Holly's houses

Isn't this gorgeous... don't know that I have a lazy US$102 + p&p lying around though...

Good gift idea for when we move into our new place... someday!

I hope that I will have a neighbour there who mows our lawn when he does his own- so convenient! :)

Childhood revisited

On Saturday, Tobes and I took our nephew, Cooper, out for a trip on Puffing Billy. It is something that I've been looking forward to doing since he was very small. Most Melbournites would have fond memories of visits to Puffing Billy as a child, and I am no different.

Some of my happiest childhood memories include hanging out of the windows of this old steam train, waving at the passers by as we crossed over old roads, wiping soot out of our eyes (OK maybe this wasn't a highlight) and enjoing special snacks along the way, packed by mum, Grandma or my Auntie. Going on the train always meant fun and special family time. I was eager to pass this experience on to Coops, but I wasn't sure about how he would go. Would he like it? Would he be excited?

I needn't have worried. After we passed by the first station he decided he was ready to try hanging out of the window, nad he clambored in and out for the duration of the trip. It was drizzly for pretty much to whole day and got chilly, but there were no complaints. Our legs got a little damp when we swung them out of the windows but we would then snuggle under the picnic rug to get warm again. We changed our plans, opting to eat our our packed lunch on the train and under shelter at Lakeside rather than a picnic around Emerald Lake. It was a great day. Coops spoke lots on the trip back, asking if there were many stops to go because he didn't want it to finish. When we got home and saw mum, dad, grandma and grandpa he asked if we could all go again another day. Success! :)

Today I'm at home feeling not so well. I've been snoozing and snuggling on the couch with the cat and enjoying the cooler weather that has come on this first day of Autumn.  We had the quilt over us last night and Tobes made me a lovely cuppa. It's heading back into snuggle weather! Yay! 

Do you have a special place saved in your memory from your childhood? Where is it? And have you revisited it lately?

Miscellaneous

Why is it when budgeting, that this allocation is always the largest? Where does it go?!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Balance in the Busyness

I've been thinking lately about how the speed of our lives impacts those around us. We all seem to be busy and pushed by schedules- in the home and workplace and sometimes too in our churches and personal endeavors. We seem to be constantly pulled in multiple directions and time becomes a rare and precious gem, which we like to store for ourselves. Don't get me wrong, we absolutely need 'me' time and the truth of the matter is that we probably don't get enough of that either, but I wonder what the cost of over-scheduled lives is.
I wonder if you, like me, find yourself catching up with friends who you are so looking forward to seeing but barely taking in what is being shared, or in your trained multi-tasking ways find yourself thinking in the back of your minds about the next important decision to be made or problem to be solved or maybe just when you can have some rest for yourself. I know I struggle with this. How often now do we stop everything and give ourselves fully to someone else when they need us or just want us around? How often are out minds engaged on one thing at a time?
A dear friend is staying with us at the moment from Queensland and we've been talking about seasons in life. There is a time for everything. Do you also believe that there is a time for some friendships? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts... Thanks for letting me ramble!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Things that go bump in the night

It is 1:40am as I write this. I am in bed on my phone and my heart is still pounding.
I was fast asleep when mum came to our door and asked me to get up and speak to dad in the tv room. I felt nervous because I didn't know what it was about, and i had been deep asleep. When I went into the tv room I saw it. There, like a statue clinging to the wall was a sugar glider. Strangely, I had told Toby just hours earlier as we were going to bed that once, many years ago, I was awoken to a sound in my window and arose to see 3 baby sugar gliders huddled on my window sill while spending sone time here at the beach house.
It was a gorgeous little thing and so tiny. After about 15mins of clever acrobatics, the glider found itself above the door and in my hands through a towel. We released it out of the back door. My heart rate increased when it began to look in my direction and jump up towards me thinking perhaps I was a tree! In boxer shorts and a singlet top, that is not a welcome outcome! It finally made it's way to the edge of the deck, then launched off, gliding towards a large tree some metres away. What an amazing thing to see!
I'm grateful that it's the weekend though and that I don't need to get up quickly tomorrow!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A funny classroom tale from room 11

We're one week in to the school year of 2010 and my class is settling in well. There are some quirky ones to keep an eye on, but for the moment we're in the honeymoon time and life is pretty sweet. As we were lining up this afternoon to play a quick game and to practise some listening skills, a boy, N, and I shared a moment.

Me: come on handsome... You ready to go?
N: I'm not handsome.
Me: Why not N?
N: I have stinky ea... Stinky... Sticky out ears!
Me: Nonsense! Who says that?
N: My sister.
Me: Well I don't think your sister knows what she's talking about! (wink)
N: Neither do I!

I love moments like that in the classroom. N and I shared a moment... And I really do think that he's not as nervous of his stinky-out ears anymore.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!

We had a great time at the beach over the weekend with friends from our bible study group over the long weekend. Tobes was able to take the Monday off too which made it a 4 nighter!

Saturday was great. We visited the local market, patted Wayne the horse and revisited the best value scrapbooking supplier I've ever met! I enjoying a coffee with the girls before we visited the scrapping shop in Wonthaggi then returned home to use our purchases! There was lots of talking and guitar hero for the boys. Our (early) Aussie day BBQ was delicious on Monday. We drove to Cape Liptrap later that afternoon and bumped into a friend on the road so he stayed the night too. It's always nice to to catch up after a while.

I was back at work on Wednesday with meetings, PD and classroom organisation on the agenda. After 6 years of teaching, I think that I have set up my room in the best way yet. I'll wait to see how it goes on Monday when my 25 kids arrive on the door! Wish me luck!