Monday

 

Just another day getting things done.

I waded through some invoicing with Tim.

It was all going well and then he stated that he needed to get out in the boat.

My stress levels rose considerably as I tried to hurry so he could get away.

But in so doing I mucked up and it took twice as long to fix it all up

After he left I took a deep breath and managed to get them all done.

I talked to him about it later and managed to convey what had happened without making him feel guilty for pushing me over the edge.

He didn't mean to and certainly never intended to.

He was just on a mission.

I am learning how to communicate my panic and stress which must be a good thing I spose.

 

 

Azzan has been getting rather upset easily lately.

I have been trying to encourage him to take a big breath and just talk rather than fume when things don't quite go the way he thinks they should.

Dinner was a prize example.

He was late to the table cuz he didn't get called in time.

His dinner was already dished up.

It was more than he wanted of the leeks and he didn't quinoa.

So there was a major eruption.

By the time I got out there things had gone from bad to badder!!

I intervened to diffuse the situation.

When talking to him later he didn't think he had blown a fuse!!

Obviously fuse blowing is way worse - oh boy

I have been doing a lot of reading on the intensity of emotions with children like Azzan which has helped me understand a lot more but it sure is hard work keeping one step ahead of it at times.

Our house goes from crazy crazy to crazy funny very quickly.

During this dinner time once the eruption had been diffused the girls began to sing.

They were singing quite loudly across the table, thankfully in unison and also thankfully, in tune with each other.

A mixture of songs but beginning with 'Rolling int he Deep' which they know off by heart!

Then Tim joined in - only it wasn't in time or in tune and he doesn't know the words so it was all rather crazy.

And Azzan couldn't help but begin to smile, and then to laugh, and then to join in!

Fun and games in the family circus

 

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Tuesday

Still trying to pack.

Getting all the other things finished first.

I have cleaned up files on computer.

Needed to do some deleting of thousands of photos and files but before they got deleted I loaded them on a dvd and on Facebook.

Also needed to do a back up as it hadn't been done in a while.

 

Mahalia went up the hill with Tim to drench some sheep after breakfast

She has been enjoying hanging out with her Dad lately.

The girls have pretty much packed their own gear.

Trying to travel light as we are restricted on the plane.

I lost it this arvo.

Was feeling tired and pressured.

Then Shanni did some baking and called me cuz the oven was on fire.

I went out and found she had turned off the oven - good move, but the door was wide open - not such a good move!

So we shut the door while I took a few deep breaths and got the situation sussed.

It turned out that her wonderfully humungous chocolate chip gluten free cookies were just way too big and were crawling over the sides of the tray and dropping down onto the element.

Hence the flames.

I showed her what to do and she cleaned it up and then got the oven cranked up again to bake them properly.

 

I was really feeling sick to my stomach with the stress of everything this arvo so I took some magnesium and some Vit B's etc.

Azzan made me a large pot of herb tea and I sat and read while I drank it.

I needed that break.

I had been on the verge of tears - there was just too many demands today.

 

I was trying to get all the washing under control and thought we had it done.

Then when packing Azzan's, he found pants that he wanted to wear tomorrow had missed the washing altogether.

So another load had to be done.

He ran around looking for more washing to add to the load.

Then soon after I checked Anson's suit to see what we needed to take up with us for him.

Found the programmes from his sister's wedding at the beginning of 2012 still stuffed in the jacket pocket and the shirt desperately in need of washing and the pants all scrunched up looking very sad.

Boys

So into the machine went the shirt.

Thank goodness I have a dryer!

I had a try on with Shanni helping me to work out what would go best with what.

Then Tim came in and I gave him the choice and he chose a completely different top!

So I will just put them both in and see what happens on the night

They are light enough and wont tip the scales too badly.

 

It is time to go shut my suitcase and head off to bed.

Have to leave here at 6am so it will be an early start to a busy day for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a very lazy day today.

Not too much done apart from the feeding of the family.

I had a spa and read my book 'Power of Pinjarra' and then sat in front of the fire at lunch time and finished it off.

It is an older historical series called 'Australian Destiny' by Sandy Dengler based in Australia at the turn of the 1900's.

I have read them before but it was just as good to read them again.

 

I got Azzan to try on his good shirts to make sure they will still fit.

They do - just!

So I got the ironing board out and ironed them today.

It's a wonder the iron didn't malfunction from shock at being used

 

We had fellowship this morning.

It was quite a good teaching and discussion on the life and times of Lot & Abram.

 

Leftover yummy pizza from yesterday for lunch today.

Even better today!!

 

Shanni wanted to borrow my camera because she was too lazy to go to her room and get hers.

So I figure I am entitled to use some of the photos she took

Jynx was being cute and she did get some good pics of him.

Nothing like mussels and a newspaper for breakfast!

 

Tim, Mahalia & Azzan went up the hill.

Tim was looking for the errant ewes and lambs.

They also spent time visiting with Kevin and co who have come down to look after the farm while we are away up north.

They are camping up at Graham's place.

 

Tonight I made another new dish.

It was really delicious and quite easy to make.

Crushed kumara, sun-dried tomatoes & spinach with poached eggs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim, Seb & Thomas went back out to do more mussel work after breakfast.

They didn't get as much done as they hoped but Seb & co had to leave for town soon after midday.

 

Mahalia decided to make pizzas for lunch so Phoebe helped her.

They made some extremely delicious ones - rivaling Pizza Religion in fact

The guys pizzas had pasta sauce, onions, roast pumpkin, roast pork, spinach, bacon, feta, topped with cheese.

The others were similar just minus the pork.

Then with a hiss and a roar they were off out the door and heading back to town.

Thomas had work to get back for so they had a deadline.

 

After they left Shanni & Azzan did the dishes and then Tim took the girls out in the boat.

They came back with these.

They are carpet shark egg pouches - referred to as mermaids purses

They have these long tendrils which are used to attach them to a substrate or sea bottom.

All my children have been fascinated over the years by shark egg cases.

Some of them contain a putrid substance which feeds the young.

I remember Anson playing with one when he was quite young and it burst over him.

Despite washing his clothes many times the smell of that thing permeated them and I would get a strong whiff of it each time I would open his drawers to get his clothes out

 

Azzan has been a bit out of sorts this arvo.

Tired and lethargic and complaining of not feeling great.

Actually both the youngest have been the same.

Maybe it is nearing -he-end-of-term-itis

I am trying to get him to think through his latest GO task but he is really antsy about it.

It all sounded like loads of fun on Thursday while talking with his teacher but now...

maybe he's tired??

The topic for the rest of this term is

'Life - Cryptozoology and Astrobiology.

Biggest Idea: Where there are gaps in our knowledge, questioning and imagining help us to consider new possibilities.'

The first part of the year has been fairly intense and heavy so his teacher is wanting the kids to have some fun and stretch their imaginations.

He has now spent time with me sussing out mythological creatures - cryptozoology.

He has decided that instead of inventing one and creating an environment for it he wants to compare mythological creatures from around the world and see what the similarities and reasons behind them are.

Also he is interested to find out if there is any substance to their being.

 

He has worked very hard on his maths over the past weeks and has just finished his whole maths book.

Didn't take him long so we can now move on to the next level.

So that is cause for celebration.

 

Tim disappeared this afternoon.

Came back after dark.

He had been up looking for some errant sheep which have been jumping the boundary cattle stops.

Shanni has pulled up her trapline.

She won't be home to do it for a while and decided to take the opportunity to do some maintenance on the traps and then once she gets back home she will put the line out in a different area.

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We are on countdown now.

Only 1 week to go till Sunni & Mat's wedding.

Only 4 sleeps till we have to start our journey.

All the final packing and getting clothes sorted etc.

Because we are flying we have a limited amount of space.

We are all looking forward to seeing the family again.

The children are excited about seeing their older siblings.