Crazy busy seems to be the theme of the year around these parts.  Finally we had a weekend with nothing planned and nothing to do so instead of doing nothing we went looking for record breaking adventures.  We headed down to Icehouse to take part in the the World Record attempt of the biggest conga line on ice.  Knowing that we would be out on the ice and hanging on tight, there was no point taking a camera with me.  Naturally I did have my phone so I did get a quick snap of girl-child as she headed back out for another skate before the conga line began.

Ready to Conga Skate

I don’t think that we had enough participants to make the world record (official number released tomorrow) but we had a great time.  I have to admit that it is harder than it looks to skate in a huge conga line for 15 minutes! We were in the middle of the line, man-child at the front, followed by the kids and then me and all hanging on tight.  We managed stay together and not break our section of the conga line.  Even if we didn’t make the record yesterday, we had a great time.  We will have to go back for another attempt next time.

Head over to Unknown Mami and check out some of the adventures others have had during their Sundays in my City.

I must admit that I was hesitant that boy-child would moan and complain all morning (as he  frequently does!) so it wasn’t until we were in the car and on the way there that I actually told the kids where we were going and braced myself for the whinging.  Guess what?  There was none, we were off to a great start!

We made it to the venue with plenty of time to spare and found ourselves a spot front and (almost) centre on the floor, ready to enjoy the show. As we were waiting for the performance to begin, boy-child declared that if he was in the orchestra, he would be wearing a green shirt.  I wondered why he would wear a green shirt and he pointed out that not only was green his favourite colour but it was also the colour that the woodwind musicians were wearing and since he plays clarinet he would have to wear green too!  He then went on to point out that the string section were wearing blue shirts, brass in red and percussion in yellow.  Already I was impressed at how much he was enjoying being there and the performance hadn’t even begun!

I really didn’t know how the show would be tailored to suit young children but found that the conductor used the time between pieces to introduce a different member of the orchestra, highlight the instrument that they played and talk about how it would be played in the next piece of music.

The dancers from the Australian Ballet were beautiful, showing how music can be influence dance and movement.  Girl-child barely blinked the entire time that they were on stage.  Boy-child was entranced by Patrick tap dancing different rhythms and then hearing Rob repeat the rhythms on a drum.  He was even more impressed when Rob beat a rhythm on the drum that ended in a drumroll and Patrick was able to tap that same rhythm and drumroll.

Sure my kids were amongst the oldest there but they had a great time.  In fact they both had such a great time that they are wanting to know when they can go back to the symphony.  I don’t think the planets will align to allow us to go back during the school holidays but if they do, this is what I would love to go to – Peter and the Wolf.  Prokofiev’s story of the irreverent Peter has resonated deeply with generations of children, enchanted by its power and sense of fun. Now BreakThru Films and Se-ma-for Studios, in collaboration with BAFTA-winning director Suzie Templeton, bring this mesmerising and enchanting classic to the big screen.

Thanks to MSO, I was lucky enough to have free tickets to take the kids along to see Movement Makes Music, but the opinions expressed are mine and those of my kids.  We had a great day and only wish that we had discovered MSO Family Classic Kids a few years ago.  Family Classic Kids is the MSO’s popular program of concerts for children aged three to eight years of age – and a great way to introduce young people to the wonders of orchestral music. With the children sitting right next to the Orchestra, there are opportunities to sing along, respond to the music with movement and actions, follow a story and maybe even conduct.

As a bonus, the kids had their photos taken with some of the musicians and the dancers!

Being shy around the amazing performers!

Don’t just listen to me rave on about how much fun we had at MSO, check out what my kids thought here and here, also head over to Stuff With Thing to see what Heidi and Annie thought too.

Last weekend was the last soccer game for the season.  I was looking forward to having Sunday back, to spend the day relaxing and having fun but that wasn’t to be.  The soccer season is over yet it is still filling up my Sunday.  Instead of spending the day here, hanging out with friends,

Testing the Water

and watching the kids all go nuts here

Jumping About

We had to head back to the city to go to the soccer presentation day.  Of course it was totally worth it to see girl-child receive her medal.

A Medal for Playing!

The fact that I wasn’t down on the coast hanging out with friends was enhanced by then spending the afternoon celebrating another friends birthday before heading out (again) to find some more ‘treasure’ in an area not far from home that we haven’t visited before.

Taking a break from the Geocache Treasure Hunt

Despite the busy, it was a great and tiring day, after a crazy and even busier day yesterday that I will post about as soon as I get a chance.

Head over to Unknown Mami and check out some of the adventures others have had during their Sundays in my City.

Today was the last day for the season that I get to play soccer mum, well except for presentation day next weekend (now that is sure to be a world of fun).  Now I know that the girl-child loves playing soccer but all I can think is ‘Yippee, I get a Sunday back!’  Should I be disappointed that I don’t have to get up at some ungodly hour of a Sunday morning and traipse to some suburb in the middle of nowhere, on the other side of the city to stand around in the cold and cheer?  Hell no!

That said, it has been a giggle worth season.  Whilst she may not be the next Matilda, she does have fun.  This is her unorthodox way to warm up before the game.

Conserving energy before the game

The when she is on the field it is often more like watching a dance performance than a game of soccer!

Stretch and miss!

Occasionally she does look like she is playing sport (just not actually watching the ball!)

Running, just not watching where!

I really am proud of girl-child for taking on a new sport, one she knew nothing about, and I do cheer loudly at the games I go to.  I also take bazillions of photos for the team it just happens that the only photos that don’t have the faces of all the other players are the ones that show her less-soccer-like skills!

Head over to Unknown Mami and check out some of the adventures others have had during their Sundays in my City.

Squinty and off centre

Not quite right

Strange and chipmunky

Getting better, but not looking

Huzzah! Finally a decent photo

I am joining in with Trish for Aussie Wordless Wednesdays.

Head over to My Little Drummer Boys and see who else is playing along.

So it is Father’s Day, let’s think of the perfect way to celebrate adoring children and great fathers.  A long lie in, eventually being woken by excited children bearing delightful home (or school) -made gifts.  After chatting and giggling, all squished in the bed, we wander downstairs, decide we don’t want to make breakfast and instead head out to brunch with friends.  The perfect start to a special day.  Reality on the other hand was far from what was desired.

The morning started off super early, with the sound of the wind howling.  The promise of a sunny and relaxing day was not as likely.  Instead of languishing in bed, I rolled out, threw some clothes on ready to head off to work.  Meanwhile the kids were getting ready to head out to soccer.  Man-child had the pleasure of driving me there and then rushing back to do the soccer run.  I did suggest that they pick up a snack for breakfast, even if it did involve drive through!  After the soccer run, the family joined me at work for a bit.  Not quite your typical way to celebrate Father’s Day.  In fact I was so busy that I didn’t even get a chance to call my own dad a call to wish him a happy Fathers Day.

Instead of photos of my beautiful family, here are a few photos from my day at work, attending a local community festival where the police helicopter landed, much to the delight of everyone there.

A Chopper Up Close

I am sorry that we didn’t get to have a real Father’s Day.  Hopefully we will get to spend a real family day together some time soon.

Head over to Unknown Mami and check out some of the adventures others have had during their Sundays in my City.

Vibrant and alive

I am using the start of the season to turn over a new leaf.  I want to find the best possible me that is hiding within.  To do this I am going to attempt to make a few changes.  I know that already I am over scheduled so I am going to practice saying NO.  I don’t need to do everything, or be everything for everyone all of the time.  I am going to (try) and prioritise and make some time for me.  Time that doesn’t involve the pressure to do journal readings for uni or running around for other people.  I will do the things that are important to me and recognise that my world won’t cease just because I can’t do everything.  I want to make time to enjoy the wonderful things that I do, and the great life that I am to busy to enjoy.

I WILL enjoy the sunshine whenever I can, I will relax, breathe and enjoy.

By doing this I will have time to be a better partner, parent and friend and most importantly be a better me.

The weather is improving and the sun has been shining, the perfect opportunity to get out and about right?  Wrong.  I spent yesterday in front of the laptop, surrounded by journal articles that needed to be read and hopefully understood.  Today, I attempted to continue my reading, but out in the sunshine and promptly fell asleep!  I figured that no study was going to happen, it was time to do something else.

Since we had a class get-together to attend, boy-child and I decided to make some snacks to share with friends.  What started out as a simple idea soon became much more colourful.  We started out with my favourite kid friendly and delicious recipe 100′s of Biscuits, the same recipe that girl-child followed back here, but this time we did a little experimentation.

Green Cookie Dough

Green was pretty spectacular, as was the red!

Ruby Red and Pop Rocks

 We had fun decorating them too, and eating them of course!

Good enough to eat!

His hands ARE clean, just stained from the different food colourings used!

The cookies were taken to the picnic this afternoon and were a treat.  They were devoured in minutes.  Even the parent folk were happy to give them a try and a nod of approval!  Boy-child enjoyed his kitchen experiments and I enjoyed spending the time with him having some fun.  Having used food colouring, toffee and chocolate chips along with popping candy, I wonder what secret ingredients he will want to use next time?

Head over to Unknown Mami and check out some of the adventures others have had during their Sundays in my City.

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So it is the middle of the night and I am awake and I don’t really know why.

Perhaps it is about sitting around watching movies that all fit the same formula – person with dreams is confronted by adversity, they overcome the challenge and of course they all live happily ever after.  I wander downstairs realising that sleep just isn’t happening, thinking that perhaps watching some crappy middle of the night tv will send me to the land of nod.  I flick through the channels and the pickings are slim.  Just as I am about to give up I stumble across Jerry Maguire, a movie that I love but haven’t seen in  forever.  Instead of making me tired, it makes me even more contemplative;  here is a movie about a guy that has a dream and works his butt of to succeed.  I know every man and his dog is likely to know the movie better than I do but in my 30 second summary, Jerry fixes his life and of course he succeeds and in doing so he fixes the lives of the important people around him and they all live happily ever after, The End.

Well that is pretty much what I want.  It isn’t too much to ask for?

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Well that was as far as I made it with that post.  Yet another incomplete story that I am going to attempt to finish, or at least make some sense of…

What I had written there really isn’t too far removed from my current head space.  So my current funk?  This is how I see it.  My biggest problem is that I don’t have any goals or dreams other than the obvious – watch my kids grow up and be happy within themselves and that they enjoy their lives.  Whilst I know that is something I want with all of my heart I know that I really should find some dreams, something that is mine, something to be passionate about, but where to start?  Sure I have a list of things I should do, and things I need to do but they aren’t things that currently light the fire in my belly, that get me going and keep me inspired or motivated.

In reality, I am living the perfect life with a beautiful house, perfect family, in a great neighbourhood surrounded by friends.  Whilst not ‘well off’ by any stretch of the imagination we do manage to pay the bills (usually on time!) and occasionally have a litle left over to do something fun or extravagant.  Life really is good but I feel like a prat because it isn’t enough.  I want more, I want something but I don’t know what it is and it is driving me nuts.  I feel like I am going through the motions but not really living.  Am I logical and practical or creative and spontaneous?  At the moment I try to be both but am in constant conflict and logical and practical wins, things get done when I am practical.

Maybe that is it, maybe there are too many ‘things’ that need doing.  Maybe I need to get rid of some of the ‘things’ and make sense of what is left.  Perhaps I should take time off work and deal with uni so that it is one less thing to have to worry about, one less thing to fit in to a crazy busy schedule?  Perhaps I should just realise that uni just isn’t right for me right now.  It wouldn’t be giving up, it would simply be deferring the insanity, ideally to a less crazy time.  Maybe the kids don’t need to be involved in as many activities but then I think that if they miss out on doing something they love because of the funk I am in, the mother guilt will kick into overdrive and deepen the funk,  Perhaps that isn’t such a great idea after all!  Maybe it is all just a funk that I am tired and grumpy and I will wake up feeling alive.

Who knows?  I do know that sitting here, trying to ignore the pile of reading beside me that I just can’t bring myself to actually read and make sense of isn’t helping with the funk.  I think it might be time to go to bed, hope for a decent sleep and the motivation fairies to visit and deliver a great day tomorrow that will lift me from the funk and fill me with passion and inspiration.

Today the sun was shining and it was the perfect day to be out and about.  First stop was to watch girl-child play soccer before heading out to visit friends to help celebrate the 2nd birthday of their daughter.  Of course you would think that with 4 kids running around the yard there would be plenty of photos to take, but taking photos would involve moving from my sunny perch on the deck so sorry, no pics of cute kids happening today.

Once we bid our friends farewell, we thought we would so some exploring in their neck of the woods, an area that we really haven’t explored before.  We found a few geocaches that needed to be found and headed off to find them.  All three of them were along a walking track by a creek, in fact the same creek that we spend hours by in our neighbourhood, the same creek that is flooded and not very creek-like here!

A girl on the bridge.

This is how you cross a bridge, right?

Enjoying the view (from the bridge railing!)

Of course with new adventures comes new playgrounds to explore.  The boy folk loved this vomit inducing spinning thing!

Spinning

As an added bonus, the 3 caches that we set out to find were all found.

 Head over to Unknown Mami and check out some of the adventures others have had during their Sundays in my City.