Christmas 2018

There is such a long lead up to Christmas, then it's the 'big day' and it's gone just as quick.  I packed up Christmas yesterday.  The tree and all decorations have all been put away in the loft until next year.  The only remnants of Christmas are some leftovers in the fridge and some new toys, still not yet put away.

We were at home this Christmas, with my brother and family, and Mum and Peter.  The morning begun much earlier than anticipated.  I woke up at 2.18am to the sound of voices and rustling, then soon discovered Henry was up and going through his stocking.  I told him to go back to sleep, but that didn't last long, as he was waking me up at 5.30am as the excitement was too much.  Milly and Buster soon followed.  It was going to be a long morning.

The kids all opened their stockings, which are meant to keep them busy until the main present opening when Santa arrives.  This year they had also gotten each other gifts, so we let them exchange presents between themselves.  Then it's breakfast and getting dressed and waiting for Santa.  So when you wake up at 5.30am and Santa's not due until 9.30am, that's a long wait.  Given I was up so early allowed me time to get ready myself and prepare the salads for lunch, while Michael enjoyed a well earned sleep in before his hot day in the kitchen.

It was all systems go when barefooted Santa arrived.  As usual my brother missed seeing him.  Apparently, he had witnessed an old lady fall over across the street and had rushed to her aid.  Oh well, maybe next year he'll finally see Santa for himself.

After lots of photos the present opening ceremony began.  There were lots of "oos" and "ahs" for the anticipated gifts and the surprise ones.  Then we said goodbye to Santa and not long after my brother returned.  He said the lady had broken her arm, which is why he was gone longer than expected.

The next event of the day is of course the lunch.  Michael had made Citrus Brined Chicken, a Sticky Soy Pork, homemade pickled cucumbers, the crispiest roasted potatoes, roasted sweet potato, and I made the Carrot, Feta and Mint salad, and the Quinoa Four Bean Salad with Turmeric and Honey Dressing.

I didn't manage to get a photo of the desserts.  My mum had made a Lemon Meringue Pie and a Flourless Chocolate Cake.

We ate and drank well.  

As the sun went down, the kids were still full of energy and played tips in the backyard and laser tag.  It was so hot and we were all so tired, we then collapsed into bed.  Christmas 2018 over.

Our goal setting girl

It has been quite a big year for our girl and we have to hand it to her, she sets herself a personal goal and she goes for it.  She is brave, courageous, she bounces back from disappointments, and she always tries her best.  Underneath is a volcano of emotions that can explode without warning, and I'll admit we are fearful of when hormones and the teenage years come in to play, but she is a girl who strives and we are proud parents of this wonderful girl.

This year she has auditioned for three musical theatre productions and was successful in being cast in all three.  The first was Alice in Wonderland, where she had a role in the ensemble.

The second production was Elf Jr, where again she was cast in the ensemble and given her first individual line.

The third show is Madagascar Jr, which is in pre production and rehearsals kicking off in full next year.  She will be Lynn the Lemur and has a couple of lines and an extra ensemble role as a Lioness.

She also stuck her hand up to be part of a Year 5/6 singing ensemble that appeared in an adult production celebrating the songs of Sondheim.  It was her first time performing with a live orchestra.

She ended her year by performing with her drama class in a Jamboree (class showcase), where she had a role with lots of dialogue and we got to see her shine on stage.  The showcase also acted as a presentation day and she was one of two students in her drama class chosen for the Principal's Award for Outstanding Effort in Drama.

Aside from her theatrical pursuits, she has also had a great year at school.  She put herself out there to be a school leader heading into her final year at primary school. She first had to prepare and do a speech in front of her grade, grade teachers and the current school leaders as an expression of interest for captaincy.  Her Year 5 grade of 110 students voted her one of six girls to be in the leadership team.  She then needed to prepare another speech and present it to the whole school assembly of over 630 students to convince them she should be school captain.  She did a wonderful speech, speaking confidently about the schools values, being a role model and how she wanted to inspire as a school leader.  She wasn't successful in being voted captain, but she is a prefect for next year and she is thrilled.

Then to top it all off, at the school's end-of-year presentation day she was one of five kids in her class chosen for a class award and medal.  Her award reads for Outstanding Effort and Citizenship and her medal reads for Excellence, Respect and Responsibility (which are the school's values).

So, yes, it has been a great year for our girl and she has ended the year grinning from ear to ear.

Little man turns 9

When your birthday is at the end of a year, when you're young it can feel like an eternity until you get to celebrate it again.  Nonetheless, the day of birth does come around and we celebrate it with lots of food.

Buster loves to eat out.  He started his ninth birthday at his favourite cafe which is located across the road from his school.  His class sang him birthday wishes and his teacher let him wear a birthday t-shirt gifted to him by his best friend and classmate, Leo.

As Buster wasn't having a birthday party this year, he had his bestie Leo come home with him from school for a playdate and cake.

Don't think for one minute the birthday celebrations stopped there.  When the weekend rolled around we went out for a family birthday dinner and introduced the kids to Greek food for the first time.  Buster didn't steer away from his favourite calamari and chips, but the other two tried new foods and weren't repulsed, so we consider that a win.

Boo and Nanoo - school holiday fun

During the recent school holidays, Nanoo took Buster on a little trip down to Sydney.  They saw some famous landmarks, went to the aquarium and Sydney tower.  They even managed to have lunch with my brother.  It was a long day for the little man but he loved his special outing and from the photos Nanoo took, he looked like he was having fun.

Buster - our meal ticket

He might be pint sized, but our little man has taken an interest in a new sporting hobby - golf. 

Michael has dusted off his irons and realised they were rusty and brittle, invested in some new clubs and completed a few rounds on some local golf courses.  It had been about 15 years since he'd swung a club, so he was pretty pleased with himself when he shot a 7 over on a recent outing.

Michael's love of golf has got Buster interested in the game.  A couple of pointers from Dad and some promising form in the backyard, saw Buster receive an early birthday present - his own set of clubs, just his size.

Both he and Michael have been out to the driving range a couple of times and Michael thinks Buster's swing is relaxed and natural.  He could soon be on his way to winning tournaments and bringing in the big bucks so Mum and Dad can retire.