New Year Countdown...

Well, the year is closing in fast and I can't believe how fast it has gone. It has been a good year all round and I hope it has been for everyone else too. On with the show in the New Year and Friday's History Posts will resume when the kids go back to school in Febuary :)

KIRIBATI is the first place to reach 2008, their countdown is HERE.


COUNTDOWN for our New Year 2008 in Melbourne.

Christmas Day..

Christmas Eve Santa gives lollies to the kids.
Tom, Sarah, Mia, with their Aunt collecting lollies

Yayyy and PHEW...Christmas is over, haha. Such a build up every year and then WHOOFFF..it is over in.. well....24 hours right? It was a great morning, I woke before the kids at about 5:30am and well, then I fell right back asleep again...to be woken up at 9a.m.by the sounds of " Ohhhh look what I got from Santa!" The kids had a lovely time and we drove up to my Aunts just out of Kyneton and had an Aussie Bush Christmas.
My Auntie set up the table marvellously and we took up some Webber roasted Chooks and some Pavlova and some creation I made out of Chocolate Royal Biscuits with some raspberries on top...DELISH!!
In all, about 25 or so of us had a ball with cracking bon-bons, telling the awfully bad jokes from within them and donning the paper hats.
I got PINK on DVD and some other awesome gifts..but the best gift of all was the laughter of the kids and the smiles we had watching them enjoy the day with their cousins.
We went to Vaughan Springs in the afternoon and went down the slide and waded in the cool waters of the lake there. The kids then paddled around in a canoe on my cousins awesome damn and we listened to the call of some strange birds I could not name. There was a mob of Kangaroos grazing in the fading light, at least 40 of them for sure.
We came home today, Boxing Day. I was sad to leave the Bush, I always wish I lived up there. Maybe one day we will.
I hope everyone had a great time, and stay safe each and every day. When I find my connector I will upload pics of the day we had :)

Hey there...it's Christmas you know :)

I have many pictures to upload and yet I cannot fnd my connector for my camera to do so, gah!

Mia's Kindergarten Graduation is just one of the many images I wanted to share..it was also the Christmas party too.

Sarah got her Prep School report, she got all "consistently" ticked off for every comment in her report..so very proud we are...so she is off to grade 1 next year!

Nicholas excelled in his writing and maths, for Grade 2 level he was marked on a graph (new type of school reports now) as an end of Grade 3 level! Proud mother hen here :) He reads books that I can read and well, I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree there. Off to Grade 3 next year.

Tomas tried his very best at everything ths year. Soe of the homework would seem excessive to us parents, for Grade 4 level. Yet, he did it and he did very well. I always think of the teachers and what they have to do marking all this homework too...so much to do! Tomas is off to Grade 5 next year.

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Last night I had a dream and I woke up woth a wet pillow from crying. Itwas about my friend Frances who died a few yeas ago of a brain tumour.... so I am off to put a Christmas decoration next to her nameplate at the cemetry.

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Christmas shopping is complete, I was so glad to get out of the shopping centre . I am not calustrophobic but I did start to panic a bit. Do you feel the same this time of the year?

That time of the year...

I guess everyone hears this phrase "It's that time of the year again!" For me I am excited for the kids for Christmas morning. But, right now I get frustrated because of the "silly season" and its impact on so many adults who behave so silly out there. Namely the people who have their head in the clouds as they drive. My message is clear "PLEASE LOOK WHERE YOU ARE DRIVING AND DO NOT SPEED.....IT CAN KILL SOMEONE". One of my daughter's little class mates has lost his dad because of a motor vehicle accident. Of course, accidents ought not happen if everyone is careful.
Emergency departments don;t slow down with casualties in the silly season...so let's make it safe season so the New Year and every day can be celebrated safely. Make it home safe from work or school or from having been out ok. Thankyou.

Reflecting...

"We wonder what a child will become tomorrow...but we forget that they hold their own magic TODAY!!"

The past few weeks have shown me that my kids are each growing up so fast. Not just in size but in maturity also. Growth, developmental growth. Sounds like an English essay? Yes, in year nine at high school that is what my 10,000 word essay was about, growth. Now I understand fully what it was I wrote about.

For me, I reflect on the things I have learnt along the way in life. From very early in life I knew I wanted to be a nurse. Working in the industry from age 16 has not clouded my enthusiasm for my work. I love it.

The day I loose the love for it I would stop doing it. Even if I won the lottery I would not give my job away, I know it for sure.

I hope my children find what it is they want to do in life and grab it and run with it. I hope they are as happy as I am with their achievements as I am. I will not try to live through my kids, but I will always encourage them to do what makes them happy. I hope it is enough.

This time of the year is exciting, and it is also draining physically....the new year brings relief, and hope, hope for a wonderful time ahead.

My Birthday :)

Yes, you see, I am 36 years old now..and this is what I woke up to..I feel very happy and spoilt :)

Sand Sculptures...

This can be seen at our local shops until the end of January. Pretty cool eh? They sure are big to look at..such art!
I took pics with my mobile of Saturday night but cant get them over to the PC :( We also stopped in on some Christmas houses and they were great. Some people go all the way with their decorating, each year buying tha little bit more to show everyone. One place, the bus stops out the front full of passengers every time it passes en rout to the station...unbelievable!

Werribee Mansion Carols By Candlelight..

This wonderful event at Werribee Park will take place this Saturday the 8th December. Werribee Gates open at 5.30pm Cost is $5.00 per adult. The pre program is going to have a carnival atmosphere with roving entertainment, live music, free face painting & activities for children.

The Carols program will begin at 8pm and will include special guests from the Melbourne Gospel Choir, as well as local singers, dancers & musicians. The Wyndham Combined Churches Choir will also be there and a spectacular light show and a live nativity with donkey and camels will also be highlights of the night. There are always candles available for purchase on the night. Families usually bring along a picnic, a rug, or their little camping chairs and graba spot early in front of the mansion and the wonderful light up stage to enjoy what is, weather permiting, a great night.

Thousands of people come every year to celebrate in the Christmas Spirit. The Live nativity is one of many highlights for both young and old. Recommend to get there early to get a closer parking spot or..spend the day at the Open Range Zoo (Also HERE)first and then head across, they are right next to each other anyhow. Pics of the mansion inside, just see HERE.

Christmas in Melbourne...

This is the Christmas Tree displayed at the old town square in Melbourne, it is much prettier at night with the lights on it. We went to see the Myer Christmas Windows, it has a display that is not Christmas-syy yet it is great to look at. It involves a Children's Book from a Melbourne author..great to see. I bet he is proud to be following such a tradition and to have his book picked as the theme this year. Uno's Garden by Graeme Base ... check it out :)