Mama Chameleon

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Time to pull up Topsy's behavioral socks!

I have realized in the last few days that, maybe due to our focus on settling in, we have let Topsy get away with a lot more than we normally would. On the days he bucks his nap, (though I do make him lie down and rest, whether he sleeps or not) he becomes grumpy and extra mischievous (read naughty) as they day progresses. We can all say the word 'brat' and immediately conjour up a mental picture of some awful child we are relieved doesn't belong to us. I DO NOT want Topsy to be that image in any one's mind. I really want a child who is a joy to be around; I want my cute and adorable Topsy back. And note to self: that requires WORK. Um, duh! So right now at our house, Iron Fist Mama rules!


And I have already seen changes! No brats in this household please!



Oh, did I say how much Spindles loves handball now? He wants to play it every spare minute he has. LOL! Didn't that work out well?


I have been to the gym every day this week. What do I do there? Well, first I put my headphones on, plug them into the TV, and find a channel that help will make the time go faster. I climb onto the treadmill, crank it up to the highest hill level I can take, and hold down on the speed dial till I can't see my feet anymore, 'cause they are going so fast. And then, my friends, I hang on for dear life, and go hard for 45 minutes. It is actually quite fun. Though I had better look pretty darned fabulous in amount a month!

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Monday, February 25, 2008

Catchup


I keep thinking about things to blog about, but then I totally forget to blog it anyways. Grrr. Let's just hope it all comes back to me, as I start to write!
Here are some little tidbits to get the memory ball rolling!
School for the kids is going great. They are all settled and content. Spindles has settled happily into playing handball even!
Diva entered a race for the swimming carnival, and went through with it, even though she was anxious and going to pull out just before it occurred. It was a backstroke race ( my best stroke) and she went great.
Roly was sick for a few days last week.

Hubby is away all this week on an endurance week out bush with the military academy he is chaplain to. The student soldiers are deprived of food, water and sleep, in order to bring them to breaking point This is so that when they are in real combat conditions, they can already anticipate how much it takes to bring them to their knees.
I am certainly praying for Hubby, as I think it will be a trumatic excercise for him. Though he is not going through the ordeal himself, he is there as the person who supposedly puts back the pieces of the broken soldiers . I was horrified to learn that a man whose wife attends our church, actually lost his sight on this same exercize last year. That is how traumatized he was. And he has not regained it. Gulp!
So much has happened activity-wise for us in the last couple of months, but you know our favorite thing is our new 'backyard' that we found. Come and have a look.....

It is only a 50 second drive away from our home, and then with a hop (over the gate), skip (up a bit of ahill) and a jump (over all the branches on the ground), voila:





The kids have really loved planning and starting to build shelters for themselves. Helping each other out. We have come here every evening since we found this haven!



Roly outside the beginnings of his shelter.

Spindles has a different architectual style.

Some nice rocks.

This is Topsy outside what will in actual fact become the communal hall, but what Topsy calls 'my big house!' This is where he bases himself with his Wiggles playdough......


......or his dolly and accessories, depending on the day and what takes his fancy! :)

Diva is still not undecided about the style of shelter she will build.

In the meantime she is a bit of a hermit crab, inhabiting a pre-existing shelter that collapsed.The Taylors like their rocks!

Our view of Lego Land from the hill. And as we drove homefrom the hill tonight, I decided to go past another nature reserve. It is lovely. The trees are much more ideal for climbing, and there seem to be great bushwalking trails.


To finish off, I have to say that one of the best things I have done all year is create this:







My household organizer. It contains everything my once disorganized fingertips were forever seaching for in vain in all my mess of papers. That mess of papers is now filed.under 7 broad topics.

Phone Directory

Family stuff

School stuff

Home management

Travel and Activities

Shopping lists, Menus and Recipes

Health and Fitness
I am sure a lot of you already have one, and are thinking,' Come On Mama C, get with the PROGRAM! Well, it works for me. And the kids love it too. They spend an inordinate amount of time looking at the menus and recipes for the current week, as well as perusing their chores lists!

Oh and a couple for you Mom! Here are the kids in their martial arts outfits (put on over clothes for Aunty Fiona and Nanny's benefit).




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Thursday, February 14, 2008




This morning I took Topsy to the National Museum of Australia for a Grandma's and children's painting day. It did adertise the event as grandparents but as it also mentioned 'and other carers', I thought I would qualify. When we arrived, I wasn't made too welcome by the organizers, as it is a monthly outing they organize for grandparents who specifically provide day care for their grandchildren.
Whoops! I had built it up to be a big fun morning for Topsy, so I was mightily relieved when they let us in anyways. Topsy spent a fun but short time doing one painting,
and then I smuggled him out to see the kiddy areas at the museum.


Meanwhile the kids settle in more each day, Praise the Lord.
And what does my new week look like? While this is probably not a question at the tip of your tongues, I will share anyways! :)



Sunday-9:30: church ( I only teach every second Sunday morning)

- 12:00: every second week entertain for lunch

-6:00: dinner at church and socialize with 5:00 and 7:00 congregations

-8:00 pm : drop my three oldest to church so they can have a half hour play with the children of a large homeschooling family who live out of town and only travel in for the night service.


Monday -nothing set in concrete! Yay!


Tuesday- 9:30- 11:30 amGAPS (Gungahlin Anglican Parents) were mothers bring their kids to a child friendly Bible study


Wednesday: 9:30-11:30 playgroup

3:15-5:15 Kid's Club (we run a Christian program for the kids a the local public school)

6:00-8:00 Growth Group (Bible study at our home. So far three other families signed up, and I think that is plenty. Last night I cooked the dinner. We had:

burritoes with savory beef, guacomole, rice and beans (so good, can I say!), refried beans, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, cheese. so yummy.


Thursday: nothing


Friday: nothing....yet.

Saturday-nothing.


My Valentine's present is a membership to a local ladies only gym (so excited, I can't even tell you!), so I will fit that in somewhere.!

Posted by michelle :: 2:34 pm :: 8 comments links to this post

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Thursday, February 07, 2008



Painting the Town Red


Grass is passe' here in Gungahlin. So last season! Probably due in part to not being able to use a hose to water their gardens, most homes opt to have no grass at all in their front gardens. Instead beautiful native plants, set in red gravel, line the pavement in amazingly artistic designs.

Our front garden features some grass, some native plants and lots of red gravel.


I never even thought twice about the authenticity of the red gravel. Then yesterday on the way to school, we passed a man, all suited up, spraypainting the naturally yellow gravel at several new homes, and turning it a deep shade of red!

Who knew that was a job?


Quote: Bossy Topsy after hearing me chuckle to myself over something in the car:

'Stop Laughing Mummy. You is Mummy, you is not Santa Clause.'

!!!!!!!!!

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Sunday, February 03, 2008




You know you live in Canberra when you find yourself....sharing some tar with the Head Honcho !!!



On a family outing yesterday, we noticed that our very own prime minister (Aussie equivalent to the US president ) was in the car next to us. We tried to get a close up, but this was all we could manage!




Here is a couple of views of Canberra from some lookouts we went to that morning!






THe white building between Roly's fingers is Old Parliament House, and the building directly above it ( with the triangular thing) is the New Parliament House.


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