Last week Justin and I were so deeply saddened to hear that our good friends James and Rowena had given birth to a stillborn baby. A beautiful and perfect boy, named Thomas, whose entry into the world was not as expected and is now in heaven leaving his parents with empty arms and troubled hearts.

Ro was 35 weeks pregnant, felt no baby movement for a while, went to the hospital and discovered a tragedy. She bravely was induced into labour and gave birth to him a few hours later.

The funeral was a most respectful and beautiful service. That tiny coffin made me cry every time I looked at it. And poor James and Ro, grief stricken to be farewelling a life that never go to be, a face that never smiled, hands that never got to grasp, feet that won’t ever take a step. A person they will never get to know.

My heart aches for them and I hope they get through this awful time by leaning on each other.

A little Angel now in heaven.

xxx

I have just been informed that my question for the “Can We Help” show, will be on Friday Night, ABC at 6.30pm.

I’m nervous!!

This is week 3 of the reno’s and the place is dirty and covered in muck, dust and leaves from outside. The roof is almost completed, just the finishing touches to be done and then it starts on the inside.

I’m feeling crabby and stifled with all the mess, but dreaming of how it will look when it is all done, and the party we are going to have to celebrate!

Everything else is going along OK compared to the mess that is here. Oprah says….When there is clutter and mess in your house, your head space is cluttered and messy too. So true!!

Till the sanity returns………ME

11th wedding anniversary last Saturday
6th birthday for Meggie yesterday
2nd week of the school holidays…..

I didn’t go too insane during the first week of the holidays but there is some chance of that this week!! Swimming lessons every morning should see that off to a fine start. Seriously though, things have been going along quite well, and even though there have been some spats and narky fights, everyone is still happy.

Our 11th Wedding anniversary was on Saturday and while Justin and I don’t go for presents and that sort of stuff, we did have a great homemade pizza for dinner and a bottle of 1999 Penfolds Red Wine that someone gave to us at some point, maybe for the birth of Holly!! It was worth the wait – quite delicious.

Meg’s 6th birthday was yesterday, she was one excited cookie. We took the kids to Questacon, as that was what Meg chose to do, and it was great fun. Amy ran around the whole time and fell asleep in the car on the way home and then for 4 hours in her cot. Plum tuckered out. Nanna Pa Hamish and Grandma came for tea on Sunday Night and Meg wanted meatballs and spag so we had that with more red wine! Adas and Lin always buy the girls a birthday cake and Meggie desperately wanted and icecream one, so I got that and put fruit all over the top. She loved it.

We went to Floriade last weekend and the girls were talking about why it was called that. Meg stated “It’s because they have Flori’s in a big Yard”. I laughed out loud!

That is the end of our birthdays for this year, so now it is time to get serious about fitness and eating better. I’m going to do another run on 2nd November, 6km this time, and with Em’s wedding in Toowoomba in 3 weeks time I am spurred on. Nothing bad shall pass these lips!!

Building is back on track for the next part in the roof and playroom restoration. I’m estimating another 3 weeks at least, maybe make it 5.

Better get these cherubs to swimming. I’ll add some photos to this when I get back. Have a great week.

My Fun Run results were published in the newspaper last Thursday and I was delighted to see that my official time was 1:03:19. Well under my desired time to beat of 65 minutes. Needless to say I am proud as punch and ready to go again next year.

Today is Amy’s 2nd Birthday. Can you believe that? I can’t quite really, but there you go! Tania reckons she has 4th child syndrome because we didn’t get her anything – but I ask you what more does a 2 yr old want or need that 3 big sisters and doting parents can’t provide? She just wants some cuddles and a candle to blow out and she is happy as Larry.

We went along to playgroup and I made butterfly cakes, so we sang Happy Birthday and all enjoyed a yummy cake. Holly told me they were the most delicious things she’s ever tasted (mind you she was taste testing at 8am before she’d even had breakfast, so her taste buds were bursting!).

Here are a few pics of the birthday girl.
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She is talking so much now it is just a delight. We can make her say the funniest things. She loves her sisters and just hanging out with them. She is still taking off her clothes at night time or whenever we put her into bed for a nap. She just doesn’t seem to like clothes! The other night I asked Justin to check on her before we went to bed, to make sure her pj.s were still on. He came into me and said “Do you mean these clothes?” holding up her bunny suit. Ahh, that little imp Amy!!

Happy Birthday Little Angel. Can’t imagine life without you. xxxx

PS Just got a call from the school inviting me to Assembly on Friday as Meg will be receiving the Quiet Achiever Award for Kindergarten this term. I remember Holly getting it this same time as I raced home from Hospital after having Amy to get to the assembly. Well done Meggie, my clever girl!

PPS – we got 4 more chickens (Names are IceCream, Henny, Charli and Gregory Peck) so come Christmas time I might have a stall at the front of the house selling free range eggs for $4 a dozen!

Saturday Morning, 4 little babies come into our lives.

Strawberry (Jess) Asterix (Justin) Tweety (Meg) Penelope (Holly).
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Farmer Justin has found his calling and has built the new chooks the Taj Mahal/Disneyland of Chicken coops. Saturday was the most beautiful Spring day so it was delightful to be out in the coop fixing it all up and making it Swooping Magpie proof. Saturday night the worst storm hit, with thunder lightning, hail and wind so Farmer Justin got up every few hours to checks that the babies were alright. Mind you, he never did that with our own kids!

Amy is quite thrilled with the ‘kikens’ and asks Jus to take her out there. The others could take it or leave it!

So the disrupted sleep on Saturday night was not what I needed going into my 10km Run on Sunday morning. Neither did I anticipate it being quite so wet, but I didn’t pull out. No Siree. Justin drop me off at the start point and I did a jogging warm up and stretched. The start seemed miles away as there were about 4000 runners I think. Anyway, the atmosphere was buzzing and soon we off. The rain held off for about 6kms and I was feeling really comfortable in my stride. I was totally enjoying it! There were runners of all shapes, sizes and ages. I overtook some, some overtook me. It was great fun. With about 3 kms to go the rain really took hold and as I came over Kings Ave Bridge (with the Lake underneath) the rain was coming in sideways and it was hard to keep straight. Turning off the bridge to the home stretch, those who walked the 5km circuit met up with the runners forming a bottleneck, so that combined with headlong winds, pelting rain, walkers strolling along 5 abreast with prams and kids it was a very difficult finish. Nevertheless less, I crossed the line in 65 minutes and I am waiting for my final time to be confirmed this Thursday. I was wrapped when I saw the Timer over the finish line because I really had no idea how I had gone, only that I had run fairly constantly and felt great while doing it. Justin and Amy met me at the finish and I was ever so glad to sit down in the car on the way home.

My legs are still sore today, 2 days after the race, but I’ve been walking and stretching and will get back into the running by the end of the week.I’m really thrilled with my achievement and am pleased to be able to tick that one off my ‘Goals for 2008’ list.

Some photos of the girls to finish off. Holly was reading them a story yesterday morning and there’s Meg with the trophy from dancing class.
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Meg and Holly are both in the school concert tomorrow night but are both home today with Tonsillitis. However there is much frivolity and squealing, so I am wondering if it is the drugs dulling their pain, or I have been duped!

Have a great week!

That is the slogan on a new shirt that I bought online this week. Love it!!

This week I have taken it easy on the running side, as I don’t want to wear myself out for my biggest run yet. The Canberra Times Fun Run, 10kms of road from Woden to The Lake. I am going to challenge myself to get it done in as close to 65mins as I can. Anything under that will leave me elated. I ran 3 times around out Mountain last weekend and I am guessing that it was about 7.5lms. I know I can do the 10km, I just want to do it well.

I started my new job last week and while I was just observing and having to recall a lot of jargon and teminology it was OK. Yesterday I actually did some hearing tests of clients. The last time I did a hearing test would have been in 2002, so technology has changed and that is what I found to be the biggest challenge. My head was spinning at the end of day just trying to get my head around the machines and equipment. This time next month and I’ll be cruising.

Meg got the weekly trophy for good dancing last week. It is what they aspire to get, and she was so delighted. It is funny how such a small thing can actually be quite a big thing, and also such a confidence booster. She had to return it this week and was sad to hand it over, but not before she showed EVERYONE.

I hear a baby crying, awoken from her sleep and needing me to pick her up. Have a great weekend.

Tania just gave birth to a little girl – Julia Elizabeth – via C Section in Hobart.

No other details yet. Tania is doing OK.

Seeing today is the first day of spring, I thought I’d change my Banner to reflect the season. Isn’t spring the best? Well second best after a Canberra Autumn, but the sunshine is different and the days getting longer. MMmmmm!

Had a blast in Melbourne over the weekend with Holly and Kate. Melbourne is a fascinating city. I like it more than Sydney and it has a much more fashionable yet relaxed kind of feel about it. We did every kind of mode of transport. Plane there, bus from airport to city. Tram though city and train from Kate’s top floor lah di dah office to her place. Just need to have done a ferry ride!

We did a lot of eating, shopping and walking around. Saw an Imax 3D movie about dinosours, went o the Victoria Museum and saw Phar Lap shopped at a Mega DFO and ate a great Chinese Dinner in the city. It was fun.

Home again now and Holly is taking some time getting used to being one of four and not the number 1 honcho. I nearly put her back on the plane last night after a performance that rivaled a 15yr old tantrum. What will I do when she is a teenager?

So quite a busy week ahead. New job starts Thursday and I am nervous, but very ready for the challenge and all the things that it will come from this. A new phase is certainly starting and it is exciting to wonder where it will lead.

Tania still has not given birth and I haven’t finished the blue blanket, so I’m hoping she has a girl cause the pink is ready to go. If she needs blue, I’ll be giving the pink to Penny. If Penny needs the blue, I’ll give the pink to some random chick I see walking down the street with a baby girl!!

Off to make a tablelcoth now with some great material I got at Spotlight in Melbourne.

Have a great week and Happy Spring time.

PS we get out chooks real soon!

1. The Womens Marathon – OMG how buff are those Olympian Marathon runners. I couldn’t take me eyes off the TV or stop being inspired by their ages and capabilities. It got me thinking that I maybe could do the CT Fun Run (10kms) in a few weeks. I was feeling nervous about whether I could do it or not, so asked Holly to give me a pep talk. I said “Should I do the run or stay at home?” hoping she’d give me a run down on how fabulous I was and how she believed in me and that I could run 10kms no worries. But, she said…”Just stay home mum”. Mental note to self, teach the kids about the meaning of a pep talk!! Anyway, I signed up and the run is on 14th September.

2. Lice has returned. We have scrubbed and washed everything. No more talk about that 🙁

3. Homework. Should kindergarten have homework? Meg doesn’t get any (except readers), but Treasure across the road gets lots of spelling and maths and activities and seems street ahead of Meggie. I can see why they don’t give homework – because it is only kinder and no pressure etc, and I can see why they do. So I’m doing my own workbooks with Meg and she can do them at her leisure throughout the week. She likes it, but I don’t want to make it a chore or I will be battling her to do it for the next 12 years.

4. Babies – Tania is due in about 10 days. Penny in 11 weeks, and Sascha in mid Feb. I have RSI from making blankets, but they keep me warm while I’m doing it so can’t complain about it!

5. Trees – we have 2 massive ugly pines in front of our house and on Saturday we had them chopped down. It took about 2 hours for the bloke to do it. The girls were a bit horrified and ran out to get “memory pieces” of tree branches much to the arborists amusement. There is now so much natural light coming into the house that I don’t need the lights on in the day. So much better. Landscaping of the space is on the 5 year plan (nothing moves very fast here) but I hope to have a little courtyard, retaining wall, sail and new plants. In my imagination it looks sensational!

Thats it.