Keelan's last Primary swim carnival

Hi
Keelan had his swimming carnival today and he did really well, coming home sporting a 2nd, 3rd & 4th. He is minus his goggles in the freestyle event, dont know why, he usually hates to be without them.

Here he is in breaststroke

And here he is second lane again. Lucky I had the point and shoot in my bag, it is so handy for those days I run out the door and don't even think to have my big girl on hand. I was so glad I had my little back up as he wanted shots of the house tents and other things he wishes to remember about this event. When he came to have lunch he said "I always tried to be in a lane close to you Mum so you could take photos". What a Darling Boy he is so thoughtful.
Makes me so determined to be at everything he asks me this year as for the last 5 years I have not been able to make it to a lot of his school things due to his Brother and Sisters being so small and he has never complained once but as he reaches out for me this year I will be there no matter what and Zay is enjoying seeing his events, last week his class held school assembly so we have had lots on for Keelan lately. Zay did get a little bored and tired today but hung in there, which made it even more special for Keelan, all his mates adore Zay.

Over the weekend we have to get Keelan ready for camp on Tuesday, today we got him a torch and disposable camera to take and his lollies (teachers request). The labelling and packing will have to happen on Monday as tomorrow is Dancing and Surf club which Trin will miss but Keelan will attend. I am getting very efficient at locking the house and jumping in the car for the 5th time in a day. At this rate I best be getting money aside for new tyres very soon!!

Great excitement for Trin getting her dance shoes and uniform tomorrow. Harmony is back in her class ATM and she is back on the rails for now.
Have a great weekend,
Take care, Trace.

It is getting sorted!!!!

Hi,
I took Trin to class this morning and waited to talk to her other Teacher,( she has this Teacher 4 days a week but Wednesday they have the one who sent the comments home yesterday) I told her Trin had comments come home yesterday and that I had written a reply for her to read, she raised her eyebrows about getting the comment sent home and read it. When she read the last bit she threw the book down in disgust and said " I dont like the way that last comment comes across. It seems a few children got comments home yesterday, they seem to play up for the other teacher when I am away, but I dont have any problems with them, Trin is fine with me, she can be bossy sometimes but I just move her desk away for a while and she comes good, I will have to talk to the other teacher about all this and see what can be worked out".

I said "I realise Trin can play up but the upsetting issue for me is that last comment about her, Trinity has had similar issues in past years that relate to this so I want to get it sorted out once and for all or I may have to move her".

She has assured me she will deal with it with the other teacher and get back to me. Trin has come home happier today although that other teacher was on pick up duty but she turned her back to me when she realised I was picking up Trinity. hmm. I feel sure her main teacher will deal with it as she is very much on the ball and has a kind respect she displays towards her children whilst not taking any nonsense. I was pleased she showed how displeased she was also about the last comment as it made me feel she has Trins interests at heart. Between Trin and her this morning I definitely felt a mutual respect between them so that has made me happier but what to do about Wednesdays with the other teacher I will have to see. The comment book has not come home tonight so I wonder when it does if it will be minus the page that stated "I would love the other children to stop complaining about Trinity".

Funny thing is that this morning while walking through the playground Trin is high 5 ing all Keelan's mates and then gives a great big hug to another older girl walking along. Is that a child that is so disliked by other children??? Anyway we will see what develops.

Zay had daycare today and he loves it, we got this gorgeous note home about the kids in his room called the grasshoppers and all their names were on there, what they did today and what they had to eat and how long he had a sleep for. Wow it was so wonderful to read about his day and that he had been on the see saw with a boy called Norton, at least we can talk at home about his friends and he can remember some of the names.

Keelan has swimming carnival tomorrow so Zay and I are off to that. I have managed to get through the first week of study, learning heaps about communication and also how my assessments need to be structured. yikes it is certainly brain frying stuff at times. Still need to sort out a study routine though. I think I am more absorbent later in the arvo. LOL. At least I have gone from a lot of doubt to feeling like it is all good now and so much of it can apply to everyday life and Family also. Looking forward to getting to a point where I can practice it all on the kids and Hubby. LOL.

Looking forward to Tim having Sunday and Monday off, more garden cleanup planned and I really want to have a day in the scrap room but I won't hold my breath at this stage. Got some layouts starting to burn ideas in my head so I should try and get creating. Have a great weekend all and thanks for the comments, it really helps a lot to know you care.
Take care, Trace.

Here we go again.

Hi
I was having a great day today, shopping this morning with Zay and home and got shopping all packed away then some paperwork this arvo and then into my study as I was finally able to get my head into it today. Tim came home early due to a blowing gale and sand getting blown everywhere so that was a nice surprise and Zay got some time one on one in with his Dad which gave me about an hour of quiet time. All was going great.

This morning before school I noticed Trin had really dark rings under her eyes and I knew she was tired. When we got to school I noticed she was being a little silly about things and told her after listening to her read to settle down and be good today but she seemed to just block it out.

She comes home this arvo with a comment in the communication book which really upset me, the teacher basically asked me to talk to her about her behaviour today, moving her desk without permission, annoying other students by patting/hitting their head. But the last comment really upset me the most. "I would love the children to stop complaining about her". Wow that seems a really harsh comment to me and I would love some feedback from my friends here as I know some of you are teachers. I guess that comment screams to me she is an annoying little so and so, you best deal with her as the other children have had enough of her.

I have observed numerous times in the morning how she is to others and how others treat her and I have walked away some days upset for her as when the teachers are busy and not looking she is pushed aside and has books snatched from her hand and she just does not react, she will select another book and say nothing. I think if she was so bad that she would always be on the ready to give back what she gets but I dont see any sort of mean streak present itself and she does not know I am watching when these things have happened to her.

Trin gets tired and she seems to go full steam ahead ie: charges into things without thinking like obviously today she decided she had enough of sitting next to the boy and wanted to move near a friend but she would not have done this through a plot to upset the whole classroom.

So what does one do, firstly the comment was blunt to me, it is also hard to reprimand a 6 year old hours after she has done all the wrongs and I was not there to place my judgement. I have done the best I can talking to her and hopefully tomorrow she may wake up on the right side of the bed. She said the teacher has been really angry and shouting most of the day and she said she was really scary but once again I cant place a judgement as I have not been there.

I am having to do a lot of reading with Trin at home, I must say I am really disappointed at her level of knowledge and her willingness to try. Keelan is also struggling with the division, multiplication concept of maths so I am spending a lot of time showing him how it is done. This really scares me when he is Year 7.

I thought this year would be easier and I would have the freedom to study and get myself sorted ready for returning to the workforce in a few years but I seem to have loaded myself up with more work than I can sometimes manage, then add to that a Hubby who is only home for 1 1/2 hours each night before the kidlets go to bed and my work load is full on. No wonder I feel like I am walking around with my eyeballs dragging on the ground. LOL.

I like all Mum's want the best for my kidlets and I just, above all else want them to be happy, if anyone can shed some light please do so, I value other opinions, I just know it has come to crunch time after last year and the year before to make some serious decisions as Trin has never really been fully settled in this class and I know from duties I have done she is up against some real opinionated nasties with this group, they shocked me with their mean comments to each other from Kindy and it is not just the girls it is the boys as well, I am wondering if a really sensitive child is just never going to be able to focus on school work as the emotional treatment from her classmates just takes over.
Please leave me a comment and give me your opinion I really would love to hear from you.
Take care
Trace.

Times are a changin,

Hi,

Things around here are changing lately, the end is nigh for some stages of my life and my childrens, they may be small changes but in the bigger picture of our life they are important changes and in some ways it is sad but in other ways all is good. Sound cryptic well let me explain.

My Baby Boy has been toilet training and is now pretty much there with it all, the last 3 nights he has been dry which to me is the biggest sign of all, the sign that his little body has finally got it hook line and sinker. To me that is the end of my nappy days and wiping the bottom stage in little ones lives, that last little piece of independence takes Zay now onto the next stage of his life and although I have always thought this day would be so great, it is in fact bittersweet to think that this means I no longer have babies in this house. Little people with a lot of attitude sure but no more babies. sob sob sob.

The next change is the taxi timetable has now got a whole lot busier and that will only get even more so, I now have to get everything on the calendar so I can follow to plan all the interests the kidlets are getting in to. Trinity started Jazz dancing Saturday morning and loved it, Rainee was also meant to start but she got cold feet and spent the whole lesson on the chair watching, that is after I had prized her off my leg. She went so keen to dance but once inside the door she just froze. So in the afternoon she said she would give Acrobatics a go with Trin so back we went and got to the door and the same thing happened so it is only Trin doing the dancing but she loved it and has come home doing backflips and bend backs. It is really funny as I thought Rainee would have been the best at Acrobatics but turns out Trin is a lot more flexible, so she is doing her dancing exercises every morning and gets her uniform and shoes next Saturday.

Surf Club was this morning and apart from having to clean the beach front before the kidlets started from all the broken alcohol bottles left everywhere even in the sand it was another fun day for the kids and a great morning for swimming and beach fun. They have about 4 more surf club days left however next week it is moved to Saturday so Trin is going to go Dancing of course, she wont miss that.

So with all I have on my plate with the kidlets between school, sport and all the preparation and Study that starts for me tomorrow I dont know when I will fit scrapping in, I think I will have to pencil it in on the calendar otherwise it may become a thing of the past for me and I certainly dont want that to happen, gosh I need this room of supplies to get used sometime.

I can remember being snowed under 2 years ago with 3 little ones under my feet daily and 1 at school wondering when it would get easier and being told by girlfriends it just gets busier but on a different scale well that is what I am entering into now and I have to say I miss having them under my feet and grabbing those cuddles all day long. But I must embrace change and get into the role of timetables and pick ups and drop off's and follow the path of our new direction and watch them blossom into who they are becoming at a rate of knots. Life sure moves fast.
Have a great week and I hope somewhere this week I can create and get some pics of my fast growing bunch of cherubs.
Take care
Trace.

I'm back,

Hi,
Wow time just flies by these days, I have been trying to get to do a post since the weekend and here we are finally on hump Day getting to update.

The weekend was great having Tim home for a full weekend, he was able to catch me up on a few jobs I have not been able to get to or want to tackle with Zay in tow. I have now decided that he will go to Day care on Thursday's as he is getting bored missing the other kidlets and also for me to get things done without the thousand questions that he has on his mind about life and all its chores ATM. The other kidlets did not go through the why, why, why stage to this extreme and by the end of the day I have just about had a brain fry from all the why's and why not's about even the most simple task or feature in this life of ours. LOL. I figure also that if the study is just not coming together then Thursday will be my day for that.

The kidlets had surf club on Sunday and enjoyed it again, Trin just loves it so much, it is great as they come home tired but at the same time really happy from having time down the beach. Rainee and Zay made their own surf club up and spent most of their time running a little course they made, they certainly have plenty of energy, Keelan was very tired towards the end but happy to be back into it and my lot escaped the stingers but some other kids were not so lucky.

Trin had the dentist yesterday and although she shed many tears she still had 2 fillings done, she is down to her last visit in March and then hopefully her teeth will be fine for a long time. I really hope her adult teeth are going to be a lot better.

The weather is cooler and that is a very welcome change, everyone is sleeping better and the moods of the kidlets has definitely improved big time. I have been busy backing up files and also burning photos to disk so I can delete some of my compact flash disks, I have 3 big ones and they were all full so I have not been taking photos for a while. I need to get some updates of the kidlets soon.

I have my fiskars demo tomorrow which I am looking forward to, I have been playing with the ultra shape xpress this week and getting to know the things we need for the demo, it is fun to use that is for sure. I am then hoping to get back into some layouts now I am stocked again with photo paper and inks I can get cracking and also want to finish my 40 book.

Well that is about it for now, I am sure I will have more to tell after tomorrow.
Take care
Trace.

Sweet About Me - Gabriella Cilmi

Gabriella Cilmi - Sweet About Me

This Gorgeous sweet Darling is 16 years old from Melbourne Australia, what an awesome talent this young lady has, the kidlets and I heard this song on the way home from Collie tonight and I was covered in chills from her awesome voice, I will certainly be getting her album when it is out early March and scrapping away many hours listening to her awesome voice, 16 hey some Gals get it all. LOL.

Cooler today thank goodness, I will certainly be trying to get a break in this weekend, Hubby home for 2 days so I will make the most of that and after a relaxing couple of red tonight I already feel the stresses of the week have been lifted off, phew what a whirlwind of a fortnight its been, looking forward to trying to get this family of ours back into second gear instead of turbo all the time. LOL. Take care and have a great weekend whatever you are doing, hopefully a bit of R & R will be on your agenda too. Trace.

Have a great Day.

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.
I hope you have all been spoilt by the special Man in your life and that he shows you how much he appreciates you.


I havent found my Valentine yet, so if you find him out there send him my way. LOL. How is everyone finding the heat, far out I think I am so very over this punishing summer we are having, the poor kidlets at school are dropping like flies, coming out with ice cream containers and looking whiter than white, all the junior rooms have only fans so they have been sweltering and they come home so tired and grumpy, dare to look sideways at the girls, especially Rainee who is now full time school. Trin just takes it in her stride a little more but you can see she is pretty worn out. I want to keep them home but they are not wanting to miss any school. I have a lot of jobs that I need to do and will hopefully feel more like getting them done once we get some cooler weather happening.

That is about all, nothing exciting happening around here so I will end on that note. Take care
Trace.

New colour.

Hi
I seriously hate photos of me big time so I am sucking it all in and allowing this to be posted so Court and Trace can see my new hair cut and today I have had it coloured. No make up and looks like I need a weeks worth of sleep but at least you get to see what my new hair style is like. I needed to get a lift before the Fiskars Demo I have to do next week and I wanted a something I could blow dry and style each morning to leave the house looking like me and not just Mumsie IYKWIM. I am enjoying shorter hair that is for sure.

Well off to pick up the kidlets now and get the arvo ritual happening.
Take care
Trace.

layouts from last week.

Hi
These are the layouts I did last week, I really love this paper, from Fancy pants, I always really like their designs and rub ons too. I didn't want to cut this paper up but I knew I wanted to add my own touches to it so the best thing was for use it as a border and then put some of the flowers back into the centre and create some of my own. These colours are so nice IRL, I could just work with this colour scheme through and through.

This is just to show the flowers a bit closer.

This layout is also fancy pants paper, yummy so I left it fairly simple but still managed to get my words down about Lainey. I also love these MM tiny alpha stickers, so great to play with, these papers came from my Paper pesto kit from May last year, sadly I have my kit on hold ATM but hope to get it again soon.

This quote is from the little miracles inspiration pack which has lots of little quotes in it, I just added glitter to it. I have started a little book for my 40th year and the special things I did to celebrate it, I am now out of photo paper till later in the week so will have to print off more pics then and get back onto that project, I am using my Paper pesto kit so it will have some of the pics and PP from above so I guess that is saying I really really like this pack. Sadly I dont have any pics of my family to add to it as Mum and Dad were in USA when I turned 40 and when they came back we had a few little get togethers but no photos taken at the time.

Yesterday we got to see my Aunty and Uncle and although it will be a long hard road ahead for them and my cousins they seem to be starting to look ahead a little, the collage they did up of Glen's photos was just gorgeous and it all seems so tragic when you look at what a handsome strong young man he was. He always had a smile on his face and was such a kind, loving young man, I will never ever forget his smile and the ways he always loved to muck around and have fun yet he kept a lot hidden away. Thankfully the Family has had a beautiful priest to help them deal with it all and he seems to have had a lot of experience with dealing with families after suicide.

This week is meeting week at the school which usually comes after the start of school so my first is tonight and as usual Year 7 and Year 1 are at the same time so I can't attend the Year 1. This happened last year so I didn't get to Trins then either. Rainee's teacher is later in the week and doesn't clash with any others. I will have to zip out of one and get to the tail end of another I think. Other than that a bit of a catch up day today which is nice. It is all about to get busy and hectic again in 20 mins.
Take care
Trace.

Cooking up a storm.

Hi
Today has been a busy day with about 4 hours of it spent in the kitchen cooking, cooking and more cooking. I had minimal eggs and marg so I was pretty happy with the mega amounts of goodies we did get to bake. The kidlets helped with most of it, first we made cornflake biscuits and I added chopped chocolate chunks into the mix and they are yum. Next was Coconut delight, my Mum baked this weekly when I was a kid as it was my all time favourite. Then Tim's favourite which is Coconut and Cherry slice and then Keelan made a lemon cake and Chocolate cake with me at the end although he did nearly the whole lot, mixer and all. So they are now all iced and put away in containers some ready for the freezer and the rest will get eaten in no time.

I felt like Izzy off Grey's Anatomy cooking through grief. Last week my cousin committed suicide and I have had a really mixed up time over it all, it seems only now the water works have arrived and just dont want to stop. I really wanted to go to his funeral but it was impossible for me to get there yesterday and when Mum told me all about it this morning I just could not get it out of my mind and still can't. Glen has always fought his demons in life but at 29 it seems he finally couldn't take it anymore and it shocked the family so much as no one really had any idea that he was feeling so dark.

We are going to see my Uncle and Aunty and Cousins tomorrow so I have lots of baked goodies to take and I am going to cook them a main meal in the morning to take with us as Uncle Kevin said they have been living off take away this past week and have had enough of it. I have made a Sympathy card, my first since starting scrapping and card making and I also made 16 Thankyou cards for them to send off to anyone they need to Thank down the track. All the while the tears have just flowed and flowed. It's times like this that I so need to hug my Mum yes even at 40 and just let my river flow, like Uncle Kevin said this all makes you realise how much your Family all mean to you no matter how distant your relationships are.

To my cousin Glen I just hope you are resting in peace now and that Nana gave you that great big hug she always had for you as you were so special to her and that you are with Em.

I will post my layouts later this week, I did manage to get 2 done. Looking forward to Tim being home tomorrow, 1 day a week together is just not enough but that is another story.
Have a great Sunday and don't miss any opportunity to be with loved ones no matter what.
Take care
Trace.

What a laugh.

Hi
These 2 are soooo funny, I have to share a story with you about them. Wednesday is bin day here and Keelan puts them out Tuesday nights, this week he put both out but Tim came home and told us he didn't think it was recycle day as across the road and us where the only ones with both out.

Sooo after tea and just as it was bed time I grabbed Keelan and asked him to come for a walk with me and see what the general consensus was in the neighbourhood. The girls started to beg to come too but I told them to stay with Dad and we would be back in a minute. They started to cry and carry on and we left.

We wondered up to the top of the road and checked out what was happening and decided it was only 1 bin day. So Keelan took the recycle bin back up the back yard and I found some more fern out the front garden and decided to pull it out while enjoying some peace. Keelan meanwhile had gone back inside. I came back inside and washed my hands and then I heard Rainee exclaim "Yes she is home, Trini, Mum came home" to which they both seemed relieved and hopped into bed. I went into the kitchen and Keelan was cracking up laughing, I asked him what was up and he said " Mum this was classic, I went down to my room and the girls were kneeling together at the side of the bed saying Please God Please bring Mum and Keelan home, we miss them and we want them home now" next minute as Keelan appeared at their door they got so excited saying " Keelan it worked it worked, we prayed for you and Mum to come home and you did". Keelan said I am home but Mum isn't yet so he said they got back kneeling and started praying for me to come home and he said next minute I opened the front door and came in and they started jumping around excited again exclaiming "see Keelan it works, it works, we prayed and Mum came home."

I nearly wet myself when Keelan told me this story, they crack me up. Keelan and I still giggle about it now, how loved are we. LOL.

Yesterday Keelan got some news that flawed him and now he is extremely disappointed about how Year 7 will go, his teacher announced she is Pregnant and will be leaving mid year. Just another repeat of last year, this class had a teacher leave due to other problems mid year last year and they really found it hard to adjust to another teacher 2 days a week as they were already a class with 2 teachers. I had to lighten his mood up a bit by telling him to ask the Girls to pray he gets another great teacher to replace her. The girls eagerly promised him they would because their Prayers come true!!! What little angels they can be.

Random thought for today. No matter how bad a day you may have, grab your Children and have a hug, they always have great energy and love to pass onto you.

Off now to scrapbook so hopefully tomorrow I will have EYE CANDY. Take care and have a great Thursday, I heart Thursdays. Trace.

It's all good!

Hi
Well the kidlets are settling into school routine very well, they seem happy with their classes and Teachers so that is a big bonus to start the school year. Trin has 2 new Girls in her class and seems to be making friends with them, so I really hope she continues to find her way with them well, they all seem to have matured a lot in the holidays and being in the big playground now will change things for them also. I just pray this is a great year for her all round as the last 2 have been pretty rough for her at times.

Rainee has a lovely young teacher and she seems so bright and bubbly and spiritual with the kids. The first day Rainee got cold feet and clung to me for dear life when I went to leave with tears however the teachers aide was able to peel her away from me and she settled down then. Today she was happy for me to leave and found her place with her friends very quickly.

Keelan would have us charging out the door at 7.30am if he could, he is so keen to get to school as soon as the teacher opens the door and get ready to start lessons, WOW what a great attitude he has to start Year 7. He has heaps in his diary already for this term including camp which he is really excited about. I just feel this year is going to be huge for Keelan in so many ways, he is the most switched on I have ever seen him about his education.

Zay is happy to take the kids to school and carries his lunch pack with him while we deliver the kids and then we do puzzles with Rainee and he sits and puts them altogether so I think he feels that is his bit of school and then happily hugs her goodbye and off we go. He likes the peace and quiet and I have to play ball with him for at least an hour each day, he wont let me off the hook for that, today we played T ball inside, sshhh don't tell anyone and he just cracked up everytime I hit the ball for a six, lucky it was soft. He just makes me laugh so much, I am really enjoying having the true essence of him shine through while we have time alone.

I have been spring cleaning my scrap room and office desk ready for study to start at the end of Feb and also in the hope that I might get the house cleansed and caught up and then spend some time in the scrap room. My creativity has been running pretty flat lately so now with a clean room and desk again I might get some inspiration happening. Well I think that is about all the news I have ATM, hope you are all enjoying getting back into the routine. Take care, Trace.

Cool Dog.

Hi
This is Amber Rose, she pretty much loves to occupy my treadmill most of the time and she can look inside and see what we are up too or watch me in the kitchen but this style of hers is so funny we think she is pretty cool when she stretches out like that on the treadmill, must be nice to have a big stretch and cool your tummy at the same time, not the best photo but she gets excited if you go near her and moves, I had 1 shot at it and then she moved, worse than kids to capture this dog. LOL.

We have had a full on day and I keep looking at the clock thinking it must be near midnight. Rainee had a double Birthday party this morning and had to go dressed as a princess, she looked lovely but I ran out of time for a photo, bummer, she had her hair nice and a crown and lots of sparkly glitter dust on her face and glitter lip gloss but when we got there she got stage fright and clung to me for dear life so the glitter dust ended up on my black top and her hair went to mush. argggghhhh. But after a few of her good friends started to arrive she defrosted and we took her out to the playground to her friends and she was happy for us to leave. Then the other 3 and I belted off to the shops for some school socks and groceries and then flew home and unpacked it and they put bathers on and then back in the car to grab a bottle of sparkly and pick Rainee up who had a great time after all and then around to my girlfriends for hair cuts, swim and sausage sizzle. She ended up giving me a much needed revamp YAY, so now I am back to shorter hair and something I can blow dry and tizz up. Sooooo needed that.

Then we opened the bubbly and sat back in the heat while the kidlets swam and had nearly 6 hours in the pool. Even Zay was in for ages and his confidence has grown so much and Rainee is now like Trin, a pair of fishes together. It was hard getting them out of the pool to come home, even the temptation of taco's for tea was not moving them but I eventually got them home, bathed, tea, chill out and bed and they are sore and sorry for their wear n tear but hey it was fun while it lasted. Zay wore his tummy out on the boogey board and Rainee has some wrinkled pads of fingers still somewhere on the side of the pool and Trin has a sore leg. LOL. Pure exhaustion. I finally got to catch up with my girlfriend after 6 weeks of trying to get together, our first Christmas, New Year drink, how bad is that.

Countdown to school, yay big excitement in this house, last year I was so down about them going back to school, don't know why but this year is such a great year for Keelan, Year 7, he is senior class of his Primary school this year so I think that's pretty exciting. Trin is year 1 so it is the beginning of major learning for her, she is sooooo ready for that, I hope she has a wonderful year this year, I think she will love being in the playground with other years. Rainee well she was ready for school years ago, she has busted my ears all holidays about when is school starting, so I guess she is ready. Well enough from me, enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Take care, Trace. Thanks for dropping by and Thankyou for leaving comments, they are greatly welcomed around here.