Twelve: The birthday questionnaire

Blossom is twelve today!

The Birthday Questionnaire

Years ago I started to ask Blossom a series of questions on her birthday with the hope that I'd keep them for posterity. However, like many of my ideas, I never followed through and have no idea where the other lists are. Now, at least, I can post this list to cyberspace where it will float for all eternity...

(for last year's questionnaire, see here)

How old are you? Twelve

What is your favourite colour? Silver

What is your favourite animal? Owl

What is your favourite food? Icecream and Avocado/Tomato/Hummus Bruschetta

What is your favourite drink? Banana Smoothie

What do you want to be when you grow up? Author

Where has been your favourite place to visit on Holidays? Vail

What are your favourite subjects at school? Sport and English

What subjects to you like the least at school? Maths and Spelling

Favourite book that you've finished reading? The Magic Thief

Favourite TV show/s? Masterchef and Big Time Rush

Favourite board game? Cluedo and Trivial Pursuit

Favourite songs? Replay, Fireflies, Break your Heart

What makes you giggle the most? Bad Jokes and my friends

If you could travel overseas where would you go? Skiing in France

What is your favourite car? Aston Martin, Ferrari and Audi

What is your favourite item of clothing? Scarves

Favourite Movie? Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

Favourite Sport? Skiing

Happy Birthday Blossom!!

Happy Birthday Dad/Grandpa!

... I trust this made it to your birthday present pile this morning.

I hope there's still enough chill in the air to make use of this in the evenings while you read your books.

Happy 9th Birthday Padawan Learner!

My little boy is nine today!

This afternoon the birthday boy and 15 friends (yes, I know, way too many) will go bowling. Having started at a new school this year he wanted an equal representation of friends from both schools and he has been indulged. Will I survive 16 crazy nine year-olds at a bowling alley? Who knows...

In the tradition started last year I present Padawan Learner's answers to The Birthday Questionnaire:

How old are you? Nine

What is your favourite colour? Yellow

If you could be an animal, which animal would it be? A Cheetah because I'd want to be a FAST animal.

What is your favourite food? Pizza

What is your favourite drink? Milo

What do you want to be when you grow up? Rugby Player (Wallaby) and a Scientist

Where is your favourite place to visit on Holidays? Thredbo

What is your favourite subject at school? Maths

What subject to you like the least at school? HSIE (Human Society in Its Environment, or in 1970s terminology - social studies)

Favourite book? Just Macbeth by Andy Griffiths

Favourite TV show? Ben 10:Alien Force and The Secret Saturdays

Favourite Movie? Transformers: The Revenge of the Fallen

Favourite music? Pirates of the Caribbean: The Lost Pearl (theme music)

What or who makes you laugh the most? Andy Griffiths

If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Tom

Happy Birthday Padawan Learner!!!!!!

Eleven: The birthday questionnaire

Blossom is eleven today!

The Birthday Questionnaire

Years ago I started to ask Blossom a series of questions on her birthday with the hope that I'd keep them for posterity. However, like many of my ideas, I never followed through and have no idea where the other lists are. Now, at least, I can post this list to cyberspace where it will float for all eternity...

(for last year's questionnaire, see here)

How old are you? Eleven

What is your favourite colour? Silver

What is your favourite animal? Polar Bear

What is your favourite food? Spag Bol and Avocado/Tomato/Hummus Bruschetta

What is your favourite drink? Banana Smoothie

What do you want to be when you grow up? Author

Where is your favourite place to visit on Holidays? Vail

What is your favourite subject at school? Art, Sport and Science

What subject to you like the least at school? Maths

Favourite book that you've finished reading? The Dragon Keeper series

Favourite TV show? Avatar, iCarly and Phineas & Ferb

Favourite board game? Cluedo and Trivial Pursuit

Favourite music? Classical

What makes you giggle the most? My friends

If you could travel overseas where would you go? Val d'Isere, France

What is your favourite car? Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Audi

What is your favourite item of clothing? My Felix the Cat jumper.

Methinks this little author had better write a bestseller to afford those cars and that trip to France!

Happy Birthday Blossom!

She's Fairlie Forty

My fabulous friend, and partner in many crimes, Fairlie is Forty today. Hard to believe, but true. I'll be hopping on a flight in a couple of hours to wish her happy birthday in person.

"35 is a very attractive age. London society is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free-choice, remained 35 for years."

Oscar Wilde

Fairlie, no-one need ever know (except anyone in cyberspace who has read this).

I say you should claim to be 35 for ever.

Happy 40th Birthday!

See you later today...


Love, M

PS. everyone, pop over and visit Fairlie at fairliearoundthetraps.blogspot.com today
to spread the birthday cheer!

Happy 8th Birthday Padawan Leaner!

These cupcakes are being taken to school today to share with PL's classmates.

My little boy is eight!

By request from the birthday boy there will be no official party. Instead PL is having a couple of friends over after school for a play, some pizza and some extra cupcakes.

In the tradition started two months ago with Blossom's birthday I present Padawan Learner's answers to The Birthday Questionnaire:

How old are you? Eight

What is your favourite colour? Yellow

What is your favourite animal? Dog

What is your favourite food? Pizza

What is your favourite drink? Orange Juice

What do you want to be when you grow up? Rugby Player (Wallaby) or Scientist

Where is your favourite place to visit on Holidays? Thredbo

What is your favourite subject at school? Maths

What subject to you like the least at school? Writing

Favourite book? The Spiderwick Chronicles: Book II

Favourite TV show? Ben 10

Favourite Movie? Iron Man

Favourite board game? Monopoly

Favourite music? Pirates of the Carribbean: The Lost Pearl (theme music)

What makes you giggle the most? Daddy tickling me under the arms

What scares you the most? Missing the line for the Annex (extra play area a short walk from the school)

If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Tom

Happy Birthday Padawan Learner!!!!!!

Happy 10th Birthday Blossom!

Blossom has reached double digits!

The Birthday Questionnaire

Years ago I started to ask Blossom a series of questions on her birthday with the hope that I'd keep them for posterity. However, like many of my ideas, I never followed through and have no idea where the other lists are. Now, at least, I can post this list to cyberspace where it will float for all eternity...

How old are you? Ten

What is your favourite colour? Orange, Light blue, Red and Light green

What is your favourite animal? Cat

What is your favourite food? Roast dinner and spaghetti bolognese

What is your favourite drink? Cold water and Lemon Squash

What do you want to be when you grow up? Swimmer (breastroke) or Ballet Dancer

Where is your favourite place to visit on Holidays? Thredbo

What is your favourite subject at school? Sport and Science

What subject to you like the least at school? Spelling and Maths

Favourite book that you've finished reading? The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and The Spiderwick Chronicles

Favourite TV show? Avatar: the last air bender

Favourite board game? Blokus and Trivial Pursuit

Favourite music? Classical

What makes you giggle the most? Alissa

What scares you the most? Cyclones, Tidal Waves, Big Hairy Spiders and the Sound of Thunder

If you could change your name, what would you change it to? A name that doesn't have a boys version of it.

Happy Birthday Princess!!

PS. Alice, here's your cuppa

Lots of Happy Birthdays

October to February is peak Birthday time for the EasternMax family so we have been flat out trying to locate that special, perfect something for each friend and relative celebrating during this time. However, with the birthday count hitting 16 since October and five more to go before the end of Feb our imagination is definitely waning. Please accept our apologies if you are the recipient of a less than stellar gift and/or card. Anyone who chooses to move their birthday to the middle of the year will be much better off in this regard.

Anyway, so happy birthday this month to THREE of my Sisters-in-law and ONE of my brothers. Today the elder of my two brothers is

THIRTY-EIGHT

Happy Birthday old boy.

Happy Birthday ArmyWife (she's not even close to 40)

While it was a shame that ArmyHusband couldn't be here to celebrate her birthday he did well and truly make up for it with beautiful Tahitian Pearl and Diamond earrings.

And so started ArmyWife's last birthday in Sydney before the new posting next year.

After breakfast with her SIL(the Divine Ms M) and the kids ArmyWife had lunch with the EasternMax family, got her gift from us (see scarf above, do you remember an earlier post about this?) and then all the girls went off to the Diana Exhibition at the Powerhouse.

Fabulous. Oh the dresses, the WEDDING DRESS up close, the diamonds, the condolence books EN MASSE from around the world. Plus all the LITTLE DETAILS that speak of her life like her diaries, her school reports, the dining records from Althorp House. Some of it you've seen. Much of it you haven't. I could go on.

We had a lovely time then we went back to the EasternMax residence for a chicken roast dinner and Fairlie's blueberry cheesecake Tart.

Happy Birthday ArmyWife!

We can't believe you are leaving - at least you will be living at a convenient half-way point to our trips to the Snowy. Sniff.

Fairlie is Fabulous but not Forty (yet)

I have a photo of Fairlie dressed as the White Rabbit on her way to our university college’s Opening of the Croquet Season in 1987. It’s fabulous, but I feel I need to have permission to publish it here and I didn’t seek it. Perhaps I could publish it by popular demand (sign the petition via the Comments form).

To me the photo symbolises the spirit of fun with which Fairlie approaches everything. She will not only go to the party, she will dress the part. Fairlie can equally work a room at a gallery opening as wrap herself in a doona and watch trashy TV. She’d make a killing as a consultant in popular culture and is easily one of the smartest people I know. And she has a library in her powder-room (how cool is that?!)

You know by now that Fairlie and I have known each other for over 20 years. We lived in the same uni college, then we lived next door to each other, she moved to Melbourne, then I did and now we live in different States. Sorry.

I miss the person who drove around to look after one child at 2am while I whipped the other one to hospital.

And I miss the person who came over late one night to just fold my washing when I was stressed out with a small baby and guests about to land on my doorstep.

At least we are living in the Age of Cyberspace and we can ‘chat’ by phone, email, SMS, Instant Messaging, and Blogs – sometimes all at the same time.

Happy Birthday Fairlie!

Why don’t you head over to her blog and wish her a happy birthday. The Festive Season can start from tomorrow.

The Old Bag is 40

Well it's happened, I'm 40 (and one day). While you were all heading off to your local primary school to vote I was being totally spoilt.

Thank you to the fabulous blogging community for all your best wishes. And thanks Fairlie for your words. I'm not sure who you were writing about but it was lovely to read :-)

I have to tell you that I've had the most wonderful weekend in the Blue Mountains. I don't intend to roll out a full inventory of gifts & birthday activities but it must be mentioned that Firegazer did himself proud.

I got flowers. And a trip to the day spa. And dinner (fancy shmancy style).

It may have got out that I love bags.

And that I LOVE dictionaries. The bigger, the better.

Now that I've shown those gifts I feel remis in not showing the others. Just believe me when I say that I was totally spoilt and that thank yous are on their way using these notecards picked up at a gorgeous stationery store in Leura.

Finally, here is the only photo of me on my 40th birthday. There are very few photos of me because I am always the one holding the camera. The 24th November was no exception.

*the beautiful necklace is the one made for me by Domestic Goddess

Strut

Inspired by Jorth's plan to dress up on election day*, and horrified that when I pre-voted earlier in the week I was wearing gym gear, I've decided to make amends on Saturday.

Saturday is my 40th birthday so I think I should make an effort:

If you see me on the streets of Leura please come up, say hello, and tell me I don't look a day over 39.

*sadly, unlike Jorth I will not be whipping up a fabulous creation - after all I have ironing to do.

Happy Birthday Domestic Goddess

She sews, she beads and she re-paints walls in the middle of the night. You can make a surprise visit to her home at 8am on a Sunday after she's held a party the night before and her place is SPOTLESS. She's the true Domestic Goddess, and I don't know how she does it.

I've known her ever since KelpieBlossom and Fashionista were tiny babies. And she's my ski buddy.

Happy 41st Birthday Domestic Goddess!

Happy 4th Birthday Impossible Princess

My goddaughter, Impossible Princess, celebrates her 4th birthday today. Yesterday she celebrated in style with a royal party. Photos and details over at Fairlie's Blog here.

Impossible Princess, on this day in past years the following happened:

1307 – William Tell, a legendary marksman in Switzerland, is said to have successfully shot an apple on the head of his son with a single bolt from his crossbow.

1928 – Walt Disney's Steamboat Willie, the first completely post-produced synchronized sound animated cartoon, was released.

1985 – Calvin and Hobbes, a comic strip by Bill Watterson featuring six-year old Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes, was first published.

Happy Birthday from the EasternMax Family!

Bling

I don't think I've mentioned yet that I am 2 1/2 weeks away from a BIG birthday. Well biggish anyway. Lucky me, I will share this momentous occasion with the Federal Election this year.

When asked what I want for this birthday I've said to Firegazer that I just want to spend money on whatever takes my fancy between now and the 24th. So far I've bought clothes and shoes. No handbag yet, but I've still got 2 1/2 weeks.

This means no real surprises, but hey the shopping is fun.

So it was lovely to get a surprise gift this weekend. Domestic Goddess and her family visited from Melbourne on Saturday and Sunday and while they were here gave me the beautiful necklace above. This necklace was made by Domestic Goddess. Isn't it amazing? She makes the most beautiful things. I'm currently trying to convince her to get an Etsy shop.


Edited: It's such low light here today that none of the photos of this beautiful piece really show it off to good effect. Will keep trying and post a better photo soon. Mx

Happy Birthday MyDad

I wanted to mock up one of those "Inspiration" posters on Flickr. But I thought it wouldn't go down well. If I had it would've said:

OLD IS A JOURNEY

Congratulations on Reaching your Destination

On second thoughts maybe I will mock one up.

Happy Birthday Dad!

This is what else has happened on this day:

1888 - Thomas Edison files a patent for the Optical Phonograph (the first movie).
1931 - Al Capone convicted of income tax evasion.
1937 - Huey, Dewey and Louie, Donald Duck's three almost identical nephews, first appear in a newspaper comic strip.

These other people were born:

1918- Rita Hayworth
1938 - Evel Knievel
1972 - Eminem

and

it is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Padawan Learner Bowled Over on His Birthday

On Sunday the AMF "Bowl-o" in Dee Why welcomed 12 spirited seven-year-old boys and 3 sensible girls to jointly celebrate the birthdays of Padawan Learner and his friend JJ. As I write this the AMF are re-writing their policy manual with regard to seven-year-old birthdays. I wish to formally apologise to all those in the adjoining lanes...














Actually they weren't too bad, there are only two boys who I've blacklisted from further parties. I'm just glad that bowling balls are tough, and so is the flooring.














Padawan Learner had a great time and finished with the highest score - he even managed a strike.














After the bowling came the food, a gourmet selection of hot dogs, chicken nuggets and chips - drowned in as much sauce as you want.














This was the first time I'd completely outsourced a party. I've discovered that with the ease of ringing up and asking for "one party please" comes the difficulty in accepting that cold hot dogs and soggy chips are the real price. However, Padawan Learner loved it, and best of all they all got to have a go in the amusement arcade afterwards while I cringed reminding myself how easy it all was.

And I didn't completely outsource: the AMF provided an icecream cake but I had to make cupcakes - just wouldn't be a real party without them.

Happy 7th Birthday Padawan Learner!

It's Padawan Learner's 7th Birthday Today!

Happy Birthday!

A great-looking present pile was waiting for him in the lounge room from family & friends. He was very excited to get a skateboard & helmet, a Dr Who book, Lego, a toy army truck, money from Nana and Pop, and some new clothes.

He shares his birthday with:

10 BC: Claudius, Roman Emperor
1819: Herman Melville, author (Moby Dick)
1936: Yves Saint-Laurent, fashion designer

and also with all horses...

Also on this day:

1831: London Bridge opened
1936: The Games of the XI Olympiad opened in Berlin.
1981: MTV began broadcasting in the United States and aired its first video, "Video Killed The Radio Star" by the Buggles.

Happy 90th Birthday!

My paternal Grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday in Perth today. She shares her birthday with Rembrant (1606) and Iris Murdoch (1919).

Happy Birthday from the EasternMax family!

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!