a new month

after a hard session at the gym this morning, i realised that i can move on and appreciate what i have around me.

after reading this great blog and Julia's recording 30 days of gratitude it got me thinking....
for the month of September i would like to do a 30 days of something.....
to focus me on whats good around me, what makes me smile and laugh and whats important.

now to sum it up in a few words....

30 days of ....... (I'll get back to you tomorrow on that one)

oh and sorry for the dreary post yesterday but i feel a lot better now i have written it down, thanks.

drawing a line in the sand...

well maybe not a line but marks from a 2 1/2 year old.
as i was going back over some photos i found these from mothers day this year when we were at the beach near mum and dad.... and it got me thinking about the metaphor of drawing a line in the sand

:: to move on

:: to say that a particular idea or activity will not be supported or accepted

the last few weeks/month have been pretty average around here.... friendships dissolving and hateful and hurtful rumors being spread about myself and my family. you think you know people and then they turn.
we choose to live where we do for the sense of community but now its feeling a little too small.....

i try to teach my children to be good, kind souls :: helping others :: caring for friends :: speaking up if you don't agree or like what is being said, but always in a respectful way. i model them this behaviour and thought others around me did the same, but feel that the actions of a few mothers with little else to do but spread gossip and are causing me to question all that i am and how i feel. what are our kids supposed to think and how do our kids learn when their parents can act like this how do they learn to be caring when they look to their parents as models and they see gossiping bitchy behaviour.

i know its not everyone but at the moment i feel like i cant trust anyone.
so that's it i am drawing a line in the sand. moving forward and appreciating the small and simple things that is in our life and looking after the 2 little buttons that are important to me.

fresh

freshly squeezed orange juice. Yum !!!

sports day

about to make a start.....

on the quilt project

a part of me

as part of the quilt project i have been thinking of what to contribute for my little square.
:: i wanted it to be relevant to me
:: at this time in my life
:: a snapshot of who we are

its taken awhile for Hugo to help me

my little drawer has all of a sudden stopped and comments i have never heard before like " i can't do it" "i don't know how to draw that" are emerging (..... another post opportunity)

but finally he has.

:: 'us' as he sees us now.

:: our family by Hugo as of August 2009

our school

2 new additions to our school. Charlie and Lola . the grade one children are rearing them at the moment and once they have grown they will be part of the school yard. pity there is no one in the school called Mary!!

oh what a night...

concert day arrived.
there was much excitment.
the afternoon seemed to drag on forever.
finally it was time to go...
what an amazing night :: great dances and performers.
we were very proud of our Hugo and all his friends.

new pyjamas

i have finally made the boys some new winter pj's :: of course the warmer weather is almost here !!!!
i found this great flannelette in my travels last week at lincraft. it is exactly what i had been looking for. warm, boyish but not army/camouflage/pirates !!!
the boys love them
i bought a couple of White long sleeve t shirts and appliqued an A for Archie and a skull and cross bone for Hugo apparently it wasn't boy enough !!)
I'm sorry for the photos but both ran away when i tried to photograph them

sunday sewing

i guess i have the sewing bug back.

as i traced out a pyjama pattern for the boys they sat down with me and made their own patterns !!

what a great way to spend a Sunday

when we aren't at the snow.....

........we spend Saturday afternoons after auskick watching Hugo ride his pee wee.
i must admit this weekend was great as Hugo's best friend got a motorbike for his birthday, so the two of them rode around and around and around whilst the dads supervised and the mums talked and hung out.
that's what my Saturdays are all about now, catching up with good friends while our children play.

all finished

i finished last night after sewing all day yesterday.
i am really happy with the costumes, but i forgot to take photos so will show you when i get a chance to photograph them.

costumes

when i walked into school on monday after being away all week from school at the snow i was greeted with
"there is a week till the school concert and we aren't happy with the costumes for the boys, do you think you could fix them, ? oh and we need the girls ones made"
"sure" was my answer.

sucker you say... yes i know but someone has to do it.....

i have been to spotlight monday and tuesday night after school as well as once during the day on tuesday (ARGGGGGG need i say anymore !!!) but i think we are on the home straight today

hotham

Hotham

i know i know it seems to be all that we are doing at the minute.
Friday night we arrived at hotham for 9 days. yay !!!
the weather was pretty average for most of it but that meant great snow.
we had a great crew in the lodge for the week. 2 members families and friends with a heap of kids and lots of fun. when we joined this lodge i envisaged weeks like this with great people that ski and have fun and for our 2 kids that have no real extended family weeks like this are priceless in them learning to interact and participate in large group dynamics. i remember how much fun i had as a kid in a ski lodge watching my parents have fun and all the fun i had and it has now turned a full circle.
i had to come home on Tuesday and go to work... but came back up on the Thursday (ringing in sick for the few hours work i do on Friday afternoons) the consistency of skiing every day for a week/9 days does everyone the world of good, we all get into a routine : breakfast, ski, lunch, ski, apres, shower, dinner, bed !!! and we all get to practise and get better and this was soooo evident in Hugo.
when we arrived he had had a lesson the week before and he had skied a few easy blue runs ( intermediate) with us for anyone that knows hotham the village chair loop and mother Johnston's return as well as the summit and big d. over the course of the week, through social interactons in the lodge and seeing the kids out with their families john and Hugo had skied orchard, heavenly and been doing the terrian park at the big d (jumps!!) as well as night skiing. by Saturday we booked Archie into creche and john, hugo and i skiied the whole of hotham :: village, black snake, peach bowl, the cornice, playground, milky way and on and on... and then as i finally sat down and
started to unwind on Saturday night we were all back out in the snow on the big d chair night skiing, arch as well !!!! i guess we love it.
Saturday skiing with Hugo made me so proud, and i hope he was too , he should be hes a great little skier.

happy birthday popeye

when i came back from the snow with arch we were able to celebrate dads birthday with him.
happy birthday dad
i love you