School Photo Day

I've decided that taking school photos must be the job to have. The prices they charge for school photos is insane and more often than not we end up with a terrible photo of the boys posing with this fake, horrible smile on their face. This year we have three boys to get school photos taken of with Harri being in Kinder. Luckily the third child in the family gets a discount with their photos being half price.

This year I made a decision to not waste my money and pay for Noah to have an individual photo taken. At first I felt really bad about it, but I would much prefer to just get a photo of him with his class. Every photo that we have of Noah taken at school looks so awful. They always get him looking totally dopey, and last year they were so bad I didn't even give any out to anyone in the family!

Today wasn't actually Noah's day at Punchbowl, but I took him up to have his photo taken with his class. We had to wait for half an hour, so we did his usual routine while he is at school and gave him his neb while his class were out at daily P.E.

Jalen was walking past and spotted us in the classroom. I told him I caught him wagging class, but he insists he was just on the way to the loo.

The best thing ever was that Noah was actually awake for his class photo!!! He has been really sleepy lately. I think it's because he is having so many seizures every day again and is a bit postictal, so I was expecting him to be asleep like he was in last years class photo.

It's amazing how different things can be when you have a child with a disability. You aren't hoping that their hair looks good in the photo or that they smile nicely. You are happy just to have a photo of them awake!

66 Years

Today we headed out to church at Deloraine and then went up to Grenoch to celebrate Nan and Pop's 66th wedding anniversary with them (notice Simone's Pycsam water bottle - good product placement there - even though I didn't notice it till I uploaded my photos!).

Pop is in hospital at the moment, so Uncle Wally brought him down for a family BBQ. Nan looked SO well!! I was actually quite shocked as we hadn't seen them for a while and she was very bright and happy and knew exactly what was going on.

Pop on the other hand looks so frail and old. It breaks my heart to see him like it. Seeing them like this is a big contrast to this time last year when they were both quite well.

It was nice to be together with a lot of the extended family. It's not often that we are able to get together anymore.



I still find it hard to believe that 'little' Emily is married! I'm getting so old. I used to be their nanny in the USA and she was sooo cute when I worked for them - she would've been about 2 or 3 and was the cutest little girl - still is!

The boys had a great time talking about the big upcoming 'stake of origin' footy match that is on this Saturday between the guys from church - the Devonport/Deloraine/Burnie Saints V the Launceston Demons. Aaron is umpiring again this year and everyone is hanging out for a bit of a laugh.

No family gathering is complete without Uncle Tom and his guitar. The most amazing thing is that since Nan had her stroke she can't talk, BUT today she was actually singing!!!! She sang I am a Child of God and also 'For They Are Jolly Good Fellows' when we all sang! It was amazing to watch. Auntie Ann stirred her and said she should start singing everything and demonstrated how to sing 'Hello Ty!' and Nan actually tried to do it and started laughing!


Noah had one of his VERY sleepy days today and slept right through everything.

It's so cute seeing all the great grandchildren together.

Pop made a little speech before heading back off to hospital. He said how it should be a happy time for them, but for him it was a very emotional time. He finds it very hard not being able to do the things that he used to still - working on the farm, working in the garden, driving and walking around on his own etc.

Nan enjoyed a bit of time out in the sun before we all left. It was the perfect opportunity for some nice photos.




I hate photos of myself and Toni said she wanted to get one of Nan and I together, so I told her she could take one if Aaron and Jalen got in the photo with us. They stood behind me and I smiled away, while Toni said 'that was a good one Jay' and I looked on the camera to check out the photo and Aaron and Jay had taken off and left me on my own!!!!

I love these photos. Nan loves having her grand kids and great grandchildren around and always loves a kiss.


I'm so glad we got to celebrate another wedding anniversary with them. Every year we aren't sure whether we will have them around for the next one and they always surprise us.

Grand Final Day

We were lucky in Tassie to have nicer weather for the AFL grand final than in Melbourne. The boys were excited to have our usual 'footy party' with the works - pies, sausage rolls, savs, hot dogs, potato chips, fizz and lollies. I think they enjoy the food more than the actual game - some of them anyway! As usual Aaron is totally into it, yelling and getting very stressed.

Thank goodness Hawthorn aren't in it this year again - I don't think I could handle the stress again. It's nice having Chrish here as well as Aaron's Dad who always joins us to watch the grand final. I'm sure Chrish will think twice about watching the grand final with us again - Aaron can be pretty intense!

Before the game started and at half time the boys went out for a kick on the street. After Harri started stressing about getting run over by a car they had lots of fun. We even had to fight the neighbours for a bit of the street to play on during half time. I love the atmosphere on grand final day - seeing all the houses done up and everyone out buying their savs, pies and drinks.




The neighbours were having a grand final BBQ with their friends and some guy kept calling out 'see! They are still loyal' (to his girlfriend) as the boys were in their Hawks gear.

Footy Colours Day

Today at school it is 'footy colours day'. At Punchbowl the kids get to wear their footy colours and have savs for lunch. The money they raise goes towards the Grade 6 leavers dinner. At Aaron's school they are having a BBQ lunch as well.

This year's footy colours day is a big contrast to last year with Hawthorn playing in the grand final. Everyone was very excited and very stressed all at once. I'm actually glad they aren't in the grand final this year as watching the grand final tomorrow will be a lot more relaxing.

The boys were keen to get their Hawks gear on this morning but they were of course feeling sad they aren't in the final.

The kids in Noah's class were so excited to see Noah in Hawks gear this morning. It seems like half the school goes for Hawthorn now with the team coming down to Tassie so often. There was definitely a lot of brown and gold at school this morning. We went up to the hospital to pick up some meds for Noah this morning and lots of people were commenting to me about the boys in their Hawks gear, saying they go for the 'right team'.

Hopefully next year we will have happy faces back on for footy colours day.

Swimming Lessons

Having a baby really changes everything in your family for a while. Before Kobe was born Harri was having regular swimming lessons every week. I had to get in the pool with him, so I knew that when Kobe was born we wouldn't be able to do them anymore as it was going to be too hard having a newborn, and trying to work out how I would do it all. Now that my 'newborn' is almost 16 months I started feeling bad that Harri hadn't had swimming lessons for so long.

Supposedly we have shares in the Aquatic Centre (or so Collette thinks!) so we knew the perfect place to do swimming lessons was there - especially as it means Harri can have a swim in the bucket pool before and after his lesson, I can also go for a free swim at the same time, and if he is sick we can get back the amount of his swimming lesson to put towards a family swim.

The best thing is that now he is 5 we don't have to get in the pool with him. He was very excited about his first lesson. There were only 4 in his group (hopefully it will stay that way), and he had two teachers which is great.





Sometimes it's so hard to feel like you are doing something with all the boys individually, so I'm glad he is back having swimming lessons again. Hopefully by the end of term he will have learnt a lot of skills to get him ready for lots of swimming in summer!

Imogen

Early last Friday morning I got a text message. I was in bed and wondered who would be texting that early. When Aaron grabbed the phone we were excited to see it was from Anna, and she was letting us know that she had just given birth to a little baby girl - Imogen. I was so excited for her as she was only a day overdue and I know how she wasn't looking forward to going overdue again.

On Saturday Kobe, Mum and I went up to visit Anna and Imogen in hospital. Imogen is so cute and chubby.

Anna looked great, but wasn't keen on getting her photo taken. I don't blame her as I remember how yuck you feel after just giving birth and I now hate looking back on photos just after having a baby. I did get a photo of her holding Imogen's hand though - I love these photos that show just how tiny they are when they are newborn.

Kobe wasn't too fussed by it all - he would have a look at her and that was it. We did get him sitting still enough for a quick photo, but Imogen wasn't too keen then :) We were trying to work out what relationship Kobe and Imogen are and we think it is third cousins. It's so nice to have cousins who are having babies around the same age as my boys. I remember how fun it was growing up with lots of cousins and 2nd cousins and hope that my boys have the same experience growing up.

Youth Recognition Dinner

Last night I was lucky enough to be a special guest at the Launceston East Ward youth recognition dinner at church. The night was planned by their leaders to recognise all the things they have achieved throughout the year. Both the Young Men and Young Women have a program which encourages them to set goals and when they turn 18 they are given a special award for all of their achievements. The leaders thought it would be nice to recognise all their efforts at the end of each year as it is a long time to wait for 6 years to receive something for all their hard work, and to celebrate with a special dinner for them, their parents and the leaders.

The youth had set up the hall with displays of all their achievements and things they have done throughout the year.


Aaron was again the MC for the night. We were saying all night that we needed to take the mic away from him as he kept getting up there cracking corny jokes all night.

Annette and her troops did a great job in organising a beautiful three course meal for the night.




Throughout the night there were short talks by a couple of leaders and a couple of youth.


The youth were each given a certificate with how many goals they had achieved throughout the year.


The Young Women also received a beautiful necklace and the Young Men each got a tie pin.


For some fun Kym taught the youth a line dance during the week and they then got up and taught their parents. It was hilarious to watch.


The night finished off with the youth and leaders singing 'Come Hold Your Torches High' and then an awesome slideshow by Kym of their recent trip to Sydney.

It was a really lovely night and a really nice way to recognise the youth and everything they have done this year.