the silver linings of Spring - it's all about timing

Greetings all,

What a mixed week of high highs & low lows.  Thank you for the supportive comments on the last post where i had accidentally uploaded an entire new blog look which didn't take my fancy, however, prompted me for fresh changes & i'm liking this new style (after i left my blog for a couple of days i was able to fix it calmly!!)  It was all put into perspective as we lost 5 Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.  My heart breaks & my husband has been very quiet, he couldn't have planned a fishing trip away with our son at a better time.  They didn't end up camping outdoors, yet they bonded over Swiss Army knives, lamb stew, toasted marshmallows & the one that got away.  

Saturdays are chicken coop/ run cleaning days & i was impressed one chicken laid an egg overnight at -8C.  It was still -6C when i was raking up straw, all taps & water feeders frozen solid.  My handsome soldier will return to a bounty of chicken-poo-mulch for the garden.  The children want to experiment with new chicken breeds, top of the list are Araucanas & Frizzles, however, we have to lose 4 hens first (Daddy's Rules) . . . yesterday at a school luncheon, i rehomed 3 laying hens, brilliant.

 I picked up the new DVD release The Hunger Games, we read the books first (i think it's really important to read what your children are reading!!) & the movie wasn't half bad at the cinema.  I was running early for school so popped the movie in the car & couldn't get it to play.  Thankfully an 8 year old rescued me . . . press 'select' not 'play' to play discs??!!  By the afternoon our new car has been snowed on then a light hail storm.  Later that night on the way home from a party, i was pulled over by the police for running an amber traffic light.  Cue the most forgiving Federal Policeman . . . because i was friendly & genuinely thought it was Ok/ i was in a new car/ it had been snowing/ the roads were wet/ i thought i would be more dangerous to stop . . . he let me go.  Then we talked chickens (he knows the policeman who hatches our chicks) & i thanked the kind small town mentality of our nation's capital!!  FYI amber means prepare to stop, you can get booked for running an amber light!!   

 Seasons in Australia commence on the 1st of every 3rd month (September, December, March, June) not moon timings . . . today is the first day of Spring.  The sun has moved so much since i planted the chicken-day-house-roof-top-lettuce-garden they will really start to flourish.  It was so cold last night i had to have a hot shower to warm up & pinch a child from her bed to stay warm, brrr, coldest night i can remember all Winter - talk about a last hurrah!!

 It's athletics season & time for school carnivals - my primary schoolers brought home a bunch of ribbons & have already attended the regionals, this week - my high schooler had her sports day.  She entered every event possible while i was sun/ rain/ wind burnt . . . she won age champion (out of 200 girls!!)  As always, her school does fancy dress (our house theme was 'pink') so the entertainment factor was high as my husband & i watched inflatable horses, builders, fruit, 1950's housewives, Braveheart, natives & SciFi costumes run, jump & throw all day.       

 In poorly timed mishaps this week . . . 

i have driven a huge splinter down my finger nail & another into my finger tip; 

late to a school assembly as my husband changed the oil on his car & took my car to the hardware store, then left me with an empty fuel tank;  

i had to run volleyball kneepads to school, due to snow i was late & my daughter froze while waiting; 
our German Shepherd broke a snow dome with his tail, sob, those things really smash;

i paid for 3 different school excursions & events late;

i was so stiff from my Michelle Bridges workout i missed my son's 2nd origami creative club class (i don't think one boy was sorry, he was so loud, i threatened to sit next to him next class!!); 

while waiting for my husband outside his building for a lunch date, the police tapped on my window to see if i was dodgy; 

i left the Father's Day gifts for my Daddy & father-in-law a day late, hope they arrive on time;

i turned up to Costco an hour before it opened;

& my least favourite - the 9p.m. midweek volleyball match, yawn. 

A great Australian saying in such dismay . . . "she'll be apples" & at $1/kg these juicing apples from the Farmer's Market do indeed make everything alright.  

Surprisingly we're expecting a 24C day, that's inland living folks, 30C temperature variations & hallelujah for clothes line washing.  Happy Father's Day, i'm so excited with the gifts we've chosen, i even organised a giant Lego message to be built in Brisbane for my handsome soldier, perfect timing for the best father my children could possibly dream for.  Sunshine people, SUNSHINE, love Posie
PS last chance to win a family pass to Taronga Western Plains Zoo, ends Sunday midnight.

a very wordy Presidential Wednesday

Greetings all,

Simply could not cope with a Wordless Wednesday today, not with such an incredible week already!!  Air Force One has landed in my adopted home town of Canberra.

 US President Obama flew into this view - Canberra may be our nation's capital but it's a regional city in the middle of a sheep paddock, population of the Australian Capital Territory is under half a million people!! 

 Hmmm, he landed just in time to clog up the school run.  Children were stranded as buses & parents were stuck in grid lock between the airport & Parliament House, but no one was unhappy, we had plenty of notice & it's exciting . . . Canberra is not known as a 'happening place' so to have Queen Elizabeth last month, President Obama this month & OUR Crown Princess Mary next month visit, we're feeling a bit important, special & smug.

 I'm wondering if i might try my luck at a photo opportunity at the War Memorial tomorrow?? 

 Rumour has it President Obama is going to visit a local school in Canberra.  Hmmm, might supervise which shorts my son wears just in case??  Nothing like the school ringing you to say your son's shorts are ripped - if only i knew how to sew??

 I wonder what delicious food we're going to serve the President of the United States of Amercia.  I highly recommend my Sunday night's roast beef.  I just know they'll try to make him eat crocodile & kangaroo in Darwin tomorrow, so cliche (but tastey).

 Fresh garlic beans & salty rosemary potatoes, mmmm.

 Feeling completely exhausted this week, a mix of pride & heat stroke . . . at the high school state finals for athletics.   

 My eldest girl is a long distance runner, long & high jumper, winning places in the regionals, but to our shock, she came 3rd in the ACT for javelin??!!  She's reserve for the national finals.  All this talent, completely untrained + she's petit, once she gets some power & height, i can't imagine what she'll be capable of.  She absolutely loves sport & i hope, like me, she never thinks it's uncool.

 Before we went out to the Australian Institue of Sports, i swung by Peter Alexander for a little congratulations gift & could not resist these banana bloomers!!

She liked!!  We danced & then back to reality to finish an assignment.  Yawn.  Love Posie

things i'm loving . . . 'athletics carnival, high school style'

Greetings all,
I have always looked forward to my children starting high school.  I LOVED high school, the friends, the sports, the work, the parties, it was so much fun.  I did 5 sports a year - softball, netball, tennis, cricket + athletics.  My husband was super sporty too - athletics, tennis, swimming, hockey & water polo.  I love that our children are naturally sporty, it's so healthy & great for self confidence. 

I can't believe i'm already attending high school athletics carnivals.  I was SO excited this week.  Handsome soldier took our daughter early to run the 1500m (she came a energy-less 2nd place, after her virus, i'm amazed she could run at all).  

I love the track & field centre at the Australian Institute of Sports, you can move around & watch all the events your children are (like discus way over the other side or triple jump along the edge of the track).

 I am loving my daughter's high school so much, their attitude is amazing.  They are all about participation & encourage girls to dress up (so they turn up), it's a party atmosphere.  While my children are competitive & try their hardest, in high school . . . some girls have no desire to compete in sports . . . so the school offers participation points just for entering.  They run serious races, then non-competitive, where you'll see girls link arms & run together. 

 It's a large school, split into 6 houses.  My daugther's house is the smallest & they don't win anything, not even debating or choir, but they are enthusiastic.  Their dress up theme was 'ninjas' & most were dressed in full black or karate outfits.  The green house were 'terror' so there were lots of zombies & vampires, which looked hilarious as they ran down the track, some with axes attacking fellow racers!!  The blue house were 'toys' so there were Bananas In Pyjamas doing javelin & Cookie Monsters doing long jump.  Not sure why but there were lots of red power rangers too.  EDIT: red house were 'aliens & astronauts'.  Also, the announcer/ teacher wore a scream mask all day & it was so hilarious!!    

 Our sweet daughter is officially the youngest girl in the entire school (she skipped a year) & she amazes me with her petit size that she finishes in the top 5 of most events.  She competed in a dozen jumps, throws & running races, even started off the relay for her house.  The year 12 relays were fantastic, each team included a teacher & the male PE staff stole the show.  Another really cool event was The Flash - where the fastest 100m runner from each age group, ran against each other, to find the fastest girl at school. 

My husband set up a picnic rug on the hill & we had a great view, far away from the screaming cheerleaders.  I tell you, 1100 high school girls can scream, loudly, all day.  Even i left with a headache.  For more Things I'm Loving visit Paisley Jade, love Posie

my creative space 'paper craft'

Greetings all,
Well i've been a bit paper crafty with my replacement printer (burglars trod & broke my printer) & having lots of fun with it.  First stop more stickers for the paper craft packs i keep promising myself i'll actually compile & sell one day . . . how much fun is the excess sticker curly mess??  Of course it has since been stuck to an egg carton to make a crazy headed crocodile . . .

& how much fun is Wordle on bunting??  I made this for Shop Handmade.

So there you have it, a short & sweet blog post.  I have 3 patchwork quilt orders due in the next 3 days.  Today was spent at the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) watching my girls zoom around the track, throw & jump - it was freezing, wet, windy, then sun in my eyes = migraine!!  So back to resting my head & oh that's right, i'm running an Election BBQ & Cake Stall at our school this Saturday as a P&C fundraiser.  Tomorrow will be lugging cartons of cold drinks into the car, ice & sausages, fun + tonnes of baking as you never can rely on donations!!
Where does it end??  So you won't be hearing too much from me for a few days, have great weekends & happy voting.  Love Posie