Rick's New Toy

Today, after I had gone to work and the kids had been dropped off at school, Rick went up to Capalaba and bought a new "toy" to play with. He hasn't really had any past-time since we have been together, and has recently taken more than a passing interest in model planes. He hasn't flown a plane for well over 10 or 12 years now, so this is the next best thing. I'm glad he's got it now, because he doesn't get to play golf much either.

Here it is:

Of course, he was so excited about it that he couldn't wait for me to get home from work to show me, and then I picked the kids up from school early this afternoon so that he could show them before he had to head off to work.

When we got home from school, he had it out on the driveway of the house and taxi'ed it up and down the street from our driveway to the end of the cul-de-sac and back. I could tell that he was just itching to get it up off the ground. The kids were so excited: Bryce was jumping up and down on the lawn and Tyler was chasing it up and down the street.

Saturday 23rd August

It has been 6 years since we took the kids to the great Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast, we decided to treat them to a day out and we headed up there for the day.

Well.......................what a change. There has been soooo much expansion and improvement to the zoo in that time, but all for the better. Lots to see, experience and learn, all with an underlying lesson in conservation. We had the opportunity to feed the elephants but the kids shied away at the last minute - even Tyler, and that's not like her.

The South East Asia end of the zoo is just stunning with a day paddock and a night paddock for the elephants and the tigers enclosure was the equivalent to a holiday resort in tiger terms. This is the newest part of the zoo and yet looks like it has been there for years. The trees in this area create a beautiful "old" tropical rainforest.

AND EVERTHING, EVERYWHERE IS SPOTLESSLY CLEAN.

I had a slight brush with fame - I almost, literally, walked right into Andrea Boccelli (now who's the blind one?). He had his first concert of his national tour in Brisbane last night, and he was here at the zoo today with his wife, 2 teenage sons, bodyguards and official photographer.

Yep..............

I think it's definitely on it's way back. Here's the latest one I did last week and only finished on Friday night.

It is to fulfill the requirements on 2 Challenges on my local scrapbooking website, OSS. These challenges were:

To incorporate a lift-up flap

To use at least 10 buttons.

I love it when I can combine more than one challenge in the one LO.

Rick bought me 2 new sets of clear stamps on Friday so I also put together these 3 cards while I was playing with them and using up some pretty papers that were too pretty to throw away.

I Think...............

I'm finally starting to find my scrapping mojo again. I haven't really done anything since coming home from Sydney at Easter, but with Tyler's birthday yesterday and my new camera, I decided to sit and scrap at least 1 of her birthday photos today.

Here is what I finished up with...........................



A very simple one, but I'm happy with it. (I think it's coming back.............)

Here's another one I did this afternoon - and I have to thank the lovely Jaki from the OSS Design Team for inspiring this LO with her LO titled "Skater Girl". Thanks Jaki, you're a legend!

I took this photo out at the airport late on Friday afternoon when the sun was hiding behind the post. You can't really see it in this photo but it was shining through Tyler's hair and was creating a halo effect around her head. I couldn't resist playing around with this photo and converting it to B&W and then blurring the background.

Another Celebration!

I was too tired to blog last night, but yesterday was Tyler's birthday. 6 years old already - where did that time go. Our baby girl is growing up fast.

We decided to make a bit of a fuss for her birthday party this year and allowed her to invite 10 of her best friends (girls and boys). We had a Pink & White Butterfly party and I made her a beautiful pink and white butterfly cake (even if I say so myself)

Here are a few photos of her big day.

THE DECORATIONS

and finally.................

When the party was all over.

Another Celebration!

Celebration and Illness in the Family

While this week has been fairly normal for me with work every day, Rick has had a good one with regards to his work. He sat the exam for his Security Licence on Monday night and got 23/25 which was great. He just has to finish the 2 workbooks that were issued at the beginning of the course and pay for the licence. This should open up a few more job opportunities for him. He then had Tuesday allocated for his course so he didn't have to go back to work until Wednesday for 1 shift and then days off again.
Unfortunately, during his days off, he had Bryce at home with very high fevers and Bronchitis. Poor kid was not well at all. He spent 3 nights sleeping on an airbed in our bedroom with the heater on because he was so cold.
He was supposed to be spending the night at a friends' house tonight, but because he still wasn't totally 100% today, we changed the plans slightly, and his friend is having the sleep-over here tonight instead. Tyler has her nose put out of joint slightly thinking that Bryce "gets everything", but she's forgotten that she has a birthday with 10 of her best friends coming to her party next week.
Oh My God!!!!! Our baby girl is going to be 6 in just 6 days. Where did all that time go? And I still don't know what to get her for her birthday. Something nice and girly, but what. The local Pharmacy around the corner has some nice 'girly' giftware, so I might have to go and have a look there in the next day or so. That's where I got the fairy for her birthday last year!!!!

Winter Has Arrived!!!

Well, today has been freezing all day. Hasn't really been warmer than about 16 degrees, so they say, and it's going to get even colder over the next few days. Brrrrrrr........ Apparently they've had sleet falling up at Toowoomba this afternoon!!!!!!!
Tyler still wasn't very well this morning when she woke up, so she spent the day at home with Rick. No point in sending her to school when she's feeling like this - much to her disagreement.
Had a great idea for Tyler's birthday party today - I'm going to make some pretty pinwheels for each child to take home with them. An old fasioned idea that I haven't seen used before, (not since I was a little girl) and they go well with the butterfly theme of the party. Had a practice go with them when I got home from work and they work well. Just need to buy some dowel from Bunnings for the handles and some pretty papers.
No photo opportunities today with my new camera.

It's My Birthday Today......

and look what I got from Rick and the kids.

We've had Digital SLR for the last 5 years, which is great, but this is so much more portable and had heaps more features. Also has double the mega pixels too.

It's been a nice day: a sleep in to start with, then FIL and parents arrived for morning tea before we headed off to Sizzlers for lunch. Rick had to go off to work this afternoon, so I've spent the afternoon catching up on blogs and favourite forums on the net.

A First For Us in 11 Years

MAMA MIA!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, finally after 11 years Rick and I finallly went to a movie together (without the kids), to see an adult movie.
Our wonderful neighbor offered to have the children for a couple of hours so that we could head off to see "Mama Mia" at the movies.
In the short time since its' release, I've heard nothing but wonderful reports about it. I was convinced that I would be going to see it on my own, because Rick is not really a movie-lover, but he wanted to see this one too.
WELL - not only was the caste line-up very impressive, but the movie was just FANTASTIC!!! The story-line, the locations and scenery (just stunning) and, of course, the music. As we were walking out I just wanted to turn around and go back in to see it again. Not a person moved out of their seats until every credit had rolled at the end.
Meryl Streep is just fantastic in every sense, Pearce Brosnan is as smooth as ever, and Colin Firth - well what can I say??
Just full of hilariously funny scenes and dialogue and some teary moments too. All in all, a great "feel-good" movie. Not many of them around nowdays, but this is certainly one.
If you haven't seen it, can I recommend it - ASAP. You'll love it!
That music will live on forever.
MAMA MIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tax Time Again

I've been writing it all day, and have only just realised that today is the last day of the Financial Year and we are officially half way through the year.
We really haven't done much this month except work, work and work. What an exciting life!!!
Report Cards came home last Wednesday and Bryce amazed us all with Straight A's for Effort in everything on the Report Card. This is the best one yet. He's obviously working very hard at school and doing his best. We can't ask for anything more than that. Well Done Son, we are very proud of you.
Tyler (being in Prep) didn't get a Report Card, but we know anyway that she is also doing very well at school. She's started bringing Readers home (and breezing through them) and she even had a spelling test last Thursday and got them all right. Mrs Daley has already told us how well she is coping with the whole "school thing".
Well Done Kids.
I've just looked for a photo to include here, but I haven't even taken any photos this month. I am really falling down on the job.

3rd April - Olympic Park and DFO

Tyler woke up feeling very tired and lethargic and went back to bed again this morning after breakfast and slept for 2 hours.

This gave us time to do all the 'house work' for Monique while she was out.

We woke her up and showered her then we went out to Olympic Park for a look around.

A southerly wind had sprung up overnight and was freezing. You could have sworn that it was blowing straight off the ice of the South Pole. Bryce forgot to take is jumper with us, so had to borrow Rick's jumper. Can't you just see the cold in his face?

We visited the poles commemmorating the Volunteers of the Sydney Olympic Games - no Brisbane Volunteers were included here! It was here that we also say the Olympic Torch, a pole celebrating Kylie Minogue's song "On A Night Like This" from the Opening Ceremony.... and the list goes on. It was a fantastic thing to see, especially for anyone who wasn't able to be there for the Olympic Games.

We spoke to a lady in the Stadium Shop and asked if we could PLEASE have a sneak peek at the stadium, even though Rick had forgotten to bring his MSFA ID. We were in luck and one of the guides took us in. WOW! What a sight. It is so BIG and yet feels "so cosy". This place will seat 3 times as many people as the "Gabba" and the ground can be adapted from a regtangular field for Rugby Union and League to a round oval for the AFL. (The Sydney Swans call this "home"), just by sliding huge sections of seating in and out across the edges of the oval.

While we were there, Hasam ElMasri (NRL) was practicing some goal kicking.

This sculpture is suspended over the main entrance to the stadium. Each of the feathers on it represents each of the Australian native birds.

After here, we went back to Mary & Han's place for coffe and lunch.

After lunch, we went back to DFO, beside the Olympic Park, for a look around here. I have never been to DFO before, and I am very impressed. Couldn't do any shopping here, but did get myself a pair of Rivers thongs and Rick got a really nice Rivers shirt for a song. Kids got a new pair of sunglasses each. Am definitely going to DFO for new clothes etc, when we get back to Brisbane and back to work again.

When we got home again, we went out for dinner with Andrew, Monique and Neils at a lovely little Thai restaurant on Victoria Rd - walking distance from home.

Gave Tyler Panadol every 4 hours today and it worked well. She felt well all day.

3rd April - Olympic Park and DFO

Tyler woke up feeling very tired and lethargic and went back to bed again this morning after breakfast and slept for 2 hours.

Again this gave us time to get some 'house work' done for Monique while she was out.

We woke Tyler up and showered her then we went out to Olympic Park for a look around.

A southerly wind had sprung up overnight and it was freezing cold. Could have sworn that it was blowing straight off the ice of the South Pole.

Bryce forgot to take is jumper with us, so he ended up wearing Rick's jumper.

3rd April - Olympic Park and DFO

2nd April - Sydney By Night

Marlies came around for afternoon tea with us before we go home. It was so nice to sit and chat to her without too many interuptions.

Monique took Bryce out with her for the afternoon to pick up the girls from school and then to the park while Michaela was having her tennis lesson. Tyler slept all afternoon after some more panadol. She still is not 100%, but the regular panadol is helping a lot.

Rick cooked rissoles and vegetables for dinner - to give Monique a night off.

After dinner we took the kids for a ferry ride into Circular Quay to see the lights of Sydney - the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Luna Park etc. It was a beautiful night on the water. We travelled from Meadowbank and back again.

The night was just beautiful with a very gentle cool breeze and the water was like glass. The ferry just seemed to skim over it without any other sounds. The sights of all the million dollar mansions on the harbour-side all lit up was like looking at a make-believe fairyland.

The kids really slept well after a few hours of sea air in their faces.

2nd April - An Old Family Friend

Tyler wakes up feeling a little bit better. After attempting some breakfast, I gave her some panadol and she went back to bed for another hour or so.

While she's sleeping there's lots of washing to do - soiled clothes and bed linen and a wet bed. After doing all this and sweeping and cleaning up the house for Monique, Tyler woke up feeling a lot better, so I gave her a shower and we got ready to go out again. Nothing too strenuous today, just a quiet catch-up day for all of us.

We had arranged to have morning tea with Betty Williams. She hasn't changed a bit - only "grayer". She gave me a pair of miniutre clogs from Hengelo that Rita had brought back for Gabriel and Merideth back in the early 1960's. The kids were wonderful and beautifully behaved.

On our way home, we went to the Macquarie Centre where we got some NSW roads maps from NRMA and had lunch at McDonalds while watching over the ice rink. Beauriful! Took the kids into the ABC Shop for a look around and they thought it was a "cool shop".