School reports come out this week, so we should have some interesting reading material for the holidays! We’ve nicknamed Sam’s teacher Mrs DB (no, not David Beckham – Dragon Breath) as she can be a little fiery! Sam’s been known to return home on more than one occasion with scorched eyebrows where he’s had the wrath of Mrs DB. (Un)fortunately, she leaves at the end of this week to take a placement on an African safari adventure thingy where she lives in a Reserve and counts animals for a few months. So Sam gets rid of her for the remainder of the year. I just hope the Zebras get their homework in on time, or they’ll end up endangered (not to mention barbequed!). Mind you, it should be OK for the sausage sizzle on Friday; if the BBQ breaks down, she can cook the snags with her breath!
We’re half way through the school year and you lot are breaking up for the summer hols! Still doesn’t seem right; just something else, along with hot Christmases I suppose I’ll never accept. The July HUGE toy sales start this Thursday. Basically everyone does their Christmas shopping and puts everything on lay-by until a few days before Xmas. The stores guarantee to price match everything and it’s a way of being able to pay things off a little at a time and also not have to worry about storing everything with prying eyes. You just have to remember (a) where the receipts are and (b) not to let nosey kids rummage in your handbag! Last year we bought our 10 ft swimming pool (complete with pump) for $80, I think (less than £40). Who knows what goodies will await us this year? Although I’ve no idea what’s left to buy the kids. They have more electrical gadgets than Dixons and I can only hope that Darcie’s ‘My Little Pony’s’ don’t start breeding or they’ll be threatening for world domination. I’m sure they’ll find something they want to pester us for for the remaining 6 months of the year. I think Sam already has his eye on the ‘Night at the Museum’ DVD and this year’s Guinness Book of Records. My god, what an annoying book that is! If I’m made to heave one more time over the picture of the world’s ugliest dog……. It’ll be a heave too far.
We had our patio thingy fixed to the house last week and it’s done nothing but rain, howl and blow a gale ever since. It’ll be lovely in the summer though to sit in the garden for more than fifteen minutes without hearing the ‘bing’ telling everyone you’re cooked. Summer seems a very long way off at the moment though. When winter hits, it certainly hits. There have been floods and severe weather warnings all over Aus this past month. At least though we know it’s only for a few months (at the most) of the year and we are guaranteed a summer - makes the winter bearable.
Pentley’s back and he’s a changed dog. It’s like he’s been to a detention camp; realised the error of his ways (and what side his bread’s buttered) and come back a changed man. He asks when he needs to go out. He’s not pebble dashing the patio at any given opportunity and he’s being a generally nice chap. We were expecting to pick up the Billy Bunter of the dog world after the breeder accused me of starving him (well, not that bad, but she did comment he was too thin!), but he was just thicker around the girth. Paul texted me in a panic when I went to collect him; ‘how big IS he?’ ‘MAAAHHHOOOSSIVE’ was my reply – I had to use a tub of Vaseline and a crow bar, just to get him in the car!
Adam is settling down at the child care centre for his two days a week incarceration (I’m sorry, I mean; love, nurturing and learning). I’m thinking of changing his name by deed poll to Paris Hilton – ha ha. He almost didn’t cry today when I dropped him off, but lost it at the last minute and clung to my leg like a koala. He is getting much better and I can already see the benefits of a few days independence a week; he now talks to anyone and everyone who’ll listen. He has Pauls Dad’s trait of talking to me, but looking at a stranger to get their attention. Actually, all the boys do it. It used to drive Paul mad when his Dad did it, but now he’s equally guilty of doing it too! I think Sam’s possibly the worst (or best) at it and never fails to get a response from a passing member of the public. Perhaps he should put this skill to good use and go canvassing for the local electorate.
Sam’s got a few cool things coming up with the Footie club; a trip to watch the Fremantle Dockers in action and then a planned sleep over at Secret Harbour Surf Lifesaving Club. Must remember to breathe into my little brown paper bag; the thought of a night without Samuel makes me hyperventilate with excitement! Good grief he’s a handful. I think I’ll be bald by the time he hits his teenage years. At least I’m hoping he’ll sleep more, which theoretically means he’ll spend less time arguing and being a generally stroppy little g*t!
Darcie is still Miss Perfect Parcel. She takes everything in her stride and is teacher’s pet - we even got a note in her communication book that the teacher was glad to have her back! Keep her then – we don’t mind :o) She had a fairy party at the weekend to attend; which was fab. I am quite taken aback with her confidence. She’ll go to the canteen on her own with her money in her hand, buy her pikelets, or half an icy pole (whatever foodstuff she can secure for her investment), then she’ll trot off round the school oval looking for Sam and his mates to give them grief. Her class hold ‘3C’ meetings every now and then; this stands for ‘concerns, criticism and communication’. The kids get to discuss anything that’s getting them down or share any ‘big’ news they may have with the rest of the class. Concerns include feeling sad or left out :o( They have ‘recess buddies’ where they have to play with certain people during their break so that nobody gets ignored; like the ‘lonely log’ at Templewood, I guess.
Speaking of lonely logs, I may well get one for myself :o( My BF is moving to Sydney and I’m really going to miss her. She’s been a tower of strength to us since we’ve been here, not to mention a good mate that’s always there for a night out, or a good giggle. I really feel for her as she’s been as stressed moving inter-state as I was emigrating. It really brought it all back and I can’t say I envy her one little bit. It’s bloody hard doing such a big move; don’t know if I could do it again. It’s not only the stress associated with organising the move, but the feelings of the kids and all those around you. Horrible time.
I’ll really miss her and will have to place and advertisement for a new friend.
WANTED
New best friend for whinging POM
Must enjoy cheap wine, nights out without children, husbands or dependant animals; theatre, cinema and the Arts – oh who am I kidding, a night in a pub with no kids – ANYTHING!
Previous applicants need not apply; I obviously didn’t like you!
Please respond with a recent photo and your qualifications for the job to:
Mrs Delaney-Sadgit
Lonely Street
Heartbreak Hotel
Darcie gave me tips round the supermarket today. ‘It’s easy to make friends, Mummy. Just smile, tell them your name and ask them home for a play’. How simple! Why didn’t I try that earlier? I’d try it at the school gates tomorrow, although I run the risk of being carted off as a nutter! Also need to watch who I ask; some of the Dads might be more keen to accept my offer than the Mums!
I know I should be on a high, returning from our hols, everything going OK at home, lovely new boat in a shiny new pen, but I feel really blue. I think it’s a combination of exhaustion (11 week school term, packing and organising 5 people for a fortnight – and now a dog), trying to plate spin the house, kids and work…… ARGH! Plus with my friend moving, it’s just all getting too much for me. I think I’ll have to take up a hobby to vent my stress like world championship knitting, or synchronised cycling; something challenging.
The weather’s so pants they can’t do anything on Arfur. We’ve got glass in the upstairs windows, but it’s been so windy that I think two of them have smashed this week.
View from the corner
View from the front with the wood for the roof.
The roof carpenters are supposed to be on site next week to get the structure of the first floor roof on, but unless the wind drops, I can’t see it happening. Never mind, if it’s not built, we ain’t paying…..
A close up.....The weekend we returned from our hols, Harvey Norman (or Hardly Normal as we call them), were holding their huge annual electrical clearance at the Perth Convention Centre. Paul saw an ad for a plasma at ‘silly money’ that caught his eye, so we trundled off. Unfortunately, they’d sold all their floor stock :o( but they were taking orders for more :o) So, Paul went ahead and bought a 50” plasma for about a grand UK! Great, but this means that we are now going to have a 42” plasma in the bedroom. Well, at least it’ll give us something to do in the bedroom other than crochet ;o) Mind you, as soon as the kids see it, the whole family will be in there huddled together watching Noddy, no doubt!
Hope everything’s OK with you all. Speak soon when I’ve recovered from the Winter Blues and given myself a stiff talking to!
