Cluster Day

Nathan attended a cluster day with some of his classmates and teacher on Tuesday. The day had a pirate theme. As his teacher celebrated her 40th birthday last Friday, I couldn't resist making her a birthday cake...to the theme of course! (Wasn't I kind with the candles? Didn't want to start a bonfire!)



The kids dressed up as pirates too and had loads of fun doing a variety of activities based around the theme.



Thanks Mrs L for a great day....now we are very much looking forward to minischool next month.

Happy Birthday Alastair

Our eldest son Alastair Colin celebrates his 24th birthday. Gosh...it can't be that long ago that we first became parents!!

Here he is at the grand aged of 4 weeks. He was so little weighing only 6lb 11ozs (mind you I think quite big enough!). Now he's over 6ft tall and a solid build and a very kind and caring person.


Here he is today with his youngest brother...our youngest and eldest!

Happy birthday Alastair.

40 years ago!

Can you believe that it's 40 years since Commander Neil Armstrong became the first man on the moon and uttered those famous word "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Can you remember what you were doing on that day? I was in primary school (at the tender age of 7 years) and remember that we were all sent home to watch the moon landing on the TV. Everyone was so excited!

Last layout challenge

I finally finished the last of the layout challenges at the SWV cybercrop! This layout is from Tania's mystery challenge. While I haven't used the theme colours, the cake hiding under that blue icing is a chocolate cake!

These Kasiercraft papers are bright and cheerful and perfect for this photo!

Scrapping Away!

I have been scrapping my heart out this weekend and loving the challenges at the SWV cybercrop! With the theme of Chocolate, Strawberries and Cream, there's lots of pink and brown happening.

Tina asked us to scrap our favourite chocolate recipe...what I have to bake first?! Even my cheeky husband commented that the only reason I had baked a cake was to photograph it! Doesn't look half bad though does it? This recipe really is a family favourite and is requested every birthday...as a bar of chocolate, or a space ship, or a teddy bear....and so the list goes on! We also had to use flowers, ribbon, buttons and bling.


Kirsty asked us to scrap someone or something we loved, and stick to theme colours.


Brigitte wanted us to make a birthday card.


Taryn drew a sketch for us to play with and also asked that the word 'sweet' featured in the title.

I have one to layout challenge to complete and hope to get it done tomorrow after school.

A not so good discovery!

Are you one who starts projects and doesn't get them finished? I'm not...I can't stand having half completed projects lying around the place or stashed in cupboards.

BUT recently I found just that!! I was looking for a needle to stitch my son's woollen jumper together. I looked in a pumpkin bag hanging on my hat rack and was absolutely horrified to find three almost completed projects! THREE!!!! One is a men's jumper...all knitting complete, the shoulder seams sewn and that was it...why didn't I finish it??? I have no idea! Another is a women's jumper. The sleeves are knitted and so is the back. But the front?? I do remember why I didn't finish it though. I had to pull out a few rows and because it has a pattern panel, I was having a lot of trouble working out where I was up to! I think I must have lost interest in working it out!! The third project is a counted cross-stitch. There is only one corner left to be done! How slack am I?!!

So you can guess what I'm up to! Yep, working my way through them. Nathan's new jumper is complete and he wore it to town on Wednesday. The neck on the men's jumper is done and stitched and all I have to do is sew the sleeves in place..(I knit on circular needles so I don't have side seems to sew. While I watch TV at night, I am busily working on the last corner of the cross-stitch. Then I'll get cracking on the lady's jumper!

So not much happening in the scrapping department but that's set to change this weekend with the Scrap with V cybercrop....as long as Martin can buy some photo paper in town this afternoon!

Christmas in July

I am participating in a Christmas in July card swap at Scrap with V. I use Cuttlebug embossing folders, stamped images embossed with UTEE, twinkling H2Os and water colour pencils to create my cards.

Mini Cybercrop at SWV

Come and join in the fun!

The timetable:

7.10pm Mystery Challenge with Tania

8pm Quick Bingo Game with Kim

8.30pm Challenge 1 with KirstyP

8.35pm Challenge 2 with Martina

8.40pm Challenge 3 - Sketch with Taryn

Challenge 4 - card with Brigitte

Photographic Challenge with Sandrine

Blog Candy and Bubbles!

This gorgeous blog candy is available on Lisa's blog

So pop over there, leave a comment and link it to your blog. You have until July 17! Go for it!

The Flying Scientist

Nathan has been lucky enough to do hands-on science activities with Phiggles the Flying Scientist when he visited a neighbouring property for the weekend. Phill Higgins retired after teaching at university for 32 years and wanted to continue sharing his knowledge and passion for science with children in remote areas.


The kids had a fantastic time and quickly learnt the key word for all scientists "Why?" (as if they needed encouragement!)

They dabbled in magnets and electromagnets, time and clocks, chemistry, electronics (including circuits, LEDs and switches)


optical lenses and dissected a bullock's eye to discover the lens, retina and optic nerve

Flotation
and windpower.

It was a fantastic weekend for the kids and we were all very appreciative of Phill and Suzanne giving their time to teach the kids.

White with 1 Challenge

Yesterday afternoon I complete the July White with 1 Challenge...the criteria are white being the dominant colour with purple and circles. I am not a fan of purple at all so getting over that was a big enough challenge in itself!


This was the first time I've used Starburst Stains on a layout, they have a gorgeous shimmery effect just like Twinklings H2O!

A few days in Mackay

The Ten Tenors were BRILLIANT! I enjoyed every bit of the show and could have easily watched it all again. The personalities of each member of the group shone through. It's been a long time since I've heard Bound for South Australia and Botany Bay, both songs featured in their medly of Australian Classics. They have quite a range of songs from the classical to the classics as well as some rock and roll! Of course, they were all easy on the eye too!

On Saturday we caught up with our eldest son; it's been almost 2 years since we last saw him. Nathan loved being with Alastair and they got into a bit of mischief together.

Getting a decent photo of the two together was near impossible, they immediately started pulling faces!

Lea took this one of the 4 of us:


And then there's my sisters Lea and Wendy and I (not hard to tell who's the eldest!)

Busy Days

My sisters Lea and Wendy and their families have just spent a couple of days with us! Nathan loved having more kids to play with and he and his cousins got on really well. Yesterday we have some friends over for lunch (just to add to the chaos!), so we were up to 10 adults and 7 kids BUT it was a relaxing afternoon full of fun and laughter.

This morning they have headed home...a lovely visit but all too short.

Tomorrow we are going see The Ten Tenors in Mackay! I am sooo excited and can hardly wait! It's nice to do something at the spur of the moment! Wendy and her kids and Lea are all coming too!