The story so far.

This time last year we decided to sell the house we owned and buy something that better suited to our needs especially growing children and one disabled son.

Now those needs were a little long term but really revolved around my able bodied children having a quiet place to study and a space for time out from living with a disabled sibling.  Then there were things like spaces that would not easily get broken and made our life easier such as an easy to clean toilet, an easily accessible place to store medication and medical supplies etc etc.

The only way we seem to be able to afford this was to buy an older house and move it to a place that was suitable to us. 

So that is where our story began.

We found this lovely 1959 house just waiting to be moved off site and to a new home.  Hmmmmm...we had no idea that once we decided to take this house just what a journey it would be.  A journey that we really are only a small part of the way through.

Phase one was to wait for spring to arrive.  Logically you can not move a house you have cut into four bits when the weather is terrible.  Of course there were all those decisions regarding changes we wanted to make to we could submit it to council for planning permission.  Now that was very tricky especially since we had not lived in the house and only visited it twice.

After much work were given the large package to deliver to council.  Yes there I am with all that important paper work.  Without it nothing can happen.  The house cant go on the truck, it cant be put on the land and we wont be able to move it off its original site.

After much stress and running around the paper work came through and phase two began.  The moving of the house.

We had already learnt some lessons.

• allow lots of time to council to work through the paper work.
• banks don't want to deal with old houses that are about to be moved so creative planning is required.
• patience is a virtue in may ways and this phase certainly reinforced that.
• Remember your husband (yes I love his heaps) is your partner in this and is after the same end goal.

Phase two will follow Thursday so drop on back.

Spring brings variable weather.  In fact just a couple of weeks ago it rained so much that the very small creek  overflowed with the help of a king tide.  Oh yes and see that shed on the right.  Yes the really large one with the white door......well all our house hold posessions are there.  Underwater just a little.    Hmmm and guess what.....last time we lived in the same temporary accommodation (thanks Mum and Dad) with the same household storage situation, the creek flooded.  Yes the last two times that that creek flooded we have had stuff in the shed.  

Boy life can be cruel sometimes.

Just look inside

With February being the month of things from the heart I thought that it would be timely to consider what it is deep inside me that I love. 

There is no way around it that most if not all, people have things they love that have never emerged to reach the light of day.  I am no exception. I love the fact though that the most important things that I love are out there for that matter to see....my family.

But seriously it vital that I love myself first and foremost.  Without that nothing else really matters....well in my opinion.  I am at a point where, but I guess I have always known it, that I have to put myself first in the list of things I love.  As part of my life make over I more deeply realise that if I don't love myself then it is difficult to be a happy place.

So loving myself now looks like this:

• make sure I exercise as it, by default, gives me time for myself.
• eat a balanced diet and don't deny myself the treats.  They are part of the balance.
• laugh......everyday.   I am sure it shares all those happy endorphins and it is contagious.  Finally I am sure that I have read somewhere laughing helps keep the face well toned and in my steadily advancing years that is important.
• dream and be inspired to fill my life with things that I love.

 With that I leave you a quote to think about for today.

 (credits....all products by tangie baxter)

When a cow.....

Just how many people can say that a stray cow came up their driveway but I can.  Yes this cow wandered up our 1/2 km long driveway a couple of weekend ago.

She had walked 1.5 km down the road looking for her calf.  The class I teach on Thursdays just loved hearing the story about he cow with horns that visited their Thursday teacher.

Stairs at last.

We have spent most of this winter just gone without stair that lead from our garage onto the deck that leads to indoors.  Now that the weather is warming up we have finally decided what to do with regard to stars and a wrap around custom made stairs are the plan.  We have googled it (yup thats right), found the you tube video that was similar and my DH set to it.  We are novices when it comes to building.  Everything we know we have taught ourselves.

While I am busy at work my stairs get slowly cut and prepared for assembly.  The weekend arrives and the one child in my house who will never have the capacity to hold down any job (due to his disabilities), is the only one keen to help.  With his battery powered tools and a keen eye he imitates the job.  I just love the intensity at which he is observing the work at hand.

When the deck is painted I will post a photo.

The End of One Journey

In about 6 weeks time one of life's journeys will come to an end in our house.  My baby  (yes he is the youngest of my children) will finally leave primary school and  enter the next part of his educational journey. 

Today we were off to get his uniform for next year.  He was busy smiling broadly the whole and I was busy checking to make sure that the uniform was going be big and will  last many years while him being able to hold it up.

I am so excited for him and the opportunities that will come his way as the journey from Year 7 through to Year 13 begins next year. 

There is nothing like a leisurely afternoon.

Spring brings all kinds of challenges around the house.  We have the largest yard.  I used to take me about 4 hours to hand mow.  So we decided that it was a waste of time and energy spending time mowing lawns and what was needed was a ride on mower.  Since that time we have never looked back.

The only down fall is that every time we are out mowing my disabled son cant wait to help mow.  Hmmmm now, two days later I understand why I am suffering from stiff shoulders.  Hayden was constantly trying to help steer...the wrong way.

October brings........

As always the holidays brings the arrival of spring and all the out door chores that come with the introduction of a little warmth to the weather.  You know the chores.......cleaning the house, washing the windows, staying on top of the fast growing lawn and the sad looking garden.

So when I am busy pulling those pesky weeds out, yes they are knee high after a winter of neglect, a smile is bought to my face when I see my boys out playing.  A spaceship with accompanying astronaut and  of course what spaceship would be complete without its mode of movement and navigation (the one having to pull the spaceship around.)

Now just to find an easier way to to keep the garden weeds at bay.

Don't you love it when....

I love the fact that my 13 year old daughter is standing in front of me with her pj's on and her hockey stick in her hand doing aerial skills.  I love it too that she went to a clinic with the most amazing Jamie Dwyer, 5 times named worlds best hockey player, got her stick signed.  Now I understand why she says her slightly too short stick is not ready to be given up for a new one.

Long may her interest in sport last. 

A moment to pull on your heart strings.

This is my youngest sons last year at primary school.  He is 10 and with him moving on to college next year it just may be the last time that he wants his parents/ grandparents to come and be part of anything very much he does at school.

So my heart tugged somewhat when I turned up to collect him at the end of Grandparents day and for the first time I heard the school doing the Irish Blessing they do traditionally on special occasions.




An Old Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

 

 

It was just a touching moment.  What a pity I could not get a better photo.

I think that I might just shed a tear or two when the end of the year arrives.

Without asking......

What is it about the world wide web that people think that they can lift other peoples images from anywhere and send/ use them as they like.  That they can take the images they want to make them say or mean something else than originally intended.  Maybe even make people think they own that image. But most hurtful is when that someone is a person you know.  That she they have used an image of yours without asking for permission (yes I am only a phone call or txt away) then it really hurts. 

What is about this generation of young people that they think they are untouchable from behind their smartphones and smart apps.  Where has the looking people in the face and watching their reactions become not important?

 (image source is here)

Just maybe the person receiving the image is now crying.

So from now on my images, yes my ordinary everyday images will have a water mark on them and this makes me really sad.

Spring is here ..... maybe

Spring is supposed to arrive in my part of the world in about September.  I am constantly amazed though, that come August, the coolest month of the year, lambs are busy running around my neighbours paddocks.

Don't get me wrong,   I love summer and the warm sun so seeing the lambs running around is exciting as summer is not too far away.  The sunshine will warm up, the grass will smell fresh and green and happiness reigns.

(DD with a new born lamb at the neighbours house.)

Just what does it take to create a science project for school.......Not my project.

In my opinion it takes a lot of skill to teach your child how to take pride in their projects.  There are many components to a fantastic project and for me the list looks something like this.....Ok I am a teacher and that makes my thoughts will be scewed a little.

In no particular order

•  Help find/ get the research material necessary for the project.
• The research and content of the project needs to be the child's own work.  It needs to be edited and proof read with the teachers support.
• Have all printer charged up ready to go with ink and paper.
• Marker pens, felt tips pens, pencils, erasers, rulers etc (Make sure your ruler is a long one)
• Finally a tonne of patience for the planning of the presentation and assembly

So exactly how much help is too much. 

In my opinion my 10 year old son, who had never been asked to complete any science project like this before, needed some basic direction.  His report about Pluto was written at school.  Everything else he planned and completed at home.  I provided the balls that made the model, the display board.  We found around the house everything else you see. 

As for laying out his project I showed him how to cut out his work using my cutter, how to line up all his report so they were straight on the page and spaced nice to the eye.  Of course there is the place and look twice before using the double sided tape.

My son painted and put glitter on the board, he drew coloured in etc the central panel, he drew the orbiting patterns (I provided the idea of using liquid white out at the planet paths).  He wrote all the interesting facts etc.  It took a whole day to assemble this project.  The model was made a few weeks earlier by putting paper mache photos of the planet, onto the model. 

Wow it was fabulous.  I would say 95% his own work.  My guidance the other 5%.

Oh he came second too and of course I am so proud not only of his effort and care with his presentation but that he came second too.

Can you believe it.

The primary school teacher in me is astounded that in my country the children's book award was won by a book with this word right through the middle of it.

Maybe I am a prudish person who values respectful language and that is why I could not read this book to the class of 5 year old who sit in front of me.  Who knows but now I think I will need to check all books that I pick up to check what the quality of language is like.

In 35 years

Friday was a full moon and Friday 13.  This is a rare moment in time.  In fact it will happen again in 35 years when I will sure be old and grey.

So using this tutorial from Capture Your 365 by Katrina Kennedy I took out my SLR camera and its book and had a go at capturing the moon. 

One moment in time recorded on a crisp June evening.

Our Fabulous Neighbour.

The lovely Faye live just 5 minutes down the road.  She is the very young age of 70 and lives alone with her many animals including Lucky...her rescue dog.

Hayden  has taken a liking to visiting Faye and her dog.  She has taken a liking to Hayden visiting. 

So this is what a visit to Fayes house looks like.

Hayden walking Lucky around Faye's yard.

 Showing lots of love.

Great friends.

Lucky was a very anxious dog when he was rescued.  Now he hears Hayden coming up the road and barks with excitement at his pending visit.

We are not in a position to care for a dog. You really need the time to dedicate to one.  Something we don't have much of.

So thank you to Faye.  Hayden has these photos hanging on the wall in his room.  He can't wait to show us these photos most days.

A Perfect Winters Morning

It is no secret that I love summer.  I love the balmy temperatures, I love how the the sunshine makes me feel happy.  So it will come as no surprise that I am one who hides from the crisp cold of winter.  
Of course you can not spend all the cooler months moving around by the warmth of the warmth of the fire.

(all the credits for this page can be found over at Plain Digital Wrapper)

So when there happens to be a crisp but clear morning I just have to admire the moment and be pleased that while it might be cold it is lovely and fine with the anticipation that the sun might just warm up enough to disguise the brisk seasonal weather.

I Just Love it When......

Don't you just love it when your 13 year old daughter homework involves planing, budgeting and shopping for a whole school weeks morning tea and lunch. 

Packed the night before the lunchbox includes

• rice crackers
• homemade cookies
• homemade lemon muffin
• yoghurt
• fresh carrots
• dried cranberries
• cheese sandwich
• museli bar
• banana

 It all came in on budget.

I am happily enjoyed not making her lunch for the week.  I am pleased too that she has an increased appreciation of how much it costs to shop for school lunches.

Isn't it Funny

Isn't it funny how as soon as the weather turns from summer to autumn and the weather becomes more variable and cooler, the more the weather becomes a regular part of everyday conversation. Personally I love the summer. I love the warmth, the long pleasant evening temperatures, the fact that you really appreciate the odd smattering of rain. So when the cooler weather arrives and I try and squeeze into last years warm weather clothing I have see to have lost a little of my energy for life and am already looking forward to the arrival of spring in September.

 (photo taken by my 13 year old DD who tells me that her Samsung phone is too old...hmmm)

So I am determined to get a little sunlight while out exercising, getting myself out the door and exercising.  Hope that the little bit of sun I might be exposed to will give me lot of positive endorphins.

When we all get just a little touchy.

With the end of the long 12 week term just 5 school days away  we, in my house are getting a little touchy with each other.  It is only natural that this will happen when we are all really tired.  So in an effort to lighten up the moment I thought a little fun was needed.  So I introduced some happy faces into the house.

Andre needed a smile or two while doing his homework....really hard fractions.

 Hayden and DH decided to try and make Andre laugh.

It was a fun moment just before dinner.

Now to find another week of little happy moments to play with so that the touchy moments due to being tired.