It has started

We have been holding off and holding off....mainly because we like our Saturday mornings...A LOT, but we finally decided that it was time. Yes, I am now a cricket Mum. I even sleep with the coach, just so Connor gets a fair go!
Connor did SO well. He bowled out 5 kids, hit 3 4's and in his bowling innings scored a total of 14...which was top score for his team. He was also a great little encourager and had a load of fun, which in the whole scheme of things is all that matters. He is a great little man.....and I am so proud.
End of GUSH!

Frocks

I do love a good frock and this was one I made with some fab fabric from Cabramatta. My model was not in the least camera shy...nor was her brother who unfortunately doesn't get clothes made for him (apart from pj's) but wanted to get in on the modelling action anyway.
Next I want to get a big old lounge and take some photo's.

Snakes....

I was held captive for two days by this terrible brown long, slithery, unfriendly creature.

I now jump and scare at all strange sounds, cords/cables/belts/sticks and really anything that even vaguely (or not!!) that reminds me of this....This snake's name was Houdini! I saw him 5 times. 3 of those times I was armed and dangerous- I actually hit him Once our of three times. One of the other times I got hit... But the going fan in the back of my head, needless to say he got away that time with no injury inflicted but me, I was left on the kitchen bench holding my sore head! He slithered under the fridge/freezer his "Lair" and SOMEHOW????? Come out of the kitchen cupboard 3metres away AT THE TOP where the door joins the kitchen bench top... Which I was living on in fear... I jabbed and hissed him back under the fridge. Vic and Grant were meant to arrive at 15:15 when they arrived home at 16:30 I had been on the bench on snake watch for 3hrs solid... Vic took this picture! Notice the floor, yabby pots then sheets then boxes & sticks/shovel for weapons!!! He still escaped!

I was no thinking pretty or get off bench (I put my feet down off the bench just as they came in so they wouldn't think I was a total Scardy cat!!!) I had all my supplies up there and other then needing the loo for 2hrs it was a bearable experience! Despite my eagle eye we ended up escorting the snake to snake heaven (they are NOT welcome in my heaven!) in the lounge room with Vic and Grant valiantly crushing and striking it while I was now perched on the computer table squeaking in the furthest corner of the room!!!!

Boy oh boy I'm prayin snake in the house average goes down to 1 from the three that came in last summer!

Once Upon A Time

I think I may live in a fairytale.

Where houses exist in a single drop of water.

While others are made of gingerbread.

And where kung-fu carrots grow arms to give you a hug.

All I need now is my knight in shining armour.  He's off gallivanting in other realms, giving me time to grow my hair so I can throw down my golden ladder for him to scale up into my third-floor tower.  Grow hair, grow!

Only in Amsterdam...

Would you find an advertisement like this.  That, and a shop supplying ALL your marijuana needs.  It just makes my Monday morning shopping that little bit more fun, ya know!

Bare

Just run my first day of wk 3 podrunner (thanks Cal!!)

In the dust with the stars starting to poke through the huge pinkinsh grey endless horizon.

Running in the dark is becoming a habit of mine-thankfully all the snakes go to bed early and have avoided dung bugs in the eye so far!

Now...

Yes that's right I am painting the school room in the buff, so liberating.

And Trinny will say Why?.... Why not!!!

It's hot up here and it makes me giggle ha ha ha he he he...

I'll only fess up if there are large circles in the suede effects though ;-)

I hope the main house people don't decide to pop by!!!!

Chopper me happy- YER!

Went up for over two hours yesterdayh. Man it gives you perspective!

Darting and diving like a demented ravine is my idea of fun.

See the hard tendered lawns to stave the dust & add a dash of green in a wilderness of browns is so ipressive and inspiring.

Watching cattle fly & kowing their antics is a gift- I do not posses!

I love the outback and it loves me!

The Eyes have it...

Or Eye, Eye Captain!
Or Eye Spy with my Little Eye!

Our Sunday morning adventure.Supplies...eyes (large, medium and small) and treasure bags to carry them in!

The excited adventurers. The rest of the pictures talk for themselves. We created 1 eyed aliens, owls, rock people, wobble eyed people and lots of others. WE think that the big eyes are the best and so next time we do it we will have more big eyes and leave the small eyes in our heads.
We hope you enjoy our Sunday morning adventure just as much as we did. We are still chuckling about others seeing them. Is it really littering if you leave fun stuff around on stuff...we didn't think so!

Tomorrow

It's school holidays and we haven't all been feeling that great. We can't go to church tomorrow because we would spread the germs, so we are getting out into the fresh air and doing this,

http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/2009/01/tuesday_27.html
We will take photo's and tell you all about it. I can't wait to tell the kidlets. I'm off to make eyes and find the double sided tape. By the way Color Me Katie blog is awesome. You should check it out.

Brown Paper Packages

Brown paper packages

I love that song from the Sound of Music. Often it is singing in my head if I am worried or sad or just overwhelmed with life...along with 'If God is for me than who can be against me', or 'just keep swimming, just keep swimming'!
Anyway, I do sing the song as well when I get packages. I got a dandy package a while ago and have not had a chance to photograph it or to say thank you.
So, here is my BIG, HUGE, ENOrmous THANK YOU to my fairy/angel who just knows when I need brown paper packages tied up with string...even though this package was in a basket wrapped in spotlight bags and contained one of my most favourite things...fabric and also some very spoiling presents for Connor and Kenzi, which they loved.
Someday I will know how to show people I appreciate them SOOOOOOOO much, for now it just has to be a blog post and a pretty picture.
Thank you so much for my wonderful package, Mrs Wonderful or Mrs Anon..."these are a few of my favourite things!"

Night Times

Sweet Dreams

Every night we try to maintain a small routine. I am hopeless at routine. I am kind of like the Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman, you know the fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl (I hope that is not a reference to her day job....hmmmm) Anyway, I have had to learn to do routine, otherwise the house and family fall apart. So, we have a routine for bed time, although now that I think about it you could probably call it more of a tradition than a routine. I thought I would share it with you
First we read. Tonight we read the second book in the Deltora 3 Quest. Yep, the whole book. We started early and just couldn't stop until the quest had been done. Oh, how I love kids novels. And I also love scrudging up together in our reading corner and feeling the excitement of 2 kiddles who just love books - such a gift.
Next tuck in and give out eskimo kisses.
Next the light goes off and we pray. We thank God for the day and pray for good dreams and dry beds....mostly our prayers are answered!
Next, I sing hush little baby...really quickly, because it's a hugely long song if you sing it slowly.
One last cuddle and then the kidlets are ready for Blanket Bay and Pillow Harbour.
That's the routine...thought you might like to know...just because you are not here and I miss all of you tonight.

Up in the Blue Sky

It was sunny outside today.  I was hanging out on the couch, again.  So, to celebrate the sun coming out today, I'm going to tell you about the most beautiful sunny day we had awhile ago (there have been sunny days since, they just weren't as photographed as this one).

The International Kite Festival was on in Scheveningen (try saying that one).  

Andrew and I went to the American Protestant Church in the Hague as Andrew's colleague had invited us along (I thought they might sign us up as Americans, or make us pledge allegiance to the flag, or some other patriotic stars and stripes kind of thing but unfortunately no such excitement).   We churched, chatted and then headed to the beach.  It was the perfect day for a kite festival.  

A little bit windy, a whole lot sunny, and a ridiculous amount of kites.  It was like laying on the bottom of the ocean, staring up into the big blue with fantastical sea creatures floating by.  It was so incredibly peaceful.  All this activity, but none of the noise that usually goes along with it (I crave quiet, which I don't get a lot of, thankyou very much tour boats who insist on tooting their horns as they go past our apartment).  

There were professionals dancing kites around the skies, kids flying homemade kites, old men with strings tied around their bottoms that stretched 180 kites long into the sky, fish, sharks and sting rays, half-naked mermaids, rings, airplanes, stars and so many more beautiful, beautiful kites.  

It's made me want to go fly a kite, up to the highest heights, and send it soaring...