The Mutterings Of Michelle

My Doll With Her Doll

2010-09-19T05:09:00.001-07:00

Quote of the Day

2010-08-04T22:07:00.001-07:00

Since when did my 3 year old learn to read?

I'm sitting at my computer reading an email from our auto club. RACQ - Royal Automobile Club of Queensland just in case you are wondering.

E walks up behind me, points to the RACQ logo and says 'Look Mum. It says RACQ!'

I could only look at him. How he knew that and when he learned to 'read' it or recognise it, I have no idea.

Amazing what they get up to whilst you aren't looking isn't it? Like how he has learned to climb OVER the allegedly child proof pool gate. Child proof yes, Ethan proof no. But that is a story for another day.

Quote of the Day

2010-08-04T00:25:00.000-07:00

The conversation went something like this.....

G: Mum? When is your birthday?

M: Tomorrow! One more sleep until my birthday.

G: Mum? What number?

M: Do you mean how old will be I on my birthday?

G: Yes. What number you be Mum?

M: I'll be 40

And there's silence from the back seat of the car so I know she's thinking about 40

G: Mum? What number our house?

M: 21 (author note.....our house street number is 21)

G: 40?

M: I'll be 40. Our house is 21. 40 is more than 21

G: WOW!!!!!

Why is it the three letters of WOW suddenly made me feel old enough to be put in a museum?

Nearly Happy Birthday to me!!!!

The last frontier has been conquered

2010-07-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

The last frontier has been conquered. The world, as we know it, will never be the same again. Ok, I'm being slightly melodramatic. But it is a milestone that I was hoping would take a while to come. Unlike every other milestone that is so eagerly anticipated, hard fought and longed for.

And the cause of my melancholy? Ethan has finally learned how to open the gate. And it is not just any gate. It is the gate at the top of our stairs. The gate that for 3 years and 9 months has keep him safe from the stairs. Well, other than those two incidents where he tumbled down the steps many years ago but we won't mention them will we? The gate that has meant when we wanted him upstairs and not in the garage, laundry, Luke's office, the bedroom or the rumpus room (i.e. anywhere downstairs where I couldn't see him and he could get into far too much mischief!), we could close it and know he was confined. Those days are history. Sigh.

Georgia learned to open the gate at goodness knows what age. But thankfully Ethan has taken a while. Unlike everything else Ethan has done which has been in double quick time! We have had to train Georgia that when Ethan asks her to open the gate, she says 'No, ask Mummy or Daddy.' Rather than her helpful natural response which was 'Sure. There you go' and to wave him off downstairs with a smile and then come and tell me what she'd done.

Imagine my surprise when I saw the picture above. An open gate when I was sure I'd closed it. And then I went hunting for Ethan. And found him downstairs. Hmmmm. Maybe I just forgot to close the gate? So I brought him upstairs, closed the gate and he walked up to it, opened it and proceeded downstairs again.

I didn't know whether to sob, laugh, yell or all three at this achievement. So instead I made a note to myself....when a moment presents itself, blog about it! And now I have :)

Cold - Brisbane style

2010-06-28T16:33:00.001-07:00

If you live in Canberra or Melbourne or Monk Bretton (Yorkshire, UK) or Upstate New York, you expect winter to be cold. But if you live in Brisbane, you expect winter to be rather mild. No swimming as the water temperature is below our loved tepid 29 degrees (85F), no singlet tops (Americans, think tank tops), no thongs (Americans, think flip-flops) and maybe even wearing jeans instead of shorts.

But yesterday and today were distinctly chilly. This morning it was 8 degrees (46F) on our back deck. But it felt like there was ice in the air.

Georgia was ready to go outside and wait for our lovely babysitter to arrive. So I dressed her in 'winter' gear.....singlet, long sleeve shirt, vest AND parka. She put on a winter hat but we couldn't top it off with gloves as they are hiding somewhere and resisted all efforts to be found :(

So I present to you a winter version of Georgia. Probably the only day of the year the parka will get worn! Bring back the sun and roll on Spring!

For Kate - A perfect winter day

2010-06-20T04:12:00.001-07:00

I have long loved blogs. And there are many, many good bloggers out there in blog land. And by 'good' I mean people, usually Mums of small children, who write (a) beautifully, (b) things that are relevant and interesting and (c) update regularly.

One such lady is Kate. She is a Mum of three. She has a special child, another little boy and an Angel. And she inspires me. To be grateful for my Blessings, to not feel guilty being the *Mommarazzi* (her term, not mine....after all, if we don't document the journey of our children, who will???) and to do it all with a smile AND a sense of humour. So Kate, this post about us going on an outing to enjoy a perfect 'winter' day here in Brisbane was inspired by you. Thank you for reminding me to document the 'ordinary' as each day really is just another ordinary miracle....

Today is one day short of the Winter Solstice. Tomorrow is the shortest day of the year. So it is winter. And it is too cold to swim.....much to the disgust of our 'little fish'. We are having to wear jeans and the wind is often cool. This morning is was 9 degrees (aka 48 degrees F) and it was SO COLD that we put on the aircon to warm things up in our dining room/living room/kitchen. But the sun came out, the wind was just a light little breeze and we decided to get out and about with a trip to our favourite weekend haunt - the foreshore at Wynnum on Moreton Bay. It is a 60km (nearly 40 mile) round trip for us but the park, the outlook over the water, the great fish and chip shop opposite the park....it is a trip well worth it. We all had a ball.

It was busy at the takeaway place we frequent each visit. The munchkins were incredibly well behaved during the 20 minute wait for lunch. Amazing what happens when you tell them that if they don't wait, there will be no play! Ethan in his t-shirt (don't you love that? in winter?) waiting for lunch. Yes, being a Thomas t-shirt, he chose it HIMSELF.

'Georgia. Go and stand behind Ethan and give him a hug.' So G grabs his neck and puts him into a headlock. He yells 'Georgia - let me go!'. She loves him. Really she does. She just needs to work out how to love him without the headlock!

Shame on the shadow that jumped across Ethan's face as I snapped this picture. But he was having a wonderful time on the swings and the outlook across the water to the Bay was beautiful. The park was VERY BUSY. But on such a gorgeous day, that's not surprising.

Like the shadow of the chick with her iPhone trying to take photos? We took Ethan's Audi with us. And he rode it and rode it and rode it....except when it was abandoned for the huge climbing 'spiderweb'. He and G spent nearly an hour going from bikes to playground and back again. It was lovely. Ethan, who is never still, made it impossible for me to take a photo on him ON the Audi. I tried. I tried....lots. But it didn't happen. How he loves that Audi.

One very tired little boy fell asleep in the car on the way home. Always the sign of a good day!

What a wonderful day. I am grateful for all our Blessings. And I'm grateful for people like Kate who share their journey that remind me that I should share ours.

Planetary alignment!

2010-06-06T03:17:00.000-07:00

In June 2003, Georgia arrived. And she spent approaching a month in the special care nursery in hospital until her weight climbed up over 5lbs and she could drink from a bottle (albeit SLOWLY). Whilst in hospital, she made some GREAT humidicrib buddies. And over the years, there are four of us who have stayed in touch.

Today we ALL caught up for the first time in we can't remember how long. We call it PLANETARY ALIGNMENT :)

In nearly 7 years, those little bubs swaddled up in their cots, have GROWN. And although it isn't a brilliant photo (blame the photographer!), take a look at them NOW - see middle pic.

Wow, they are all lucky to have each other. And to have the familiarity that comes with not knowing a life without each other. And no matter how long it is between visits, it is always lovely to see everyone.

I had to include the last photo. Sam, the big boy, with the little brothers of his 'girlfriends'. It was almost as if he was saying 'Look here boys. THIS is how it's done!'. I loved it.

Ethan driving a truck

2010-05-29T04:23:00.001-07:00

We dropped Georgia off at Grandma and Grandpa's just after lunch. Ethan, Luke and I headed to a local shopping centre to pick up some bits and pieces. Why do bits and pieces end up costing about $200 EVERY time I set foot in that store????

Ethan usually has to be dragged, kicking and screaming, out of the store's toy area. But not today. We told him we were going and he came. I LOVED IT! So he was rewarded with a nice long play on the truck outside the store.

Some parents put money in those type of things but this Mamma believes sitting on it is gift enough. And he had a lovely time.

Even better was when we went to go out to the car, we told him it was time to go.....and he came with us. No screaming, yelling, tantrums or sulking. Just a perfectly behaved child. I LOVE IT!

Georgia WRITES her first word.....DAD

2010-05-17T04:04:00.001-07:00

There are certain things in the life of a child that a parent will not forget. And I can rattle off Georgia's milestones with a degree of detail and at a speed that is probably far from 'normal'. Like the first time she wore a dress (Father's Day 2003), the first word she said (DAD on Father's Day 2004), the first time she crawled (the eve of my birthday in August 2005), the first time she walked (she was aged 2 years and 50 weeks in June 2006), the first time she ran (two weeks after she walked), the first time she jumped (February 2007.....the same day Ethan first rolled).

Today is another one of those milestones. Georgia wrote her first word....DAD.

She and I were lying on the floor of her bedroom this afternoon. She wanted to do some writing. I was doing letters and she was trying to copy them. She wanted to write 'shower'. I wrote it, she tried to copy it. She drew squiggles. I told her we'd do it one letter at a time. I did an S and told her to trace over it. She did a pretty good job at it although she told me it was hard.

She asked me how to spell Mum so I wrote it down for her. And then she looked at me and I said I'll write Dad. Oh yes, I thought. Not expecting a thing. And she spelled out D-A-D. Oh good I thought being oh so proud that she got the spelling correct. And then she wrote, D-A-D. For a split second I just looked at the letters on the page and my eyes nearly fell out of my head. And then I screamed so loudly that Georgia looked terrified. And I scooped her up, told her she was brilliant, started crying my eyes out and ran for the phone to ring Luke. And I got his voicemail. So I send him the picture to his phone. And he didn't reply.

I emailed the pic to my parents ('Gandma and Gandpa'). No title, no description, just the picture. I phoned them and told them to look at the email that I'd sent them (how did the world go 'round before email?). And they read it (so I knew it wasn't just my proud Mamma eyes pretending it said DAD) and it took them about a nanosecond to recognise Georgia's handwriting and to work out I was blubbering down the phone as Georgia had ticked off yet another milestone.

Hooray for Princess Georgia. Hooray for all the therapists, aide supports, teachers and everybody else that has in the past and continue to work SO hard with our girl to ensure she keeps moving forward. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Hooraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Cool Ethan

2010-04-06T03:32:00.000-07:00

I took quite a lot of photos in January meaning to post them on my blog. Kind of like our 2009 New Zealand in review that I meant to write and remains unfinished, like the 2009 'Year that was' that I thought I'd write on 1 January and didn't get to. So many good intentions and so little actually putting fingers to keyboard and actually doing it.

So here's a pic from January. Ethan in a trolley at Bunnings Warehouse. Got to love a hardware warehouse for a fun outing....and I say that actually meaning it as they have a great children's playground where I can sit, munchkins can run around and all whilst Daddy shops in peace.

Ethan had grabbed my sunglasses and put them on. He called himself 'Cool Ethan'. I couldn't agree more. All while clutching one of his many Thomas the Tank Engines of course. Can't go ANYWHERE without an engine. And for the record, his shirt said 'Cheeky Monkey'. And I couldn't agree more with that either.

Hoppy Easter Everybunny

2010-04-03T16:41:00.000-07:00

We had to wait until Daddy got out of bed to see if the Easter Bunny had been to visit. That was because Mummy was too busy confining two children to the lounge room to get the eggs planted so Daddy had to do it!Ethan took the left side of the driveway and Georgia took the right side. Amazingly, there were 10 eggs each + one chocolate bunny. Perfectly even :)

Ethan looked at it as if to say 'What am I supposed to do with this now?' I told him to rip off the wrapping and get stuck into it.

Ethan didn't need a second invite to tackle the bunny - ears first. That's my boy. Georgia decided an egg was more her thing. Hoppy Easter Everybunny!

Sporty George circa 2005....and today

2010-03-24T00:30:00.000-07:00

Back in September 2005, I took the photo above. We called it 'Sporty George'. Georgia couldn't even stand up by herself back then. Somehow, in the blink of an eye, nearly 5 years has gone by. I took the photos below this morning.In September 2005, Ethan wasn't even a twinkle in his Daddy's eye. And now he's 3-1/2. And he and Georgia had a MOMENT this morning where they weren't looking like causing greviously bodily harm to each other :) Ethan was playing hairdresser and pretending to spray Georgia's 'pokeytails'.

And Little Sporty George is much bigger sporty George. She was all dressed in her sports gear for a fun run at school today. The girl who couldn't stand up back then was running in a fun run today. Oh how far she's come.

The beauty of writing.....

2010-03-16T03:48:00.001-07:00

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And to me, these pics of writing are about as gorgeous as writing gets....even if the bottom one is upside down (It's hard to get good help! Try as I might I can't rotate it so it is being posted upside down!!!). Because they are by Georgia - working completely unassisted. Forget calligraphy or flowing script, give me letters formed by our little girl any day.

At the moment, all she wants to do is write. She scoffs down breakfast (because her Mamma MAKES her eat it!) and then it is off to write. Isn't it amazing how much her peers inspire her? Isn't she fortunate to have the opportunity to be in mainstream school to learn from those who are doing things she desperately wants to do?

When she proudly showed me her word below, I thought it looked like DAVE. Well DAEV which I thought was close enough to DAVE. I have no idea what she was trying to write. I was in 'I'm packing your lunchbox so yes Georgia, that looks marvellous Sweetheart' land as she was spelling something out and I wasn't listening. Shame on me. And then she came to show me what she'd done and my mouth all but fell open. I was so proud of her.

And more importantly, she was so proud of herself :)

What a difference a few days makes.......

2010-03-13T03:14:00.001-08:00

Wednesday morning and Ethan is in the Emergency Department of the Wesley Hospital on an IV drip. Sitting on Daddy's lap and listing to a Thomas book helps pass the time.Friday afternoon and I can almost see a smile as Ethan finds the energy to do a little bit of bouncing to The Wiggles. It's a stay in pyjamas day after coming home from hospital on Thursday night.
Saturday night and Ethan is eating chips and tomato sauce for dinner. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see him eat something so yicky as I was tonight.

The Thinker.....

2010-03-11T02:30:00.000-08:00

The Thinker by Auguste Rodin......
The Thinker by Georgia :)

Georgia's Day One of Year One

2010-02-04T18:27:00.000-08:00

How much does our girl LOVE school? Look at her smile for the 'first day of school pics'. We were to find out 8 hours later when she had a fever and had vomited all over her bedroom carpet that she had a middle ear infection! She spent the next two days being cuddled by Grandpa, sleeping and being given regular doses of anti-biotics and pain relief.

Her enthusiasm for school and for learning, as well as for socialising with her friends (!), is inspiring. She's a remarkable little girl.

It's SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO me!

2010-02-03T02:50:00.001-08:00

Four (4) photos of a bed/bedding. Hmmmm. Get the drift that I love the linen that Luke bought me for Christmas?

I LOVE red, white and blue. I LOVE stars. I LOVE the land of Uncle Sam. I LOVE quilts. So can you imagine linen that could have been any more appropriate for me than this set?

Luke and I were out on our pre-Christmas shopping rampage in December (remember where we did all our Christmas shopping in just a few hours??) and I saw this set in the window of a linen shop. I just stopped in my tracks. As did Luke. And as if I were pulled by some magnetic force, I turned and walked into the shop. I just looked at it and didn't speak. Yes, I know, that in itself is miraculous :)

I could only think 'I don't need more linen BUT it is SOOOOOOOOOOO me!'. So I started to ponder the pros and cons of it - i.e. how could I justify it? And my darling husband could see the cogs in my brain turning and just walked up to the counter and said 'We'll take one of those thanks'. God Bless that man.....particularly when he's shopping for me :)

Was it really necessary to post the fourth and last photo showing the linen from yet another angle? Yes it was. It shows on the wall above our bed are frames with some of the photos of us taken on our 3 month pre-baby around the world trip in 2002. They are from exotic places like Gallipoli, Stonehenge, Florence, Istanbul, Santorini, Rhode Island and Paris. I love those photos, I loved that trip, I love those memories. So had to include the last photo showing those photos.

Next question would be WHY has it taken be until February to post this? The joy of being a Mum and having no time to do important things like blog :)

Happy Days!

The 1 January walk/ride/debacle

2010-01-28T22:13:00.001-08:00

To see the eight photos from this little walk/ride/debacle, click on:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=133833&id=750294732&l=7fa6786c88

It seemed such a good idea at the time. It was New Year's Day, I'd just read a Facebook post from my favourite Sante Fe (USA) marathon runner and he'd been out for a run....in the snow. It was a beautiful day so I suggested we go for a walk, or ride for the smaller members of the family. All who know me that I'm totally allergic to exercise so this was behaviour way out of my ordinary.

So sun screen and hats on, bikes in the car, we drove down to our local bike path and off we set. Ethan's enthusiasm lasted about 2 minutes. He decided he wasn't going anywhere. Hmmmm. Georgia was as keen as mustard to keep riding. I wanted to walk. So Luke suggested he take Ethan back to the car and drive to the end of the bike path and meet us there. Brilliant!

BUT, we were sharing one car key as I had 'misplaced' my car key. And I had Luke's key on a lanyard around my neck. And I found the key still around my neck when Georgia and I made it to the end of the bike path 45 minutes later. We were HOT, we didn't have water (it was with the backpack I'd left with Luke) or a mobile phone and as I had the car key, no one was coming to rescue us. OH NO!!!!!

After all but dragging Georgia along the bike path to get to our designated pick up point, I now had to drag her back again. Not good. So I carried her bike, she yelled, screamed, refused to walk and needless to say, it was more than a bit stressful. Thirty (30), yes count them, THIRTY minutes into our return walk, we were staggering along about 500 metres from our destination and Luke appeared in our second car. What a marvellous sight.

Luke had dragged Ethan back to our car, realised I had the key, put Ethan's little Audi into our car in the carpark, carried Ethan home, used his house keys to get in here and get our second car and had set off to find us. He's driven out to the end of the bike path so he'd been backwards and forwards along the route a few times trying to find us. Eventually he stopped a cyclist and asked if he'd seen us (a screaming woman, a bike and a screaming child - yep, just down there mate!) so knew which street parallel to the bike path to look in.

The result? It will be a LONG time before I attempt to exercise with children in tow again.

Mum and Dad's 45th wedding anniversary

2010-01-16T03:27:00.000-08:00

Aunty Margaret (Mum's sister) and Mum

My sister Margaret and our uncle, Frank.

Mum, Dad and Margaret.....and the dessert waffles!

Margaret and Dad - most memorable for being a GREAT photo of Dad who is not usually a fan of the camera. Must have been the pre-photo consumption of two bottles of wine and a bottle of bubbly that we all enjoyed?

Margaret and Margaret - my Aunt and my sister

===========================================================

Today is my parents 45th wedding anniversary. Wow oh wow. And they still even talk to each other :)

We celebrated today over lunch at a lovely waterfront seafood restaurant. My parents, my sister, my aunt and uncle and Luke and me. No children! Very enjoyable and a lovely way to celebrate a lifetime of togetherness for the greatest parents I could have been Blessed with. Well done Mum and Dad. May you be Blessed with many more years of marriage, good health and happiness!

M x

The kitchen bench is clear!

2010-01-13T03:19:00.000-08:00

To the uninitiated, these are pics of a kitchen. And yes, they are of our kitchen. BUT what is noteworthy about these pics is it shows what TWO hours, yes count them - TWO hours, of tidying up can do. The kitchen bench is CLEAR - aka completely devoid of clutter - a RARE happening in our home.

It is ready and waiting for the arrival of my Mum and her sister in the morning. Luke has asked my aunt over to give him a pavlova cooking lesson so Mum is also coming along to learn from the Meringue Master.

And me tomorrow? Voluntary go into a kitchen? Even though three of my favourite people will all be in there and at once? Not likely! I have a culinary disability (self-diagnosed but well deserved I think after nearly burning down the kitchen thanks to a small fire caused by a toaster and the appliance hutch plastic roller door in 2003) so I avoid the kitchen at all costs. Unless it is to unpack takeaway :)

There's only ONE Aunty Regan

2010-01-09T04:55:00.000-08:00

Georgia is Blessed to have two incredibly amazing Godmothers (and Godfathers too for that matter!). Luckily for us, Aunty Maria is here in Brisbane. Unluckily for us but luckily for her, Aunty Regan lives in London, England......like on the other side of the planet :(

Each year or two, Aunty Regan trips across the globe and comes home for Christmas. Whilst here, she spends as much time as she can with her family as well as trying to fit in visits to friends, appointments of all kinds and descriptions and far too many things for her visit to be classed as a 'holiday'. Seems more like a marathon to me and how she does it, let alone with a smile on her face, I'll never understand.

Time with Aunty Regan is very precious. So to be able to spend an hour and half with her today was......well words just fail me and that doesn't happen often.....marvellous, wonderful, amazing, precious, special.

Waving her goodbye as she drives off is always so very hard for me. I just sob big, big tears like a little kid. I know, if I'm lucky she'll be home for Christmas 2010. And if not, then it'll be Christmas 2011 before we see her again. And that is such a painfully long time between being able to hug my precious bridesmaid and tell her how much she's loved and missed.

But we are so grateful for the time we were able to spend with her today, we are so grateful that it is 'only' 12-13 months since we hugged her last and we look forward to the next time we can hug her in person......whenever that may be.

It happens rarely - 1997, 2003 and today

2010-01-08T02:54:00.001-08:00

There are some things that don't happen often in my life. Like buying cars.

I bought my Toyota Corolla in 1997 so it is now 13 years old, Luke and I bought our Nissan X-Trail in 2003 when Princess G arrived into our family and today we did it again - we bought a car to replace the Corolla. Pics are above. A new Ford Focus Zetec. Silver (as if that wasn't obvious in the pics!), all the safety features possible (very important on my shopping list), and Luke was happy as he wanted electric windows and to be able to connect his iPod....and tick to both of those.

What makes this purchase rather remarkable for us, other than the fact two Accountants have let $ out of their wallets and spent money, is the fact we've been contemplating this purchase for nearly 3 years. And I know that because I just found photos taken at in early 2007 of a Focus Luke brought home from a car dealer at lunch time one day. We have a rather steep driveaway so we had to see if the car would go down it....and yes it did....unlike the Mazda 3 which wouldn't.

So after nearly 3 years of deliberating and tooing and froing and worrying (on my part) and putting it on the back burner repeatedly (on Luke's part), I got up this morning and decided enough was enough and it was 'Buy A Car Day'.

By 7am I'd found the car on a car sales website, by 8am we'd heard from the dealer it was available, we were driving it by 10am, we brought it home for a test drive to go up and down the driveway and in and out of the very snug fitting garage. And then we pondered and thought and looked on some more websites and compared more cars and decided yes, this was it. So back to the dealer, did the obligatory haggling and by 2pm we were home after signing papers. We pick it up in the last week of January.

Here's to Luke and the Ford have many years of safe, incident free and comfortable commuting between here and work (into the City - a whole 6km or about 4 miles but always done in crazy, horrid peak hour traffic) for the next decade or so.

Based on the car buying interval precendent so far (six years between one and two and seven years between three and four), it should be 2018 before I have to buy a car again. One can only hope!

The Invisible Woman

2010-01-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

A dear friend in the USA emailed me this video. It is too big for me to email on so I've found the link on YouTube.

Wow it spoke to me! If you have a few moments, take time to watch it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YU0aNAHXP0

And to all of those Invisible Women and Men out there, just keep on building.

It's a DRY day

2010-01-05T02:50:00.001-08:00

As the parent of the child with special needs, you learn to rejoice in every teeny, tiny little bit of progress. When milestones are ticked off by Miss G, the joy we feel and the sense of achievement are absolutely enormous. I've often said about G's milestones, and I'll say it again as it is SO appropriate, but on days like today, I can't imagine winning the lottery would be more exciting.

The physical and emotional energy exhaustion, the constant investment of time and the at times all but crippling cost of raising a child with special needs isn't anything near easy. BUT, on days like today, every little bit of blood, sweat, tears (and there have and always will be lots of tears) invested is SO worth it.

And why the celebration today? Georgia has had a DRY day. Yes, Georgia and DRY in the same sentence! It's taken 6-1/2 years, reward charts and stickers galore, games, a toilet training course to see if there was something easy I had missed (and alas, no there wasn't) and so much more but today, SHE DID IT. Not ONE wet Pull-Up. She even took herself to the toilet at a friends home tonight, undressed herself, redressed herself (albeit with shorts on backwards but who cares?) and then came to tell us what she'd done. Talk about a RED LETTER DAY.

As with everything in the world of G, we know there will be setbacks, we know that this is just a first and tomorrow might be quite the opposite. But now we know SHE CAN DO IT. And having done it once, hopefully she can do it again and again and again.

Luke and I reflected tonight on our good luck. How lucky are we that G was given by God to us to be our daughter? How lucky are we to be Blessed with the absolute joy of seeing her achieve milestones? How lucky are we to know how hard fought these milestones are and to share in the ecstasy of achievement with her. We decided that although parents of 'normal' kids may have a simpler life than ours, they don't get the highs we do on days like today. And we wouldn't swap our life for anything else.

Well done Miss G. We are so extraordinarily and incredibly proud of you.

Happy New Year.....with a Christmas picture

2010-01-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

As most of what happens in our home has no rhyme or reason or is completely back to front on what most would see a logical, I thought it therefore probably appropriate to start 2010 with a 2009 Christmas pic. How back to front is that?

Knowing that Christmas pics are a kind of torture for parents and children alike, we debated whether we put us, G, E and poor Santa through the trauma of trying to get a pic. We eventually decided that why not, we've done it before so let's do it again. Above it the result.

Georgia, wearing her JOLLY Christmas tree shirt and skirt was great. She sat, she rather reservedly talked to Santa. And then there was the other child. Master E the Three. Oh my! The only way we could get him onto Santa's knee was to grab a Thomas the Tank Engine gift set off a nearby shelf in the toy section and get him to hold it. Throughout the fuss, dear Santa sat and told us it was all in a day of work for him. God Bless Santa....I think he deserved a medal.

So Master E the Three looks good, Santa scrubbed up well and G in her JOLLY shirt doesn't look overly JOLLY. Rather downright glum I would have said. But hey, it is a pic and the moment is therefore preserved for immortality! And on that note, HAPPY NEW YEAR :)

It's what is on the inside that counts

2009-12-28T02:33:00.000-08:00

To the untrained eye, the top pic is one of a plane. But it is what (or who?) is on the inside that counts. It was THE plane flown by OUR Capt'n TopGun Unca Steve that we'd waited 3-1/2 years to see. Let me explain.

Just about anyone who knows our family will have heard us talk about Aunty Leanne, Unca Steve, Sarah and Nixy. Sarah was born the day before Georgia in 2003 and the girls were humidicrib buddies in hospital. Leanne and I got to know each other over breast pumps......as you do. And Steve and Luke used to pull night shifts together doing late tube feeds to the tiny sub 5lb girls.

This wonderful family supported us then when Georgia wasn't doing so well (yes Georgia, breathing is NOT OPTIONAL), through her PDA (heart thingy) diagnosis and treatment, through her non-feeding and reflux issues and have had their arms firmly wrapped around us and been looking after us every step of the way since. It is not only an honour to know them but we are Blessed to call them friends.

Leanne, Steve + their munchkins had to move to Canberra with Steve's work in 2006 :( We waited some dreadfully short period (less than 3 weeks???) before landing on their doorstep for a visit. Whilst we were there, Steve announced he'd resigned his job and was going to be a commercial airline pilot. Leanne and I thought he was joking. He wasn't. And some comment was made way back then about how we'd have to go down to the airport one day and welcome him home off a flight.

Well it has taken 3-1/2 years but today we did it. Leanne, Sarah and Nixy, the four of us, a WELCOME HOME banner, a few helium balloons (that didn't make it through airport security but were rolled out later in the day) and smiles wide enough to make anyone think that Steve had flown around the world or so greeted Steve when he landed back from a 6 hour commuter hop up to Cairns and back.

I really don't know who was more excited. The children? The big girls trotting through the airport trying to get a clear view of planes landing? Luke felt so sorry for Steve with all the fuss we were making. But why not I say........if you've waited 3-1/2 years to be able to wave at the guy in the cockpit and have him wave back (after the plane had safely stopped and everything was shut down of course.....safety first!) then it's a fuss in order? I think so.

After our airport sojourn, we enjoyed a beautiful lunch at Portside Wharf whilst the rather huge 'Pacific Dawn' cruise liner was in port. The tired munchkins behaved way better than I could have asked and we had a truly wonderful day.

No matter what we do, no matter where we go, we absolutely love the company of these guys. We are extraordinarily fortunate to have such marvellous friends who are beautiful - both on the outside but more importantly on the inside too.....and it is what is on the inside that counts :)

The Christmas card for 2009

2009-12-26T18:59:00.001-08:00

Since Georgia's arrival in 2003, I've been meaning to get a Christmas card printed. And as each Christmas has come and gone and I've emailed out messages saying 'Yet again this year I meant to get a Christmas card done but I didn't get to it'. But this year was different. I DID IT! One small step for a Mum!!

The photos were taken in early November but then Luke and I didn't let the photographer know which images we wanted until a few weeks later. And then the photographer took two weeks to get the digital images back to us. By then it was early December.

We knew we wouldn't get the cards in a hurry (yes, the company offered 50% off express shipping THE DAY AFTER I placed the order with 'normal' shipping - don't you HATE that???) so they weren't Christmas cards but instead Happy New Year cards.

Miracle of miracles, they did make it here by 22 December so some special folk did get them by December 23 or 24.........my cause in no way being helped by the postal delivery strike (Ba Humbug!).

Most of the cards were emailed out. Not as good as getting a 'real' card I know but hopefully better than nothing.

Note to self for 2010......start the process earlier? choose images more quickly? find a local printer who can do a 3 pic card (impossible this year but maybe not next year)?

Whatever happens, at least we've been able to send out a 'Holiday' card AT LEAST ONCE IN OUR LIVES :)

Happy Christmas.....and Georgia meets Lulu the cat!

2009-12-25T03:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a lovely day here. After an 11pm into bed last night, I did a Santa at 1.14am. I heard rain on our roof (always welcome in drought stricken Queensland) and realised the attic window was open. So out of bed, down came the attic ladder, up into the attic, close the window and just like Santa, down the ladder in the early hours of the morning. My physique (or lack thereof) parellels Santa so all I was missing was the beard and red outfit :)

Ethan woke up at 5am. I kept him quiet until Georgia emerged just before 6am. She woke Luke up and then the present opening swung into action. It was only half an hour from start to finish but the munchkins enjoyed it.

We'd bought Georgia and Ethan an Aquadoodle mat each. Ethan opened the one marked for Georgia. So knowing Georgia can't read, or so we thought, we gave her the one marked to Ethan. Wrong. She looked at the label on the wrapping marked ETHAN and said 'That's Ethan's name'. What a gift that was! Our girl able to recognise letters, recognise a word and know it wasn't for her despite us nodding crazily that it was hers. Way to go Georgia!

Luke and the munchkins went for a swim as there were new swimmers and new pool toys to try out. I went back to bed and gift of the gifts.....I slept until nearly 9.45am. Marvellous!

Mum and Dad (aka Grandma & Grandpa aka GM & GP) arrived with gifts for a present opening session. They had bought Georgia a Fur Real Cat called "Lulu" as Georgia LOVES all things feline. Enter Georgia's hypersensitive hearing. Despite all of us babbling away, Georgia heard the cat meowing through the packaging. And here's how Georgia got to meet Lulu:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=123964&id=750294732&l=4d22606c22

Now that Lulu is out of the box, we've found the OFF switch and Lulu has a 'sleep' when we need to be devoid of incessant meowing :) Lulu has been a BIG hit with both Georgia and Ethan.

Aunty Margaret (aka MMT) joined the craziness mid-morning and gave Georgia a ballet 'lesson'. Georgia demonstrated she has my grace (think elephant or hippo......in no way gracious and elegant) but despite having no co-ordination or style, she giggled and laughed all the way through her 'lesson'. Very precious.

MMT then took Georgia for a spin in the new black Mercedes convertible. I should have taken pics. Georgia was very at home in the passengers seat and would have quite happily done a far longer drive than just around the block.

Mum, Dad and MMT left for lunch at Everton Park and we four were left to have afternoon snoozes, another swim and then our seafood dinner. What a lovely, lovely day.

Happy Christmas one and all.

'Twas the night before Christmas......

2009-12-24T04:03:00.001-08:00

' Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, no one was stirring.....not even Ethan the insomniac! But I'm sure he'll be up and raring to go about 5am in the morning.

Santa has 'been' and this elf and her elf helper are absolutely tired out.

Happy Christmas one and all.

I feel SPECIAL

2009-12-22T03:50:00.000-08:00

Sometimes small things can be SO SPECIAL. And no, on this occasion, I'm not talking about diamonds or Tiffany boxes.

I'm talking about an exquisitely handmade Christmas card. And if I was a very good blogger I would have photographed it and uploaded the photo but it is late, I'm tired so you'll just have to trust me that is gorgeous.

It arrived in our letterbox, and that is no mean feat considering the current postal strikes, all the way from a snowy spot on the West Coast of the USA.

So it was handmade, someone was organised enough to post it WEEKS ago and both of those things are amazing but it was the words that were SO SPECIAL. And I hope the author of them won't mind but I just have to share.....

"I screwed up on your blog somehow and then lost it so haven't kept up. I miss your emails!"

She lost my blog link. Oui! How could that be anything other than a national emergency?? And then the card continues.....

"I miss you so much and wish, as always, we lived closer. The years seem to fly by, but you have remained a constant in my life. Thank you, friend."

And I cried. And not just teared up but really cried. Let it all out and howled. Those three little sentences made me feel SO SPECIAL. I haven't emailed the dear sweet author of those words anywhere near as much as I should have, I haven't picked up the phone very often to say hello, I haven't jumped on a plane and gone to visit (not that I wouldn't LOVE to!) but despite my infrequent contact and when she does hear from me, my mutterings and blabbing is always so 'kid-centric', the author made me feel like I've made a difference.

In the world of suburbia, it is hard to feel like you are making a difference. It's like Groundhog Day - same stuff, different day. Same bag packing, lunch making, grocery shopping, dropping off/picking up, attempting to put something edible on the dinner table, bit of work thrown in for good measure, screaming munchkins and general all round perpetual fatigue. But despite that, those few little words made me feel ten feet tall.

To the sweet author of those words - THANK YOU! You reminded me that since 1995, you and I have covered a lot in life 'together' despite for the most of it being half the planet apart. And yet after all that has been thrown at both of us emotionally, medically, financially and in every other way possible, we can both be so grateful for what we've got and where we are. Thank you for making me feel SPECIAL and for being so SPECIAL to me. Love you 'girl'! M x

MEGA box unwrapping

2009-12-18T05:03:00.001-08:00

There are some people in life that you are Blessed to know. And not only know but to call friends. The fact that they live on the East Coast of the USA and we are in Australia doesn't stop the friendship.....emails, photo calls, photos posted on Facebook for them to see AND them flying all the way here in 2007 to spend a MARVELLOUS few weeks with us means that the distance doesn't seem so far.

Ok, it does seem FAR. I'd love them to be able to sit here with us and watch our children gleely unwrapping the gifts they've thoughtfully chosen, lovingly wrapped and sent all this way. But since the Pacific Ocean, and most of the continental USA is between us and them, here are the pics I take for them so they can see, blow by blow, our children loving their Christmas presents from 'Birginia Beach'.

We love you Anne and Al! May 2010 be the year we can hug you both - in person.

See the pics at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=122126&id=750294732&l=cc16bc5de8

Wiggles concert - Sunday 13 December 2009

2009-12-13T04:48:00.000-08:00

This morning we went to the 10am concert of The Wiggles at Boondall. It was rather warm (think HOT) getting from the car, through the BIG carpark to the stadium. Inside it was noisy which tends to stress Georgia right out. BUT, look at her smile in the photo above. She started off the concert with her ear muffs on but grew in confidence, removed them and this was the smile I got when I asked her if she was having fun.

We got through the concert this year without losing Ethan. Last year he had to be removed from UNDER the stage by Security. This year he had a tantrum mid-show but compared to the foot race we had chasing him around the stadium last year, that was a piece of cake.

To see all the pics, follow the link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=120949&id=750294732&l=4bcfd007b8

Peek and enjoy!

Pictures from the photo shoot

2009-12-08T04:05:00.001-08:00

As someone who loves reading blogs, I should be more diligent in updating my own. But I've learned in the last 6-1/2 years, should is a word that I should not use.

So here I am after another 4 week blog absence. Can I blame Ethan for that? His waking up at 4.22am, 4.34am and other pre-5am times doesn't impress me at all. But it means I HAVE to get to bed at a sensible hour, when I'd rather be blogging, so I am at least semi-conscious when he starts unpacking our pantry to find cereal of a morning. Would that be cereal to eat? Not likely. Cereal to spread over the kitchen floor. But more about that and his other culinary explorations at another time.

The munchkins were put through their paces at a photo shoot in November. The plan was to have photos ready for a Christmas card. That probably isn't going to happen despite me wrestling with card software tonight for approaching 2 hours. Grrr. Anyway, here's the link to the album of pics that the photographer managed to snap:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=119834&id=750294732&l=032c9c49f4

It was hot, Ethan doesn't stay still for anything or anybody, Georgia wasn't impressed by the whole set up but at least she was partially co-operative for some of the time. Really it is quite remarkable that there ended up being any useful images at all.

Peek and enjoy!

Bye Mummy! I'm off to the airport!

2009-11-06T01:42:00.001-08:00

Georgia is the product of parents who love to travel. Any excuse to fly somewhere and we are there. So it bemused me no end tonight when a voice floated down the hallway 'Bye Mummy! I'm off to the airport'. I came around the corner to find Georgia with one of her play handbags over her shoulder, her trolley case in hand and she was ready to roll. Thank goodness her passport is kept under lock and key otherwise goodness knows what ideas she could get. Got to love a girl who is ready to travel.....even if she is wearing pyjamas!

Pictures from Ethan's 3rd birthday party

2009-10-17T05:28:00.001-07:00

are available at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=107064&id=750294732&l=687d41a2e5

If that doesn't work, let me know. Hope you enjoy the pics as much as we enjoyed celebrating our Little Man!

Ethan's Angels

2009-10-15T21:10:00.001-07:00

Since Ethan's arrival into the world nearly 3 years ago, our family has been Blessed with wonderful helpers. These girls (aka nannies aka ANGELS) have saved all of us from sleep deprivation, bored children and domestic disasters of all types and kinds. Thanks ANGELS.

And where are the angels this weekend rather than being here celebrating Ethan's big day? Tenai's in Sydney for the weekend (she will forever remain Ethan's first love), Melissa's in Coffs Harbour on holidays, Autumn is back living in New York, Aurelie is currently living in Hong Kong and Saint Sawah (known to the world as Sarah but to Ethan as SaWah) is in Emerald this weekend. Don't worry girls, we'll eat a cupcake or two on your behalf!

p.s. Pictures above have loaded in reverse order of timing. The beautiful girls are St Sawah, Aurelie, Autumn and Tenai.

p.s. Melissa, why can't I find a picture of you with either of the munchkins?????

Old, ancient and positively archaic....

2009-10-11T04:43:00.000-07:00

Two things happened today to remind me that I'm screaming towards 40. Yes, come August 2010, the 40 milestone will be something else I can mark off my 'To Do List'.

Thing 1 - We were at a Max and Milly concert this morning. The children loved it they sat there MUTE for 45 minutes. A little dancing from Ethan but no taking her eyes off the stage for 'The Big G'. She looked like she was studying it all very intently. Back to the story.....in the line outside before the performance, I looked at the guy in front of me and realised it was someone I went to University with. I said Hi, he looked at me intently and then said 'I remember. But c'mon Michelle, it was over 20 years ago!'. We graduated at the end of 1999. So in my Accounting opinion, that is not yet 20 years. But wow, 20 years? Gee it sounds like a long time ago.

Thing 2 - Georgia just can't get her brain around the fact that there is no button in Daddy's car that can make the windows go down. How do you explain to a 6 year old the concept of car windows that have to be WOUND down? No buttons to push, no parental help possible from the driver's seat? I felt like an absolute fossil chirping away saying 'When I was a little girl not only did we have to WIND down the car windows with the handle, we had no AIRCON either'. I felt one step up from the Flinstone's who used to have to run the car along with their feet!

All of this and I'm not yet 40!

Walking

2009-10-04T04:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I realised that this weekend, Ethan, is two years and 50 weeks old. So? Two years and 50 weeks is one of the most magical numbers in my life.

That is the age Georgia was when she walked for the first time. Georgia, the girl that we were told by so many esteemed medicos 'should walk' or that 'probably would walk'. And yes, based on her ever so slow development the signs were that she was going to walk. But until she did it, part of me didn't believe a word they said. I didn't want should walk, I wanted could walk and I wanted it right there and then.

So at age 2 years and 50 weeks, Georgia walked. She walked off a plane and all but ran into the arms of my Mum. I can see it in my mind as if it were yesterday. And two weeks later for her third birthday, she ran. She told us that her friend Jackson was running so she did too. Talk about an answer to prayer.

So here I was reflecting this weekend at how long Ethan has been walking at his current age of 2 years and 50 weeks all the while thinking how truly Blessed our family was that Georgia won the 'walking lottery' and God gave her the skills to walk. And then I found it.

Georgia's first disability parking permit. And its mate from 2007 too. Shoved in the glovebox of our car. And as I picked them up today and reflected on the 'walking lottery' I said a huge thank you to God for the gift of movement, a huge thank you to Georgia's OT and physio from those not to fun days who not only helped her walk but emotionally supported me while on the rollercoaster of having a child who couldn't walk, to friends and family who looked after us until Georgia's 'walking lottery' numbers came up. And after I realised I was sitting mentally thanking just about everyone that I'd ever crossed paths with I realised I was so just grateful. Grateful to everyone for everything.

Beside the pic of Georgia's disability parking permit is a picture of Georgia I took last week. She was hanging, upside down, from a piece of play equipment at Ethan's kindergarten. She'd got herself up there and she got herself back down too.

Her undies cover up her pull-ups so don't get too excited as we are still waiting for her numbers to come up in the 'toileting lottery'. But I have learned that God has a plan and I have to be patient and wait. He'll show me that He will send her the jackpot for that when He's good and ready. And in the meantime all I can do is be grateful and reflect on just how lucky we truly are :)

Three months without mutterings?

2009-10-04T04:36:00.000-07:00

I am sooooooooo sorry dear blog readers for THREE + months without mutterings. What is the world coming to? I deeply and profusely apologise and would love to vow that it will never happen again. But who knows what the rollercoaster of life holds so instead I'll say that I'll TRY and ensure it doesn't happen again. Hope that means all is forgiven?

So what has been happening in our world since June? Wow that seems sooooooooo long ago.

There was supposed to be a small period recovery after Georgia's party but that didn't happen as tickets decided to get busy. Not just busy but busy, busy, busy, busy. Thankfully it was just for a week or two but it was enough to hit my immunity for sixteen.

At the same time as Georgia's party recovery + busy with tickets + being in full swing with fundraising for Georgia's school Fair + it was winter and all sorts of bugs/colds/viruses were lurking around.....and I got sick. Not just the little cough/cold/sinus infection type of thing BUT I had infected just about everything. Pick a point above my navel and whatever body part you choose, it had something wrong with it.

I think the list ended up being something like chest infection, throat infection, double ear infection, sinus infection/s (why have just one when you can clear up one and get another??), conjunctivis and I'm sure there was more but the list seems mighty long enough so I'll leave it at that.

My ears were so painful that when I was on course three of anti-biotics, I went to my Doctor and asked her to perforate my ear drum so I could equalise my ears, stop the pain, smell and taste. She told me to wait a week, gave me stronger meds, some acupuncture, I went and had a massage, lots of steam inhalation (hate inhalations with a passion!) and POP, a few days later my ears started to clear. Note for future reference, acupuncture into the area of clogged sinuses doesn't tickle BUT I'm sure it helped the healing process.

August was lost in a blur of trying to get better and finalising the silent auction for the Oakleigh State School Fair.

September 5 was Fair Day and after it rained up until 7.50am, it cleared into a magnificently sunny day. The silent auction and art union that I co-convened made $22 500 profit of the $60 000 Fair profits. As the profit from the Fair, in total, last year was only about $30 000, to see it double this year left a lot of smiling faces at Oakleigh. A big thank you to my support team who helped me out so I could fundraise through May, June, July and August :) You know who you are.

The last two weeks of September have been school holidays. The lack of routine during holidays is lovely. But more on that another night.

In the meantime there is something I have to share so I'll do that now and will get back to mutterings another time.

Georgia's Party - The birthday girl

2009-06-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

What a marvellous day Miss G had. How often can you get to slide whilst still in PJ's?

Bash a pinata with a whole line up of people BEHIND you?

Get to play duck, duck goose and slide in a purple fairy dress.

And just have a ball?

Happy 6th birthday Princess G!

Georgia's Party - The cake!

2009-06-20T21:46:00.000-07:00

Georgia's 6th birthday cake was a cupcake tower comprising 50 pink and purple cupcakes from the truly amazing, lovely, talented and very generous Kellie at Cupcakes by K - http://www.cupcakesbyk.com.au/

There were G's, 6's, hearts, flowers, pussy cats, stars......plus 20 gift boxed cupcakes for people to take home.

Not only did they look and smell divine but most importantly, Georgia LOVED them....and in the end, that is all that really matters!

Georgia smiling widely while having Happy Birthday to her, counting through the numbers while we counted to 6 and blowing out her candles. Oh her smile brings SO much joy and happiness!

Georgia's Party - Ethan - Cheezels and cones

2009-06-20T21:14:00.001-07:00

And who thoroughly enjoyed his big sister's party yesterday? There were Cheezels by the plate load, there were marshmallow cones, there was a bouncing castle, there were balloons....and when it all got too much and close to sleep time there was St. Sarah the Supernanny to whisk him upstairs, give him lunch, watch a DVD and put him to bed. Oh the life of Master Ethan!

Georgia's Party - Luke

2009-06-20T20:41:00.001-07:00

Being married to a self-described Peter Pan, you know he'll enjoy anything the munchkins are into. But how much fun did he have at G's party yesterday?

He got to wield the shot that brought down the pinata and the rained the contents down on the assembled munchkins.

He made plenty of use of the bouncing castle/slide and all while clad in his favourite Tigger ice hockey jersey!

p.s. Yes, in all of these photos he's clad in his socks. We are obviously too poor to afford shoes for him :)

Georgia's party

2009-06-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

Every year, we throw a BIG party for Georgia's birthday. This is the third year it has happened and it shows no signs of slowing down. One of these days we are going to find people who DON'T want to come....but alas G's party seems to be loved by one and all and I've been told the chances of any of our family and friends NOT turning up is about nil. I suppose that is good isn't it? Except when it comes to the guest list. Oh that is tough.

Who to invite and who we'd love to invite but simply can't fit. It is a real challenge. We have family who put in so much to help us so we can't leave them out. We live in the most amazing street on the planet. We are truly Blessed to call most of our near neighbours our dear friends. We couldn't have the extravaganza we do without them noticing the mega bouncing castle sitting in our teeny, tiny back yard!! There are many that have helped us and continue to assist on our Georgia journey that we see so infrequently that getting them here for a party is about the only time we get to see them each year. Georgia's friends from Mum's Group, daycare, kindy and school....and the list goes on and on.

We can fit 40 people here if we pack them in like sardines. So we asked Georgia who she'd like at her party and she gave us a very clear list on who she wanted to share her big day with. There were some she left out that I thought would be in...but ultimately she made the call so I direct all complaints about non-invites to her :)

I hope there is no one reading this who is mortally offended they didn't get an invite. Please be reassured that it is not that we don't care - far from it - it is just that we are very restricted by space so we had to draw the line somewhere. Thanks for your understanding!

Teeth and hair

2009-06-17T22:34:00.001-07:00

Today Georgia came home from school with one of her front teeth.....it was sticky-taped to a piece of pink cardboard.

Please see pic of Georgia's new smile at left :)

That is tooth #3 to go but the first one that we've actually been able to get to do the Tooth Fairy thing. Note to self - put on Tooth Fairy hat after munchkin has gone to sleep.

Yesterday was haircut day for the two smallest members of our family. Georgia was incredibly well behaved during her haircut. Amazing what bribery and the promise of a 'special treat' after the hairdresser can do.

And then there was Ethan. He screamed, he yelled, he shouted, he lashed out....it was quite an entertaining performance for me (he was on my lap - think of wrestling a shouting giant squid), the staff at the hairdresser AND the hairdresser's clients. Oui!

Interestingly enough, when we got home, he was sweetness and light personified - see pic. But Georgia wouldn't pose for a post-haircut photo and was in a foul mood.

If it is not one, it's the other :)

Something a bit different.....a post about ME!

2009-06-16T20:28:00.001-07:00

This blog is very munchkin-centric, and particularly Georgia-centric, but that is a reflection of my life. But for once, I'm going to do a post about ME.

Way back last century, when I was a traveller who made her way around the world with suitcase, overnight bag AND a handbag in tow (travel light? moi? never!), I visited a few countries. If I had 'spare' time in my life, I could sit down to work out how many but to save time, let's say about 30+ countries. Yes, lots of stamps in the passport, lots of postcards home from exotic destinations and lots of praying from my Mum that I would be safe, well and warm.

I recently read a list of the world's 10 greatest cathedrals and I was exceedingly chuffed to say I've set foot in, and where possible, climbed by the bell towers/turrets/whatever high point was on offer, of them. The list is:

1. Notre-Dame, Paris, France
2. Saint-Chapelle, Paris
3. Notre-Dame, Reims
4. Chartres Cathedral
5. Dom, Cologne, Germany
6. St Stephen's Dom, Vienna, Austria
7. Duomo, Milan, Italy.....remains the ONLY place in the world where I've walked on the roof...literally....on the tiles.
8. York Minster, York, England.
9. Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury.

10. Seville Cathedral, Seville, Spain. I've been to Barcelona (didn't like it one bit) but not to Seville so this is the only one of the top ten that I haven't visited.

'Been there. Done that!' And don't those days seem so long ago when compared to life now?

Photography by a munchkin

2009-06-14T04:17:00.001-07:00

Guess who found my camera when I wasn't looking? And managed to turn it on and take some pictures before I discovered the budding photographer in action?

I think the lime green PJ pants and foot at left might give a reasonable hint.

Yes, Miss Georgia decided to test out my camera and oh she had fun. None of this toy camera business for her. A nice Canon IXUS with a 3" viewing screen thank you very much :)

We thought pic 1, 4 and 5 showed particular artistic flair!
Fingers anyone? With a nice table and chairs overlooking the Beach visible through the chairs.

A finger all but covering the lens.

How great is this for a picture by a 5 year old? Amazing how good the view from our 'weekender' at the Beach was.

The camera angled up we presume? This was the upper floors of the building we were staying in.

What a hoot!

The Big Boy Bed

2009-06-13T04:59:00.001-07:00

Long time between blog posts. Sorry! There is so much I'd love to have had time to blog about. Maybe I'll get 'there' (where is there?) one day.

But then somethings happen that everything just has to stop and the blog must be updated. And this is one of those things.......Ethan moving from his low to the ground toddler bed into his 'big boy bed'.

Luke and I decided this afternoon that tonight was going to be THE night for Ethan to give THE big boy bed (TBBB) a try out.

So, train pillowslip on the pillow, train quilt on the bed, his usual array of toys moved over to TBBB to keep him company. And the little man himself was very keen on the idea.

Here's the before and after bottle shots. Here's hoping he stays in bed until it's daylight. Now that would be an event worth blogging about!

It's a beautiful night to be a Queenslander

2009-06-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

QLD 28 vs NSW 18.

Enough said :)

Thursdays and Fridays

2009-06-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

Just about everything 'special' at Georgia's school happens on Thursday or Friday mornings....when I'm at Red Hill and not able to attend :(

These pics were taken by the Mum of one of G's classmates (thanks Libby!!) so I could see what happened at the Mother's Day morning tea.

They show G and Grandma looking at the wall of Prep A art. The lower pic is G with her painting. Notice how hers is rather abstract while those of her classmates are of 'formed objects'?

Considering she could hardly draw a mark on a page two years ago, what an achievement!!

This week on Thursday is Under Eight's Day at school. Luke has taken the day off to attend the festivities.

Next Thursday at school is the Sports Day.

Thank goodness the walkathon is on Sunday 14th and I'll be able to attend!

The gorgeous girls

2009-05-24T05:06:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday night and another week has flown by. Last week the teacher's strike lost me my Tuesday, Wednesday after reading at school with G I slipped over to Rainesforest at Indooroopilly for a massage (divine!) but got caught amongst the flood frenzy on the way home (slow trip with lots of turning around due to roads closed thanks to water, downed power lines, a a landslide....it really was all happening!) and Thursday/Friday were work days at Red Hill. Where does time fly when you are running in what feels like ever decreasing circles?

In amongst all of that, I managed to snap the pic at left on Friday morning. I think it should be titled GORGEOUS GIRLS as it is our Precious Princess G giving an 'I WUV YOU GRANDMA!' hug to my darling Mum. Precious.

So what if I didn't get all I needed to done. There's always another week.

But if nothing else last week, I captured a special moment between TWO GORGEOUS GIRLS and I really think that is all that matters :) Love you gorgeous girls xx

It's been raining....and raining....and raining some more!

2009-05-20T04:16:00.000-07:00

The Mirrabooka Road bridge at the corner of Acacia Drive in Ashgrove.

I approached it from the other side earlier in the afternoon, having no idea that Ithaca Creek has burst its banks. I was rather surprised - to say the least - to find the road under and water powering over the bridge.

More and more and more water at Ashgrove. Since when do we live in a riverfront suburb?

Looking down towards Woolcock Park at Red Hill. I should have guessed something was not right by the quantity of water pump hoses that were running out into the gutter from homes.

Again, I drove down Kenwyn Road having NO idea about the creek level and came to a screeching halt when I saw the road under water in front of me.

Ithaca Creek taking over Kenwyn Road at Red Hill. Lots and lots and lots of water.

We have had 410 mm (or 41cm or 16.5 inches) of rain in about 48 hours. More is forecast for tomorrow. Means it'll be another day where Georgia wears her gumboots to school!

The CEO

2009-05-17T05:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of our CEO snapped this afternoon. CEO may mean Chief Executive Officer to the rest of the world. To us, it is Chief of ETHAN Operations :)

We procured him some more pieces of his favourite Thomas train set today so he spent the afternoon on his knees at the train table putting the new acquisitions through their paces.

Trains are a very serious business when you are two!

(Please see the separate post below about Miss G)

Ta Dah! It's a photo of Miss G

2009-05-17T05:11:00.000-07:00

If only I'd captured the wider than wide watermelon sized smile that was on Georgia's face the nanosecond BEFORE I snapped this picture. She was grinning for me and saying 'Ta Dah!' with her arms flung wide.

After we'd returned home from a lovely dinner at the home of friends tonight, I asked her to smile for me so I could take a photo of her pretty pussy cat shirt that Anne and Al sent her. So here is the result.

Anne and Al live in Virginia Beach, USA. That would be 'Birginia Beach.....YES!' if you ask Georgia.

Anne and Al came to visit us in October/November 2007 and we had a lovely time showing them the sights of sunny Brisbane, we all went to Tasmania for a wonderful holiday, they had some respite from the mayhem that is our little quartet during a mini-break in Sydney and the Blue Mountains and then back to Brisbane for more fun before heading home for Thanksgiving.

The world financial crisis squished our plans to catch up this year but fingers crossed for a rendezvous in 2010.

If only the distance across the Pacific were shorter or the planes flew faster!

Murphy's Law

2009-05-15T02:23:00.000-07:00

I was feeling pretty chirpy this morning. Despite Ethan's early morning awakening (WHY? He doesn't have to wake early so WHY get up when it is DARK?????), I'd folded nearly two baskets of clean washing, unpacked the dishwasher, had breakfast.....all was on track to get Luke to work, Georgia to school, me to Red Hill and Ethan into the arms of Grandma and Grandpa. I should have known that Murphy's Law was about to strike.

I ripped up the pathology form from the Doctor for tests when Georgia's tummy was out of whack. I put the pathology collection container in the bathroom cupboard and thought hopefully we won't need one of those again. And Georgia's tummy must have heard me. Within 30 minutes after that, her tummy bug had returned to haunt us all and she was very uncomfortable and upset.

Thankfully I was able to get an appointment at our local Doctor's surgery all but immediately and now she's on yet another course of Flagyl to try and eliminate whatever bug is 'bugging' (sorry, couldn't ignore that pun!) her. Sigh. I made it to Red Hill at 11.30am. Not bad for a 9am start :(

Bouquets in all of this must go to Grandma and Grandpa. Ethan was in Grandpa's safe hands throughout while they did their weekly shopping tour, Grandma was with me and the very unhappy and upset Georgia. After the Doctor's visit she told me to go off to Red Hill and she'd take care of Georgia. When I got home, the house was tidied, the children were snoozing, lunch had been made, the pegboard in the garage fixed, the grass attended to and they stayed long enough to look after the munchkins so I could have a little afternoon mini-nap. Truly amazing.

What would our little quartet do without their support? I think we'd fall about in screaming heaps and be dragged off my men in white coats driving a padded van.

Here's hoping for a lovely weekend ahead - filled with sunshine and good health!

What is love?

2009-05-13T23:04:00.000-07:00

What constitutes love differs greatly from person to person. Last night for me, it meant my darling husband making an emergency dash to Baskin-Robbins for a tub of chocolate peanut butter icecream - just for me. He also sat down with me and we watched TV - something we rarely get a chance to do.

Since Tuesday 5 May, the day after my last blog post, at least one member of our little family, or more, has been sick. There's been vomiting (mostly Ethan but Georgia too), colds (Ethan, Georgia and me), awful coughing (mostly Ethan but Georgia too) and other winter type ill bugs. And it is not even winter yet but I'm already saying roll on Spring. That doesn't bode well for the usual bug season we have in July/August and early September. Sigh.

So Ethan was home from daycare last week, Georgia went to school today (Thursday) for the first time this week and by yesterday, I had completely and utterly lost it. I'm not nurse material on a good day but day 9 of everything being out of whack was too much for me.

I managed to get steak and sausages on the table for dinner last night. Luke rustled up the salad. And as soon as dinner was over, Luke sent me away from the munchkins for an hour so I could wind down. And after they'd gone to bed, he went and bought me ice-cream. It was just what I needed. What a man!

Fingers crossed for good health for one and all.

Hello!

2009-05-04T03:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who have reminded me that my 'New Zealand in review' series is still awaiting completion. Yes, fully intend to get it finished.....hopefully before Christmas! Who knows which Christmas but I'm sure I'll get there at some point :)

It's been a topsy turvy week. Georgia still seems to have a bit of a tummy bug which stresses me. She's been to the Doctor and we are still awaiting the results of pathology tests. Hopefully that'll yield the answer for what has been irritating her gut since early April. There was a meeting between us and the school + advisors about Georgia's term 1 achievements and issues. There were some positive outcomes from that + the usual stress which I go through when faced with the Principal, Deputy, Disability Advisor, Guidance Officer and class teacher across the table. What a lineup.

After nearly a month of 'holiday', Ethan was back to daycare at Newmarket on Monday and Wednesday and I was back at the admin desk at Red Hill kindy on Thursday and Friday mornings. Luke had the week off so he enjoyed being in holiday mode while the rest of us hit the ground running.

AND, it was Grandma's birthday on Friday. She turned 21 again. Well 21 and another half century and a bit but who is counting? Mum, Dad, Margaret and I had a lovely celebratory lunch on Friday at Gambaro's Seafood Restaurant. Mum said she very much enjoyed her day so that is really all that matters.....Birthday Girl happy, everyone happy!

I've also swung into fundraising mode this week. The Fair at Georgia's school is in September so I'm doing my 'usual' art union and silent auction prize gathering for them. Takes time, can cause stress but if I can make a positive financial contribution like I did for the Red Hill Fair in 2007 and 2008 then it is so, so worth it.

Dreamworld

2009-05-04T03:16:00.001-07:00

Being a public holiday here today, we decided to do something rather unusual for us...we went to a theme park, Dreamworld - http://www.dreamworld.com.au/content/drw_2008_home.asp?

We thought we might only stay for a few hours but 5 hours later after both of the munchkins had missed their traditional 'weekend' noon snooze, we headed for home. A marvellous time was had by all but particularly Georgia. She loved it.

The first pic is her on the 'Big Red Car' ride in Wiggles world. You can see the movement in her hand as she was doing the hand actions to whatever song was playing when I took the pic. Then to the tea cup ride that both Georgia and Ethan loved. Onto the wildlife area where there were snakes, emus, koalas, kangaroos, a cassowary and all sorts of animals to see. Then we found the 'vintage cars'. They run on rails to the kids can steer while an adult operates the stop/go pedal. Great fun! Unfortunately the pic I took of Ethan 'driving' is blurry but he thought the cars were great.

We also found a steam train (a different steam train to the one in NZ Georgia told us) plus lots of rides in Nickelodeon Central - the flying dogs, merry-go-round, flying planes, Spongebob Flypants (where Luke and G lay on their tummy and were swung around!), the Ball House AND the Swinger Zinger (aka a chair-o-plane). Georgia's smile while she was on the chair-o-plane was fabulous. She LOOOOOOOOOOOOVED it. Not just loved it but LOOOOOOOOOOOOVED it.

We were really impressed at her sentence construction this afternoon/evening. She was retelling us about we'd done at Dreamworld and we were amazed at the details she was verbalising and how she was sequentially explaining it all. Yay George!

Ethan managed a 30 minute power nap in the car on the way home but otherwise was sleep free. A very big day for a 2-1/2 year old little man but he coped really well.

New Zealand in review - Day 6 - Queenstown Dinner

2009-04-28T03:59:00.000-07:00

This photo probably won't mean much to anyone else other than Luke and me. But I think it is beautiful. It is the lights of Queenstown from the restaurant at the top of the Gondola.

Mrs Nic kicked us out and Luke and I enjoyed the marvellous buffet at the top of the Gondola. We went up at 5.30pm, we watch paragliders continue to fly off the Peak, we sat in the bar with the cable cars whisking past the windows and then we enjoyed a lovely meal while watching the light change from afternoon to dusk to evening. Beautiful!

For after dinner entertainment we listened to the screams of the night bungy jumpers and swingers in the dark just below the restaurant. Crazy folk but gave us a laugh.

New Zealand in review - Day 6 - Queenstown

2009-04-28T03:29:00.000-07:00

Our first fun in Queenstown was a trip up the Gondola at the top of Bob's Peak. The gondola ride was deemed fun by Gondola veteran Georgia.

Just inside the door at the top of the gondola is one of the karts that is used on the luge track. Ethan would have been happy to sit on it and not move for the rest of the day.

While waiting for the luge track to open, Luke found there was paragliding operating off the peak. So he was strapped to a 'pilot', ran off the edge of the mountain and sailed off in front of our eyes. Georgia was very unimpressed that she couldn't go too.

After Luke returned safely, he, Nic and the munchkins went luge riding. I took lots of pics but in most of them, the people look too small to be noticeable. I was happy to sit and enjoy the view. It looked so perfect it could have been a blue screen.

New Zealand in review - Day 5 - Franz to Queenstown

2009-04-28T02:53:00.001-07:00

What is it like travelling with a time bomb? Or two? To say I was very nervous about travelling with car sick king Ethan and gastro post one day Georgia between Franz Josef and Queenstown is an understatement. But with towels at the read and the lightest of breakfasts, we ventured off. First stop was a quick photo snap at the Fox Glacier.

Then lovely river/steam views through Haast Pass.

We found a terrific park on the edge of Lake Wanaka and the munchkins had a great time running around there while we enjoyed the magnificent view across the lake to snow capped peaks.

And then we got brave. Which route to Queenstown? The 120km route via Cromwell or the 70km Crown Range Road via Cardrona. With Mummy taking the wheel and driving as slowly and carefully as she could, we made it to Queenstown via the Crown Range Road. It is listed as the highest main road in New Zealand. To me it was the quickest option to get us where we needed to be! And the views weren't bad either......

New Zealand in review - day 4 - Franz Josef

2009-04-28T02:39:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of our day in Franz Josef....

A pic of Luke and Georgia on a quadbike outside the adventure place where Luke was waiting for his quadbike tour.

And a pic of the Franz Josef glacier. Thankfully this view was only a few minute walk from the car park. My type of hiking :)

New Zealand in review - Day 4 - Franz Josef

2009-04-24T05:08:00.001-07:00

I didn't sleep soundly. I felt uneasy. And when I woke up I found that Georgia had been sick during the night and was suffering from a nasty bout of gastro. Thank goodness for a motel laundry about 10 steps from our unit. It had an honesty box for laundry money and I told the owner that he could probably retire on the proceeds of the MANY loads I did.

Motel was http://www.bellavistafranzjosef.co.nz/ and Adam, the owner, was a treasure.

The weather was clearing so Luke got to tick one of his 'New Zealand to do list' items off the list when he took a helicopter flight up into the snow
at the top of the Glacier. He said it was FANTASTIC.

Georgia started to improve during the early afternoon so with Nic and me taking the munchkins to the playground and then for a walk, Luke headed off on a quad bike excursion. Mud, scenery and bikes apparently are a perfect boy combination. Each to their own I say!

The thought of driving down to Queenstown with a recovering Georgia + Maestro of the Carsick Ethan didn't appeal so wonderful Adam priced flights for us. At $2500+, it would have been cheaper to fly to Australia. It was one of those rare times in life that I would have loved to be rich and say 'fabulous, yes, no problem, we'll do that then'. Alas for living within your means.

New Zealand in review - Day 3 - Christchurch to Franz Josef

2009-04-24T04:49:00.000-07:00

The day started so simply with a lovely drive across the Canterbury Plains. Beautiful green fields, snow capped mountains - just lovely. And then we hit the winding road into Arthur's Pass. Still gorgeously scenic.

Had lunch at the Wobbly Kea (amazing cheese/garlic bread!)
at Arthur's Pass and we were not two minutes down the road when Ethan got car sick. And that turned out to be car sick episode 1 and episodes 2, 3 and 4 were to follow.

Winding mountain roads don't often present easy places to stop to try and clean up and change a very unhappy little guy. It wasn't fun.

By the time we got to Hokitika, our thoughts of a nice wander around the greenstone/jade, glass, jewellery shops were replaced with a trip to the local supermarket to buy towels!

By the time we arrived in the lovely little township of Franz Josef, I was totally over car travel - as I think all five in the car were - and very glad of the promise of a rest day to follow. Little did I know.

New Zealand in review - Day 2 - Christchurch

2009-04-24T04:26:00.001-07:00

The credit for our sightseeing today goes to Aunty Leanne and Uncle Steve who visited Christchurch last year and gave us a list of what to see that was child-friendly. As always, they were so right!

We started the day with a wander through the beautiful Botanical Gardens. What we thought would be an hour or so turned into a 2-1/2 hr meander which was delightful...other than Georgia's tantrums because she wanted to push Ethan's stroller and he was just as determined she wouldn't push him.

We saw the beautiful Avon, the lovely Gardens and found the terrific playground. We also had a quick wander through the lovely Canterbury Museum.

After lunch time snoozes all round, we headed off to the Gondola. We saw snow capped mountains in the distance and Ethan would have been happy to sit in the playroom at the top all afternoon.

Lovely Lyttleton was spread out below us and after heading back down in the Gondola, we had THE MOST AMAZING fish 'n' chips there from Lyttleton Fisheries. Luke is not a chip man but he LOVED their chips. That says a lot!

New Zealand in review - Day 1 - Brisbane to Christchurch

2009-04-23T04:45:00.000-07:00

No matter how prepared I am, no matter what time of day or night we leave, I don't sleep the night before a flight. As we were being collected at 6.30am on Thursday 9 April for our trip to the International Airport, I was wide awake and ready to roll well before dawn.

How to get four people, including a child needing a seat + a mountain of luggage to the airport proved to be a challenge in itself.

Being early, I didn't want to ask my ever helpful and obliging parents (just as well as it turned out Dad needed a root canal or some other yucky sounding dental thing done early that morning so he wouldn't have been available anyway), driving ourselves and parking for 2 weeks would have cost nearly A$200, a taxi wouldn't fit all our stuff, a maxi-taxi won't guarantee their arrival time as disabled clients take priority (and rightly so I say!) so our option was a private transfer. And I found:

http://www.luxinblack.com/

What a way to travel! Magnificent van and driver (John) , perfectly on time, help unloading at the airport - we couldn't have asked for more. When we were flying home, Georgia asked 'John pick us up in his van?'. She's obviously decided John is her preferred mode of travel on airport commutes from now on. Can't say I blame her.

Accompanying us on our New Zealand excursion was the ever marvellous Mrs Nic. Known as Nicole to the rest of the universe. Our children love Nic, she seems to enjoy them too and our friendship with her and husband Craig stretches back nearly a decade. As Craig is currently on assignment in the USA, Nic volunteered to come travelling with us to be our extra set of hands. What a woman! I know that there is a real St Nic and I'm so lucky that she's my friend :)

So we all checked in, loaded off oversize baggage (stroller and car seat), did the Customs thing, walked a mile or two or three to the departure gate (yes, it was the second last gate at the airport and the walk from the Duty Free Shops/food outlets to the gate took 7 minutes - I know - I did that walk three times) and waited for the plane.

Flights aren't overly fun for most people but a fuller than full flight and two very exuberant children isn't my idea of a fun way to start the day. After flying over lots of beautiful snow capped mountains as we crossed New Zealand, when we landed in Christchurch things degenerated from bad to worse as Georgia had just had enough. So getting her through Immigration and Customs involved a lot of screaming (from her although I was tempted to join in), crying (still her although I was thinking about it) and tantrums.

Thank goodness New Zealand realises that travelling with munchkins is a challenge and has an express lane for people with children. LOVE IT! The staff were superb in trying to assist us, bringing her a drink, holding her hand and trying to talk to her while other staff whisked us through and told us to bypass the exit line, which we happily did, to get us out of there as soon as they could.

Picked up hire car, fitted all baggage and people into van, found the very comfy and super clean motel (http://www.riccartonmallmotel.co.nz/) and went straight across the road to McDonald's where they have a huge and amazing indoor play centre. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

Nic and I had to test out the shopping so we went into the Riccarton Mall to buy groceries. Yes, after we did a lap of the specialty shops and decided that shopping in NZ is very like shopping in Australia. Not a lot of difference in stock.

We found Pak'Nsave and oh how we loved that place. Nic exclaimed 'It is just like a Bunnings - BUT FOR FOOD!!!'. We had far too much fun, went back to McD's to collect Luke and the munchkins and fell into bed.

We are home a few days earlier than planned

2009-04-22T13:20:00.001-07:00

Under the cover of darkness last night, we arrived home in Ashgrove. We are here two days earlier than planned but with Georgia having yet another bout of a tummy bug (count - gastro - one, tummy bug bouts - two....yes three illnesses in 13 days), we decided that enough was enough.

We sadly forfeited two days in Christchurch to come home and get our girl back into 'synch'. In her own bed, with easy access to the magic tummy medication that we'd nearly run out of despite me taking everything we had 'in stock' and being sure she wouldn't need any of it (wrong) and very importantly, into the arms of her Grandma and Grandpa who she had missed terribly.

We are all still on NZ time which is 2 hours ahead of Brisbane so we've all been up very early this morning but we hope that our body clocks will catch up in the next few days.

Off to unpack bags, wash, get a grocery shopping list together and plan meals for the next few days.

And yes, as soon as I can find the cable for my camera to download pics, I'll endeavour to get them onto the blog.

Hello from Mt Cook, New Zealand

2009-04-20T01:58:00.000-07:00

Hello Family and Friends.

Why am I sitting in a hotel floor foyer, in my lovely blue and white starry flanelette PJ's? Because I've found free internet? Shouldn't that have been obvious :)

I feel like I'm on some weird parallel planet. I've been using my eyes to work out the weather, I've been relying on the ATM to tell me how much $ are left in our accounts (not enough!), we've been using PAPER guide books and leaflets to work out what to do and where to go.....I MISS MY INTERNET!!!!!!!!

I did sneak a 5 minute peek at the messages a few days ago but how do you reply to over 100+ messages in that time and update a blog? Needless to say, I read fast and the blog didn't get updated :( Where are my priorities?

So, since my last post, we've flown from Brisbane to Christchurch (New Zealand)......and who thought that children SHOULDN'T be given meds on a day time flight? Well we won't be making that mistake on the way home. Let's just say that the flight was plenty long enough for the patience (or lack thereof?) of our munchkins and their accompanying entourage.

Christchurch was lovely, we took in the gorgeous Botanical Gardens, the Gondola (loved it), the lovely fishies and chippies at Lyletton and the weather was magnificent.

Then across the plains to Franz Josef Glacier. Sounds so simple doesn't it? How many times was Ethan car sick between Christchurch and Franz Josef? Four. Doesn't sound like a lot but at Hokitika I went supermarket shopping for towels. Forget jade, glass and all the things Hokitika is famous for - give me towels!

Franz Josef started with me waking up to find Georgia ill with gastro but at least Ethan was well by then. Luke went helicoptering and quad biking while our dear friend Nicole (who was travelling with us) and I ran what felt like a hospital ward in a motel room. How many loads of washing did we do that day? So many I can't remember!

We tried to charter a plane to get grey coloured Georgia and car chuck boy Ethan to Queenstown without the drive from Franz Josef but the $2500+ price tag was enough to fortify us that it could be done, and by car. Damn I wish I was rich! But we made it with all stomachs in tact - hooray!

Queenstown was lovely. Georgia did the 'zoom bungy' (kid bungy....aka trampoline) just about every day, we fed ducks, we spent lots of time in various playgrounds and we thoroughly enjoyed the GORGEOUS lake view from our apartment. Luke and Nicole went on the bungy swing (no I didn't do it, no I didn't think about it, for goodness sake you think I'd part with cash to do that - oui!!), everyone other than me went on the luge at the top of the Skyline Gondola (I was enjoying the sun, the view and was happy minding the bags), Luke went paragliding (Georgia was VERY ticked off to be told - repeatedly - that she couldn't go....next time sweetie!), AND I got to visit Pumpkin Patch...twice. What a great town.

We very sadly but Mrs Nic on a plane home to Brisbane on Saturday (sob, weep, oh how we miss her!).

Today (Monday) we packed up our toys, clothes, toiletries, food, towels (got to love those slightly used Hokitika towels!), the two strollers, various coats and all the other bits that make our van very, very full and we have driven the 'short' trip...only took us 4-1/2 hours....from Queenstown to Mt Cook.

Wow, this place is gorgeous. Despite low cloud we've been able to see glaciers from our hotel room. Our children are going to grow up with such a bizarre sense of normal.....Mum, can I go parachuting today - please? (No) Look Mum, the cloud has moved and I can see the glacier. (Wow Georgia...amazing). Mum, can we go on a gondola tomorrow - pleeeeeeeeease. (No Georgia, no more gondolas and besides you've been on them in two cities already on this trip). Yes, just like standard 'ordinary' kids speak - not.

Tomorrow we will take in the gorgeousness of Mt Cook and Wednesday it is on the road again back to Christchurch. All going well, we'll be home at Ashgrove on Friday night.

Love to all....except if you Aurelie and Nico in which case I'm saying Au Revoir as I have no idea what love to all is in French :)

Michelle (the pyjama clad blogger!!)

It's snowing!

2009-04-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

No, it is not snowing in Brisbane. Now wouldn't that be a reportable event.

In New Zealand, both Mt Cook and Queenstown have had their first snow dustings of the season. You can see the pretty white stuff at:

Mt Cook - http://www.hermitage.co.nz/accommodation/webcam/

If you slide the arrow below the picture to the left or right, it will change the camera images to earlier/later in the day.

Coronet Peak - http://www.nzsnow.com/html/coronet-peak-webcam.htm

Currently looking rather cloudy but there is snow visible in some of the smaller thumbnails beneath the big pic.

Queenstown from Gondola - http://www.skyline.co.nz/queenstown/webcams/

The cloud is currently too low on the mountains for the snow to be visible.

Bring it on!

Two fairies

2009-04-07T05:04:00.000-07:00

I achieved lots today (hooray!) but still lots to do before I can say we are ready to fly. Thank goodness I have tomorrow to tackle the remaining items on my 'to do' list.

Today was Georgia's last day at school this term. We gave her a special treat of her first ever tuckshop lunch. She told us her ham and cheese sandwich was 'very yummy'. Isn't it marvellous that the small things in life can make a little girl so happy?

After school, Georgia and Ethan, under the watchful eye of St. Sarah Supernanny, had a big play in the park. When they got home, Georgia announced it was time for 'fairy dancing'. Ethan was happy to watch but he passed on Georgia's very kind offer to put a fairy dress on him. A boy must have his standards I suppose.

This entry starts with a pic of two fairies I found dancing to The Wiggles. Full marks to St. Sarah Supernanny for squeezing into one of Georgia's fairy dresses!! Aren't those smiles just gorgeous? Or should that be GEORGEOUS?

An S day

2009-04-06T03:36:00.000-07:00

An S day? Substitute chauffeur, stroller sans children, sisterly car parking, silly access, scrape goes the post, + speech therapy!

Today was a BIG day. Lots and lots done and lots and lots and lots still to do.

* I dropped Georgia and our neighbour Bianca to school this morning as I do each Monday morning. Georgia really wanted Daddy to take her as it is his first day of holiday. But he was running a little late so she had to put up with me. Apparently I was a reasonable substitute chauffeur.

* I came home, packed up the car and headed into the City to run around like a crazy chook and deliver the Entertainment Books. Ok, maybe not run as in really run but I certainly wasn't dawdling and at the end of 2 hours, I was dripping with perspiration, felt absolutely exhausted and probably looked as scruffy as if I'd run a marathon.

* How to carry 20 books, weighing nearly 1kg each around the City? With my dodgy back? Enter our double stroller. A box of 10 books in the top, a box of 10 books + book bags + bonus vouchers + + + in the bottom. Ok, so I looked like an idiot pushing a stroller sans children but it gave many people a laugh as I ran (ok, not really ran but very briskly more than walked) past.

If I had $1 for each time someone in a lift, standing at traffic lights or standing in the checkout line at Big W (book delivery + buy 2 pairs of jeans + other NZ essentials while in the City!) looked at the stroller, looked up at me and said 'Where is the baby?', I could retire. Functional, effective and much easier than carrying. But who would have thought our City had so many uphill stretches in it?

* Parked in a car park in the City, loaded up the book-mobile stroller, went to head out and realised that I'd parked 3 car spaces along from where my sister's car was sitting. What's the chance? Many City car parks, many levels within this car park, four parking areas on this level and yet I end up 3 car spaces from Margaret's car. Spooky! The Lawson girls obviously have similar tastes in parking.

* Found the only way to get a book-mobile stroller out of the carpark was to walk up the car ramps up onto the street. A lift is in the process of being installed but currently wheelchairs and strollers have to dice with the incoming and exiting traffic traffic. Not impressed.

It is less than 3 years since Georgia started walking and the thoughts of 'but, what, if' she wasn't ever able to walk are still far too clear in my mind for me to accept anything less than clear access for those unable to manage steps or a rickety old and narrow escalator.

* From the back, the X-Trail looks like a very well loved vehicle. In its 5-1/2 years to date, it has had quite a few scratches, scrapes and marks applied to it that make it look like it has had a 'join-the-dots' things going. Well, add one more after an unnamed person (hint, it wasn't me - for once!) backed it into a post this afternoon. Upon hearing the timber on metal grind, I sauntered on down into the garage to have a look at the alteration to the tail panel.

The unnamed person said that at least it was their first mark on the car. Oh yes, I commented, but at least my marks are many, varied and usually quite small......other than the one where the wheelie bin jumped behind me. The one applied today is quite large......and doesn't size matter to the males of this world? At least only a bit of paint is missing and fingers crossed the rest of it might polish off? Or we might win Lotto and take it to a panel beater and get the marks erased? I can only live in hope!!

* And then there was Georgia's speech therapy session this afternoon which wasn't too good but you get that. Some weeks are great, others aren't.

Tomorrow is the wash-a-thon and pack-a-thon day. Won't that be fun?

Luke has been rescued from the lift

2009-04-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

This post is for my friend Janelle as she often tells me it is my duty to make her laugh and Praise God for her comparitively quiet existence.

Luke has just phoned. He went into work about two hours ago to pick up some stuff, tidy up etc. As you do when you are on the first Sunday of your holidays. Knowing he can often get sidetracked and will eventually turn up, I hadn't given it any thought as to why he was taking so long.

He just phoned. He's been trapped in a lift at his work for the last hour. He tells me it was hot, not enjoyable talking to a muffled voice coming out of a speaker but at least he was on his own and did have a drink with him. A service man eventually turned up to rescue him. I think he would have preferred an Angelina Jolie type gal in a crop top and tight pants abseiling in through the roof but lift captives can't be choosers. Only in our family :)

NZ weather forecasts

2009-04-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

NZ weather forecasts according to www.wunderground.com are:

Christchurch

Thursday - 11 degree maximum, 5 degree minimum
Friday - 16 degree maximum, 7 degree minimum
Saturday - 19 degree maximum, 10 degree minimum

http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/93780.html

Just a tad (lot!) chillier than the 27 degrees it currently is here. BRING IT ON :)

Someone needs to own up!

2009-04-04T19:52:00.001-07:00

As Georgia is on her weekly Saturday afternoon/night and Sunday 'holiday' at Grandma and Grandpa's, Luke, Ethan and I took off on our weekly Sunday morning magical mystery tour. We usually leave home with a 'to do' list. Inevitably we get very little of the list done and end up places we hadn't planned. But today we stuck to the list.....luggage shopping.

We are now the proud owners of some new luggage (lime green no less!) for our forthcoming NZ trip. But more on luggage another time as I have a mystery to solve. SOMEONE NEEDS TO OWN UP!!! And what we are trying to find out is......who has taught Ethan about coffee?

While we were out, I ordered a cappucino to try and keep me awake without a lunch time nanny nap. Ethan all but jumped out of his chair, wanted to stir it, put the sugar in (yet another generation supporting the cane farmers!) and then wanted to drink it. And when I wasn't keen on his having coffee, he was very, very unhappy. So I ordered him a babycino and he was in raptures.

Considering I drink coffee very, very rarely, there must be someone, somewhere who has introduced him to it. Now let me think......Aunty Leanne and Unca Steve....love coffee but alas we haven't seen them in months, Aunty Maria and Uncle Wayne....Aunty Maria loves her 1/2 strength skinny cap but I've never seen Ethan take much notice of it, Grandpa....likes a cappucino but I can't imagine he and Ethan sitting in a coffee shop enjoying one on their weekly Friday shopping trips, daycare....cappucino at daycare....doubt it, St. Sarah Supernanny....possibly...will have to ask her. The mystery continues...

Here are some pics of Ethan's babycino experience....and once he'd scooped out the froth he picked up the cup to drain the last shreds of milk in it. We couldn't stop laughing....particularly when he'd finished, he put the cup down and declared ''Aagh!".

I'm still learning about many blog things and uploading pics is one of them. The pics I've uploaded are in reverse order to when they were taken and how I would like them display but not enough time to play with that today.

Not one but TWO

2009-04-03T04:48:00.001-07:00

Oh I feel LOVED! Not just loved but LOVED. My blog has not one, but TWO followers. I now have concrete proof that there are TWO people out in cyberspace who actually WANT to read what I write. Even better, I know them and they aren't anonymous blog followers who just happened to find me when they had nothing better to do. So a big cheery hello to Angela (you were my first follower!) and Aunty Maria.

Thanks to everyone who has sent lovely emails since I started my mutterings. I'm glad my ramblings have given you a laugh, enabled you to see updated pics of the munchkins and pass the time. I haven't replied to many of these emails yet, sorry, but they've brought a smile to my face....and this week, I've been a bit short on smiles.

I've been a really grumpy bear this week. I think getting up at least once, if not more than once, between the hours of 11pm and 5am is not a good start. Earlier in the week it was Georgia doing the night owl wandering, the last few nights it was Ethan. Thank God there are only two of them.

Ethan is just about over his cough/cold, Georgia's snuffle is now a cold that we are hoping like crazy doesn't become a sinus infection and Luke had a day off this week to visit the Doctor for some steroids to help his hacking cough. Too little sleep, too many cough/cold germs flying around and just too much to do and too little time to do it in.

Tonight Luke started his annual leave until.....wait for it......5 May. A fully fledged nice long break for him. Hooray!! Georgia's first question to him was could he please take her to school on Monday (read here.....any alternative to my Mum who doesn't let me play on the playground AFTER the bell has rung is good) so he'll be pressed into 'housewife' service by her quick smart. And that is before he sees the to do list I've got for him :)

We fly out to the land of the long white cloud on Thursday morning. Tomorrow will be the day where Thursday appears on weather forecasts and we'll be able to see how bitterly cold it will be. Can't wait for that!

It's always nice to sleep with someone.....

2009-04-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

It's always nice to sleep with someone... particularly if your bed companion is snuggly, furry and doesn't snore :)

This is Ethan and his BIG teddy bear, Richmond, snapped tonight.

Richmond came home with us from Teddies on the Green in Richmond, Tasmania in November 2007. He wasn't the easiest bear to transport but there are some things that little, and big, boys just have to have....regardless of the postage cost!

Today was a MUCH nicer day

2009-03-31T03:39:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how much nicer the world can see after 6-7 hours of uninterrupted sleep. As much as I love talking to people, particularly the munchkins, if it is between the hours of 11pm - 6am (+/- an hour or two), it doesn't leave me in the best frame of mind.

Today Georgia's OT (occupational therapist) Mary called in for a session. Georgia hasn't seen Mary since the start of school. After yesterday's not too fun day, I didn't have high hopes for the session. But ever brilliant Mary managed to get 1/2 hour of work out of Georgia - hooray!! Then it was off to school for our big G in time to catch the end of the weekly Tuesday morning assembly.

We are very lucky to have a wonderful nanny, Sarah (aka St. Sarah!), to look after Ethan each Tuesday and Thursday. She also drops Georgia off at school and picks her up from school, drives Ethan here and there through the day, helps me in any and every way possible....she's a real treasure.

After dropping G at school, Sarah took me to an optometrists appointment, took Ethan to the park and then onto his first ever Kindermusik session. Sarah tells me that Ethan enjoyed the music so we'll be enrolling him for Kindermusik from next term onwards.

Thanks to my altercation with a magpie in 1985, the changes in my eye are watched, by my optometrist, like a hawk.....pun fully intended :) Today I had to have my pupils dilated and the optometrist wants to see me in another 8 weeks to check them again :( It's been quite a long time since I've had this type of test so I completely forgot I wouldn't be able to read, my eyes would be very glare sensitive and I'd be next to useless for a few hours. My wonderful parents collected me from the optometrist's office, brought me home and I decided since I was useless, I might be productive and lie down. I woke up two hours later. It never ceases to amaze me just how restorative a few hours sleep can be. There should be more of it!

Much to my delight and surprise, Georgia had a great day at school and came home raring to go down to the park with Sarah and Ethan and give her scooter a run on the bike path. I love being completely redundant when Sarah is around!

Luke is still struggling with his cough/cold/snuffle. He only has to make it until Friday afternoon and then he can look forward to a HOLIDAY.

p.s. We've been Blessed to have a nanny here since February 2007 when Ethan was 3 months old. Tenai (our travelling companion), Melissa (the great reading teacher), Autumn (our fashionista), Aurelie (the French delight who taught us about tunnels), Super Sarah and St. Sarah have all brought so much to our family and without their help, we'd have been lost. Each girl has taught us something different and for that we are SO grateful. Hi girls....we love you all!

Some days are diamonds, some days are.....coal?

2009-03-30T04:41:00.000-07:00

Apparently the 'real' version of the song goes....'some days are diamonds, some days are stone'. But as my darling husband forever tells me that diamonds are just petrified coal, and I might add they are VERY pretty coal at that, I figured my take on the song had to be 'some days are diamonds, some days are coal'.

Today was a coal day for me. A really quintessential Monday where the day seemed to be just a little too challenging.

* Yes Georgia, the wonderful new playground at Ethan's daycare is great but now let's go home and change your sopping wet school uniform BEFORE you go to school as the rain soaked playground has now led to a rain soaked you.

* Yes Mr Pool shop man, $400-$500 for a rebuild of our pool filter is just fine......if only my surname were Trump. No, I didn't say anything after fine....just go ahead and do it.

* Would you believe I only came into Coles for two bottles of milk and I'm leaving with $90 worth of groceries AND a $50 visit to the Chemist? Note to self.....listen to Mum who tells me about the great discount Chemist warehouse she and Dad use. Otherwise get salary debited directly to Chemist.

* Why after spending $90 on groceries can I find NOTHING in Coles that appeals for dinner? Ring husband. He suggests steak, sausages and salad. Alleulia for easy to prepare, cook and we have it all in the fridge/freezer. Why did I need to go to Coles?

* Pick up Georgia from school. Georgia is exhausted and hasn't had a great day. I speak to her teacher and I leave sad. Some days I can handle hearing about everything Georgia didn't or couldn't do. Today was not one of those days. Ring Georgia's AVT (advisory visiting teacher....aka Wonder Wendy) and cry out my frustrations.

* Come home, do the washing, have a nice long chat to my neighbour Anne who is a very wise woman, see the smile on my daughter's face after she gets up after an hour power nap, listen to Ethan giggling with his trains, hug the husband when he arrives home after a good day....and realise that coal isn't so bad after all???

Today I temporarily forgot to remember how lucky I am. All little things just seemed to pile up and for a little while, feel overwhelming. Tomorrow is a new day and hopefully it'll be a diamond!!

A girl, VlRGIN, Mum and a boy

2009-03-29T03:45:00.001-07:00

Last night I had a lovely night out. My friend Susan, with whom I originally crossed paths with back at Our Lady of the Assumption (OLA) primary school back in the 70's (yes, like last century!) and have crossed paths with often since, and I went out to dinner. In three hours, we had a drink, a lovely dinner at The Gap Tavern, compared notes on our munchkins (we both have a boy and a girl) and managed a trip to an ice creamery on the way home for a much needed (cough, splutter....ok..maybe not needed but very yummy) dessert. I am so lucky to have such great friends.

During the night, I was worrying about luggage for our forthcoming trip. I've tried to find out whether the pull-ups Georgia wears are available in New Zealand. So far I haven't been able to find out. Reading that excess baggage was $10/kg, I rang the good folk at VlRGIN BLUE and told them my concerns about the cost of carting the jogging stroller Georgia uses when she can't walk any further, her pull ups + all the other medical type stuff that she needs. In typical VlRGIN fashion, no problemo they said. Apparently there is an area of this marvellous airline that deals with passengers who have special needs. I told them what we'd be taking because Georgia is Georgia, they noted it all on our booking and told me that if any excess baggage does apply, it won't apply to Georgia's special stuff. HOORAY FOR VlRGIN BLUE! Got to love them! Hopefully tonight I can sleep without luggage nightmares.

Anyone who knows me knows that my sister and I are fortunate enough to have the most amazing Mum on the planet. Although I am lucky enough to see Mum (and Dad too!) a few times a week, I don't often get to spend an extended time with her. So today I did.

Whilst Luke and the munchkins were off to a playground to spend time with his Mum, Jill, I grabbed the opportunity to have four lovely hours with my Mum, Jan. We popped in and had 2 minute look at a local fair (yes, it really was about 2 minutes....in, look, out!), we hit the Outlets down near the Airport for a few hours (who would have thought the car park down there would have been quite full at 10.15am on a Sunday morning??) and then we wandered home via a local shopping centre. To recover from all the walking, shopping and talking, I needed a two hour nap afterwards! Keeping up with a 71 year old is hard work!

And a boy. That would be my 'Buddy' Ethan. The pic at the top of this entry was taken tonight. I just love, love, love the little chambray look pyjamas he's wearing so I had to snap a pic of their last wear. They are a size 1, way too small for him and they will be off to a new home this week. But not before they were immortalised in pic for all to see. And yes, he's holding one of his many dummies that I loathe, detest, hate and despite. Yick.....horrible things. Blah!!

He wouldn't let me hold it while I took the photo so we compromised. He took it out of his mouth and smiled for me and in exchange, he could hold it and then after I'd stopped looking, no doubt it went back in his mouth. I'm sure negotiating world peace would be easier than putting an end to the dummies will be when the time comes.

The Big Blue Whale from Prep A

2009-03-29T03:35:00.001-07:00

Georgia's class, known as Prep A, spent last week making a BIG blue whale. It was done for a competition run by the National Geographic Channel.

The masterpiece can be viewed at:

http://natgeotv.com.au/programmes/custom/whale/ListSchools.aspx?Id=1434&Target=49

Not that it matters but as far as I can see, Georgia isn't in any of the photos on the website.

As an Accountant who doesn't have an artistic cell in her body, I wouldn't have known where to start with this, let alone come up with something so impressive whilst being 'helped' by 25 little Preppies. How those teachers are AMAZING!

Happy Big Blue Whaling!

2009-03-27T23:07:00.000-07:00

Pictures of Georgia taken on the swing set at my parents this morning.

I was really impressed watching Georgia jump up onto the monkey bars today. Not bad mobility for the girl who didn't crawl until she was 2-1/4 and walk until she was 2 years and 50 weeks.

p.s. Yes, that would be the swing set we gave my Dad for his 70th birthday as what else do you give the man who we couldn't figure what else to give him!

p.p.s. I think I need Blogger layout lessons! No doubt perfection will come with experience?

2009-03-27T22:53:00.001-07:00

Enjoy the pictures of Ethan that I took this morning.

Typical Ethan - cheeky smile + Thomas couture!

p.s. To state the obvious, I found the add pictures button! Yay me!

I'm here!!

2009-03-27T22:38:00.001-07:00

I've finally done IT. After reading blogs for years and, thinking about blogging for years I've finally set up my own little blog. Knowing me IT will not be brief or succinct so I shouldn't call IT little.....but let's walk before running.

It was Kylie who inspired me to finally do IT. Kylie has a blog that I've devotedly read since her first Princess was born. I was telling her recently how much I LOVED following the happenings in her world. She turned around and said how much she would like to follow what I write. I was surprised.....and very pleasantly so might I add.

So what to blog about. The obvious choice is the munchkins. If I can work out how to add photos, you'll be viewing pictures I took of them today. If I can't work out how to add pictures, I won't be telling anyone about the existence of this blog until I do :)

So much more I could write about......like the excursion Ethan and I took to the bakery this morning. A good Mum would have gone to the fruit shop and bought up but Ethan and I hit the bakery and weren't we glad we did?

But time is passing so more another time.