Our Christmas

I wish I could feel the excitement and joy that I used to feel at Christmas time, but to be honest it's just a day that I dread and can't wait to be over. I think that big days like Christmas just really heighten the emotions, and remind you even more of who is missing in  your life.  My friend Megan (who I've only met online at the moment....we met as her story is very similar to mine.  Her husband also died from a heart attack while they were on holiday together) explains it much better than I can. 

I did my Christmas shopping over two days at the end of November, which meant we could put up the tree and not think about it too much, till it got closer.  The tree has definitely shrunk over the years! This was the first year Kobe could put the star on, without being lifted up. 

Christmas felt extra weird this year.  Covid restrictions made sure that lots of our usual traditions such as going to Carols by Candlelight and getting a Santa photo didn't happen.  I actually like all the events leading up to Christmas Day such as Carols, end of year work dinners, sharing gifts with friends etc. but then I just wish we could skip Christmas day and get on with summer holidays.  

I've always loved the Christmas cards that Americans send out with their family photos on them.  They're so special and I love seeing how families change every year.  It's not common to do it in Australia, but we do it every year. This year's photo is my favourite one yet.  It was taken by Clint and Bethanie who was raising money for Feeding the Homeless.  You just had to donate any amount and were given a digital copy of your family photo.  

We still went and looked at the lights this year. Kobe was excited to have two of his best mates sleep over, the weekend after school finished, and we had a look at some lights together. 

We had our usual Christmas Eve picnic on the floor for tea, but it didn't feel the same as Harri wasn't with us (he had a better offer from his girlfriend :)

It's nice now that the boys are older, that Christmas morning doesn't start too early.  The boys all bought me lovely gifts which they had gone out and picked out themselves.  It means a lot, that they're able to do that now.  

For breakfast the boys requested crepes. 

We headed out to my brother Eden and Steph's house around lunch time.  We were all so full from a late breakfast, so just had nibbles at lunchtime, before heading to the beach for a few hours.  

I love going to the beach on Christmas Day as it makes it feel more like a normal day, and easier to cope with.  Eden took his jet ski and my older boys had so much fun going on the ski biscuit on the back of it.  They don't get to do things like that often, so it's heaps of fun for them.   I was the 'spotter' while they were on the ski biscuit and it was hilarious watching them bounce around.  It was good to have a laugh.  Afterwards we had a big cricket game, with some of my cousins who turned up at the beach as well. 

We then went back to Eden and Steph's for tea.  Chloe made the table look so pretty. 

I was glad that Eden and Steph were around for Christmas again this year, but we missed my other siblings. 

Kobe loves hanging out with his cousins, and couldn't wait for some of his cousins to come up from Glen Huon on Boxing Day.  

I'm glad that Christmas is over for another year, and are so happy to be on summer holidays.  I'm ready for lots of relaxation and sun (hopefully...it doesn't really feel like summer yet).  I know the holidays are going to be finished, before we know it. 

48 Birthdays...9 in Heaven

Last week would've been Aaron's 48th birthday.  I used to love it when it was his birthday, as it made it sound like he was 2 years older than me, rather than 18 months older, and I could tease him about what an old man he was, compared to me. 

He's definitely having the last laugh now, since he only got to celebrate 39 birthdays, which makes me much older than him now. 

I love getting Pepsi photos from friends, family and  people I've 'met' on social media on his birthday.  It means so much that people have taken the time to have a Pepsi to remember him and celebrate his birthday, and to send them to us. 

During the last week of school, Harri went ten pin bowling, and asked me afterwards if we could go bowling in the holidays as a family, as he had so much fun. 

When Aaron was the prefect co-ordinator at school, he used to take them bowling at the end of the year. and the prefects of 2010 actually bought him a bowling ball as a farewell/thank you gift and got it engraved.  I asked the boys what they thought about going bowling on Aaron's birthday, and taking the ball and making sure we all used it for at least one frame. They thought it was a great idea, and were excited to go.  

There were lots of laughs (mostly about how  terrible Kobe and I were).  

Afterwards we had fun playing some of the games.  

Usually we have a BBQ tea and play at Punchbowl on Aaron's birthday, but it was a day that Simone was working, so I knew she wouldn't be able to get into town till late.  She's such a beautiful friend. She's so busy in her own life with 6 kids, work and full time Uni, but there's never any doubt that she'd drop anything and everything to come in and remember Aaron's birthday with us.  It means so much to have a good friend like her, because as time goes on it seems like a lot of people forget that it's still hard every day. 

Instead of going to Punchbowl, the boys thought we should go to Aaron's favourite restaurant - Maccas :)  Aaron would've loved that we all had to choose one of his favourite burgers (a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder) and Kobe even put his fries in his burger, just like Aaron would've. 

After tea we met Simone and the kids (Simon was at work), plus Jess' kids (who Simone was looking after) at the cemetery.  

 

It was so windy, but it wasn't too cold.  

After the cemetery I dragged the (big) boys out to see the Christmas lights.  Kobe was super keen to go, but the other two not so much. They're always great at humouring me, and couldn't really complain since it was Aaron's birthday ;)   If you follow me on Insta, you would've seen some funny videos of them saying (sarcastically) how much they loved the Christmas lights :)

We weren't able to get a photo with our lovely Santa this year, because of Covid restrictions, so we did the next best thing and took a photo that night with the tree in the mall. 

We had cake when we got home.  Despite wishing Aaron was actually here to celebrate his birthday with, we actually had a really fun day together.  The boys are great at making a big effort, to spend the whole day together as a family.  

My favourite part of the day was driving around in the car, all singing Aaron's favourite songs together (usually by Oasis or the Beatles).  I'm sure Aaron would've loved everything we did, and would be loving that everyone was having a Pepsi for him. 

The Weirdest School Year is Over.

What a school year it's been.  Terms 2 and 3 went so slow, but Term 4 absolutely flew as usual.  It's always such a busy, but fun term.  Book Week was postponed this year because of Covid, and we all had a laugh about how everything else seemed to be cancelled, but Book Week still happened! The kids absolutely love dress up day at school, and I secretly think us teachers love dressing up just as much.  

I always pull out the old witch costume as an easy costume.  The kids absolutely love it, and I always get lots of 'is that you Mrs King!?'

Every year at school we either have a Science Expo or Maths Expo. This year was the Science Expo, so I asked my cousin Levi (Tassie Boys Prospecting) to come along.  We had his YouTube videos playing of him prospecting for gold, and he set up all his gear, including lots of gold to show the kids.  I had shown my students his videos before the expo, and they were so excited to meet 'a real YouTuber!'

Unfortunately while he was at the Science Expo, he found out that his brother Jarom passed away so he only stayed for a short time.  

The boys were so happy to be able to play in the school basketball tournaments, which are played over two days on a weekend.  At first we weren't sure whether it was going to go ahead at all, because of Covid. Kobe had so much fun playing with his mates from school, until he got a huge injury in one of the games. 

He went down to grab the ball, and came back up and his cheek went into another boy's head.   A huge lump came up straight away and he said it felt like his bone 'popped out' so we knew we had better go up to the hospital to get it checked out.  

We spent a couple of hours in emergency (masks were compulsory in there, and it was our first experience of having to wear them), but he got the all clear. The bruise hung around for a good week or so though. 

 At the beginning of the year we were looking forward to Harri and Kobe having a great year as students leaders, and finishing off primary and high school with all the usual special events, but things quickly changed with Covid. Tasmania has been so lucky with Covid and have had no cases for months, but we still had Covid restrictions at school, businesses and in the community. 

Kobe got to go along to the Remembrance Day ceremony with the other student leaders at his school, and got to lay a wreath on behalf of his school. 

It really hit me when Kobe got his Grade 6 Leavers top, that his primary school years went so fast.  He went through the whole of primary school without Aaron around, and I'm so proud of him. 

Harri often complains about school, but this term he kept saying that he felt sad that high school was almost over.  This was at the inter-high athletics carnival.  I'm not sure what the shoe is about! 

This year Kobe's school had their Celebration Night just for Grade 6 students (instead of the whole school) and they were able to have 3 guests per student.  I wished that Mum could've come along as well, but was grateful that Jay, Harri and I could go along.  He was every item including Taiko drumming, the grade 6 dance, and the end of year song which they all write together, about teachers at the school. It was a lovely surprise that Kobe won the 'Respectful Student Award' which included a $50 voucher for a bookshop. 

He was excited to go and spend it and bought two Harry Potter books (he put some of his pocket money in, so he could get the second book). 

Harri's Presentation Night also had restrictions and only two of us could go along to it.  Jay and I actually loved it, because it was much shorter than usual, as it was mostly just for Grade 10 students. 

It was a big surprise that Harri won the Sport Science award, and he also got a $50 voucher, but to a sports shop, which was perfect for him!  He was the house captain of Allen house, and was really shocked that they won the shield this year (they never win!). He was also presented with a certificate to recognise him as being on the Student Leadership Board, being House Captain and Treasurer. 

It was lovely that his mates from primary school were on the student leadership board with him, and also received awards. 

My work dinner was a lovely way to celebrate the end of the craziest school year ever.  We had a beautiful meal and then went out for karaoke later, which was a lot of laughs. 

For a while it looked like we may not have any end of year events, but restrictions eased enough to allow schools to have limited visitors at end of year events, and leavers' dinners could go ahead even with dancing (for a while it looked like there would be no dancing allowed).  Kobe and Harri's leavers' dinners were a night apart! 

Kobe has had had some lovely mates during primary school and I'm so happy that they're all going to high school together next year. 

We had to get a photo of the mums together as well :) 

Harri looked very handsome all dressed up in his suit.  The nights of both boys' leavers' dinners were so hot. 

I think that a lot of the reason Haz is sad to leave high school, is because his girlfriend Josie is in grade 9 :) 

All of these guys, except one, went to Primary School together. 

Great mates since Primary School.

The '10A Boys' 

When I asked him which girl he was going to ask to the leavers' dinner, he said he didn't want to ask anyone because he wanted to go 'with the boys'. I actually loved that he wanted to go with his mates, because it's the biggest night of his high school life, and I knew he would have a lot more fun going with his friends, than sitting with someone all night that he wasn't really close to. 

Seb and Harri ended up going together.  They've been good mates since primary school. 

They went in Seb's brothers very cool car. 

I remember feeling really sad when Jay finished primary and high school, but I didn't feel sad that the boys were finishing primary and high school this year.  I think with Kobe I just know that he's so ready to move onto high school.  He's never loved school, but I think he's going to enjoy high school a lot more than primary school.  We've also had one of the boys at the same primary school for the past 17 years, and it just feels like it's really time to move on. 

I know once Harri gets to college (year 11 and 12 in Tasmania is called college) that he will love it, and he'll love going to school with lots of people he knows that went to different high schools.  

Jay has had the best year at Uni in Hobart. After Covid restrictions eased and he was able to get back to Hobart, we hardly saw him, but I was really happy about it, because it meant he was having so much fun with all his friends he made this year.  I've loved hearing all the things he's been up to including sport, camping trips, dinners, balls and parties.   It's nice to have him home for a few months for summer, before he heads back down for his last year of uni. 

We are all so happy to be on summer holidays.  I'm already loving the sleep ins, being able to go to the gym during the day, reading and having time to do things in the garden and house, without feeling exhausted all the time.