Breathing life back into the Blog. part 1.

With the new year came the ususal flurry of activities. Holiday celebrations, house guests, birthdays, school starting and the tying up of all the loose ends that moves us on from all the negative influences from last year. So now we are well into February and, although chaos never really leaves us, I think I feel it's influence waning for now as we embrace a loose routine.
{edit: I think I spoke too soon.}

The girls are thriving. They had a lovely relaxed christmas/new year. They loved having house guests here, though they feel no remorse for waking them very early each day. Both my girls have a belief that if they are awake, everyone should be awake. And they wake Early. I'm afraid it is an inherent genetic truth of theirs, I've not managed to rant, beat, plead, trick or bribe it out of them.
MM is well. Or Big Boy as Esta is currently calling him. The other day it was Doctor Daddy Donkey, though we soon tired of so much alliteration, and it became Daddy Donkey. He continues to strive for the sub 3 hour marathon, with all of his mental and physical energy. The aim is at the Gold Coast run this year in July. As long as the injuries stay at bay...curse the stinking injuries! Though I do believe if he ran with one, he'd still make the sub 3, such is his dogged determination and freakish endurance power. So here's hoping that no little muscle fibres go Twang! in the early hours of a cold morn between now and July. We are looking forward to giving him lots of pats on the back and indulging him in extensive descriptions of what a Hero he is to us.

I'd hoped to post photos but Blogger is not working with me on that.
(edit: photo working now, see below)
Part two coming up soon.

Here is our beautiful Jacaranda.
If you look closely you can see Uncle Paul, little E, and Jas (but not from her best angle).

Announcement - Business for Sale.

This may come as a surprise to some, not so much to others.
Flourish ScrapArte studio is now for sale. Due to partnership issues and our personal situations, we've decided it's our best option at this point. So please take a look at the info below, and our website www.flourishstudio.com.au to see if it is something you or a friend or an associate might be interested in purchasing.

Flourish is a retail scrapbook store located in Brisbane, Queensland. It is in 270m2 shop space, elegantly decorated with an excellent shop fit (you can find photos on our website). There are defined areas for classes, office, kitchen, bathroom and kids play area. We are located off a busy main road near public transport and major shopping centres. The lease runs until Dec 2011 with options. Point of Sale and MYOB software and customer list are included. Training is available for the new owner. Price is all inclusive, negotiable for quick sale. Priced $60 000, walk in walk out. Please email scrapshop@hotmail.com or phone the store on 07 3843 1115 for more information.

We'd love the word to get out there, so please pass on this information if you can.
Thank you.

Girlie Favourites.

For the drive home ( by the 2 yo and the 6 yo):
"The girls Hey Ho song"
otherwise know as Hey Ho (on the Devil's back) by Katezenjammer


"Bush-tick-a"
otherwise known as Babushka by Kate Bush



Passing time in the new, hopefully low-allergen garden:

E: Playing on the tree swing. Leaning over it on her belly, facing the ground, and kicking off the grass with her feet.
I: Dad's just hung his hammock, so she's discovered the bliss of laying in a hammock and reading a good book with the sounds of nature (and lawnmowers) around you.

Literature:
E: Enjoys many, regular trips to the library required. Loves stories about animals, Hairy Mc Clary stories are in vogue at the moment. She loves any story though.

I: She has a few books on the go these days but currently nose is mostly in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
Colours:
E: Blue and pink. Mainly blue, she's always prefered blue. Pink I think as that's what big sister likes.
I: pink and purple and blue. Blue I think, as that's what E likes.

Nicknames:
E: Essie - she likes being called this. "grandma calls me Essie" she often says. I think I'm supposed to as well. Big sister calls her Essie as well, otherwise Sweets. So cute.
I: Indi. Though she wants me to call her 'darling' more. Apparently I'm not doing that often enough anymore. Probably because she's been acting like a teenager who's been grounded for a month.

Funny quote of the week:
"wow...actually that's kinda freaky!" by the 2 y.o mimic.
There's a mix of mum and big sister in that statement.

More again soon.

Freaky Friday.

It's a very freaky sort of week.
Firstly, I actually read some news on the internet. Not something I do very often.
But, #%@#*@# and #@$@!%@#*!!!
What is going on in the world?
And why haven't I heard about the size of these before?
AND it's in Mackay!!
That's like about one giant spider step away from here!!
Not that it matters, as I'm going there next week!!! Bloody hell.
I'm vocalising all the profanities I've ever heard, said, thought, read and imagined very loudly in my mind right now.
This is what nightmares are made of:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,,26025648-13762,00.html

But that's not all.
This is what I heard at the dinner table last night:
"Mum, Can I please have some more broccoli?"
WHAT THE??

Mother's worst Nightmares, part 1.

A situation you don't want to find yourself in.

Stranded at the Servo
On the way to school pick up
Sick and overtired
Tank filled with petrol unpaid for petrol
No wallet (who the hell took that out of my bag?!)
No phone (no phone means no phone numbers...and WHO'S BEEN IN MY BAG?!)
Toddler in arms
Sick toddler in arms
Sick toilet training toddler wearing knickers in arms
Sick toilet training toddler wearing knickers in arms and no nappy pack in car
Not permitted to leave Servo
Permitted a phone call but not knowing anyone's mobile numbers as they are all in my phone (except husbands)
Not permitted for husband to pay by credit card over phone
Not knowing anyone who could come within the hour on a Tuesday at 3pm to the servo to bail me out (remembering child waiting mournfully at school for pick up by very late mother)

Thankfully, Servo Guy was a very lovely patient person who, although he left it until I was obviously on the verge of a storm of tears, and I'd managed to pull out a very very old hospital photo ID that looked nothing like me and toddler had illegally demolished a few chocolate Kinder eggs, finally agreed to allow me to drive the 10 minutes back to my house to retrieve wallet. Though I did have to sign my life and body away first. Whew.

Thank you to the kind heart of that man who went against stict regulations to allow me to do this.
And a kick up the arse to those asshole people who steal petrol and add to such a distrustful society (yes, especially those ones who have done it with a kid in their arms pretending they've left their wallet at home).

Moments from the Dark of Night.

One late night chat with the funny two year old.
She'd wet through her nappy and I was changing her.

E: Is Daddy coming? In here?
M: yes
Dad enters room with clean sheets.
E: Hey Dude!
Dad: Hey
E: Hey, I wet the bed Dude!
She uses her demon possesed dude voice as she speaks.
Mum and Dad crack up laughing. Crazy child joins in.
Dad passes the sheets and prepares to leave.
E: Yeah, Go away Mate!

Other little trivial bits of info:

Favourite colour is Blue. Favourite number is 8. Esta LOVES Dora. Dora loves Boots. Boots loves Dora. Esta loves Boots and Dora. And she loves Diego's 'baby wawa-waa" (translation: baby jaguar). Often heard quoting Swiper by saying "Awww Man!" Like her parents, she needs an outing regularly in the forest, is a good eater, loves a good story and adores animals.

What the Girls are Listening to:

Ruth:








India:
She loves Kate Miller-Heidke too plus...







ESTA:

she loves to listen to all the above music. She also likes Wiggles.