Lightening Online

It has been lego city around here for the past few weeks. The kids were sent a Lego City Crane from Lego’s City Construction Range to try out and it has stimulated their imaginative play no end.

It’s amazing how one new piece of lego can bring the rest of the Lego isn’t it. All of a sudden it all comes out and is like new again!

Princess Singstar and Trailer Boy are my big lego fanatics so they enjoyed unpacking and creating this crane.

One thing that really impressed me as we unpacked the box was the way things were packaged up in numbered packets. This enabled the kids to follow the instructions step by step without getting frustrated trying to find the right pieces from a large mass of pieces.

It was a good exercise in breaking a large project down into manageable sized pieces.

What really interested me was that the project took a couple of hours to build and yet managed to hold the attention of both Princess Singstar (who is AND Trailer Boy (who is 5). Princess Singstar managed most of the building process while Trailer Boy did need a bit more help (as you would expect).

Lego has obviously evolved quite substantially since I was a child. I couldn’t believe these tracks that were a part of the kit:

They make the crane fully movable and operational:

I’m a bit bummed at the moment because I took a video of Trailer Boy demonstrating the crane to show you and I’m having trouble uploading to my computer. It was rather cute and he was demonstrating how it goes forward, turns around and lifts objects.

Once completed, he began the project of building a whole house, piece by piece, using the crane to lift each one into place. It was rather adorable and interesting to watch.

I asked him what he’d like to see come out in a Lego kit and he wants a caravan!!! Surprise! Surprise! Kids love whatever is familiar. He’d also like a truck that can carry the house he’s building (our own home came on the back of a truck).

Princess Singstar has been quite a large fan of Lego for some years now. I do find it a little disappointing and frustrating that the beautiful “girly” Lego is not very easy to come by. She has a few bits and pieces. Mind you, it’s probably as much my own bias that I want that kind of Lego for her as she was eying off the farming and gardening pictures in the Lego book. I’ve only seen the farming stuff in the Duplo (which we have quite a lot of), not the Lego.

I thought that would interest Trailer Boy as well but he was more attracted by the City Construction range with it’s trucks and cranes and buildings. Oh, and people with little hand-held radio’s (CB/UHF? Not sure what they use on building sites).

In the past, I’ve always been a fan of more generic lego sets that allow kids imaginations to expand and create. I can see the benefit in these types of more structured kits though. They’re great for teaching them to follow instructions (mostly via picture so reading not required) and allow a LOT of creative play surrounding the item they’ve constructed.

I can see that this is going to be a well loved toy for a long time to come (in fact, my poor lounge room has been taken over by Lego for the past few weeks ).

Lego is certainly one of those toys that has passed the test of time isn’t it?

What are your thoughts on Lego?

Do you have a preference for the kits or for general sets of pieces? Do your kids have a particular favourite? I’d love to hear what has worked and not worked with Lego for other families. Our collection is still reasonably small and I’d like to add to it over the next few years so hearing about the great stuff you’ve found would be a great help.

How about storage? I’d love to hear any tips on the best way to store Lego.

Trailer Boy is amazingly inventive when it comes to play.

Here’s one of his more recent creations:

His old carseat (which is used with the playstation steering wheel for an “authentic feel” and so is currently kept inside - think we’ll oust it soon though as it takes up a lot of room) and one of those sit n spin toys tipped on it’s side and resting on the couch.

Makes for a great driving set-up really.

And, of course, a drink to keep him hydrated while he goes (that’s POM wonderful from a review I did recently - he really likes it).

Not sure if he has any cupholders though!

It’s funny how kids can go from making you smile to tearing your hair out to making you smile again isn’t it? One wonders whether the ability to make you smile is a survival mechanism some days.

Here are a few smiley moments my children gave me this week:

Singstar Princess made me this beautiful flower (on Valentine’s Day as it turned out).

Inside the card says “To Mum I Love You You are the greatest mum in the world” Love ………

I tend to get down on myself and my abilities as a mother so this was very special and some much needed encouragement right now.

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On Wednesday night we had some friends over and Trailer Boy and his mate decided to do some “work” on the cubby roof:

Trailer Boy was busy measuring and marking with a builders pencil (he has a builders set complete with actual tools) while his mate was hammering in nails. They looked to be very industrious.

It’s interesting how your parenting style changes over time. We were discussing with our friends how if it had been our first borns attempting that we would have been in a great hurry to get them down from the roof of the cubby. Instead we just warned them to be careful and not to walk around up there. Of course, “babies” in the family are just a whole different kettle of fish to “firstborns” aren’t they. And these 2 have very different personalities to their older brothers (these particular friends had boy-girl-boy just like we did).

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On Friday, our local school held their yearly Swimming Carnival. Lleyton isn’t the most confident swimmer. He has been working hard at it but it’s not something that comes easily to him. We’ve never forced him to participate in the Swimming Carnival. In fact, when he reached the age of participation (year4), I had assumed he wouldn’t be interested in participating.

Every year he surprises us with his team spirit and determination to be as involved as he can. I have been so proud and encouraged by his courage when it comes to getting involved.

Here he is in the Chariot Race (the only photo I managed to get on the day). A younger student has to ride on a senior student while they swim.

He’s participated in this event before and really had the technique down pat this time. He floated on the top of the water so that his weight was negligable on the swimmer. His team won this event. His particular senior won the championship trophy for his age group (as did both his younger sisters - a very talented family when it comes to swimming).

This is one of those times when I really appreciate the fact that our children attend an Area School (R-12) as it’s great to see the leadership and interaction between the senior and junior students.

I also completed my first task as Vice President of our Parents & Friends Association. At the last minute, the President couldn’t make it to present the trophy’s and awards so I was asked to fill in. It was a rather rushed affair as we were running late. I’m hoping I matched up the right awards with the right students.

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I REALLY love my children but this week hasn’t been one of my easiest as a parent so it’s great to reflect back on the good times - and realise there have been plenty of good times as well as struggles. It’s easy to focus on the negative at times isn’t it?

I hope you can all find a reason to smile this weekend. If you’ve not participated in Smiley Saturday before, I encourage you to read the Smiley Saturday page for more information. Please only add your link to the Mr Linky below if you’re participating in Smiley Saturday.

Happy Smiley Saturday everyone!

When you plan to go away for 14 weeks, chances are that you’re going to miss a few things while you’re away.

Fair enough. That’s to be expected.

What if the thing you’re going to miss REALLY matters to you?

Like it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.

*sigh*

“Houston we have a problem”

Okay, no space shuttle is going to fall out of the sky and no-one’s life is being threatened or anything like that. So I’m blowing this just slightly out of proportion.

Although if you’re 11 years old and as big a Crows fan as my son is….

Maybe not.

Lleyton’s football team is going to play at a Crows match at half time.

August 1st.

While we’re away.

*sob*

My heart is breaking and we haven’t even told him yet!

As I can see it, our options are:

A. Lleyton Misses Out.

There’s nothing we can do to change it so he’ll have to miss out. So will many other boys who NEVER get this opportunity in the first place. Like those who played last year and are now too old for that level of football. Disappointing for his team too as he’s one of the older players (and they don’t have many of those).

B. Change our trip.

Can we leave a month later? If we do, he’ll miss out on the opportunity to try out for an interschool sports competition - where he wants to try out for tennis (his strongest sport). Leaving early enough to be back by then won’t work for the farm.

C. Fly back from wherever we are.

By the 1st we’ll be in the Northern part of Queensland. About the furthest away we could possibly be. In some ways, it couldn’t have fallen on any date that’s worse for us. Earlier or later in our trip and we’d have been close enough to Brisbane where more “cheap” flights are available. At this stage we’re looking at close to $1000 to fly Lleyton and Farmboy back and that cuts into our trip budget quite a LOT! (Like 1/5 of our activities budget).

I know, the trip we’re doing is an opportunity of a lifetime and one most kids don’t get to experience.

But as a parent, this is heart-wrenching.

Update:

We’ve just told Lleyton and he’s devastated. I hate watching my child in tears. My heart feels like it just fell into a bazillion pieces.

I know it’s just a football game…..

I can’t help but feel like this is going to put a real dampner on our trip.

It’s been quite a big week or so for Lleyton when it comes to tennis.

A little over a week ago he played Senior Tennis with Farmboy and they won their doubles 6-0 6-0. Both then went on to win their singles 6-0. At the moment they’re both just filling in when the team needs extra players. That seems to be most weeks.

Wednesday after school, Lleyton had Junior Tennis and they held a mini-tournament which he finished top. Apparently he won 3-0 the whole way through.

Friday night they were again asked to play for our local club. This time at positions 9 & 10 instead of 11 & 12 where they had been playing. A bit more of a challenge for Lleyton.

Before the games began, I took some photographs of Lleyton in action. He was concerned I would put him off his game trying to take photographs of him in action so we did the photographs during a warm up hit.

I have others but I’m having trouble with photo editing this morning and at this rate I’ll not get ANY housework done! LOL. This is my favourite though.

In a strange twist of events Lleyton ended up playing his singles at number 7!!!! He didn’t win but it was a great challenge for him.

In an even STRANGER twist of events (both of them related to one another), I ended up playing my first game of tennis - EVER!!!

Who in their right minds decides “okay, I’ve never played a game of tennis before - why not start with competitive tennis?????????????????”.

Obviously I wasn’t in my RIGHT MIND!!!!

In my defence, I did say NO 3 times before my sense of “wanting to be helpful” overcame my “you have GOT to be kidding me!” reaction.

There was a mix up which left us 1 player short. Just as they were about to forfeit one game (well, one doubles and one singles), I asked the dreaded question. “Will it help if I play even I’m really REALLY bad at this?” They told me yes so I said I’d do it.

Having NO IDEA about the game of tennis, I had this brilliant theory that I could just “pretend” to be playing. Particularly in the doubles game where my partner could just do all the playing for me, right?

If I KNEW enough about tennis to realise I would HAVE to serve and receive served balls, I think I might have said NO a 4th and 5th time.

WHAT a disaster!!!

We started out with a few hits and the balls I was hitting were going EVERWHERE except on the court. One even got stuck on the roof. How humiliating!!!!

And did I mention that they failed to tell me I’d have to play at number 8????

Who knows what my doubles partner thought but he was very nice and very helpful and encouraging. And I did improve as the game wore on (not enough but an improvement nonetheless). And our opponents were friends so they went easy on me (and allowed me to serve underarm since I have NO IDEA how to serve!)

Farmboy was still playing doubles while all this took place and got quite a shock that I agreed to play. I don’t blame him really. He’s been trying to get me playing tennis our whole married life. He even bought me a tennis racquet quite a few years back that has hardly been used (I’ve had the occasional hit with it - mostly with the younger 2 kids). I still didn’t get to use my racquet in the doubles game as Farmboy was using it (his is stuffed).

When their doubles game was finished, Lleyton gave me a few handy pointers from the sidelines. I thought he did really well. He didn’t keep yelling instructions at me. Just made a couple of comments that were quite helpful (like hit the ball with the centre of the racquet and use 2 hands to hit a backhand). He’s planning on teaching me to serve properly which will be nice.

Some juggling was done so that I could play singles at number 12. Which is why Lleyton ended up playing at number 7. Farmboy was supposed to but he went straight into his singles without realising things had been changed around. Which meant Lleyton had to do it.

Singles was a lot of fun once I got used to the idea that I didn’t have a partner to do all the hard work for me. I even managed to win 1 of the games (so the final score was 6-1). And I learnt a bit more on how to score. I had a very patient and kind opponent which made it more fun.

You thought this post was all about Lleyton and his tennis didn’t you? LOL.

I did have a LOT of laughs (at my own expense) and discovered that I actually like the game of tennis. Not that I expect to have anyone banging down my door begging me to play for them. LOL. But it’s something fun we can do as a family and up until Friday night, I was the only one in the family with absolutely zero interest in playing.

Alright, back to Lleyton now.

On Sunday afternoon he had the opportunity to go to a tennis coaching clinic. We’ve been trying to work out how to get him some actual coaching so were very pleased when a friend was able to organise this opportunity for him. It looks like it’s going to open some doors to some ongoing coaching for him which will be great.

So, I can see a LOT more tennis taking place in our not too distant future. Perhaps it’s about time I learnt the rules of the game.

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• Four Steps to Improving Your Tennis Game (articlesbase.com)
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…… that one day I’ll wander around my house wishing there were toys to pick up?

Because right now I’m kind of wishing that might happen.

My lounge room is littered with toys. All set out in a lovely “game” mind you, not scattered willy-nilly. Still, the lounge is supposed to be my “haven”. My place where visitors can enter my home without falling over stuff. The kids have the family room and their bedrooms in which to play. And yet, funnily enough, they LOVE the lounge room. Probably because it’s a nice tidy open space - just longing for a game to be started.

Aarrgghh!!!! I do love my kids and I love having them home on holidays. But honestly, it’s more than a full-time job keeping the house reasonable when all 3 are home.

And yes, they should do better at picking up after themselves. But we all know that’s even more effort than tidying up yourself and today, I just have no energy left.

Oh well, tomorrow is another day! Hopefully I’ll feel better after a decent night’s sleep. And hopefully tonight will be cool enough to get one!

Look what happens when the 5 year old feeds the dog:

Perhaps he thinks the dog has an appetite that matches his own?

Well, no-one will need to feed the dog for a while anyway.

Singstar Princess brought home a book of stories she has written. They’ve been typed up and made into a book that can be kept. I’m sure she’ll love it when she gets older and can look back at what she wrote as a young child.

I thought I’d share one of those stories with you:

Kate And Santa

One Christmas Eve Kate and her family were setting up the Christmas tree and then they went to bed. Kate woke up she heard something. She went outside she saw Santa and his slave. Santa said come aboard so she did. Kate said “where is your workshop?” Santa answered “at the north pole”. Kate said “cool”. “So Kate what do you want for Christmas before we leave?” Kate said “you know my name and I want um a Nintendo DS of course.” “I know your name because I have a list of people who are naughty and good and you are good helping your parents.” Kate said to herself “this is going to be the best Christmas ever” The end.

My favourite bits are “Santa and his slave” and “you are good helping your parents”.

While our daughter’s name isn’t “Kate”, I’m pretty sure she wants a Nintendo DS for Christmas - it’s mentioned in more than one story in this book.

Do you usually try and get your kids what they ask for for Christmas? All 3 of mine have come up with things in the past week and none of them are what I’ve bought. This happens to me every year - the kids ask for something “last minute-ish” which is different to what I’ve already bought. And I’m torn between “be happy with what you’re given” and wanting it to be a “perfect” Christmas.

From my almost 5 year old to dad when dad said he needed to learn patience:

“I already have patience and I want it right now”.

P.S. That “almost 5 year old” is actually 5 TODAY!!!! Where did that time go????

It’s been a busy week here in the Lightening household. Our youngest started his school visits this week. The first week they go twice but only stay until recess time so there’s been lots of to-ing and fro-ing to town.

I have to admit that it’s been a rather emotional time for me. All of my life I’ve wanted to be a stay at home mum and I feel very blessed that I have had the opportunity to fulfill that dream. Having the youngest start school has really hit me. I’m not ready to be “child-less” just yet. I don’t have a career to look forward to returning to. I don’t have great aspirations for what I’m going to do with all my “free time”.

Of course, my children will still need me. There’ll be sick days and school closure days. Not to mention school holidays. And Farmboy keeps reminding me that in actual fact, the school day isn’t really all that long and they’ll be coming home again before I know it.

I had a doctor’s appointment on Monday while Trailer Boy was at school for his first visit and sitting in the waiting room, struck up a conversation with an older mother.

“I had no trouble with sending mine off to school”, she said to me. “Wait until they leave home, that’s much harder”, she told me.

My heart broke a little.

Leave home? I don’t even want to think about that.

It’s so true isn’t it that the moment a child is born, they begin the process of “leaving the nest”.

It starts off with them being a separate being from your body. Then they wean from needing you for every feed. Before you know it they are mobile and don’t rely on you so much for getting around. *sigh*

I guess it’s all about the circle of life, isn’t it?

Not that that makes it any easier.

So, I’m about to make the move from “mother of preschoolers” to “mother of school age children”.

No idea what the future holds but like most things in life, I guess I’ll adapt and move on. What other choice is there?

PS: I was going to include a photograph of Trailer Boy in his school clothes but I’m too lazy to edit out the school name that’s all over the uniform so you’ll just have to put up with a picture-less post this time. He did look rather cute though and was so excited about starting school. When they go happily, it does make the transition so much easier. My heart broke for the mother whose child was kicking and screaming and not wanting to stay at school.