Where does the time fly?

Well it has been almost 1 month since my last post. Kevin and Gary are well and truly settled into school which is a great relief. They are both loving school. Gary has a new teacher this term, Miss Doughty has replaced Mrs Pyke who is on long service leave and will then retire.

Ray is really enjoying day care he now has both of his favourite carers in his room. Every other morning he gets upset because he wants to go to school with his brothers and does not want to wait until next year when he will start prep.

Photos above:
1) Family Portrait - Brad surprised me in the beginning of May with a sitting for a family portrait and here it is. It was delivered and framed in time for Mother's Day which was great.
2) April Ornie - Starry Night from the 2008 Ornament edition from Just Cross Stitch. Not sure how I am going to finish this yet I am considering a flat ornament to hang on the tree.
3) April Challenge - choose your own. This is Helga Mendel "For Rudolph". I finished this on a gift box for one of the teachers at Christmas time.
4) Maryse SAL 2008 Checkerboard completed and ready to frame. Gary wants this for his bedroom wall.

I am still having difficulty in getting truly settled here in Brisbane. It is difficult to make friends. But that has always been a challenge to me and I am guessing it always will be. Brad's limited income and his direct deductions that are coming out, money is very tight.

I have replanted the garden at the back of our rental that was very overgrown with weeds. It now has pretty flowers that my boys help me plant.

This past week has seen some very torrential rain and weaqther conditions here in Brissy. Our street was flooded took 90 minutes to drive a 20 minute trip from the boys school to ray's daycare. More on that next post hopefully sooner than the last one.
Ciao

School holiday Movies

School Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well here on sit on a Saturday morning trying to work which is more important to do mow the lawn and spend in the garden or to sit and stitch the day away.

The boys return to school on Tuesday April 21st. This lot of school holidays have been expensive just for the activities they have done with day care cost me $100 for them both.

Lets see

• Tuesday they went to the movies and saw Monster v Aliens see widget in the post below.

• Wednesday they went to Ipswich Civic theatre to see Daisy May is an impossibly cool cat! She can sing jazz, dance and play tunes.

• Thursday they went bowling

• Friday was Putt Putt Golf

This is Daisy may.

The boys are starting swimming lessons this week with Ray going on Mondays and Gary and Kevin on a Thursday afternoon.

On the stitching front I have been working on my Checkerboard and have started my April Ornie.

I am over half way to completing this project. I am about the same with my April ornie and I have not yet decided on the choose your own ornie I will stitch for April/May xsers challenge.

The checkerboard is part of my UFO challenge I have entered this month. I need to stitch another 7 squares and more of the border to complete my challenge.

I am glad that the sun is shining and the rain has stopped for a while. We had a nice thunderstorm last night and that was great for the garden and gave the lawn a drink.

Until next time

Been having fun

Well where do i start. i know that it has been a while since I have updated but I have been busy with uni.

Kevin turned 7 on April 1st, he was so excited. He got spoiled rotten just some of his presents were Lego, Ben 10 alien force jigsaw puzzles, magnetix set, a couple of dinosaur books with a book mark.

On March 30th we had parent/teacher interviews, Gary is doing just amazing things at school. His teaching is leaving after Easter so that will be interesting since it has taken me all term to get him settled and allow me to just walk away without tears or similar. He gets to wear a gold badge everyday at school for striving to be his best it is a behaviour program that they run in the school. On the last day of school term he will get pizza for lunch and a disco to celebrate his good behaviour.

The best thing about school is the way Kevin has now settled in walks himself to class from Gary's classroom in the morning and back in the afternoon. He has a spelling test each Friday and for the last 8 weeks has been getting 8/8 so the teacher has extended his words to 15 words to see how he goes. He is reading level 15 books and does 3 books week and a homework sheet. He is enjoying his teacher now and wants to go to school everyday.

I have one finish stitching wise since I was on here last. This is for the xsers group it is March ornie that i have finished into one to hang on the tree. I have been stitching on my UFO - 2008 Marsye SAL 2008 checkerboard. Will post a photo next time I am online.

Uni is keeping me very busy have assignments due next week and then I am on holiday for 10 days just like the schools. School holidays April 10 - 20 (including student free day). http://education.qld.gov.au/public_media/calendar/holidays.html

Till next time

Well so much has happened since I last updated this blog.
Yesterday (February 26) it was Gary’s 5th birthday. He got very spoilt from us. He received 4 different jigsaw puzzles, some kinex, glow in the dark spiders and bugs, an army helicopter that is battery operated that unloads cargo. Well he is growing up, he is settling into school. He is still having difficulty in morning greetings; however it is getting a little better every week.

Kevin is in year 2 and he is on his third teacher. The first happened when the school qualified with enough student numbers to get a 10th teacher. So he went from Miss Crane (year 2/3) for three weeks to Miss Caldecutt (Year 2) for 3 days to Mrs Alexis (Year 20). I certainly hope this is the last teacher change this year he had a really hard time adjusting to all the different teaching styles. It has take 2 weeks for him to stop getting upset and not wanting me to go. He made me proud today, both the boys had tuckshop orders for lunch today, and he said to me mum I am going off to class now. He left me to do the lunch order. This is such an improvement.

At our school we have parade every Tuesday at 2:15. Well I was told on Monday that I had to go because Kevin was getting a certificate for his outstanding handwriting. But to my surprise Gary also got a certificate for being a good friend and always sharing nicely with his peers. So needless to say I was a very proud mum this week.

Raymond my littlest boy had 12 stitches in his back where Tuesday night last week in the bath slipped and got himself on the broken soap. Well the next day the handyman from the real estate was here and put some tape on it. By Thursday afternoon there was a brand new soap dish in place. Ray was so brave he only cried till I got the steri- strips on it and the bleeding slowed to next to nothing. Ray is really enjoying going to daycare and has adjusted really well to going by himself without his brothers. He is quite the conversationalist now speaking in full sentences. It is great to see him growing and maturing. He is still Mr attitude and grumpy with a temper to boot.

On the stitching front i have managed to finish both my February ornaments. I have started to stitch Maryse SAL 2008 which was a checkerboard this is my big project for the beginning of the year and see how I go. http://grillesdemaryse.canalblog.com/ the site needs to be translated from French to English.

I now have my Queensland licence and surrendered my Western Australian licence. Surprisingly got my original licence number back after 8 years of being with a Western Australian one. I miss alot about Perth, most importantly my friends that were more like family. I am still adjusting to life back in Queensland. The most difficult for me not have my good friends to call on if needed.

Till next time

The Victorian Bushfire

SHOCKING

I sit here at my pc trying to gather my thoughts on what to say about the tragedy that is the Victorian bushfire as it stands the numbers are devastating.

181 lives lost
1861 homes lost
7000 people left homeless
1 million animals lost

By yesterday afternoon, $83.9 million had been donated to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund through the Red Cross, mostly by individuals.
My 3 boys have donated their pocket money totally $100 between them which was very touching so as a family we doubled that and gave them back their pocket money so they can continue to save for their own special something.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25038828-5006785,00.html

This is a beautiful story of a Koala that was given a bottle of water. This brought a tear to my eye not only have we lost 100s of human lives (a lot of whom a children) but they estimate we lost at least 1 million native animals as well that is not including of the domestic animals that had to be left behind.

I live in Queensland and this state is having its own natural disaster with floods pales in comparison but last weekend 62% of the state was under water. It is our wet season up North.

It seems our vast land always has something different to offer us to contemplate at one time or another. I just hope that Mother Nature takes it easy on us for a while so we van recover. The true Aussie spirit has been challenged and through united we stand. I am an Aussie battler but i am so proud to say the I am Australian now more than ever.

Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi.

With these natural disasters going on I have noting to complain about what so ever.

Till next time thoughts and prayers and good wishes to all going through hardship.

Moving again

Well we have made it through the first week of school. There were plenty of tears flowing this last week. Kevin is in a year 2/3 class with Mrs Crane. At first Kevin had troubled making friends but now he seems to have made a couple of really nice friends. He has asked me if he can play junior rugby league and I am considering the idea but it is so expensive. We have also talked about scouts and Tai kwon do (sp?) We need to decide by the end of this week.

Here are my 3 lads on the first day of their new school (Kevin, Ray in front, & Gary)

Gray started Prep and had a few really big teary days by Friday he was off being the helper and was happy. He also has made some friends a couple of whom go to day care with him so that will also help.

Ray my baby (3.5y) is also adjusting to being at day care by himself having to make his own friends and not playing with his brothers. Although he woke up from his nap crying for his brothers it seems to be going really well now. He still cries a little when I drop him off but that is to be expected for a little while.

Whilst it was a tough week, I know that it is all part of growing up, for them and for me as a mum. Speaking of tough weeks we have found another house to move into so this weekend we are moving. I am so sick of moving it is ridiculous. But it is an improvement from where we are now it is a 4 bed 1 bath with a fully fenced yard. I can’t wait to get settled finally after almost 3 months of worried and sleeplessness in ensuring our family is safe and happy.

On the stitching side of things I have stitched my February ornament for the xsers group I chose to do holly berries mini biscornu. I will assemble it on the weekend after the move. I am moving on to the other Feb challenge is “Choose Your Own Ornie” and I am doing O Christmas tree by Helga Mandl it was a sal done through Wonderful XS World yahoo group in 2007.

That is all for now.

SUNDAY
Here I sit this morning pondering life. We are in a battle with the real estate as we have been given notice to leave. Upon receiving advice from the RTA (Residential Tenancies Association) we have been assured they had no legal reason to issue it. So now I am in the process of finding a new home to live in. We have 2 weeks. As this will be too difficult to deal with due. Now I have to pack up a house. This was added stress we did not need. But if they want to play hard ball, then we will play hard ball.

I am hoping the boys new school staff will be back to work this week. I need to finalise their enrolments/transfers from their school in Armadale,WA. I also need to know what the school uniform is, and a book list. This is going to be an expensive week.

I have some stitchy news to report I have had another finish Lizzie Kate's: Friendship warms the heart. I am going to finish it into a pin keep I think I just need to find my local fabric and supplies store, and the time to make it. Will post a photo later.
Ciao

Wow what a month?

Well we have been in our new rental for 1 month. We have been back home in Queensland since the end of November.

The boys are settling into daycare. I have applied to go to Uni to continue my studies to become a teacher. Brad has started work this last week, doing the "Kenny" thing again...( http://www.kennythemovie.com/ ) delivering and servicing portable toilets. He seems happy enough has an almost brand new truck with all the mod cons.

The school admin should be back to work next week so I can get the boys enrolled in school and complete the transfer from Neerigen Brook Primary school in Armadale, WA, to Redbank Plains Primary school. We live a 2 minute drive away from the school. Even though I have found them daycare I still have to find them before and after school care as this daycare does not drop off or pick up at their school.

Ray is really liking day care, I hope this continue when his brothers go to school on January 27th. Kevin will be in year 2 and Gary will be in prepatory. I am looking this week for presents for Gary's Birthday which is coming up on Feb 26th he is going to be 5.

I have been doing some stitching. I have managed to have a 2 finishes 1, Lizzie Kate "Friendship Needs No Reason" and 2) Lizzie Kate ABC 123. I am gonna make them into cushions. I have started Lizzie Kate Friendship Warms the Heart and hope to have it finished soon.