I bought a Spandau Ballet album when we were in the UK a few years ago. Yes, I still like them.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Happy Birthday Andrew!
Weekend birthdays are great, especially when they are followed by two whole weeks of holidays. I think we'd have to admit that there are some disadvantages to having your birthday fall a week before Christmas, but at least we're all in a celebratory mood. Happy Birthday Andrew!
You can't exactly tell but Bethany was feeling very nervous when this photo was taken. It was Thursday night and she was just about to perform in her first ever piano concert.
I was contemplating what would happen if she found that she couldn't play at all, but she controlled her nerves and played well.
Toby played brilliantly, of course, and received a special mention from his teacher. He just loves to play!
You can't exactly tell but Bethany was feeling very nervous when this photo was taken. It was Thursday night and she was just about to perform in her first ever piano concert.
I was contemplating what would happen if she found that she couldn't play at all, but she controlled her nerves and played well.
Toby played brilliantly, of course, and received a special mention from his teacher. He just loves to play!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Silly Season
Even by our standards, last weekend was a bit mad. Jossie, Toby and Andrew all had Christmas parties on Friday night. On Saturday, in between dropping kids at birthday parties, friends' houses and picking up friends, we did some Christmas shopping (it's a relief to see that coming under control). On Saturday night I had seven women (plus Joss and her friend Hannah) making Christmas tags. During the afternoon I had thought that I might prefer to curl up with the new Sense and Sensibility on my laptop but ended up having so much fun stamping.
On Sunday morning all three congregations of our church went to the Multi-purpose Centre at the school to celebrate our 75th anniversary. We had lunch together afterwards and watched the scary weather roll in. Thankfully, the decision had been made on Friday night to move the Inter-Church Council's Carols in the Park to the school. I spent a fair bit of the afternoon sound checking and running through the performers' biographies and the run sheet as I was hosting the event with Benjamin Shuhyta who is a journalist on our local Prime News. I do a fair bit of MC work at the library and church but this was by far my biggest gig! Here is a very dark picture of me on stage. Next stop Carols in the Domain.
It was a bit rough on the kids to get up for school after a late night at the carols and it was followed by the Junior School Musical and Presentation Night. The musical is called A Creepy Crawly Christmas. I have only a vague idea what it was about because the sound wasn't brilliant and I couldn't understand any of the lyrics. I took Bethany up to her classroom beforehand and helped her get dressed. The costumes were outstanding.
Not exactly camera shy, all the lady beetles wanted their photo taken. I was really just humouring them and took this without waiting for proper smiles and lots didn't fit in. Things started to get a bit hairy when they all demanded to see the photo and find themselves. Luckily, they were called together to head down to the show before I got hurt.
This is the whole Junior School dressed as insects.
As usual, Bethany put her heart and soul into her dance and was a delight to watch. We were (obviously) too far back for good photography. We were also too far back for proper identification. We took lots of photos of this boy on the right and watched him very closely, only to discover that Toby was in a different costume all together and hadn't appeared yet. It didn't even twig that this boy had a broken arm!
Toby is in the group of dragonflies below and had the misfortune of breaking a wing which he then had to hold up with one arm. He kept looking at his friends and shaking his head as he did the dance with only one arm. We think he coped very well under the circumstances.
When the musical was over the award giving began. They give one to all students in the Junior School. Bethany got hers for excellent story telling.
Toby got his for a caring attitude and excellent achievement in mathematics and spelling. That's him with the glasses on, next to the very large caterpillar.
Tuesday night was Jossie's Presentation Night. They don't all get awards but Jossie got one for academic excellence in English, Mathematics and Human Society in Its Environment. We decided not to keep Bethany up for another late night, so she and I stayed home. I finished making the teachers' presents. Little boxes filled with Christmas tags. Jossie's teacher got a cake because she doesn't cook and is a coeliac so doesn't get good cake very often! Belinda Jeffrey's buttery almond and coconut cake is the best! Not that I even licked the spoon because I have ceased to eat sugar (really! It's not that hard).
That brings us to today, the last day of school. The children are now on holidays. There were floods of tears when I arrived to pick them up as Jossie said good-bye to her friends. They are all going to the movies together tomorrow but won't go to school together anymore so it was very sad.
We are having a nice, quiet evening at home this evening. Tomorrow night is the piano concert - Bethany's first!
On Sunday morning all three congregations of our church went to the Multi-purpose Centre at the school to celebrate our 75th anniversary. We had lunch together afterwards and watched the scary weather roll in. Thankfully, the decision had been made on Friday night to move the Inter-Church Council's Carols in the Park to the school. I spent a fair bit of the afternoon sound checking and running through the performers' biographies and the run sheet as I was hosting the event with Benjamin Shuhyta who is a journalist on our local Prime News. I do a fair bit of MC work at the library and church but this was by far my biggest gig! Here is a very dark picture of me on stage. Next stop Carols in the Domain.
It was a bit rough on the kids to get up for school after a late night at the carols and it was followed by the Junior School Musical and Presentation Night. The musical is called A Creepy Crawly Christmas. I have only a vague idea what it was about because the sound wasn't brilliant and I couldn't understand any of the lyrics. I took Bethany up to her classroom beforehand and helped her get dressed. The costumes were outstanding.
Not exactly camera shy, all the lady beetles wanted their photo taken. I was really just humouring them and took this without waiting for proper smiles and lots didn't fit in. Things started to get a bit hairy when they all demanded to see the photo and find themselves. Luckily, they were called together to head down to the show before I got hurt.
This is the whole Junior School dressed as insects.
As usual, Bethany put her heart and soul into her dance and was a delight to watch. We were (obviously) too far back for good photography. We were also too far back for proper identification. We took lots of photos of this boy on the right and watched him very closely, only to discover that Toby was in a different costume all together and hadn't appeared yet. It didn't even twig that this boy had a broken arm!
Toby is in the group of dragonflies below and had the misfortune of breaking a wing which he then had to hold up with one arm. He kept looking at his friends and shaking his head as he did the dance with only one arm. We think he coped very well under the circumstances.
When the musical was over the award giving began. They give one to all students in the Junior School. Bethany got hers for excellent story telling.
Toby got his for a caring attitude and excellent achievement in mathematics and spelling. That's him with the glasses on, next to the very large caterpillar.
Tuesday night was Jossie's Presentation Night. They don't all get awards but Jossie got one for academic excellence in English, Mathematics and Human Society in Its Environment. We decided not to keep Bethany up for another late night, so she and I stayed home. I finished making the teachers' presents. Little boxes filled with Christmas tags. Jossie's teacher got a cake because she doesn't cook and is a coeliac so doesn't get good cake very often! Belinda Jeffrey's buttery almond and coconut cake is the best! Not that I even licked the spoon because I have ceased to eat sugar (really! It's not that hard).
That brings us to today, the last day of school. The children are now on holidays. There were floods of tears when I arrived to pick them up as Jossie said good-bye to her friends. They are all going to the movies together tomorrow but won't go to school together anymore so it was very sad.
We are having a nice, quiet evening at home this evening. Tomorrow night is the piano concert - Bethany's first!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Secret Santa
We did Secret Santa at the work Christmas party on Saturday night. The brief was to spend $10 on something silly, fun or nice. I went for nice and bought my recipient something handmade from the Makers' Space at the museum. This is what I unwrapped at the restaurant.
It's a very large pirate ship. I know it's a pirate ship because of all the pirates. Can you see who they are?
Harry Potter pirate.
Captain Jack Sparrow.
Those aren't hairy legs, they're wooden legs. Where to hang it?
It's a very large pirate ship. I know it's a pirate ship because of all the pirates. Can you see who they are?
Harry Potter pirate.
Captain Jack Sparrow.
Those aren't hairy legs, they're wooden legs. Where to hang it?
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Sunny skies
We had some extraordinary storms last week. As Andrew picked me up from work thunder clapped right above our heads and it was so loud that I screamed, I got such a fright. As we drove to pick up Bethany we saw flashes and sparks from the power lines overhead, it was very dramatic! Hail too. I rang the library to check that it hadn't flooded again, I really couldn't face ripping up the new carpet.
By Friday the weather was glorious again, perfect for a 21st birthday party at Downside. Daylight saving ensured beautiful light at 6.30 pm.
The family did a wonderful job of decorating the old place.
Downside means bush dancing and the drummer very kindly let Bethany have a go. She was surprisingly good! I think the tongue position is crucial.
With lots of 21 year olds and other grown-ups around, the kids had to make their own fun.
Until Aunty Mim and Uncle Bill arrived! They are staying with us but were running late so came straight to the party. Mim was thrilled to discover that Joss is now a tiny bit taller than she is.
Saturday was a properly relaxing day, though we got a fair bit done. We packed a picnic and went to the lake. The kids and Andrew rode around the lake (some of them managed to go around twice) while Mim, Bill and I minded the blanket.
It was so nice to see them, I wish it could have been for longer, but who has the time for long visits at Christmas?
By Friday the weather was glorious again, perfect for a 21st birthday party at Downside. Daylight saving ensured beautiful light at 6.30 pm.
The family did a wonderful job of decorating the old place.
Downside means bush dancing and the drummer very kindly let Bethany have a go. She was surprisingly good! I think the tongue position is crucial.
With lots of 21 year olds and other grown-ups around, the kids had to make their own fun.
Until Aunty Mim and Uncle Bill arrived! They are staying with us but were running late so came straight to the party. Mim was thrilled to discover that Joss is now a tiny bit taller than she is.
Saturday was a properly relaxing day, though we got a fair bit done. We packed a picnic and went to the lake. The kids and Andrew rode around the lake (some of them managed to go around twice) while Mim, Bill and I minded the blanket.
It was so nice to see them, I wish it could have been for longer, but who has the time for long visits at Christmas?
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Loving the Eighties
Ah, 1982, I was only 10. I'm am using that as an excuse for why I loved Boy George and wanted to marry him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)