Short and Sweet

This weeks entry is going to be done in a bit of a hurry as I have two exams this week that I am still studying for and seem to be getting nowhere with. I think my enthusiasm left a long time ago. Still at the end of this week it is all over and I will be free from any outside distractions and you will be free from hearing about my stressing over exams!
Not a lot has happened this week. Yaz got some very pleasing results back from some end of term exams with a couple of A's and a B or two. This Immersion class has been a great experience for her and she is obviously doing very well. I watch her sometimes doing her homework and I can't believe how quickly she is learning it all. We are very proud of her efforts and achievements this year. We are in the middle of trying to organise her to get back into swimming again, competing etc...
Bailey is still plodding along with his gym classes, ten pin bowling and cricket. He had his last game of cricket for the season on Saturday and was a bit off and lacked enthusiasm. You can always tell when it's the end of the year as everyone just gets so tired and uninterested in everything...Until you mention Christmas and then a new excitement comes shining through!
We are looking forward to spending Christmas at home again this year, letting the kiddies enjoy their day with their new presents. Of course it would be nice to spend it with some family but it's not to be this year...
We are trying to also organise going to N.S.W. in January for Mum's 70th. We will probably go down for a week at the most due to work commitments unfortunately! Maybe we'll bring her back with us?
Julian arrives in Sydney tonight so Shane is very excited to be spending some time with his son after a year. They both arrive here in the middle of next week for 10 days so we're all really looking forward to that. Unfortunately Ian and I will have to work the majority of the time but will have the weekends free and the kids will be on holidays to spend time with them.
Shane is also moving into a new place over the coming week so he is going to be very busy.
Ian seems to be getting some more back complaints at the moment which isn't good, hopefully it won't get as bad as it did before where he needed physio. I have given him a massage but if it's the degeneration of a disc problem, there's not a lot I can do. He also received a copy of the English paper, 'The Bath Chronicle' where there was an old photo of him and his old football team in it from 1989 when they won the league. They had a reunion and unfortunately Ian wasn't able to attend being sooooo far away.
After my final exam on Friday we will be putting the Christmas tree up again, it just doesn't seem like a year since it was up! I do always enjoy putting it up though. We put the Christmas cd's on and sing a long...well I do anyway...The kids are excited as the 'Advent' calendars start tomorrow...chocolate for breakfast!
Next Sunday Bailey and I are going across to Moreton Island for my work's Christmas Party. Yaz wasn't that keen on coming so her and Ian will do something else. I'm not exactly sure what we'll be doing on the island, but even if it's just hanging out and watching dolphin feeding and being at the beach is a good enough day for us, plus the boat ride there and back! I'll take my camera to capture our day.
I am now being beckoned off the computer as the family are wanting some fruit and cream and of course need me to do it all! To end off this entry and the title of 'short and sweet', Bailey finally gave in and had his mop hair cut off to a short and sweet style. Very cute and alot cooler for him too.

Affected by the Weather!

I bet you're all thinking that this weeks entry is going to be rivoting with the 'weather' being in the title?! NOT! It's just that alot of what has happened this week has been determined by what the weather has thrown at us. It is 'storm season' here in Queensland and let's just say it has lived up to it's reputation! We have had such wild devastating storms come through over a few days which has caused millions of dollars worth of damage all around. Luckily the area where we are only really copped some extreme rain and wind with some homes losing electricity. Other areas very close by had roofs torn off their houses, trees being up-rooted and blown metres from where they once were and flooding also just to name a few! It all started last Sunday afternoon where Ian, Bailey and I were down at the lagoon. The sky was coming over really black and the wind was picking up and there was an announcement over the speakers saying that a bad storm was just about to hit. We left straight away and not long after we were home it hit. It wasn't until the following day that I saw just how devastating it had been on the news and in the paper. There were mini tornadoes sweeping through some areas and leaving nothing but rubble in it's path afterwards. It hit again on the Tuesday and again on Thursday! There were messages on the radio to ask people to stay off the roads so that the emergency vehicles could get to the areas a.s.a.p. and with Ian driving around all different areas every day he saw some very scary sights and had to put up with lights out here and there and the congested traffic. It made his week difficult to get around. It affected me with lots of cancellations as people either didn't want to venture out or were waiting for things to get fixed, caught in manic traffic or had no electricity! At the beginning of the week I only had 1 or 2 spare appointments all week, practically fully booked... but by the end I couldn't believe how many I missed out on doing! On the Thursday night I was in the middle of a massage and the rain was deafening outside and the lights were flashing on and off and made it a really eerie experience for the client and me! Being a sufferer of headaches too, I had a non-stop headache all week because of the unsettled energy in the air and so did the majority of my clients too. I think some people thought I was slightly strange when I said that maybe their headaches were weather related but I know for me they can be!

I got a message from my brother Shane last night who is in the Blue Mountains and he said it was snowing and like winter!!!!! In November!!!! It's just very bizarre. Strange things are happening!...

Anyway enough about weather...sorry!...



We spent today at the beach up at the Sunshine Coast today. It was beautiful and warm but ever so windy! We were getting whipped by the sand flying around furiously and things were getting blown everywhere. Our blow up boat took off in the wind and Ian had to do his best ironman beach run to capture it before it went out into the ocean! Quite hilarious actually with a few people along the way trying to stop it too! We stayed for a few hours as the water was beautiful and we were having fun. We went up with Nicky, Sean and Victoria and met the Hankins family up there with some of their extended family. We also spent last night with Nicky, Sean and Victoria coming over for dinner and drinks as it was Nicky's birthday during the week so I made her a Coq-au-vin and her favourite dessert-tiramisu. We sat around listening to music from our past and reminiscing about what the songs meant to us and having a laugh along the way also. Bailey had little Alfie over for a sleep over also and they didn't end up getting in to bed until quite late...up early this morning though and then they both snoozed this afternoon coming home from the beach today.



I can't really remember what else happened this week, just work, study...normal stuff. The focus was on the weather and the fierce storms with everyone on edge and not knowing what to expect. Here's hoping for a non-eventful calm week!

To friends reunited and precious memories!

Monday morning Yaz was all packed and ready for her school camping trip to the Sunshine Coast. I dropped her off and probably embarrased her immensely as I hugged her goodbye in front of her entire year but there was no way she was escaping without one and she knew that too! Whilst doing that in the morning, Bailey who was with me also waiting to go to school came down feeling very unwell again after his bout of tonsilitis that he was getting over, so I had to take him home where he spent the day with me and at my work as I had clients that were too late to cancel. He just needed that extra day off I think as he had been ill since the beginning of the previous week. All is fine with him now, he has finished his antibiotics and is back to his normal, jolly, non-stop chattery self!

The week at home was terribly quiet. No phones went and there were no arguments over whose trun it was on the computer etc...so in some ways blissfull but we all missed Yaz heaps. I got out some old photo albums that were still packed up from our interstate move and was looking back on when Yaz was little and when Bailey came along and how close and cuddly they used to be and I found myself getting rather teary, in a happy, reminiscing way. Photos are just irreplacable aren't they?! We have all had a good look at them now and a giggle here and there. Some of you may have seen a few I have put on facebook...oh there are SO many more. It is too time consuming scanning them, downloading them and fighting with internet coverage to do too many anyway. Just a glimpse back to the past is good enough for facebook. After putting up some old school photos, I have now found out from another old friend that one of our best school friends has recently died, quite tragically too, leaving behind four young children. I couldn't believe it! I guess because of the move up here and losing touch with old friends, I wasn't associated with anyone that would have known about it. I phoned my Mum straight away and she hadn't heard either so it has come as a great sad shock to all of us.

I had a weekend away with two friends that I used to work with at the record store 15 years ago. Michelle, who became one of my closest friends and still is, (although distance divides us!), came down from Townsville, and Kylie came up from Sydney, both arriving at the same time at the airport on Friday. It was sooo good to see them. We stayed in an apartment in Brisbane down a trendy pub/restaurant street and had an absolute ball...accompanied by a few drinks too! The first night we strolled around, ate in a funky restaurant and then pub crawled it back to our apartment with many laughs along the way. Saturday we headed via the River Cat ferry into Brisbane where we had a big brekky and checked out Southbank markets and then went into the CBD. We ferried it back to the apartment, got a spot of lunch with a drink to wash it down of course, did face masks, giggled constantly, then headed out again for a pub dinner and more pub crawling, tasting a few cocktails along the way. I haven't laughed soooo much for such a long time. I had to keep reminding myself that I was 36 years old because I felt like I did when we used to do all of that stuff together 15 years ago. It wasn't until the end of each night as we were leaving the pubs that all of the gorgeous, young crowd were coming out for the night...that's where I felt my age...This morning I dropped them off at the airport and there is talk about it all happening again this time next year. I was very pleased to get home though as I really missed my family and thought about them all weekend, texting Ian after a few also!...This was the first real girls weekend that I have had. The only other one was when I was about 16 when a few of us went away camping but that's it so it was nice to do and long over due!

The only downfall about the whole weekend was that I wasn't there to pick Yaz up on Friday afternoon when she returned from her trip away so I didn't get to see her until today so I felt very guilty about that and obviously missed my little mate too. I spoke to her though as soon as she got back to ask her all about it. She had a good time although the food was terrible apparently. They got to do loads of different activities that were mainly beach involved so I think they would have had a great time.

Today we headed down to the lagoon for a cool down as it was so hot and steamy here. A storm has now since come through, hence the weather earlier and has cooled things down a bit thank goodness. Our second Summer season is upon us so it will be interesting to see of we've aclimatized or not...if today was anything to go by then I can honestly say that I haven't and will find the heat very draining. Fingers crossed though! I just feel so sorry for poor Ramses who tries to find somewhere cool to sleep during the day and because the nights are lovely, this is when he wants to go out but we don't let him out at night due to the wildlife factor so he can't win during Summer!

Anyway that was this week....saying goodbay to Yaz, (for a few days), my family, (for my weekend awway), and to a dear school friend. The photos of us I will cherish forever. xxx

Yes, I know...

I know I skipped last week's entry. Sorry. I was in battle with Yaz for the internet line on the Sunday evening when I normally write it. She was on the phone for 50 hours and our internet cuts out when someone's using the phone...very frustrating!!!...so she won and I said I'd do it the following day...which obviously it never happened. I had a full on day at work from 9-3pm, 4.15-5.15pm and then 6.30-9pm. In between all that I had to come home and cook dinner and pick the kids up from school and take Bailey to his gym class!

So now I have to try and remember what on Earth has happened over the last fortnight...and you all know that memory is not my strong point!...

I said my sad goodbyes to my brother Dale and his lovely wife Cass on the 1st Tuesday. It was so great having them up here. They are now hoping to come up around April time, yay!

Bailey went on a school excursion to a Ginger Factory which he thoroughly enjoyed. I knew one of the parents that went on the excursion too and she had never seen Bailey before and she said that as soon as she set eyes on this little boy who was always smiling, she could see that he was my son. She thinks he is the spitting image of me. I am still yet to see that.

We attended two Halloween parties over that 1st weekend. They were both lots of fun and it was a laugh dressing up and seeing everyone elses's costumes too. I must warn you, the
photos that you are about to see,(of Ian), may be disturbing...hilarious, but disturbing!

Doesn't ian look pretty!

You were warned! Somehow I can't see me ever wearing my white summer dress anymore! It's gone in the dressing up box already. The first party was on the actual Halloween night held at the Bapty residence. Among the gouls there we mingled with the Baptys, of course, and the Hankins plus many more. There were witches, dracs, grim reaper, zombies, mummies, skeletons, a black cat plus loads more. Everything that you would expect to see at a hallowwen party obviously! The second party which was half Halloween and half bad-taste,(hence Ian wearing a dress!), was at the O'Callaghan residence where Nicky and Sean went all out in decorating their house with graves, webs, skeletons...you name it! They had the spooky music playing also...and that was after the Halloween cd! Sean put on some tragic music, which made the party fun though and Ian and another guy were in a battle of a 'Name that tune and the Artist'! It was quite funny because they were both so competitive. We stayed there the night and were fed a lovely fry-up the following morning. Then Nicky, Victoria( her daughter and Yaz's great friend), Yaz and I headed down to DFO (discount shopping outlet), where we picked up clothes and bags etc...for the girls who are off tomorrow on a weeks camping trip with the school! They are going up to the Sunshine Coast and will be learning how to surf, do fencing etc...they are going to have a ball! So that's what I am doing today, helping Yaz, who I think may already be packed, make sure she has everything, tick it off the list and spend the day just hanging together. I also have to fit in study time and assignment time plus the rest of the household duties that are in order to be done. Ian is out playing golf as I type. It's been a while since he's played actually! We were all supposed to meet up with a group after and have lunch at the golf club but with everything I have on today I had to decline. Once college is finished...Dec 3rd...then I am free to do whatever, whenever! Can't wait! The graduation is on Dec 20th but I have decided not to go as it is such a rip off. Ian thinks I should go as we get to wear the gowns/hats etc... but I just can't justify what they're asking and it's right before xmas too so there'll be so much else that I'll be doing. Maybe I'll just have a small celebration with the family and some close friends...maybe?...

Bailey has been off ill for the last couple of days. I took him to the Dr. yesterday and he has a very bad case of tonsilitis! He has had a fever and feeling generally unwell but then yesterday as he was trying to eat his breakfast he said that his throat was too painful so I had a look in and 'oh my gosh' was it red and inflamed poor little thing! I phoned the Dr.s straight away and luckily got in. His tonsils are so big that his throat is nearly closed in and they are bright red covered in white spots. He is now on antibiotics which seem to be working very quickly! Poor little mite!

Yaz had a day off last week too with a fever, body aches and headaches but I think hers was due to the fact that she had a HepB and a cervical cancer immunisation the previous day and just had a slight side effect from it. She always has had side effects from immunisations, even as a baby, they had to change it for her as she always got ill then. She was fine by the afternoon though and has been fine since! She's been staying well clear from Bailey though not wanting to catch anything incase she's ill for this school trip!

Well I think I have covered everything that was of importance anyway?! ....hmmmm .....something else is coming to mind.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUMMY L. for 6th November! (don't worry I didn't forget, was saving this 'till last!). Hope you got the cards and by what Tracy has told me you got utterly spoilt and had a great day! GOOD! You deserve it. Our love and thoughts were with you and ofcourse always are.xxxxx