It started the week before when the kids asked if they could enter a float in the pageant. With only a day to build it, we decided to go for something that wouldn’t require me to make costumes. So – Santa’s Surfing Safari was born. I even managed to find the right music – The Ventures Christmas Album – all those lovely Christmas songs that start off sounding suspiciously like Tequila or Walk Don’t Run. I give you Santa on a surf board with his 3 beach bunny helpers, a palm tree and 2 very flat seagulls:

The kids were pretty disappointed that they didn’t get a prize, but they had a heap of fun anyway.

After the pageant all the kids get free pressies. H11 just managed to slip under the upper age limit, so this will be her last year of getting presents from Santa, while C7 still has a while to go.

On Christmas eve we traditionally make gingerbread angels for Father Christmas (he likes his gingerbread fresh): This year we made moons and stars so that I could make a gingerbread Christmas tree for our table. I also made a few rocky road trees (complete with coloured cachous).

As well as baking on Christmas Eve, we also watch Santa being tracked on his flight by NORAD. The kids seemed more excited about it this year, Squealing as he took off from the north pole at around 4pm our time. We left out some of the gingerbread for Santa, a wee drink and a carrot for Rudolph. In the morning, there was evidence that the jolly fat man had been:

(note to Santa: you are only meant to take a 1/2 measure of Bundy – you have a busy night ahead!). Other evidence included pressies under the tree

These were unwrapped with due haste (BEFORE 7am!!!)

Then the kids got to play with their toys …..

While mummy did this:

and this:

and this:

This pudding is really easy. 2 litres of good quality ice cream (the cheap stuff separates). A 200g block of Cadburys Fruit and Nut, 2 x Cherry Ripes and a handful of pink marshmallows. Soften the ice cream for a few minutes. Chop up the chocolates really small (the pieces here are way too big – you can’t bite into frozen chocolate pieces that big). Cut the marshmallows up into quarters (or smaller). Mix it all together. Put it all into a 9 cup pudding basin that has been lined with freezer plastic or several layers of cling film. I would have served this with Ice Magic on the top, but it had mysteriously disappeared.

Everyone was sufficiently fed and exercised enough to have an early night – only to do it all over again the next day with ACW’s family. Merry Christmas everyone.

Why is it that various jam companies (predominantly IXL) have stopped putting jam in re-usable glasses instead of screw top jars? My collection of heavy based good sized drinking glasses is dwindling and I would like to top it up, but can I find jam in glasses? No. Why should I pay for perfectly good glasses when they come free with a jar of raspberry jam?

After a delay of 23 years I have finally enrolled at university. It was certainly cheaper back then (uni was considered free back in the good old days). I have enrolled to study teaching externally at Charles Darwin University. When I was accepted to uni 23 years ago, I was doing high school, but this time I have enrolled to do primary teaching, not because it’s easier, but because by the time I finish, my kids will be out of primary school. In a school like ours that is R-12, I thought it was important that I not put myself in a position where I might be their teacher. It’s all a bit daunting, but I think external programs are getting easier with the use of technology.

So if my blogging seems a bit disjointed, it’s probably because I’ve got my head in a book.

As the local ABA counsellor, I was asked to write this weeks editorial for our local paper. This is what was published:

When I got a phone call asking to write this week’s editorial about Mothers day, I was sitting on my couch, cradling my 7 year old son. He isn’t well and just wants his mummy. Deep down, I know that he will recover, but that doesn’t make it any easier, right now. If I thought it would help I’d donate a kidney, or amputate my left leg or something, anything, just to make him better. But I know it won’t help, so instead I hold him and whisper gently that he’ll be better soon.
My house is a mess and there have been varying degrees of food in the cupboard. I’ve had to miss work, drive long journeys, sleep on all manner of uncomfortable furniture and sometimes not sleep at all. I do this because I am a mother and it is my instinct to do anything to protect my child. And during this time, there has been all manner of other mothers, supporting me, offering to donate kidneys and left legs and even shoulders to cry on. They’ve been here before.
I recall my grandmother telling me about how she nursed my own mother and uncle through measles. Telling me how she had to boil the bed sheets in the copper. How there was no treatment for the fever except for a damp face cloth. And she knew that all the other mothers in the street were doing exactly the same thing – and they were there for each other. Times might have changed since my grandmother’s day – we have washing machines with hot water on tap, vaccinations and paracetamol. But we still have other mothers, who are a valuable resource to us all. They hold the experience and wisdom that we don’t yet have. And even when they don’t, they have strong shoulders and gentle arms.
So many of us isolate ourselves from these important women. Whether through fear of being judged or plain stubbornness, we try to carry on alone, trying to be strong, trying to do it all. Real mothers know that true strength comes in numbers – in sharing the load. Mothers know the importance of an ear to listen and a shoulder to lean on
This week, the Australian Breastfeeding Association is celebrating National Mothering Week for the 30th year in a row. This year’s theme is Mum2Mum – across the generations – from grandmothers to mothers to daughters to granddaughters. Take some time this Mothers Day to think about how much mothering has actually stayed the same over the generations. It’s no harder or easier with our modern gadgets – it’s just different.
Thanks to all the mothers out there. Have a great Mothers Day. Enjoy the luke warm tea, the burnt toast and the painted macaroni necklace. This day is for you.

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Monster Trucks came to town (or at least a town near me) last weekend.  So ACW and I packed up the kidlets and took them for a Night Of Destruction. Does that make me a redneck? There was certainly more than a few mullet haircuts about the place…. but it was a fun night out and the boy child who is Monster Truck MAD had the time of his life. The biggies of Australian monster truckin were there….

Scooby Doo…..

Batman…

Pacific Rift…

 Outback Thunda 2…

and Outback Thunda 1…

Monster Patrol from the USA graced us with his presence….

The weather has been getting warmer again this week. Coolest day was 22C and hottest was 36C (just over 100F).  Technically we had rain. It wasn’t really rain. It was precipitation of a sort, and the rain guages that are 4foot off the ground measured just under 1/100th of an inch on Friday, but I’m not counting it because it evaporated as it hit the ground. If the ground doesn’t get wet, it’s not rain. 

Monday 23rd Feb. Max Temp: 32C, Min Temp: 17C,
Rainfall: Omm, Days since rain: 72