Big Catch Up and Preparing to Fast

Afternoon tea in Leongatha in January

 

Perhaps the reason I haven't posted much is that nothing much has happened.  We've all gone back to school and we're all fairly content with the beginning we've each had.  My greatest joy has been to see Mr Busy so much happier and settled than he was last year.  Same group of kids, but with some new teachers and a friend or two makes a huge difference.  He's off on school camp next week so things will be quiet around here.

I've quite surpassed my summer reading goals and I might even fit in another one or two books before Uni begins and the end of summer is official.  I've even read some non-fiction books lately (those who know me will be shocked!).  Jen Hatmaker's Interrupted and 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess make for very compelling and challenging reading.  The timing has been perfect though.

I have been more than a little shocked over the last week as Dh has agreed to undertake not only a year-long leadership preparation program, but also a church-wide 3-week fast.  Both are way out of his comfort zone so I deeply admire that he willing to do these with me.  We have chosen a 'Daniel Fast' so after a great deal of research our fridge is now overflowing with fruits and vegetables that will suit our restrictions and tastes.  I had consider doing Jen Hatmaker's '7' fast, but our purpose and intention are not about addressing a wealthy culture's excess, but about seeking God in a number of corporate topics within our church and a couple of personal issues as well.

Weekend Catch Up

Wow is hot here.  Only in the low 30's (celsius) really, but still so warm.  Especially when you head away from the hills and down to where the heat radiates of buildings and roads. 

Much has been going on around here.  I have officially finished up my summer semester of Uni by submitting my final assignment late this afternoon.  Oh the release!  I will get together for a second time with a fellow student who lives nearby.  We met a week or two back and spent a wonderful evening together working on this assignment and getting her up to speed with the ePortfolio we had to use.  She'll come back this week and we'll get hers submitted - and then we'll celebrate!  Tomorrow I'm off to a thing for Uni so I'm looking forward to seeing some familiar faces in real life again.

I begin my first block of teaching rounds on Monday.  I am SO looking forward to it.  I'll be with the Prep class so I know I'll have plenty of fun.  I love Prep's.  They're so little.  And cute.  And their problems match their size and are usually simple to solve.  Very unlike the 16yo problems I encounter at home that take far more negotiating and emotional investment to resolve.  The flipside of the excitement of teaching rounds is leaving my own students to the care of relief aides.  They are fantastic women and both the ladies coming in for me have done integration work elsewhere before now.  But I can't transfer my relationships with these students and so much of what I do is about that.  It's always when I'm away that I am most keenly aware of how much I love my students.  They'll all be fine but I will look forward to getting back to them....even if it means I can't be the one teaching!

Given the hot weather forecast for the coming week and my very different hours and extra travelling time I've planned lots of salads for our evening meals.  Salad with feta, mango and avocado in the mix is always popular here so there will be a little of that.  I made ice cream again the other day so we're having that tonight when it's a little softer.  The microwave died so we just have to wait a bit.  That no-churn coffee ice-cream of Nigella's is magnificent.  Works well as mousse too - DH and I had that for dessert on Valentine's Day.  600ml of cream, a tin of sweetened condensed milk and 5 tablespoons of cocoa power (for the chocolate version I make) whipped in a the mixer til soft peaks form.  Yuuuuuummmmm.  And so easy.

Perseverence

I thought I was back.  I wasn't.  You all know what it's like when life just really gets ahead of you, right?  The last few weeks have been stressful in a variety of ways.  When I get really stressed I get quiet, and so I have been.  Stressed and quiet.  My challenging subject is nearly over - one more week.  I feel like maybe there is light at the end of that tunnel.  Miss Mischief reminded me it's nearly her birthday.  And she needs a haircut.  And she now has no jeans which are still intact.  There is no light at the end of that tunnel!

In the middle of days where it feels hard to breathe and like things are just too hard there are little glimmers of sunshine and calm.  The kids are doing really well at school.  We've just had parent-teacher interviews and heard beautiful things about our children.  Although I've warned a Secondary teacher or two that Mr Busy is not like his sisters in very many ways.  Gorgeous...but perhaps not studious.

And we are now the proud parents of a learner driver.  Miss Sunshine took her test yesterday and came out glowing.  Not only did she pass very, very well - she beat a friend's score.  The victory is all the sweeter for it!  So.  Now we need to give this child of ours 120 hours of varied driving experiences before she turns 18.  I drove home after dropping her off at school and thought "Oh my goodness.  She'll be driving me around VERY soon".  I swear she was just a bubbly little 5yo only yesterday.  When did it happen that I now have a child old enough to legally take control of a motor vehicle???   

I have but four more days with students....and one more day off all by myself.  And then it's school holidays.  Bring it on!  I might just make it that far.

Returning ... with a little less brain

I'm back.  I've still got a big yucky assignment to complete in the next three weeks as well as a much nicer one just before that.  So I'll probably still be posting very irregularly.  But I am still alive.

In the last week I've made many remarks about the attractiveness of a hotel room that includes room service.  I suspect the tent above might be the reality for one study-weary mother.  I had a student for 18 months who would use this as his brain-space place.  There's a bit to be said for that!

Whilst I've been absent from here I've submitted 2 assignments and an exam, and have nearly finished a 3rd assignment.  I attended a student engagement day in the city last weekend and took Miss Sunshine to visit the Deakin Uni open day.  Wow - what a fantastic place!  If only their course was exactly the same as mine I'd be so tempted to do a subject on-campus  The girls have been magnificent at being thrown curve balls like "I haven't been shopping.  There's mince.  Figure out what to do with it", as an instruction for making dinner one night.  The revelation of the weekend was a comment from one of my fellow students, who suggested that every time you submit an assignment you hand in part of your brain along with it.  Trouble is, the same thing is said to happen whenever you deliver a baby.  I'm in big trouble!

Oh.  And I completed my first hook turn.  Ever.  Successfully.  I tend not to drive in the CBD because it's a little bit overwhelming.  But I had to go in last Saturday when things are quieter and it's much quicker to drive.  Plus, I found parking for a flat rate of $9...cheaper than a train ticket!  I figured I've been driving into Docklands now for over a year all on my own, so I came into the city at that end of Collins Street (the street I had to go to) and getting to the parking venue required a hook turn.  Here's a really funny YouTube clip of how it works.  The girls and I killed ourselves laughing at the lady...but seriously, it's a very weird turn to do - so counter-intuitive.  And for you out-of-towners, here's a google map image of the city.  If you enlarge the picture I you can see the left hand bottom corner is where I entered Collins St.  It's nice and easy down that end of town!

image credit:  google maps

Have you done anything new lately?

Friday Catch Up

My first week of placement has been delightful.  Lots of observing - lots of just helping any of the kids who need it.  On Thursday there were 12 kids at school due to a teacher's strike.  We had such a cruisy day.  It began with netball - we all had to play in order to have full teams and we had a great time.  We then set the kids to various ongoing projects and writing tasks that they had ticking away so it really just supervising more than teaching.  And today we all headed off to a sports day with other local primary schools.  In the rain and the cold.  Melbourne at its most miserable winter's best!!!

I'm still trying to come to terms with electronic rolls.  When the computer runs out of battery life or the program times out on you it's a bit frustrating!  Give me a piece of paper any day.  As if I needed to prove I'm no spring chicken, paper is my preference.  Next week I'll be teaching at least once every day, and the week after that the same, within which I will be planning a sequence of lessons for one learning area.  Probably maths or literacy.  I'm looking forward to it.

In the meantime I've an exam on Tuesday morning so I need to get studying.  I'm getting cranky and frustrated with the whole thing.  We've been told to revise everything from week 2-12.  Some of the readings are hundreds of pages long....and today we were told if that's too much just reread the lecture notes.  ARGH!!!  As if an exam proves my ability to implement what I've learnt anyway.  All this exam seeks to achieve is to find out how much I can fit in my head and regurgitate on demand.  I don't know about you, but there's not much room for extra stuff in my head.  The important stuff is always falling out unexpectedly.

OK...getting off my soapbox now.  Looking forward to breaky with my dear friend, Rel, tomorrow and the rest of the day putting together another friend's kitchen.

All in a Week

photo credi: art.com

I didn't mean to disappear for a whole week, but it has been a long tiring week.  I submitted my final assignment for my summer unit this morning.  It was a frustrating task due to an unclear description.  And it has consumed my thoughts for far too long and now I have a whole four days before semester 1 begins.  A whole four days of ignoring study.  Beautiful.  Despite how lovely it is to have a break from those demands it is somewhat boring at home with nothing much to do.  I'm not very good at being unoccupied anymore.

For meals this week we've had fairly boring sorts of things - chicken stir fry using some frozen vegies I had, roast lamb, chicken and chips...because I just couldn't make myself do any more when I got home yesterday.  Tonight it's meant to be prawn and mango curry.  I suppose I could get the things I missed when I shopped, seeing as how the girls have a pre-camp shopping list for me for the weekend.

I think I need a weekend of other people feeding me, rather than me feeding other people.  No matter how much I enjoy cooking there are just some days when I wish I could be saved from it.

Tuesday Catch Up

In resistance to my childrens' constant suggestion that fish 'n chips would be a great dinner, tonight was a rather uninspired dig through the recipe books for an alternative to chicken & corn soup.  No creamed corn sent me on that adventure.  Nigella, of course, came to the rescue and we ended up with an Asian flavoured chowder to go with our mini chicken dim sims.  It always pays to keep an ecclectic clutch of ingredients that otherwise seem to be unrelated.  Potato, prawns and frozen corn kernels.....who knew they could be so good together.  What's more it was fast.  You have to be happy with dinner that is prepared, cooked and served within 20 minutes.

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My first couple of days with students has been surprisingly pleasant.  I've spent most of my time with my most challenging student and will begin popping out to other classes in the next few days.  His first day last year was characterised by extreme opposition, attempting to throw a desk at me, a pinch here and there and the charming "I wish you were dead" thrown my way.  This year?  Calm, obedient, staying in the classroom.  We actually went to the whole-school assembly this year and he sat with his class and wiggled no less than anyone else.  This afternoon Mr Busy asked if I'd been wrestling with the two boys that tend to require it.  Nope - I won all the battles.  And this particular child wrote 35 words today.  Yesterday he wrote 7.  I'd say it was a good day.

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After recently (end of last year) making the bold decision to move from our church of 19 years to somewhere different I have been acutely aware of the friendships I value most.  Last night I spent an evening with one of my precious and dear friends.  She surprised me with the small gift of a new bracelet in just the style that I adore....whispery tinkles, pretty, pink....perfect.  I wore it to work today.  The Year 2/3 girls declared it beautiful (and it is...I love it!) and the boy I work with said I must be very rich to have so many pretty bracelets.  I told him none of them are terribly expensive but they are pretty!  My new bracelet if all the more special because of the dear friend who spontaneously thought of me when she saw it.

Catching Up

Time really flies fast around this time of year!  Since I last posted many, many things have come and gone.  Things like graduation nights, a wedding anniversary, the end of Girls' Brigade, a community Carols night with our lower Primary families, the beginning of my summer Uni subject.  Tomorrow we celebrate Dh's birthday - I've already told him he needs to do a load of washing and watch TV.  Both recently-acquired items that were really for him.  I must confess to doing more washing than normal in the last two weeks, purely to watch the machine turn the clothes around and around.  It's such a novelty to be able to see into the washing machine and we're loving having a front-loader.

Christmas shopping has begun semi-earnestly.  A great dent was made with online shopping, which I very much preferred.  Next year perhaps I'll get organised early enough and do almost all of it online.  I really don't enjoy shopping, never mind the increased crowds and shopping mall rage impoliteness!

Overlaying all the craziness of the past weeks has been the delicate lesson of learning to listen and heed the Sovereign One whose will and timing are perfect.  These things often come with their share of anxiety and uncertainty and we find ourselves cautiously taking just one step at a time.

The week ahead, for us, brings the end of the school year.  We'll take a couple of days spending time with Dh's family and then finish our Christmas preparations.  The children are earnestly requesting the opportunity to shop for one another.  I think an early morning trip might work best for us all!  It is a tradition we began a few years ago with a $5/person budget to teach the children to consider the person they are giving to.  It is beautiful to watch them take on this challenge in more mature ways.

Week's End Catch Up

The last part of the week has wizzed past in somewhat of a blur.  There have been lessons, enthusiastic children...all the busyness of a small school.  I got to Thursday and commented to Dh that the lady who is replacing me in my 'real' job was having my day off.  The Principal where I'm doing my placement was very complimentary of me and the lesson he finally got to supervise.  It's such a shame professional opinion does not shorten the length of my degree!  Whilst loving the opportunities and input I am experiencing I am missing my own school immensely.  So much so that I popped in on Friday to catch up with a couple of staff I normally work with.  And it was good to hear how 'my' boys are going and hear what's happened whilst I've been away.

We spent yesterday with some good friends, whilst the men cut and split wood.  It was nice to just sit and enjoy the company of those friends.  Today it's nice to spend the day quietly at home.  It's the closest thing to quietness I expect to get between now and the first Thursday of the next school term!

We're having a roast chicken dinner tonight.  Something a little bit 'special' but quite simple to end our weekend before heading into the frenetic pace of a Prep-Yr2 class next week.

Monday Menu Plan: Week Beginning - Yesterday!

I can't wait until the Prep teacher returns from her few days off!!  Not only have I done a major part of the literacy planning, but I've also dealt with much of the behaviour stuff that has gone on in the last two days.  However, I'm confident that with her return, the kids will be back to normal, though not without a few carried-over consequences.  Apparently it's not just when I'm not at school that things go haywire!

Despite the enormous amount of energy expended, I've returned to my kitchen.  I'm just doing a little bit of reviewing at the moment to prepare for an exam, so I have time to cook meals again.  I'd been looking forward to wanting to cook...and I've succeeded in the wanting.  The girls will still get a look-in, but it will be easier on all of us for a number of weeks ahead.

I came home to a funny sight yesterday.  We've had ant problems, so Miss Sunshine had been spraying with surface spray to get rid of the last invasion.  Apparently that spray works really well ~ I found a Melbourne sized (read: miniature compared to the toprical sized ones I grew up with) cockroach, feet up and dead.  It must surely be the third world, bug-infested upbringing, but I thought it was funny.  And I am so glad for things like surface spray. 

So.  The real reason for the post ~ the menu....

Monday:  Recurrant lamb chops, vegies
Tuesday:  Spanish chicken, chorizo & potatoes (a Nigella recipe), vegies
Wednesday:  Honey mustard chicken, vegies
Thursday:  Creamy pasta
Friday:  Ricotta fritters, vegies
Saturday:  Soup (after a BBQ lunch with friends)
Sunday:  Lasagna

You know what...maybe the girls won't get a look-in this week ;o)  And just in case you thought my Nigella obsession had cooled, you'd be wrong.  I just hadn't had the time to indulge myself.  But two episodes from the 'Express' series was all the inspiration I needed.  Coffee cupcakes iced with mocha icing was the result.

Week's Catch-Up - Happy Mother's Day!

Who could have imagined this week would be so full, and go so quickly!  Before I go any further....Happy Mother's Day, to all you mothers.  My Mum lives two hours away, so our day has been somewhat empty.  I suppose a better daughter would have organised to get together.  A better daughter would not have had her head full of assignments and weekly University tasks.  I've missed seeing Mum today, more than I imagined I might.

For my day, presents in bed and breafast together began the day.  An hour or so watching The Cosby Showfollowed lunch and a nap followed that.  I really did overheat my brain yesterday!  Miss Sunshine is supervising Mr Busy as they cook dinner together :o)  As I sit here now, I'm watching Jamie's 30 Minute Meals.  He's a funny dude when he's not trying to change the eating habits of a city like Los Angeles!

Now to backtrack through the week.  We've had two new families join our school.  The little girl in Prep came from a Steiner school and has found the transition overwhelming at times.  Tears have been her constant companion, as well as hugs from me whenever I've been in proximity.  Mr Busy has a new girl in his class who is also struggling with the transition from a highly restrictive envrionment to ours.  By the end of the week she didn't want to be at school without her parents.  Again, more hugs from me.  I hate to think how these girls would have coped in a school where staff have a 'hands off' policy.  Especially when a hug is the only thing they want ... and need.  I hope they both have a better week in the next few days.  Pray for them, if you would.  Starting a new school is a tough gig.

I had to present some feedback on the PD I went to last term, to my fellow Primary School staff this week.  Despite losing sleep over it, it wasn't so bad!  They're an easy audience!  I've been working hard on the four (and last) assignments and have submitted one of them.  These ones are weighted more heavily than the first round, so I feel a little more nervous about them.

M excitment for last week was meeting with three other students doing the same Foundations subject.  it was lovely to spend a couple of hours chatting about the things that challenge us and know that these people really do understand!  We will plan to meet again during the study/exam period before we all head out for our Professional Experience placements.

As well as all of those things, I've had Miss Sunshined being whisked off to the optometrist for an emergency appointment.  She went from being fine to having some pretty full-on symptoms of conjunctivitis.  The pharmacist recommended a stop across the road and his advice was spot on.  The 'Eye-Guy', as I've dubbed him, was terribly concerned with the ferocity and the quick onset and prescribed some pretty strong drops for her.  She was much better within a day.

That's all from me...perhaps this week I might pop in here a little more.  Then again, I've a Numeracy proficiency test to prepare for (yeah, pray for that one too!!!!!!) and another assignment to submit, plus two others to keep writing.  Hmmm...see why I've been missing?!

Popping In ... and Out

I realise it may appear that I've disappeared.  Not true!  But I have been rather occupied.  We enjoyed a lovely Easter break doing family things together and with friends.  Almost cruelly, I went back to work the day after.  I say 'almost' because I have joined the teaching staff in attending a state conference with a group of other like schools and have been incredibly blessed by all I have heard so far.

As if a retreat from normal classroom activity were not enough, I'm also attending a women's retreat this weekend.  A lot of retreating going on! 

In between, lots of assignment writing.  I believe I have completed one, and must work on a second with great haste.  And then the final two will require my utmost attention.  The bliss of a real holiday from any kind of school is being highly anticipated.  And the school term has not even begun.

And I'm Back

After many days and a variety of circumstances, I'm back and I think my brain is now clear enough to think about blogging.  Here's a little catch up.

School Camp:  3 days, 50 kids, lots of time on my feet.  We had some great fun and learned a lot about rubbish, and sewerage, and natural environments.  And spent a lot of time checking in with kids.... have you got your hat, your drink bottle and your proper shoes on?  No?  Go and do it.  Yep.  Gotta love 10yo's and kids with extra needs.  I got lots of cuddles from Mr Busy and little boy who is tenuously related to us.  Very cute.

Camping:  3 days, non powered, nuthin' much to do.  I was home for an hour on Friday night.  I have to say, that was pretty tough.  When Dh told me our friends were cooking dinner for us I nearly cried.  They had our two big girls.  I had their two little people ~ they'd been on camp with me.  That was the most beautiful gift anyone could have given me that day!  I finished 'Save the Date' by Jenny B Jones, and savoured it for a while before starting the next book.  My golly she's a great author!  And I sat in the shade and drank lots of tea.

Home:  We got home Monday and I submitted my first Uni assignment.  My next assignment (different subject) is due next week.  I'm nervous.  I don't know how high the bar of expectation is now.  TAFE was easy peasy.  So, I've been catching up on six days worth of not doing ANY of my Uni work.  And I'm still really tired.

Today?  Study.  And perhaps a 'Nana Nap'.  Because I'm feeling pretty old right about now!

The Tragedy of Blog Neglect

What constitutes good design?  

Whimsy & variegated thread!

I can't believe it's already very late on Wednesday and this is the first moment I've had to think about posting here.  I have kept meaning to post a menu plan for this week.  But in reality, I've not cooked so the usual impetus for posting it seems to be missing.

University started on Monday.  I've been plodding my way through each of the four units and figuring out what needs to be done and when it needs to be done by.  Whilst I may be working constantly each evening right up until I go to bed, I'm enjoying it.  I'm certain that in a few weeks time the nuances of each unit's layout will make sense and I'll get myself into some routines that work.  In the meantime, I'm just 'doing the next thing'.

The girls have been wonderful about cooking meals so far.  And they've been so tasty!  Roast chicken thanks to Miss Mischief, frittata and salad from Miss Sunshine and a quick combination tonight.  I did the chicken and Miss Sunshine did the rice.  They're all scheduled for taking care of dishes and the dishwasher.  The roster I set up a couple of years ago is running better than it ever did when I first created it!

The picture above is courtesy of a task I had to complete today for a Design & Technology unit.  I had to take photos of three different objects that I felt constituted 'good design'.  I decided beautiful could be just as important as practical.  Indeed, my quilt is a 'good design' within its quilting niche.  That photo is my favourite of the 12 photos I had to upload.

Of Five Year Old's.

By now you will have gathered that my days at school are rather full-on.  Kids with special needs require all the energy you have.  It's just the way of things.  In the midst of all that hard work there a few little cuties that seem to be just there to make you smile.  In every class I work in there is at least one child who will give me a hug every single day.  Well....one of them belongs to me.  Two of them are very distantly related to me.  But I'm not quibbling over things like that!

And then there are the Prep's.  Those youngest little gems in our school.  The ones to whom the Principal goes to visit when he's having a bad day.  He's a wise man.  Those kids are hilarious in the most innocent of ways.  I have one little boy who waggles his eyebrows at me a number of times in every lesson I'm there.  Then he starts winking.  And then I have to walk away because there's something a little bit unusual about a 5yo winking at you!  But my golly he makes me smile.  He saves his eyebrows and winks for me.  His teacher never sees it.

Yesterday I was in the library on Z-Duty.  Z was happily playing and one of the Prep girls was there trying to draw a picture.  She needed help drawing hands.  So I had Mr Busy go and help her.  Then she came back and needed help drawing a necklace.  I had Miss Sunshine go and help her.  She showed me her picture at the end of lunch time, replete with signatures from all her able helpers.  She was impressed that my kids are so-o-o-o-o big.  And so am I.

Stitching Therapy

Tail Feathers, Block 7

My tiring week ended with some therapeutic stitching on Friday evening.  Slowly but surely my whimsical little birdies emerge from a tin of threads and a pink lines traced onto my fabric.  I'm sorry the light isn't great.  That's what you get for trying to take pics at night!  I've yet to blanket stitch around the appliqued bird.  Perhaps a task for this evening while Dh and I relax in front of the telly.  In fact, I think that sounds like a marvellous idea!

Tail Feathers, Block 6

I also finished the blanket stitching on the previous block the other night.  I'm tell you, on was on stitching fire!  Now they both just need to be sewn together.  I'm going to attempt to do that this week.  I think  it might be a good idea to prepare the next two blocks for stitching so that I don't have to get the machine out for a little while.  

~ ~ ~ o o 0 o o ~ ~ ~

The Orientation Day I attended yesterday was amazing.  I know a lot of the others there felt like their brains were being overloaded.  For me, it was an extension of the Uni preparation and the online orientation information.  I got to ask a few question and discovered that I am enrolled in one second-year subject because of the credit I received for my work last year.  One of the most beneficial things was meeting my lecturer for one of my subjects.  She's a straight-talking lady with an amusing sense of humour.  I know I'm going to appreciate her all the more, having met her.  I also, of course, got to meet some of the other 'local' students, although none live anywhere near me.  But it will be nice to be able to picture others as we chat online.

One of the things I learned yesterday was where all the readings are being reserved on the library website.  I've begun working my way through printing and reading those while I have no other tasks pressing for my attention.

PS.  If you want a closer look at the photos, you can click on the pictures and then zoom in again from there.

Friday Catch Up

The view over our back fence on a stormy day

Sorry I haven't posted much this week.  I've had my mind completely invested in other places and posting here was just too much.

It has been a long, tiring week.  A week with 5 and 6 year old 'special needs' children adjusting and adapting to the routines of beginning school, and learning those things in a new school.  Pushing boundaries, being defiant, not understanding why they feel the way they do.  Perhaps not even knowing the label to put on the feeling.  A week of us learning what it is to cope with a disorder none of us have seen in our classrooms before now.  A week of feeling a bit fragile over the enormity of the task we face.

There have been glimmers of beauty throughout the challenges.  Like I posted yesterday, a midday hug with my son.  Spontaneous prayer from a friend and colleague.  Sharing the journey together and working together toward a common goal.  Gentle words whispered in love, reminding me how precious my family are.  A day off.

My kids have provided me with some of those things of beauty too.  Yesterday I saw Mr Busy escorting a new family to the room where we run a program for really little tackers.  What a sweet boy he is!  My heart melted.  On Tuesday Miss Sunshine enjoyed her now-elective Indonesian class replete with homemade dip, carrot sticks and crackers.  She did all the work.  Her fellow classmates (all 7 of them ~ Yr 9 and 10!) hoed in and thoroughly enjoyed the fruits of her labour.  Miss Mischief delighted me with the doodling in her diary as I signed it this morning.  Pretty.  Dainty.  A girl after my own heart.

Tomorrow, I'm attending an orientation day for Uni.  The only interstate event and it's being held in Melbourne.  What a blessing!  Now I have to write down all the questions I have so I can ask them while I have the opportunity.  I believe a little Nigella magic might be just the thing to relax my brain and help me shift my focus for a few days.

Life is good.

Saturday Catch Up

 

Dream Lake, Colorado

Between thinking about food, which seems to feature strongly in any blog planning I might do, we've managed a few other things this week. My two highlights consist of screen time (sad, but true) and friend time (much better).  We've enjoy a meal out and a meal at home in the company of friends.

Our meal at home involved using our friends as guinea pigs for a new recipe, which I'll post about later in the week.  But I did wonder how it is that I constantly do this.  And half way through the first few bites I realise I had no idea how this might turn out, exactly.  Fortunately it's never ended badly.  This time, in my defense, the meal was inspired by two little friends, and they were the two who got to enjoy the product.  And enjoy it they did.

As for screen time, we began with seeing The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at the cinema, with the tickets we got for Christmas.  I am loving that these classic books are being made into movies.  Despite less-than-impressed comments by critics, we enjoyed the movie thoroughly.  Secondly, I discovered the joys of unlimited download time and the magic Nigella Kitchen episodes on YouTube.  I took myself and the laptop off to another room and indulged myself thoroughly.  And found myself inspired to use the recipe book more effectively.  Truly, this is what I love about famous cookbook authors doing TV shows about their books. 

Today I hope to acquire the Nigella Express DVD so I can wipe all those episodes of the PVR and free up some space!  Given the constant repetition of watching these episodes, my gift voucher will be well spent.  Even Miss Sunshine opted for one of these recorded episodes rather than watching whatever was on TV one morning.

I'm off to enjoy my last few days before the return to work.  I think I'm almost ready to head back.  First though, a haircut is required.

Saturday Catch Up

I realised yesterday, that I've been neglecting this little corner. It's been busy around here though, with lots going on and as all bloggers know, sometimes real life simply has to take precedence.

The picture above will give you a hint about our weather in the past week. Autumn, foggy, very cool. It's the beginning of that cozy season where reading in front of the fireplace would be the perfect thing to do. I plan to do that more this winter!

So what's been happening around here? Heaps! Miss Mischief declared me "tired of being happy" the other day. My how I laughed!

Mr Busy has celebrated his 10th birthday. He had to bake something for homework this week, so he made mini honey joys to share with his friends and heaps of the staff. The Principal had his at 8.20am! Birthday's and baking makes it quite the challenge to get out the door in time, but we did. He had his party last night. Oh My! A house full of smelly, boisterous boyness is something else after the quieter tones of a house dominated by big sisters. But he has beautiful friends whom I adore. They were so much fun to have.

Mr Busy and I are both excited about his camp next week. And I am excited about early plans for Year 5/6 camp next term, which I found out this week I must also attend. I went on this camp two years ago with my girls when they were both in 5/6 so I know how much fun it will be. One of the boys who was here last night absolutely lit up when he found out I was coming on his camp too.

I'm also excited about some plans for next year. I'll not say much more than that for now. Suffice it to say that it will require some challenges for me personally, and as a family no doubt....but I am excited.

Not to be accused of putting an unrealistic positive spin on everything, all that excitement has been tempered with some challenges that have burdened my heart. I've spent much time in prayer, this week, for the children in Miss Sunshine's class. Things came to a bit of a head for Miss Sunshine this week, fortunately, right at a time when her teacher was available to chat with her and I about her concerns. It is so hard to watch your daughter struggle so and know that there is no easy solution. I've shed my fair share of tears for her. And her teacher. Her teacher is an amazing young woman who cares deeply and sheds her share of tears over 'her' kids too. She has wisdom beyond her years and is so gentle and gracious. I know she aches over the challenges of her class but she is so perfect for the task.

And my last frustration for the week. I've waiting for WEEKS for my next group of subjects to arrive from College. For those of you who pray, would you pray that everything arrives quickly. There seems to be a problem with packages that come directly from the External Studies team office, and the Bookshop is just plain slow. I'm also not getting much response from the External Studies team when I email or phone. I am starting to wonder if there is some kind of spiritual thing going on there.

There you go ~ that's the week that has been. Sorry about the novel-length epistle....I think I'm making up for the lack of posting all week long!

Weekends

We've packed much into this past three days. It's funny, how some weekends you're desperate for something half way interesting to do. Other weekends are so full you wish for a regular work-week to settle your pace a little!

We began with glowing reports from our children's teachers. It's always nice to hear how much your children are loved and how very hard they try at school. And then there's Mr Busy's times-tables. Hmmmmm. Maths Invaders, here we come!

Yesterday was filled with haircuts, movies, food and girlfriends. Always food for the soul in many, many ways. A late night, however, is not perhaps the best precursor to being the pianist for church the next morning!

Today we enjoyed a family picnic, though my eyes would've cheerfully given up if I'd been comfortable enough to sneak in a snooze. The kids have been indulged with far too much chocolate and lots of fun with teeny cousins. I managed to say something profound, though I didn't think it so at the moment the words were uttered. There you go, it happens sometimes, and it always takes me by surprise.

Mum gave me two more plates for my eclectic collection. Ugh...I got the money out and forgot to give it to her. I'll have to take a photo and show you my new pretties on day soon.