Is This The Face of Evil?

So I ask you - is this the face of evil? allow me to inform you that YES - it is.....

On Saturday, we went to a Mad Hatters Party to play croquet. Its beyond me why and how lawn bowls became more popular. Apart from our team not knowing who went next and confusing the colours up – we had a hoot and I am sure once you get those things down pat , it is a very fast and sociable game. Adrian was on the ‘other’ team…( oh and he had a possum stuck to his hat. I might add here that when he was looking for ways and means to attach the said rodent to his headware, Lilly was most insistant that he NOT staple it as it would hurt the possom.)

We played a competitive game called gateways –where as a team you strategize to get one of your team members through the hoop before the other team. There is a lot of bumping the other teams balls out of the way to ensure the next person in your team could have a clear run through the hoop. Adrian, without fail, knocked my perfectly formulated hit, right out of the way. A definite game to play with friends or workmates to improve communication and strategizing… I’ll have to do some internet searching to see if I can include my experiences with Captain Juan!

The kids had a good knock around with the mallets too and it seemed to be popular with each group we went and had a chat to. The party was in honour of a good friend – Sarah – turning the grand age of 40. not that I should laugh or think thats old.. not far away for me at all.. what a terrifying thought.

The weather has started to turn into sultry summery temperatures, having skipped spring all together. The rains have come and I love to hear it on the tin roof out the side. I am sure it won’t be long before the kids get in the pool – but its still got iceburgs in it as far as I am concerned. We are all looking forward to getting back into camping – with our first date set at the end of September – up in Girraween.

My week is filled with writing articles or short stories or lately working website updates and tweeks. Its so frustrating and takes so long. What we want on the site changes – and so does all the parameters. I am learning lots – doing a fair bit in HTML – as I have no software to build it with… so its all good experience I guess.

I am doing a bit of a chuck out and overhaul of cupboards – so anything not tied or nailed down is being scrutinized and chucked out. How many damned towels does one family need… and don’t get me started on t-towels..

A bit scatty tonight – haven’t had much of a chance to write or do stories this week – all website stuff which I have promised myself to stop doing – I can be up till 3 am fiddling.. and its not good for sleep patterns ( which are getting more and more out of whack)

Thanks for reading and keep commenting- makes me feel like this matters….

First Performance

My heart is about to burst.

Friday marked Morgans first public performance.. and yes I was there – camera in hand –and shot both photos and videoed it. Pathetic. I nearly wept the whole way through (obviously hormonal) and my hands nearly fell off with clapping at the end… and this is prep year.. Goddess Help me in future years. This is a picture of him about to start - with his favourite teacher - Mrs Allen ( who prompted all the kids) This is a project that they formulated and scripted themselves on their favourite subjects in the last 6 weeks - Dinosaurs, flying objects and volcanoes.


The quality of this clip is not grand - and I am aware Morgan put the microphone too close to his mouth -making it very difficult to understand what he was saying - but he did very well - an no stage fright. There were about 40 people in the audience -as well as his classmates.

Below are a few more photos from his classroom - and of the dispays they had. He was so thrilled to show them off to everyone. The dino world one is a collective mini world they made and each child made a miniture dinosaur out of playdo - really detailed..

I have to say I am really impressed at the breadth of knowledge and subject areas the class is doing. The teachers are constantly presenting them with complicated and detailed words and pieces of information – and the kids ‘get it’! part of Morgans presentation was explaining why things fly – the forces used and required! ( far out) they really integrate lots of fun things in with the learning.

Morgan was so delighted to be able to show Lilly around as well.. Such a shame she isn't going to school next year - she is so ready!!

Railway kids continue

Just got home from visiting Nanny in Noosa. We had an action packed weekend – starting with a trip on the famous Gympie Rattler – a restored steam engine that winds its way around some beautiful countryside full of cows and alpacas..( the Australian countryside is nothing but diverse!)

We were very luck to be put into a private cabin – which seated six people. Both Adrian and I remember having to catch trains that had carriages like this – though he caught them more frequently than I did.

Its a bit of a worry when you remember things being in working order and now they are museum pieces. The thick stubby cardboard tickets brought back many memories for both of us as well.

Morgan and Lilly had a hoot on the train – we were able to go out on the balcony and watch the tgrees slowly go past us and watch the track whiz under us. The smell of the coal being burnt and the sound of the chuffing up the hill.. such a great days trip out for all of us.

Middway we stopped for a sausage sizzle and a leg stretch, while the engine filled with water and had to be turned around. Amazing engineering. I think they said the engine weighed 800 tonnes – would that be right? It had to be loaded on a big turn table and manually spun round.

Morgan and Lilly were very tired at the end and were very good cuddling each other waiting to go home.

We had a bit of a kip at Nannys before we went out to dinner –which of course we had to wear our finery to. The kids are looking so grown up now…