So much has happened this last week so I'll try to summarise (for my own sanity).

We have a new toilet. Now that might not sound like much to most, but our toilet has had to come with a "Introductory Video" explaining how to flush it, for the last year or so. I'd finally had enough so went and bought one and it was installed Tuesday. No more briefings!! Rainer's even sitting and we have the cool cards from AEIOU's video on toileting on the wall. Looks promising!! (I think we can do without photos!!)

Last Sunday we were at Ian and Helen's for a BBQ breakfast with the old 4TO crowd but the Roberts' couldn't make this one. Rainer stepped into the pool, fully clothed, and launched himself into the water. I think he was expecting Donna, his swim teacher to be there!! I was watching - calm on the outside .. going bonkers on the inside - and the little bugger dog paddled, TURNED AROUND, and swam to the edge!! Donna was mightily impressed when I told her. Even Mackinley got excited!!

Have also been a busy Scrappin' Chikkie. Here are my layouts and Off The Page item for the Monthly Kit challenges at Scrapbook City.

Week 1 - Me and the boys at Upper Kedron Reserve on New Year's Day. Love their faces...hence "whatEVER" for the title.


Week 2 - Mackinley and Tristan Reedy (Tanya's boy) when we met for a day at the Queensland Museum in January this year. We still can't believe how quickly they became friends.

...and the details....

Week 3 - Off The Page item for my niece Meg who turned 3 yesterday!! Happy Birthday beautiful girl!!
The monogram was bought at Inkredible (love those girls..so dry!!) it's a Kaiser Crafts monogram, funky font(for my funky niece!!)

....and the details.....



It may also be quite obvious from the detailed shots that I have given myself a Mother's Day gift....this contraption, which is yet to be named. My friends at Bon's Scraps are working furiously to come up with an appropriate moniker for the Janome.
I'm having sooo much fun at Bon's at the moment. The challenges are great and the prizes are good too (heehee). Bon keeps us all on a tight leash or we'd all go crazy. Nice ecclectic bunch of ladies with broad talents (in the nicest way, of course).

Can you believe I still have more to share!!! Next post (hahaha)

Be strong...

My Hero - Fiona Engwirda

Here's the link to my fellow AEIOU Mum - Fiona Engwirda who completed The Long Walk today.

She is a DYNAMO!!!

You meet people in life who just have sooo much energy and passion for their family that it just boils over...and Fiona is that woman! Not only does she run a household, care for Harrison and the rest of her family, but she's also finishing her University degree, running "do-re-mi" classes from her spectactular home and organising the Bray Park Mums for fundraising activities and get-togethers. Usually I'm the "take charge" woman, but Fiona just blows me away.

Well done Fiona. I'll join you next year!!

The next fundraiser for AEIOU is Sing for Kids. If you would like to participate or read a little more about this wonderful programme, I'm putting a permenant link in the side-bar.

Also, last Monday AEIOU's Bray Park centre was officially opened. It is named after the most delightful man from Norfolk Island, Toni Redstone. If you ever wondered what a humble philanthropist was like, you need to meet this man. Kind, generous, genuine, unaffected. Thanks Toni.

We got some good coverage - ABC TV (the best apparently), the commercial stations and Briz31 (courtesy of the QUT film crew). One of the commercial stations bumped the story because they wanted to feature a koala who gave birth to twins!! Ahhh, love those priorities!!

My good friend Kelly Higgins-Devine (yes, of 612ABC Brisbane fame - from 3-6pm by the way) called me on Monday afternoon wanted to do a piece on how Autism affects families. I have the audio but I'm buggered if I know how to link it to the blog. If anyone knows, drop me a line! This was on the back of a report that Dr James Morton (founder of AEIOU) talked about earlier in the day regarding the cost to community from children with Autism. Most of my friends know the personal, professional and financial cost to our family, but the estimated cost to the community is astounding - between $4.5 and $7 billion - and report states that it's underestimated because you can't "cost" underemployment, alternative therapies, informal care and other early intervention strategies!!!

I won't continue to bombard you with stats - but you get the idea. If you want to read more - click here.

Thanks for hanging in there with me. It's been an interesting 18 months but now I can truly see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Be strong.....

But first my tag!!

OMG…how late is this tag….I know I’ve been a bad-tag-friend but I seriously couldn’t think of SEVEN things…so I relied on my humour for this one. Here goes:

Fact 1:- I absolutely detest OYSTERS!!

Fact 2:- I absolutely LOVE dark chocolate (oh, and coffee, and massages/body scrub – especially from the Dome Retreat).

Fact 3:- The only insect/bug I completely freak out over are GRASSHOPPERS!! Just the big brown ones…not the cute and easily-squased green ones.

Fact 4:- I have about 4 different perfumes on the go at any one time. Just never know what “mood” I’ll be in.

Fact 5:- I LOVE live performances – music, theatre, life….anything that allows me to cut loose and be anonymous (ie, not a Mum) for a little while, before my real life sucks me back in.

Fact 6:- I was going to write how old I’ll be turning this year…but then I thought that how I FEEL might be more relevant….I FEEL 28. Some mornings I look my age, but I rarely FEEL my age.

Fact 7:- Our house is affectionately known as the "shoe box" or "postage stamp"....it's a small-ish house for 2 wild boys but I do make the BEST coffee, so friends don't mind the cramped conditions. And we have the best 2x2m sand pit in the neighbourhood!!

Phew, I did it!!

Here's something I prepared earlier.....



I'll enter this in the photography section of Scrapbook City's new comp and see how I go. The photo was a total fluke but just LOVE the result.

I'd love to be involved everywhere and have made some great friends these past months BUT (and here's my big but...hahaha) I'm going to stay with only a few sites/forums for the time being. There's just soooo much inspiration and cool stuff and people to get involved with and I guess it's only been since I've opened up about a few things lately that people have really supported me. It's odd for me to get support like that from some I haven't even met in real life yet, but that's the beauty of the scrapping world. Communicate through your layouts. That's why I love it and my journaling (I'll stop writing now).

Be Strong....

Labour Day

Michael's parents - David and Joan - spent the Labour Day long weekend with us. It had been 18 months since David has seen the boys and he couldn't believe how much better Rainer is. They spent Thursday afternoon at swimming lessons with us, Friday morning they did reading in Mackinley's class, and in the afternoon I took them to AEIOU to see what Rainer gets up to.



I made sure they didn't do any repairs (David's a builder, so he always wants to fix something) or gardening (on Level 5 restrictions...that's impossible) so they read the paper and drank tea and coffee during the day. Nice of me, wasn't it?!!

I went to the Friday Night Madness crop at Scrapbook City last Friday (11th) which was great fun. Met some people who love the store but don't get on the forum. I think that is so weird these days, but I guess it keeps their lives simple (unlike hooking up with a million forums, blogs and mags...like moi!!)

Rainer screamed, apparently, when I left for the store until he tired himself (and Michael) out. On Saturday night, I think he was worried that I was going to abandon him yet again, so fell asleep on the rug while I was eating dinner. Isn't he gorgeous!! See his hand up his sleeve like he fell asleep half way through a scratch..so sweet.



On Friday, Mackinley had his first year level Paraliturgy and he had to say a Prayer of the Faithful. I nearly didn't make it after dropping papers off to the accountant, but I'm so glad I did. It really made his day. I've got to make more of an effort because I can now see how much he misses me. I spend an awful lot of time with Rainer, I neglect him too much. This is the best photo I could get. See his little head behind the lecturn? Such a good reader too!!



Lastly, I eventually finished Alicia's online class at Scrapbook City. I learned some new tricks and now plan to do a few more similar to this, probably without the notebook and a bit more "artsy-fartsy". Have to whip about 3 I owe to people who have been good to us lately.



Have more to update from Mother's Day and the official opening of AEIOU's Bray Park Centre....next post.

Be Strong.

More Challenges

Here are the projects I've finished for 123 Cyber Crop challenges. These were really cool. I love the challenge of criteria and time limits, but without the high expectations I had on myself when I was on the Design Team. And with all the crap that's been going on this year, having that weight lifted from me has been really good.

Okay, details - for Challenge 2 I did something Off the Page for Mother's Day. Covered some pencils with left over patterned papers, sealed with ModPodge, made some funky charms with butterflies from Sonia at Forever Always (how timely was that?!!) and hand-made transparencies with a swirl stamp, lots of beads I've had since I began scrapbooking and leather cord.


Criteria was also wings and transparencies. The wings were a toughie until Sonia's package turned up :)


Not only have I made some for Mum, but also for Sophie, Alex and Charlotte!! When Meg learns to write, she can get some goodies too!!

For Challenge 3 I had to use paint, chipboard and to go to the 30 day challenge link for Scrap Therapy. I chose something along the lines of "it's amazing the things you do now you have kids.." for Day 14. I think they were looking for "lego cars, cubbies with sheets and chairs, etc" type stuff, but the one thing that motherhood has taught me - LOSE THE TEMPER....FOR GOOD!! Can't be the hot-head I used to be, arguing for argument's sake, flying off the handle when I didn't get my own way, blah blah blah......

Used my polished pigments mixed with gel medium again (have them stored, ready to go, in plastic containers now) and MM paint with iridescent medium. Dry brushed the cardstock with MontMarte gold paint and Kindy Glitz (LOL) to add to the ethereal theme of the layout.


EXCITEMENT a-foot at Scrapbook City!!! I'm doing my second on-line class with Alicia this Friday; they've re-introduced their Monthly Kits (only $30) but with different challenges so I'll actually use all the kit; and an AWARDS NIGHT in November. Not only that, but with the Garage Sale in June, I'll hopefully on-gift some of my stash and start fresh.

AND I DEFINITLEY NEED THAT!!!

Be Strong...