Harlequin Beetles

This weekend MOTH trimmed a tree out the back to make more sunlight for our garden and collected maybe 30 Harlequin Beetles for me to take to kindy for the kids.
The kids loved the beetles.. the best photos I can't show unfortunately because I am deliberately picking photos that dont identify the children.
The kids tryed so hard not to squish or maim them.. and we first examined them and then released them into the garden outside the fence.... Most of the other staff were quite disgusted at my choice of what to play with this morning... but the kids and I sure had fun!
Some kids were happy to imitate me and hold them or wear them on their clothing. Some where nervous and scared of bugs ... and some overcame that and some did not. All of them tried hard to be gentle...but that is not easy when you are two.

Click on the pictures to see them big.. I could have the wrong name for the beetles.

I wrote about the same beetles here... but that photo shows the orange ones and we had the blue/ green ones today.

A lovely weekend - but still flu ridden

Well! I have had a wonderful weekend! Endless chatting with Sonya (my cousin - Dad's sisters daughter) - the time flew and I almost forgot about my misery with the flu. I think everyone had a lovely time - Sonya's males (Dave and their German exchange student) and Christian (MOTH) hit it off with long animated and sometimes loud talking that Sonya and I had to try to compete with in our very small house.

It was so lovely to have them visit. Unfortunate Sonya kept insisting on paying for stuff she shouldn't of. But that was the only time I felt slightly uncomfortable. She didn't seem to notice the fact the house was a mess, that I haven't finished the painting; none of them minded my dogs who insist on being part of everything; and we were all considerate of toilet lines and showers!

Due to time constraints or probably more the fact nattering with Sonya was so much fun - we didn't take them many places. And William and Joe didn't show much interest in going boating anyway. This photo of Will (13) and Joe(11) was taken at the school fete - where Anna had a performance on Sunday morning. Sonya and I found lovely bargains at the white elephant stall.



Joe and William mostly hid in Will's room playing their electronic thingos and kicking the soccer ball together.

This weekend was the launch of the 7th Harry Potter book and Anna had planned the weekend so that she did very little else except read the book. Last night she found that Uri (their friend and former exchange student) was very interesting and they stayed up late discussing the differences in their cultures and the common things they liked (music).

Jane, Joe and William went to the movies on Saturday night to see Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix and all got along well.

This morning as they packed and I was at work one of my dogs got out and ran past my work... I rang home and blurted.. "Tell Jane get Dotti - Toolooa street now" and hung up to chase her myself when I noticed Joe and Uri bounding up the street in pursuit. Joe and Uri kindly showed Dotti at the fence to the children at kindy for me - delighting them as well. The poor fellows looked... not too impressed at their sudden chase. Dotti is going to miss having extra people to sleep with.

Too think - in early November I get to play with family again at Jeanette's (another cousin)! How exciting!

The weekend

MOTH and Jane got a heap of photos of some kind of animal - didn't look like the dolphins because they normally show off. Wonder if it was dugongs or small whales a bit lost?
I have peered at them with the zoom feature for a while but give up. I am sure they had fun watching the critters anyway.

I was attending the Senior First Aid Certificate with workmates on my Saturday with my never ending flu. If you can detect the bitterness in my comment - well done.

Rocky had a great time.


Man and dog etc.

Jane and Dotti made good use of the worlds most ugly and invasive heater. What MOTH was thinking when he bought this thing is beyond me. Even with every light off in the house you still feel like its the police or emergency services shining into your house for some kind of investigation.


Dotti is very partial to it though.

Jane starts school at Toolooa tomorrow. She seems happy and excited.

I didn't get anything done this weekend - yesterday at the course and I am still sick.... heaps of washing and cleaning that had to be done and endless taxiing and loose ends to be finished. Making sure Jane has at least the basics for tomorrow, Anna worked both days and Will spent most of the weekend at a mates place. Mopping floors around Dotti the wonderdog who is both asking me to pay her attention and moping that Rocky is out and she is home. My planned nap and rest never happened.

The first aid course has a 28 page booklet I have to post in the answers to - and I only got to page 21 and started cursing and feeling writers cramp and quit for another try tomorrow. Two friends wanted me to call in today and help them with some stuff... and I honestly didn't have the time or the energy.

Sara sent me a box full of lipsticks - I adore lipstick and fret if I feel I don't have enough. It is a weird thing - I can apply it in my sleep. I just like the feel. I have no other ... feelings towards makeup and wear it far less than I should. But lipstick is different.. I adore it and really cant stand not having it. When the girls pinch my favourite ones I over react. "It is mine and I should be allowed to have SOMETHING of my own.." etc to which they say.... "Woah chill Mum it is just a lipstick." Very nice of my oldest daughter to indulge me when she knows I do fight with the girls over it. Or she is worried about their safety... whateva.

Anna reckons she has quit cheerleading. I think she is being the ultimate martyr and will regret her decision. She loves it. I never have - but acknowledge her love of it and never stopped her from doing it. Usually I indulge her with the lifts etc to it. Sometimes I have said.. "If you want to do it - you walk or ride your bike to it." and I rarely attend it. I get annoyed at mid Sunday afternoon training and treat it as an invasion on my family life.

I guess everyone in my family is reacting to changes. MOTH is annoyed I am not paying him enough attention or playing enough. Jane is happy - over excited even and eager to help, William is just trying to disappear and Anna continues her own little world.

I would love a days rest and another days play. I guess it wont happen for a while.

Gardening in winter

Our days are 20C and so not too unpleasant - just not the weather for swimming and the necessity to keep a cardigan handy is a bit of a nuisance. But it wont be long before the proper weather returns. I should feel sorry for all those people who live in real cold winters - but I cant. I am too busy wishing for proper summer back on me again.

Selfish what?

Anyway here is my tomatoes in the middle of our winter. (Taken with a new Fujifilm A610 we bought today for $149 - the fourth Fujifim camera this family has bought and never been unhappy with - BUT - remember when we bought the first for over $300 and thought that was cheap!)


The same place in summer I grew sunflowers and tomatoes is now dappled sunlight all day - but the smaller capsicum are thriving over there.

This chicken wire ugliness below was formerly a lovely bed of three Marguerite daisies, a red flowered thingo Anna bought me that looked like lantana to me, a dozen or so aloes, a half dozen full grown alyssum plants in beautiful flower and about the same ornamental (but edible) lettuce.... it looked beautiful. For one week.

And then school holidays started and the dogs got bored! and Rocky visited me at Kindy TWICE in one morning (meaning the kids left the gate open and let him out twice) and then they dug up the garden. Shredded the plants. Devastated it. I am hoping some of them will recover. In the meantime the ugly chicken wire is nailed to the sleepers at the top to deter them. My other fear is that they will try get in it.. hurt themselves when they land.. and I will have a vet bill again. Life is never too dull here.


I think the dogs resented the kids camping in front of the television while I was at work - and even though they had resisted misbehaving for months while I was at work - that was just too much neglect for them. I knew my dogs can see me at work - I can see them standing on the front gate watching me when I am in the yard with the children. But to get to me Rocky had to cross the bridge over the train tracks, the traffic lights and then come find the room I work in. The children who were awake when he visited where most impressed and ask me about him every day. I understand perfectly "Wha woof?" (or "where is woof?") and one kid points to any dog and tells me it is "Rocky".

Anyway - it is nice to have a cheap camera that I can take anywhere again. Anna finally sent hers off to be repaired (months that took her until I yelled that soon the warranty would be expired) and MOTH complained that the camera I really want would be not so practical for our boating expeditions and even for my desire to use it at Kindy for photos of the kids for their end of year brag books.

I just cant fault the Fujifim camera's for their reliability, their wonderful prompt repairs if anything does go wrong, extensive warranty and absolute ease of use. And having my daughters and us with the same cameras is just so easy with the accessories. Our digital rechargeable batteries are over three years old now and still going strong. So easy - so cheap.

The school holidays are over...

So much has happened I am not sure where to start.

But Jane (my youngest daughter) who was expelled from boarding just prior to the holidays had an altercation with her father - and is now living back here. The local government school would not enroll her until this coming Friday - and so hopefully we can do that in my lunch hour.

The altercation included some rubbish wherein she informed her father that she knows that age 15 she can claim Centrelink (government payments) and live in a government funded housing establishment for troubled teenagers. She is somewhat misinformed there... neither her father or I would ever sign a paper stating she cant live at home. Sadly... this seemed attractive to her. Money for nothing and a cool place to live with other teenagers who think bad behaviour is acceptable. Brilliant. I would swear but the rating thing still bothers me that I am such a potty mouth.

We are still a little unsure who gave her such information... have suspicions and of course hearsay, innuendo and rumour are all evil and I am fighting with myself to not shove hot pokers in the eyes of those I suspect could be responsible.

I warned sperm donor that counsellors for Jane were a bad idea. It isn't like I haven't been there and done that before.

Jane spent the entire holiday here anyway due to the kids sperm donor being sick. I think he said something about a gall bladder or something like that. An operation. Horses in work and way too busy. Jane and William only went to his place for the last weekend.. and whatever fight happened there must of been a good one. William said he heard nothing - and knowing my son ... that would be correct.

But - sperm donor was very congenial and supportive at the delivery of Jane and all her worldly possessions yesterday during my lunch hour. I wish I had more time yesterday because I should of shoved half that junk back into his four wheel drive. Jane seems happy to be home and busily planning her new life here.

The rest of the family? Anna refuses point blank to share a room with her sister. She will share with William - but under no circumstances Jane. William seems to understand (as always) that the easiest way to please especially me is to cause no major waves. A three bedroom house just... doesn't work. Or maybe it can.. I do have a plan...(It's ok - I have ditched the buy a bigger boat and piss off one, join the circus one and although William would like to live in a tent out the back... I acknowledge the dogs could pose a problem there)

I should get time alone soon to write what I want to write and do what I want to do. Post video clips of Anna at the cheerleading competition and her dramas. Our garden and its progress - and what the dogs did do the new ornamental garden. Of friends in need and friends indeed. How four days working with me in my room at work made a coworker have to take two weeks stress leave and I still seem to be secure in my job anyway. (I LOVE two year olds.. it is just the best age! Especially when its not my stuff they are wrecking! And I am so fond of cuddles from small people - it is as nice as cuddles with puppies - except I like puppy breath better.)

And I am the only person (other than Jane) in my house pleased to have Jane home.

Even the dogs seem to be mucking up.

My birthday.
No one in my family is interested in how I feel... my birthday was as close to revolting as it usually is with a few exceptions. Anna and MOTH absolutely took over. Anna returned early from cheerleading at the footyball to surprise me? and MOTH just... wouldn't shush and had to talk over me.... Meg bought me some new wine glasses and seemed to forget I wouldn't want to cook and clean that night. It was lovely that Meg remembered my birthday and I am a complete bitch for even compmlentating complaining. The woman I worked with had a meltdown and is now on stress leave. I think shes an idiot - but I can be ghastly in my appraisals. And occasionally I feel guilty I can say that about her. The kids smelt fear, or sensed it.. played on it and .. behaved in a way that upset her. I was no help because I thought the kids were being wonderfully funny.

There are jolly good reasons I lose jobs. The woman was trained in childcare -I am not. I dont like them to be miserable and I will fight you if you make them miserable. I might not hit you or bite you.. but I will fight you. Dont upset them and I wont upset you. I wont let them climb on furniture or bite or harm anyone,... but if they chose to eat the play dough, spread the paint in hair or not understand your punishment of ten fucking (there goes my rating again) minutes in time out... I am not going to back you with punishing them further. The kids have forgot. They dont remember why your being a lunatic with the "time out" stuff. They just want me to get them out of there. And frankly I thought her hair looked perfectly nice with the paint in it and didnt understand why she was so upset.

The kids at work decorated a dinasaur cake for me and that was fun. I wish I hadnt of laughed when one of the kids made a terrible mess.. maybe that poor so called idiot would feel saner and I would feel.. less guilty. So I cooked and cleaned. Nothing unusual. My children bought me stuffed animals as presents. Uhuh - enough said. My Uncle Dave emailed me.. very special. I received a few cards. That was very nice. Work put in for a bottle of wine, scratchies and chocolates for me. They were correct with the wine.. a lush I will be forever... a gambler never (not scratchies pokies or any of that crap - I would gamble and will gamble if I believe in anything) and chocolates only if I am not smoking. I cant smoke at work ..... generally... so heck my smoking at home is rediculous.

So much has happened.So many loose ends to tie. So many times just shaking my head,, wondering...

MOTH is rightfully mad at me.. sperm donor is such a suck arse he is nice to me... Sometimes we just get pulled too many directions. I am just bouncing. But I am not as much fun as tigger. And my youngest daughter finds it so hard to find her place in life.