VT Dinner

On Saturday night we held our visiting teaching gratitude dinner. Instead of a convention this year, I decided on a pig out. No, I mean temporal and spiritual feast. All this year for the first Sunday of every month our ward has been having VT lessons and so I decided that instead of lecturing, I mean motivating and inspiring, we should put on a dinner for them to say thankyou for all their efforts and time and sacrifice that they put into supporting each other and their leaders in the VT programme.

So my counsellors being, Kit Porter, Mel Corona and secretary Barbara Young and I cooked up a storm for the night. Barbara came up with the beautiful table decorations. We just did as we were told and put plates, serviettes, etc where she said.



On the night we started with nibbles (thanks Deidre) and then moved onto mains - lasagne, one of which was this most scrumptious vegetarian one, salad and garlic bread. For dessert we had a choice of mudcake, strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake and a peach cobbler with ice-cream. Jackie and Vicki did the drinks which was so yum - a punch made up with mixed berries. In between the main and dessert we just went around the room and said what it was about the VT programme that we were grateful for.

Phyllis and Jackie cleaning up

Emma Porter with Tyren Corona (this is the little fella whose birth I was at so he is my favourite)

Nan Triffitt, June Bounds, Peggy Pitcher, Bev Scott, Phyllis Moores, Ali Christie

The sneaky part so that we were not left with the dishes was announcing at the end that, you had to wash the dishes of your visiting teacher that visits you to say thankyou. That way we weren't left with a HUGE pile of dishes. That was probably the best idea of the night.

I know each ward says the same, but I think we have the best ward ever. The sisters all get in and help and support each other and I love working with Kit, Mel and Barb. They are awesome!!

Hie Ho, Hie Ho, it's off to clean we go!

This afternoon a few of us girls headed out to Weegeena to help Deidre with some cleaning. After 28 yrs in the same house her and Kim are on the move. They were even married in the loungeroom there and she said there were just so many memories. In one of the room's engraved on the inside of the fireplace it says Dt 4 KT encased in a loveheart and was done in 1987. It looked so cute. It's a lovely big old house with high ceilings and loads of character. it would have been a great area to grow up in. At this time of year the hills and paddocks are so lush and green. it truly is a beautiful spot.

Mel and Hannah made the kitchen shine These girls sure know how to clean. They can come around to my place anytime.

Kit hard at work opening a box of chocolate truffles that Deidre had out for us. She said I was not allowed to put this photo on...........oops!

Deidre was so organised. She had a list of jobs up on the wall that she was working through and everything was packed so neatly.

Here is Louise at 24wks pregnant scrubbing away in the bathroom. She was amazing flying through the jobs and working so hard.

Copy cats

We copied the Kings on Saturday and went to the Phenomena factory at Inveresk. We went to Theogenes first for family swim day and then had some lunch and headed to the museum. I love it because it is free and the kids love running around in there. I have to agree with Lisa, the swinging bridge made us feel sick too. Simon and I hung our heads out the side of it which made it worse and then I felt woosy for the rest of the afternoon.







I loved the blacksmith's workshop and marvelling at how differently things were run back in the 'olden days'. We hopped in the big train and pretended we were the train master off on a long journey. Hallie kept looking for a horn.



It's a great interactive museum that really gets kids excited and interested in science. The only thing was for the rest of the afternoon Sarra kept asking me science questions like, "what is the planet closest to the sun". Like I can remember. And "why is Pluto not a planet anymore?". I feel like that Dad on the commercial who told his son that the Great Wall of China was built to keep the rabbits out. In the end I told her that we would look on the internet when we got home. See no need to think anymore.

Hump Day

Today I am 20 weeks. It feels good to be halfway. It is going so much quicker than any of the other kids. Yesterday I had my booking in appointment at the LGH and I had forgotten how much paperwork there is to fill out and file away. They must hate women who wait until they are in labour to inform the hospital that they are pregnant.

Lisa had been telling me how great it is to go swimming while you are pregnant. I have always been one for the treadmill but seeing as that doesn't work for one cultivating a beer gut I decided to give it a go yesterday. I LOVED it. I was in my own peaceful world, no mobile phone, no TV, no whinging, just me and my unco swim strokes. I did 52 laps in 45mins but before you get impressed, let me tell you the length of the pool. At first I thought it was 25 metres and so I roughly worked out I did 26 50m laps, working out at 1.5km. I got out so pleased with myself until I told the receptionist at the desk how far I had swum. She goes, "um do you realise that the pool is only 17m long?" My ego was deflated. I had swum a mere 850 metres.

Now I warn you now, I am not one of these lean, sleek women who are all tummy and look gorgeous with the cutest little bump. When I am pregnant, the whole of me is pregnant. As my tummy expands, my bum does too just so it does not feel left out. My hips decide to widen twice as much as they need to, just incase the baby won't fit. I keep telling my hips, the other 3 fitted just fine but they have a mind of their own. My thighs join the party too, just wanting to help out.I must admit I ate alot of junk food during morning sickness because it made me feel better but I have been going back to the gym and eating better for weeks now, but alas I have still put on 10kgs. That's okay, we shall not panic. AAarrrgh!!!

Yesterday Simon was looking at some Thailand video as this time last year we were sunning ourselves in Phuket. He practically screamed out to me and I went racing up the hallway to the computer thinking something was terribly wrong and he goes, "check out how skinny you were back then.........". You would think after 8.5yrs of marriage he would know better by now. Very frostily I replied, "and your point is......???"

My little poet

Remember when I did a post on a poem Sarra wrote for Mother's Day? At the end of last term Sarra brought home all the work she had in her tub at school and sorting through it all we found an Easter poem she had written for me but had forgotten about. It is in the same format as the Mother's Day one and it cracked me up just as much.


Easter is a family time

A happy time

So many chocolates to eat

Tasty easter eggs

Exciting when Easter Bunny comes

Ready for Easter Bunny

I promise you we do teach the kids the TRUE meaning of Easter but obviously it got lost in translation. It doesn't help that I get just as excited as the kids when the Easter egg hunt is on.

Mud Monsters

For the last week of the school holidays we went to Bridport. We were only going to go until Wednesday but it was so relaxing that we spent the rest of the week there. It rained every day and at first we grumbled but then it was a good excuse to sit by the fire and read books. This is the view from Collette's window that greeted us each day. Gray skies and stormy weather.

On Thursday Mum decided to make mud monsters with the kids. Maybe she was missing school and wanted to do a cooking activity where she could pretend to be the teacher.

Anyway they are just like chocolate crackles but decorated on top with fruit and sprinkles. The kids had a lovely time making a mess and Mum in her teacher voice would instruct them and tell them when to stir and mix things. Oliver didn't help much. He just tried to eat all the ingredients.




Hallie's job was to put out all the patty pans and she very painstakingly did this, putting them all in beautiful straight rows.

This is what they looked like at the end. Oops I forgot to rotate the photo. These are the only photos I got from our week away as my camera went home with Simon who had to go on Wednesday to get back to work. So thanks Collette for the loan of your camera for these shots. I just could not miss the chance to get Mum in action 'teachering' the kids.

We got to the beach one day for a walk when it stopped raining for a minute and went for a 2km walk. It is actually a really lovely time of the year to go because the place is quiet and not jam-packed with summer hooligans at the caravan park and you get the whole foreshore to yourself. As long as you have a warm fire to get back to, it's worth a trip in winter.

After block party

Today after we finish our house chores (gee whenever are there none of them to do), Sarra is organising a "finishing block" party. We realise how much of a drag the block has been on our family when we see how excited the kids are that we do not have to go there again. It has been very hard at times with Simon away so much at the block. If he was not at work, then the block he would be. I have never known such a tireless hardworker, albeit grumpy at times from the exhaustion of working 2 jobs but that is very understandable. Now he can have some down time and actually get to relax when he comes home from work instead of traipsing off to the block.

So yesterday we finished up cleaning at the block, ready for it to go on the market and Sarra and I met up with Mum to go and visit Kobe. Whenever I see newborns I am amazed at the miracle of birth and how on earth they fit in our tummies. By the end it must be very squashed and cramped in there. Lisa looked lovely as usual. She might disagree but I don't think she is capable of having a "bad hair" day.

Postscript

I found the keys to the car................. 10pm last night....................in the rubbish bin!!! Talk about dopey.

House Update

Here are some cleaning action shots of the block we have taken over the past week or so. And yes Collette is actually cleaning and not just posing. Isn't she a good girl! Hallie had her usual sickness so she slept all day yesterday in one of the bedrooms.

This is what the kids do all day everyday when we are at the block - watch movies on the portable DVD player. They also go over to the school and play on the equipment there

one very busy man

Primary Activity

On Monday we had our Primary activity at Rotary park in Deloraine. It was very muddy underfoot but there was no wind and it was quite mild for a winter's day. The kids had a lovely time playing games, going on a walk and treasure hunt and eating of course. It's nice to see them all interact outside of church and have some fun together.

Sarra absolutely adores Chloe Triffitt and goes on and on about her and how she is her second cousin and how they are having a sleepover soon. I think Chloe is about 15 or 16mths old so I'm not quite sure what they would chat about at the sleepover. Sarra loves talking to herself so it wouldn't matter anyway.

aren't they cute all holding hands

concentrating in the egg and spoon race

Jacquie and Daniel Rouse

Today was the most frustrating day ever. I was all set to go to the block. Work clothes on, lunches packed, kids were to go to the Wheelers, Katherine and kids coming to help clean windows. Sounds all organised except I couldn't find the car keys and am still yet to find them. I have no idea where they are and after much ranting and raving and praying they are still lost. So me and the kids stayed home and I grumbled all day. The only highlight of the day was Lisa's text to say she had given birth to Kobe James King.