Lights Camera Dance

I spent the morning with my girl today capturing her on camera.

It is always beautiful to see her dance but it was fun today to be the roadie and cameraman...camera mum.

She has put a lot of work into get her audition tapes compiled for studies next year.....you never know it may just be the camera work  that gets her across the line. LOL

Pie face fun with friends

What else do you do on a day where you have 3 extras and a little sunshine???

Play a crazy game involving whipped cream and a trigger that is very random.......

 

and when every one has had their fill of cream in their face,up their nose and in their hair.....

Make banana splits for everyone......

and yes I did  have a turn...but managed to avoid the cream going off on my turn!!

Nearly gone

With just 50 school days left ever for our teen and two terms left at primary school for our other child, this little moment in time will soon be long gone.....

A moment where wet shoes left one without footwear...the other coming to the rescue.

When they start school these days just sem so long away...

Well they are here!!
 
 

A moment to breathe and celebrate

33 years with this guy.....28 years married this last weekend was worth taking a couple of days out and hanging together.

So ...we did. Hang out, enjoy the nothing that was for a couple of days.

It was cold and it just reminded us of the cold wet day we said those words of promise to each other... So much has come our way to make us who we are today.....
so glad I have had this guy to do it all with.

 

Driving, dancing and growing up

I have shared the good stuff going on for the two males in our family....

So what's up with our girl......



Lots of time and effort have gone into passing the all important mid way driving test! 
Woo hoo is all I can say....we are now just 25 hours / 6 months away from the finish line...much rejoicing in our house is happening. Funny how she really is much more drive ready, half way through the learning process than we were when given our full plates!!

The other time allotment for her has been on her dance....yes she is the determined dancer in the family....and with just over three months left of her school life all attention is being focused on what next.

So the next three weeks are all about fine tuning and pulling together audition work for the application of courses for next year. Thankfully because we live in the most isolated city in the world most auditions can be done via recording and not made in person. ( Although I would be more than happy to trip around the country with her for the auditions)
So I have a few months in which to come to grips with our girl potentially heading off into the big wide world without us....{insert pounding heart and sweaty palms here!}
 We have always encouraged her to follow her dreams and so now we must stick to that despite how hard it is to let go.

Unfortunately the lovely little part time job she had close to home came to a sudden end when the business closed a couple of months ago. So after some financial independence she is feeling a bit blue without it....not that at the moment there has been too much time to commit  to work.

In three weeks - hopefully after the completion of audition work- she will be having a little surgery to determine whether she has inherited a familial genetic condition related to anesthetics. This will put her out of action for a few weeks but something that she will be better off knowing about going forward. So the race is on to have all her physical work done and ready for submitting.

So nothing much happening at all! 

It just seems like only yesterday she was beginning to dream about what life at 17 turning 18 would be like and where she would be.......and here we are.... {sigh}

 

Birthdays, fire, friends and bees

So while our boy has many things going on for him.....we celebrated the biggest boy in our house. It was birthday week.....well birthday five days.

This very same time last year we were ducking and weaving a big birthday number, the coming to an end of his employment after 20 years and the partial ending of my job that I loved......to say we were a little displaced would be an understatement......oh yes we had an assurance that it would all be ok and that an adventure was just beginning for us....but still a little apprehensive about what lay ahead.

Well here we are.....another birthday ...this less daunting in a strange way.....there has been an embracing of it all. This year we were introduced to the "birthday eve" celebrations....apparently that is what you are entitled too at this age now! (sorry honey we had no notice and so will do better with that next year)

But we did hit the present giving perfectly this year....fire.....and bees

What male doesn't like poking around with a fire? So a fire pit was built and we enjoyed two beautiful winter evenings with family and friends, yummy food and good conversation....something about the sitting around the fire that brings a good flow of conversation. 

He has wanted for the longest time his own bee hive....and hooray he got one (to babysit/foster/nurture and hopefully reap some honey in the months to come) delivered by our very friendly bee keeping friend.

Looking back we have been on a journey  and although we are still on this part of it we are thankful for good friends and close family ties that have encouraged us along the way.....

Happy Birthday  to you......here's to an awesome trip along this thing we call doing life.

 

Cupcakes and soccer and being brave

We are in a season as a family where I feel that for each of us we have our own biggish things going on......

So our boy has...

 all that comes with finishing primary school and making decisions about high school for next year......

Soccer is happening and he has had the opportunity to try out for a regional team heading towards "county week " in October.

A little procedure to remove something from his  tongue also has been on our agenda for a while. Seeing him overcome some perceived fears was awesome.

Random collection of happenings that are significant for him.....and because he isnt flying solo through all of these things it adds to the colours of our week. I know in the very near future I will look back and miss all these things that seem to take up so much planning, running around and mum involvement.

I quietly was very proud of my contribution to the cupcake stall raising funds for the soccer club......just another thing to add to the mummy resume along with taxi driver, nurse, hug provider, loudest supporter on the boundary line, braving the freezing evening training times,"application form writing encourager"......and all supposed to be done with a smile! 

Family time

In the whirlwind that is the days passing...I need to stop and reflect on the little things...take notice of the quiet things...I seem to have lost my way with it all......

My camera hasn't been out much...it is a tool that really lets me see things a bit clearer.

So plugging it in to my computer tonight it has reminded me that just a few short weekends ago my whole family gathered down south to celebrate my dad's 75 th birthday....His wish,that we spend some time together as a family....so we did all 20 of us and a few extras during the weekend.

And yes it was only a weekend away from being officially Winter and yes the kids did go in the ocean.....we had cyclonic winds on the Friday night...and the most perfect of weather for the rest.... 

We really are blessed...now to keep that in mind while all the tricky stuff goes on.......

Where have I been? 14 Random Happenings

I have been missing in action and have hesitated about popping up here with not too much to say...but I have been prompted this week to think about why I have this space and it was to originally keep a record of family happenings.....so for our benefit and anyone who may still be hanging in there here goes....

* I have been trying to keep up my appearances at The Make A Wish shop as it is a place that really makes me slow down and enjoy doing the little things....or just helping in its purest from...We had the official opening of the store and it is nice to see it is on the map a little larger than it was.

* The week by week routine is all over the place as I have had more work offered than I can accept. The hardest part of being a relief teacher is being able to say no and not feel that I have let people down...I am so thankful for the offers and am really enjoying the variety and different challenges each day. I have also begun building some relationships in the two main schools I am teaching in.

* There was a little dabble into hairdressing......ending badly. Well not quite but after the insistence of my girl wanting her hair a  little shorter and me insisting that it was not high on my skill set.....well lets just say she will never insist again.

* I had the opportunity of being apart of our new church's "Solo mums pamper morning" - I popped up my head to help in the kids department ( which is where I am most comfortable) only to find they had enough help and  needed help on the foot spa station! Oh my who would have thought I would have such a lovely time.....it was very humbling to spend a few minuted chatting and loving on a complete strangers  the day before Mothers Day.

* Hmmm Mothers Day....I really tried hard this year to prepare myself for the day....I spent some time leading up thinking and getting my head right.....unfortunately I didn't do enough and found that I just ran right out of emotional reserves.....FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!
I struggle with the external expectations placed on me for this day...and some years it just sneaks up on me and double whammies me...Mum and my big girl....So lets just say that we are done for another year and the love my family bestows on me is far better received on any other given day.

* We have had some specialist appointments thrown in for our boy as we tackle a little annoying tongue issue that we will have sorted in a couple of weeks.

* We have met with another bunch of specialist to tackle another annoying family oddity that we may have potentially passed onto our kids....just a little issue with anesthetics and so that will be tackled in the next few months starting with our girl.

* I have managed only one or two coffee catchups with those who can add to my life and keep things a little saner.   Unfortunately the abundance of work offers, interferes with this thing I love to do....
I did sneak a coffee date with my hubby on his way home form work...rendezvousing at a coffee shop halfway home.

* Both the kids have been working on the opportunities for next year. A high school specialist programme workshop day this week and audition tapes to prepare for the dancer to prepare over the next month.

* I have attend a funeral to farewell a lady who was not only a good friend's mum when I was growing up but who had a huge influence on my life during my tween and teenage years....Wow to live 81 years and influence so many with your simple daily life.

* This week I had a husband who came off  his bike as he cycled home from work..A touch from a car coming around a corner with him ...the bruising, road rash and mental shakeup has been at the forefront this week. . I am so thankful that he was not any more badly injured. Also that my sister was at our beck and call to dress and give good advice about the wounds.....eeek did I mention I am a teacher not a nurse!!

* Today we have had a storm front through that cancelled soccer and bought down huge branches of our gum tree in the garden....what a mess.....again so thankful that the winds picked them up and took them away from the house....must ring the tree surgeon on Monday for a cleanup plan.

* Oh so today no soccer...big winds....lots of rain.....what was one to do but stay in PJ's and read in bed.....well for a good part of it anyway until they all cried foul that the shopping hadn't been done and the cupboards were bare....it was at that moment that I could see no reason not to eat cereal for lunch and possibly dinner also.....
No I got out of my Pj's and dragged the injured one with me to do the dreaded groundhog day shopping ....So I am pleased to report we will not in fact be eating cereal for dinner.

* Did I mention that I have been working...no sorry of course I did....just not sure I am cut out for full time work....I struggle to keep up with all the school notes, meal planning, housework and the myriad of other little things that need my attention.

Anyways... Little longer than I thought it would be but that is life in a "nutshell"

Now I really ought to go and pay some visits to some of my favoutie bloggers and say hi. 

But first ....dinner to prepare for the family and extras. xxxxx