What is Rosa Louise Campbell good for?

Can you remember being six?

Well our little, Czech born, cuddly, playful, burst-into-song-at-any-moment (especially with an audience) boy has just turned 6! Yes, would you believe it!? It has been a whole six years since we were in Czech as a family.

Owen, in this past year we have all seen you speak more, interact more and have more energy - climing and so very close to being able to hop with two feet together (your PE teacher has been working hard on this with you)! You have watched little sister grow up right under your nose, and now she even plays picnic and shop games with you. The two of you can be so imaginative when you play together...

You continue to hug so many you meet, try cheeky tricks on others and entertain many with your heart-felt singing! Sounds like you keep your classmates entertained with all the funny antics, mischief, drama and song! When I drive you home from school each day I often hear all sorts of chatter and then, when I catch a glance of you in the mirror, a few minutes later you are sound asleep... worn out. The next morning when you are off to school you literally run into the classroom and look out for your good friend, B... I love to watch the way you fit into the routine so quickly... I also secretly love the way you tell me to wait each time I begin to head out of the classroom - nice to know you still like having Mum around. And no shame at having Mum kiss each cheek ... or should I say eyebrows. Makes me smile to think that your favourite place to be kissed is on each eyebrow!

Well you are 6 now! No longer my little tot, my baby... This year you chose a frog birthday cake. So special to have Grampy and Nanny nearby to share the occasion with you - to enjoy their cuddles, see how you have grown and developed and to sit on the couch and snuggle up with a book. As I look on, I thank the Lord for this time, these moments, the relationships, the quiet moments (few as they are).... At times I am reminded that these busy, challenging days of parenting little ones are numbered.

How we love you, Owen!

Making memories for my Kids

A while ago I composed a list of some special memories I have from my childhood - just things that I liked/enjoyed (will spare you all my phobias/naughty moments, etc.). I thought that perhaps these are things I should incorporate more into my children's lives as special times /memories...I have had the list on the top of my fridge for a few months but thought that Mother's Day might be a special time to bring it out and look over it again.

Some memories are from very simple things - or just a feeling that stuck with me... For each child there are different things that might stand out and hey, my list is girly (sorry can't help that!) so perhaps I can ask my hubby some time what stands out to him (though he usually tells me he cannot remember much from his growing up years at all... buried somewhere down there I am sure...)

Well, here goes:

• after a bath, being wrapped in a towel, snuggled up warm and cuddled
• long chats with Mum after 'lights out'
• waking up early in the morning to find Mum on her knees in the lounge praying - she used to let me sit quietly with her
• little gifts wrapped for each day on our holidays for us to open
• being allowed to choose something in the shop (didn't happen often but when it did - wow - it seemed such a treat) I can remember Mum letting us pick out a tracksuit and I chose a yellow one with big pocket at front and picture of roller skates on front. I wore it till it was tatty.
• summer evenings with cousins laying awake at night in sleeping bag and giggling away - being rather silly, come to think of it!
• people /choirs or singing groups or any visiting speakers who came to our church (especially if they were able to stay at our house). Now this reminds me so much of my Joshua! Loved company - so like my eldest! Sharing meals with other families...
• Laying awake at night listening to Dad playing the piano while I went off to sleep - just loved this
• Receiving a puppy dog (something I just cannot bring myself to consider for my kids!)
• Prayer meetings at our house (especially when I was allowed to stay up!) I really enjoyed being around 'big' people and absolultely loved having missionary speakers show slides from strange and interesting countries
• Adults who took the time to talk to me - and not just the general 'how are you?' but who knew us a little more... I remember a couple of Sunday School Teachers who took the time to chat to me (I was quite shy and so it likely took some effort on their part to get much out of me).
• Giggling with my sisters, sitting on the kitchen benches, just the three girls and chatting about whatever (ok, ok... more silly stuff mixed in with personal 'only-for-sisters' stuff)
• Mum reading aloud to us all as a family - sometimes a missionary book, sometimes 'Little House on the Prarie'... I remember begging Mum to read just one more chapter!

Anyway, I could go on, but my aim is not to put you to sleep with my childhood history - just to share/remind myself of some things that were special...

I wonder what my kids will remember with fondness?

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all you Mums out there. My day began in a somewhat 'normal' manner - the usual - scooping up an armful of washing, racing little bottoms to the potty and preparing breakfast.

Joshua, grabbing a briefcase he borrowed from Daddy (which reads "Do not open briefcase - PRIVATE...thankyou!") had stowed away a few secrets for the occasion! He womps it down on the coffee table, enters his secret number code and announces that there are some goodies for Mum. He hands me a pretty picture he painted, a block of indulgent Lint chocolate (mint) and a bag of goodies Owen purchased all by himself (well kind of) at the Mother's Day stall at school. I would have loved to have seen Owen choosing something - he is usually quite adamant about what he likes!

I managed to finish the mother's day gifts for Mums for church last night (without ushering in the new day to finish them:) David and Josh headed off to church early to set up (Dave led worship/song time this morning). I took the leisurely (ahhkhemmm...) option of coming later with the two partners in crime.... nothing too eventful ... as I managed to race to the scene just in the nick of time - first suncream oozed out onto little hands - just about to provide a nice white coating to the Sunday attire... I jumped in to insist "hands up!" to which the criminals actually responded immediately. I had no hand cuffs so I simply washed them off and sent them off on condition of "good behaviour!" Just prior to that they had found the remains of Joshua's shoe polishing job and the leader in crime was just pointing out to his partner that they could disguise their action by making themselves look like "black" vagabonds by simply rubbing the shoe polish brush in the demonstrated manner.... again Mummy saved the day (or rather the need for a last min. bath).... and we arrived in church just in time (or maybe a min. or two late:(.

And now as I sit here and type away - my eldest is at the hospital with Daddy - nothing serious, just an adult tooth he has been working at wiggling away and is about to come out ... thought we ought to get some advice so it doesn't rot and go black....

It all seems so comical - the centre of motherhood! Little bodies with mischief oozing out, little feet swinging back and forth on the church pew, blue, creamy icing from morning tea positioned perfectly under the nose to make a gorgeous blue moustache, running out of the church with a squealing child who was upset that her brother had pinched her little tag with a picture of Pooh Bear on it (she managed to salvage it after it was cut from clothing item and holds it near and dear), eldest sharing his dental history with others at church and asking over and over what they might do to him at the hospital - in great fear of needles or stitches or something nasty!

Life really must have been so simple and boring before these humourous chocolate smeared faces and cute little tootsies entered my world.

Oh how I love these precious little monsters!

I might just make the most of a quiet moment and munch some of that yummy chocolate!

what happens when i am not blogging

So here are some recent photos - seems I have a sluggish blogging mentality lately... just keep reminding me iffin' you want to hear what is happening... just find it hard to face blogging for some reason... and have felt a little more pressed in other areas...

Nonetheless my Czech friend, Martina has been hanging out for some updates - so this is especially for you, Martina!

Over the long weekend we went to a special 82nd birthday party for a dear friend.

Owen stole the show singing happy birthday, Owie style!

This is such an Owie look!


We spent Labor day with Aparna and one of her new flat mates while the children played in the park.

Joshua had great fun using made up sign language to communicate with a Swedish boy he met. Fun to watch!

Other happenings:

• Changed Bible study - started reading great study book and working away at questions (very challenging and spiritually encouraging)
• Trying to fight entropy (I know - it is a loosing battle - somehow I just gotta ignore that fact and try anyway!)
• Started an evening 'Auslan' course - Australian Sign language. Thought it might be a good skill to have 'up my sleeve' should anything more happen to Owen's hearing or even just to keep future (long way off) job opportunities open.
• Home schooling - looking at Knights and Castles - am enjoying learning some things on this topic myself ... while we're on the subject - does anyone know any good reading books about character from Medieval time period that would be fun to read together? Will have to investigate Christians living during this period...
• Saying goodbye to our local church pastor and his wife who have retired from the ministry... and praying through the changes that lie ahead for our church...
• Cooking a mud cake to freeze, ready for Owen's birthday next week (I can smell the aroma of choc. cake drifting from the oven... are you drooling?)

So, there -

I actually blogged...

and it wasn't all that hard after all!

promised photo

Oh, and just a quick post to show you the promised photo of my completed (ah, it feels good to type that!) quilt...

Was great to learn 'proper' tricks from my good friend, Jill. I must admit the best part about making it was spending time chatting with her.

Thanks Jill!

Sitting in the seat of Mockers!

We were given some free tickets to a childrens concert (for Special Needs kids and their families) - promising to be lots of fun for tots in the 2-6yr age bracket... so off we went on Saturday. We eagerly awaited some special time with the younger two who sometimes need a little extra of Daddy and Mummy ...

After sitting in the huge hall for about 5-10 min. we just had to leave. The early introduction by the "comedian" involved asking everyone to turn to their neighbour and call them a rather un-repeatable name - because "this is the only chance you can ever say that to your parents!" and was followed by a trail (in between "humour") of profane words.... and then in an attempt for the 'actor/comedian' to mount a unicycle with a straight jacket on - made all sorts of inappropriate comments about parts of his anatomy....

Honesty, I cannot understand anyone would call that appropriate, especially to the above mentioned age group. David and I could stomach no more and found the exit promptly...

I also found a 'joke' about "getting brain damage twice" quite off / bad taste...

so...

what were we to do to show our young ones that we really meant to simply take them out and enjoy being with them?... well, we settled on the humble playground of MacDonalds...

It all brought me back to the verse in Psalm 1 about not "sitting in the seat of mockers" but delighting in "the law of the Lord" and meditating on Him.

What pleasures for the mind and peace can be found in Him!

Benjamin

Last Tues. Benjamin Joel entered the world - a sweet cousin for our children and a beautiful gift for his proud Daddy and Mummy... and a great play mate to wrestle with (eventually) for big brother, and a grandson to some very special grandparents.

We were able to visit him later in the week which was a special treat.

Welcome lil' Benjamin! We love you lots!

holidays

Well here are a few pictures from various activities in the holidays - just ordinary things but friendships with extraordinary friends make for great times...

Friends having fun

Pappa up to mischief with the young uns'

Josh strumming away and inventing his own groovy songs.

We shortened a bed for Owen who had been on a mattress on the floor for too long. The only way we could fit another bed in the room to avoid bunks... Owen was on it straight away and looked proud as punch.

Easter Sunday with friends

Meeting up with friends to let kids play in the park

Joining friends on a weekend camp away (Yay - have missed these friends so much!)

This waterfall is a testimony to the Lord's goodness in sending much needed rain. When we last visited these falls the water flow was much smaller and the creek bed much smaller.

I also really enjoyed:

• working on a quilt with a sweet friend (so close to finished so I am oh-so-keen to find ways of getting that green thread to finish it off!) Photos promised when I finish the binding...
• some quiet moments with my beloved while Joshua spent a few days away on an Easter Camp with Grandma.
• Learning to be more still in the mornings to pray more for eachother and the kids. I tend to jump up early in the morning to tackle a dozen things on my list. David encouraged me to stay in bed longer and pray/enjoy some quiet together moments and talk before the day begins. As hard as it is (and honestly - I so hate to be still - feel like I must tie myself down when I want to be running around) I have felt the benefits of this precious time already. Oh well, washing, folding, various other jobs and hobbies - you'll just have to wait

And while the holidays (short as they were) were speckled with the joys of the above photos we have also had some extremely challenging parenting struggles... oh it all takes so much energy and wisdom and persistence and all of that over and over.... Oh, for wisdom Lord!

We also continue to pray with folks from church about a new pastor (current pastor is to be retiring next week). David and another deacon are involved in praying for and finding a new pastor. In the meantime David has selected passages from Ephesians for various speakers/pastors to preach from. Again wisdom from above needed... in full measure.

And tonight we said goodbye to our friend Aparna who has moved to other accommodation closer to Uni. Owen kept telling her to "wait" and then said something about "home" - he really didn't want her to leave... she has been such a treat for the children and we hope she will drop in again from time to time. She has been a part of our family and while away this last weekend stayed in our home until her new accommodation became available tonight.

So I guess all of that happened (along with David helping neighbours move house) and a lot more in the short space of about a week!

God Provider

Well, some good news...

our friends, two families who were in search of accommodation have both managed to find a place... (at least temporarily). We thank the Lord for He provides!

David spoke to a real estate agent, on behalf of Daniel's family - and mentioned on the phone, in passing that Daniel was from our church and he was helping with English/paperwork side of things. Later in the conversation this same man remarked to David that now he now saw the value in Christianity! David had said nothing about his faith - merely helped a friend. We thank the Lord that he uses small things - that He works by His Spirit.

The boys stayed at our house while their parents signed papers. It was paper hats that kept them entertained part of the time - the rest of the time it was running around outside like wild Indians! Amazing how much energy 5 boys can generate together - rekon you could run a power station if you could collect it!