Hectic

Even though there is only 28 teaching days left of school it is always the busiest time of year. And so the fun begins.... Speech night, sports awards, year 7 interviews, subject selections, year 8 orientations, crazy rush to get assessment finalised, blah, blah, blah.

It is Monday and I already feel like it is Friday. I am wondering though if the ride I did in the city yesterday has something to do with it or is it the darling 12 year old girls that I have been mothering and ever so gently guiding to be nice to each other that has exhausted me.

Summary of what's going on...

• Layout above is from a doodle class did at Scrapbook Princess. I think it is very Elsie, but I had fun doodling.
• Miss Jilly fell out of a tree playing Pirates of the Carribbean on Sunday and now has a black eye and a cut nose to go with her two missing front teeth. Nice look!
• New favourite song Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol
• Turn 30 next week (EEEKKKK)
• Our puppy is in the pound and we are all very sad :(
• Spent Saturday with a lovely soul and learnt lots.
• Got my new Loretta Grayson stamps today and they are lurvely
• Hello! What's the deal with NCIS??? Is Gibbs gone?
• Life is good....

Love and happiness to you all

Happy Times

Went out with some lovely ladies on the weekend. Had an absolute blast of a time. Said to them that my physio has given me abdominal exercises to do but all I really need is a couple of hours with these girls and those abs get a great workout through laughing. Left Fasta Pasta with sore cheeks, grinning stupidly from having a great time, went home and relaxed in the afternoon storm. Wish every Saturday was like that...

Off to a Student Free Day today for six hours of professional development, have fun with your kiddies. Two weeks of school down, seven to go. (YAY)

Layouts above are two more editions in my 'SHE' album. Got on a bit of a roll with that one. Been neglecting it for some time. The 5 Facts, is a challenge young K set for us at Wittacork.

Bye for a bit
B xxx

P.S. A message for the ladies...M may you NEVER lose your wonderful sense of humor or your ability to make us laugh so god damn hard! G you are gorgeous just the way you are, K it is ok, Cathie will be back, R you are such an inspiration, let that spark continue to guide you.

What's Going On?

• First week back at school (can hear all of you going "Thank goodness") DEAD TIRED! 10 WEEKS TO GO
• Joshua recovering very well from having his Tonsils and Adnoids out (no more blood episodes, my turn to say "thank goodness").
• Jillian has lost two of her bottom centre teeth and another is loose. Not an attactive look. The Toothfairy is going broke and apparently doesn't pay very much.
• Tony's annual surf trip with the boys went very well. Safari suits and Gay 80's Athlete clothing were the requirements this year. Very funny. Mind you would love to get a photo of the boys doing their thing on their surf boards.
• Have a tear in my calf muscle as a result of nerve something-a-ratha. Moral - Costing lots of money to fix!
• Dad went in a fun run today. Did a PB for 8km and came first in the 51 years+ age group. Such an inspiration.
• New favourite song is 'Light Surrounding You' by Evermore
• Added a heap of funny videos to the blog. My favourite ones that always make me smile. There is a great one on cats that I can't seem to track down though.
• New Layout above

Mind Distraction

A few late nights well spent. I bought a new black pen so had heaps of fun experimenting with journalling. Next venture is to journal onto a photo. I know I have said it before, but, I just LOVE Ali's book. It provides me with such inspiration.

Crap

The past three weeks have been somewhat crap. So to make myself feel better I got a haircut.

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS YAY!!!!

It is that wonderful time of year again. SCHOOL HOLIDAYS!!!! Oh how I love this break. September is the best holiday of all of them... Okay Christmas is pretty darn good too....

Wellington Point has become my new favourite place. I have been going here in the afternoons for a bit of 'get back to nature' kind of time. I love the afternoon sun on my face. Such a nice feeling.

This afternoon I was joined by Mum and Dad, Tony and the kids and got some really lovely shots.

Jillian summed it up beautifully on the way home...

"Mum, this afternoon was a great time".

Week in Review

New favourite coffee cup...
WHAT A WEEK!!!!!

Had a Selection Criteria due on Thursday for a job I am desperately keen to get (250 positions for an estimated 2000 applicants). Enlisted about 200 hours (no exaggeration!) trying to get the thing finished. Owe many people bottles of wine. Was horrible to my family, snappy at teachers and the poor kiddies in the classroom didn't quite know what hit them. Who was this strange Mrs Cuskelly? We haven't seen her like this before! We are even too scared to sharpen our pencil... I felt sometimes that Darth Vadar's theme was playing as I walked along the halls of G Block. (ssshhh, don't make eye contact with her!)

After I apologised to the 30 Year 8 faces sitting petrified in front of me one very brave soul tempted fate and said "Oh Mrs Cuskelly, it wasn't what you were saying or that you had no patience for our normal behaviour but it was the looks on your face. You kept giving us 'the look'."

It reminds me of the power of the non verbal things we say. The expressions on our face, the way we hold ourselves, our walk, clothes and little mannerisims that tell people far more than words actually could.

Apart from the SC a fairly typical ensued. Teaching, lesson planning, report cards due, marking assessment, phoning parents, 'chasing' waggers, meetings, taught a photography class, grocery shopped, helped with kids homework and assessment, kept Neurofen in business, had dinner with a friend, found a new favourite song (Over my Head, The Fray) and stayed optimistic that the School Holidays are only 5 days away!

Playing Around

Been playing around with some scrapbooking. Bit of a 'show and tell' session below.

Muffin Top

Went into Bra's and Things yesterday in search of some bosom support that did not replicate battle gear. (My dear husband likens my sports bras to war armour) Asked the bra lady if there were any bras that were 'nice' that I could wear under shirts and still have a decent shape.

After trying on a particular style I said "No good, I spill out the sides". Her 20 something respons... "That's what happens when you get old".

After deciding that punching her in the face wasn't the best option (does anyone else have those Ali Mcbeal moments were you visualise something happening to someone but always take the reasonable option???) and asked her "excuse me???" She re-worded her statement and said "Oh, no, that's what happens when you get older". Oh, cause that makes me feel so much better.

After suggesting that perhaps poor fit and not overspill, while a predictor of age, was not the sole cause of my muffin top I tried on another bra and what do you know.... acceptable overspill.

Princess Poser

Check out the head tilt...

Summer in August

Went to the beach on Sunday, soaked up some sun, lazed on the beach, played in the sand, just generally chilled. Oh and yeah took a gazillion photos.

Tony spent the time surfing, one thing that is on my to do list.

Pippy Longstocking

I love it when I get all inspired to scrapbook. I have a couple of pages on the go which I can't wait to sit down to. This one of Miss Jilly as Pippy Longstocking I think is very cute (thanks Amber for the idea behind the ghost letters). That girl of mine just lurves to dress up.

Maybe the world is not so bad....

Whilst sitting here silently fuming at my husband I decided to focus on the positives in my life. The people that you meet or come in contact with who may be doing something 'special' and may not acknowledge the weight of their action. Just letting you know that you are helping to make the world a more wholesome place. This is to my friends...

Cheers for being my positive thought tonight....

To the one who is fulfilling her destiny, even if it is in small steps (remember the story of the acorn and the mighty oak).
To the one who is providing a life to another human being.
To the one who has been on and succeeded in her personal quests on career and personal happiness.
To the one that is so excited to be meeting her inspiration in a few days time (giddy as a school kid).
To the one who has the fortitude and integrity to be a career woman a mother and true to herself.
To the one who is always giving and providing support to her very active and involved children and the children of others'. To the same one who I have never heard complain.

I hope you know who you are and if you don't. Well I hope that you know that I think you are one of these things.

Good Night

The Journey continues

I have been asked if I can show some photos of how my yellow wall is looking. I haven't added anything extra to it although I do have grand plans.

Play Time..

Went to Sizzlers this morning for breakfast. Filled up on all things yummy and used it as an excuse to try out my new Canon EOS 350D.

The kids then went into the playground and very kindly provided me with the opportunity to once again 'test' the camera.

I am in love...

KIRRA

Got my new camera last night. Have been having a secret affair with it for about 18 months now. Every shop I got into that had one I would look at it longingly. Pick it up and say ever so wistfully, "one day you will be mine"...

Wake Up Call

How's this? Woke up this morning to my husband groaning and swearing. Here I was lying beside him going "someone is having an interesting dream". I finally, said to him "Are you alright?" "F*@# Hell NO!!!!" My darling cranky husband had dislocated his shoulder in his sleep!

Since we did not know how long it had been like that it was stuck. Soooo we phoned the ambulance and trekked (well not really trekked) to the Redlands hospital. I think by this stage the sun was just coming up.

Anyway he is fine.

Oh, and you are all so not funny. Thanks to the Ambulance people, the doctors, nurses and fellow work mates who all have dirty minds and wondered just what we were up to for that shoulder to dislocate....

Hello NOTHING BUT SWEET SLEEP!!!!

Not just for kids

I love kids story books. I get as much enjoyment from reading my favourite kids books as reading novels. The ones above I strongly recommend you read.

The first is an absolute must for EVERYBODY! It is a Dr Seuss book called Oh, The Places You'll Go! See the random thought this week for a small part of it. It is about the ups and downs in life.

The next is a book that is just lovely. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox is a story about a boy who is trying to find out what a memory is because a lady in the old people's home he visits has 'lost' hers.

The last book is by Graham Base, possibly one of the best author illustrators there is. The book is called Jungle Drums. Accepting differences is the theme.

So, take the time from your busy adult lives and grab a children's book to read. I think, you will be pleasantly suprised by some of the stories, and lessons, that are on those pages.

Simple to Complex

SIMPLE

COMPLEX

Doing a Simple to Complex class at Paper Trenz. Soooo obviously I had to do a 'simple' layout and a 'complex' layout to show what I was on about. (Note - thanks Kath for your efforts. How good are you getting?????!!!!!)

Well, certainly is trickier than it looks. First I had troubles with what actually defines a 'simple' page. Is it lots of white space, a single photo, single layer, minimal paper or card stock, nothing lumpy or bumpy???? Anyway, I completed a simple page in the vain hope that it is actually simple. I found the complex page easier to do.

I set you all a challenge to give a simple and a complex page a go and see how you do and what you come up with. Would love to see the results...

Randomness

Back to work today (blugh). This is an 11 week term and a huge one at that. As I don't have anything exceptionally interesting or thought provoking to post I thought I may share bits of randomness from my life right now...

1. My favourite song at the moment is The Beautiful Girls - Take the Long Way Home. Very cool, very folky. If you like Jack Johnson (hello so hot) you will love this song. Private School Kid by Sarah Mcleod is a great song to turn up loud in the car and have a rock chick sing along with. Bob Evans sings a new song called Don't you Think It's time. Again it has that folky sound. Actually the drive home from the beach on a summer afternoon with the windows down, the sun on your skin and the wind in your hair. Lovin it too...

2. I miss summer.... Anything below 20 degrees is toooo cold!

3. Joshua is going through a massive growth spurt. 4 Weet Bix for breakfast, a 12 inch subway sub, a sausage roll and Lasagne for dinner. Not to mention the grazing through the day. He is going to be tall my young Josh.

4. Can't shake the craving for Arnotts cream biscuits (Monte Carlos, Kingstons mmmmmmm) and Icecream.

5. Miss Jilly has slept 10 nights continually in her own bed. This is huge for us. She has not done this since she was a baby. Mind you the stickers and bribing have certainly helped.

6. I like all my friends very much :) You guys help get rid of my pessism and negativity that seems to manifest towards the end of term. You keep me focussed and positive. THANK YOU. Do you think it has anything to do with dealing with 150 teenagers a day that may drive me a tad nutty? Bless the lovelies (Miss F, in case you are reading there are always some exceptions!!!!). There are some delightful ones who dead set remind me of why I am teaching.

7. Dad is winning our 'First to Coffs' race :(

Good night to you all xxx