tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85096311353419304692023-11-16T23:03:01.531+10:00wide eyedat what happened today...wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.comBlogger322125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-60348010201950043832016-02-12T19:50:00.002+10:002016-02-12T19:50:32.486+10:00surviving a teenage birthday partyEvery three years we have a party for the girls - 3, 6, 9, 12, 15....<br />
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This year it was the fifteenth birthday of the oldest child. Much planning. Many fairy lights. I over-catered a bit. Well, a lot. Those teenage girls eat like birds. If the birds were tiny and not naughty ibis. (On a side note, I had my children convinced that the proper name for the garbage bin birds known as ibis was 'Naughty Ibis' for years after one of them stole a sandwich right out of Gab's hand at a picnic at Southbank one day). We had baked potatoes filled with mince and coleslaw, salad and cheese and stuff- an excellent meal to feed lots of people with an indeterminate number of gluten frees, vegetarians, vegans and carnivores.<br />
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45 of her closest friends all came dressed as something starting with 'A'. There were Assassins, Allsorts, Athletes, Angels, Amigos, Aphrodite, Ants, Athena, an Award, ANne of Green Gables, Aurora, Arwen, Ariel and A person. Annika went as Audrey Hepburn.<br />
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I was pretty proud of my hair and make up job - although she raced off before I could get a close up photo of it. We found her dress and jewellary at an opshop.<br />
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There was music and some dancing and many many selfies and photos taken by the girls. I probably only embarrassed my children a few times by dancing or trying to crack jokes with their friends.<br />
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I dressed up as an Angel. I thought I would hairspray my hair out from my head so it would be like a golden halo of light. This is what I thought in my head. In reality, coupled with the extremely red face I got from cooking in a hot kitchen all night for the party, I looked more like Asylum Escapee. Oh well. That wasn't embarrassing for my teenage daughter. Dum de dum. Not one bit.<br />
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Happy birthday my very grown up person who is kind of a mini me - but taller.....<br />
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It is so lovely to see her growing up and becoming the person God designed her to be. And phew - done grade nine with one girl. One down, one to go.wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-29289950218615555742016-01-19T19:58:00.001+10:002016-01-19T19:58:11.642+10:00spartan terrifiedSo I have been part of a fitness group for the last six months. We do boxing and running and push-upping and lunging and squatting and crunching and planking. I am not very good at it. My report card would say 'Trys hard, with minimal progress. Significant difficulties with running, may need specialised support'.<br />
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The fitness group has enrolled in the Spartan Race. I got caught up in the impulsiveness of it and the peer pressure and entered.<br />
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Now I am terrified.<br />
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I have been googling and youtubing. I have realised this race is for Actual Fit People who like to go through very crazy obstacles. Not middle aged women who break into a jog when the threat of missing a plane happens.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUK0ji1395PH8eMIkAPgA6y9mqnzJ1wLoit9SAX_s_eI0NeXPGIfYGfhdFgJDsqOVegMeQorOXBISAuQTc3To2S0OZCC9cb0135hGlVHttNB0CPuZiY967-s6p68GYvTYNer65KWa-Y4/s1600/images+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUK0ji1395PH8eMIkAPgA6y9mqnzJ1wLoit9SAX_s_eI0NeXPGIfYGfhdFgJDsqOVegMeQorOXBISAuQTc3To2S0OZCC9cb0135hGlVHttNB0CPuZiY967-s6p68GYvTYNer65KWa-Y4/s320/images+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What I think I may look like in my mind</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQmHBbVCZTQELI6dDk3HucD3THrNf4IReg8JJs9M88AePSKMujY0xvOBwePtSih4kQuqoh0dinvAQeEyO4eu-qGcj3-iTf3s04_lvuvINvRTKJ7b5iCtrvRFn4qRPkC8RnPxuiJElwYw/s1600/mud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQmHBbVCZTQELI6dDk3HucD3THrNf4IReg8JJs9M88AePSKMujY0xvOBwePtSih4kQuqoh0dinvAQeEyO4eu-qGcj3-iTf3s04_lvuvINvRTKJ7b5iCtrvRFn4qRPkC8RnPxuiJElwYw/s320/mud.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What will probably actually happen.</td></tr>
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I don't even know quite how to train for this thing. Maybe I will wander around work vaulting over fences and tuck rolling into classrooms. Practise on the monkey bars in the playground.<br />
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I figure the worst that can happen is that I sink slowly into a mud pool and have to be rescued by young fit things with official shirts on.<br />
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Or I walk away from it in the middle and say 'I'm done. Finished. Off to have a Breaka Choccy Milk.' I think my pride can probably handle that.<br />
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Spartan Terrified......stay tunedwide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-56869126719352818812016-01-11T22:17:00.001+10:002016-01-11T22:17:13.456+10:00Flashback - Carols 2015Carols at church 2015 was super fun and praiseworthy. <br />
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Dancers...<br />
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Choir - I think I had a much better handle on conducting a choir this choir - it sounded pretty awesome. We sang "Mary Did you Know" - recently made popular by Pentatonix (google it - so awesome - no regrets). Our choir did a great job - five weeks practice (less for most of the tenors), by memory and with some slight choralography. Already plotting 2016...<br />
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Drama of Luke 1-2 - two unexpected babies - John then Jesus. Excellent performances by a very introverted cast<br />
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Gab loved the dance. I saw several loungeroom performances before the actual event.<br />
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Chris spoke about the joy of Christmas.<br />
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Repeat the sounding joy.<br />
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So so good.<br />
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Repeat the sounding joy.wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-40040182427708782222016-01-05T21:16:00.002+10:002016-01-05T21:16:13.675+10:00ok that's so grossGross story alert.<br />
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I had noticed a bad smell around the linen cupboard area for a while. I assumed something had died under the house - we have a wooden floored house on stilts - then about a metre gap to the dirt below. It's not unusual for rats and mice and possums to breath their final gasps under the house or in the garden. <br />
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I had hoped that he ants would do their regular clean up job and the smell would dissipate after a few days. Honestly, there are so many ants around our house that if someone slipped the mortal coil in the garden the evidence would be gone lickety split.<br />
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Anyway, the smell lingered and lingered, wafting through the hallways and not going away.<br />
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Until we tracked the source.<br />
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A rat had died in the roof eaves cavity ABOVE the LINEN CUPBOARD and dripped it's dead icky rat juices INTO THE LINEN CUPBOARD all over the quilts and sheets and towels and tablecloths. Well probably just the top shelf of linen as it mopped up most of the DEAD RAT JUICE, but I wasn't taking any chances that the other linen hadn't copped it.<br />
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I had to wash and dry clean EVERYTHING. And stash it in random spots around the house until the smell had gone from the cupboard. Which it still hasn't. So we are retrieving linen from under beds, the bathroom cupboard, piles on the floor....actually almost business as usual.<br />
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Come on ants. Do what God designed you for. Nature's clean up crew.wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-82513838027046716462016-01-04T21:05:00.000+10:002016-01-05T21:05:57.087+10:00just keep swimmingFor much of 2015 my view was a watery black line as I trundled up and down a pool.<br />
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Mostly this pool.<br />
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And sometimes the 25m pool at school where I joined the intermediate squad and swam with the 12 year olds. By the end of the season they had accepted me into their pool posse and we had squad jokes. Trendy young things in hipster bars talk about their 'squad' - I had a proper swimming squad with flicking of caps and perishing goggles and groans about butterfly laps.<br />
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Swimming was my exercise of choice in 2015. I find it such a rhythmic calming activity, no screens to look at, time inside my head (which can be a dangerous place), time to pray. I swam in lots of 200m. Kicking down the kilometres.<br />
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Sometimes at the pool there were elite swimmers churning up and down - so fast and sleek. Like skinned seals. That should be the name of their squad - Skinned Seals. Maybe not....<br />
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Swimming has got me massive trapezoid and deltoid shoulder muscles, a back swimming tan, very chlorine damaged hair and much lighter body mass. Thanks swimming.<br />
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Swimming has helped my mental health and calmness in 2015 - I get agitated without pool time now. Thanks swimming.<br />
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I plan to continue. Until I can swim out of my current swimmers into a smaller pair. And then swim some more.wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-7292965436895575402016-01-01T11:41:00.000+10:002016-01-05T21:06:13.341+10:00New Year.....resolutionsIt has been a looong time since I have visited here. So much so that I forgot the password....(or the combo of numbers and letters I regularly use)<br />
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It's a new year. I don't know why I find January 1 so reflective and forward thinking at the same time. It's really just another day. But maybe it's because I have packed up the Christmas tree, and started my yearly chuck out rampage through the house that I think about what has gone and what will come.<br />
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2015 for me was great. I even ticked a few of the New Year's resolution boxes - something I have never really done.<br />
- I read War and Peace - long but good and much as the title suggests - a tale of war and peace. Now all my history knowledge of the Napoleonic war in Russia in the 1800s comes from that book.<br />
- I didn't buy any new clothes for most of the year (fell short by three days in Melbourne!) - after being convicted about trying to do my small part about the clothing industry and workers making cheap clothes<br />
- I lost more than twelve kilos through the crazy strategy of 'Move More Eat Less'. Although with my cheese consumption pretty high over the festive period I've taken a couple of steps backwards<br />
- I swam a kilometre consistently for about 3-4 times a week all year, even in winter!<br />
- I completed a mini-triathlon<br />
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2015 also contained some great memories - visiting Tonga on a short term mission trip, conducting a choir again for church carols, great holidays with friends in Stanthorpe, seeing kids blossom at work after patient and consistent input, performing with choir in some really interesting concerts, doing heaps of puppet shows, family weddings and going to the Boxing Day test in Melbourne.<br />
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But I think relationships, as they always are, are the best life can hold. Deepening relationships and friendships, children growing up (BREAKING NEWS: ONE GIRL CHILD THROUGH GRADE NINE), families growing, new sisters in Christ, and ticking over 20 years of marriage to the most excellent Chris. Sometimes they have been hard work, and I can always get better at them - more time, more attention, more love - but I know that furthering my relationship with God will spill into making my people relationships hum.<br />
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hmmmmm, goals for 2016<br />
- blog at least twice a week<br />
- continue on the downward weight path<br />
- be able to slowly jog all of Park Run (5 km!)<br />
- do another couple of triathlons<br />
- read all of the books in book club<br />
- continue to shop ethically<br />
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- and set my heart for forgiveness<br />
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<br />wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-71707532841067932082015-02-02T19:17:00.001+10:002015-02-02T19:17:51.082+10:00The Gap DisappearsThere's a lot of good stuff to be said about the girls becoming older. They can dress themselves, mostly feed themselves, look after their belongings (I live in hope with hats and memory sticks), contribute to the household, be left alone for a little while, have a good conversation and laugh at my jokes.<br />
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But recently I have noticed one thing.<br />
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The Gap has disappeared.<br />
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The Gap between when I go to bed and when they go to bed.<br />
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The Gap where I can watch some bad telly, chill out on the couch, write blog posts, hang around on social media, chat with Chris, read War and Peace in peace (side note - this is our bookclubs book for this month - BRING IT) and eat the secret cupboard chocolate.<br />
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They are going to bed at the same time or AFTER me. It is late at night and there are still children wandering around the house.<br />
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I know I have to get used to this - if I want them to grow to be adults then they should probably have more freedoms and responsibilities.<br />
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I will have to find another time for my Gap activities....<br />
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and never reveal where the chocolate is.wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-58658216688440437512015-02-01T19:30:00.000+10:002015-02-02T19:46:28.322+10:00#swimaKeverydayI made a big promise/resolution/decision in January - that I would try and swim a kilometre a day. For as long as I could.<br />
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I have done one month of this - and have averaged about 5/7 days in a week of swimming a kilometre. Heading into my second month. Which should be a little easier because swimming squad has started again.<br />
<br />
In term four 2014 I joined the local primary school swimming squad, and swum with the grade sixes. That's about the level I am. Each training session I do about 1.6 km - including BUTTERFLY. I am trying to do 100 metres of butterfly in a row (with flippers). Getting there.<br />
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Swimming is so good for me for heaps of reasons - it doesn't impact on any of my joints, I can spend the time praying and thinking and writing scripts in my head (hmmm wish I had a waterproof notepad to jot down ideas), there are no screens involved, my lung capacity is improving, my mental health enjoys it, and it is toning up all of my muscles.<br />
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I am getting big swimmers shoulders...but I kind of had those already. Now I just deserve to have them.<br />
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I am going to see if I can keep this up for term one. And crack the three digit weight barrier as a side effect.<br />
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Just keep swimming.....<br />
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<br />wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-8263027118550862922015-01-12T19:26:00.001+10:002015-01-12T19:26:20.878+10:00flashback - Gab graduatesDue to government decisions made a few years ago, all the grade sixes in Queensland graduated in 2014, ready to start highschool in 2015. This included my Gab.<br />
<br />
Who is incredibly tall. Possibly as tall as some year twelve students who graduated in 2014. If I gave her a scarf, some scuffed jeans and some Vans she could rock up to uni in 2015 and no-one would bat an eyelid.<br />
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Graduation dress chosen by Gab after extensive searching and explanations of how she doesn't really wear a dress but will on this one occasion. Phew.<br />
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Check it.<br />
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Oh to be 11 with long red curly hair and legs that go forever. <br />
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200 kids trooped across the stage to get their certificates. It was.....extensive. Fortunately, being an old hand at these things, I had packed life savers, crackers and tea in a flask.<br />
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The kids all had to sing a song together that Gab said took two hours practice each day for two weeks before the farewell night. It was pretty impressive getting 200 kids to do choreographed moves, even the ones who clearly were not dancers. Or singers, Or movers.<br />
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Very proud of her, She was awesome.<br />
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But I have just realised, as I cleaned out the girls drawers over the summer break - there is no more primary school uniforms. I really have no reason to go back to primary school. All of that hard won knowledge about the primary school lay of the land, the ins and outs, the people and the customs - is no longer needed. From when I was a very nervous first time mum in prep, and gaining confidence through mistakes (forgetting bookpacks, the girls losing several hats, jumpers and lunchboxes, forgetting excursions, annoying other parents), to swanning around the school next to my enormous children..<br />
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I kind of forgot that I graduated primary school too in 2014.<br />
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Chin up. What can possibly go wrong in highschool?wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-91159160843895550652015-01-08T12:37:00.001+10:002015-01-08T12:37:30.557+10:00Scooter and her bad boy dog crushOne of my new year's resolutions is to be more regular with blogging. I had kind of forgotten I wrote a blog. So here I am back on the blog-wagon.<br />
<br />
Other new year's resolutions include:<br />
- learning how to make shortcrust pastry<br />
- not buying any new clothes (excluding underwear and swimmers) - use what I have and opshop all the way<br />
- moving more and eating less - this prompted this week's goal of 'swim a K every day' - I need to crack the three digit barrier<br />
- cooking my way through Julie Goodwin's 20/20 book (I did this last year with Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals - great way to try heaps of new recipes and really commit to a cookbook)<br />
- reading War and Peace<br />
...<br />
and whatever else I decide to try!<br />
<br />
Anyway, onto today's blog topic. My dog Scooter and her bad boy dog crush. Over Christmas we went down to Armidale to hang out with family and friends. We stayed most of the time at my friend's farm, where she had two dogs. One was a border collie like Scooter, and the other was a cattle dog cross called Charlie.<br />
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Scooter could not leave Charlie alone.<br />
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She would follow him everywhere, yipping to get his attention. She would gaze longingly at him. She would visit his pen when he was locked away for the night. She would find a ball and bring it to him. She would get into his space at every opportunity.<br />
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If she could, I think Scooter would have Charlie's name tattooed on her neck, and photos of Charlie pasted up in her kennel. She would find excuses to walk by his locker and gaze at him across the classroom. She would write poetry and sing Taylor Swift.<br />
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Every couple of hours Charlie would tire of her obsessive behaviour and roll her, pin her to the ground with a paw and mouth her neck, just to show her who was boss.<br />
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Scooter loved it and would come back for more every time. Treat me mean. I'm yours.<br />
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<br />
It was slightly embarassing to be the owner of a complete Charlie fangirl. <br />
<br />
Even now when we are home again we mention Charlie and she looks around, hoping he will appear at the door, ready for her love.<br />
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And I thought I would have to deal with my daughter's crushes.....not the dog's.<br />
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<br />wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-89246726682259015172014-10-18T20:27:00.000+10:002014-10-18T20:30:23.069+10:00craft for year 3 RESo I have been teaching RE (Religious Education) to grade threes now for about six years, and I have almost cracked the craft needs of this age group.<br />
<br />
Apart from the origami disaster of term 3 2014. But let's not speak of that.<br />
<br />
The craft has to be:<br />
- fitting in with the theme or story for the week - even if it is a very long bow being drawn...<br />
- cheap (I need to purchase about 90 units for the grade - and the budget is...well..as much as I am prepared to spend...hopefully about 25c per kid)<br />
- easy to do in 10-15 minutes<br />
- yet complex enough to engage interest<br />
- yet with differing layers of complexity for kids who just want to GET IT DONE and kids who want to pretty theirs up a bit (Can I use my textas Mrs Pine? Yes. Can I use my highlighters Mrs Pine? Yes. Can I give him blood and fangs Mrs Pine? Probably no - it doesn't fit in with the story)<br />
- easyish to prepare in bulk - we have a lovely group of older people at church who will cut out craft for me - but sometimes I am not organised enough to get it to them in time...<br />
- I often try and write a memory verse or some of the story on the craft as well - just so when it is kicking around the playground or in the bottom of someone's bag the kids will know it is from RE<br />
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I have no illusions that I am making crafts to stand the test of time - but they may last long enough to go home and get talked about. And so the story of the good news spreads.<br />
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So here are some photos of some crafts I have done this year. I can't do a craft every week - it would do my head in. <br />
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And I will never try origami again. I don't even have a photo of it...<br />
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Fishing game - tied in with the story of Jesus calling Peter the fisherman - long straw sticky-taped in half, string, small sticky backed magnet (I found these in a sheet of fifty), paper, paper clips - kids cut out their own shaped fish and wrote on the words<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkcNgIZvrdcmcpDROsECsSzuLA4SuJclZ-1sSrCwHLRsLHDZc-Z5GV5n5lkNrgyfxD6oc4p_C-FJfpEtEdfu_60ynPmxIEaJOfEUOsaTf9UUH_1yGb_snVMX4AphOfVmwArmTVe1jx9I/s1600/IMG_0989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkcNgIZvrdcmcpDROsECsSzuLA4SuJclZ-1sSrCwHLRsLHDZc-Z5GV5n5lkNrgyfxD6oc4p_C-FJfpEtEdfu_60ynPmxIEaJOfEUOsaTf9UUH_1yGb_snVMX4AphOfVmwArmTVe1jx9I/s1600/IMG_0989.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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I do heaps of paper plate craft - this one was for Naaman being healed by Elisha by dipping into the river Jordan - used paper plate, long paddle pop stick and pre-cut cardboard man<br />
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Spinner - the Easter Sunday story - piece of card, two elastic bands - draw a picture of the tomb and then an angel on the other side - spin it round and round and it will BLOW YOUR MIND<br />
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Creation story clock paper plate craft - two paper plates joined by a split pin with a wedge cut out - we drew in the order of what God created in each wedge<br />
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Parable of the camel going through the eye of the needle - found a camel image, sewed two of them together with wool and pipecleaner needle<br />
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Story of the Holy Spirit like a dove coming down on Jesus - felt dove, scoobidoo string, googly eye<br />
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Random little cardboard people that are useful for heaps of stories<br />
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Rainbow paper craft for the story of Noah - different coloured paper cut in increasingly smaller strips then stapled, says 'God keeps His promises<br />
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I thought I would also show you the cards I use to show the kids what we are doing each lesson. We don't do everything every lesson - but it helps keep me and the kids on track, and know WHEN THE LESSON IS EVER GOING TO END<br />
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So, even though I am not a particularly crafty person, I do like problem solving about how to do craft with the kids that they will enjoy. And that won't have me in sobs.<br />
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Except for the origami boxes.<br />
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That was poor craft decision making and planning on my part. That day, my friend, I single handedly made 80 origami boxes. The kids got steps 1 to 7 fine. Step 8 was the killer. I did everyone's step 8.<br />
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Warning to rookie craft RE teachers.<br />
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Don' decide that origami boxes with eight year olds are a good idea. <br />
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Stick to paper plates and pre-cut paper people.wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-61952300877413867022014-10-08T22:09:00.003+10:002014-10-08T22:09:59.877+10:00haven't been here in a whileAll my intentions of blogging fell in a heap of just doing stuff and not writing about it.<br />
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Soz about that.<br />
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So it's October already!<br />
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In August I went to Fiji with my mate Katy and her kids. Someone had to help her have her holiday. I shouldered the burden. I'm helpful like that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoPopzbfzzLqv_cLRZIjlqw0HugSJsONjTdJkySegqgICOdCFG-bzTE-7QLc3Y0ngXBVEruAaOp2p1q0yp9sTf-uw3W28cPQ4-IoQhhsYPaCIakKfi2l4bRbkX9nejwWS6gjUgYErHa4/s1600/IMG_0830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoPopzbfzzLqv_cLRZIjlqw0HugSJsONjTdJkySegqgICOdCFG-bzTE-7QLc3Y0ngXBVEruAaOp2p1q0yp9sTf-uw3W28cPQ4-IoQhhsYPaCIakKfi2l4bRbkX9nejwWS6gjUgYErHa4/s1600/IMG_0830.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OXbYEVFhYlAKgcASqTcW-T1MJsRsKbjRo4azbaQDebI7bVwzEVwf_6gpLYlU5_PgTsVVpcA_JtlomTv7Dxj2npJL3SehYTIPOTzadDUXSHc0dhIWw1vZF9E1PiiEmLz7VOKP4IT4-EQ/s1600/IMG_0833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0OXbYEVFhYlAKgcASqTcW-T1MJsRsKbjRo4azbaQDebI7bVwzEVwf_6gpLYlU5_PgTsVVpcA_JtlomTv7Dxj2npJL3SehYTIPOTzadDUXSHc0dhIWw1vZF9E1PiiEmLz7VOKP4IT4-EQ/s1600/IMG_0833.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mocktails at sunset. That's mocktails. Shmocktails.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoxrItqXdYesH7vVzleBnYtgjiIFhy0Q96A1oKqJ69xqwbC9CxoPZC3bp5D8-jLonKkUlEn8qhGIlXDmr-5uUw9sT9tTeXkykBSmLMbDenxXHq5coNQ81y-AogPPvUU_BZ9zlE7w5lBc/s1600/IMG_0835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoxrItqXdYesH7vVzleBnYtgjiIFhy0Q96A1oKqJ69xqwbC9CxoPZC3bp5D8-jLonKkUlEn8qhGIlXDmr-5uUw9sT9tTeXkykBSmLMbDenxXHq5coNQ81y-AogPPvUU_BZ9zlE7w5lBc/s1600/IMG_0835.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to sit and wactch the sunset and contemplate things.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scuba diving in the pool. I am too cheap to go in the real ocean. And probably too scared.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got covered in mud by that tall Fijian strolling around behind us. His job was to walk around covered in mud all day. We reasoned that since the mud had healing properties, the Filian had started his working life as an arthritic-ridden seventy year old man, and the mud has transformed him into a tall young strapping Fijian. He didn't it was as funny as we did.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a boat with some wine. Lucky we were wearing our most attractive life vests.</td></tr>
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<br />
Thanks August for being pretty good.<br />
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September was also good...I will try and catch up on that soon.<br />
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Although my 2014 track record is poor...wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-1567073102522989702014-07-25T20:02:00.000+10:002014-07-25T20:02:03.657+10:00perfect cadenceI have been having some excellent communicative moments at work lately. Which is good, because that is pretty much the core business of my job as a speech pathologist. Reflecting on it, I think it has a lot to do with persistence, consistence, relationships, risk-taking, trust and perfect cadences.<br />
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<b>persistence</b> - I have kept going with these little people with complex communication needs. Sometimes it does not happen at that minute. Or that day. But each time I talk with them, or model something with them, or listen to them, or watch them carefully, another dot is filled in in their painting of their communication and relationship with the world. Each time I encourage others to see how their kids are communicating it fills in another tiny piece of their puzzle. It is definitely not all up to me - I would say my job is like a tugboat gently nudging the big ship along a course, a multimodal communicative course. I speak goals around the kids - 'I am going to love having a roast dinner with you at graduation (to a little person who has trouble eating anything)', 'I can't wait to get an email from you (to another little person who is just starting to learn letters for her name on an alphabet chart)', 'You are going to make a great speech one day' ( to another little person who is just starting to explore sounds).<br />
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<b>consistence - </b>turning up is really important. The rhythm and expectation that you will come builds a trust, and you are ready to communicate more. Today, when I was feeling less than well and not quite on top of my game for most of my sessions, turning up was the thing that was most important for one boy. He was happy to see me at the same time, in the same place, and he concentrated for such a long time and we had such beautiful moments with playdough play. Mostly because I turned up. Not because I had a flashy session planned.<br />
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<b>relationships</b> - it's hard to explain to the university students that do prac with me, but hanging out is really important. It is the 'hot air' of relationships, the chatter, the stories, that underpin most of our communication. This counts for the people I work with as much as the kids. It's hard to write notes on, and hard to write SMART goals for, but the hanging out time is one of the most important things I do.<br />
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<b>risk-taking</b> - sometimes communication is all about risks. And if it is something you are not good at, and have failed at a lot, and you have complex communication needs, there needs to be a lot of <b>trust </b>with your communication partner that they will understand you and will not let you down, If you are going to have a go at saying it, whatever way you can, you need to be sure you will be understood. Building rhythms and rhymes, and s p a c e , into the conversations helps the kids take risks. It's ok. I will wait for you.<br />
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which leads me to<br />
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<b>perfect cadences - </b>that sense, in music, that you want something to resolve well. To not leave it hanging, discordant, but that you want it to finish with a 'ahhh' that strums in your heart. Sometimes communication happens like that - I send out a question, a comment, an unfinished sentence, a gesture, a picture model, and the student finishes it for me with ...........whatever is needed. Ahhh. That's what I was hoping for. That we would connect, and join in the moment together.<br />
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So I have had so many of these moments lately with students. Their steps are tiny but so large at the same time. It warms the cockles of my speechie heart.wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-38593337863854633372014-07-23T20:12:00.000+10:002014-07-25T20:13:07.005+10:00my pretty girlsMy children are enormous.<br />
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I know that it happens.<br />
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But it HAPPENED.<br />
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I must have fed them or something. Or given in to the constant 'I'm hungryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy'.<br />
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Proud of them.<br />
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Now to put bricks on their heads so I don't end up the shortest one in this family.<br />
<br />wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-76433278496962186222014-06-08T19:37:00.002+10:002014-06-08T19:37:56.193+10:00just say yesI don't even know what happened to May. Let's just make it non-blogging month - because I maybe was just too busy saying yes to doing cool stuff. Here's some of the things I said 'yes' to:<br />
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- being in a choir concert with the QLD Pops Orchestra where I got to fire a CONFETTI CANNON during the 1812 overture . Yep, I was allowed to shoot confetti all over the audience at QPAC - I was nervous I would get the timing wrong but the conductor was very clear - da da da da da da da da da daaaaa BOOM<br />
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- walking and walking and walking in preparation for the Bridge to Brisbane - I am not going to jog it but I am going to walk it. Unfortunately my walking has not eventuated into Less Of Me yet....<br />
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- going to the very cool and inspiring Spectronics Inclusive Technologies conference - I presented on the first day in the first session (best conference timeslot ever) on working with Boardmaker in villages in Kyrgyzstan - and then spent the rest of the week soaking up knowledge and ideas from like minded people from all over the world - I have so many ideas to implement at work<br />
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- talking of work - saying 'yes' to having university students on prac with me - I never realise how much of my job is chatting and relationship building until I have a student standing next to me, probably drumming her fingers in her mind<br />
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- saying 'yes' to being in another choir performance of Boadecia - all about the Celtic Warrior Queen - lots of intense singing, blood and drama<br />
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- working towards our mid year holiday program at church and writing scripts for dramas - let's just say I managed to get a stampede of teenagers in animal onesies into the script. Writing songs to record for the kids holiday program<br />
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- teaching every week with my wonderful grade threes in their RE lessons - we are working our way through the Old Testament stories. I like to make their eyes go huge when we do the stories about how cool God's big plan is.<br />
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- becoming a sporting mum - Gab has started playing hockey this season. I am now the one that screeches across the field GO GABBY. Although most of the time I have no idea what she is supposed to be doing. They all look so tough with their shinpads and mouthguards and sticks...<br />
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- cooking and eating and participating in Bake and Share (possibly one of the reasons why there is not Less Of Me - see above)<br />
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- hanging out with friends, hanging out with family, partying, joining Twitter<br />
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- reading books for bookclub and for myself, learning from 1 Peter about being brave and kind with the gospel<br />
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- making sure I watch every episode of Orphan Black<br />
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- music concerts, music practices, homework, washing, ironing, cooking, tidying<br />
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Why doesn't the bathroom clean itself - doesn't it know I have Confetti Cannons to Fire?!<br />
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This is one of those times where I feel I am grabbing the opportunities as they come up. Saying 'yes'. Giving things a go. Because it doesn't have to be perfect all the time. If you wait for the right time, it will never happen. <br />
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Just say yes.wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-44293665284092507482014-04-27T20:49:00.002+10:002014-04-27T20:49:37.099+10:00an autumnic weddingLast week we made the trip south to a picturesque Armidale for a special wedding - for my mother-in-law. It is not really my story to tell of their autumn romance. But it was a happy occasion. And I can tell the story of our trip to see it.<br />
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We got all dressed up in our bestest best best. This had involved MANY discussions and preparation. Gabby had even packed a plastic snaplock bag in her suitcase called 'Granny's wedding outfit'. I learned how to do a fishbraid.<br />
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This is another bit of the family all dressed up. Hanging our with cousins rocks.</div>
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I had optimistically packed a sleeveless silk dress to wear to the wedding. I didn't really think through the coldness of a brick cathedral in Armidale in autumn. I wore my back up outfit (because I definitely didn't pack light this trip as we were driving down - I had a couple of back up outfits).</div>
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And they got married. To the lovely liturgy of the old Anglican wedding service. The rhythms of the words that have been said for centuries.<br />
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We surprised them by singing a song that all of their children had practised - in a four part arrangement. It was an achievement getting everyone together to practise without the wedding couple finding out. We had to be quite sneaky....<br />
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And now we have a super big family - kids, spouses, more kids, cousins, in-laws, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunties, daughters, sons. One granny. And new relationships.<br />
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It was such a good week of meeting and playing with everyone. Remembering new beginnings at Easter.<br />
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They had a BBQ tea reception and twin croquembouches. I am wiping a little piece of drool off thinking about those delicious custard filled pastries drizzled with toffee.<br />
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On Easter Sunday we went on an Easter picnic after church. Kass (my exceptionally creative sister-in-law) had created this amazing pinata.<br />
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Ella made short work of it. Easter eggs flew everywhere. There was a flurry and a scramble from all the cousins to grab the eggs and avoid the patch of stinging nettles.<br />
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Where there is a creek boys will chuck rocks into it. And judge each other's performance. And be competitive about it.<br />
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Victorious easter egg hunt competitor.<br />
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Where there is water kids will get into it and fall in. Even when it is a chilly Armidale afternoon.<br />
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It was such a good week with family. Thankful.wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-69663761723520690592014-04-15T10:46:00.002+10:002014-04-15T10:46:52.585+10:00BBQ Stories - trying to set up an Easter Egg hunt...This seems a good time of year to tell the story of when I tried to set up an Easter Egg hunt for my children. <br />
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Chris was away for the Easter long weekend (maybe at EasterFest...can't remember - important part was he was away). I was looking after the girls at home - they would have been about five and seven years old. I decided that for Easter morning I would make an amazing Easter Egg hunt.<br />
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(WARNING: STOP READING NOW IF YOU THINK THE EASTER BUNNY LEAVES THE EGGS AND THE TOOTH FAIRY LEAVES THE MONEY AND CLOTHES MAGICALLY WASH THEMSELVES AND MONEY GROWS ON TREES...)<br />
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I made clues to follow and left little puzzles for them. I even drew a MAP. I placed about 16 medium sized eggs out in the garden late on Saturday night. I cunningly hid them in the treehouse, under the stairs, in the letterbox, under leaves - not too tricky, not too easy. My girls could sniff out chocolate with their eyes closed (I like to think that is a genetic trait from me).<br />
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We woke up excitedly on Easter morning. I wanted to do my AMAZING treasure egg finding eggstranvaganza before we went to church. I gave the girls the map and instructions. And let them run outside. I was listening for the shouts of laughter and happy giggles.<br />
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What I heard was disappointed moans.<br />
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I went out to investigate, trying to subtly check if the eggs were still in the right place.<br />
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No eggs.<br />
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Anywhere.<br />
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I did find little scraps of foil wrapper hidden in the treehouse and scattered among the leaves.<br />
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All I can surmise is that somewhere in a treetop was a very ill chocolate filled possum.<br />
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And the girls had no eggs from us that Easter.wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-13372795721000934402014-04-14T10:14:00.000+10:002014-04-14T21:41:56.348+10:0013 things I have learned being the mum of a picky eater who now eatsWhile I am in reflection mode I thought I would remember the years of dealing with my picky eating second daughter. The things I learned and the parenting fails.<br />
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1. Eating is so emotionally powerful. If they couldn't control anything else in their life they could control where and when they opened their mouths. I have (mostly) learned not to take it as a personal rejection if they refuse the meal I had spent ages over. My identity as a mother is not around whether my children praise me for every morsel I feed them. My job is to consistently serve up healthy balanced meals and model how to eat it.<br />
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2. I just needed to BACK OFF. I have found that if we had the expectation that she would sit with us at mealtimes, and presented her food, then merrily eat around her and talk about different things, most of the time she might try what is in front of her.<br />
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3. Telling her about research helped. I informed her that most of the children around the world, regardless of country and age, take about 20-25 minutes to have a meal. Beyond that it is mucking around and wasting energy. So mealtimes became a 30 minute routine - washing hands (sensory getting ready), eating together, and cleaning up your plate. This completely took the pressure off sitting and waiting for her to finish eating.<br />
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4. Having a stable posture really made a difference. My child would spend half of the dinner time upside down, running around the table or swinging on the chair. Giving her a 90-90-90 (feet, knees, hips) sitting position helped unbelievably. I used phone books under her feet and/or the little step Ikea stool. She didn't have to worry that her body was swinging around in space and could concentrate more on the different textures in her food.<br />
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5. We changed most of our meals to family style serving - when you put out all of the food and let her choose what she would like to eat and how much. And we included a safe food that we knew she would eat. For example, when I made slow cooker stew (which she hated) I served bread slices with it (which she loved). She gradually started dipping her bread into the stew and trying it. And I didn't say anything or force her too, but just modelled how to do it. We eat a lot of wrap meals - tacos, burritos, lamb wraps, rice paper rolls etc. And I hide some vegies in sauces (eg minced zucchini in spaghetti sauce).<br />
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6. She was involved in the cooking - both at home and at school. They have had the Stephanie Alexander program running at school, which has been amazing. The flavour combinations are complex and the things they eat straight out of the garden are so fresh. My daughter has started eating recipes she has done at school that include all sorts of things she had never tried before.<br />
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7. We have a meal plan. She can see for the week what I am planning to cook and plan for it in her mind. If it is something she doesn't really like she has a few days to work up to it. I have been cooking my way through a Jamie Oliver cookbook - so some of the flavours are really different for her. But with warning she copes really well.<br />
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8. Dessert night - we have dessert once a week on family night. If you finish your meal or not you still get dessert. On other nights if you finish your meal or not you don't get dessert. Finishing her broccoli has not become dependent on whether you get icecream. And we have made pretty good desserts.<br />
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9. Having both parents model good eating and <b>be calm</b> about food intake. I have learned this the hard way about not getting emotionally attached.<br />
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10. Recognising that sometimes I was getting her to try the most sensorily difficult food at the times when she was the most tired eg stir fry for dinner (all different textures and tastes mixed in together). I give her more veges and meat earlier in the day when it is calmer - leftovers for breakfast, celery and carrot sticks for morning tea, beef burgers for lunch<br />
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11. Encouraging her to try something at least 15 times before she knows she doesn't eat it. For example, she never really liked fish/seafood. In fact hates them. I kept offering it, until she threw up some dumplings that had prawn in them. I am fairly certain she may be allergic to seafood (like her grandad). I work around it now. Although I kept offering tomatoes in different formats, and now she eats cherry tomatoes and chopped up tomatoes in a salsa.<br />
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12. Letting her pack her own lunchbox and choose what to eat out if it. I made a list of all the options she could have in her lunch box and gave her the control. Of course all of the options I gave her I was happy with her eating (eg fruit, crackers, some home baking). When she was a toddler I used to pack her lunchbox and say to her - 'you can have anything you like out of there, I don't mind'. She controlled what she ate and when. I controlled what went into the lunchbox.<br />
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13. Kids learn to eat by eating. All that messy-food everywhere-putting anything and everything in their mouth-experimentation stage is building up their sensory system to try different tastes and textures and get their mouth ready for eating. Some kids, like mine, take a while to get used to new things, so building up their tolerances slowly, carefully and calmly, possibly over years, is really important. Being <b>persistent</b> and <b>consistent</b> pays off. It may be just sitting at the table while the scary despised food is there. It may be being able to take her to someone's house for a BBQ and knowing that I didn't have to bring a separate meal. I needed to celebrate the wins.<br />
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Of course, I have only had a picky eater, not a true fussy feeder. I work with some kids who need such support with their eating due to major sensory and physical difficulties. It is a long road for some kids - but I am there to support them. I will never ever say 'they'll eat when they're hungry'. Some kids just don't.<br />
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I have learned that stand-offs at mealtimes are no fun for anyone, and we descended into power struggles that nobody won. We have still not got there totally, but our mealtimes are a lot calmer and more enjoyable. And I don't dread cooking, fearing it would be left abandoned on a lonely plate.<br />
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Although I have well-fed chickens and a satisfied dog.<br />
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<i>NB I have attended a S<a href="http://www.sosapproach-conferences.com/">OS Picky Eaters and Fussy Feeders course with Dr Kay Toomey</a> which is where a lot of this information comes from - it kind of changed my life with eating a bit. I also really recommend the book '<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Child-Mine-Feeding-Revised-Updated/dp/0923521518">Child of Mine</a>' by Ellyn Satter.</i>wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-33102807065816284262014-04-12T17:45:00.003+10:002014-04-12T17:50:31.259+10:00when your baby is positive and all you are is negative<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">This is a bit of a flashback blog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">During my pregnancy with Gab, when I had the 28 week blood tests,
I got one of those phone calls from the GP - 'can you please come back, there's
something not right about your results</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">'.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">Gulp.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">Heart in my mouth I went back to my wonderful doctor, who had
picked up that my titre levels were rising. At that point I had no idea
what that meant. I nodded, went uh huh, and went off to have another scan
of my growing little baby.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">I learned that Titre Levels Rising did not mean I was eating way
too much chocolate that was good for the baby (as I had suspected), but that my
body was creating antibodies against my baby. I was treating her like a
foreign object in my blood. My body was trying hard to expel her.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">She had positive blood. I am RH negative (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rh_disease">here's a definition</a>).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">At some point between 12 and 28 weeks in my
pregnancy there had been a bleed/some kind of blood transfer between her and
me. I have never really got a full answer on this, but sometimes it just
happens. Usually it is okay (eg positive and positive), but positive and
negative blood mixing is BAD. I had had a needle to prevent further
difficulties after my first baby - but somehow it didn't work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Basically, Gab was in danger of my body rejecting her.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">So then came the scans and blood tests every week. Testing the level of antibodies in my blood, and testing her development of heart, brain and lungs. The balancing game of keeping her in utero as long as possible to develop and bringing her out before my body attacked her too much.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I remember so clearly the afternoon it was decided that she needed to come out. I had waited for my blood test results at the Mater, and the doctor said - 'levels too high. Go home, pack your bag, she's coming out this afternoon.' I had made it to 36 and a half weeks.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I was induced.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Nuff said.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Then I met my beautiful little surprisingly red haired Gabrielle, got to hold her for about half an hour before she went off to the intensive nursery for severe jaundice.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Here she is having her UV treatment.</span></span><br />
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She had to wear little baby sunglasses and be tube fed for a while.<br />
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That's one jaundiced baby.<br />
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When we bought her home (after a two week stay in the hospital) she came with her own glowing bili-blanket to continue to help get rid of the jaundice 24/7. She slept with me in bed, and it was like sleeping with a little glowworm. She became our Gabby Glow-worm.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">I had to leave her in hospital and come home before her. I was remarkably well physically. Leaving my little baby there and having to go and visit her to express milk was a dark dark time. Expressing milk at the hospital is really not fun.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">There were lots of things to be thankful about however.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">- clever GPs who picked up on the initial diagnosis - if I had carried her to term there may have been severe consequences (illness, stillbirth)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">- amazing hospital staff who cared so well for her and me</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">- the scientists who researched about this condition and came up with a simple resolution for most people (a preventative needle and UV treatment)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">- Gab didn't need blood transfusions when she was born</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">- a wonderful husband who was a calm rock through all this, and dealing with an older toddler</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">- a now beautiful healthy slightly crazy girl</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Now I carry antibodies in my blood. If I got pregnant again I may have to have inter-uterine transfusions, or I might have miscarriages, or have a very pre-term baby. Chris and I decided (after talking to a genetic counsellor - what a cool job) not to go for baby three.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The blood bank loves me to the point of stalking me. I have O negative blood with the antibodies in that they use to make the needles for other Rh negative mothers. And I can pump out 600ml in five minutes.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I am so grateful for the gift of Gab.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;">Thanks God.</span>wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-32694305279400170832014-04-06T13:44:00.001+10:002014-04-06T13:44:57.478+10:00keeping the chickens happyMy chickens have turned their space into a barren dirt wasteland. So I decided to use bits and bobs from around the house to make them an on tap gourmet green pick area for the days when I don't let them out into the yard (when I am at work, or out, or lazy, or have just mulched the garden and do not want it kicked everywhere).<br />
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I started with some spare bricks and made them into a little square.<br />
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I also had an old bath and a wheelbarrow full of dirt and chook poop.<br />
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I put some chicken wire over the top and planted some grass seed. After about a week (in which it fortunately rained quite a lot), the seeds sprouted, letting the chickens peck the top of the grass without being able to pull out the roots or kick the dirt around.<br />
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Design features I might change in the future are using 'stiff' wire rather than chicken wire so the chooks can't walk across it and trample all over the growing grass.<br />
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But they seem pretty happy with their new green area in their enclosure.<br />
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Happy chooks. Four eggs a day. Yum.wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-71465251749113348732014-03-16T15:19:00.001+10:002014-03-16T15:19:07.576+10:00BBQ stories - read the price at a restaurant...carefullyTime for another story that I often tell at BBQs - mostly when the conversation turns to restaurants and expensive meals.<br />
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When we were living in Krygyzstan in 1999 Chris and I gave ourselves a budget of about $30 a week for food - which was entirely sensible considering the markets were really cheap, and you could have a meal out at a cafe for about $2 for a drink and noodle soup.<br />
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So some American friends we had made invited me out to lunch at the new sushi place in town. I got really excited to come, as we had been living there for about five months, and I had no had sushi for a while. So I took 40 som with me (about $4 at the time), ready to have lunch with my friends (Chris couldn't come for some reason....maybe this story would have turned out better with his eye for detail..). Funnily enough three were no locals at this restaurant, but we put this down to Krygyz possibly not knowing about how yummy susih was yet. <br />
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When we looked at the menu it had a whole range of delicious options, set out like this:<br />
Little bit of Sushi 30<br />
More sushi 50<br />
Platter of sushi 100<br />
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No monetary symbols next to the prices. I assumed the prices were in som. We ordered a platter of sushi between three of us, and gobbled it up.<br />
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In going to pay the bill it was discovered the prices were in American dollars. I had just spent our whole month's food budget on one third of a platter of (not very good) sushi. And I only had $2 cash on me.<br />
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Fortunately my American friends were walking around with wads of cash (?!) and were able to pay, and I had to shrink back home, find our emergency American dollar cash, and pay them back. Embarrassing.<br />
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But I learnt my lesson.<br />
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Always take Chris and his budgety nose for detail out for lunch.wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-59790502151217286842014-03-07T19:33:00.001+10:002014-03-10T11:37:34.098+10:00bake and shareWhy has this not happened before in my life?!<br />
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This is between myself and four of my friends. We all have children. We all need to feed the children school lunches everyday (these so-called "children" are so needy with their eating). We all like to feed the children food that is not processed very much/more on the home baked style. We all need a bit of incentive to cook.<br />
<br />
Hence...<br />
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Bake and Share.<br />
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Every fortnight I bake a double batch of whatever I am going to cook for school lunches, then divide it into five. Everyone else does the same. It means you get five different varieties of lunchbox edibles baked by awesome people.<br />
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Your freezer is filled with this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Fre3t5boJpZ7t20jmLHDkxkNhsCx9QRDWXrL-iyK2XFFa0jBQhZLntBNq5ZOIXk6BGa9XcUX1-0-cQYtO88NjLje5SqvkNWaiRTI1FS0uTn8YP7-uP0Au9Qpexxoz8WnMo4fpT6WNEA/s1600/1601423_10202883692111340_627067959_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Fre3t5boJpZ7t20jmLHDkxkNhsCx9QRDWXrL-iyK2XFFa0jBQhZLntBNq5ZOIXk6BGa9XcUX1-0-cQYtO88NjLje5SqvkNWaiRTI1FS0uTn8YP7-uP0Au9Qpexxoz8WnMo4fpT6WNEA/s1600/1601423_10202883692111340_627067959_n.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a><br />
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The rules (after four swaps) seem to be:<br />
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- you get about 20-24 little pieces of something<br />
- it needs to be freezable<br />
- it needs to be fairly kid friendly - the children it is going to range in ages from 2 - 17<br />
- there is a mixture of sweet and savoury - but it is a surprise as to what turns up<br />
- there is total honesty whether the baking has been eaten or not...<br />
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Fortunately none of the kids have allergies (although there are a couple of picky eaters and a no nuts policy for school). I feel like I am the weak link a bit with baking, but it has made me explore slice recipes a lot - as these are easy to cook in bulk and easy to divide into 100 pieces.<br />
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I love it. I must admit I have been taking some Bake and Share to work for my lunch, and maybe pulling out a few biccies when guests pop over. The girls love having different foods for their lunchboxes, and love knowing that their friends' mums have cooked for them. It is giving a real sense of community with our families.<br />
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And I can't help thinking.....<br />
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Dinner and Share<br />
Housework and Share<br />
Garden and Share....<br />
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<br />wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-55425698569880717792014-03-06T19:41:00.000+10:002014-03-07T19:42:07.473+10:00almost two laps of butterflyI have taken up swimming squad again. After a short break of 30 years, I decided to hit the local school pool and do squad with the grade 6 kids at 6.30 in the morning. This morning was even raining as I trained. I felt completely HARD CORE.<br />
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It has not taken that long for my body to get used to swimming again. I also swim much further with the subtle peer pressure of the kids and the coach. So I am averaging about two kilometres each training session - MUCH further than I would swim on my own.<br />
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I set myself the goal of swimming two laps of butterfly (in the 25m school pool). I look kind of like a drowning person flailing about - but this morning I nearly made it. With flippers on.<br />
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Not like this<br />
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More like this<br />
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But I am nearly there. I am so competitive and determined like that. If there is a ten year old to beat in a lap of butterfly, I say BRING IT.<br />
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There are four more weeks of squad for the season. I hope I can reach my goal. Then I will have to find a winter sport...wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-4990095120013355832014-02-24T12:07:00.002+10:002014-02-24T12:07:28.127+10:00the teenage room renovationAfter much planning and doing - the teenage room renovation is pretty much complete. Considering I last decorated her room just after she was born, I figure a new life stage deserved a new look room. SHe had really enough of the yellow walls. Annika has been fairly patient with sleeping in a renovation site with hacksaws, paint trays, powertools and screws everywhere. She is really happy with the result. So am I.<br />
<br />
From this:<br />
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To this:<br />
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a handy place to put her bags and bits<br />
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Love a wall sticker. Especially one for $20 (from Ikea)</div>
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We painted chalkboard paint on her cupboard door so she can draw and.....stuff...<br />
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Sh choose this wonderful greeny blue colour for a feature wall, and she though of the idea of putting little black boxes on it.<br />
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There was a tiny bit of yellow remaining in her bed linen..<br />
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The room feels fresher and lighter and more grown up. We re-plastered, got new fans and powerpoints, painted, put in new blinds and curtains, and a few new accessories (thanks Ikea for having matching accessories to tie in with the theme of black/white/trees/birds - does the theme or the availability of the theme at Ikea come first?.....). We completely tidied out her built in cupboard and desk drawers, and de-cluttered. We kept the same furniture, but Chris re-sanded and lacquered the bedside table. So the total cost of re-doing the room was kept to budget.<br />
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Now she just has to keep it clean.<br />
<br />wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509631135341930469.post-12287420315725137662014-02-07T13:04:00.002+10:002014-02-07T13:04:52.453+10:00shed issuesI have been having a massive declutter at our house, kind of inspired by <a href="http://noreadingatthebreakfasttable.blogspot.com.au/">Jenny</a>, and I decided to start in the shed. I have an old cupboard that is full of boxes with toys and craft supplies. I had carefully put in a drawer some rolls of paper that I thought would come in handy for RE one day. When I was pulling boxes out of the cupboard I opened the the drawer and found this.<br />
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Although I also saw a fat rat bottom and seven baby rats.<br />
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I quickly closed the drawer and hoped the problem would go away.<br />
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It didn't.<br />
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Our house is a bit of a rat party frat house, with chicken scraps freely available and beautiful drawers filled with paper to nest in. There is even a macadamia tree next door to collect the tasty tasty nuts.<br />
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But I didn't want to live with what was potentially a dozen healthy huge rats in the shed. So we put out rat poison. And then some young male friends 'disposed' of the baby rats quickly and humanely (using such tools as a shovel).<br />
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But I had to gird my loins and still clean out the cupboard from the rat infestation. So last weekend I spent five hours de-constructing rat nests, vacuuming up rat poo and cleaning our toy boxes. As I pulled down a suitcase from the top of the cupboard, a rat that had chosen the top of the suitcase as it's final resting place decided to fall on my head. A dead rat shower. I screeched and leapt around the backyard.<br />
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I could not shower enough that afternoon.<br />
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Our shed is now much cleaner, and I am eagerly awaiting council pickup to throw the cupboard out onto the street.<br />
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What we need is a ratting terrior.<br />
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I will continue the de-cluttering inside for a while I think.<br />
<br />wide eyedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15360956193065273571noreply@blogger.com0