Whoops

still forgot to take out the camera. But here is a cute pic from about 4 years ago, when my house was still green, and my baby was still little:

Swimming

Both kids have had swimming sports this week. A friend kindly sent me pics of P8 doing one of her races. A gentle toe in the water. . . 

 and look - pretty good form I reckon. Legs in, face in. Certainly better than I did at 8.

She told me she came second in one race and third in another. Turns out the third was out of three, but she happily told me "it's still a place!" :) You can usually trust P8 to find a bright side.

L11 had his swimming races today, and also managed a last and a not last, so we are proud and happy they gave it a go.

I've been a terrible blogger recently. Not because of anything in particular. Possibly because my evenings are now filled with organizing uniforms and school lunches in a way that they weren't when we walked to the local school, and a blog post is a little like one more chore. Thank your lucky stars though - today I spent the day dealing with a blocked toilet. I did not take photos. Good news is it's all sorted. Bad news is we are $200 poorer. Although I guess that's good news for the plumber?

Instagram

Having a teen around the house can be helpful. M18 showed me how to get instagram and put a pic up, and I would put it here or link to it even, but, um. . . .she didn't show me those things and I'm completely unable to sort that now.

In return I taught her and L11 the mysterious art of getting a duvet inside the cover.

Biggest Cuzzie!

So excited to have cousin M up to live in our neck of the woods. I'm sure she's  more excited than this pic shows too - I just caught her rudely mid-blink. 

How did this next generation get so grown up??!

Sliding

We were invited to a community waterslide in our soon-to-be new community. Happens once a year and they pump up water from the river and let the kids go wild. Actually, there were some pretty wild parents on there too - a grown man on a boogie board on a waterslide can really build some speed. My two were a little cautious, but I love the way they held on to each other for support.



They are already looking forward to next year.

Kidspeak

L11 told me the other day he'd signed up for three swimming races in the school swimming sports next week. I was pretty impressed given his years of water phobia and my own horror of swimming sports at school. Apparently a friend of his told him that he felt like he swam slowly last year, but he actually won the race. L11 then said "even if I come last, someone has to be last, so I'm doing a responsible job by being the person who comes last."

Love that boy.

Clever Pics

L11 has been playing around with his camera again, and doing all sorts of things I wouldn't know how to do. These were all on the camera, so no tricky editing on the computer afterwards.

Imagine if P8 was a twin?!

One of the twins is obviously a ballet dancer.

 This one is my favourite. I showed it to my invisible friend today, and she thought it was cool too, and given that she's a photographer-type I feel vindicated that this is not just interesting to my biased mummy brain ;)

He did it using his own arm for the hug, clever little tech head.

(Now it's bigger I see one twin is also an amputee.)

See This Face?

This is the face of the new class councillor, as voted by students and teachers at the new school.

Awesome news. Well done P8. Here's a copy of the speech she wrote that got her the job:

Hi, I’m P8 and I think I would be a good class councilor because I’m very honest and reliable even though I keep losing my hat! I’m a good listener and your suggestions would not be ignored . I’m good at keeping everyone happy because I have a older brother who is VERY annoying!!!!!!!!!!! If you vote for me,I promise I will do my very best for you.  

Scary

Bed Lite

A new bed that will be easy to transport up the stairs when we eventually get to the new room. . . thanks to Mutti for helping me put it together in such a rush!

 Here's P8 doing some reading on her bed tonight. She chose this old book that used to belong to Aunty Izzy (or should I say Mimi??!) when we were little:

I thought my Aunt might be chuffed to see the inscription from all those years ago:

It's got to be forty years now that we've been reading this book over here.

It begins!

Packed the first box. Just the one mind.

We gave P8's bed to her lovely cuzzie, because it was too big and heavy to get up the stairs to her new room. Underneath we unearthed all the tut we had hidden for open homes, and that coupled with all the belongings that used to live in the drawers and shelves meant a big old mess. A big old mess that is now in that box. Hurrah!

Went to buy her a new bed, which we had found online and all worked out swimmingly except for the fact that all the stock was held in the warehouse and the warehouse wasn't open on a Sunday. Hence P8's futon styles tonight.

A bed on the floor works really well for sitting cross-legged and doing embroidery though. I had to spellcheck the word embroidery, because I don't even know how to write it down, so I'm not totally sure how P8 has worked out what it is, made an embroidery kit in an old box, and is currently embroidering a blackbird motif on some scrap fabric.

But I'm glad that she did.

Sewing Day

Both my children went to play with friends today, and instead of mad cleaning for endless open homes, I got to do some sewing. I made a pillowcase for P8 out of the leftovers from her quilt. I was going to sew it onto a black pillowcase, but then I found I had enough black fabric to make the whole thing. It went like this:

Apologies

After a tired squabbly afternoon P8 wrote an apology to her brother. 

P.S. Have you seen the smiley that pops up when you pay at the airport carpark? He really is the evil smiley.

12!

Twelve years ago today I married geeky husband. He looks pretty tired and worn out here, but who wouldn't be after being married to me for so long?

Or more correctly, after the stress of selling a house today. Ta da! Sold our house three weekends after listing it. Could have gone for more, but let's face it, it could have gone for less given the urgency. We are now officially country bumpkins. Or will be in a month's time. 

Thanks for putting up with me boy of mine.

Happy Day!

The big news is that P8 had a turnaround at her new school and had a happy day. In fact, she went so far as to call it awesome. Tra lalala I'm so happy. I know it's only the first step, but I think things are looking up for her on the settling into new school front.

After school we had organized a play with old school friend. So sweet, they went out to the garden to sketch:

I would show you what they sketched, but by the time P8 was asleep and I snuck in to take a picture, the pages had disappeared. Hmmm, hiding from blogger mother??

I did some drawings today too. I just copied from pinterest though. I love pinterest. That whole issue of what shall I draw? Gone! Maybe not so creative, but good for the soul nonetheless. First I drew this whimsical lady for P8. I felt like I was eight again drawing the big skirt. The birds made me think of P8, because she does so love her birds wholeheartedly.

I had so much fun with her that when the girls were here playing I took advantage of the quiet and pulled out the watercolours I got for my birthday last year and still hadn't found time for. Not sure why, whatercolours are quick! And fun! Although I was severely let down by my thin paper which crinkled nastily. Oooo how I'm lusting after good watercolour paper.

In the last few minutes of quiet playing children I drew this little one. I like her the best.

Apologies to people I copied from. Think of it as flattery. Regardless of modern ideas on creativity, I think copying is a great way to learn. (ooo I sound a hundred and seven eh?)

Three Seconds

of P8 at her new swimming lessons.



Her school transition hasn't been an easy one, but the new swim school was a complete success. Phew.

Kids' Cameras

These days when I haven't hauled the camera around I can rely on my children to have brought theirs, which makes picture blogging a lot easier.

First up, P8 is thrilled to have made it to grade one ballet, which is the year you get. . . .

RIBBON SHOES! 

Ah yes, I have ribbon envy. 

There are always exciting things on the memory card when I look at their pics, like a panorama with three versions of Geeky Husband:

or L11 as triplets:

Lordy - imagine!

Famous!

Don't think I've ever had a double page spread before! 

(Not quite sure how the top three stairs ended up blue, when IRL they are turquoise, blue and purple, but meh, still happy.)

Covet

Siblings

I didn't blog last night, because although it was a hugely exciting day in that we bought a house, the combination of tiredness and change got all too much for P8 and she had many, many end of the day tears about her new school. Her tears are like little daggers to my heart, and consequently I had many tears too, which is probably not the most reassuring reaction for a small girl, but completely beyond my control. 

Luckily, I've got her big brother on my side. He's very happy, and he's agreed to work a little psychology on her and point out all the good things about the new school. Here's hoping a bit of sibling support will save the day. 

Going Out

Went to see The National. Here's a very bad phone pic. 

Eventually we ended up on the other side of that loudspeaker. Now we are both left-sided deaf.

Eleven!

 Happy birthday L11 (that's a hard one to say). It's not that he's stopped washing now he's so grown up - the grime is camouflage from a game of laser combat. But very grown up he seems to be these early days of his second decade.

So here we go. . .  (P8 actually asked if I was going to do this for Mutti's birthday the other day!)

Zero

One

Two

Three

Four 

Five 

Six 

Seven 

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven!

Picture Of Happiness

We found out a few days ago that the new class L10 will be in is a digital class - that is, he needs a laptop. As it happens, I discovered this news after I'd bought his birthday prezzies for tomorrow, otherwise this would have been it. Super lucky chappie. Super happy chappie.

While we are doing smily faces, my clever Invisible Friend took this selfie with me this morning before our first Wet Hot Beauties show of the season. I think it's not too bad for two old ladies in 1930's style pink swimming caps!