Netsetgo - Go Luce!!!

Melbourne Zoo school excursion

Lucys hungry caterpillar

Harrys Monster (art class)

Australia Post shoot

Out and about - Sunday breaky

Poor baby

Feeling very sorry for herself after her spading yesterday.

Great Story Harry!

As I have mentioned in earlier posts, Harry struggles with his writing and spelling.  His reading is fine and comprehension great, but we are working hard on the writing and spelling still.  Every night he has to write 4 or 5 lines with text of his choice.  He then has to edit it himself.  He generally writes about his weekend, things he's done, things he's looking forward too or recently factual pieces on push bikes vs motor bikes (??). He always come up with the ideas himself.  It is more often than not like pulling teeth to get him to get him to start, but he does it every night of the week.  A couple of weeks ago, he disappeared into his bedroom but was very vocal about not wanting to be disturbed!  He came out with this story.  I will re type it word for word (without the spelling mistakes).  I love it. Even though his writing and spelling needs some work, his imagination and thought process is just awesome.   Love this kid.

"Mr Green Snowman wanted to play with Mr Card, but Mr Card did not want to play with Mr Green Snowman.  I got you this time said Mr Green Snowman! NOOOOO said Mr Card, he was running.
Finally he got a break because he found a sign that was advertising cards.  Mr Card hid on the sign to camouflage.  "Wow it is really hard to stick on a sign" he finally fell off.  I got ya said Mr Green Snowman, now I can play with you said Mr Green Snowman.  OUCH! Paper cut! So Mr Card escaped and got lost and never to be seen again."

The best!

Another couple that I liked and were pretty random were:

"Some things are round like a ball.  Most windows are not round.  But all Clogs have to be round to work"

"When i put a tissue on my nose and blow or blow air from my nose it will go into the atmosphere.  It is so cool!"

"Ways to be sustainable:  we can go to school and do nude food and everyday have shorter showers."

Taekwando

So Harry has started Taekwondo.  A friend on the netball committee recommended the place, she has been an instructor there for years.  Harry absolutely loves it and I think he may have found his sport.
So a few weeks ago when I was sick I asked Andrew to take him to his class.  I gave Andrew specific instructions on where it was, where to park etc as he didn't know where it was.
Turns out Andrew (that owns the centre) was one of Andrews taekwondo instructors when he was younger! I don't think he did it for all that long.  He and his dad lived a few doors down the road from  Andrew as a kid they remembered each other.  He was then looking on the wall and there was a photo taken 25 - 30 years ago with Andrew in the background!!! Coincidence!

Harry

Plugging along working towards getting his writing up to scratch.  Long road ahead!

Got my cooking on tonight!

Treated my favourite people to champagne syrup poached pears and ice cream for dessert! YUM!!!

So tired

While Miles and Shari were over this afternoon, Lucy was complaining of a sore throat (mostly just exhausted I think).  I suggested she ran a bath and relaxed. 10 minutes later she was like this!

Macy (Mae Mae) almost 6 months old ... and still not toilet trained

SYDNEY 2017

I made it, after a week in bed with Tonsillitis.  A much more subdued trip, but oh so relaxing with my favourite girls xx

RIP My Beautiful Grandma

Grandma was a lady in every sense of the word.  She really was from another era and embraced everything it meant to be a lady.

Pete Craig Em and I were swapping memories this week and we all remember how well she use to dress, she always looked like the queen in our eyes, pink suits, matching handbags, stocking and heels.  She took so much pride in the way she looked and would never leave the house without a full face of make up.  I remember standing in her bathroom in Thornleigh as a kid, on holidays from the Gold Coast, watching her meticulously putting on her makeup, the same routine each day.  We were always fascinated by all her jewellery and especially her watch ring which never left her finger.  We remember Grandma and Aunty Wanda, both dressed immaculately, taking us on the train in Sydney into the city to do their David Jones shopping, we thought they were so fancy!

The four of us were lucky enough to go and stay with Grandma in school holidays. They (meaning Grandma and Aunty Wanda, because they were inseparable) always took us out and about.  One trip was the Blue Mountains.  Pol and I clearly remember this trip because Grandma was so scared we would freeze to death that she made us wear stockings (because she wore stockings) under our jeans.  Now I'm not sure if any of you have ever tried this before, but it is ridiculously uncomfortable and as a kid from the Gold Coast use to wearing nothing but swimmers and shorts - it was UNBEARABLE!!!  Im pretty sure we complained the WHOLE day to them, until we snuck off to the toilets and took them off.  In true Grandma fashion she couldn’t stay mad at us for more than a nano second and was giggling about it the whole way home!  Even up until recent years we use to have a laugh about jeans and stockings!

The boys have great memories of playing golf with Grandma. She was a keen golfer in Sydney and played regularly for years. Of course she always looked sharply dressed playing golf.
 They remember one time when she was visiting the Coast and she took them for a game at Meadow Park for 9 holes.  As they were playing a stray ball came from another fairway out of no where and hit her square in the chest.  They boys, for a split second, thought it has taken her out and were lost for words, but in true Grandma style, she shook it off and and played out the last few holes!  

The boys said they probably went home after that and sat around the dining table playing canasta! Canasta was grandmas game and we all remember trying to outsmart her, but not always succeeding!  QLD vs NSW rules were always a bone of contention!!!

She was so happy, and eager to please and we can’t remember ever seeing her cross.  She loved to show us off to her neighbours in Sydney and introduce us with pride to anyone she knew.  She would take us into her work at the Clarke factory and show us off to all her co workers!  

When we were younger and she would visit us on the Gold Coast, it felt like she was always just so happy to be with us and apart of our family, she went along with what ever we were doing and you could tell she was elated to be involved in our everyday family life.  She loved to sit and listen to our stories, no matter how out there and outrageous they were.

Grandma made it to all our weddings and I remember so many of our friends commenting on how well dressed and sharp she looked and how she spoke with a regal-ness about her.  Again she was our Queen.  She even made it to Pol and Filippos wedding in Italy.  Pol remembers Grandma and Filippos Nonna sitting next to each other chatting away and laughing both having a great old time - but later realising neither of them had any idea what the other was saying!.  She  was lucky enough to meet  and get to know 7 of her almost 8 great grandchildren who fondly called her GG.  Im sure she would have loved have met your little lady in waiting too Craig.

But possibly the best memories we hold of Grandma were in her family home where Dad and Aunty Moina grew up at Georgann street Turramurra.  The tree in that back yard was the pinnacle of our childhood and a memory that is so clearly cemented in our heads.  The tree felt like it stood 40 stories high and looked like a christmas tree.  We would drive the 10 hours to Sydney and no matter what time we arrived, the only thing we wanted to do after hugging Grandma was climb that tree.  We would sit up the very top for hours, possibly giving Grandma (and Mum and Dad) a heart attack. we would swing off it, fall off it and just sit up and chat in it.  If we weren’t up that tree, we would be collecting macadamia nuts from the macadamia nut tree then sit on the concrete with a hammer splitting them open!  Her home was like a treasure chest, everything had a spot, all her beautiful suits lined up perfectly in her closet, everything seemed ornate and there were so many things to touch which Grandma was always happy to let us explore.

We remember her collection of egg cups, which pol has now realised that that is probably where her obsession with eggs game from, and her Gas heater that was always on in winter to warm us up … just don’t sit too close, is all I remember her constantly saying! She was the stereotypical, soft warm and kind, kind of Grandma

So I guess as we say good bye, we would just like to remember Grandma and be thankful that we had so many years and wonderful memories together with her.  

She was our Grandma, She was a true Lady.

Things you ponder when sick in bed

Two very stubborn parents = 

3 VERY stubborn and head strong children!

Dinner at Parliament House

Last Tuesday night we were invited to Dinner at Parliament house.  A fundraiser for our local Liberal MP.  Turns out it wasn't as stiff and stuffy as originally predicted! Helps to have your partner in crime along for the ride!

Sunday Dinner

Yummy Sunday dinner in Richmond, think we found our new favourite chinese!
Had some fun with snap chat while we were waiting.
Before this we took the kids to an escape room. It was probably a little bit old for Lucy but Harry and mostly Holly loved it.  Good team building fun.