surviving a teenage birthday party

Every three years we have a party for the girls - 3, 6, 9, 12, 15....

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.

 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.

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.

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.

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.

Happy birthday my very grown up person who is kind of a mini me - but taller.....

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.

spartan terrified

So 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'.

The fitness group has enrolled in the Spartan Race.  I got caught up in the impulsiveness of it and the peer pressure and entered.

Now I am terrified.

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.

What I think I may look like in my mind

What will probably actually happen.

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.

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.

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.

Spartan Terrified......stay tuned

Flashback - Carols 2015

Carols at church 2015 was super fun and praiseworthy.

Dancers...

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...

Drama of Luke 1-2 - two unexpected babies - John then Jesus.  Excellent performances by a very introverted cast

Gab loved the dance.  I saw several loungeroom performances before the actual event.

Chris spoke about the joy of Christmas.

Repeat the sounding joy.

So so good.

Repeat the sounding joy.

ok that's so gross

Gross story alert.

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.

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.

Anyway, the smell lingered and lingered, wafting through the hallways and not going away.

Until we tracked the source.

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.

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.

Come on ants.  Do what God designed you for.  Nature's clean up crew.

just keep swimming

For much of 2015 my view was a watery black line as I trundled up and down a pool.

Mostly this pool.

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.

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.

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....

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.

Swimming has helped my mental health and calmness in 2015 - I get agitated without pool time now.  Thanks swimming.

I plan to continue.  Until I can swim out of my current swimmers into a smaller pair.  And then swim some more.

New Year.....resolutions

It 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)

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.

2015 for me was great.  I even ticked a few of the New Year's resolution boxes - something I have never really done.
- 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.
- 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
- 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
- I swam a kilometre consistently for about 3-4 times a week all year, even in winter!
- I completed a mini-triathlon

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.

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.

hmmmmm, goals for 2016
- blog at least twice a week
- continue on the downward weight path
- be able to slowly jog all of Park Run (5 km!)
- do another couple of triathlons
- read all of the books in book club
- continue to shop ethically

- and set my heart for forgiveness

The Gap Disappears

There'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.

But recently I have noticed one thing.

The Gap has disappeared.

The Gap between when I go to bed and when they go to bed.

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.

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.

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.

I will have to find another time for my Gap activities....

and never reveal where the chocolate is.

#swimaKeveryday

I made a big promise/resolution/decision in January - that I would try and swim a kilometre a day.  For as long as I could.

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.

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.

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.

I am getting big swimmers shoulders...but I kind of had those already.  Now I just deserve to have them.

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.

Just keep swimming.....

flashback - Gab graduates

Due 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.

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.

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.

Check it.

Oh to be 11 with long red curly hair and legs that go forever.

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.

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.

Very proud of her,  She was awesome.

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..

I kind of forgot that I graduated primary school too in 2014.

Chin up.  What can possibly go wrong in highschool?

Scooter and her bad boy dog crush

One 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.

Other new year's resolutions include:
- learning how to make shortcrust pastry
- not buying any new clothes (excluding underwear and swimmers) - use what I have and opshop all the way
- 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
- 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)
- reading War and Peace
...
and whatever else I decide to try!

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.

Scooter could not leave Charlie alone.

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.

 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.

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.

Scooter loved it and would come back for more every time.  Treat me mean.  I'm yours.

It was slightly embarassing to be the owner of a complete Charlie fangirl.

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.

And I thought I would have to deal with my daughter's crushes.....not the dog's.

craft for year 3 RE

So 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.

Apart from the origami disaster of term 3 2014.  But let's not speak of that.

The craft has to be:
- fitting in with the theme or story for the week - even if it is a very long bow being drawn...
- 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)
- easy to do in 10-15 minutes
- yet complex enough to engage interest
- 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)
- 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...
- 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

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.

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.

And I will never try origami again.  I don't even have a photo of it...

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

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

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

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

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

Story of the Holy Spirit like a dove coming down on Jesus - felt dove, scoobidoo string, googly eye

 Random little cardboard people that are useful for heaps of stories

Rainbow paper craft for the story of Noah - different coloured paper cut in increasingly smaller strips then stapled, says 'God keeps His promises

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

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.

Except for the origami boxes.

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.

Warning to rookie craft RE teachers.

Don' decide that origami boxes with eight year olds are a good idea.

Stick to paper plates and pre-cut paper people.

haven't been here in a while

All my intentions of blogging fell in a heap of just doing stuff and not writing about it.

Soz about that.

So it's October already!

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.

mocktails at sunset.  That's mocktails.  Shmocktails.

I had to sit and wactch the sunset and contemplate things.

Scuba diving in the pool.  I am too cheap to go in the real ocean.  And probably too scared.

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.

On a boat with some wine.  Lucky we were wearing our most attractive life vests.

Thanks August for being pretty good.

September was also good...I will try and catch up on that soon.

Although my 2014 track record is poor...

perfect cadence

I 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.

persistence - 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).

consistence - 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.

relationships - 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.

risk-taking - 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 trust 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.

which leads me to

perfect cadences - 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.

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.

my pretty girls

My children are enormous.

I know that it happens.

But it HAPPENED.

I must have fed them or something.  Or given in to the constant 'I'm hungryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy'.

Proud of them.

Now to put bricks on their heads so I don't end up the shortest one in this family.