A Rose By Any Other Name ...

A very famous line for a quick post about one of our most recent excursions ... and a few older ones.

The girls' first experience

The reason this particular line is important is because once, about 4 years ago, I accidentally took my (then) 10, 9 and 7 year old daughters to see Macbeth.

The most obvious question is "how did you manage to accidentally take your children to see a play?". To clarify this is how it happened:

1. See an advertisement advertised for The Scottish Play in uni newsletter, with a synopsis that it is about putting on a Shakespearian production.
2. Think "Oh that sounds like a good introduction to Shakespeare for the girls and it is only $10 per ticket, plus it's supporting the university. I should go".
3. Because I am a responsible parent (sometimes), I email university to see if it is suitable for children*.
4. Uni says that they year 7 students who saw a similar production last year enjoyed it.
5. Take children on the basis that they like plays and they are good audience members. Audience is full of middle aged people (parents?) a few students (friends?), and us.
6. Work out it is actually Macbeth with a bit of an prologue and epilogue at the end of each act about why you can't say 'Macbeth' in a theatre.
7. Spend the intermission trying to explain why a play called The Scottish Play has everyone it Asian clothes
8. Fail dismally at point 7. Partly because I don't really know why. Artistic interpretation is hard to explain to small children.
9. Girls love it.
10. Spend the rest of my life trying to explain it to people that I know Macbeth is often referred to as The Scottish Play, but that the synopsis implied it was a play about Macbeth not actually Macbeth with about 10 minutes of extra bits.

Turns out it was a great accident. The girls are very enthusiastic and wanted to see more. This lead to me developing a theory that children should be encouraged to see Shakespeare's plays. They are too young to understand the raunchy bits, and aren't self conscious about not understanding the words. A good production involves "miming" style actions as much as words. That said, liking Shakespeare from a young age I think helped me develop a love of words.

Helpful tip: Read the synopsis first. Makes explaining things much easier.

The Pixie did create a bit of a mexican wave style giggle when she whispered very loudly "Mama, is he drunk". He was. He was weeing on the wall, but never mind. As a side note, if you have yet to experience Shakespeare for yourself, please remove any delusions you may have about it being all grandoise and classy. Lots of crude jokes in every Shakespeare play I have ever seen!

See! It was still a great show even if I had been expecting something else. Does the title of this post make sense now?

Later ...
I took them to see As You Like It, and Much Ado About Nothing (which Tink was pretty adamant should be renamed Lots of Talking About Something).

Last week
On Friday night I took them to see Cymbeline, which to be honest I had never heard of before. I really liked it. It had lots of drama, romance, fighting, lots people, evil plots, poisons which turn out not to be really poisons, you know, all the good stuff.

I totally forgot to follow my helpful tip about reading the synopsis first. Pixie found all the names a little confusing so made me read the synopsis on the program modernising the names. I don't think it really helped her follow it but she was impressed by my efforts.

She wasn't in a particularly good mood anyway. The Pixie really wanted to do something for Halloween, so we got a little dressed up to go. I was a cat. Pixie was a vampire. Tink was a vampire. Buglet and Apple came straight from dance so they didn't get to dress up.

We also snuck in a quick Halloween party down the road, including reusing the water-melo-latern from my work morning tea!

And just in case you thought that this intellectual stimulation wasn't having any affect on the infants, this was the exchange on the way home in the car ....

Pixie: What Shakespeare plays have we seen?
Me: You guys? Um ... Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Macbeth ...
Pixie (horrified): Mama! You can't say Macbeth in a theatre!
Me: We're not in the theatre, we're in the car.
Pixie: Oh yeah. Continue.
Buglet: Do you have any of the plays written down?
Me (horrified): Yes! The complete works. They're right next to Harry Potter, and I have a few of them in student editions.
 Apple starts giggling
Me: Are you laughing that they're next to Harry Potter?
Apple: No, I'm laughing that she thought you might not have any.

We are off to see Taming of the Shrew in a few weeks, so we clearly haven't been scarred too badly.

*This is actually really important with plays. I took the Pixie and my niece and nephew to see a MA type play because I didn't check ... and we were in the front row! Admittedly that was this year, so ages after this, but that is not the point.

Disclaimer:

• I am not qualified to give gardening or beauty or any other household advice. Follow my suggestions at your own risk.
• I am not qualified to give teaching advice.
• It is doubtful I am qualified to give parenting advice, there is still time for me to stuff up.
• I am not even allowed to give legal advice without supervision.

I would recommend finding more reliable sources for any advice of any nature.

But Shakespeare did it!

When I was little we had a set of Encyclopedia Britanica Children's Encyclopedias. If you have never seen these particular ones they were mostly written in a story-type style so they were easy to read, and in a world pre-Google (are your paying attention children, there was a way of finding out things pre-Google) reading them was an eye-opener to so much stuff. 

I remember being beyond fascinated that Shakespeare invented the words "gloomy" and "hurry". Can you imagine a world without the word "hurry"? "Gloomy", I feel, is a bit underused these days which is a shame 'cos it is really a very expressive word. Say it out loud! Go on. Don't you think it sounds like its meaning? Eeyore knew a thing or two!

Yesterday's car conversation focused on onomatopoeia, and I have to confess that this happened after a discussion on the the difference between onomatopoeia and acronyms ...

Buglet enthusiastically: Let's all think of as many onomatopoeia words as we can.
*awkward silence*
Me: That is totally nerdy. Even for us.

Today's confession. I laughed at my daughter, called her a nerd, then told her I was going to blog about it. We are totally ok with being nerds. It is part of what makes us so awesome. I think Buglet's suggestion here crossed the line though.

Anyway, back to Shakespeare. Since I was about 7, my argument has always been that "if Shakespeare can make up words so can I".

Tink: Mum, that's not a word.
Me: Yes it is. I just used it.
Tink: You're not allowed to just make up words.
Me sadly: That is what my boss says too.
Tink: And don't say if "Shakespeare can do it so can I". You're not Shakespeare.

Squashed! On lots of levels. I think the word I had used talking to Tink was "barklet". Mostly because it make more sense in the context of some random song Pixie was singing about Flip-Flop. Flip-Flop might do many things, but she does not meow (I am assuming the song had originally been written about a cat and Pixie had altered it to suit herself. I don't ask silly questions, sometimes it is better just to assume, lots of these times are to do with Pixie).

The word my boss said I had made up was "skewy". As in "the margins are all skewy". I am pretty sure this is a real life shortened version of "askew". It is very descriptive and it really was what the stupid margins were doing.

This week we attended the dedication and naming service of my beautiful new nephew. For those of you wondering, neither Pixie nor I predicted the name. Clearly, our psychic skills are not working properly.

I got lots of photos of the eight cousins. Unfortunately none of all them together, as my gorgeous youngest niece decided to sleep for most of the time. I did sneak a cuddle in just before we left though and got a few quick pictures so she can't feel totally left out.

I haven't been able to find a collective word for a group of cousins so I am coining my own phrase. What do you all think of "a cuddle of cousins"? I think it is cute. Who knows, it may even catch on!

At one point Pixie had her own campaign to introduce the term "awesomization" into mainstream language. It didn't really take off. "Sickaling" on the other hand I catch myself using all the time.

Stay safe everyone, and enjoy the English language today. I am trying very hand to expand what words I use, so let me know if you have any favourite words or expressions!

PS Did I tell you I have a Cath shaped book?

Cath shaped book!

The Magnificent Seven

My name is Catherine, and it has been 7 days since my last blog post.

Last weekend I was busy enjoying the fabulousness of life. This week I have just been busy.

As it has been seven days of not blogging, I thought I would share seven lovely things from the last week.

Lovely thing 1

My baby sister turned 21! And even though I say my baby sister she is the third youngest. All three of the little ones are referred to as my "baby sisters" to distinguish them from my "adult" sisters, plus I am their big sister so I can call them that if I want to.

... 21 ...

21. It still doesn't seem possible that the baby I carried around, and played with like a living doll, and taught her colours using M&Ms, and the little girl who took her baby nieces to school for news, is a a total grown up.

My next youngest sister turns 18 in December. This is even freakier because the next 18th in the family will be Buglet (she is older than my youngest sister by 10 months).

But back to Miss 21. She is kind. She is fun. She is beautiful. She has grown up to be a thoroughly gorgeous woman and I am so very proud of her.

To me she is also my measure of pure happiness. When I think about how happy something makes me, I compare it to the look on her face when I used to hold her upside down as a toddler. It was pure joy. I am smiling just thinking about it. If you ever find anything in life that makes you this happy, hang on to it! Interesting she's grown up to be a gymnast, and a teaches little kids. Happiness should last a life time, and I think this is where it all started ....

Cos this is how all the cool kids hang out :)

Her party was fun. She very cleverly had the family from 5pm - 8pm, and then her friends from 7pm. Just enough overlap to share cake. She is smart too. She gets that from me. Pixie thought this was sensible too. She was worried our family was a bit intimidating to others. We do sort of have the force of a small(ish) tornado when we are all together.

Lovely thing 2
I love catching up with people. I also love breakfast. Going out for breakfast is one of my most favourite things to do. When you get to combine the two and it is with super awesome friends who you haven't seen in forever it is even better. Plus I came home with beautiful artwork.

Collective artistic effort

Parenting tip: While you don't need to keep every picture they give you, value every picture they draw you, they stop drawing them way too quickly.

Lovely thing 3
The Princess Bride if you have not seen this movie you are either a totally different generation to me, or you as oblivious as my sister. She insisted she had never seen it. I know she had seen it. She is only 3 years younger than me and I know we used to watch it. Before you are too concerned about this obvious amnesia, I bought her the dvd and gave it to my niece and nephew last Easter. Tink has informed me it is one of my nephew's favourite movies now. Go Auntie Cath! Who said I wasn't useful?

I randomly bought a copy for us on a late night emergency trip to the IGA. It was a perfect way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon.

As a side note, this is one of the few books I have found where the movie is better than the book. I do own the book though! I was given it as a 30th birthday present!

Lovely thing 4
I had a dentist appointment on Monday, (this is not the lovely thing), so I was home mid-afternoon and managed to get some gardening done. I am plodding along slowly, and I am totally talking myself up about every single little thing in the hope that I actually keep myself motivated.

Unfortunately it lead to this:

Me: I am really sorry I was late. I was gardening and I thought it would be dark by six. The sun isn't going down as early as it used to.
Pixie: I think we should name the sun. He shall be called David. Then Buglet can tell [the dance teacher] that she is late because David wouldn't go down.
Me (praying I didn't hear giggles from the backseat): Don't ever say that again!
Pixie: Why?
Me: Just don't, ok? It is not good for my emotional health and well-being.

When I told the dance teacher later there was so much laughing (waves at her!).

It was worth being late to pick up the girl, and the few hours work that evening to know that I had actually got something done in the afternoon. I had scheduled in a gardening afternoon on Sunday but storms changed that plan. The girls were not disappointed.

This weekend .... I mulch!

Lovely thing 5
End of term at Guides. We had a party with party games. These included Pass the Parcel with challenges in each layer; one of which was to list three things you have learnt at Guides this term. Massive fuzzy feeling that they have actually learnt something.

We also had "egg" on spoon relays. I was on Pixie's team. She named our egg aka a malteaser "Stanley". She is not normal. It was very funny watching her freak out every time she dropped him though. At one point he was officially declared dead which considering how often he was dropped was probably a fair assessment.

I also got a message from one of our Guide parents saying thank you for what we have done for the girls this term. It made a massive difference to how I felt.

Warm fuzzies all around, and go Team Guide Leaders!

Awesome people tip: Saying thank you and acknowledging the work people do really does make them feel good.

Lovely thing 6
I have been going on a bit of a re-reading binge. For those of you read my post on my favourite books you would have noted that I struggled to find favourites. This week I have re-read Jodi Picoult's Plain Truth (a story about an Amish girl accused of infanticide), and The Storyteller (a story about forgiveness, the Holocaust, and perceptions on oneself with some interesting Polish folklore for an added bonus). I think these two are my favourite Jodie Picoult books along with Nineteen Minutes. If you ask me again in a few months this may have changed, so I am not being held to this.

Lovely thing 7
I have a new nephew!! I saved the best for last! I haven't seen him in person yet, but he is gorgeous and we are very much looking forward to meeting him.

My brother-in-law is Danish so we won't find out his name until this christening. Pixie is absolutely adamant that he is going to be called "Simon, because it is a good Danish name." This Little One's mind works in mysterious ways. My official guess is Kayden. No reason except I am expecting something a little less common. If either of us are right I will be buying a lotto ticket!

For those of you keeping count ... yes this is four new nieflings in four months, the loveliest of lovely things.

So they were the lovely bits of my week. There have been some not-so-lovely bits with all three girls being sick with man-flu (definitely man-flu based on the bickering, and the whinging. Is it really bad that it is making me a lot less sad that they are going away with DB this weekend?), and Flip-Flop who has decided sleeping is not on the agenda this week, and a super busy ... but overall it is has been a pretty lovely week!

There will be no blog posts this weekend. This weekend is dedicated to domestic goddessing. If I blog, this means I am distracting myself and this is not allowed. There will be a brag post early next week, with pictures. You all have to be impressed.

Happy Friday everyone xx

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
Blues gonna win there's no doubt about it!

Conveniently they did or I would have had to think of a new title to today's post. This was also the source of much parental fail as both DB and I missed seeing the Pixie accept the shield as a faction caption.

Obviously it is about doing your best and having fun, this just happens to be my favourite chant from when I was a very enthusiastic cheerer at school sports days. So enthusiastic that I was awarded the Sportsmanship Award one year despite having no athletic ability whatsoever.

This year was my last ever primary school sports day as a parent. I was a bit worried that I might not be able to attend due to work commitments. The Pixie's response? "That is ok, its going to be boring anyway". Humph. Luckily I was able to go, and Pixie woke up on the morning of the sports carnival with "Mama! It's today? Are you excited?". This is much better! She also gave me a cuddle make sure that wasn't too sad. She has been told before that she is not allowed to ruin my being sad moments because they are getting too big. That is a parent's privilege.

The night before her enthusiasm levels were up. She messaged DB to make sure that he understood how these things worked.

Pixie: Remember I'm in blue faction so don't come in green red or gold Pixie G
DB: Ok green it is
Pixie: Dad! BLUE

He obviously teased her enough she was concerned about me.

Pixie: Do you want me to paint your nails? *looks at my fake nails in disgust* I can't paint those.
Me: You can paint my toenails?...
Pixie: Will you wear thongs?
Me: No.
Pixie: You can wear blue eyeshadow instead.

Sports carnivals are important. But I would like it on the record that I have never missed a sports carnival and I have always worn blue! DB on the other hand struggles a little. I blame him and his mostly blue Hawaiian shirt for the big girls banning me from the high school sports day. According to Buglet I am only allowed to go if I have a baby to bring and be cute. I don't want to go enough to have another baby.

We take faction colours seriously

While the important bit for the kids is that they are out there and having fun, the important bit for me as a parent is that is the one day of school year I have always been there for. I am there. I cheer enthusiastically (too enthusiastically if you ask the girls). I take pictures. To me this was particularly important when all three of them were at the school. I got to be there for all of them which was nice.

When they were little I somehow managed to be the parent-most-in-charge-of-walking-children-to-the-bathroom. The last few years it has been my annual day for assisting the P&C; I help on the sausage sizzle. It would not be far from the truth to say years of Guiding has helped with both these contributions!

I do appreciate that one day isn't much contribution to the amazing work that the P&C does. But it makes me feel slightly better. Other selfish bonuses: it gives me something to do when Pixie isn't doing anything; Pixie doesn't want to talk to me anyway she just wants me there; it means I don't have to listen to DB complaining about being bored or about Pixie not wanting to talk to him or me not wanting to talk to him. Joys of teenager(ish) people! Moral of the story: Everyone should help the P&C.

Another annual tradition is Pixie getting Subway as my vegetarian baby doesn't eat sausage sizzles. I know I've posted this on facebook, but it still makes me laugh too much not to share again.

Me: I will drop you at school and then go to Subway. What would you like?
Pixie: Capsicum, tomato, lettuce, carrot, cheese. I wrote it down but I lost it.
Me: Is there anything you don't like?
Pixie: Figs.
Me: I don't think they have figs.
Pixie: You didn't say that. You said "is there anything you don't like" and I don't like figs.
Me: Have you ever had a fig?
Pixie: No. But I don't like them.

Sports carnivals also gave me one of my most valuable parenting lessons: Doesn't matter what you are there for, they will always remember the thing you missed. Deal with it.

I may still remember the fact my mum missed the time my sisters, best friend, and I won the Year 7 relay even though our team was made up of two year 7 students, 1 year 6 and a Year 4. That moment across the finish line was brilliant.

Officially, the end of another era.

We came, we saw, we took photos .....

Sorry, I haven't posted for a few days. However, those of you who read my I-hate-being-at-work-when-my-kids-are-at-home-on-school-holidays-even-though-the-rest-of-the-year-I-love-my-job self-pitying whinge last week will be pleased to know that the reason I haven't posted is because the Pixie and I had a weekend of adventuring while the big girls were on camp (and I did an assignment too, but I am not writing about that because that is nowhere near as much fun as adventuring).

My Pixie loves taking photos at every given opportunity so ... tonight's post is our weekend (mostly) in pictures.

DB dropped her to me at work Friday afternoon, complete with a sushi snack (and one for me). Pixie sulked because she couldn't leave a note for the Minion. She did decide the new assistant in our area would be a worthy substitute. I love that I have colleagues who are pleased to rock up to work to a note saying "thanks for being my new boss minion" rather than being offended!

After she had checked all the stamps, my job was to distract all my colleagues having Friday drinks in the kitchen so the Pixie could sneak in and get a biscuit. This failed for several reasons:

1. The kitchen is tiny and the biscuits were the opposite side to the door.
2. I announced that I was supposed to be distracting everyone.
3. The Pixie is not a sneaky ninja at the best of times.

It did work in her favour though, because she was told off by everyone for only getting one biscuit when she had two hands! Two biscuits is definitely a better deal.

We had cupcakes .... and Sir Hilton of the Paris Yaris was awarded the Order of the Cupcake.

The Pixie taking arty pictures

We went to the movies to see How To Tame a Dragon 2, and I amazed the Pixie by telling her I remembered the first time the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were at the movies.

See! I could be a sneaky ninja turtle, Mummy! Or at least a ninja turtle!

We went home fell asleep watching How to Tame a Dragon. The first one. See I can be rebellious. Watching movies out of order!

Saturday we went on a road trip to Brookton. One of our friends is a farmer out there and she took us adventuring.

I thought we could be archaeologists. The Pixie disagreed

Exploring the ruins of one of the original houses
 

Me: Oooh! We can practice being archaeologists.
Pixie: You don't want to be an archaeologist. You want to be a boring lawyer.
Me: That is a bit ...mean. I had a history degree first. So there.
Pixie: Well it is true. You study for 10 years to sit in a court room and listen to people argue. You must really like arguing. The only reason I like persuasive writing is because I get to argue with the teacher.
Me: I liked arguing a lot more before I had children.

She is also a monkey

Pixie was very excited to see three foxes. She was a bit bemused to find out farmers would not think this was as cool as she did.

If Pixies don't eat sheep, neither should foxes

And we found other wildlife to look at ... famers also don't like caterpillars

Pixie: He shall be named Bobilina
Me: Your child naming privileges have been revoked.

We picnicked, we climbed, we explored and the Pixie slept the whole way home! It was an awesome day. I always come home from the farm feeling happy and recharged.

That night we went to a chocolate a board game night. Pixie refused to be on my team and went on Apple's instead. My team won. There is a lesson in that for all you children reading this.

Sunday we had a Guide leader meeting (and Pixie, but she got to have a super awesome breakfast too) and then we went to one of my best friend's graduation party. She is now a nurse. Pixie went as an army doctor ("Because that is what Leo is in Charmed") and I topped off an awesome weekend by finding pink and purple pyjamas with hedgehogs on them. I went as a patient and I had been looking for ones with a "fixing" type slogan, but I fell in love with these. Sooooo much happy!

If you look carefully you can see where I spilt some of the "stool sample" we took as food (aka chocolate mousse with chopped up lollies in it)

Then I got my big girls home from church camp. Such a lovely weekend, spent with wonderful people who remind me how lucky I am to have them in my life.

A tale of two "puppies"

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness" .... and it was eventually the right time for us to add a dog to our house family.

The girls (and DB) have wanted a dog for ages. When Buglet was about 8 they had obviously been talking about it because I came home one day to the following proposal: "We need to get a dog, Mummy. You won't need to do a thing. Daddy will walk it,  Tink will feed it, I will pick up it's poo, and  Pixie will love it very much".

In case you couldn't tell, my argument for not getting a dog had been that I didn't need a pet, I had DB and the girls, and I didn't need something else to look after. I let them practice on crazy crabs, and they were the best looked after crazy crabs in the world.

Later, the girls got a rabbit and the friend who  gave them the rabbit got the girls to sign a contract saying they would look after her, which they have done and Misty is a very loved bunny.

DB got a budgie which eventually ended moving in with the girls and me, and we were all devastated when he died.

Then, Flip-Flop came into our lives. A friend of mine put on facebook that she needed to re-home her dog, and I decided it was the right time for us to get a dog. I was a bit nervous about having something else to look after, but it was the best decision I have made for a long time.

Buglet was pretty right with her prediction. The deal with the girls was that if we got a dog, she was going to be their dog and it was their job to look after her, and they do a wonderful job. They feed her and love her and clean up her mess. I walk her (which I knew would happen she is too strong for the girls, but walking her is good for me too), and I feed her when the girls are at their dad's house, and I love her too.

Buglet also got one other thing right. We all love Flip-Flop, but Pixie and Flip-Flop are what we call "puppy-people twins". Since we got her they are inseparable. Tink described it as "it's like they are joined by a lead. Where one goes, the other follows, but I don't know who is holding the lead".




When you leave them alone for five minutes .....

There are some things they don't agree on however .....

• Eating meat: Pixie doesn't think you should eat meat, Flip-Flop disagrees.
• The trampoline: Pixie thinks it is for jumping, Flip-Flip thinks it is for sleeping.
• Shoes: Pixie thinks they are for wearing, Flip-Flop thinks they are for eating (luckily she's mostly grown out of this one).
• Who is the Boss: Pixie thinks she is the boss, Flip-Flop doesn't recognise Pixie as being any more senior in the pack.
• Being a sneaky ninja: Pixie thinks they are sneaky ninjas, Flip-Flop doesn't understand this concept at all (Pixie isn't actually very sneaky either but that is ok).
• Snapping: Flip-Flop doesn't snap, Pixie has started since we've had the dog.
• Licking people: Flip-Flop knows they are puppy kisses, Pixie licks the air at people (this is a good thing!)

Time for me to go! Flip-Flop and I have a Saturday date with the beach!

It's too late Mummy ...

For those of you who read my last post about Pixie's career plans, tonight's post is on Buglet's progression of career goals.

When they tiny my favourite bit is that their plans always included being a mum and a Guide leader as well. In my good moments it is massively reassuring that they want to follow in my footsteps; in my bad moments I worried that this was the only way they thought they would see enough of me! These days they are much more articulate about being happy with my parenting/work/life balance.

My first recollection of Buglet's and job plans was when she was in year 1. They did a series of activities on all the different activities, and every day she came home with things: nurses bag, police officers badge, you know the things. Attempting to be a good parent I was telling her she could be anything she wanted when she grew up, and to prove my point I told her that I was going to be a pirate when I grew up. Buglet looked at me very sadly and said "It's too late for you to be a pirate Mummy. You're already grown up, but you can dress up and pretend to be one if you like". Seriously squashed by the child.

A pirate costume is still one of my favourite dress-ups though, and it is what I wore to a friend's 30th party a couple of years ago when the theme was "what you want to be when you grow up". Pirate costumes are much more fun than lawyer costumes.

Being supportive and making Mummy a parrot to go with her pirate costume :)

For ages Buglet's plan was to learn to be a life guard and that was going to be her job while she was going through uni learning to be a vet. On weekends she was going to teach dance. I love that there is not only goals, there are steps in place of what she was going to do when you are getting to those goals. They do say that a goal is a dream with a date, and think that same concept applies to dreams with a plan.

Late last year I had the revelation that these conversations with Buglet were suddenly real. Not just maybe ... one day ... you can do whatever you want conversations, but actual real conversations that are at the point where she is about to make big decisions. I have already blogged about freaking out over her selecting subjects for upper school. Me, not her; she is ok!

Today I met with her teachers at school and freaked out again. Her social studies teacher (now called "society and environment" just to show I am up with the change in terminology) made me feel better when I was stressing about not pushing her into history just because it is my subject. Massively thankful for comment that I had my head screwed on right, and thankful that this teacher could see through the panic to appreciate that my concern is to support them make their own decisions and not to push them in a direction that I think they should be taking. My parents are very good role models for this, so I am thankful for them too.

Recently she has been thinking about teaching (dance and/or primary school and/or English and/or maths), or physiotherapy, or dance therapy ... I guess only time will tell. Now just to calm down, relax, and remind myself that it will all work out and that there are lots of different pathways to get where you want to go. These are all things I tell other people, now I just need to remind myself.

Slothful

And no, this isn't a post about me being lazy, although I could write one of those.

Ironically this post is brought to you by late night blogging and a random sighting on facebook that it is sloth week (No idea if this is true. I probably could have googled it. Googling things pays off as you will read later).

Look Mama! I am a sloth! Quick. Take a picture for Daddy.

 

As I haven't posted today, here is an old story about Tink.

Tink was in about year 1 when this story happened, so it is slightly paraphrased now!

Tink: Your favourite animal is a starfish isn't it Mummy?
Me: Sure. Why not.
Tink produces a family coat of arms.
Tink: I thought it might be. I spent such a long time drawing Daddy's sloth that I thought your favourite animal would be a star fish. I can draw those quickly.

The aforementioned coat of arms took pride of place on our fridge for ages. Now it is a box somewhere and when I see it next I will share a picture with you. It has a painstakingly drawn picture of a three-toed sloth on it which is actually DB's favourite animal. My official favourite animal is now a starfish, because Tink knew it would be.

And while we are on the topic of sloths, Pixie's random day of googling "how to make an origami sloth" paid off at Guides when that was what she was asked to make by chance last year in a random challenge organised by one of the girls. Out of all the things I have ever seen the girls google, that was one thing I never thought would pay off. Funnily, Tink's team was asked to make an elephant which is her favourite animal.

 



So the morals for tonight's story is:

1. Sometimes you just know things about your mother;
2. You never know when random knowledge may come in handy; and
3. If you're going to be up so late, don't expect sensible blog posts.

Sweet dreams everyone xx

Hot 'n' cold

"Mama, mama, I went to town, inside, outside upside down!". Does anyone else remember this line from the Berenstain Bears' book Inside, Outside, Upside Down? I adore that line! It always pops into my head in the middle of the chaos when I am balancing a million emotions all at once.

Pixie is very into singing at the moment. Yesterday she declared the theme song was in Hot 'n' Cold in honour of Buglet. She is such a caring sister sometimes.

I had a horrible scare with Buglet. She came in before I was even out of bed crying and telling me her legs weren't working and she was burning up on the inside.

I panicked.

My first instinct was to throw her in the car (possibly even literally even though she is almost my size), and take her to the hospital.

Buglet said no.

Alternative panic plan I called my mum. Lesson here is it doesn't matter how old your children are, or how old their children are, you are still their mother. I really need to remember this!

Mum very sensibly told me to call Health Direct, who were lovely as usual. After a trip to the doctor, I am happy to let you know she is ok.

I stayed home with her yesterday. I was supposed to be keeping an eye on Buglet, but instead I slept on the couch, admittedly with her, for three hours. She may not have been the only one who was sick. While I was sleeping Buglet amused herself at one point by taking pictures of me when I was asleep. I have taught them well! Very politely she asked me prior to putting them on facebook. I told you I have taught them well.

The bonus to being at home was that I was here to get the letter saying that Pixie has been accepted into the academic extension program at the big girls' high school.

If you missed the post about Pixie's application click here. You will see why I was a bit worried.

Pixie wasn't worried. She has kept asking about when the letter telling her she was going to high school would arrived.

I have also been a bit concerned about how high school will cope with Pixie. When I asked her what they were going to do with her, she very calmly told me that "They will put me in a room by myself and lock the door". Um ... I suppose that would be one method!

It has been stressing me out a bit because we don't live in that high school zone anymore, and I didn't really have a Plan B yet. Yes I do realise I keep saying there is always a Plan B ... and I know there would have been, but I hadn't worked it out yet.

Pixie's only concern has been that I expect her to be like Tink.

"It's not fair Mama. Everyone will expect me to be like Tink. I am only going to do the academic program. And music. I am not going to do soccer and be on the student council as well. I am lazy and that is too much for Pixies".

There is only one Pixie and there is only one Tink, and thank goodness for both these things!

But they are all wonderful. My random happy moment was Tink and Pixie both being super excited and insisting on taking pictures when we saw a double rainbow on the way home from school.

Have I mentioned recently that I love rainbows?

And to round out tonight's post nicely and evenly. A Buglet quote on Pixie's singing.

"I keep thinking that Pixie will just one day start singing like Daddy. But I think she has your voice Mum, and that is a shame".

Harsh, but true.

But long may all my babies continue to sing like no-one is listening, and long may it keep us all happy when everything else is inside and outside, hot and cold, and up and down.

Oh Mama! Did I tell you about my refugee?

For those of you who missed the facebook post, it went like this:

I don't normally drive the girls to school. This is possibly the reason why. I  had  been attempting to get information out of the Pixie about her school disco.

Me *sigh*: Oh Pixie.
Pixie: You always say "sigh, oh Pixie"! Why is it never, "sigh, oh Buglet", or "sigh, oh Tink", it is always "sigh, oh Pixie"
*continues on like this for a while.
Buglet: Sush Pixie.
Pixie: Mama! That's what she says... to me on the bus too! Even when I am not being naughty, but I am just talking and telling her about stuff and or just talking.
Me: Talking or waffling?
Pixie: Just waffling. I don't really make much sense.
Me *sigh*: Oh, Pixie.
Pixie: Mama! You said it again *pauses mid-rant* Oooh! I didn't tell you about my refugee!
Me: You have a refugee?!

 

First things first. I did manage to eventually find out about the disco. The Pixie went and it may be her last primary school disco (sad mama moment) and a wonderful time, ate too much fairy floss, and wore something entirely unsuitable for cold rainy weather. I have a horrible feeling I may be saying similar things about her well into her twenties. In my defence, I  told her to pack suitable clothes and the friend's mum who had her after school and dropped her at the disco tried to make her borrow a jacket. [In case you were wondering what the rest of us were doing, I took the big two to the movies to see an un-Pixie suitable movie and it was great! The movie, not the no Pixie bit].

Parenting tip of the day: Sometimes you just need to let them make their own mistakes (tell yourself this if for no other reason than to stop a tiny part of mother guilt).

  

Ok, second point. I would like say that upon further investigation, Pixie does not have her own personal refugee nor is she in the process of acquiring one. Their school had someone from the Red Cross come in and tell them about refugees and the horrors of war.

 

"My refugee" actually meant a refugee who came in to tell the school about his experience. Pixie recounted the reasons why he left and the dangers he faced and about his time in a detention centre in Australia. She told me in no uncertain terms that "there is no such thing as illegal immigrants"(in terms of refugees) when I was very clumsily trying to find out if he was a "boat person" (very proud mama moment).

 

Pixie told me about the game they played. They had to list just six things to take, and just five people they could take with them on eleven separate pieces of card. Then bit by bit stuff got lost or damaged or had to be left behind.

 

"Mama, I took you and Daddy and Buglet and Tink and FlipFlop and Misty [the rabbit], but then I got to a border and I only had four passports so I had to leave FlipFlop and Misty behind. It was only a game but I was so sad".

 

Today I am thankful for my daughters' compassion, I am thankful for the refugee who took his time to share his story, I am thankful for the Red Cross and other humanitarian organisations, and I am very thankful that my girls attend(ed) a school that goes the extra step to teach my children about things that will make the world a better place.

Over-thinking over education

This is a big year for us school wise. It's Buglet's last year in lower high school, Tink's first year of high school, and Pixie's last year of primary school. This is meaning some big decisions.

The Pixie has to apply to go to the same high school as her sisters. I refuse to tell them  what to write, but I was tempted to change my mind after the things the Pixie came up with to include in her application when we were brainstorming:

• She likes extra science but not what's on the curriculum (please note, curriculum was her word).
• She doesn't like being bored.
• Her favourite thing about Guides is s'mores.
• She doesn't like organising things but she is going to pretend she does.
• Flip-flop is her favourite.
• She likes the dancing part of dancing.
• She is a llama but Mummy said "no llamas at high school".

We did a lot more brainstorming.

Meanwhile I am constantly worrying about Tink having taken on too much with an academic extension program, soccer program, and then being on the student council. She is happy and loving it all, but I do still worry.

Buglet is at the point where she needs to think about a post-secondary schooling. She has said she wants to go to the same uni as me which is lovely, but I don't want that to be her only reason for going there. Her first day on campus was at 6 days old (I didn't want to miss the final class with the exam tips) and she's been there for one reason or another ever since.

I am also finding it hard because when I was in year 10 I knew four of the subjects I wanted to do and my parents told me double maths would be easy marks for the uni entrance exam. They lied (NB after me saying this for 15 years dad has recently qualified his comments by saying they expected I would do some work. I think that was silly. Although it was also silly I didn't take into account that they have degrees in Maths). I also knew what I wanted to do at uni, and I was lucky enough that it turns out I loved what I studied and it all worked out for me. It is so much harder as a parent when you are worried about someone else!

Buglet on the other hand is not so sure and it is making picking subjects for her last two years of school a little harder. We are having lots of conversations about studying what you enjoy, and alternative pathways to where you want to go, and that the world does not end with high school.

Meanwhile we are also going to information nights and I was very much looking forward to uni open days and all the cool stuff that happens there. Until tonight's episode .....

.... so we were at the Year 10 careers information night
Me (to Buglet): I want one of the highlighters.
Uni Information Guy (UIG): You have to take a university guide if you want a highlighter.
Me: It's ok she's got one.
UIG: But you need one too!
Me *laughing*: But I've already graduated from your uni three times.
UIG *mortified*: I am so, so, so sorry. *to Buglet* is that your mother?
Me *realising what he meant*: It's ok. It happens all the time.

UIG spends rest of the evening giving Buglet free stuff.

Buglet spends the rest of the evening giggling with her friends.

Buglet's comforting words: It's ok. He told me he thought you were year 11 or 12, not year 10.
Oh good .... and I was wearing grown up work clothes and everything.

Despite appearances I do take parenting and the girls' education very seriously!