School Party

Thursday was the kids break up party. I really dont get why they are having the party today instead of on their last day, next Friday but what can you do? Everyone in the school had to bring a specific sort of food to be shared out with the whole school. For Emma I brought Monster Pops (nuggets) and Jack brought Xmas mini mud cakes with xmas chocolates. The food we brought didnt neccesarily stay with the kids classes but I made sure the cakes stayed with Jacks class and it was the first thing he grabbed. I managed to get heaps of photos of Emma and her friends but only a few of Jack as his teacher got them straight back into doing work instead of playing like everyone else. It is great to see Emma playing with her friends. She really is Little Miss Popular! I'm really hoping that she goes into a class with all her friends next year but they'll probably be split up. Her prep teacher is teaching year 1 next year and Emma really wants to have her again but I've got a feeling she probably wont get her, although I requested her at the last minute. Just have to wait and see I guess. Should find out on Thursday next week.

New Park

Every day on the way to and from school, the kids have been watching the new park being built. We've got out to have a look a couple of times but there was a fence around it because it wasnt yet finished and the kids have been itching to play on it. Well, when we drove past yesterday and saw it was all finished they just had to stop and have a play. It's not a very big park but it has a few interesting things, like a "surfboard", a couple of spinny things and the usual slide and see-saw. The kids loved it of course and luckily I had my camera with me to get these cute photos.

A Jack Layout

Just a quick layout I did of Jack and his best friend using Fancy Pants papers. Its so simple but I love how it turned out.

Turtle Rescue

Driving on the way home from Jacks gymnastics the other day I saw a black thing moving on the road. It was just as I was driving past it that I realised it was a turtle trying to cross the road. I think he must have been washed away when the creek flooded and was trying to find his way back. Well, I just pulled over and Jack and I ran back there. Poor Jack didnt know what was going on, he was just running along with me on the side of the road saying "Mum, what is it, whats going on?" Luckily I reached the turtle before it got hit. It had actually made it to the side of the road, which is amazing as there was a steady flow of traffic going both ways. I grabbed the poor little thing and headed over to the creek which was just near there. I just happened to have my camera in the car so we grabbed it and got a few quick photos. Jack wasnt too sure about holding him but he was all tucked into his shell so he didnt freak out too much. I gave Jack the camera to hold while I walked down the slope to the creek, not realising quite how slippery it was going to be. My feet slipped right from under me and I landed right on my butt and slid down, turtle in both hands up in the air. Well, Jack was in fits of laughter. He said he couldnt wait to tell his friends at school and took a photo of my mud covered backside for proof. The little turtle was fine. I put him right near the water and we waited. After a minute he poked his head out, saw where he was and dove in. I may have gotten a muddy butt and laughed at by a 7 year old but it was so worth it to give that little guy a chance.

That Crazy Storm

Last Sunday we had planned to go to Southbank with Katrina, Callum and Abbey. By the time we were about to go the sky came over really dark and it started pouring rain.I quickly got the guinea pigs and Chickie up on the patio and covered them over. Then the hail started. I've never seen anything like it! It came down so thick and fast that the kids asked if it was snowing! The wind was really strong and was blowing the rain sideways and the poor car copped a real beating with the hail. When it eased up a little bit I went out on the patio to check the animals, and the poor guinea pigs were actually swimming. Little Pinkeye actually swam across his cage and leapt up onto the bars at the side and clung on with all fours. Poor Hammie was doing his best to keep his head above water. Chickie was doing a little bit better. At least she has long legs and could stand up but the water was all the way up her legs. I grabbed all three of them and brought them in and towelled them off. The guineas got put in the bath tub and Chickie stayed in there too.

The kids thought the storm was exciting and couldn't wait to get outside. When it was over the four of them were out there collecting hail and making castles with it. Then they got the climbing frame and slide and made a long water slide thing. They didnt get their swim at Southbank but they sure had a fun afternoon in the backyard. Later on we all went to get take away for dinner but our local shop had no power and the second place had part of the roof ripped off. We got lucky at the third place we went to though so the kids finally got dinner. On the way there were heaps of big fallen trees and the dog park was all under water. Later on the radio I heard that it was the worst storm in 25 years. I'm so glad we werent half way to Southbank when that one hit!

New Layouts

I did about 6 pages over the weekend and this one of Emily and Dad was my favourite. I just love those photos. Havent put any journalling on it yet though because I'm not sure what I want to say.



This page was just a quickie with the scraps but I love this photo too. I think I really need to concentrate on scrapping Jack now. I think I do about 10 Emma pages to 1 of Jacks, so he'll probably start accusing me of loving her best!

My favourite layout

This is my very favourite layout right now. I love this photo of Em and I just love how the whole page turned out. I've never really tried the vintage look but I bought the papers to make myself do it and now I just want to do more! I did a page of Jack with his gap tooth smile with the same range but I like Em's page better.



Tonight I promised Emma that we would have a scrapping night together tonight and she wants to do "real" scrapping. (Which means she wants to play with my stuff). Guess I wont be getting much done til she goes to sleep!

She loves grapes...

I've found Chickie's absolute favourite food - green grapes! She goes crazy for them and she's worked out that they're kept in the fridge. Every time she sneaks inside she goes straight to the fridge and as soon as I've opened it she's pecking at the fruit bin. And if one of the kids is holding a grape she jumps up and snatches it from their fingers. Daisy loves them too so I always have to give them one each so they dont get jealous of eachother. So cute.

School Concert

Friday night was the school concert. The story was about 4 kids stuck in a playstation game and having to go through all the levels to get out. Em was a fairy and she looked so cute. Nan made her costume and it was just beautiful, and Emma felt very special when people kept coming up and saying how gorgeous she looked. Jack was a rainbow person and almost didnt go on because he was so sick, but in the end he did his bit and then came and sat with me. All the kids were supposed to stay in the room under the stage for the whole show and watch it on tv screens down there but they werent working so I ended up brining Emma up with me too. The kids loved watching it and the absolute highlight was when the teachers did their dance. So hilarious!

I'm getting published!

When I got my computer I decided I might submit a few of my layouts to Scrapbooking Memories. Well, last week I finally got around to doing it, and a few days later I got an acceptance email saying they would love to publish my page! So exciting! I've posted it off, so hopefully it arrives there ok. Mum wasnt too thrilled when I told her there was a pic of her in her swimmers on that layout, but its only a small one. Most of the photos are of the kids and Dad on the boat at Bribie. Cant wait to see it in the magazine!

Halloween

This year we decided to have a little Halloween Party. It looks like we wont be living here next year so it might be the last real Halloween the kids have, which is kind of sad. I think we're lucky that our neighbourhood gets into Halloween, with lots of kids trick-or-treating and everyone giving out lollies. We only invited a few friends but we ended up having about 12 kids (Natasha was sulking as usual so she wasnt in any photos). I think even with that amount it might have been a bit overwhelming for the people whose houses we visited! Jack and Em had such a fun night. Jack dressed up as a Transformer and Emma was a witch. We had a jack-o-lantern piniata, a lolly hunt and a jelly prize game before heading out trick-or-treating. We were probably gone for an hour and a half, but the kids would have kept going if I'd let them!

It gets even worse...

On the way to picking up the two remaining puppies from the RSPCA I got a phone call saying that they had just been put to sleep too. Jack was with me and we were almost there so I had to tell him what had happened. He was really sad about it of course. So was I. We've fostered puppies for two years now and have never lost one yet, although there have been a few close calls.

So instead of coming home with two puppies we were given two guinea pigs to look after. It was good for the kids to have something to take their minds off the puppies. The kids have never had guinea pigs before so they are a bit of a novelty. They are both boys and Jack has named his one Hammie (and he keeps calling them hamsters), and Em has called her one Pink Eye (for obvious reasons). Hopefully these guys will fare a bit better than the puppies.