Dressin' up

It all started when the teddy fashion garments were re purposed into other, more creative statements of art:

mademoiselle in her ballarina netted leotard skirt - aka fascinator extraordinare:

undergarment princess

something a little arabesque?

some fashion statements being much more contemporary statements of colour rather than functional;)

And who couldn't resist such stuff and nonsense?

Potato people

Bubs went down for a snooze. Rosa and I snuggled up on the couch with Owen's library book, "Potato People" by Pamela Allen. I believe Owen has borrowed that one before, at least once....

After meeting the character Grandma, I loved the book. Nothing like a grandma who is willing to romp around on the floor with her grandson and make these creatures:

And so we decided to join her. Out came the potatoes, pins, string...

Here is my little crafter

The finished people. Kind of like us really. Mother and daughter. Fun

I guess in a couple of weeks we'll look quite wrinkly.

Enduring

Muddy roads, streets, a whiff of that 'flood smell' when we drive home, strange debri hanging up high in trees, litter lining the streets (gutted houses) and extra council workers, bob cats and 'flood tourists'....

that has been the 'norm' in nearby suburbia. While the floods didn't come near to our home we cannot be overwhelmed by the impact the floods have had on nearby surrounding suburbs.

David took this interesting photo after helping a friend clean up the mud which swamped her home.

...her Bible:

Aren't you glad the Word of God endures forever even when the paper ones don't!

Summer fun

Washing up was never so fun as when you have someone to share it with.

Half-size noodles are perfect for letting out steam! (clear out little ones:)

great way to get your brother for all those annoying things:)

Making water bombs.

Gotta love summer fun!

gifty things

Here are the little gifts I put together for some very special teachers. The team of teachers/teacher aides that teach Owen are a very special bunch.

Simple post-it-note covers. For Owen's class teacher and teacher aide I made simple boxes with a few extras.

I know they work so jolly hard! I just know. As a mum of one special need boy I know. I am so thankful for their help. Oh, how I wish they could know just how much I appreciate their dedication! Not sure I am good at expressing myself.

Shepherd boy Chrissy cards...

Thankyou Mr.Gupta!

For some cheap holiday fun check out this site:

http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/toys.html

I just love it~!

glorious mud!

Mud, mud, glorious mud! It truly was worth the clean up afterwards (well I still have more to do...) but I love the look on their faces.

It filled an otherwise boring and rainy Saturday afternoon.

Joshua especially loved the dirt factor so much that he has been begging to do it again.

Now what have I done?

YET...

Habakkuk 3:17

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

or my version:

Even though the fruit bats attack your plum tree

and the healthy crop of spinach gets attacked by a nasty caterpillar

and the murrayas along my front lawn have been ripped out (ok we did that but still think I prefer hedges to electric gates;)

a friend shares some heartbreaking news, and another is loosing his (unsaved) Dad after his organs shut down during a simple operation...

YET I will rejoice in the Lord!

I will be joyful in God my Savior

(this is a reminder to myself)

Help Please!

Can you help me choose which photos should go on my wall by picking your favourite? I cannot make up my mind. Do you think they looked too posed? Am thinking of doing them in black and white...

I am having trouble numbering them/working out spacing without moving things in the wrong place. Still have some figuring out to do in the blog land... maybe you could number them going downward?

Vertigo?

Do you have a fear of heights? I don't particularly. Though I must admit my muscles were all tense after our outing.

David scored half price Bridge Climb tickets to the Story Bridge. Apparently there are only three bridges in the world you can climb (Sydney, NZ and Brissy).

On arrival we were checked over with a metal detector, shoes were checked to ensure they would stay on and all dangglies were to be removed (hair clips, bracelets, etc. etc.) We were then given a clown suit to wear and a quick lesson on how to use the radio to hear our guide.

So here is the (expensive) evidence that we climbed. Of course, you cannot take a camera (unless you book a tour that allows it). So they sell (exorbitantly) the photos of the experience.

We went on the climb that begins around 4pm so we were able to catch the city at night too.

We climbed a total of around 2000 steps. No, I didn't count. I was told. I was too nervous making sure my strap was well connected;)

Fantastic 360 views and I am told we were actually higher than the Gateway Bridge.

The most fascinating for me was hearing how the early engineers/builders put the bridge together. No safety equipment (except a rope they brought from home) a long way up in the air. Thousands of rivets to install (each one required four men to install!) and a free beer every afternoon at the local pub. Hmmm... Not sure how they managed to keep themselves steady after that but apparently they lost three men total (which is apparently a remarkable feat with so little technology/safety gear) and when they joined each part of the bridge it was only 1mm out! One, other Brissy Bridge (sorry cannot remember which one) made with all the fancy technology was a whole metre out when they joined each half. So have we really come a long way?