Cricket song

The cricket song is reverberating in my ears now, as the last of the light fades. It's funny - moments after stepping out of the car this weekend, my brother's girlfriend was asking me what all the noise was, and it took a moment's pause and a re-tuning of my mental filters before I realized she was referring to the crickets. And yes, they ARE loud.

In our own everyday environment, we become used to certain sounds, smells, sights. In my world, much of the light and colour and sound comes from my little boy. He was long-ago nicknamed "the EveryReady Kid" (a nod to a battery advertisement) for his astonishing energy and ability to be "on", and on the go, from the moment he opens his eyes till the moment his eyes (and mouth) finally close.

Right now, for all the incredible reverberations of the crickets and the murmur of the TV in the background, my house is quiet. It's not unusual for him not to be here - he spends every second weekend with his father, and has been doing 4 days a week at preschool this year. Yet, somehow, when his father picked him up for their Christmas holiday in Northern Queensland, something stilled inside my house, and within me. This will be the first time my little man sees Christmas in without me, and me without him.

Sadness is probably not the right word for the feeling I'm experiencing. Fairness demands that I recognize that his father has already been through this last year, when I took the wee man to my mother's for Christmas, and I'm nothing if not fair.

Part of me is actually quite exultant at the unique pleasure of a quiet, stress-free, totally-mine-to-do-as-I-please Christmas week. I've an invite to a street party on Christmas Eve, which I'm looking forward to, but apart from a last bit of shopping and groceries tomorrow I plan to make like a hermit, and immerse myself in writing and developing the various projects I am setting up for the New Year. (More on that in the near future...look, I'm even going to have time to blog!)

Yet, as well as fair I'm also honest, and it's true that not being able to watch my baby's face light up as he realizes that, once again, the magic of Christmas has touched his world and the jolly fellow in the red suit has heeded his dreams is going to be worthy of the odd tearful moment.

But don't feel sorry for me. Think about all the things I'm going to get done! After all, it's so quiet....

Weekly Winners Sunday Meme- Can I play catch-ups?

Let's not talk about how long it's been since I've stumped up for Weekly Winners - indulge me, by ooh-ing and aah-ing at the gorgeous Aussie Christmas the wee man and I shared with my family up on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland. It was warm, fun, relaxed and a wonderful antidote to the tainted memories of past Christmases.

And say "Hi" to the gorgeous Lotus (Sarcastic Mom), whose fabulous institution is the Weekly Winners. Give her a big hug while you're there - just because...




The wee man adored doing workouts with his Uncle J







The self-titled Saucepan Man (How many readers of the Magic Faraway Tree here?)




Gorgeous beach afternoons, each of us to our own passions: me, with my camera; the wee man, sand and water; my mum, her yoga; Rusty, socialising...


























Christmas Eve...






And then it was Christmas Day...














...back to the beach...





...before home for the Christmas BBQ. These 2 just as fascinated with fire as last year!

Weekly Winners, Sunday Meme

Christmas at Nana Mama's (wee man's name for my mum), on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland Australia.

(Not much sunshine!!)



New Year's blessings for our meme's "sponsor", Sarcastic Mom aka Lotus!

Not even a ribbon...

My best gifts this Christmas were not gift-wrapped.

The wee man is sleeping in his own bed...ALL night...for the first time in his life. From Christmas Eve at Nanna's house and now, home again in his own bed in his own room for the first time in 3 and 3/4 years! Wow!

Mama and Didi have their own bed back.

Mama can sleep though the night. (Can I hear a Hallelujah?!)

Mama and the Big Feller reached a flashpoint on Boxing Day morning, all the simmering tensions expressed and released. Mama is not taking any shit any more. The Big Feller is stepping up and taking a whole lot more responsibility for his actions, and is having to take a very large shovel to dig us out of the hole his actions have dropped us in. It is very much put-up-or-shut-up time - he wants to put up. (Looks good so far. I believe deeply that actions speak louder - and mean much more - than words.)

I feel the energy for change very strongly at the moment - I knew it was coming, and was very much needed in my life, but am pleasantly surprised by the form it is taking at the moment. 2008 promises to be very, very interesting.

(PS. Overall, I had a good Christmas. Could have done without the simmering tensions etc etc, but wonderful to share the time with my mama and her partner - the wee man had a ball, and was greatly enjoyed in turn. A bit of a beach holiday, even though the weather was iffy, was a nice break from daily life in the village, too. Check out my photos this Sunday.)

Ramping up the cute factor

It is that time of year. Yes, first Christmas concert at preschool, and I really ramped up the cute factor when I took the wee man along wearing his Santa hat.



Laughing our heads off at ourselves, paparazzi snappers and handy cams abounded as our little ones romped their way through a small program of Christmas carols. It included an Aussie version of Jingle Bells which I just love - "Dashing through the bush, in a rusty Holden ute, kelpie by my side, esky in the boot..." (translation for my OS friends: ute=utility vehicle, kelpie=Australian cattle dog, esky=cooler box...hehehe). I'm not usually so patriotic, but I think it makes a lot more sense to our kids.



It's been a tumultuous year for us at preschool. Not for the wee man, who soaked up the stimulation and social scene, and grew like a flower towards the sun. It was his mama, and her fellow committee members, who have dealt with all manner of challenges and feel stretched and expanded and greatly strengthened by the experience. The day before this concert, we were here having a mediation meeting with a staff member who has had a long history of bullying people (other staff members, parents, children, even former Directors) and getting away with it. Of course, we couldn't put it like that, but I think we did show her how committed we are to creating a place where that kind of behaviour is anathema. I'm wondering if she'll choose to return to continue the journey with us next year. She was singing along with the rest of us yesterday.



Next year, the wee men will be going 3 days a week. I'm not sure what the New Year is going to bring, but one thing I've learned from this year - I'm going to be trying to do the things that give extra meaning to my life. There has been some recent press about the need for more women councillors in local government, rather pointedly aimed at women "...skilled at juggling family, work and volunteering". Guess they mean me (*snort* don't know that there is much skill involved...just sheer bloody-mindedness - "I.will.not.drop.one.ball!") Anyway, I've asked for some information, and there's a meeting early in the year - the logistics of travel and time could be tricky, but I love the idea of a deeper commitment to my community.

Weekly Winners, Sunday Meme

On Friday morning, I was reflecting to myself how I hadn't picked up the camera all week...and what was I going to post on Sunday?! Well, the the camera has seen so much action since then that it's probably still red-hot.

Our Playgroup Christmas party was on Friday, complete with bouncy castle and an appearance from Santa (I'm the co-ordinator). It looked like it was going pear-shaped when we first got to the hall. The castle hire guy hadn't arrived (he'd confirmed he was on route 1 and 1/2 hours earlier - for a 40 minute drive!). The water had been cut off to the hall by nearby roadworks (and hence, electic urn could not be filled...Gasp! No coffee or tea for the mamas!?), and another school group was attempting to muscle in to the same space of the (very large) park despite the fact that we pay rent for the use of the hall 41 weeks of the year. I was beginning to see red, and it wasn't Santa! (Yeah, he was about to send an elf to say the sleigh had broken down...any minute now!)

Well, the show must go on, and it did. The castle guy turned up shortly after, one of the mums had a 12 litre water container in her car, and as the castle rose and more of our Playgroup arrived, the other group decided to move over to another section of the park. And before you think what a humbug I was not wanting to share the space or the entertainment - we were concerned about the impact of the bigger kid's behaviour so close to our little ones, some of whom were already a bit intimidated by the other group; and insurance and public liability being what it is these days, there was no way we could afford to be gracious and share the castle (which we budget and save for all year anyway.) We copped a few dark glances and muttered dissatisfactions to the castle operator (a few of their group approached him directly...huh?), but we were comfortable with our decision.

And we ended up having a great party. As you can see, Santa did arrive... And then last night we went into town and looked at the Christmas lights in the most-lit up street in town, these days a charity fund-raiser with another Santa in attendance. (The wee man is beginning to worry that Santa is too busy with all these appearances to get down to the serious business of making all the presents...lol)

Hmm, isn't this usually a wordless meme? I'll shut up now and let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy!

(Thanks again to our patron saint *snigger* of the Sunday meme, Sarcastic Mom aka Lotus.)















































A very Merry Australian Christmas to you all! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx