No Maths Skills Required at the Athletics

For the first time this week the sun is out, the washing is on the line and the house is being aired.

This is a far cry from the conditions in which KelpieBlossom's school held their inter-house athletics carnival on Wednesday. It was bitterly cold, for Sydney, and most of the children ran in tracksuits - not even bothering to take of their fleecy jackets.

In a previous post I was concerned that being posted to the Long Jump meant I would have to employ my non-existent mathematics skills to accurately measure jumps. I needn't have worried as the Science teacher took one look at me and assigned me to raking out the pit. It seems my reputation precedes me.

It turns out I had the best job there as Army Wife felt sorry for me and brought me a constant supply of warm tea and I was the only adult moving enough to keep warm.


Warning: gushing about child to follow.
If you are not a family member or this is 'not your thing' then you may prefer to divert here to a discussion about Quantum Mechanics.

KelpieBlossom had a good carnival. Her results:

• First in the Junior Long Jump (nothing to do with my raking);
• Second in the 9yrs 100m final
• Second in the Junior 4 x 100m House Relay

Relax, this is a G-rated site

It's official, according to a link found via this post , the blog you are reading is G-rated. So go ahead, show your children.

EasternMax is more innocuous than Happy Feet and Finding Nemo!

Last Week of Term

The last week of term is generally fairly relaxing. Normally there is no homework due, activities have stopped and the kids have more free time in preparation for two weeks of holidays. This week has, so far, hasn't fit the mold. It's been relaxing but yet we've had more on than is usual for this time of year.

Staying with us this week is Fairlie and her daughters Queenie and Impossible Princess. Unfortunately we haven't been able to get around much due to the atrocious weather but it's lovely to have them here.

Other happenings this week:

First, KelpieBlossom played with her school band at the Yamaha Music Festival on Monday night. They were in tune and came away with a Silver. The band was marked on appearance as well as performance and they looked fabulous.

Second, you may remember that when the Fireworks Night was postponed one parent was left with 230 bears in her house which were destined for the "Adopt-a-Bear" stall. Well, that stall was held today at school. Despite the rain there was a bear-buying FRENZY. I was a little skeptical about the potential of this stall. I needn't have worried. They sold out quickly with disappointed children who missed out.

Third, I had forgotten that Padawan Learner had to learn, and recite, a poem for news today. Last night, Fairlie, kindly found the Spike Milligan poem "Worm" for him which was a big hit.

Worm
Little worm - wiggle wiggle,
You make me and my sister giggle.
You live in mud,
You live in wet,
Yet never ever see a vet.
You must be very healthy worm,
Wiggle Wiggle Wiggle Squirm.

Fourth, KelpieBlossom, despite having a term's notice, had to write a book report in a hurry tonight. Her chosen book? Judy Moody: Around the World in 8 1/2 Days. Thanks must go to Queenie for her help with the last minute colouring in and help with accompanying poster layout.

Fifth, despite the promise of more inclement weather the school athletics carnival is scheduled for tomorrow. It looks like it will be cold, and drizzly. And, hurray hurray I am on "Long Jump" duty (even though I specifically requested not to be put on any timekeeping or measuring activity - words are my thing; Charlie Eppes, I am not ).

Roll on the weekend when the kids and I will drive down to the Great Southern City for a week with Fairlie and the girls, leaving Firegazer to hold the fort and keep the Plasma company.

Tour of Iraq

Without giving it much thought I tend to think of Iraq as a destination for US soliders. I think of US families & friends farewelling their soldiers for their 'tour of duty' not Australian families & friends. And yet tonight we did just that. Feels odd.

A quiet steak at local pub, The Oaks, marked the last time we'll see Army Wife's husband for at least six months. And after he returns from Iraq they will be posted to another State or Country.

Army Wife, who gets used to the six-month tours, says she puts her fears "in a tiny compartment in one part of her brain" so that she can keep her home life as normal as possible. But this time it will be harder. Her five-year-old is old enough to understand daddy is going away for a long time (and where he's going) and cries even when he leaves the room. Her eight-year-old is being more irritable than usual. It's not the fact that her husband is away, it is the impact on the kids (and the imminent move) that makes it hard.

End Of Term Ballet Performance

We had our end of term ballet performance last night. KelpieBlossom danced in the RAD Grade 2 and RAD Grade 3 displays plus performed her classical solo.

It's Raining Mandarins

After two years living in a property you expect to know what sort of plants you have.

Until a couple of months ago we thought we owned a lemon tree and a lime tree. It seems we were wrong as, for the first time since we moved in, lovely large Mandarins have been growing on our "lime" tree. I'm now wondering what will pop up on our "lemon" tree.

Author Elizabeth Stead visited our Bookclub

On Monday we were fortunate to have Sydney-based author, Elizabeth Stead, visit our bookclub.

We discussed her latest book The Gospel of Gods and Crocodiles; a fictional story about life on a tropical island "just two degrees below the equator of our world". This book is a story in the truest sense of Once Upon A Time storytelling but draws upon the author's own experience living on a similar island in the 1950s.

For our review of the book and reactions to Ms Stead's visit check out our post about her visit here on our bookclub blog Books & Gossip

A Visit from The Oven Fairy

While Padawan Learner is keen for the Tooth Fairy to pay him there are some fairies that I am more than willing to pay myself. Like The Oven Fairy. On Monday morning my oven looked like this:

If the photos above are not clear then imagine two years' worth of Roast Dinners, cakes, pizza toppings, un-nameable dishes going wrong and you get the picture.

On Monday afternoon after my oven had been completely dismantled, each part cleaned and reassembled after two and a half hours. It looked like this:

I'm not sure what evil magic The Oven Fairy possesses but it worked on my 17 year old oven.

The only disappointing thing about all this was that The Oven Fairy didn't wear wings. I had at least expected wings. Also, The Oven Fairy was a male. Well, a male fairy with no wings was a bit confusing for Padawan Learner who exclaimed loudly as he walked in to see the Oven Fairy at work:

"So where's this fairy then?"

He did explain that when he had finished his training he was presented with a halo but that he hasn't been game to wear it yet.

I'm sure you'd love a visit from the Oven Fairy. But you'll have to wait; this fledgling Sydney business is booked out six weeks in advance.

Homework Task for a Rainy Day

What do you do on a rainy day? Stay inside and read a book? Bake cookies? Watch a movie?

We wish. Instead we helped KelpieBlossom complete her homework by visiting Vaucluse House in the Eastern Suburbs today. Her current Homework Grid suggests she

"take a trip to Vaucluse House with your family.Talk about the different lifestyles of the convicts at the Barracks compared with the richer free settlers".

The Homework Grid approach encourages learning to be integrated into everyday activities (ie involves mum and dad). We pointed out that this part of her homework was not compulsory, and that visiting an old house in the rain wasn't an "everyday activity", but KelpieBlossom takes all homework very seriously so we had no choice but to obey.

So here it is. KelpieBlossom pointed out that, unlike the convicts at Hyde Park Barracks, this family did not have to sleep in hammocks, did not have to work all day and didn't share their beds with rats. Padawan Learner had a lot of trouble finding the dishwasher.

Ferry Trip, anyone?

Taking a ferry ride is one of the best ways to enjoy Sydney's beautiful harbour

...maybe not today.

Photo sourced from here

Wireless Charging is Here (nearly)

Man-o-man check this out. Via Unclutter I came across this magnificent looking gadget- a wireless charging station from WildCharge.

Those of you (eg Phone Guy) who were lucky enough to go to CES this year will have already seen this. We plebs will get a chance to buy this in the next couple of months.

It works by inductive charging, like an electric toothbrush, and probably bad for you. But imagine not having to plug in your phone, PDA, camera, ipod etc. You simply lay everything on the mat, and that's it. Cool.

No word on exact price. Somewhere in the $40-$100 range in the US. Which I guess will translate to about $1000 in Australia...

Our Fireworks Night was cancelled, and for some the news was un-bear-able

Yesterday at 2.30pm, when our cupcake team was over halfway through cooking & decorating 700 cupcakes, we got the news that our fireworks night, scheduled for tonight, would be cancelled due to heavy rainfall, wind and potential thunderstorms. This event is being re-scheduled for sometime in July.

While the archives are sketchy, word has it that this is the first time in over 20 years this event has had to be cancelled. I haven't checked Bureau of Meterology stats, but if this is correct then it is the first time in 20 years that it has rained on the Saturday of this weekend. Is this a sign that the drought is breaking?

So, what about the cupcakes I hear you ask? We decided we would hold a lunchtime cupcake stall at school next week; so we continued to bake and decorate through the night and now have 700 cupcakes frozen in the school canteen freezers ready and waiting. They look fabulous and the kids will love them.

Our stall has been let off lightly, one friend has 500 Loot Bags filling her study and lounge room and another has 223 donated teddy bears, intended for the adopt-a-bear stall, filling every available space. Certainly gives her place that "country comfort" look.


PS. I would post photos of our cupcakes but, due to the support provided by the champers at the decorating party last night, the photos look a bit blurry...

24 CDs in 128 hours

Last night at 9pm (just in time for Lights Out) KelpieBlossom finished the last of the 24 Harry Potter 5 Audio CDs (see earlier post). That's 24 CDs in 128 hours or an average of 4.6hours of listening a day. Yes, she went to school. Yes, she went to all her afterschool activities.


Back to a noisy house this morning.

Hoping for Sunshine on Saturday

This is what the weather is like in Sydney right now:

BIG TIME

On Saturday afternoon our primary school has its major fundraiser for the year -
a fireworks night.

What we need is

or we won't be able to hold these

so here's hoping*...



*but the forecast is for more rain rain rain

Harry Potter Bookpile

HP BookPile with flash
Originally uploaded by Colette8765

Book cataloguing website, Library Thing is experiencing downtime at the moment.

While they are fixing whatever needs fixing they are having a competition for a new "bookpile" photo to be placed on their home page. Entrants upload their entries to flickr. com

If you're interested in seeing the other bookpiles, entries are tagged "LTDown".

I loved this one. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone in many different languages.

FINIS

At approximately 10pm EST on June 12th 2007 Assignment 3 Part 2 concerning Systemic Functional Grammar was submitted to the Linguistics Department. There ends my Graduate Diploma.

As is fitting for such an occasion the last word of my last assignment was... adieu.

FINIS

All Quiet on the Eastern Front

Earlier this year we told KelpieBlossom that if she read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix we'd take her to see the movie when it comes out in July.

Well, at over 800 pages she's found it a bit of a struggle to get through. So when we found a copy of the Audio CD version at the library on Sunday we said we would take her to the movie if she's listened to the book.

The audio version, read by the fabulous Stephen Fry, comprises 24 CDs and over 28 hours of listening. We calculated that if she listened to 1-2 CDs each night she'd be finished by the time the movie arrived in A Cinema Near You.

Silly us. Since Sunday 1pm KelpieBlossom hasn't been seen without headphones firmly planted on her ears and has listened to 16 CDs.

It's lovely and quiet at the EasternMax Residence.

Happy 4th Birthday Little Pirate

Our nephew, and Godson, Little Pirate celebrates his 4th birthday today. He's having a Pirate Party!

Happy Birthday Little Pirate!

Love all of us here at EasternMax xxxx

Cremorne Point Ferry Wharf - Gone!

This morning, in a brief respite from the rain, we joined the rest of the lower north shore on a pilgrimage to what remains of the Cremorne Point Ferry Wharf.

YESTERDAY - GOING....

*This photo is by Simon Bullard and came from this article


TODAY - GONE!

Full marks to the cafe. They opened despite having part of their premises fall into the harbour - someone had to cater for the curious.



By the way, it used to look like this:

LOLMarble

Surely you've seen the LOLcats circulating cyberspace by now? If you haven't check out here for a summary.

LOL stands for Laugh Out Loud. LOL language mimics gaming/texting language. You understand I researched this on a purely professional basis - as an emerging language it naturally of interest to a student of linguistics...

Here is my first attempt.


For LOLcats that are actually funny, check out this site.

Tagged for the "8 things about Me" Meme

Fairlie tagged me for the "8 random things about Me" Meme. I could just devote this blog to the concept of a Meme*, however that would divert me from the purpose of the tag, which brings me to thing No. 1:

1. I am easily distracted. Hence I am blogging (again) when I am supposed to be writing my final assignment. If Firegazer finds out I'll be in BIG trouble.
   
2. I grew up on a farm in Western Australia. I came to live in Sydney 3 years ago via Melbourne (8 years) and Perth (including living at boarding school and uni residential college).
   
3. When I was preparing for confirmation (at boarding school) the Bishop asked all of us what we thought Jesus wanted us to be when we grew up. All the other girls said "a priest"; I said "an Egyptologist". This was announced to the entire school at our confirmation.
   
4. I named my first pony "Luke Skywalker". My son is obsessed with all things Star Wars. Is this my fault?
   
5. I love gifts that show that the giver has thought deeply, and/or searched long for, but not necessarily spent much money. Hence I treasure (among other gifts) my copy of The Long Ships that was found in the collection of a Norwegian who was moving house; my copies of The Caves of Steel and The Stars Like Dust which Firegazer spent weeks finding and cost $3 each and Theft by Peter Carey (that's a long story which I'll relate another time). I also love Handbags - and I really don't mind at all if they're the expensive kind.
   
6. I am finishing off my final assignment for a linguistics degree. I waited for 10 years to get the opportunity to study Linguistics.
   
7. I fear flying and worked in a job that required me to fly often, in small aircraft, across terrain with high levels of thermal activity...
   
8. Getting a cup of tea in bed on a Sunday morning will make me happy all day.

As there are no bloggers left who haven't been tagged I tag: The No. 1 Melbourne Ladies Bookclub and Books & Gossip. Eight random things about the clubs ladies!

*Meme: n. A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another. (source: dictionary.com)

A blog meme is a type of Internet meme that requires active participation by the blogger and rarely traces back to an originating source. It's often a series of questions that a blogger answers to share some personal perspective or experience on random topics. (source: Quixtar)

Okay, so now it can stop...

I was pretty enthusiastic about the rain on Thursday. But now it's Saturday. It hasn't stopped raining since Thursday; our south facing windows are barely standing up to the fight; there's leaf and stick debris all over the place and the Cremorne Point wharf has sunk...

I don't have photos of said sinking (this investigative reporter is not THAT crazy as to go outside) but here's a shot from my office window just now:

See the harbour in the distance? No? Funny that.

Mind you, all we are really having is a decent rain compared to those in the Hunter Valley, Central Coast and Newcastle. If you haven't caught up with the news there check out this. So as much as we need the water I think the weather needs to take a Bex and have a good lie down for a while so our northern neighbours can regroup.

It's Raining!

We here at the EasternMax residence do not water our garden. Current water restrictions do not allow any automatic reticulation systems and hand-watering is only allowed on Wed and Sun. In any case we can't be bothered watering, so we just don't.


We haven't hand watered for over 12 months (with the exception of Grandma's therapeutic watering session while staying here last summer) and it hasn't made ANY difference. It's not that we have a particularly water-wise garden, in fact we have a very traditional lawn and flower bed arrangement.



Despite the drought elsewhere Sydney coastal suburbs get enough rain to keep any established garden happily growing. Nevertheless, we had not had any rain for several weeks until this morning and the garden was looking a little dry. I was just about to collect grey water to throw on the lawn and then IT RAINED.


Having a no watering policy makes life a little simpler and certainly makes us appreciate the rain when we get it.

Mono-tasking in the Kitchen

In a move which will horrify the team at Unclutterer I think it is time to highlight all those fabulous items we could have in the home that serve only ONE PURPOSE. Especially those that are large and difficult to store.

Mono-tasker #1: The Cupcake Stand


An essential item for anyone buying into the current cupcake craze. This little beauty is a steal at $35.95 and can be bought from My Little Cupcake in Neutral Bay, Sydney.

Will store beautifully in any purpose-built cupboard.

However, Fairlie pointed out to me that it could also be used to store onions...so maybe not a true mono-tasker?

The Tale of Two Cakes, One Party and a Lost Tooth

KelpieBlossom turns 9 today and the floor of her room is covered in gifts. There are so many gifts, in fact, that she feels concerned that her dad didn't have as many gifts on his recent significant, large number, birthday. However, this is what happens when you invite 15 friends to an indoor climbing party.

So what's popular with your average 9 year old girl? From her present pile I would guess: notebooks, monkey themed pjs, 3/4 leggings, books, DVD DanceTwister, art materials, the label maker, clothes (but only if purchased by a favorite aunt), monkey themed knickers (!) and anything cat-themed. And anything wrapped in "cuuuuuute" paper.

Yesterday, we had the aforementioned party an indoor climbing place nearby. Fifteen crazy boys and girls did this:


Then they descended like ravenous locusts onto the party food and demolished these cupcakes

grabbed their party bags and headed home.

Padawan Learner left one thing behind - his front tooth. His story is that he accidentally hit his mouth while he was climbing and it fell out. I'm thinking he needed a cash injection to his pocket money supplies and thought that appealling to the tooth fairy was easier than making his bed each morning.

This evening we are planning a roast lamb dinner with all the trimmings and yet another cupcake "cake":

After which we will all need a week to recover from the sugar high.

Happy 9th Birthday KelpieBlossom!

If I didn't have to do my assignment...

If I wasn't such a dedicated student I would be at the Sydney Writers' Festival. If I was more of a recalcitrant I would've gone to see

Sophie Gee talk about her new book The Rape of the Lock in a session called Plundering History.

Richard E Grant in conversation with Jennifer Byrne.

PLUS

The Future of English; William Dalrymple in conversation with Christopher Kremmer; The Writers Life: Don Watson; Ayaan Hirsi Ali in Conversation; Lionel Shriver in Conversation and Laugh Out Loud. And that's without really looking that hard. Next year I've resolved to go to both the Sydney and Melbourne Writers'/Writer's Festivals.

But, alas, right now I am sitting at home avoiding my assignment in other countless ways - like writing to this blog.

Only 10 days to go until I finish....

Happy Birthday RJQEW

Happy 35th Birthday to You

Happy 35th Birthday to You

Happy 35th Birthday dear Uncle RJQEW

Happy 35th Birthday to You!

Introducing "Firegazer"

Thank you to all of you who suggested a new alias for Husband No. 1. We loved the secret agent theme. However, for an alias one has to peer deep into the psyche of the person concerned. So Husband No. 1's new alias is:

Firegazer /'faie,geize/ n. 1. (hist.) Caveman who came back to cave after slaying beast and stared at fire all night. 2. (mod.) Man who comes home after slaying companies to stare at Plasma.