The joys of boys!

Please find enclosed, for your...what? Um, amusement? sympathy? reflection?...a picture of the massive lump on W's head, which appeared there due to his utter excitement over the possibility of an ice block. He was running to the bathroom to wash his hands (after handling a headless, dead Indian Minor bird) and misjudged the gap.
In other news, we saw the ENT the other day, and W is scheduled to have his tonsils out on November 23rd, at the Women's and Children's Hospital. The doctor is super dooper nice, and we are now reading lots of stories about hospitals and what goes on there.

Not much in the way of anything else, so, again, for entertainment value, let me show you what is considered high fashion to my son...In the picture to follow, W is a policeman, with his guard dog...The glasses serve no purpose, other than to be supremely stylish! Please excuse the mountain of ironing in the background. It's so hard to find good help these days!

Hurdles

W had a great weekend at Little Athletics. He got to try high-jump and hurdles, and his two friends, Fraser and Harry were around too. S got some great pics on the day, which I will try and insert here!OK, so there were more, but anyway, that one is cute! That's him doing the hurdles.

All in all, a pretty athletic weekend. I went in a 9km walk, to raise money for breast cancer research. We walked along the river Torrens, the weather was great, and there were a heap of baby duckies and swans- gotta love spring!

In other news, my dad is on the move again. He has just got a new job in Darwin, and will be moving up there in December or January...Looks like young W will soon be climbing Uluru in his school holidays.

He (W) is STILL having tonsil issues. We go on see the specialist on Thursday, and I'd appreciate prayers and good wishes...while it isn't anything too serious, it's still a bit of a stress when your little people are sick.

I am having LOTS of fun getting ready for Christmas. I am thinking about food and decorations and presents and wrapping and songs and....*Breathe!* I think this Christmas will have a really lovely feeling, as we'll have a big family gathering, S's parents and aunt and uncle...It will be a full house, and, aside from thinking about all the cleaning up to do before they come, I can't wait.

A small quote here, which will only mean something to those of us lucky enough to know one Mr L Hutchison;

Me; I'm just writing the address on W, just wait *writes on card and mumbles to self* Unit 304, 6-8 .........Rd

W; That's unit like a place, right mama? Not Unit the person?

at which point I crack up laughing...W only knows Lee as Unit...comedy!

later on (about 30 minutes ago) he comes out with " Look at me, jah jah jah, I'm a big Unit!" - crazy kid.

His other funny story from this week, (I think perhaps again from observing some "adults" in action) was that he was driving 2 cars around, and "talking" for them (pretending the drivers were talking to one another;

Car One; Let's go out together

Car Two; OK

Car One; Aaaaarrrghhhh! Crunch!

Car Two; You dumb dumb! That's what happens when you drink too much beer! You go all crazy and silly!
Car One; *spins in circles and makes random weird noises*

Car Two; You're just a big fat dumb dumb *drives off in disgust*

To quote Mike Moore " I think there's something in that for all of us..." and to quote Jerry "Until next time, take care of yourselves, and each other"

My very cool friend Jo (two mentions girl, don't go getting all "ego" on me!) sent an email to her girly friends, concerning Dove's Campaign for real beauty (you can read about it here)

I went to you tube and watched the Dove TV ad's (which you can do here). I fair dinkum lost it...I sat there watching the ads in tears.

Why? So many reasons...I want to take each one of those teenagers by the hand and tell them that all the high school stuff, the bitching and scheming, the "who kissed who", the "you aren't good enough because" is not the stuff of real life.

I want to tell the little Asian girl who wishes she was blonde that she looks so adorable the way she is, and that I would love to have skin the colour of hers.

I want to tell the little chubby kid with a missing tooth that she is cute as heck, and I want to punch anyone who says any different.

I want to keep my little guy by my side until he's so secure and prepared and stable that it won't matter if the world hates him, he'll still hold his head up...
Only I know that even if I had him with me every day for the rest of my life, he's still going to come up against people who seek to do him harm. It's not my job to shelter him; it's my job to give him the tools he needs to cope.

I want to hope that God sends us only sons. I am utterly terrified of having a daughter, and all the issues that come along with that- the emotions, the feelings of self doubt, and the body image thing. I feel more equipped to land a 747 in an emergency, than I do to parent a girl...

Most of all the ads made me cry for me, and for how much life I've lost, and how much time I have wasted, crying over things people have said or done.

I cried because at the end of the day, nothing about how you look should matter, but yet somehow it still does. You are judged before you even open your mouth.

The world has people who are tall and short, fat and thin, brown and yellow and pink and a mixture of all those things. We spend so much of pre-school teaching our kids that colour and appearance don't matter, and then they go to school and some superficial little snot tells them otherwise.

How do we immunise kids against all the crap which bombards them, which tells them “wear this and be cool!” “Eat this and be happy!” “Drink this and be surrounded by friends!” Most of all, how do we tell them that, even though the geeks and fat kids and disabled kids don’t get noticed or accepted very much, that they will probably grow up to be the coolest, most well rounded people you’ll ever meet?

I wish I could give those teens a crystal ball, so that they could see that the “cool” kids, who want to be models and actresses, will probably end up working in an office, and partying into their 40’s, at which point they will realise they are past it…and will more than likely end up at Mosman rowers for “grab a granny” night.

So what is the answer? Gosh, if you figure it out, I sure would love to know!

Avalanche

I saw a sign outside a church today, which said "no single snowflake feels guilt over an avalanche".

I can't decide if it means that the world has gone to pot, and therefore none of us should feel guilty about our actions, and carry on as we are (which seems unlikely, given that it's a church after all, part of their role being to encourage us to better things) - or if it is sarcastic, and it is meant to make us think about how our actions impact others.

The second explanation seems more plausible, but then why is the church being snarky? Why not just go with "love one another" or something more straight forward? Feel free to let me know your take on it, as it's got me stumped!

W started pre-school today, which he is in raptures about. He has a new table, with 2 of the same people from last term, and 4 different. He was a bit sad because he wanted to sit next to Harry, but it didn't happen. Oh the hard knocks of life, they do start early. He's getting very excited about Christmas, seeing all the decorations in the shops...It's hard to explain that the stores are getting ready a touch early, and that it's still 2 or so months to go!

He's still got tonsil issues, we were at the doc today, and back again on Friday...After 3 rounds of anti-biotics! If it's not fixed on Friday, I am contemplating taking them out myself!

I was talking to my good pal Jo the other night (HI!) and we were talking about how much cooler things, specifically fetes, seemed when you were a kid. This led on to a discussion about seeing the world in a childlike way, and I remembered an article I'd read and saved...It really captures the feeling of seeing things through their eyes, so I thought I'd share it here- enjoy! (the part in blue makes me cry!)

Fire Truck! Fire Truck! Fire Truck!
By Edwin Brauer October 26, 2005 Issue 41Â?43

Look, out the window! A fire truck!
I've seen drawings of fire trucks in my picture books, of course, but how could I have ever known how pale and insignificant those crude representations were in comparison to the real thing!

Fire truck! Oh, great God in heaven, fire truck!
This has got to be the most moving of mankind's creations, and perhaps of nature's, as well. This whirlwind of sensory input is almost more than my tiny mind can process!

Mere words cannot begin to convey what I am feeling! This incredible, life-changing, soul-shattering wonder is... Why, it is beyond description! Run! Run to the window as fast as your giant legs can carry you!

Whatever you are doing right now, place it aside for a momentÂ?it can't possibly be as important as the opportunity to see a fire truck with your own eyes. This is quite possibly the greatest experience of my life thus far.

How do I even begin to describe its magnificence? First off, it is bigÂ?bigger than anything I could ever imagine! Secondly, it's painted an incredible, alarming, eye-catching red! Thirdly, it makes the most attention-grabbing sounds: whistles, bangs, gearshifts, bells. And that siren! Of all the noises, the siren is surely the best! I wonder if, somehowÂ?but no, surely notÂ?unless...

Well, could I? Could I possibly? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE... No, that's not right: It's high-pitched enough, but missing some crucial... OOOOOOOOOO... No, again, it's got the booming quality, but lacks the screechingly irritating aspect of the higher register.

Wait! What if I combine the two, in an alternating series of high- and low-frequency modulations, and belt it out at the top of my lungs? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOO,EEEEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOO! That's it! That's the same noise that the fire truck is making! EEEEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOOOOO, EEEEEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOO! EEEEEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOOOOOOO, EEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOOO!

Oh, God. I could make this noise all day! I never want to do anything else! And nowÂ?am I really seeing this? It can't be! Surely there are not colorfully dressed men with powerful bodies, brave expressions, and purposeful toolbelts hanging off the side of the fire truck as it careens around the corner! If this is a dream, let me never wake.

Look at their hats! They have the most wonderful hats ever made! I must acquire a child-sized version of such a hat! They are the most large and most yellow hats I have ever seen. That's it: My fate in this life is sealed. I must become one of these men.

Nothing will ever sway me from this goal. But what a spectacle it is! You must come and look upon this immediately! This fire truck is blowing my mind. It is as if God Himself has created this piece of machinery just for me!

But it will not be here long. It is driving away. It grows quieter and quieter as it recedes from my visual field and... It is gone. It was only here for one fleeting moment, and you never even saw it. This is the greatest tragedy that has ever occurred. My faith in the universe is shaken to its core by the magnitude of what you have missed. If only you had listened to me. You may never be able to comprehend my experience, for I have seen the fire truck, and I will never think about anything else again as long as I live.

Huh? What is... Why... Afgh! Airplane! Airplane! Mommy! Airplane! Don't bother with those towels! Don't you see? Look! There is an actual airplane in the sky!

Not much news...It is H.O.T again today. Right now it's half past 8 in the morning, and we're up to about 30 degrees! There are a lot of fires going on, but thankfully we're fairly far away from any bushland, so no real danger at the moment.

One of S's fellow employees was robbed over the weekend. The front door was kicked in, which I find really scary. I'm not sure of any details yet, as to what was taken. They were insured, thank goodness, but it's the sense of invasion which must be so awful for them.

You are meant to be able to shut the world out when you close your front door, and to know that someone was in your space, touching your things...I wish I knew what I could do or say to help.

Today is Thursday, which is library day. We go to the "book" library, which is awesome. They have a throne, murals all along the walls, and a huge choice of books and DVD's. Then we head down to toy library. For $30 a year membership, you can go and choose 2 new toys every week. At the moment we have the Road and Rail and a wheelbarrow, both of which have been great fun.

I am very much looking forward to Monday, and the return of pre-school! Funny how when I was teaching I loved school holidays, and now I can't wait for them to be over!

Things that make you go awwwwww

Little man had his first bash at little athletics on Sunday. It was fairly uneventful (and us turning up an hour late may not have helped!)

They ran a mini relay race and played some parachute games. After a talk with the coach, the group went on a cool down jog...What's so "awwwww" about that I hear you ask?...

Well, one of the little guys next to W fell over, without being noticed by anyone else. He turned around, saw him, ran over and helped him up.

Some of the other Mum's saw, and we all exchanged that "aawwww!" look. I felt so proud of my little man, and the great sportsman ship he's showing already.

Not much other news. Watching "brotown" at the moment. S doesn't think it's that funny, but I'm all for anything which takes the p*ss out of Kiwi's.

Most of my favourite shows are on SBS or ABC actually. I like Spicks and Specks, Glasshouse, The Chaser and the IT Crowd.

Since Thanksgiving is coming up (this weekend for Canadians I think??) I thought I would list the 5 things I am most greatful for right now;

1. My sweet, handsome, funny, clever little man.
2. The other guy who lives here :P
3. Living in a democratic country
4. Fresh produce
5. Being in a position to stay home and see all the cool stuff W does.

Inspired

It was my birthday yesterday... Only 2 more years in my twenties, better make the most of it huh? Very quiet day, take away and "Syriana" on dvd. Lots of calls and texts from my delightful friends and family. I was really touched that everyone remembered. I was feeling a bit like I was "out of sight and out of mind", but then I got a whole bunch of texts at night, and felt much happier.

These are things I've found on the web, which I find beautiful and inspiring, and I thought I'd share them with you;

NY children
26 things
Human Clock

These are things which make me crack up;

Mentos and diet coke- to music!
Evolution of Dance

And some, "wow, that's a great time waster" sites;
virtual fireworks
backwards writing
Oliver

HOT!

Dot points, because it makes things seem more interesting!

• It was really flipping hot today. 35 by 11am, the hottest October 4th in recorded history
• W had white sauce on his cauliflower tonight; his first try of it; he was not too impressed
• We had a rental inspection today- I forgot how stressful it is having someone evaluate your "homemaking" skills. (we passed by the way)
• Sent off my goodies for the candy exchange- sending stuff all the way to MA, in the good ole U S of A.
• Feel really sad about the Amish shooting, more sad than I would otherwise. It just seems as though they (Amish) have chosen to actively pursue a life away from all the drama. They seem to want to live as simply and drama free as they can, and then this sort of thing comes knocking at their door. All things of this nature are tradgic, but this seems to be more disturbing to me.

From my mp3 playlist;

The songs which make me run (hahahahahaha!) ; Places to Go - 50 Cent, Klubbhopping- Klubbheads, Let me entertain you- Robbie Williams

The songs which make me smile/ have fun memories; Video- India Arie, Breathe- Faith Hill, Jellyhead, House of Love- East 17, pretty much all the TLC and Boyz to Men songs too!

The songs which make me think; Samsonite Man- Alicia Keys, Johnny- Craig David, Into Temptation- Crowded House, Gospel Medley- Destiny's Child, Cowboy take me away- Dixie Chicks

The songs which make me cry; I hope you dance- Ronan Keating, Travelin' Soldier- Dixie Chicks, The Dance- Garth Brooks, What do I do with the love- Dru Hill, Mockingbird- Eminem, Goodbye my lover- James Blunt...

and this one, which makes me cry, because we sing it at least once a day, and I can imagine that one day the sweet little boy snuggled up in my lap and listening to me sing, will be all grown up, and far away!

Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) Dixie Chicks lyrics

Dragon tales and the "water is wide"

Pirate's sail and lost boys fly

Fish bite moonbeams every night

And I love you

Godspeed, little man Sweet dreams, little man

Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings

Godspeed Sweet dreams

The rocket racer's all tuckered out

Superman's in pajamas on the couch

Goodnight moon, we'll find the mouse

And I love you

Godspeed, little man Sweet dreams, little man Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings

Godspeed Sweet dreams

God bless mommy and match box cars

God bless dad and thanks for the stars

God hears "Amen," wherever we are

And I love you

Godspeed, little man Sweet dreams, little man

Oh my love will fly to you each night on angels wings

Godspeed

Godspeed Sweet dreams

Public holiday!!

What happens if you cry, and then rub your eyes, after touching the tyres on the car... I told him he'd turned into Batman.


Whoot! Gotta love a long weekend.

We went to Henley Beach, walked from one jetty to the other, had lunch at the coffee club, and then walked back to the car. Weather was glorious.

Aside from that, pretty quiet day. Steph made wontons!

Homesick

:(

I miss my friends! I miss the friends I saw at least once a week, I miss the friends I played netball with, I miss the friends I knew were there, even though I didn't make much of an effort to keep in regular contact, I miss "the boys", I miss everyone!

I miss my little house, where I brought my baby home to, where he took his first steps. I hate going bck to renting, it feels like a step backwards, even though I know it isn't really.

I miss having people around for dinner, even though we didn't get to do it that often. I miss knowing my way around.

I miss my family, and I miss the people who were so close to me, that I consider them family, even though they aren't.

I miss my neighbours, I miss Macquarie Centre, I miss Playdays, I miss playgroup, I miss the little shop. I miss the Mediteranian resturant...I miss everything!

I am having a hard time being new in town today. Most days it's ok, but today it's not.