Barefoot Wanderings

10 Years ago......

Special events with Cakes

I can't believe it has been as long as it has since I last posted. Where does the time go?! I have actually had a bit of a social life, even though most of it has been through my children! The first special event was attending the wedding of my hubby's cousin. They held their ceremony and reception at The Bather's Pavillion at Balmoral. It was really lovely...and the food was delicious! The photo to the left is the top of the cake, isn't it georgeous.

Another event we attended was my sons' soccer/football presentation. Each player in the club was awarded a trophy and five special and specific trophies were also handed out. My son's team won one of these - a Premiership Award for their outstanding win on their Gala day (the combined scores of all the round robin games for the morning was something like 40 to 1!!). I am a very proud mum. I was also really delighted with how well his team played throughout the season and am glad to have met the other parents who were great people too.

The most special and important event recently was my son's 6th birthday. As this is his first year at school we agreed to a birthday party at home. He wanted a chocolate cake with either Star Wars or Ninja Turtles, a jumping castle and a pinata (that you hit not pull the string!). In the end we ended up having 28 children, including my two. The weather was beautiful and warm, and on the whole the children were all great.

After all the orgainising and two hours of a yard full of children I was tired and needed a few days to recover!!
Needless to say I have not really had time for much art. I'd love to say that I will create something soon but with the school holidays only a few days a way I don't think that will be a reality!

7 Random Things

Whilst I was away I was tagged by Marie to list 7 random things about myself, here they are......

1. I love wearing stripey/colourful socks with toes in them

2. If my voice was good enough for others to listen to, I would (possibly!) have become a rock singer.

3. The only band I will buy a CD of without having heard even a note of is Bon Jovi.

4. Since pregnancy my sense of smell has changed and I get headaches from a lot of perfumes and highly scented products. (so I hate walking through the cosmetic area of a department stores where they constantly shove scents at you!)

5. I am actually quite a shy person, who finds it difficult to meet people and make conversation.

6. My choice of an alcoholic drink is still Southern Comfort & Coke (I never threw up on it like some others who can no longer even stand the smell of it!)....although since being influenced, ooops I mean meeting, Megan I do also like Caprioskas.

7. I love getting presents!

I tag you.

Room with a View

This is the view I had sitting on my bed upstairs in England. It is the backgarden of my parents-in-law. It is such a great garden, I know the children will miss it too. There is actually more garden behind the trees at the back (it has a vege patch and a small grass area that the kids LOVED to go to). The path to it is 'hidden' by the way the trees are planted.

Whilst this picture is lovely and sunny we did not have great weather whilst we were there. I have been to England a few times (1996, 1998, 2000 & 2004) and this has been the worst weather yet!...but we don't go for the weather, we go to see family and friends.

My In-laws live in a really pretty village south of London in West Sussex. I was amazed, and disappointed, to discover that the three antique shops in the village have now gone - closed because of eBay, but they still had the lovely gift shops and the 5 pubs! We spent time with family and visiting various local attractions, including Pooh Corner & Pooh Sticks Bridge at Hartfield - and we did play 'Pooh Sticks'. We often went and picked our own Strawberries & Raspberries at a farm near by. The kids loved it, my son now likes strawberries! Freshly picked are always tasty but I think the ones we pick in the UK are tastier again.

We went to Cornwall for a week, staying in a large house as my brother-in-law and his family, and some of his wife's family came as well so there were 13 of us! We stayed in a place call Tregoodwell right next to Camelford. (The biggest town nearby was Wadebridge).

In Cornwall we went to the Eden Project  and Tintagel (the legendary birth place of King Arthur). We did a day trip drive going to Land's End (the western most point of England), through St Ives & Penzance. We had to stop for an immediate toilet break and came to Porthlaven (a fishing village), because it was not a set destination it was one of those pleasant finds. We then stopped at Truro for dinner and found a great restuarant called 'chantek'.

If you are ever in Camelford there is a GREAT restuarant I would recommend called Raval's, the food was delicious, service was great and the place itself was really inviting.

The day we arrived in England my beautiful daughter turned four.

Whilst we were in Cornwall my Hubby turned 40 and to celebrate we all went to Fifteen Cornwall for lunch. It was a really great experience and the food was fantastic. After lunch we got changed and went for a walk along the beach. It was the first time we had seen some sun in a while. It was low tide and there were quite a few  pools of water left along the shore. Whilst it was still cold it didn't stop the kids putting their feet in, so we then took off their shoes! I think this only encouraged them more, before we knew it they were in up to their necks! Oh to be a child, it was great.

We also went to London for a few days, again catching up with family & friends and also to do a bit of shopping. The kids loved catching the tube but I think the highlight for them was the visit to Hamleys, a toy shop with SEVEN levels!, and yes they did come home loaded up with new toys.

The children travelled really well, especially on the way back as we travelled straight thru, including the fact that my son had a stomach bug and threw up at Heathrow airport and when we got on the plane, and we had a three hour delay in Bangkok due to some engine failure. I could not have asked them to have behaved any better than they did, and both of them slept during both legs of the journey. I am lucky to have such cheeky angels.

I'm Back!

I have been away for four weeks on a family holiday to England, stopping for 3 days in Bangkok on the way over. (We got back just over a week ago but I am only now just recovering from the jetlag!)

We stopped over in Bangkok to spend some time with my beautiful Sister-In-Law. She is a doctor and has been on a mission for the past eight months and met us in Bangkok as she would not be returning to the UK until after we have left.

What most people with children know is that when you go on holidays with them, you do things that you may not normally do, often giving yourself permission to do things that you really do want to do, or open yourself up to new experiences.

We went to an Elephant show that showed the history of elephants in Thailand, finishing off with a few tricks such as playing instruments and then kicking soccer(football) goals. Yes, it was 'touristy' but interesting and the highlight was going on an elephant ride thru the park afterwards.

We did a tour to Jim Thompson's House and Vinmanek Palace which is made from Golden Teak.
Jim Thompson was an American who lived in Bangkok and revitalised the Thai silk industry. He was an avid collector so there is much to see in this beautiful house that is now a museum. We really did not spend long enough here to see everything, and my sister-in-law recommends the restuarant there though we didn't get to experience it ourselves.

An interesting bit of information, from our tour guide, was that each day of the week is represented by a colour:
Monday - Yellow
Tuesday - Pink
Wednesday - Green
Thursday - Orange
Friday - Blue
Saturday - Purple
Sunday - Red

We also went swimming in the hotel pool, did some shoopping, and ate out. Not really surprisng then that our time went quickly and that we were back on a plane in no time!

Last time I went to Bangkok was over ten years ago (1996). The air did not feel as heavy this time, it certainly felt cleaner, less polluted. It was still hot & humid, and when it rained you felt like you were drying at the same time!

Happy Mother's Day

 

GPP Crusade No 7

Say What?

The latest crusade over at Michelle Ward's GPP Street Team is to journal sayings and words used within your circle of family, friends etc..
I decided to journal some of the words my two munchkins have come up with, or used, over the few years they have been in my life. The list isn't long but there is room to add as they grow.
Around the photos are the names that I have or do call them.

Art Journey Retreat

As an early birthday present from my family, on Thursday morning I will fly to Perth for the Artistic Journey Art Retreat. A first for me to attend an Art Retreat, and a first, that I know of for an Art Retreat to be held like this in Australia. How lucky are we, I'm proud to support such an event! It is also my first time to Western Australia, it is the only state/territory in Aus I haven't been to and that's about to change!! So many exciting things!!
The tutors are Nina Bagley, Lesley Riley and Michael de Meng from the US and Dale Rollerson from Aus, all very talented people.....not an easy decision choosing which workshops to take! I know I will have a  great experience and learn a lot, but I know the time spent at the retreat will be extra special because I am going with my dear friend Megan. She is a kindred spirit with a beautiful soul and a big heart.

I have been busy since Christmas trying to complete the challenges. Altering (most) of a deck of Playing Cards (entering 5 in a challenge with the rest to swap with other attendees), A Paper Doll Challenge (making a doll from a bag of goodies supplied), A Hall of Fame Challenge (decorating a photo "True Colors" style with a guessing comp at the retreat - this I only did today!) and a Design a T-shirt for next years retreat (well, I can't really take too much credit for this as Megan did most of the work!). I know that I don't have to participate in all of these things but I believe that that is half the fun of attending the retreat......there are great prizes!!! and also because Jo & Jacky have done a tremendous amount of work putting this together and it only seems fair to participate.

Rock Star Moment No. 3

My beautiful 5yr old had a grand Rock Star Moment on friday. He was presented with a Merit award after only his second full week at school.

HOW COOL IS THAT!!!

Each week one child in the class will receive a Merit Award that they then get presented with at an assembley held every fortnight. I know that eventually every child will receive an award but I can't help but be bursting with pride, and to be one of the first two in his class just makes me that little bit extra proud.

Unfortunately I was not at the assembly, if I'd have known about his award I would have taken time off work, but one of the other mothers who was there said that all the children recieving their awards stood on the stage beautifully and looked very pleased with themselves.

What made this even more special to me was when he was telling me about the children who had recently had birthdays and received cards, he asked if his award was more special than the birthday cards!! Oh, priceless moments to treasure!

First Steps on Another Journey

Today was my sons first day of Primary School. Oh how handsome and grown up he looks....but sill so little. This morning I was filled with so much joy. I did not feel sad, or amazed that my little boy was already at school age.

I had already gone through those emotions, that rollercoaster ride, during the Parent Info night and the Orientation mornings back in Oct/Nov. I could not stop smiling as I was excited for him.

I know he was excited and apprehensive. I explained to him that it was OK if he felt a little afraid, a new place and lots of new people. Everyone is a little afraid when the have to go somewhere new where that don't really know anyone.....even mummy & daddy, but he would soon make new friends and he would learn lots of exciting things. He was hoping I would wait in the Hall like I did on the Orientation mornings, I explained that I wouldn't be in the hall but I would be there to pick him up when it was time, and that if he needed to see me he could close his eyes and see me and feel me in his heart as I would always be with him like that.

I think it was quite a big step for him, unsure of what to do and what will happen. Although we have talked to him about it there is only so much you can prepare them and the rest is done in time and experience. These first three days I will pick him up early.... just before lunch.... but still he was quite out of sorts this afternoon at home, most of the time he was Ok but there where times when he acted so unlike his usual manner..... throwing tantrums at silly things, being a little mean, and quite demanding/headstrong in saying he will have things. I know this is him trying to process eveything he is going through. I only hope I can give him the time, patience and understanding that he deservse....I know he certainly pushed me to the limits.

I was told by one of the Carers at my daughters Daycare that she was excited (and I think proud) of her Big Brother going to school as she was quite animated when she was talking to them about it. Those two seem to have a special bond that we could have only hoped for.

First steps for me as well as I have finally gotten around to posting a Profile photo of me and have include one of me in this posting!