribly wrong with my back over the last couple of weeks that I feel that I've turned overnight into an old person. There's been constant pain and lack of mobility, and it has been so wearing. I actually think my last chiropractic treatment turned the corner for me but now I feel like I have whiplash from that particular session; out of nowhere my third finger knuckles swelled up and my feet began to itch and a muscle ache settled over my whole spine*. I look like I'm wearing an invisible neck-brace because I have to turn my whole body to look sideways. But I think my session tonight will balance all that up and I expect to feel like myself again by Christmas. That's the plan anyway. It can't go on like this. It has been agony to actually sit at the computer for any length of time which is why I have barely visited anyone or updated here. I've had plenty going on despite my back being knackered. I've still had to get the Christmas shopping done, run the household, make the little cookies, attend the family gatherings with my Mum and put on the end-of-year tap concert/party for my small students.
Fortunately, the whiplash-giving treatment was after the concert so as you can see here I was able to turn my head. And dance and smile.
All the kids were gorgeous, there were no technical stuff-ups (thanks for asking facebookers) and I made way too much fairybread. And I was spoiled with many little presents afterwards. I have the nicest students.
I love my job.
*turns out the joint swelling and itchy feet was parvovirus, the same thing that caused the ultra-red cheeks on Cherub that you can see in the picture there. Also known as slap cheek disease. Adults who contract it can get viral rheumatoid arthritis, much worse than the kids symptoms.
Fortunately, the whiplash-giving treatment was after the concert so as you can see here I was able to turn my head. And dance and smile.
All the kids were gorgeous, there were no technical stuff-ups (thanks for asking facebookers) and I made way too much fairybread. And I was spoiled with many little presents afterwards. I have the nicest students.
I love my job.
*turns out the joint swelling and itchy feet was parvovirus, the same thing that caused the ultra-red cheeks on Cherub that you can see in the picture there. Also known as slap cheek disease. Adults who contract it can get viral rheumatoid arthritis, much worse than the kids symptoms.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The Last Day of Kindergarten
Today was the Cherub's last day at kindergarten, an event that loomed large on my emotional calendar. I love our kinder so much that actually I never want to leave it. It is a fantastic place, with great resources and wonderful staff and I count myself and my boys lucky to have somehow scraped our way in there. When Climber was three we were told by our local council that they did not have a place for him at any of the local kindergartens, and we'd already been knocked back by some out-of-area kinders, so when I heard that our one might have a vacancy I made my sister ring up from Canberra and find out if it was true because we were going through this at that time and I didn't think I'd be able to hear someone else tell me no. But luckily they said yes to us. And I'm still thankful, because both my boys had a beautiful year there.
My plan for this afternoon was to collect the Climber from his last day at school and then just hang around for a while. I wanted to let the Climber, who is also very attached to the place, have a last good play there, because he always wants to play and explore, and I have not really been able to indulge this what with having been so busy, busy, busy at this time of year. And of course I wanted to take plenty of photos and maybe even some video footage of my little Cherub whizzing around with his friends. I wanted to savour it.
But poor old Cherub caught Climber's Slapped Cheek Disease and although when I sent him off this morning he was pink-faced but happy, by lunchtime he was sad and not joining in or eating or anything, and what else could I do with a face like this but take him home early?
My plan for this afternoon was to collect the Climber from his last day at school and then just hang around for a while. I wanted to let the Climber, who is also very attached to the place, have a last good play there, because he always wants to play and explore, and I have not really been able to indulge this what with having been so busy, busy, busy at this time of year. And of course I wanted to take plenty of photos and maybe even some video footage of my little Cherub whizzing around with his friends. I wanted to savour it.
But poor old Cherub caught Climber's Slapped Cheek Disease and although when I sent him off this morning he was pink-faced but happy, by lunchtime he was sad and not joining in or eating or anything, and what else could I do with a face like this but take him home early?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Santa Santa Santa
If I haven't been much of a presence in blogland recently it's because of all the frenetic Christmas activity going on round thisaway.
To wit.
The Mothers Group Party. Jenny took over the hosting because it was very rainy and we wouldn't all have fitted inside my house. She is totally ace like that. One of the Dads dressed up as Santa and caused much hilarity by persistently mispronouncing all their names. My boys showed Santa the way to the tree, his eyesight was pretty dodgy...
The Kindergarten party. Held at the same time and place as a local Carols by Candlelight and another Kinder's party, so there was a slight concern for this Santa in case he got mobbed by all the other kids. In the end Santa just chatted to the kids and our kinder teachers handed out goodies. Cherub was very adorable talking to Santa, and didn't hear Santa ask if he'd been a good girl.
All the end-of-year good-byes mean little presents for teachers. I got busy this year and made coconut ice christmas trees and macadamia star biscuits, to go with the handmade gift tags. I am SO handmade this year. Well, apart from, you know, all the stuff I'm buying with Prime Minister Rudd's handy Christmas handout. I can tell you that Fixit is getting something much more expensive this year than I originally planned. Sshh. Don't tell him.
To wit.
The Mothers Group Party. Jenny took over the hosting because it was very rainy and we wouldn't all have fitted inside my house. She is totally ace like that. One of the Dads dressed up as Santa and caused much hilarity by persistently mispronouncing all their names. My boys showed Santa the way to the tree, his eyesight was pretty dodgy...
The Kindergarten party. Held at the same time and place as a local Carols by Candlelight and another Kinder's party, so there was a slight concern for this Santa in case he got mobbed by all the other kids. In the end Santa just chatted to the kids and our kinder teachers handed out goodies. Cherub was very adorable talking to Santa, and didn't hear Santa ask if he'd been a good girl.
All the end-of-year good-byes mean little presents for teachers. I got busy this year and made coconut ice christmas trees and macadamia star biscuits, to go with the handmade gift tags. I am SO handmade this year. Well, apart from, you know, all the stuff I'm buying with Prime Minister Rudd's handy Christmas handout. I can tell you that Fixit is getting something much more expensive this year than I originally planned. Sshh. Don't tell him.
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