Christmas Eve

Snowflakes.

Water fight.

P9 - "Just call me BLACK MAMBA" I don't know why she yelled that, but coupled with the goggles it was pretty funny.

 Christmas Eve jammies.

A Happier Tree Story Than The One In The News Today

Our tree was crazily overloaded with nectarines this year. Poor thing looked like branches were going to break off they were so full.

(It's on a hill - my lawns aren't really that bad. Oh ok, that bit might be.) I didn't want to lose the whole crop to rot or birds like last year as they looked far too shiny and rosy red to waste.

 Instead I offered them to the community, and a steady stream of small children arrived all day and were sent up the tree to go pick. This evening the branches look much happier, and we found this in our letterbox:

Nectarines for chocolate?? OMG yes please :) Win.

Early Birthday Party

P9's bestie is going to be away on her birthday, so she started nagging me about an early birthday party back in August. For a girl who doesn't even like parties, it was an odd request, but one that didn't go away.

For a mum who is scared of holding parties, it was a big request. But we survived. P9 did most of the organization, and her games were a hit. Good job (not so) small girl.

Obstacle course with tangrams. (Dressing up game hadn't begun yet, but you maybe couldn't pick that.)

Ah jaffas, you suit my theme perfectly.

 The nom nom nom part.

 Remnants of face painting, and cake time.

 Cakes are not my thing. This one collapsed last night, but nothing that a ribbon couldn't fix.

 Double figures. Soon.

 The five girls went wild with paint and did a couple of layers of underpainting for a huge Flora Bowley-style canvas we are trying to create.

Eight hour party. Survived. Go me.

Two Shiny Cups

Ah, happy day. My clever boy finished year 8 with a bang - joint Proxime Accessit and Numeracy cup.

 This one also made us proud earning herself a literacy award.

My kids rock school.

Starting

Stared a new painting. I'm not good at the starting bit. It makes me queasy.

Trying to loosen up and be spontaneous and rough and ready and show brushstrokes and not be terrified.

Dance Magic Dance. . .

Ah this. I think I watched it three times today. I'm not sure which made me laugh more - Korea or Japan. Read the story too. We read it with L&P and made our pledge. There need to be more people in the world like this guy. 

It made me so happy, but also sad because then I remembered these guys who were arrested last year for dancing. :( 

Which is just stinky madness, because just yesterday we saw the power of music as it transformed our shy L12 into the DJ who played music for the whole of the year 7-8 graduation dance (except the dinner part). So proud of him and how he came up with this plan, saved the money, learnt how to use the deck, asked his teacher for a slot, and actually went through with it. All because of some irritating 80s tunes at the last school dance. The boy has standards.

His friend sent this pic as we didn't actually get to see his work. LOL at all the admirers. 

Year 8 Graduation

L12 had his graduation this evening. It's so sweet -  one at a time they take the stage and a year 7 reads out a dedication they have written to the year 8. L12's friend wrote this:

L12 you have always been an amazing friend to

everyone in the class.

You've always been the person that will step up when 

others will not and you have been the most cheerful

person in the whole class. You will help anyone that

needs it.

Luka you have been an amazing role model and an

amazing friend to the whole class.

You are so nice to people and never let them down. 

There will never be someone quite like you.

We will all miss you but please don't forget about

***** School. Oh yeah. . . and have a Merry

Christmas.

Lucky

Unique

Kind to anyone

AWESOME person!

Hooray for. . .

kids who cook. P9: "I'd quite like to be a vegetarian because I love animals, but I don't think I could live without bacon and pork belly."  Butter chickpeas are good too.

Double hooray for finally handing over my first paid commission - a turquoise Annie.

Happy Places

I did take some pics last week. L12 making his first DIY speakers. 

Helping weed the garden in the weekend.

P9's happy place is most definitely curled up with a  book, surrounded by scraps of yarn. I think a few of us could relate to that.

Putting off finishing my commission (eeek!) by playing around with a Black Annie. Just wanted to see the gold through black. Excuse terrible phone pic on funny angle.

Really tempted to put up other big pic I have been working on, but do you think if I tell my sister not to scroll down so it doesn't ruin the surprise, that she will be good?
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Nah, me neither.

Yikes

Boys. Eep. 'Nuff said.

I think mine looks particularly handsome here, despite all the camo, but I might be a tad biased ;)

Weekend Pics

Been working this one hard. He resurfaced the outdoor table for us.

And oiled it too.

We got them both working - today they finished sanding the deck so we could oil it. Sanding a deck is not too bad with four of you on the job.

Mutti came home!

 Driving home on Saturday night. Beautiful but sad :(

Spending Up!

P9 is such a spendthrift, in the nicest way. Today she spent some of her M&B Christmas windfall on this hand screen-printed apron from her art teacher. If you ask me she has pretty good taste.

Excuse the Mama brag - she also came top of the class in a geometry test (even though she's in the lower of the two year levels in the class). Jolly good for a girl who professes not to like maths.

Boys Playing

Frisbee as the sun sets.

In typical boy fashion, soon a small tree is being used as a bat.

And the usual end too. Ah, memories of Christmas.

Parenting Fail

 Accidentally popping your child over an electric fence. . . doh.

Angelina Bubblegum

After school yesterday L&P and I made a guy for the bonfire party.

Once P9 drew such a cute face on her we all got a bit attached, and we spent a lot of today reminding ourselves that a bonfire was indeed her happy place.

They named her Angelina Bubblegum and this evening she had pride of place. 

It was such a beautiful setting.

And the most impressive bonfire we've ever seen.

Happy birthday S6, and bye bye Angelina Bubblegum. You did a great job.

Good Painting Day

I had a whole bunch of not quite finished things that were bugging me, and today, as well as doing the hard initial lines for a new painting, I finished some stuff. I put some gold detail on the last two Sad Annies. Hmm, only now I think they need neck ribbons. And darker shadows. Oh when to stop!

(They are straight, it's just taken from a crappy angle!)

I also cracked (I hope) the last stages of this one. Her neck had been bugging me. Who knew the answer was just go dark and vague? Suddenly struck me there would be way more shadow. I'm so much happier with the background now it's got good darks in too. Looks smokey.

But mostly it's going to be a good day because of my favourite part of fireworks night. Certainly not the buying part - youch. Not the letting off part - yawn, bedtime. The part where both children ogle them and get excited about the names! Yeah. I love that P9 actually had to list them too. An inventory is a very important part of the process.