Category Archives: family

Movie World

Posted in family, Gold Coast by
there are bits and pieces of Movie World that we loved, and bits we all hated (going backwards on the Wild, Wild West ride, the very loud Asians pushing at every queue). The boys highlight wasn’t meeting Batman (picture) but watching the driving show. Very clever, very loud, very slick.

posted from Bloggeroid

so it’s been a while

Posted in family, grateful, House, sport, work by

Until very recently, I’ve been using Facebook a lot. An awful lot. It keeps me in touch with 99% of my family & friends, it enables me (look, a book! must add that to my TBR pile) and makes me laugh. I can look back on photos and know what we were doing (altho I haven’t done much in the albums lately) BUT…


sometimes it isn’t as good as journaling can be. Sometimes I just need to write and write and write…

and as Dad and Mum don’t use facebook, they aren’t in the loop like they should be. HI MUM! HI DAD!

2013 was pretty good to us. Sold one house, moved to the MILs for a while, then brought our new house. Fast – listed Sat morning, we viewed Sun afternoon, we brought Sunday afternoon. We’ve brought looking at the long term – ok school zones, lots of new buildings (pushing up the price already), close to public transport, close to the MIL and our daughter. We have managed to kill one of the two plants (possibly one for each of the house’s birthdays?) but have gained back enough room for the massive trampoline down one end of the property and about the same at the front, just by filling in the drops where soil was dug out and moving the fences to the berm. I love how Si is so clever engineering wise. It will take a lot to move the new fence & retaining walls. I’m looking forward to selecting the fruit trees – proper plants, not just my roses and herbs!

2014 hasn’t been so bad either. I’m on a contract with a well established company, the creative juices are flowing, we’ve squeezed in a family holiday, spent time with friends, and the house is reflective of who we are (and yes, Bran’s room could rival a pigsty). All three boys are now playing league (Si & I are coaching Mase’s team, which apart from a few unrealistic parents is great fun) and all are doing well at kindy/school. Mase is about to start 4 days a week at kindy, in prep for school – the “lasts” are starting to catch up. Si is now road cycling to make up for the fact he can’t run (that achilles/plantar fascialitis is hell) and I enjoy walking with Zac. He’s great company. Louise has started her own baking/catering company with a girlfriend and YUM they are already getting word of mouth jobs. 

Anyway, the next posts will be more specific. And hopefully frequent.

Picture: Mase after “helping” Louise with her fabulous chocolate cake 22 April 2014 – a preview of his pirate birthday later this year?

What the?!

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Its nearly 2013. I haven’t used this blog as I’ve been using Facebook to keep the creativity going. Clearly a fail, and I know a little too much about some people!

So I’ve already selected my word for next year. Create. On a budget, too. That will be impressive, no? It is a very good thing I’ve discovered Pinterest! I’m even machine sewing. My biological mother was good at sewing and used to pick anything I made apart verbally, so until last month it wasn’t something I enjoyed. But I made Si a waistcoat for his fancy dress (Al Capone) and then a cupcake print apron (with pockets) that she loves, so now its something to enjoy.

Simon’s word for me would be employment. I’m going to relax about that; Bran starts high school next year and Mase starts kindy. Zac will be one of a few year six in a combined 6/7/8 class and he’ll find that hard going too. A job will come along at the right time.

And the photo below? That’s Mase. Merry Christmas!

Writing Motherhood & PL updates

Posted in books, family, Project Life by

Based on (I think) an Ali Edwards recommendation I ordered Lisa Garrigues’ Writing Motherhood. It’s a workbook/course designed to get you to start writing again, even if it’s just a quick journal each day, despite all the other pressures that might be on you. Of course I ordered the print version and then saw on the jacket that it’s available as an ebook (oh whatever!) and it’s great. Full of starters that you could use to write or conversate with. Brilliant.

  Bran adapted it for Sunday night. It was his birthday and thankfully (as we lost power in the storms) he’d decided to eat out at Fortuna Sky City. We have a tradition when we eat out – everyone takes turns in my notebook to write down their current favourites – which might be anything from TV show to breakfast cereal to toy to car, depending on who helps generate the list. Bran decided that we would journal on our Project Life cards and also the topic, which clearly, was Bran. His categories?
  • Favourite memory of Bran (mine is, I am reliably told, when he was born)
  • Favourite Food to eat with Bran (he relaxed this somewhat and we were allowed to write down where we like to eat with Bran)
  • Favourite TV show to watch with Bran (clearly some forward planning going on here) and lastly,
  • Favourite Place to go with Bran

He was exactly right to choose to put these into our family PL album. I am finding more and more that we are looking back on these and it’s a fantastic way to keep everything together. I know that the kids won’t have their own albums, but when I die, they can copy these as needed. They’ll have school reports, projects, awards, writing notes, tickets, postcards, letters – it’s all in the one place and the pressure is off. I know that they will have the memories when I am gone. That’s amazing peace of mind, considering how little I have. Altho Dad told me a tale on Christmas Day that I had to record – can’t believe I did that! Well, in retrospect, maybe I can…

Promise – layouts will be up once I have the bucks to buy a printer cartridge. Those suckers are expensive.

And recieved an update from Jill. Back on the boat, making me jealous! And still dedicated to the Pirate Gag. Apparently the sword is an antique Iban head hunting sword (which runs me off into GoogleWorld). Awesome. I’d have that white one behind her (no, the BIG one). Bet I could get volunteers to crew it without too much hassle!

 

One Little Word & Welcome 2011

Posted in family, OLW, Project Life by

Long time, no blog. I guess I allowed myself to get caught up in all the usual rush – Christmas, work, kids, work…I am happy that I kept relitively up-to-date with my Project Life 2010 (only have October and some photos to print and we are done!).

My One Little Word (an Ali Edwards thing) for 2011 is CONTROL. I want to have control at work, at home – keeping to deadlines ( I am pretty good at this anyway work-wise); keeping up to date with PL 2011 as I want this to be P365 and not have monthly highlights as I did for some of 2010; clean out my stash of unfinished projects and be realistic about what I might complete – this might be the time to be ruthless, especially on my stitching patterns; replace my paper books with eBooks – which is already underway; keep to a healthy diet despite the stresses; and any other goals that pop up along the way.

I think however I will be flexible with the PL thing. It is OK to do high-lights – the kids and Si have enjoyed looking back at what we have done, despite the fact that Simon is the biggest critic of the money I spent on that album (it’s about $100 for all the components, with the additional outlay of an acid-free pen and photo priniting). Funny tho that he was the first one to tell me to pull it out on Saturday when we had guests over!

I have started to use the spare parts to get up-to-date on all the other digital photos – 2002 is complete apart from a print I am waiting on from Mum (hi Mum) – and 2003 is complete to August. It’s amazing to see how much I can remember even before I get Si or the kids’ input (gosh, Mase is going to be a mini-Bran all the way). This too is an album we’re all getting a kick out of.

So anyway that’s my goals. No resolutions, just Control. With a little bit of flex 😉

a very overdue update

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Here’s our man – hard to belive he’s now 7 months old. He’s walking around the furniture; eating heaps (still); starting to babble; kicks his legs furiously when he’s excited to see someone or something; sleeps well if in his sleeping bag; loves Bear in the Big Blue House and just about anything else on Playhouse Disney but doesn’t like Jonas Brothers (good taste, son!); loves swimming or baths but not getting out; his aunt and uncle, even tho A isn’t too keen on the nappy business; adores his sister and will go to her even when she’s grumpy; likes to push his dad out of bed and is now facing forward in the car. Likes playgroup some days and is not good at sharing if it’s not with his brothers!

The others are all doing well – Lou is with us at the moment, taking some time out from the other household (which is not going down well, but what can you do?); Bran has started training and Zac starts tonight. Muster is also tonight so it’ll be a late one.

Si is working at the Dockyard again; team leader of the sheetmetal shop where he did his time. He has two apprentices at the moment and I am encouraging them to give him heaps back.

As for me, I’m back at work and studying. Not too sure how things will fit, given home and work and league life, but we’ll see how that goes. Have a Becky Higgins Project Life folder which is desperately in need of photos but up-to-date (gasp!) with journal cards. Even sent some with the SIL for them to do, so it will be a full-on family affair. Just the way I like it.

Other stuff

Posted in family, stitching patterns by

I forgot to say that Mason is nearly up and crawling (he’s rocking, so we need to get those gates up pronto!). Zac and Bran can ride their new bikes with ease, and always remember their helmets. Bran also is showing awesome timing with the cricket bat he got from Nana & Grandad. He can heave it over the neighbours house. Oops.

This is Bran’s sampler – an Alma Lynne Ark that I altered. Cause I always do.

This is Mason’s – Sharon made it from a Maria van Scharrenburg kit. I had to finish off the bottom border but didn’t touch it otherwise.

and this is a framed pencil sketch print I found in a Devonport op shop of a Selwyn-like church and graveyard. Si loves things like this. We found a gorgeous old church while roaming the other day – St Johns in Drury. Took some great shots with my new phone.

Hospital Update

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Not me this time, but Zac. He has an issue which he’d rather I didn’t blog about (or talk about, or, well, just about anything about!) and the specialist today was pretty happy with his progress. Looks like he won’t need an op if he keeps focussed on the therapy. Yay Zac!