The winner of my giveaway is......
Catherine
Your bookmark will be arriving soon.
PS The only other entrant Bethany will also receive a handmade cross-stitched bookmark
Monday, February 2, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Giveaway Reminder
Just a reminder that My Giveaway ends in 26.5 hours!
To enter you must leave a comment on the Giveaway thread by 7pm AEST Monday 02/02/02.
To enter you must leave a comment on the Giveaway thread by 7pm AEST Monday 02/02/02.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
What we Do on our Weekends away, Part IV
Play in (John) or Watch (Alex and I) Kendo (a Japanese martial art)
Well John trains for this on the weekends (and during the week) that we don't go away, but occasionally (3 or 4 times a year) we travel to tournaments, gradings or seminars.
Just before Alex was born we went to Melbourne to the Australian Championships (John came 3rd in his grade, and his team came first). We spent a couple of days either side having a holiday.
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They had also won a teams competition about a month before that.
We've also attended competitions in the ACT and in NSW.
Alex has so far been pretty good - especially as it is not a quiet sport! - sleeping in the pram when we've been places and charming everyone when he is awake. Maybe all that time listening to Kendo in utero, and then being made to sleep while Band of Brothers was playing when he was a newborn actually worked!
Well John trains for this on the weekends (and during the week) that we don't go away, but occasionally (3 or 4 times a year) we travel to tournaments, gradings or seminars.
Just before Alex was born we went to Melbourne to the Australian Championships (John came 3rd in his grade, and his team came first). We spent a couple of days either side having a holiday.
+(thumbnail).jpg)
They had also won a teams competition about a month before that.
We've also attended competitions in the ACT and in NSW.
Alex has so far been pretty good - especially as it is not a quiet sport! - sleeping in the pram when we've been places and charming everyone when he is awake. Maybe all that time listening to Kendo in utero, and then being made to sleep while Band of Brothers was playing when he was a newborn actually worked!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Organisation Fever
I have recently been hit by a recurring bout of organisation fever. This reoccurs several times a year - perhaps triggered by searching vainly for a document for 3 hours, or being unable to close a cupboard door, or external factors like tenancy inspections.
This particular bout was triggered by the combination and the New Year and my return to work for an extra day a week. The symptoms included
a) cleaning out the pantry and typing up an inventory and map for the door
b) tidying Alex's cupboard and inventoring his books and toys.
c) putting together a household folder
Here is Alex's cupboard after being cleaned
Here is most of the teddy bear collection. [As a side note, how can one child, who has had 1 birthday and 2 Christmas's - where on all occasions his parents purchased nothing - have so much stuff?)
Now it may seem like a good thing to be organised - and there are definite advantages - but personally I have found there is a limit where one can be too organised (and this is a heavy admission for someone who is strongly J on the Myer-Briggs scale).
1. It can cause conflicts - my husband is more "lets take if flexibly" regarding routines, and being hyper-organised tends to annoy him, while I have a tendency to get irritated if my carefully constructed plans are thrown into disarray.
2. Getting and staying organised takes effort and, once the organisation fever subsides, I cannot continue the effort to maintain the high level of organisation that this fever brings on. (and I present exhibit A: >10 unfinished projects in the last seven years). Maintaining the effort of staying organised means that I don't spend time doing more important things - like playing with Alex!
3. It makes you think that you can control everything around you. This is particularly insidious, as most of our lives are beyond the scope of our control.
Unfortunately the only cure for Organisation fever that I have discovered is getting organised, so I shall go off and benignly organise something else (arrange my wardrobe by colour, or alphabetise the music collection)
This particular bout was triggered by the combination and the New Year and my return to work for an extra day a week. The symptoms included
a) cleaning out the pantry and typing up an inventory and map for the door
b) tidying Alex's cupboard and inventoring his books and toys.
c) putting together a household folder
Here is Alex's cupboard after being cleaned
Here is most of the teddy bear collection. [As a side note, how can one child, who has had 1 birthday and 2 Christmas's - where on all occasions his parents purchased nothing - have so much stuff?)
Now it may seem like a good thing to be organised - and there are definite advantages - but personally I have found there is a limit where one can be too organised (and this is a heavy admission for someone who is strongly J on the Myer-Briggs scale).
1. It can cause conflicts - my husband is more "lets take if flexibly" regarding routines, and being hyper-organised tends to annoy him, while I have a tendency to get irritated if my carefully constructed plans are thrown into disarray.
2. Getting and staying organised takes effort and, once the organisation fever subsides, I cannot continue the effort to maintain the high level of organisation that this fever brings on. (and I present exhibit A: >10 unfinished projects in the last seven years). Maintaining the effort of staying organised means that I don't spend time doing more important things - like playing with Alex!
3. It makes you think that you can control everything around you. This is particularly insidious, as most of our lives are beyond the scope of our control.
Unfortunately the only cure for Organisation fever that I have discovered is getting organised, so I shall go off and benignly organise something else (arrange my wardrobe by colour, or alphabetise the music collection)
Giveaway
I am hosting a giveaway in honour of completing my UFO's.
To enter, leave a comment for this thread by 7pm AEST Monday 2/2/09
The winner (as determined by a random number generator) will receive this cross-stitched bookmark.
To enter, leave a comment for this thread by 7pm AEST Monday 2/2/09
The winner (as determined by a random number generator) will receive this cross-stitched bookmark.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Scrapbooking
Since I finished most of my UFO's I have been able to start on some of the planned projects that I have in my head.
After going through the files on the computer and sorting out our filing cabinet I realised that there were hundreds of photos that were just taking up space (virtual or otherwise) so I had started sorting them to put in Albums.
In the last three weeks I have managed to complete 5 pages - courtesy mostly of a predesigned kit.
Here are the pages I have done so far. (I haven't quite got the journalling and titles done - but that it because I am still working out how to do them).
Alex's Birthday
Skiing
Other photos of Alex (for some reason, these uploaded on then side and I can't work out how to fix it!)
After going through the files on the computer and sorting out our filing cabinet I realised that there were hundreds of photos that were just taking up space (virtual or otherwise) so I had started sorting them to put in Albums.
In the last three weeks I have managed to complete 5 pages - courtesy mostly of a predesigned kit.
Here are the pages I have done so far. (I haven't quite got the journalling and titles done - but that it because I am still working out how to do them).
Alex's Birthday
Skiing
Other photos of Alex (for some reason, these uploaded on then side and I can't work out how to fix it!)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Chrstmas Holidays - Fun and Farm
Despite all the work involved in the flooring adventure we did manage to get in some fun activities during our holidays.
In between laying floorboards we went swimming.
Once the work was done we could play so we went boating.
Alex watched his father very closely when he drove the boat and first opportunity he got - he was copying how to drive.
The grown ups went water skiing - although some of us a better than others! ;-)
After being at the dam we went and had a few days at the farm in Central NSW where John's family live. In between yet more work (moving cattle and around 28 tonnes of wheat) we had plenty of fun - Alex enjoyed playing with his cousins and being allowed to roam free after being cooped up in the cot for 5 days.
This sign about 15 minutes from my in-laws always makes us laugh. See if you can spot what is wrong with it? (hint: think geography and social studies!)
In between laying floorboards we went swimming.
Once the work was done we could play so we went boating.
Alex watched his father very closely when he drove the boat and first opportunity he got - he was copying how to drive.
The grown ups went water skiing - although some of us a better than others! ;-)
After being at the dam we went and had a few days at the farm in Central NSW where John's family live. In between yet more work (moving cattle and around 28 tonnes of wheat) we had plenty of fun - Alex enjoyed playing with his cousins and being allowed to roam free after being cooped up in the cot for 5 days.
This sign about 15 minutes from my in-laws always makes us laugh. See if you can spot what is wrong with it? (hint: think geography and social studies!)
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