Tagged Too

Well this tagging thing is going around. I have loved reading other people's tags, laughing at their bad habits and being surprised by some of the things I did not know about them. Well here goes mine as I have been tagged by the "hot" (according to Collette) Lisa King.

10 years ago
Let's see it was 1998. Aah that's right. I was living in Hobart, aged 24. I had finished my Arts/Law degree the previous year and was doing my Articles. Articles was a year long thing you had do do once you had your law degree, prior to being admitted to the bar. It was kind of like an apprenticeship where you had to work in a law firm for a year to get some practical experience. You got paid but it was pittance. I was lucky enough to have gotten my Articles with the then Mr Justice Underwood, our current Governor of Tasmania, which is annoying cos I can't just pop in and say g'day anymore.

wow no wrinkles

Hbt Supreme Court

Working for the judge at the Supreme Court in Hobart was one of the best experiences and he was a wonderful teacher, making you feel right at home amongst those big scary law books. He always used to say, 'there is never a silly question, just silly answers". He was so passionate about the law and had a brilliant mind that I loved to pick but at the same time he was down-to-earth and approachable. One case highlight was when we tried 3 alleged murderers at the same time. It was a media frenzy and then part way through the trial, they got off on a technicality. The tension in the room was palpable. I remember having to stand up in the court room and do my bit and my knees were knocking.

5yrs ago
It was 2003 and I was 29 yrs old and now married to Simon with two lovely daughters, Sarra (2) and Hallie.(born that yr) We had just moved to St Marys from L'ton so Simon could have a stint as a country cop and although it was very isolated, I was still working so that kept me busy enough. I was working from home as a media reporter, getting up at 4am to report on things in the newspaper that had been printed about my work's clients. Some of these clients included Forestry Tasmania, the ALP and Gunns so each time they were mentioned in an article in the newspaper, I would summarise what was reported, send it to my work and they would send it to these companies so they knew what was being said about them in the media. It was a great way to keep up with current affairs and for once in my life I knew who all the federal and local ministers were. (only because I had to)

Life was full-on as Hallie had been to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne for an operation when she was six wks old. Over the next yr we would return to Melb for check-ups on her.I would work from 4-9am in the morning, catch a plane to Melb for her check-up and fly home all in the one day and then go back to work 4am the next day. Crazy! She was having blood tests 2-3 days a wk that I drove in from St Marys for and waiting in children's ward at the LGH until someone competent enough to take blood from such a little person, was available and then drive home again. Sometimes I would have to wait up to 4hrs. I'm glad she's big enough now to go to pathology like the rest of us as it is done in 5mins and she only has them every 10wks now. So obviously that was the year of the yawning.



5mths ago
Let's see 5mths ago, February, I was just pregnant and probably didn't even know it. Hallie had started kinder so 2 days a wk was just Oliver and me and I was loving it. I had seen my friend Mel give birth to Tyren and that was awesome. Being summer, I may even had had a hint of a tan but I doubt it. Was loving the little bit of freedom I had with no kids in nappies anymore and long summer nights to have barbecues for tea.

little Tyren - just born

5 things on my 'to do' list tomorrow

1. visiting teaching
2. buy Simon's birthday present
3. go to a Relief Society meeting
4. wash the floors
5. check everyone's blogs

5 bad habits

1. leaving my electric blanket on all night
2. eating chocolate
3. stressing if I miss too many gym sessions (yes even while I am fat and pregnant)
4. spending too long in the shower
5. trying to fit too much into one day and then snapping at the kids at the end of the day, after dragging them around everywhere

5 places I have lived

1. Hobart
2. Westbury
3. St Marys
4. Launceston
5. somewhere in the future

5 things people may not know about me

1. I have always wanted to be a surgical nurse as blood and needles don't worry me as long as it is in a controlled environment and the human body amazes me
2. I am a good speller
3. I eat vegemite on raisin toast and also with fruit buns at Easter time
4. I would love to go back to work as a criminal prosecutor because I love the emotive side of criminal law and not the boring dry side that the law usually entails
5. I love war history

Little Aiden

Yesterday I popped into the hospital to visit Kate and Mick's new baby, Aiden. Kate had a c-section on Friday after they discovered he was breech. Luckily she had not gone into labour or it may have been a whole new experience for her. Kate looked tired but happy and she let me have a look at the staples they used to close her tummy. They looked and felt just like normal stationery staples. It must have been very sore.

I got a lovely hold of Aiden and I had forgotten all the faces they pull in their sleep. He kept popping off on me so it was a real pleasure to hand him back when he had done a nice smelly poo. :)

A very proud Nanny Reid and great-Poppy Bill

I hate coming onto the maternity ward when I'm pregnant because then I know I am trapped into another experience on the "floor of pain". No, that sounds dramatic but you can't help wondering what the next experience will be like, seeing as no two births are ever the same. I'm glad in a way that Oliver's was so long and yuk, even if they did have to pull him out in the end with the suction cap, because now I have no pre-conceived notions of it being a textbook labour like Sarra or a quick one like Hallie.

It was lovely to see Jasmin and how proud she was of her first grandchild. My kids call her Aunty Jazzy and have been like her surrogate grandkids. She used to keep baby food in the cupboard for when Oliver came over. Oliver was actually born on the date of her Mum's death(but 2yrs later) so he has a special place in her heart and on his birthday each year, we meet Jasmin at the cemetery and Oliver puts however old he is, that many flowers on her grave.

Christmas in July

On Friday night we went over to the Webster's house to celebrate Christmas in July. I have never been to anything like this so I was very excited to see what it was all about. By the end of the night I really was wishing it was Christmas and that we didn't have to wait another 5 mths for it to come around.

The other guests were Lionel and Suzanne Walters with their kids, Hannah, Becky and Mary, Ben Ziesel and of course Mel and Dean and Sherri and Jasen. It must be so lovely for Jackie to not only enjoy beautiful Tassie but have two of her daughters living here as well.


Upon arrival we watched a DVD that Jackie had done of when her and Mark went to the Great Lake a few weeks back. While we were doing that, we were spolied with drinks and nibblies.

For tea we had turkey with stuffing and vegetables. It was divine. It was so nice to enjoy a lovely hot meal with the fire going for Christmas, rather than what we are normally used to - having to suffer through heaps of roasts while the sun blazes outside.

Mark cutting the turkey

Before dessert we played a few games organised by Sherri. The funniest one was trying to wrap a ball and the winner was the neatest wrapped one. It was funny to see how competitive us adults got, to the point the kids were not given a chance to participate because we were all hell bent on winning.

Mark judging Mel's wrapped ball as the neatest

For dessert we had apple pie, pavlova and chocolate cake surrounded by profiteroles. It was all very yummy.

It was an absolutely lovely evening and we finished off by swapping presents that had to be under $10. Jackie and Mark gave us a frame of three beautiful photos of the snow at the Great Lake. Jackie takes amazing photos (she will say it's just the camera) and these were no exception.

Tour de France

I am supposed to finishing a talk for sacrament tomorrow but instead have been blog browsing. I think I have finished but have not proof read anything yet. I am not into sport but it is very exciting to see Cadel Evans so close to winning the Tour de France. I watched a bit of it on SBS the other night and marvelled at their stamina and "how on earth anyone could love bike riding THAT much".

It reminded of an experience I had last Friday. I was making a slice and had run out of icing sugar. I was just about to get in the car and head the 2kms down the road to the IGA when Carli's blog sprang to mind and her posts on living greener. SO I had the grand idea of riding my bike to the shop with Hallie on the back. Simon says, "should you be doing that at 24 wks pregnant and I say the chances of having an accident are very slim, especially in Westbury"!

So Hallie and I head down to the shop. (She is still small enough to fit in those toddler seats on the back) and I stop outside the shop to get off the bike. One leg is on the ground and as I lift the other leg up over the bike, my leg creaked and groaned and decided at the last minute like a horse about to jump at an equestrian event that no the lift was too high and it was going to buck at the last minute and pull the bike down on top of me. I fell awfully heavily and must have looked so ungainly but I landed on my booty so lots of padding there. The funny thing was Hallie was still all strapped in so all of a sudden she was lying horizontal to the ground with this dazed look on her face, still in the seat.

I was so embarrassed and this lady comes over and tells Hallie that her mother is a bad driver. Never mind the puffing pregnant lady sprawled on the ground. We made it back home in one piece still a bit red-faced and feeling sore and sorry but hey we saved some carbon emissions that day so it was all good.

Tinkle Fairy

Whenever Oliver goes to the toilet, I always check to make sure he is aiming in the bowl and not all around the toilet. When I checked his latest pitstop I found that he was wearing a fairy costume. He was trying to hold up the tutu and the toilet seat and hold himself (we taught him this so he would aim properly - works as long has he doesn't try to draw circles around the bowl) all at the same time. It looked so cute.

More winter mud

Winter mud

It was quite an unseasonably warm day on Monday and Sarra had a student free day so we decided to take the kids for a walk at the Gorge. The kids had never seen the pool in winter and it was all green and yuk. As usual Oliver wanted to chase the peacocks and the pristine setting was ruined by me yelling at him to stop.



In stark contrast to this beautiful basin is out the back of our house, out by the police compound. It is so muddy and boggy and full of potholes and puddles. It has a driveway which leads to the back of the police station and to the back of our house. Any chance the kids get, they get out there on their bikes and come back absolutely filthy.


After that I made them play outside in their underwear. I did say it was an unseasonably warm day.

Blogging Binghams

My sister-in-law Penny Bingham as most of you know and love now has a blog. Yay! They have just moved from Calgary, Canada to Augusta, Georgia. Check it out at.......................................

http://www.penejayne.blogspot.com/

The look on Mum's face

Yesterday being Mum's birthday we had pre-arranged to go to Bridport and surprise her. Collette had secretly booked the Barnbougle Golf Links restaurant for tea. (notice how everything we do is centred around food!). Earlier that day at school Mum had suggested to Collette that they go out for tea and Collette said, she was going to cook at home for Mum. So Mum said no, let's go out making it the perfect surprise because Mum spent the rest of the day thinking she had come up with the idea of her and Collette going out for tea. Little did she know that Collette had a booking for 6pm.

So at 4.30pm, Lisa, Jessica, Sarra and I left for Bridport. We got there at 5.50 just as Collette text us and said she was leaving the house to come to the restaurant. Barnbougle is set amongst sand dunes and is really pretty. We spent about 5mins deciding where to park the car so Mum would not see it and by then a car was coming up the path towards the restaurant. We thought it was Mum and Collette so we started running up the hill to the restaurant, giggling the whole way.

We sat at the table waiting for Mum and Collette and when they walked in, for about 30 seconds Mum had this stunned confused look on her face. It was a classic. She just stood there without moving and you could see she wanted to talk but was too surprised to do anything. She was very pleased we had come and we had a lovely dinner together. The whole day we had not text or rung and she was wondering if any of us were going to contact her.

Collette trying to be a bunny

60 year road trip

Today Mum, Mummy, Mumsy turns 60. Our baby boomer has finally hit the big 60. She has now been around as long as the Holden car so yep 1948 was a loooong time ago. Feel good now Mum?

So in fine Gibson girls style we decided to take her to Cradle Mountain on Saturday. It was a big surprise, well we don't think Mum cottoned on but we think she suspected something. We told Collette to sneak Mum's bathers into a bag so she wouldn't guess but then Collette considerately thought Mum might want an opportunity to shave her legs because wouldn't that be EMBARRASSING having a full body massage with your winter woollies on. Yikes!

So at 8.30 Sat morn, Mum and her posterity headed off in Collette's Jazz for our day of luxury and relaxation. Was this a present for Mum or for all of us?? Mum I think was feeling pretty chuffed with herself that she had guessed where we were going until we missed the turn-off to Cradle Mountain and took the long way around of getting there. No matter we got there at 10.45 and made our entrance to the Waldheim Sanctuary Retreat.

There was heaps of snow and it was raining, perfect weather for a spa day. Once we got inside, we were told to get changed into robes and slippers and then ushered into the spa area. Now this wasn't just any spa but a hot tub that was outside and up high and jutted out of the side of the building so you could look down into the cold and snow outside. As we sat in the spa big chunks of ice would fall into the tub. It was weird because at the same time we were so warm with the 40 degree water. There was also a plunge pool, sauna and steam room and day beds were you could lounge and look out the floor to ceiling windows into the snow and wilderness below.



We had booked Mum into have a Huon Hot Stone massage and at the same time I had a foot massage. It was pure bliss. After our stay at the spa we took Mum to the Cradle Mountain Chateau for lunch. It was so nice without any kids and we sat there for ages talking away and relaxing.


On the way home, we drove through where Mum grew up in Staverton and Railton and she showed us the house she first lived in and how low the snow would settle every year. Now it does not even snow at all. That sparked a discussion on climate change. Riveting aren't we? She showed us the first house in the area to get television and how everyone congregated there to watch it. And all that came on was a snowy fuzzy picture. It was a wonderful day to spend just with Mum and have no other distractions and celebrate in 60 wonderful years.

Mum lived here for the first 5 yrs of her life before moving to the farm at Staverton

Obligatory chicken dance

We can't have a bushdance without doing the chook thing!

Bushdance

Here are some photos from our annual ward bushdance held last Friday night. Oliver jived the entire night and then slept in until 9am. Nice.......!!

Hallie's first playtime

After school today, Hallie had her first experience of having friends over after school. She has watched Sarra do this and has always wanted a turn so now she is at school, she finally got a turn herself.

Will and Hannah are twins in Hallie's class. There are only 10 kids in the class and she has wanted them to come over for ages. Will has cerebral palsy and is such a delight. I often just sit after school with him while the others are playing and have a real long chat. He is so interesting to talk to and has a real mischievous humour that has me cracking up. As well as his wheelchair he has a bike that he is able to ride around on when Oliver is not trying to steal it and ride off on it. It has great suspension and a handle on the back so you can push him too if he gets tired of pedaling.

The other friend Hallie had over was Alice, the one she was in the paper with last year. They have been friends for ages so she couldn't have a playdate without Alice. Alice is also in Hallie's class at school.

Hallie has talked her friends' into moving to the dark side - spider man - territory

Will on his funky bike

Hallie had both Hannah and Alice dressed up in spiderman. No-one would stop long enough for a proper photo

Will and Hallie feeding the chooks

Hallie had different trousers on after school - ones from the school clothing pool and I immediately assumed she had had an "accident". Her teacher Miss Jacobs explained that Hallie was first out at recess and went straight down the slide which was wet from the rain. Her trousers were absolutely soaked so they changed her. Yes, I thought that sounds more like Hallie.

"Sicky poos......."

Last week Oliver had the runs................. what a great way to start off a post!! He calls them "sicky poos" which means he obviously studies them to know that something is not quite right if they are all runny. The "sicky poos" went on for a few days and one night when I was warm and toasty in bed (I run the electric blanket all night), I heard this little voice call out in the darkness, "I'm finished". It was Oliver on the toilet after one of his "sicky poos".

Quickly I wiped his butt and wrapped him back up into bed with a quick kiss and ran back to the warmth of my bed. An hour late, "I'm finished" and so on for a total of 6 times. He did not seem to have any tummy pains and quite happily went back to sleep after each "Niagara Falls" episode.

This experience got me thinking and then panicking and then the wailing of "what have I done". In 4 mths I will be doing this with a newborn who might not happily go back to sleep and who is going to have many more poos and where there won't be just one night of interrupted sleep but seemingly neverending ones that all combine into one long nightmare. But for some reason we keep going back for more don't we!! :)

Editor's Note - I think you can understand from the topic of this post why there is no photo!!

As White as Snow

Today we went to the Great Lake in the Central Highlands to catch some snow. it was only about 30mins drive away up through Exton and then through Golden Valley. The kids had a ball playing in the snow and throwing snowballs. I must admit I have never been to that part of Tassie before and I got to appreciate our rugged wilderness that I generally take for granted.

Simon spoilt me by letting me wear his Search and Rescue gloves. They were so toasty and did not even get one bit wet. I didn't really want to come to the snow, even with the extra padding I now have. My first reaction was, "do I have to get out of the car?" but then we walked the boardwalk down to the Great Lake and the lake was completely iced over and the view was magnificent. Simon of course walked out on the iced-covered lake and I had visions of him falling through the ice and then he let the kids out on it a bit and pushed them around on their bottoms so they could go for a slide.

Standing on the Great Lake

Simon broke some ice off from the lake and this is how thick it was.

The mist starting to set

When we got back to the car I took Oliver's boots and trousers off and inside his boot was this huge block of snow. It was right on his skin. He must have been so cold but never said anything. Our thermos of milo soon warmed them up and then we did the obligatory stack the car with snow to see how close to home we could get before it all melted. By 3pm they were in the bath and then pjs, not moving from the fire after that. At least we wore them out and had a quiet afternoon.

The snow was getting a bit deep for Hallie's short legs