On Friday We travelled through some wild and woolly weather to get to Millicent to spend time with the family. Even though the rain was the worst we think we have ever had to drive through, the weather we left behind in Adelaide sounds like it was a lot worse than we experienced http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/galleries/gallery-e6frecgc-1225914242225?page=1 It rained most of the time we were in Millicent but that didn't matter we all had a great time catching up and the kids love spending time with their country family which is always lovely to see and what makes it harder to leave. I think Ross and James had a great Father's Day despite having to work for most of it (sounds similar to Mother's Day to me). They both got to enjoy their pressies and I hope they realise how much we all love them and all that they do for us is very much valued and appreciated. Here are some pics of the weekend:
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
What Makes a Mother?
Dear friends of ours lost their baby this week at 11 weeks. They and their little angel have been in all our thoughts and prayers since we heard the sad news. It feels hard to know what to say sometimes because I don't know how hard it would be to accept words of comfort coming from someone who has been blessed with two healthy boys. We hope the universe brings them their baby soon because they have so much love to share. I found this poem which sums up what makes a mother no matter how short the time you have with your angel. It makes me cry EVERY time I read it but I hope it brings comfort to those who have experienced such a loss.
What Makes A Mother?
I thought of you and closed my eyes
And prayed to God today,
I asked, "What makes a Mother?"
And I know I heard him say:
A Mother has a baby,
This we know is true
But, God, can you be a mother
When your baby's not with you?
Yes, you can, he replied
With confidence in his voice,
I give many women babies,
When they leave it is not their choice.
Some I send for a lifetime,
And others for the day,
And some I send to feel your womb,
But there's no need to stay.
I just don't understand this God,
I want my baby here.
He took a breath,
and cleared his throat,
And then I saw a tear.
I wish I could show you,
What your child is doing Here...
If you could see your child smile
With other children and say,
"We go to earth to learn our lessons
of love and life and fear,
but My mommy loved me so much
I got to come straight here!"
I feel so lucky to have a Mom who had so much love for me,
I learned my lessons very quickly,
My Mommy set me free.
I miss my Mommy oh so much
But I visit her each day.
When she goes to sleep,
On her pillow is where I lay.
I stroke her hair and kiss her cheek,
And whisper in her ear,
"Mommy, Please don't be sad today,
I'm your baby and I am here"
So you see my dear sweet one,
Your children are okay.
Your babies are here in My home,
And this is where they'll stay.
They'll wait for you with Me,
Until your lessons there are through,
And on the day that you come home,
they'll be at the gates waiting for you
So now you see
What makes a Mother,
It's the feeling in your heart,
It's the love you had so much of
Right from the very start.
Author Unknown
What Makes A Mother?
I thought of you and closed my eyes
And prayed to God today,
I asked, "What makes a Mother?"
And I know I heard him say:
A Mother has a baby,
This we know is true
But, God, can you be a mother
When your baby's not with you?
Yes, you can, he replied
With confidence in his voice,
I give many women babies,
When they leave it is not their choice.
Some I send for a lifetime,
And others for the day,
And some I send to feel your womb,
But there's no need to stay.
I just don't understand this God,
I want my baby here.
He took a breath,
and cleared his throat,
And then I saw a tear.
I wish I could show you,
What your child is doing Here...
If you could see your child smile
With other children and say,
"We go to earth to learn our lessons
of love and life and fear,
but My mommy loved me so much
I got to come straight here!"
I feel so lucky to have a Mom who had so much love for me,
I learned my lessons very quickly,
My Mommy set me free.
I miss my Mommy oh so much
But I visit her each day.
When she goes to sleep,
On her pillow is where I lay.
I stroke her hair and kiss her cheek,
And whisper in her ear,
"Mommy, Please don't be sad today,
I'm your baby and I am here"
So you see my dear sweet one,
Your children are okay.
Your babies are here in My home,
And this is where they'll stay.
They'll wait for you with Me,
Until your lessons there are through,
And on the day that you come home,
they'll be at the gates waiting for you
So now you see
What makes a Mother,
It's the feeling in your heart,
It's the love you had so much of
Right from the very start.
Author Unknown
Friday, August 20, 2010
Playing some B-Ball
I signed Lachie up for a kid's basketball clinic since he was finally old enough for that kind of thing and he has been very physical as a child right from the start plus he enjoys the skills of basketball (must be genetic). I secretly hope he pursues something like basketball or soccer when he gets older because I don't know how I would handle the possibility of the rough nature of football, sure I'd deal with it but I just don't want to think about it. He is currently 3 weeks in (there are 6 weeks in total) and so far so good. He could already throw, catch and shoot goals as well as dribble, but he has really improved his dribbling skills, even to the stage where sometimes he will just look ahead rather than at his hands. Lachie loves that he gets his own basketball which he has his name on and Patrick loves the ball too as he tries to throw it to us (that was Little Nana's doing).
Excuse the camera work - Patrick was pulling on the camera strap at the time.
Excuse the camera work - Patrick was pulling on the camera strap at the time.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Waaaaay behind
I had grand plans and several topics to post about but think I will just do a general catch up and then try and do better next week......this month has seen a trip to the zoo and St Kilda Adventure Playground, St Patrick's Day - since we now have a Patrick we made green cupcakes and did some shamrock craft, a trip to the playground near my mum's house, Patrick getting more teeth (now up to number 5), clapping and pulling himself up to standing with a tiny bit of cruising thrown in.
The past month or so in pictures:
The past month or so in pictures:
Monday, February 22, 2010
Some random shots from this week
Patrick sitting
Patrick in the bath seat for the first time
We've been in space this week
Astronaut Lachie
Patrick at Kindergym
Catching Nemo at Kindergym
I remember when he struggled on this one
What kid doesn't LOVE a trampoline?
Patrick in the bath seat for the first time
Couldn't wait to get in to it after Patrick was taken out of the bath
We've been in space this week
Astronaut Lachie
Patrick at Kindergym
Catching Nemo at Kindergym
I remember when he struggled on this one
What kid doesn't LOVE a trampoline?
$1 a minute
This post comes courtesy of James. I laughed so much I cried when he sent this to me for approval. No one else may find it that funny, it's a you had to be there scenario.
'Come down to my place' she said, 'the food and wine festival is on, you'll love it' she said, so we packed up the kids and made the trip, things did not go as planned.
First some background, my sister lives around 354km away (via google maps) from us in a town called Naracoorte. Every year, at least for the past 3, they have a food an wine festival to promote the local wines. This event was actually very good a few years ago, good enough that my illustrious wife ran out of steam at the dinner table - at least we saved a few dollars on the meal.
So with fond memories in mind we packed the kids in the car and set off.
Now it may not be the best thing to do, but a portable DVD player does wonders for our 3 year old. We can actually make this trip with a happy child in the back all the way to Millicent if needed. However as much as I'd like things to be different, the baby is just not that interested. If Mel's not doing some sort of yoga inspired body contortion to rig up a towel to block the sun, she's reaching around to comfort a child who is not content to look at the back seat for 3 and a half hours....actually I can't blame him.
We get there to find my sister is already at the event (along with my mother), so our impending arrival came a distant second to the allure of local wines and live entertainment. However my father was in attendance to ensure we could get things inside and stretch our legs, just showing that the men in the family have consideration beyond their years.
Finally we arrive, and are out of pocket $20. Three years ago this event was free, you simply paid for inflated food and beverage prices as you'd expect. So Mel and I were somewhat surprised to find a cover charge at an event which had, shall we say diminished somewhat? I'd estimate close to a third or more of the stalls that were there previously were missing, and I'm thinking it went like this: Year 1, great turnout! Well done everyone! Imagine what we'd make with a door charge? Year 2, ok didn't turn out as many with the door charge, but look at the cash we made! Year 3, hmm, seems a lot of people who had stalls last year aren't here, things look a bit sparse and patrons look a little unhappy....oops. Suffice to say although the music was great, and company was awesome, the event as a whole has gone downhill. Still we get to spend some great party time with my sister right?
Sucker.
After a 25min wait for some food, we may have been seated for another 20 minutes before finding my sister, who had previously blown .136 on the free breath testing, had bitten off more than she could chew. Or drank more than she could...ah....um......She was smashed. Sadly our 354km trip had resulted in a 45 minute experience containing a 25min wait for food and a $20 cover charge. Surely this is not right, surely karma would come and exact some sort of vengeance on our behalf? And so we were rewarded.
My sister did not want to leave because she was bored, or sleepy. No she was feeling very, VERY ill.
The car ride home was 5 minutes of mirth for Mel as my sister, pale with 7 gallons of wine in her stomach, was leaning out of the car window retching into the fresh air. Now I've seen Mel loose it before, and true, the misfortune of others increases her enjoyment giving me ethical concerns about her wellbeing, however it was contagious. Surprise however as my sister made it home without burning the paint off the side of my fathers car, huzzah! And then karma came to visit.
Projectile vomit is not normally a good discussion point, however this was just, well, funny. While seated on a plastic chair out on my sisters lawn, head in hands and trying desperately not to fall over, my sister sprayed a line 6 feet long from between her ankles straight forward. I'm pretty sure 5 gallons of that wine left her stomach right there and then, along with one partially chewed hot dog.
I'm sure Mel would have offered support at this point, had she not ran directly inside to report the state of my sister to my mother. I'm sure she was just getting extra help.
The hours that followed were speckled with occasional retching from my sister in the background, while the rest of us relaxed and offered sage advice to the one throwing up everything but her shoes.
Sure the night ended well, we spent some good quality time with my family, even my sister who after a two hour nap got up as good as gold. However the festival was definitely a bust for us. Would we have travelled knowing what was to come? Absolutely, we had a great time. However next time I think we'll just skip the festival and go with what works, meat on the bbq, beers in the fridge and family. Embarrassing conduct by my sister optional ;)
Here are some pics from the weekend:
Patrick and Aunty Liz (one of the few taken at the Food and Wine Festival)
Lachie eating his lunch at Food and Wine Festival - serious stuff
Lachie helping Aunty Liz with her backyard renos
Stop....hammer time (ok, ok lame pun)
James doing the crosswords (beats getting cement off of bricks)
Out of focus but shows how Patrick's face lights up for his daddy
Patrick being serious
Brotherly love
Pa kicking back
'Come down to my place' she said, 'the food and wine festival is on, you'll love it' she said, so we packed up the kids and made the trip, things did not go as planned.
First some background, my sister lives around 354km away (via google maps) from us in a town called Naracoorte. Every year, at least for the past 3, they have a food an wine festival to promote the local wines. This event was actually very good a few years ago, good enough that my illustrious wife ran out of steam at the dinner table - at least we saved a few dollars on the meal.
So with fond memories in mind we packed the kids in the car and set off.
Now it may not be the best thing to do, but a portable DVD player does wonders for our 3 year old. We can actually make this trip with a happy child in the back all the way to Millicent if needed. However as much as I'd like things to be different, the baby is just not that interested. If Mel's not doing some sort of yoga inspired body contortion to rig up a towel to block the sun, she's reaching around to comfort a child who is not content to look at the back seat for 3 and a half hours....actually I can't blame him.
We get there to find my sister is already at the event (along with my mother), so our impending arrival came a distant second to the allure of local wines and live entertainment. However my father was in attendance to ensure we could get things inside and stretch our legs, just showing that the men in the family have consideration beyond their years.
Finally we arrive, and are out of pocket $20. Three years ago this event was free, you simply paid for inflated food and beverage prices as you'd expect. So Mel and I were somewhat surprised to find a cover charge at an event which had, shall we say diminished somewhat? I'd estimate close to a third or more of the stalls that were there previously were missing, and I'm thinking it went like this: Year 1, great turnout! Well done everyone! Imagine what we'd make with a door charge? Year 2, ok didn't turn out as many with the door charge, but look at the cash we made! Year 3, hmm, seems a lot of people who had stalls last year aren't here, things look a bit sparse and patrons look a little unhappy....oops. Suffice to say although the music was great, and company was awesome, the event as a whole has gone downhill. Still we get to spend some great party time with my sister right?
Sucker.
After a 25min wait for some food, we may have been seated for another 20 minutes before finding my sister, who had previously blown .136 on the free breath testing, had bitten off more than she could chew. Or drank more than she could...ah....um......She was smashed. Sadly our 354km trip had resulted in a 45 minute experience containing a 25min wait for food and a $20 cover charge. Surely this is not right, surely karma would come and exact some sort of vengeance on our behalf? And so we were rewarded.
My sister did not want to leave because she was bored, or sleepy. No she was feeling very, VERY ill.
The car ride home was 5 minutes of mirth for Mel as my sister, pale with 7 gallons of wine in her stomach, was leaning out of the car window retching into the fresh air. Now I've seen Mel loose it before, and true, the misfortune of others increases her enjoyment giving me ethical concerns about her wellbeing, however it was contagious. Surprise however as my sister made it home without burning the paint off the side of my fathers car, huzzah! And then karma came to visit.
Projectile vomit is not normally a good discussion point, however this was just, well, funny. While seated on a plastic chair out on my sisters lawn, head in hands and trying desperately not to fall over, my sister sprayed a line 6 feet long from between her ankles straight forward. I'm pretty sure 5 gallons of that wine left her stomach right there and then, along with one partially chewed hot dog.
I'm sure Mel would have offered support at this point, had she not ran directly inside to report the state of my sister to my mother. I'm sure she was just getting extra help.
The hours that followed were speckled with occasional retching from my sister in the background, while the rest of us relaxed and offered sage advice to the one throwing up everything but her shoes.
Sure the night ended well, we spent some good quality time with my family, even my sister who after a two hour nap got up as good as gold. However the festival was definitely a bust for us. Would we have travelled knowing what was to come? Absolutely, we had a great time. However next time I think we'll just skip the festival and go with what works, meat on the bbq, beers in the fridge and family. Embarrassing conduct by my sister optional ;)
Here are some pics from the weekend:
Patrick and Aunty Liz (one of the few taken at the Food and Wine Festival)
Lachie eating his lunch at Food and Wine Festival - serious stuff
Lachie helping Aunty Liz with her backyard renos
Stop....hammer time (ok, ok lame pun)
James doing the crosswords (beats getting cement off of bricks)
Out of focus but shows how Patrick's face lights up for his daddy
Patrick being serious
Brotherly love
Pa kicking back
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