Absolutely!

Absolutely, the most overused word on TV and I used it on the news this evening. It's especially irritating when they cut out whatever I was responding to! I'm a bit disappointed they didn't put in the things I said about the National Year of Reading and book clubs, and the bit about the files deleting themselves from your computer isn't true, but on the whole, I think it turned out OK.

Free hugs

Toby has been handing out free hugs at school. So far, he has managed to hug every person in his year bar one girl who runs away. She doesn't know what she's missing! I had to tickle him to get a proper smile for the camera.

Awesome!

Working in a public library can be so much fun. This afternoon Margot and I nearly wet ourselves laughing as we made this video. The voices are not good, there is limited choice and we didn't have the right jack for our microphone so couldn't do our own. I'm sure we could think of something better to make a video about but we were very keen to get started!

Except for the last couple of seconds, the video is not awesome, but it was a lot of fun to do. Public libraries are the best! Tomorrow we're doing armed hold-up training. I've always wanted to know how to do that.
Your library from home
by: waggalibrary

Playing Miss Havisham

We had a one woman play at the library tonight. It was called Playing Miss Havisham  and was a perfect fit as it is 200 years since Dickens' birth and Great Expectations and Mister Pip are book club books.

The play was really great, she drew the audience right in and involved us. Afterwards I served wine and fabulous finger food from Cache. Everyone said how much they enjoyed it but it was an awfully long day. I arrived on my bike at 8.30 and hopped back on again at a quarter to nine this evening!

Helen Moulder played a great Miss Havisham but I am really looking forward to this, later in the year.

Helena Bonham-Carter, always awesome.

After spending all afternoon and evening stamping with my friends, a day with the children was in order. We watched A Dolphin's Tale together.

I must confess to being a bit precious with my stamping paraphernalia. Jossie now joins in on card making nights but I have never let Bethany do any stamping before, though I have given her pretty scraps to play with.

This afternoon I got lots of supplies out and we made four cards together. She absolutely loved it and was very proud of what she made. The plan had been to make birthday cards for her to give to her friends but she has declared that she is unwilling to part with them.

Topsy Turvy

Our sporting morning did not turn out exactly as we expected. Toby didn't score a goal and neither did anyone in his team! They were soundly beaten after having won the last three games, with Toby having scored each week. Bethany's team were also beaten but that was less of a surprise. The big surprise was Jossie's team winning 31-18. She plays netball, not soccer, of course. She, the team and the coach were exceptionally pleased with themselves.

This afternoon Liz and Belinda came over so we could get some serious stamping done (we have a market next weekend). I made some cards and these little framed numbers.

Sadly, I didn't get to see much Eurovision but it was only a semifinal. The grand final is tomorrow night!

Eurovision

I have been very attached to Eurovision ever since we watched it one evening in Callander, Scotland. We were staying in this room at the Westerton, how I would love to go back!

We had spent the day at Doune Castle.

We had also climbed BenA'an so were in need of a night in front of the extraordinary spectacle that is Eurovision.

Tonight I enjoy the spectacle again and dream of Scotland.

At odds

It has rained all day. I didn't mind because I love the rain and have a dryer. Joss was not impressed as she had to catch the bus. Toby and Bethany were very pleased to get a lift to and from school but not happy to miss soccer practice. I confess that the cancellation of soccer practice made me more than a little pleased and were it still raining on Saturday morning, the tears would not be mine. Especially as I am solo parenting this weekend!

Cold, wet days cry out for coffee.

I love being able to make it at home!

Happy Library Week

Or, as Bethany says, Happy Liberry Week. We're not doing anything huge to celebrate. We had a Law Week event on Monday, I ran the last of the current set of e-reader classes yesterday afternoon, we are taking people on tours of the library (I never knew you had a downstairs!) and indulging in some spine poetry. We made lots and lots of badges to give away. Our badge maker is so cool.

We gave library customers morning tea.

Now, I'm glad it's Wednesday night. I have done 22.5 of my 28 library hours and can spend tomorrow relaxing washing and cleaning. After work today I walked home, took Joss to netball training, picked Tobes and Beth up from the bus stop and took them grocery shopping, cooked dinner while supervising homework, cleaned up from dinner, made a curry for tomorrow night and read with Bethany. The children are now in bed so it's time for a little pot of the Earl. French Earl Grey to be exact, only I'm not sure the French have earls and they would probably be Gris rather than Grey but I do like the pretty flowers.

I don't get out of my work clothes, I simply put my Ugg boots on.

Apostrophe police

It's so hard being a pedant. It would be nice not to be affronted by the misuse of punctuation. It's just that the meaning is changed! I know people like me are annoying and I do rein myself in a bit, truly I do. I feel like emailing the mother of one of Toby's classmates, who is organising this school event and asking for help. I want to offer to proof read so that the invitations do not give the impression that the evening is for one, lone girl. I'm sure lots of girls want to get together to watch a sentimental film about a prostitute, with extraordinary scenes involving that overgrown boy, Mickey Rooney, with sticky tape on his eyes and false buck teeth, playing a Japanese man! Instead, I used it as a lesson for my children and a story for my blog.

Bethany and I spent the time I was cooking dinner this evening, singing along to Glorious Day. The plaits came out this morning.

Sunday afternoon

We aren't tired yet of being able to walk or ride everywhere, in fact I think it will be what we miss most when we move back to Estella. Joss, Andrew and Bethany rode to church this morning and as Toby's bike had a flat tire, he and I walked together. We walk past what used to be a convent but is now a catholic school. This statue of Jesus is dedicated to the memory of J.K. O'Reilly, and Toby thought that was J.K. Rowling for a minute.

After lunch Andrew went over to Lachlan and Corinne's to listen to music, Toby and Joss were having some screen time so Bethany and I took Milo for a walk.

Some of her plaits have a distinct Pippy Longstocking feel after being slept on and squished in a helmet.

Our closest park is Collins Park with Narnia style lamp posts.

Bethany, after she got over the fact that my camera is not like my phone and can't switch to pointing at her face rather than outwards, got right into photography.

I think she could have gone closer as she was trying to show the pretty patterns on the bark.

It took lots of attempts (imagine the film wastage that would have occurred in our youth!) but she finally captured Milo face on. Unfortunately the camera decided to focus on the stick she was using to get his attention.

Hand to hand combat

Once the sport is over, Jossie's netball game finishes at 12, we are free to get on with either social or restful weekend occupations. This weekend, we have gone for social. Ross, Alexis and Vinnie were up from Melbourne and came over for lunch. Despite a huge lunch of lasagne (Toby's request), pearl cous cous salad and baked cheesecake (I sweetened it with dextrose so I could have some too), Toby and Vinnie managed a good wrestle on the trampoline. Lexie patted Milo while she digested.

She said it was a shame that Milo wasn't smaller so he could sit on her lap. Andrew proved that he can be a lapdog.

After saying goodbye to the Hunters we went out for afternoon tea! Toby and Bethany made room for lots more food but I drew the line at a cake-pop just before dinner so we saved them for dessert. It is a marvel that Toby is so thin.

You may be able to tell from the following photo that Andrew did not join us at afternoon tea. Yes, that is a lycra outfit. Bethany did two plaits herself before bringing me a pile of elastics so she could have crinkled hair in the morning.

High five!

The city of good sports

 You would think that at least one of my children would take after me and both dislike and be terrible at sport, wouldn't you? No, this winter we have all three doing sport and loving it.

Bethany is playing soccer for the first time and displaying no fear, she gets right in there. Last week, while I was at the WINGS conference, she was goalie in the second half and made many heroic saves.

I am so very, very thankful that she and Toby have their training at the same time and place as each other. There are many families who aren't that lucky. So, I am perfectly content despite the growing dark, cold and damp at the practice field. 

Can you see Toby training? Apparently he scored three goals and I confess that it wasn't the gloom that prevented me from seeing them, it was Lucy Snowe, in my book. The other parents were sitting in their  warm cars!

Jossie is still loving netball, especially as it allows her to keep up with friends from her old school, and Toby loves soccer as much as he ever did. I am going to dress warmly, bring coffee and not take my book out for the whole game.

Walking

Andrew rides to work every day. It takes him a few minutes. I usually ride too because it takes me around seven or eight minutes and that gives me plenty of time to get things done before work. Sometimes, though, I like to walk. It takes between fifteen and twenty minutes, which means more exercise (I have by this stage already walked to and from the bus stop) and it is such a pretty walk.

There are some very old colonial cottages around, but most of the houses are federation, like this lovely example.

Occasionally, you get an unpleasant surprise like this one. What were they thinking?

In the sun

Two posts in as many days! I am supposed to be cleaning the house, but after hanging out two loads of washing in a sunless corner of the garden, my usually white fingers are pink with their effort to ward off frostbite and I have them wrapped around a latte, thawing out. That's a genuine reason, not an excuse. See? Sunless corner!

Thankfully, the house itself is warm as toast with lots of heating options. We really thought we would be renting something decidedly unappealing while we build, but this federation cottage is very pretty.

I love Japanese maples. I must remember that and put one into our garden at the new house.

I have always wanted a window seat. I haven't exactly been drowning in free time as yet, but I can see this being a favourite spot to sit and read. So far, I have sorted washing and done the ironing there which doesn't suit the romance of a window seat at all.

Life is full of unromantic things, so I shall go and clean in the hope that I can settle there later with Charlotte Brontë (I am reading Vilette), as is only fitting.

Recovering

Recovering from the move, from the frantic marking that followed and then from the women's conference our church organises every second year. I have been running, it seems, and along with the fact that we didn't have Internet for a while and my laptop has been playing up, I just haven't blogged, though all sorts of exciting things have happened.

I turned forty for a start! I had such a lovely day. Andrew and the children filled my bedroom with balloons before sitting on my bed and giving me presents (including my fabulous Nespresso coffee machine). My work friends put on a huge morning tea of fabulous, all savoury food (I stopped eating sugar in November, I really must post about that one day), and Kristy came in with the delightful Sam! He fell asleep in my arms, I am the baby whisperer.

I also got two bunches of flowers and needed to get a lift home because I couldn't carry everything.

Living in Central is lots of fun. Everyone thinks we'll want to stay here but we're keen to get back to Estella for the long term. In the meantime, there is lots to enjoy about the urban lifestyle (in a regional centre, not a big city!).

In the mornings Milo and I walk Toby and Bethany to their bus stop. We have to cross the highway, at the lights, and then a busy road without a crossing, so I really do need to go with them. This was meant to be a photo of a busy road, but it doesn't look all that busy, does it? The joys of living in the country!

We walk past lovely old houses. This is my favourite garden.

As well as our new lifestyle in town, I am enjoying my vicarious trip through Europe! Back soon with photos of our house, really, it will be soon.