Adventures at the Rocks

We spent some time at Carpenter Rocks and the surrounding beaches last week. 

Family from Adelaide and Melbourne were renting our holiday home, they had a fantastic week, and LOVED exploring and having fun in the area.

It was a pleasure to have them and look forward to seeing them again next year!

Sharing over at Stephs Joy

and Lovin' Life with Leanne

Out of the mouth of babes

I didn't get my night away by myself the last weekend. It's all good, we went to the neighbours, the kids got to play til their hearts content, and I got to drink wine.

With no encouragement from me, or my other motherly neighbour, apparently we are all going to the Lake Mountain snow fields at the end of the school holidays. Four adults and five kids.

Men are their own worst enemies. A few wines and the inevitable scotch and their holiday is organised, bar the women's perspective bit, of all the fucking organisation.

I am actually looking forward to it. The last time we went to Lake Mountain, I was on the  cusp of an depression/anxiety diagnosis that Brett did not embrace. It was hard. Apparently crying half an hour into the trip, after the stress of organising all the shit for the trip on my own, was "ruining the whole fucking holiday". Yes, the man in life has less tact than a fucking grenade.

I am so ready for this shit, I am ecstatic.  I'm in a totally different frame of mind. I am going to ace this. And with my amazing mother of three under six neighbour in the cabin next door, I am going to feel so at home. The kid are going to have a ball, and me, well I am going to be having so much fun too.

We have a busy as shit school holidays, with Izzy competing in her first WAG gymnastic championship, in Adelaide, and then now, going to the snow in the second half of the holidays. 

What a ride. 

I'll be hanging on.

What is more exciting, is the Wattle Range Photography competition coming up this Friday night. I have been so looking forward to it, especially now since it was postponed a week. I have thirteen photos entered, and Izzy two. I'll be taking Izzy along with me for the opening of the exhibition. 

One of Izzys, showing people in the Wattle Range council area

I may have one too many photos featuring Summer in the exhibition, which is totes understandable. I don't have too many subjects to photograph besides my own family.

It doesn't matter whether I win anything at all. My mantra for this year was 'be brave'. This is the first year for me entering photos. I am being bold and brave, and having a go. At least, I am getting my photography out there. 

Some of the other photos, are photos of our local area, and this is what I am most excited to share with the wider world. 

Any hoo, back to gorgeous Summer. I asked her some questions via recent Facebook posts I had seen other parents post.

Here are her answers.

What is your name?  Summer
How old are you? four
When is your birthday? Junior (it's so November)
How old is  Daddy? 21, (gag, younger than my eldest son) her dad is 48.
How old is Mummy? 24 (Oh how I wish)
What is your favourite colour? Orange (such a cool colour and has been her favourite colour a long time)
What is your favourite food? Apple
Who is your best friend? Renae
What is your favourite song? Let it go
What is your favourite animal? Dolphin. News to me.
What are you scared of? Lions
What makes you happy? Funny stuff. She likes to watch funny stuff on YouTube. She has the best laugh too and a wicked sense of humour. 
Where is your favourite place to go? Swimming pool.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Shop keeper at Woolies. A couple of weeks ago this was a clothes shop. Now she has her sights set on Woolworths. 
What is Mummy's favourite thing to do? Cooking
What is Daddys favourite thing to do? Work 

An InLinkz Link-up

Easter Saturday at Canunda

The Canunda National Park seems to be a popular place for us at Easter time. Last year we headed down there on the Sunday. This year we joined the same group of family, with a few new faces to meet and enjoy spending some time with.

An InLinkz Link-up

The big sandhill

My place in time #16 - An outing with friends

We went out for a drive with our neighbours and friends. They have kids around the same age as our kids. 

We actually went to dig up wild garlic near here, and took them to the 'big sandhill' for some sand boarding fun. We made the mistake of not taking lunch, we would have stayed longer and even driven over to the beach.

I've been coming here since I was a kid too. It's at the end of the dump road, or where the dump used to be. It's where many a four wheel driver come to test themselves, to see if they can make it up the hill in one go. The kids were lucky enough to see a few get up there. They youngest of our friends boys, was uber excited. It made his day. Seeing a motorbike come out of the dunes topped it off for him and he didn't stop telling us all about.  

An InLinkz Link-up

Kims' dash

I attended the funeral of a friend today. I had felt so guilty when I had heard that she had passed away. I hadn't gone to visit her for such a long time.

She was my neighbour twenty years ago, when I was pregnant with Jake and was a big part of our lives as he grew up. I was reminded of her kindness, her hospitality.

Even with more than her fair share of problems, she was the first to ask how my family was and if I was OK. 

It has brought back to home the fact that we never know when our time is up. I wish I had of visited her more in the past few years, been a better friend. It comforted me to know that the last few weeks had been her happiest in a long time. 

The celebrant read a poem at the end. I hadn't heard it before, and it really made me think about how I live my life.

The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone,
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile,
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read,
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent YOUR dash?

Linda Ellis

Do you have a friend you haven't made the time to visit for a while? 

• pick up the phone
• send a text to say you thought of them.
• post them a short letter with a fancy tea bag inside

How are you spending your dash? 

• be a better friend
• let people know your thinking of them
• be a great host when people come through your door
• be kind
• be generous
• be patient
• be tolerant

Best friends

Not one day goes by when Izzy isn't driving me spare asking, "I want to see Thomas". Most of the time is whining, sometimes it is crying, uncontrollable crying. Like the crying of a love sick teenager, pining for the love of her life, who hasn't called or seen for a week.

Thomas is the boy next door, hmmmm, yes, the boy next door. Apparently he's the same, and gets out of bed in the morning wanting to see Izzy. Who knows how long this will go on for?

What I do realise is by the time they get to highschool, primary school even, the relationship may have changed. Different groups and friends. They will be going to the same kindy, but different primary schools. Thomas the catholic school and Izzy the state school. Will highschool have them not talking to each other as they pass with their respective friends. I hope not, probable though.

It's just cute watching their relationship at the moment. Watching them walk hand in hand down the driveway. I wonder what age he will no longer be prepared to risk girl germs and not want to hold her hand. Will she be dissappointed or will she be just as dubious of boy germs. 

I would have to say that at the moment he would have to be her best friend. Although she may have other ideas, every kid she knows, at some time or rather, is her 'best friend' right now. Even the ones she doesn't know, like the random little girl behind us in the checkout today, Izzy declared "She's my best friend". I didn't know her from a bar of soap, neither did Izzy. 

I'm glad she has friends, and we have neighbours with kids of the same round about age. I'm glad we get out and about to different things were we interact with other kids. Both the girls love going to the library for Rhyme Time every week, kindergym and playgroup, and then there is the mothers group get togethers.

I didn't do the mothers group thing years ago with Jake, I'm not even sure there was such a thing back then. If there was I wish I had of been involved, I always wonder if that would have helped him come out of his shell, but with aspergers sometimes their shell is their favourite most comfortable place. Who knows, it doesn't help to dwell on the what ifs.....