Lightening Online

We’ve been very blessed this year to have a music teacher in our primary school.  We only have limited NIT (non instruction time) hours and generally they get used on Physical Education and/or Languages.

I find it kind of frustrating that there is quite an emphasis on sport and very little emphasis on the arts.

So it’s been a welcome change to actually have a music teacher.

Sadly, the school are saying we may not be able to keep her next year.  :(  Which is annoying because I know she would continue.

Anyway, the great thing is my kids are really enjoying it and it has meant our school choir has been up and running again and has gotten involved in a Primary Schools Festival of Music.

This has involved students learning a series of songs and movements  that other students all over the state have also been learning.

Recently we went to a nearby regional town where the students were able to perform with students from many other schools:

It was an absolutely AWESOME experience for the kids.

One they had a lot of fun doing.

That last one is just our choir (those of it who fit in the age group for this particular concert), taken after the concert.

Today the years 6s and 7s head off to Adelaide to do the same thing (on a much bigger scale) at the Festival theatre.

I REALLY hope Singstar Princess gets that opportunity to go to Adelaide when she is the right age.

She’s not the kind of kid who’s likely to get into things like Sapsaasa (state sport for years 6s & 7s) and it’s about time those who are not “sporty” had their talents nurtured.

Now I just need to find a way to convince the school (and the Education Department) that it’s a good idea to continue having a music teacher in our school.

The other day while we were getting ready to go out, my 6 year old (Trailer Boy) was putting on a fuss about having to bring a rain jacket.

Apparently it makes him look “fat”.

After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I began to think back to similar experiences with my older 2.

Interestingly enough, when they were 6 also.

Princess Singstar had this knitted jumper that I LOVED and she refused to wear because she “looked fat in it”.

I was freaking out just a tad at the time that I was going to have an anorexic 6 year old on my hands.

It didn’t occur to me then (in the state of mind I was in which wasn’t a real clear one), that we’d come across this issue before.

When Lleyton (our eldest who is now 12) was in year 1 (so also 6), he came to me one day with a stick and said “I wish I was as skinny as this stick”.

My first thought at the time was “you’d be dead if you were skinny as that stick” followed by “you are almost as skinny as that stick” and then “why on earth would a child who is all skin and bone even be THINKING about getting any thinner?????”

So now that I’ve had 3 children go through the same thing at the same age (and we all know that a sample size of 3 makes me a complete expert, right?), I’m starting to wonder if this is some kind of “stage” that kids go through.

Is there some kind of body awareness stage that they go through around this age?

Something akin to 2 year old boys all liking pink (and my sample size for that one is bigger than 3 - I worked in a couple of different child care centres, my kids all went through it and now my nephew is also going through it).  I think girls do too but you don’t notice it the same because they’re “supposed” to like pink.

Anyone else notice this stage of “fat-phobia” in their kids around the age of 6?

How would you deal with it? (and let me point out that laughing at them and telling them it’s ridiculous will NOT win you mother of the year ).

Princess Singstar and I are heading off in the morning on a mother-daughter road trip.

I have a meeting in Adelaide on Tuesday so Monday night we’re staying in a Motel on the edge of the city.

We’re only in Adelaide 24 hours but while we’re there we’ll hopefully be visiting a friend of hers as well as my grandparents (who are looking after her while I’m at my meeting).

Then we’re heading to the Yorke Peninsula to spend a couple of days with Farmboy’s brother and his wife.

They have twins and a toddler so we’re hoping a couple of extra pairs of hands will help.

Friday we’re meeting up with my parents for lunch (they also live on the YP) as it’s my birthday.

Friday afternoon, Farmboy arrives with the boys as we have a Cousin’s Birthday weekend (also on the Yorke Pen.).  We’ve booked a holiday house that will hold 3/4 families (the 4th family is the one with twins and a toddler so they’ll come for the day).

Saturday is the day of the cousin’s birthday party.

Sunday we’re going to stay with my parents before heading back home Monday.

So, a busy yet exciting week.  I can’t wait!

In other news, the Friday night just gone our netball club had a “pink slumber party” which was totally AWESOME and a lot of fun!  I was hoping to post some pics but may not get time before I go.  So, could be lots of catch up posting when I get back!

All of this is a very welcome break from my “rut”. 

I know there are plenty of things “wrong” with our public health system.

But sometimes it’s all too easy to focus on the negatives and forget that there are some positives.

Trailer Boy has been a public patient in our health system while his arm has been broken.

He was attended to by the local hospital and local doctor then referred on to a surgeon.

Granted we had to travel almost 2 hours to have his arm bone reset in theatre but it’s unrealistic to expect an orthopaedic surgeon to sit around here just waiting for someone to break their arm. 

Through theatre, 2 follow up visits to the surgeon and now having his cast removed and replaced with a brace (quite a colourful one at that), we haven’t had to pay a single cent!

To be honest, I was quite surprised.

Pleasantly of course. 

So, hat tip to our public health system.

Sometimes it’s works really well.

Sorry I’m a bit late announcing the winners of this giveaway.  I haven’t been very well the past couple of days.

Anyway, the winners, via random number generator are:

Comment Number 5 - Victoria

and Comment Number 15 - River

A couple of comments were allocated 2 numbers due to their reviews about their experiences with NitWit products.

To claim your giveaway, please send me your mailing address (will not be shared with anyone other than the NitWits contact) so we can arrange to send out your products.  If you don’t have my email address, please use the contact form above or leave a comment below and I’ll email you.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

How ironic that on the same day I posted my previous post about NitWits, I received a letter from the school saying headlice has been reported in our sch0ol!

On Saturday night we spent the evening with friends.  On our way home, we passed an emergency vehicle heading in the opposite direction, lights flashing and zooming down the road.

My first thought was, hope it’s nothing too serious.

Unfortunately it was. 

Sunday morning we heard there had been a fatality.

You hope it’s nobody you know.

After all, if it’s somebody you don’t know, it’s not as bad is it?

However, it’s always someone SOMEBODY knows.  And loves.

As it turned out, it was somebody we know.

Farmboy knows him more than I do.

He was one of the football players from our club.

It’s hitting people in our community pretty hard.

One of our friends was first on the scene.

I don’t know how you get over something like that?

Seeing a kid you’ve watched grow up, in a fatal car accident.

How does a mother ever come to terms with news like this?

And on the eve of Mother’s Day too! 

And so the community mourns…… a young adult they’ve watched grow up…..  A star football player they’ve cheered from the sidelines…..  A young man with so much promise…..  So much future.

Cut down in the prime of his life.  Gone prematurely.  Possibly unnecessarily (the involvement of alcohol is suspected by many but not yet confirmed).

Our roads have taken yet another victim.

And as a mother, all I can think is “how do I avoid this happening to me?  Why can’t I wrap my children up in cotton wool and protect them forever?”

All I can do is hold them tight.  Cherish each moment knowing life has no guarantees.  I’d rather have them for a moment than not at all.

I’ve been working on a post for a couple of days now and just when I was ready to add the final edits and hit publish, it disappeared.  :(  Don’t you hate that!!!

Oh well, I can write it again.  It’ll just take me a while.

In other news, Trailer Boy is back at school and coping well with being a one-armed bandit.

However, today he seemed to hit some kind of wall.  I think he’s just overtired.  No doubt the combination of his body trying to heal and adjusting to not having the use of your dominant hand/arm is taking it’s toll.

He’d started getting to sleep a lot better the past couple of nights but tonight he just couldn’t.  He was in tears complaining about pain and feeling sick.

I think I’ll give him a day off tomorrow.  See if that helps.

We had a fantastic weekend albeit an exhausting one!!!  Kids have SO much energy!!! 

Here is our wonderful “Team Jamaica”

The way the camp works is that groups come from various areas with their leaders and all join together for 2 days and 1 night.  This year we had the second largest group there (and definitely the loudest LOL).  Each group was allocated a country this year (to fit with the Olympics team).

The kids were so great at getting into the spirit of the weekend.  I’m sure it added to the fun.

While we had games and “olympic” activities, the emphasis was on participation and good sportsmanship.

Here I am with my “Jamaican look hair”:

And Farmboy:

Singstar Princess:

Lleyton:

As you can see, we had a lot of fun getting into the “theme”.

And I have spent most of today either in bed or on the couch recovering from the weekend. Was fun but very tiring running around after a bunch of kids all weekend.

Farmboy and I are leaders on a Kids Camp this weekend.  The theme of the camp is “Olympics” and our group has been allocated Jamaica as our “country”.

So this morning, I dyed my hair black.

It doesn’t have any product in it (hence the “fluffiness”) because I’m about to start plaiting it.  Singstar Princess will help me with the back plaits tonight and I’ll plait hers as well.

Lleyton and Farmboy have Jamaican wigs.

Trailer Boy isn’t old enough to go yet so he’s having a holiday with Granny and Grandad.

It should be a fun (and no doubt exhausting) weekend.  More pics next week (hopefully).

New Year’s Day is a day often filled with hope (and hangovers).  A New Year, a fresh start.  A reason to celebrate the opportunity that is offered by the beginning of a New Year.

What colours will be painted on the canvas of 2010?  Joy.  Love.  Pain.  Sadness.  The emotions both positive and negative are what makes up the brilliant colours painted on the canvas of life.

Whether we like it or not, difficult times are character building and make up an important part of our life painting.  Yes, at the time we’d rather be anywhere but there.  But on reflection, those difficulties can be character and strength building if we will allow them to.

Am I setting myself up for a difficult year?  I hope not.  But I will admit that it’s concerned me how many people have been eager to see 2009 disappear and embrace the hope of 2010.  People who really feel 2009 was the worst year ever.  At times we really do have years that are more difficult than others.  Sometimes though, I think it is what we focus on that affects our perception of how bad things really have been.  I can’t help but wonder how many of those will say the same thing at the end of 2010?

Of course, that’s easy for me to say.  2009 was a particularly wonderful year for us.  How could it not be when we spent a quarter of it on our big trip? 

Still, I have hope that 2010 will be just as wonderful, in a different way.

I’m generally not one to make New Years Resolutions.  However, I do like to take a moment to consider what my goals and dreams are for the New Year.

2010 Goals and Dreams

House

1.  Continue to declutter (I think that’s a never ending job!)

2.  Paint all of the inside walls (with the exception of the 1 room I actually managed to get done in 2009)

3.  Finish our back decking (it’s not far off now)

Garden

1.  Build our permaculture style vegie garden

2.  Plant 2 or 3 more fruit trees

3.  Buy 2 large pots for dwarf lemon and dwarf mandarin trees

Health

1.  Continue to exercise.  Aim for 6 sessions per week of 30-60 minutes duration

2.  Focus on healthy eating

3.  Try to shed 10kg slowly

Kids

1.  Continue involvement with P&F at school

2.  Holiday swimming lessons during the year (given we’re missing the January ones)

3. Continue to develop Lleyton’s passion and ability with tennis (have finally got him into a week long clinic in Adelaide to help develop and refine his skills)

4.  Go away in the caravan at least twice during the year

Finances

1.  Work on gradually curbing our current spending spree

2.  Save $2000 toward our planned 15th Anniversary cruise

3.  Continue to save toward a new laptop for myself

4.  Increase our acreage to earn money for our house renovation projects (means I’ll be doing a lot more hours this year - effectively making me a working mother)

That’s about all I can think of for now.  No doubt 2010 will be filled with unexpected surprises and challenges.  All I can say is “bring it one”. 

Happy New Year everyone.  Hope 2010 is everything you  hope for and more!

P.S.  I actually wrote this on New Years Day but forgot to hit publish.  DOH!!!