Tuesday, May 19, 2009

I'm soooo tired!!!

For the sake of the privacy of my lovely class I can't really tell you much of what's been going on at school, but I'm sooooooooooooooo tiiiiiired!!! :) Yesterday was a very crazy and a little disheartening and sad day!

Didn't go on strike today. I am so grateful to have such a well-paying job when so many people all around me are losing their jobs. It is a pretty innapropriate time to be rallying for a pay rise when people need whatever money can be spared sooo much more than us well-paid lot! It is a little sad that we're behind other states, but not THAT sad! If I have a serious issue with it I'll move interstate - the pay rate is public, so you know what it is before you get into it. That's my banner lol :) I just babysat the few kids who turned up to school, sorted out issues from yesterday (seerious issues - sad!), and caught up on a lot of marking and planning.

I wonder how tomorow will go!

Goodnight, I'm going to go to sleep on the couch watching a DVD while I wait for James to finish rugby training :) xo

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Ode to Netball...


Growing up here in an Australian school, netball was hard not to play,
I played from a young age, continued through highschool and that's where till now, it stayed.
Volleyball and basketball were also on the cards, but netball was probably my best,
Basketball's easier to play casually, so I really gave netball a rest.
This year I joined a mixed touch football team, 'Slim Pickings' our proud team name,
I wrote about it a few weeks ago, said I'd update you after the first game,
But it was so bad, I felt so very dumb, I wanted to quit right away,
There's a kid from my school and my dad on the team, whose yells threaten to keep me at bay.
"Who the heck is that number 3 there? RUN UP RUN UP 3, NO! NOW RUN BACK!!!"
I couldn't figure out which direction to go, which was the up or back that I lacked.
And then last game I mixed up the times and arrived as my players walked off the field,
They seemed a little grumpy, I wonder if shame is all my turn on this footy team will yield.
Last night I was called by a friend who needed a player on her netball team,
I knew I'd be worse for not playing 6 years, but was eager and bursting at the seams,
The time drew close, I got pretty nervous, I drank water and cut my nails short,
I've been making a fool of myself on the field, hopefully I'd be better on the court.
They needed a center and a goalkeeper too, I used to play center a lot,
But I jumped in goal keeper so I could watch the game and remember the rules I've forgot.
3 seconds in saw me standing in eagerness at the third line which marked my prison,
As soon as my first touch of the ball in defence all my sleeping autopilot knowledge had risen.
After first quarter I was bucking to get out of my third, I gratefully swapped out of keeper,
And jumped on as center much to my delight, then quickly found the skills needed much steeper!
I switched again to GA for the last half of the game - my shooting has not yet awoken,
Actually that's an understatement - that part of me actually seems to be broken.
But I love the game, the whistle, the court, constantly being told to 'stand aside',
The defence player trying to trap me out of play, secretly jabbing me in the side,
The fact that when I shoot the players stand three feet away,
Intercepts, center passes, rebounds and sprints, it's the game I most love to play.
And whenever I did something not completely stupid, I could almost hear in my head,
My dad yelling 'THAT'S MY GIRL!!', as he used to, but all I could hear instead,
Was James who'd come along and joined the husbands who are on his rugby team, cheering,
And they shouted so enthusiastically for their wives that they received a preliminary warning.
They only have 2 more games this season but are down 2 players next week,
So I'll probably get another chance to enjoy a game in which I feel less like a geek.
And next year when 'Slim Pickings' starts picking up, and getting ready for the season,
I WILL SAY NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! And hopefully play netball somewhere. Bethy? Tammy? Mama? Jessima? Anyone? :) xo

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Bits & Pieces

One and a half years later, still sort of edible...



Taking up about 1/6 of our freezer for the last one and a half years, has been the beautiful top tier of our wedding cake. We have been waiting a long time, for an appropriate occassion to eat it, but have not experienced one, so a week or two ago, we decided just to eat it a) for kicks, b) becuase it was Sunday night and we didn't really have much food in the house, and c) because I wanted my freezer space back. We cut big wedges in it like it was a birthday cake, but being excessively rich we really couldn't eat probably even half of our pieces. It was a tiny bit funny tasting, but was good warmed up with ice-cream. I called mum the next day, and offered them the rest, which mum accepted, as I predicted, for sentimental reasons. I'm pretty sure it's still in her storage fridge.


Coming Home!



Last week I was away on school camp, which was awesome and hilarious and I wish I could tell you funny details of the kids and put hilarious photos up but that might be a bad idea. Anyway, as awesome as it was I was stoked to get back home to real life and my wonderful husband. James was at work when my adorable sister Bethany dropped me home, so we hung out for a bit, then she left and I unpacked and washed my camp 'stuff''. James rushed home after work, with the most beautiful flowers (a bunch of those buds opened up yesterday and they're bright pink and just beautiful!!), and then we went and got fish'n'chips and snuggled up on the couch to watch a movie - I love being home!!!

Mothers' Day

So this Mothers' Day was really fun! On Saturday I got sick (comes from spending a week living with 250 children, sigh..), so on Sunday, when James and I were due to cook brekkie for his mum, he left me in bed and only woke me up when it was all ready to go! We had a lovely morning with his parents - we got his mum an exotic-looking pot plant which she seemed to like. We dropped by my parent's afterwards because my mother had spent all mothers' day morning cooking me chicken soup (there's nothing like it in the whole world!) to help me feel better (it does. Instantly). Mum had also gotten me 12 beautiful yellow roses and a wonderful book, called 'The Ultimate Career'. I thought it was a cruel present when I first read the title, who wants a career when they could be a mum and housewife??? But it turns out that it's talking about the mum/housewife career, and it's awesome :) I can't wait to participate in the practicle part of this education more fully. I ate soup and read my book and looked at my beautiful flowers (we can't afford many flowers so I don't usually have any, but right now I have 3 vases full! :)) It was such a mothers' day for me even though at the moment I'm just a daughter!! I decorated mama up a little coffee table photo box - ready for photos. We had dinner with a surprise visit from Aunty Linda and Uncle Steve which was cool - they've never been to Brisbane before so it was wonderful. Sadly I piked on the lounge, feeling rather unwell, and we left early before the end of dinner or anything. James gave me a wonderful gift too, one of those times where it was the thought that counted. He wanted to get me something just cause i'm a girl and I wanna be a mum, but we had no budget left, and he'd already and gotten me flowers which were not in our budget, so he felt bad and didn't get me anything :) Sweet. I love sticking to budgets :)

Good times xo

Saturday, May 2, 2009

When I Grow Up, I Wanna Be a Homemaker!!!

Dear Blog Diary,

Today I went to the 'Stiches and Craft Show' with Mum, at the Brisbane Convention Centre. I didn't know it existed until Mum called late last night and suggested the outing, but in a spirit of homemaking and a visit with Mum, I was eager to go.

Once we got through the doors, and to the very first shop, we were 'gone'. Into the world of crafting heaven!

About 6 hours later, we departed excited and giddy, arms full of wonderful and still slightly mysterious packages containing materials for new projects, crafts and techniques.

One of the main worlds opened up to me today was the world of embossing! I am beginning by using dry embossing, but would love to progress to using embossing medium which I love! I would have bought some today but my budget had already been murdered, so I hope to start it up in the future (it's the start-up fees that kill me!). Thanks mum for buying me the embossing tool and the sanding flowers! Also the picture of the small bug-like creatures that fascinated me so much, I love them and can't wait to get started!!

We picked up a sample of 'Snaps Australia' - a little machine which in one brief movement of a lever attaches presses and snaps into your material - idea for baby clothes, doona covers, anywhere you need a button but can't be bothered sewing one on... :) very effective , and the buttons/snap/presses can't come off! They come in a massive set with the press machine starter kit for $110. I suggested to mum that we (all of my sisters and sister-in-laws and mum) could all put in $20 or so and get a family one, but we never followed it up. I wonder how often we'd use it!

We also spent some time examining quilt stands, where mum was trying diligently to suss out which types of quilts I like and would want for a quilt she may make me someday. Sadly most of the quilts I saw were sort of ugly, but I assured Mum that hers were not, and as long as it's not dull and dreary I'd be sort of honoured just to get one.

We had a lovely lunch, consisting of slightly terrible food and lovely company (obviously the loveliness of the company in this case outweighed the badness of my salad and the bacon it contained but shouldn't have...)

Now I am at home. I told James about blowing the budget, and thanked him for letting me have so much art stuff. He pointed out to me that he hadn't had much of a choice in the matter at all, and rarely did, but I thanked him for buying it for me in the past, and having one of the spare rooms set aside for my supplies and workspace. I still struggle with not being able to be home much and not doing very well at fulfilling my role as wife and mother (Yes I know, I'm not actually a mother - this is most of the issue with fulfilling this roll, and most of my 'struggle' in life!), but when I am in my little artsy room (or spread out all over the house!) painting and making cards and handstitching and cooking and cleaning and scrapbooking and reading and being creative, it feels like I'm just that little bit closer to becoming one. I know we don't have kids, but I have decided to make up a little chipboard photo booklet ready for photos to be pasted in when they come (I have decided to have twins first). I'm going to get onto this embossing thing and continue to hopefully pick up some more sewing here and there. I'm going to cook the museli bar slice mum used to make, as well as her homemade marshmallow becuase I think James will love these. I will continue to learn how to cook. I will try to fulfill my goal of having the dishes washed every night and then extend it to having other things clean all the time too! I want to buy some of the gorgeous cross stitch patters and do it sometime when I'm sick at home with morning sickness too, then stick it up in the nursery I'll create with James if we ever get baby news.

I can't wait to be a housewife and a homemaker!!

xo