Turning 41!

The original plans consisted of dinner at my favorite little Italian restaurant... but then my last Netgrocer box came in which changed the plans drastically! Inside of the brown box that finally arrived from my favorite on-line grocery store in the US was American BBQ Sauce... yummy Carolina Honey BBQ sauce. When Joe called me to tell me that the "eagle had landed", I was off to the grocery for pork chops.

So my birthday party included a great dinner with BBQ Pork Chops, homemade noodles and cheese, super sweet corn on the cob, steamed cauliflower (I didn't eat that... Joe and Lilli loved it) and fresh hot rolls. It was very good, but the chocolate cake that followed was even better. Holly, with the help (or hindrance) of her 2 little sisters, made and decorated a chocolate fudge birthday cake.

Turning 41 wasn't so bad after all....

Our Morning....

This morning at our house....
Abby says "Why do I have to look beautiful when Lilli looks so cool?"
"I want to wear what she is wearing and look cool"...
finally get the clothes thing done and move on to breakfast....
Lilli talking.... "I want cereal for breakfast mommy"....
I fix the cereal...
"Mommy, Abby has poptarts... Lilli likes a poptart... Lilli wants a poptart too."
I say
"Lilli, I asked you if you wanted a poptart or egg or toast or pancake or waffle...
and you wanted cereal... and you got cereal...
but ok, I will toast you a poptart"...
5minutes later...
"Mommy, Lilli no likes a poptart, Lilli likes a egg... OK? "....
everyone eats and goes to the potty and we get shoes on ...
which is an ordeal in itself....
then finally to the car a mere 5 hours after I wake up for the day...
At the car...
Abby says "Mommy, I want Lilli's car seat today" (they are identical!!!)
I look at Lilli...
"Lilli do you want to sit here today?"... pointing at Abby's seat...
"Yes-a- mommy, I sit in Abby's seat today"...
but wait...
Abby only wantsLilli's seat (remember they are identical) on her(Abby's) normal side.....
hmmmmmmmmmmmmm....
mindgames....
By 11am, I am driving out of my driveway...just really needing a nap!
I won't even go into our lunch adventure at McDonalds when...
Lilli smiles and says ...
"Mommy, Lilli like a monkey today".....
and yes, she was like a monkey today!
Abby followed right along...
I had two monkeys!
now they are recharging (in bed taking a nap thank goodness)
and I am drinking coffee... really wanting a margharita instead! hehehehe!!!

Is it crazy that I love every second of this chaos...

Coconut and My MRI Results

Desiccated.... hmmmmmmmmm... that is the type of coconut that I buy when I want to make macaroons. Interestingly enough, it is also the condition of the discs in my lower back.

My MRI results came in today and I have mixed emotions about the "results". I don't have anything that will make me miss dancing at my children's weddings... woosh... that is a relief! But... I do have desiccation of my lower discs. This pretty much just means... chronic lower back pain. Doing some research on the Internet, it looks as if I do some strengthening of my "core", I will feel some relief from the pain... so I guess it is off to the pool and yoga or Pilate's studio for me! I wonder... could I gain a six pack in the front while loosing the pain in the back???? That could be interesting....

Too Quiet

It is too quiet. Joe is off to work, the littles are still in dreamland, and the oldies excitedly left for school this morning after a 2 week break. They were quite happy to get back to the normal "grind"... I have to admit being a bit sad. I love when they are on vacation and the house is noisy and full of life!

Daniel was particularly thrilled this morning as the schools officially switch to winter uniforms on day 1 of term 2... he was able to wear a blazer for the first time as he is now at the senior school. He does look dapper!!! Joey also had a uniform change as he is year 11, the winter uniform switches from what Daniel is now wearing to a navy blue suit. He also looks nice... very tall.... and very nice!

Holly is my "uniform hater" ~ as she does not fall too far from the apple tree (me) ~ she prefers jeans and a sweatshirt over the preppy plaid skirt, sweater, and blazer. Who can blame her???

I think they will all remember how easy getting ready for school was when with a uniform when we return to the US next year and they have to make fashion choices early each morning... : () )



Please note.... can you tell by the pictures how "not thrilled" the oldies are with getting their pictures taken at 7am this morning??? With the exception of Daniel (for 1 shot only) they basically growled at me when they saw me with the camera... now scroll down and look at the littles happily posing and smiling ~ always happy to say "cheese" a million times and hurry to the computer with me to upload the new pictures and see themselves! Not even the offer of a lollipop brought a smile to Joey's face.... : () )

Kitchen Tutorial

The kids go back to school in the morning. They have only been on vacation for 2 weeks, yet... both of the boys seemed to forget how to tie their ties. Joe had to give them a refresher course this evening! It was too funny...

Little Pink Jackets

2 Lollipops ~ 50 Cents

2 Little Pink Jackets ~ 48 Dollars

2 Little Girls that are Sisters and quickly becoming Great Friends ~ Priceless!

The Great Outdoors and True Wireless

Positive observation about Canberra... lots and lots of parks, nature trails, and just wide open green space to enjoy! The city planners should be proud of the natural beauty that they have preserved while still accommodating steady growth in Australia's capital city!

The girls and I enjoyed one of the many great parks before we hit the mall this afternoon. We left the boys at home to change our computers over from "plug in Internet" to true "wireless" Internet. The girls and I had a great time and when we arrived home, Joey was surfing NBA.com while sitting on family room sofa with one laptop... and Daniel was carrying around the other laptop from room to room while checking out NASCAR.com. Good job dad!!!

29 ~ I wish!!!

Have not updated in a few days as I have been "otherwise entertained"... by my back pain! YUCK! I am about to have a birthday, not turning 29, and my back has reminded me that I am not as young as I once was! I was simply putting my left sock on Monday morning ... and that is all she wrote. I ended up at the Dr and at the Physio and 4 days later I am still hurting. I will have a MRI next week to "guarantee" that it is just mechanical back pain and nothing else... but man oh man... I miss having a 29 year old body! The 40 plus brain I will stick with... but please give me back my 29 year old body!!!!

As for the littles... they have tons to do as I have hit all the summer clearance sales and our backyard now looks like I run a daycare! Yuck again... way too tacky... but LOADS of fun for the littles and at least one of the bigs that barely makes it under the weight limit of all the new toys! Also... the birds love "roosting" on the top of all the new toys... I am sure all the plastic will have cockatoo chew marks very soon!

Joe took Lilli and Abby to gymnastics for a few "introductory" classes and reported back that Lilli has NO fear at all! Is this good or a bit scary.... I can't decide???? They will start full time gymnastics on Monday morning.... and I will just have to see for myself and also post some pictures! : () )

This morning for breakfast, I made biscuits. My kids have always enjoyed honey with biscuits instead of butter. I was thinking Lilli would fit right in because she "Bu likes a butter" (that means I don't like butter in Lilli's cute Mandarin and English speech). Lilli took one look at my biscuit on her plate and the little bowl of fresh honey... and looked at me and said "Lilli bu likes a this one Momma"... I asked her nicely to try it (Is it nice to say if she didn't she would never again get ice cream?????) and she did and she LOVES it - she said so - "Lilli Loves a this one momma"... 2 biscuits later she was full and happy! I would bet Joe's next paycheck that the first words out of her mouth tomorrow morning will be... "Good Morning Momma, can I have Biscuits and Honey please?" Too funny!

Waiting for the Rain

We went to Toys-R-Us (yes they have one here... in fact, this is a chain that has been in every country that we have lived ~ some stores better than others!) yesterday and I told the girls they could pick out a "goodie" as they have been such great little girls! They selected raincoats. Normally I would object under the current circumstances... think drought... but they were marked down from 20$ to 6$... so who am I to pass up such a bargain????? We are now the proud owners of Buzz Lightyear and Nemo raincoats... both size 4-6... so plenty of growing room for when we move back to a wet climate.

Funny thing, this afternoon, the weather went from very warm to chilly in a matter of minutes. The wind was whistling and the sky grew dark. The girls were in their raincoats and gum boots so fast ~ both counting their chickens before they hatched... so excited about all the rainy fun they were about to have. Poor girls... the eggs never hatched... the rain never came; however, they did have a bit of fun all dressed up just looking at the big rain cloud!

Ice Cream Truck and Fashion Statements

The ice cream truck showed up on our street this afternoon! Next thing you know, I will see the Brady kids riding bikes! Seriously... how cool is that??? I have not seen an old fashioned ice cream truck ~ music and all ~ in years! I did see the ice cream bicycle ~ music and all ~ in Jakarta every day... but an ice cream truck like when I was little ~ I was more excited than the kids. Actually, I scared Joey pretty bad. He has had a talk and asked me never to scream ~ "Joey, grab the girls and get out here" at the top of my lungs anymore! : () )

On another note... Lilli and her fashion choices. Each day she adds a little something to the clothes that we pick out together. I have already discovered that she loves dresses and skirts and prefers very bright colors over my favorite drab browns and pinks; however, I am learning quickly that without exception, she likes to add a little twist to her outfits each day ~ whether it be a belt or scarf or hat... or as she has today, one winter glove. She has no desire to add the second glove... and it is not cold outside today at all (hence the ice cream truck I am sure) but still, the glove will not come off. Lilli loves the glove today. She thinks it is "be- u - tee - full".

The girls helped me clean out their closet and armoire today. Lilli got really excited over a few things that were "new" to her... wonder what her "special add-on" will be tomorrow????

We Love This Face....

Lilli makes so many cute faces ~ I try to get them on film... but I can never get the camera quick enough! I did tonight... for one face! YEAH!

Weekend Pics

Glorious Thunder and Other Odds and Ends...

I was awoken by the distant sound of thunder this morning. Not note worthy if I was still living in Jakarta during rainy season or still a child being dragged out of bed in Louisiana... but glorious noise when living in the "Bush Capital"!

Canberra is experiencing a serious drought ~ has been for many years. This was one of the main factors in the horrid bush fires of 2003 that burned more than half of the Australian Capital Territory... the State in which Canberra is located. We live under strict water restrictions ~ Stage 4 to be exact. My neighbor could report me to the government if they happen to see me watering my lawn or filling up my fountain (or even running it!!!) in the back yard.

Driving the kids to school or on the short journey to the grocery store ~ I am reminded of the serious nature of the drought each day. The Australian Government has installed computerized signs in many locations in the city, to remind all citizens how precarious the situation is. As of yesterday, the damns that hold the water supply for the country's capital and surrounding areas were at 46.3%... way up from a low of just over 30%. Yesterday's target water use was 112 million liters... the citizens missed the mark by a huge margin, using just over 146 million liters. I have never known so many facts about water in my life. I am wondering if desalinization plants could help here? They worked wonders in California when we lived there.

Another drought fact... if you ever come across an Australian map, look for Lake George. It would be a massive blue area on the map about 1/3 rd of the way from Canberra to Sydney. When we first arrived in Australia, Joe pointed the lake to Daniel (my little fisherman) saying that it would probably be a great place for fishing and so close... they could go all the time! He mentioned this in his office one day to a few Aussie colleagues ~ who instantly went to gather more Aussies ~ all chuckling.... Why? Lake George is bone dry. So dry that it's main purpose is a huge sheep and cattle paddock now. Quite eerie to peak a large hill and see the massive dry lake bed ahead of you ~ a vivid reminder of the current drought situation. My friend ~ who is my age... 29... just kidding ~ he is 29 and a half (which really is 40) remembers water lapping against the sides of the road when he was a child. Can you imagine an entire lake drying up? I think about Lake Ponchatrain between Mandeville and New Orleans ~ bone dry.... that would be STRANGE!

Our grass is brown... our drought resistant trees are barely making it! So the distant rumbling and the grey wet skies that accompanied it were a wonderful way to wake up this morning! I am hoping that we will be stuck inside all day today because of the rain... but as I type, I can see beautiful blue sky over the mountains ~ Maybe next time!

As for my other odds and ends... The kids are on term break from school. They have two weeks to relax and get ready for the next term. We might go to Melbourne... but might just stay home as we are all going to Hawaii during their mid year break in July! YEAH! The littles will become American Citizens! This will be a trip to remember! The older kids are excited to get reacquainted with the Island of Oahu... our home for nearly 3 years! Joey and Holly started school in Hawaii ~ Mililani Uka Elementary School! We all loved Hawaii and all it had to offer it's residents! It was a great place to live! Can't wait to get myself some Kahuku Corn on a Stick from the Northshore! The best corn in the world!!!!

I have a special "auhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" moment to report about the littles....
Abby was crying last night... over nothing in particular... just tired which means she cries at everything! She had some huge tears rolling down her face... and Lilli disappeared. I thought the crying was too loud for her... nope... she ran to the bathroom and grabbed some tissues and returned and wiped Abby's face ever so gently! SO SWEET!!!!

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Here are some pictures from the last few days my parents were here in March. I think they need to be posted! Oh how I wish we lived close to them and could see them on a daily basis ~ even once a month would be a vast improvement over once a year!