New residents

We have been inundated in recent weeks with a host of creatures taking up residence at our place. The leaf curling spider (and its dozen or so brothers and sisters) and the VERY LARGE stick insect are normal fare for a backyard garden I guess...but the white dove of peace did surprise me just a tad. I was hoping, and told the kids this, that the White Dove of Peace had been sent to bring peace to our household and that hopefully now all fighting, squabbling, dobbing, teasing, antagonizing, fisty-cuff fights, name-calling and tantrums would now stop (with the kids too I hoped). The kids were utterly gobsmacked by the Dove's presence and possible Peace Power over our family.....they did however rise to the challenge and did their darndest to overthrow the Peace Dove's magic...and succeeded I am sad to say. The Peace Dove has since moved on, accepting defeat I guess. The kids entered into yet another argument with each other as to who was to blame for making the Peace Dove go away.....whilst Mum dreamt of sitting on the Peace Dove's back and flying away with it....

Best Day of his Life

Luke had his first full day at Prep today (well, until 1pm -next week is until 2:50pm every day) and told me when I picked him up that it was "the best day of his life". So there you go. Can't really beat that. He made a book about bats and played with a girl, whose name escapes him, but he says she looks like Rapunzel. He also told me this afternoon he thinks he will "keep" me. Not sure what the alternative was......

Back to school YIPEEE

Apparently, not everyone shared my unbridled enthusiasm about the start of school.....

It wasn't the fact that it was the first day of Year 2, a new teacher, new classroom etc that disturbed Mac so greatly......it was because her very best friend of her ENTIRE LIFE was once again, not in the same class as her. "That'll make it 2 YEARS MUM. 2 YEARS WITHOUT LUCY IN MY CLASS!!!!!!!"  Mmmm, didn't think it was quite the time to tell her that sometimes Life Sucks.....

My Sydney Surprise

Yes, its true - last week Adan surprised me with a 3 day trip to Sydney, sans kids!!! We had apparently been invited to a dinner function by one of his suppliers, a Sydney basedcoffee company, and they had taken care of accommodation for us so all we had to do was turn up.

Sounds easy, doesn't it? 

Well, we left Toowoomba 8:30am Thursday morning, drove to Mum & Dad's, dropped off kids (who,by the way, didn't even bat an eyelid when we said goodbye...) headed to the airport, parked the car, raced into the Virgin Blue Terminal - and thats when things went pear-shaped.

Upon checking our baggage in, we were RUSHED through, and told to race up to Gate 43 to board and earlier flight than our expected 1pm flight...OOOOOOkay...... so off we went, along with every other man and his dog it seemed. Got to the gate, boarded within 10 minutes and sat on the plane, in our extra-leg room, Emergency Exit seats over the wing (having given our assurance we would assist cabin crew to pop the Emergency Exit door should there be an EMERGENCY.... a lovely elderly lady next to me nabbed the window seat so she could take photos on her new camera...when she was suddenly inundated with cabin crew chicks STRONGLY urging her to perhaps take another seat, as they didn't want her to sit there if she didn't feel she was up to popping open the 15kg Emergency door in the event we went down.. 3 of them were at her and at her, until finally one of them said "Look Maam, if this man and this lady beside you (Adan and myself) ARE DEAD do you really think you would be able to open this 20kg(it increased in weight 5kg in several minutes it seems) door BY YOURSELF???!!! Too bad if I suffered terribly from a fear of flying - the hostie just said I was going to die..... Anyways, the poor old lady made the decision to move from her spot..all the while the engines were roaring , waiting to get moving. The girls did their safety song and dance...then the Captain interrupted and said (and I SWEAR this is what he said) "A wheelbarrow left unattended on the tarmac has damaged the plane. Passengers must disembark the plane until the damage can be ascertained. Remember, safety is the priority here...) A wheelbarrow?!! I looked at Adan - "Did he just say a WHEELBARROW? WHO THE HELL HAD A WHEELBARROW ON THE TARMAC???)

So, everyone gets off - I was kind of relieved, having just been told I was going to be dead anyway.

So there we all sat for the next 3 and a half hours - at Gate 43 in the Virgin Blue Terminal....waiting, waiting, waiting. Adan wasn't very good at waiting either I must add.  He even took umbrage with the girl making coffees at the coffee shop, and leaned around the coffee machine and pressed the stop button when she was overheating the milk.....HE IS SO EMBARRASSING to take out in public when coffee is concerned...

Anyway, finally we get to board another, smaller plane (Virgin asked for 7 volunteers to miss the flight, and hang around till that night for a Qantas flight as we couldn't all fit on it) there was not a lot of love in the Brisbane Virgin Blue Terminal on Thursday afternoon.  We finally got on a plane that worked, and this time we weren't in the Emergency Exit seats, and no hostie told me I was going to die, so I was a bit happier at least with this outcome.

Arrived in Sydney WAY later than we were supposed to, jumped on a train into Circular Quay, then waited for a ferry to Manly. The company had put us up at Brookvale which is near Manly. As I have NO CLUE about Sydney and its suburbs... I wasn't concerned. Just happy to be there really - albiet very tired by now.  Got off the ferry after a lovely sunset cruise across Sydney Harbour (well, apparently it was lovely - Adan said it was anyway. I (to his utter bewilderment) had my head stuck in my book the entire way since we left Brisbane airport, and kind of missed the ferry ride across the harbour. Anyway, we grabbed a cab - Adan did the chatty-chatty thing with the know-it-all Cabbie, and  then pissed the cabbie off majorly by making some less than glowing comment about some Manly footballer...you guessed it, Mr.Cabbie was a staunch Manly Leagues Club supporter and he didn't take this well... Thank goodness we were just around the corner from our accommodation - the Manly Travelodge. Sounds alright, hey? Thats what we thought. Even looked kind of alright from outside - in the dark - with lots of twinkling lights... Got into our room at about 8:30 PM - that's 12 hours since we left Toowoomba - to find 2 very small and narrow single beds (honestly, OUR own kids beds were bigger!!!) and pulled the curtains back to look out upon .....a grey besser brick wall. Our dinner options included Manly Leagues club across the road (now ruled out as the Cabbie had Adan placed on a hit list) or Mimmo's Pizza joint 3 blocks away.... This was the point of the night that I pretty much lost it.  However, my losing it paled in comparison to Adan losing it.  Within seconds he had the phone book out and was ringing alternative accommodation places. He secured us 2 nights in a studio apartment at The Sebel, Manly Beach -directly across the road from the beach, and rang reception and politely told them we would be vacating IMMEDIATELY.  So there we were, out on the street in Brookvale, apparently an industrial haven, in the dark of night, tired, starving, waiting for another cab (what were the odds of it being the psycho Manly football club supporter again?). Cabbie No.2 shows up, a lovely Asian man, with very little English under his belt, and clearly no passion for Rugby League....he did tell us Manly Beach very luvly, enough restaurants to feed 5000. "Did you just say 5000?" I asked..."Yes - 5000."  So a very late dinner could still be an option.Good. We arrived at the VERY SWANK AND VERY LOVELY SEBEL, and could smell the sea and hear the waves crashing...The room was wonderful - well apartment really, and we finally dropped our luggage and headed off for dinner. It was now 10 pm. What an exhausting day.

On Friday, we dined beachside for brekky, then chilled out on another cruise across the harbour "as the Manly Ferry cut its way across Circular Quay..." Destination - Sydney shops, city style. Heading up Pitt St, I told Adan I was going to try and give the very lovely Lach Hanly a call to see if we could catch up sometime (he's a Sydney-sider now). When he answered he asked where I was - I told him PITT ST!!!! He replied - I'M IN PITT ST!!!! Unbelievable. So, 1 block later and there was Lach waiting for us. We caught up over coffee (Adan behaved himself and didnt touch anyone's machines). Wonderful to see Lachie again.

Shopped all day in all the lovely places the city has, and ferried back to Manly Beach to get ready for the swanky dinner, wearing our newly purchased good gear...

MY NEW FAV NUMBER IS NOW 53.... At the dinner, there were a number of lucky door prizes. An espresso coffee machine and a nights accommodation at Quest Apartments Manly, including airfares if the winner was from out of town were the two biggies. Anyway.....NO.53,my ticket, was drawn out .....for the accommodation for 2 at Quest Apartments Manly, including AIRFARES!!!!! The one condition is I have to use it by the end of March - this year! So, it looks like we're going back sometime soon.... 

So, that was my weekend. NO dramas on the return flight home (typical), picked up the kids saturday night and drove back to Toowoomba with one of them throwing up (car sick) the entire way back here. Reality can be harsh sometimes....  have since been in a manic state covering books, labelling anything and everything school-ish looking...Have never allowed myself to be this disorganised so close to the start of school before....NEVER EVER AGAIN I must say. I have been up to my elbows in contact paper, and am dizzy from the smell of Nikko Pens... our Sydney trip seems SO long ago now. Well, lunches are packed, uniforms ironed, shoes polished, books covered...Febes is off to Kindy 2 days a week starting tomorrow (first timer!!), Luke Skywalker heads off to Prep and MacAttack hits Year 2. The madness starts all over again in the morning....

Happy Feet

These are my Happy Feet - happy because they are submerged below the warm waters at Mooloolaba on the weekend. (Sorry Kirts, and Bel - promise to visit when we have a longer stay!!) Once again pointed out to Adan all the people drinking coffee at the coast - and once again asked WHY WE CANT MOVE THERE????!!!!!!!! Have just noticed the 2nd and 3rd toes on my right foot - am I suffering Body Dysmorphic Disorder or do they truly look freakish? Checked just now under the desk and they seem to be quite normal looking once out of the water....

Barry Bee R.I.P.

Caught up with our favourite Cooloola Dr. neighbours, the Knights, today at Picnic Point.

Sadly, Barry Bee tried to ruin the fun by stinging Luke on the foot. Big tears, even bigger wailing sobs and one nervous mum waiting to see if he is allergic (I am - and as this was his first bee sting, I was yet to find out whether he is too). The very lovely Sarah raced home to her house around the corner and grabbed an ice pack, some Polaramine Syrup and some Panadol, while I smothered the sting site in "Soove" and tried to comfort a very distressed sting victim!  Had only minutes before the "attack" questioned Luke Skywalker about his lack of footwear, too........

And no, he's not allergic. No puffy extremities or gasping for air....never an attractive way to behave at the playground.....

Bizarro Bin Behaviour

Early this morning, when I was opening the blinds and the windows in the living room, I noticed some very peculiar behaviour involving our "Across-the-road-Neighbours" wheelie bin. A silver car driving around the corner, went past their house, then reversed, drove into their driveway, a woman got out, with an armful of rubbish, walked over to their bin, opened the lid and tossed her rubbish in. She got back in the car, drove out of the driveway, and drove away....How bizarre!!

There's a rain-a-coming...check out Febes' hair (during a spectacular headstand last night).

Now, someone asked me why do I write Phoebe's name "Febes" on my blog?.... Well, there's a story (there is ALWAYS a story...)  When Phoebe was born and I was still in hospital, some hospital worker or volunteer (pretty sure it wasn't a nurse) looked at the baby's ID tag thingy on the crib and said "What is your baby's name?" When I replied "Phoebe" she looked puzzled, and said "Oh, and is that how you've spelt it? But that says "FOEEBIE"   ....My turn to look puzzled. I asked her how she would spell it, and she replied "F-E-B-E". So, that's how Phoebes gets "Febes". I have had several "interesting" versions of her name put to me in her short 3 years - "FEEBIE" and  "FIBI"(as in Fifi I am guessing) are 2 I can recall.  Sorry Febes - hope you don't continue to have so much trouble with the spelling of your name once you hit school...

Pool party

Went up to Poppy's this morning and took kids for a swim. They had a ball! 2 are now sleeping away the afternoon, and the third is plopped in his beanbag in front of the tv    - eyes open, but pretty sure no-one's home.... 

Finally..Finally..FINALLY

You're probably looking at the above picture thinking "Is that a nappy in a picture frame?"

Yes. That is exactly what it is. A nappy in  a picture frame. Why? Because it is THE LAST NAPPY EVER  in our house....that's right - EVER!!!!! 

For 7 years now, I have been changing nappies. Actually, it will be exactly 7 years on the 2nd of February, when Mackenzie was born. And all through that time, I knew, that one day in the distant future, the blessed day would come when I would never have to change a nappy EVER AGAIN. Well, that blessed, wonderful day has finally arrived!!!! Phoebe has graduated to undies- real life, honest-to-goodness, fabric-with-elastic undies, and takes herself off to the kids bathroom to do whatever she has to do.  With no help from me!!!! FINALLY my ultimate, best thing ever Dream has come true. So I took the last nappy in the packet and framed it, so that it would forever remind me of the pure joy and happiness I felt at this time in my life....

And here is our "Nappy-Free-Undies-Only" BIG Girl, Phoebe...with one very HAPPY Mummy!

Phoebe has been spending a lot of time with Donna - the VERY large doll sitting on her lap in this picture. Donna was my doll when I was 3, and is now the same age as Adan (thats all I will say). Please note also the very bling-bling, sparkly, bedazzler dress Febes is wearing - one of her favs out of big sister's wardrobe. She often turns up at the dining table for dinner in this number, making the rest of us feel so entirely under-dressed.....

Next...

Do you know you could not buy this book in Toowoomba (ALL bookstores had run out, and no new shipments would be in until the middle of January. Does anyone realise how difficult it is to freight stuff in to this highly remote location/ We are, afterall, an hour and a half from Brisbane....) Anyway, Rita came through for me, and bought the book, and mailed it up. Got it Tuesday, stayed up till 12:30 am reading it that night, and then  stayed up till 12:15 am last night until I finished it.  I have to say I am loving the whole Edward Cullen-gentleman-vampire thing....Next please.....Not even going to bother stepping into a bookstore in THIS town. The very gorgeous Sasha who is our IT(no,not "I"."T". but IT as in "it!!") girl-Office-Manager has the next book, Eclipse, and so kindly offered to lend it to me. 

Finished "Inkheart" as well. Not sure I will be reading THAT book to my kids as I had first planned...... Violent beatings, child abduction, arson, murder - Holy Cow!! I even had nightmares reading it. Much prefer the supernatural, but oh-so-lovely Edward. He REALLY is such a gentleman....

Queens Park madness

Spent the morning at Queens Park, and caught up with some Kindy-Mum-Friends. We will all need to go to the chiropractor after today though, snapping our necks and swivelling our heads the whole time to try and keep watch over all of our kids, playing in half a dozen different areas of the playground at the same time, whilst being ever so crowded with a gazillion other kids.

Highlight of the day would have to be (apart from the take-away coffee from the coffee shop across the road, Thanks Ant) the moment I had to confront a group of older kids who were bullying all the littlies on the Steam Train. There were about 5 of them, all old enough to know better, and I dare say, all taller than me. I put on my best "Quiet-but-in-a-really-scary-way" voice and told them if they looked behind me at all the mothers at the nearby table, that that's who they would have over here IN THEIR FACES if they bullied one more little kid. 

Spent the remainder of the morning waiting for some parent to come over and try and pick me for a scrag fight....(just like Scallywags!!) but my mum friends and I were left alone, and the bullies skulked away from our end of the playground.

Febes had a MAJOR whinge-fest going on, as in REALLY over the top, and when we got home after a snatch-and-run Grocery shop , she had developed a temp., so she's currently sleeping away the afternoon. Should have realised something was brewing - she's never THAT whingey. (I am, but rarely Febes)

Cousins catch up!

Forget the Famous  Five...we had the Sanity-Sapping Seven today (no, it wasn't really that bad). Mac, Luke and Febes had a fabulous time when cousins Sam, Annabelle, Laura and Hugh, up from Cooma, near Canberra, came over for a visit. Mac begged quietly (ok, not so quietly) for me to make everyone my Mind-Blowing Milkshakes. About 5 minutes after these photos were taken, kids were ricocheting off walls and squealing through the garden. 

Confused fruit trees....

This first tree, last year gave us a bumper crop of limes - as you can see it now produces lemons...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       The 2nd tree USED to be full of LEMONS but now is carrying limes.....

I am so confused. Who knew trees could swap identities?...

Where to put the washing?....

                                                                                                                      

Went outside today to find my clothesline had been commandeered by M, L and P, and was now a tent of sorts - complete with picnic table AND picnic inside (and Gus). With a LARGE basket of washing in tow, the question is "Where to put the washing?....."

Whist my clothesline had been transformed, I made a chocky cake - unbeknownst to ANYONE - as a surprise treat, and for the FIRST time in ages, I GOT TO LICK THE BEATERS AND THE BOWL!!! Hooray for me!! Adan did bust me in my moment of decadence, so I threatened a mild form of violence if he dobbed.... lucky for him, he heeded my warning.

Where to put the groceries...

I was extremely appreciative when Adan took the kids Thursday afternoon to a friend's place, along with all their bikes, cricket bats, kites, light sabers etc...

However, that feeling disappeared rapidly when today, after doing a massive grocery shop, I opened the boot to put all the grocery bags into it...only to find this.....

My secret pleasure...

Who knew....that Deb's secret pleasure on the first day of the year, is to organsie the New year's calendar.  Sad, but true. I love the first day of the year for no other reason than to grab the kids felt pens, my shiny new calendar and to sit down and fill in all the things that need filling in for each month. After last year's MOST BRILLIANT CALENDAR EVER from Kikki.K's, which I had brought myself as a personal Christmas gift (Xmas 07), Adan found a similar one (but we have both agreed its nowhere near as marvellous as the Kikki.K one) for me for this year. There's spaces to write all the family members names down the side, but t

he problem for me is the blocks under each day are TOO small (this is why Kikki.K's was so great - bigger blocks to write stuff in for each person, each day) This one does have coloured pages and a pocket for shoving stuff in at the bottom of the calendar, and lots of pretty stickers - but once you put a sticker on, there's no room then for writing. Last year's calendar was pretty bland in comparison, but won points for functionality and purpose. So that was my moment of joy yesterday - filling in the 2009 calendar. I told you - sad.

Luke Skywalker very cleverly made a zoo (with some assistance from Mum).

Febes took a pair of kid's craft scissors and cut chunks out of her hair (where her gorgeous curly fringe used to be), played dress-ups and dancing, and baked us goodies in her "talking"kitchen she got from Nan and Poppy for Christmas. I am still finding little random piles of little golden kiss curls around the girls room, and even found one in the kids bathroom this morning. 

Adan took the kids yesterday afternoon to Collie D's where they got to catch up with their beloved Lucy, Laura and Tom while Mum stayed home for a much needed Nanna-nap (highly unsociable I know, but since being Shingled I am HUGELY tired by lunchtime every day and would not have been good company I am sure)

New Year's Eve in Tullytown

This was the Tullytown New Year's Eve Dinner Party (Luke's idea to call it  a Dinner Party).

Thanks to Thai Majestic we dined on Chicken Fried Rice with Cashews (not for Deb though), Pad Thai Duck and a plethora of Spring Rolls, with a bottle of Hope and Cheer for mum, and lemonades for everyone else (Adan's first alcohol free New Year, thanks to antibiotics).

A sumptuous feast complete with candlelight, party hats and party hooters.  We were probably the earliest hooter blowers in the neighbourhood (it WAS just after 6 pm after all) but figured none of us would be up at midnight to herald the New Year so we might as well "go off" while we could.  We all enjoyed (well, maybe not Adan- I think he "endured") our New Year's Eve Family Party, and then the kids settled in for the movie marathon on Austar, while me and my Zibbibbo curled on the couch and watch Parkinson (and I'm not even 40 yet.....) Adan groaned quietly on the corner of the couch somewhere, until I gave him more drugs. Memories of past New Year's flashed through my mind briefly and I still struggle to know HOW on earth I ever had that much energy to stay up and play that late into the night.