I met a problem solver

I have been teaching year three RE (Religious Education) all year on a Thursday morning.  It is a volunteer job - I love it.  The 8 year olds are really fun and curious, and it is great to enter into their classroom and share in their lives.  They love being craftastic and dramatic.

However, there has been one little problem each week.  They are so keen to be helpful and carry my bags to the next classroom that an almost fight breaks out as to who is going to carry my bag.  Each week I try to pick different kids, but sometimes I just choose the child who is In My Face.

Last week a dear girl put up her hand and suggested that pulling names out of a bag would be a better solution.  I promptly delegated back and said great idea, do you want to organise it.

So this week I turned up on Thursday and was presented with this

She had gone above and beyond.  Covered, labelled, names inside.  I had met one of life's problem solvers.  Who solved problems with grace and style.  I wouldn't be surprised if I saw her name in a few years working out solutions to cancer, or traffic problems, or global warming, or anything she put her mind too.  She is one of those bright as a button kids.  And the rest of the kids in the class accepted the names pulled out of the tin to be my helpers graciously and well.

What a privilege.

triple words float my boat

I have always loved playing Scrabble.  I love the way your brain has to work to figure out how the letters go together.  It is like maths.  And I love how you need to know a lot of words to do well.  Like English.  I love how it hasn't changed the rules my whole life, and I have friendships based on playing a game of Scrabble together.  Old rivalries and cups of tea within a rhythm of a relationship.

When I was younger my goal was to beat my dad.  Then my goal was to make as many words in a square as I could.  Now I play Words with Friends with three people, having several turns a day, and my goal is just to beat them (competitive much?).

For my birthday this year I received a lovely delux Scrabble board, and a scrabble mug, and a scrabble key ring....

I think people know I like Scrabble.

Sunshine Coast quick trip

School holidays are great.  Time to nip up to the Sunshine Coast for a beach fix.  Time to finish my novel for bookclub.  Time to drink tea with friends.  Time to take the dog in the waves.  Time to eat delicious lunch with mum.

Thanks Sunshine Coast for turning on the most amazing weather!

We barbecued in the park

We gymnasticed on the beach

We talked and talked and talked

We made human child pyramids

We jumped at sunset

We posed

We ate fish and chips and swam

We collected a beach of shells (really, what do you do with the shells when you get home...)

Still got sand between my toes and suncream on my ears.  Ahhh, the beach.

buying new swimmers is the WORST

With the change of season here it is time to get new swimmers.  Over winter children have grown taller and having a wedgie with  your swimmers is not acceptable at school swimming.  For some reason the elastic in rashies is designed to last about three months, so they collapse halfway through the summer season and the girls emerge from the surf wearing a sort of elastic dress.

So off we went to the shops for hopefully an easy purchase of new togs for school.  HA!

Maybe I am the only mother in Brisbane who doesn't want her 10 and 12 year old wearing push up bra bikinis.  I am pretty sure my ten year old does not need padding on top.  It was very difficult to find just a one piece normal shaped swimmer.  And with a rashie to match - because their white white pale skin BURNS so easily.  We finally settled on Speedos (thank you speedos for not changing your design.  Ever.), even though they were pushing the budget they were not pushing top padding.

I also needed new swimmers.  When the elastic disintegrates around your arms and you are swimming freestyle laps...it gets a little bit TOO freestyle.  I grabbed a pair of speedos without even trying them on in the shop (because really, I would rather eat a ball of hair than happily try on several pairs of swimmers in the shops) - fortunately they mostly fit except for the back fat.  This I plan to get rid of with my lap swimming.

I broke in my new swimmers by doing a quick km in the pool.  All good.

And hopefully the agony of buying new swimmers is over for another year.

This is exactly how I look in my new swimmers.  Focused.  Fit. In my head.

running away to join the circus

After a concerted pleading effort by my oldest daughter in the first half of the year - I relented and let her do circus classes.  With flying trapeze.

It is a bit of an unusual extra-curricular thing to do - but she loves it.  I think it is awesome for her fitness and trust and self-confidence and meeting different kids.  She loves the flying trapeze and the tissu.

You can check her out getting a catch on the trapeze here:
/http://www.streaka.com/profile/circus-arts/v/nY2laan5rfM/vel/17210/

The trainers at Flipside Circus are great, and treat the kids really well.  Annika has her first show coming up and she has been chosen to go on the tissu.  Heights don't really worry her (complete opposite to me - I start shaking and my blood runs cold when I am further than my own height off the ground).  She also loves balancing on the globe ball.  Pretty much anything high where she can climb.  Monkey child.

Circus is not that cheap, so she wasn't going to be able to do it next term.  But her teacher sent emailed a grant opportunity from the federal government called Creative Young Stars.  I figured - I can fill out a form.  So I did.  And we were the fortunate recipients of a grant - yay!!  So Annika has one more term of hanging around upside down.

So every Saturday morning I spend watching my oldest child swing and climb high.  With a big smile on her face.  I just hope she doesn't run away to join the circus.  I would miss her too much!
 

This is a picture of someone doing tissu - not my daughter, just an image search person

party news

It's like a little knocking on the back of my brain - 'update the blog', 'write about what is happening' - but most of the time it is fairly easy to ignore.  But here is a quick update:

Fortieth birthday op shop party went very well.  It was a bit overwhelming having nearly all my friends and family at my house at the same time - but it was lovely to see everyone.  I had a bit of hostess anxiety about making sure everyone had someone to talk with, and a drink, and something to eat, and the running schedule of the night - but that's part of the fun....isn't it?

I was really happy with how everything ended up looking.  Op shop theme is a great theme - nothing needs to match!

So much food - thanks everyone for cooking!

My wonderful cake made by the beautiful Kerrie.  It is caramel mudcake topped with chocolate mudcake, topped with a tea cup cake -  I think it is symbolising all the many cups of tea I have had with friends and family over the years, and many more to come!

My dress was $7 from the op shop - hand made by somebody and fitted me like a glove.

Lanterns on the deck ready for the party.  I love these lanterns.  I had the same champagne type ones in my house when I was small.

Chris made a wonderful speech.  Love him.  Mostly gorgeous and only a little bit embarassing.  Mum also made a great speech, revealing parts of my personality from when I was small that still ring true. Annika wrote me a song. A real proper song that she sang and played the piano accompaniment. I felt so proud and I cried and laughed and then cried some more. Some of the lyrics are
'you think you're so hilarious, but I don't always agree, 
you know deep down inside, I laugh until I see, how amazing you are'
and
'I've never had a day when I didn't love you, 
I've never seen a day when you weren't strong, 
I've never been away without missing you,
 I've never seen a time when you didn't sing a song'. 

 Such a wonderful gift from a beautiful daughter. It had a chord progression and everything (did I mention I was proud?).

All of us in our op shop clothes.  Such fun!

I had live musicians playing - it was really nice and added excellent ambience.  There was some very interesting oufits.....I think everyone had fun finding that special something at the op shop.

My girls had a wonderful time going through all my photos to make a photo timeline for me. It is astonishing how pictures of me as a girl look just like Annika.  The genes are strong there.  We picked way too many photos, so we had to do a cull to see what made it onto the wall.  We used little paper doilies to mark out the timeline.

In all the preparation for the party I kind of forgot the fact that I was turning 40.  Maybe I am supposed to have a midlife crisis or something.

But I'm not.  I feel blessed with family and friends.  I know I am redeemed with God.  I am cool with the fact that I have never backed a trailer, been to Paris or folded a fitted sheet.  I have learnt so much and I have so much more to learn.

Bring on 40 more.

Recycling op shop crockery

I have a significant birthday tomorrow. It starts with four and ends with 'o'. I have decided to have a party. Cause I'm extroverted like that.

For my party all my guests have to come in something they have found at an op shop for under ten dollars. It has been pretty fun searching for an outfit - I have visited many of Brisbane's finest op shops and now know which ones are cheap and what the opening hours are for my local ones.

On my travels around the op shops I have been collecting crockery as well. It means that I have been searching through dusty piles of plates with patterns I remember from my childhood. I am going to serve my party food on crockery cake stands. My friend and I made them the other day - we stuck them together with royal icing so I can dissemble them after the party and return them to the op shop.




I am really happy with how they turned out. I'm pretty excited for my party!! Bring on tonight! I will try and remember to post some photos of the cake stands with food on them. And my spectacular op shop outfit.