A Night In Paris

Last night our dance school presented "A Night In Paris".

The room was transformed into the Parisian Moulin Rouge!

It was a fantastic evening! 

Everyone dressed up with plenty of lace and feathers and red and black!

We were very lucky to have the amazing Dale Pengelly perform centre stage! He sang and danced, in between very entertaining dance routines by our girls!

What superstars we have in the making!

The girls took along their sleeping bags and pillows and relaxed backstage after their performance, while we partied on and felt tres chic!

And credit to our dance committee for their amazing work!

Sunday

Today's Status:-

I didn't think it was physically possible to have this much snot in my head.

I had avoided the various germy colds and viruses going around, but they have found me.

I thought I was going to pass out backstage at the Eisteddfod yesterday. I was hot/cold, hot/cold, red face, shivering, coughing up several lungs, then I had to take one child to a birthday party at bowling.

I layed myself flat out on two chairs and accepted sympathy for the next two hours.

I couldn't wait to get into bed.

Here's a sketch Miss T did yesterday. She writes I love Mummy every single day.


Note the fan blowing cool air and my face contorted into a painful grimace.

The kids could have trashed the room and I wouldn't have even noticed.

I feel like crap today, but I've managed to get out of bed so I'm winning already.

The Eisteddfod is over and I can breath out, we did it! It was a good week, but very tiring.

Miss D was amazing. I am so in awe of her attitude and her grace, she really inspires me.

Oh by the way, we have more doors. And cupboard doors. AND bifold doors.







I'm in love with my doors. I'm looking forward to meeting my skirting boards and my architraves possibly next week.

Monday

We survived dance groups day yesterday. The girls did an amazing job and Miss D felt really good! No high temps and plenty of energy.

Day one of solos today with a break tommorrow and solos every day until Saturday.

It's always such a relief when groups day is over. It's alot of preparation leading up to the event, but it's all worth it when the girls dance on stage.

They placed really well including a first, two seconds and a fourth.

They are a lovely group of girls and they all get along so well.

And I love the fact that the mums help each other when dressing and pinning the girls into the costumes, lending a hand when needed.

With quick costume changes, things can get very chaotic...but this is all a part of the day.

We had an afternoon at home today, catching up on a few things.

The smoky hazy is really annoying me (everyone).

Just look at our driveway at 5pm........

Saturday

It's really smoky here today. We have had so many fires in our area, some have been deliberately lit and one got away from a controlled burn.

Lots of properties have been burning off and it leaves a real haze in the sky for days...

And we don't dare leave clothes on the line as they smell of smoke and have to be rewashed.

Thank God I have a dryer that works, not like the washing machine which is seriously peeing me off...............

Here are our mountains which are usually clear but we can hardly see them today.



I'm all ready for tomorrows dance groups day at the Eisteddfod. Everything is organised, all sewing is done, the costumes are ready and the make up box is packed!

I bought a fishing tackle box from Bunnings to hold all of the dance gear we need. I'm really happy with it!




Miss D has been sick all day, and has had high temps and a sore tummy. She's spent the day reading and napping in bed, with Nurofen 4 hourly and is sleeping now..hope she is okay for tomorrow.

How was YOUR day?

And she danced.

We had a weekend away.

My big girl and I.

She danced at an Eisteddfod in the groups section in 5 different categories.

The dancing was amazing. So many talented girls and boys.

Miss D's groups did very well, with 3 firsts and 2 thirds. Firsts in National, Contempory and Cabaret.

There is something about watching my firstborn dancing on stage. That exquisite familiarity.

It's almost as if I'm watching myself.

I felt giddy with anticipation as I waited for her to start.

And then she was there.

She was so beautiful.

Her smile. How she danced.

Her confidence.

Her eyes.

In some of her groups there were a dozen other dancers.

But I couldn't take my eyes off her.


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Wonderland

I'm sitting in the dark with a glass of wine..watching the AFI Awards. I'm relaxing. I'm chillin'.

I've had a very busy week and the washing is behind and the house (shed) work is behind and the kitchen is a disaster but I don't care because the dance concert is over...and it was a success!

The months (literally) of practice..of routines..and costumes... and the week of rehearsals prior to this event today...is worth every bit of blood, sweat and tears that I have shed...and I have shed blood.....pricking my fingers while sewing straps on a ballet costume.

This year the concert was called Wonderland..the story of Alice...in Wonderland. I am so glad that my girls dance with this particular dance studio.....the choreography, the set design...the imagination.....

Today was the first concert for Miss T (aged 5) and she did beautifully......she was so gorgeous..she had a teeny tiny bit of stage fright..but she danced on and looked like she was having a ball.........

Miss D (aged 9) danced in her 3rd concert..and performed as the March Hare.

She danced her jazz solo as well as acting in the Hatters Tea Party as well as dancing in the irish, ballet, jazz, contempory and cabaret groups......

There are really no words to describe the feeling of watching your child performing on stage..I get so excited and nervous and proud and teary..all at the same time.

There are many parents of the opinion that dance concerts and similiar are a no no for kids..that the hair and makeup and rehearsals are detrimental to a childs development??

Well boo hoo to them....my girls are agile and flexible and healthy and fit..they work as part of a team and are creative and clever...and above all that..they have fun. We wouldn't do it if it wasn't fun......

I felt deflated this evening and Miss D said something to me that made a lot of sense..she said :- "Mum, you know when you look forward to something for a long time and when it's over, you fell kind of....sad....that it's over....well that's how I feel now.."

And that's exactly......how I feel......

Last week controlled chaos

It is nearly 11pm and I am just (relaxing) with a cup of tea before I turn in for the night.

We had our first of 4 late nights of dance rehearsal - we were at the studio today as we will be tommorrow. Thursday and Friday we will be at the Entertainment Centre..and it's a full hair and makeup dress rehearsal Friday night.

It's so exciting...Miss D and Miss T were awesome - but very very tired. We got home at 9.30 pm and I put the kids to bed along with Mr C who had a "boys" dinner with The Hubbster.

I got the kids sorted so they have a good nights rest, then I tackled the chores. I:-

- washed up and tidied the kitchen

- emptied and washed out lunchboxes

- unpacked school bags and sorted through tonnes of "stuff" from school = as it's the last week and they are bringing so much home

- wrapped a secret santa present for school tommorrow

- emptied bins and took rubbish out

- unpacked, sorted and repacked dance bag all ready for tommorrow

It's the last week of school, so we also have the swimming carnival tommorrow, the school concert on Thursday and I have to also go to work. Plus every night dancing. I already wrote that....I'm tired. I'm off to the land of nod.

Random because that's the way I roll

Bringing to you another random post full of excitement and wonder...

I just wanted to name and shame our internet provider (skymesh, if you're reading, you suck) for constant bad service, ridiculous reasoning as to why we have constant dropouts and poor signal. I am totally over not being able to receive reliable internet connection, but you are all we have at the moment so I guess we either just pay our account and shutup or disconnect and have no internet.

So I'll just pay. Sigh.



Is it just me or is anyone completely over this year? I am so tired and am looking forward to school finishing and the dance concert to be over. The last week of school involves dance practice every afternoon so it will be full on...the concert will be so worth it though.

We are doing Alice in Wonderland and our concert is titled "Wonderland". Both Miss D (aged 9) and Miss T (aged 5 and in her very first concert!) are performing and I am super excited. Miss D is the March Hare and has a legitimate excuse for acting the goat. Or the hare.



I will be breathing a sigh of relief on Sunday 12th December as we will only then have Christmas and the kids birthdays to deal with. This year has gone so fast and I am not as organised as I usually am.

The best thing about the end of the year, is the beginning of the next, something I truly love. A new year, new beginnings, new chances to focus on the things that matter. I love getting the booklists ready for the new school year, and the anticipation that comes with starting afresh.

I don't, however enjoy covering the huge volume of books needed and will perhaps be outsourcing the job this year. That or drinking way too much wine to cope with the stress of sticky contact.



We were well and truly floored this year when we lost a beloved baby - a surprise but very wanted none the less.....the experience drew us in, sucked us dry and threw us back in the mix. I'm still not over it and don't think I ever will be. Good days versus bad days, that's the way it is.

I want to walk straight again, have the status quo ante restored. I am sure that will come with the arrival of January 1st. I plan to get things in order, find my motivation again and enjoy what life has to offer.


And lastly, we had a little spider and a medium sized frog in the shower the other night. Miss T (aged 5) commented "we have wild animals in there".

Random Post, because I want to

I have so much random shit going on in my mind, I thought it was time for another Random Spandom post, or the Post where you write down all the stuff that doesn't deserve a post of it's own. That totally doesn't make sense, but it's late and I've had two wines.

First up, the Eisteddfod is over (thank you Lord) and we had a very successful first time. A rundown:

Groups Day - 4 firsts and 1 second......and a can of hairspray and nearly a tub of glitter later.

Solos - Miss D came 2nd in Jazz, and received a Highly Commended in Jazz Interperative. She is very very happy and so am I.........

It's school holidays and guess what? It's been raining.... all week.....how peculiar??

And still on that subject, this week The Hubbster took holidays and we hired scaffolding to finish painting the exterior of The Money Pit. Have you seen this weeks' forecast? No, well I'll tell you what it is - rain, thunderstorms, fucking more rain, due to clear up the day he goes back to work.

Can you see any painting getting done? Can you see Farmers Wifey grinding her teeth through sheer frustration? Can you ever see us moving into the house as we just can't seem to get it done??

Last night I discovered something amazing. Something akin to near bliss. I realised that because I now have a laptop, if I have a scenario where The Hubbster is watching the footy on the big tv, the kids are watching a crappy Disney movie on the small tv, I can use my daughters Ipod headphones, plug them into my laptop, climb into my warm bed (usually with a snuggly 3rd child sound asleep there) and watch a dvd of my choice while drinking wine. In bed. Warm and snuggly. In bed. With wine. Can you believe it?

I never even thought about this before. I always thought beds were for sleeping in and for being trashed by the kids or even for trampoling on (kids again). See I don't ask for much and this little realisation has made me very happy.

On a bright note to finish, the chooks have started laying again. I think they saw the axe and realised that I am not feeding them for free. We had bacon and eggs for breakfast this morning, the first time in ages because I refuse to buy eggs when I have lazy arse chooks who think they are living in a resort.

Proud mummy moment

2nd place goes to...competitor number 10!!!

And with these words, my heart stopped and I nearly jumped out of my seat!

Miss D came second out of a hotly contested field of 15, today, in her Jazz section of the Eisteddfod. Her first solo.

She danced brilliantly..even when she had finished her routine I was so proud because she danced with the most amazing energy. She smiled and looked straight at the adjudicator...and the best thing of all was that she had so much fun!

Coming second was really a bonus, I tried to drill into her that the most important thing is for her to enjoy herself.....

And I was so happy for her....with the most intense feelings of love and devotion and pride that only a Mother can truly understand....

I wanted her to have this moment, this happiness, I'd give her anything if I could..

The Hubbster who saw the performance today jokingly just said:

"I know why she won today"..." Because I had my lucky red underpants on".......

To which I replied...

"Well wear them tommorrow."

"And wear them on Wednesday too......."

Great news today

Miss D and I survived Eisteddfod Groups Day today....it was a huge success. Shall post photos soon, but a quick rundown of results are:

Ballet - 1st place

Contempory - 1st place

National = 1st place

Jazz - 2nd place and

Cabaret - 1st place..............am I proud much?? You bet!!!!

Today I have some exciting news. The Aussie Bloggers Conference is happening....It is the first ever blogging conference focusing on the mum, parenting and personal blogging communities of Australia!

Of course I am going....I have airfares to book, accomodation to book, my conference ticket to organise and I have to tell my husband!!

Actually The Hubbster knows I am going (March 2011) so I have given him enough time to get used to the idea of feeding and clothing the kids for a weekend while I'm away!

I am very excited and I am looking forward to meeting these amazing women who share my passion for blogging......did I mention the dinner and dance (and alcohol) after the conference and the view of Sydney Harbour from my hotel room??

Am I excited much?

Bloodsuckers

I'm so friggin tired I could sleep standing up. Days of dance rehearsal, days of ferrying the kids around late into the evening have taken their toll and it's only practice week!

It will be worth it, of course, on the day. On the "days" actually because we have performances Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

I swear next week, we will sleep in til late, go to the park, eat popcorn at the movies and enjoy the school holidays.

After the Eisteddfod!

I don't know what's going on, but we have mosquitoes the size of small cows here at the moment. I wouldn't be surprised if they actually carried my 5 year old away, in their little mosquito arms....back to their mosquito headquarters....

I swatted one in the car today and blood squirted out....it literally squirted out....and it hadn't even landed on me so who's fucking blood is all over my car door??

As we are living in a shed while The Money Pit is being built (by us/The Hubbster and Farmers Wifey/magnificent owner builders..), we have to walk through the shed to get into each self contained room ie kitchen, loungeroom, bedroom etc....'

Can you imagine what it's like.....

Farmers Wifey "right kids, I"ll count to three then I'll quickly open the door and you all run in really fast so the mosquitoes as big as small cows don't come in too"...

Three kids "mum, you're an idiot".

Farmers Wifey " I'm a tired idiot".

Take a breath Farmers Wifey

Could my life get much busier? I could always get a full time job and then I'd be completely screwed.

I thought I'd bring you my "two weeks of hell on a stick that I should be enjoying" or "stuff that makes me drink too much wine" just to prove how busy I am.

I'll post in point form and remember people - some on this list I have done, some I have yet to do, and some I have done three times.

I'll date it from last Wed to next Wed which should be two weeks, which sounds like it's only one week but it's really two if you read the fine print...

football training

blogging

play practice for Miss D's musical

dress rehearsal for Miss D's musical

3 kids dental appointment

last game of football for Mr C

football presentation

apply, remove and apply nail polish to both daughters nails

embarass Miss D (aged 9) on numerous occasions by actually doing nothing

drink wine on the deck of The Money Pit with The Hubbster watching the sunset

threaten Miss D if she doesn't put her hat on at the football presentation, I will stand next to her at the jumping castle (see above re embarrass)

have sex with The Hubbster

chase dressmaker re Miss D's new dance costume

run around at the last minute to buy a present for a kids birthday party

break up numerous fights between the kids involving blocks, barbies and basketball

second visit back to the dentist for one kid to have 2 small fillings (oh the horror)

attend Miss D's school musical

refuse to pay $50.00 for a flimsy, fluffy hair and makeup box for the Eisteddfod, and instead buy a $20.00 fishing tackle box that is perfect, and pat myself on the back for thinking outside the square

go to a kids birthday party

treatment on Miss D's bum length hair so I can actually get a comb through it

take Mr C to Auskick

realise he's obsessed with football

kid wrangle 3 kids while sorting out dance costumes at the dance shop

have sex with The Hubbster as we forgot before

attend one kids' school Environmental Display

carry a dead chicken up the back of the property and throw it onto an ant hill

have a mammogram

walk the boundary of the property with The Hubbster in the middle of the day (for exercise (torture)) and sweat my arse off

sew straps on two dance leotards

play Barbies on the floor with the girls and sulk when I have to be the maid (reflection of daily life perhaps?)

sew snowflakes on organza

get my period

remove lightening bolts from lycra leggings *sigh*

go to work

threaten the chooks with the axe if they don't start laying

find one egg the next day

finally return overdue dvds and paid the big fine of $2.60

realise that's a better amount than my last overdue fine of $154 (clerical error)

coordinate 10 different dance costumes

coordinate 10 different lots of accessories including hair stuff, shoes, stockings, makeup, arm bands and hair ribbons

coordinate 3 noisy kids while coordinating the above

try not to stress at the Eisteddfod during the 10 performances Miss D will be dancing in..........

hug, kiss and tell my kids how much I love them every day.....

Delicious Dancing

I am a former latin american state champion and ballroom dancer (feel free to say - Farmers Wifey, we didn't know you were so multi talented..).

Because of this, and because of the passion I still have, dance will always be a part of my life.

May I blow my own trumpet for just a bit, because, yes I was good. Damn good. I could have gone all the way, but my dance partner gave up and I discovered boys, pretty much at the same time.

At the moment, I'm trying to negotiate my way around Zumba, trying to make sexy look easy....I'll get back to you on that one....

Please watch the following video until the end....words to describe - awesome, magical, amazing. YOU decide.

Random oh Random Post

I really need to do a random post as I have so much to say....I'd suggest you go find a friend to read with you as this will be such an awesome post. I guarantee it!

It will be a mishmash of all the "things" shooting around in my head at the moment..

The Hubbster gave his permission (after a bit of arm twisting and bribery from moi) to share this photo of him and his broken sunglasses - care of either Miss D, Mr C or Miss T, or maybe all three of them conspiring to piss The Hubbster off....


I was trying to figure out why we have no socks around the place..especially on Monday mornings when I am running late for work. I did a scout around yesterday and looked into a few nooks and crannies (and behind and under lounge chairs and in the car) and guess what I found:-


Yes, this badass pile of socks (25 in all) and they probably don't even freakin' match.

I'm going to ZUMBA tommorrow with a friend. If you haven't heard of Zumba, you have obviously been living under a rock, or have no access to television telemarketing.

I've heard that Zumba is a fun, easy way to get fit and meet friends. With my dance background I shouldn't find it too difficult. Maybe I'll stand in the back row just to be sure...

Apparently, after a month of doing Zumba, I should look like this.


If I don't look like this, I'll be getting a full refund and sitting my butt and rock hard abs (not) back on the goddam couch.

We had a great day on Sunday at the Multicultural Festival, where Miss D danced her National Romanian group dance on stage. She looked divine and I was so proud of her. And her smile.

I saw a mum and dad with a toddler and brand new triplets..two little boys in a double pram and a little girl in mummys sling. I had a pang of jeolousy..and sadness...then an "I wish it was me moment" before melting at the sight of these gorgeous babes...

We met up with 2 other mums and all of our kids had fun on the rides including the dodgem cars, various jumping castles and the rock climbing wall where my kids kicked ass....

I was so happy, because my three kids were happy. They relished in spending time with their friends, and it was sunny and warm and we were together and life was good.

Life IS good.

BUT if my kids don't get out of bed at a reasonable time in the mornings, and help get organised for school, I swear to God I will hose them. I even bought a water spray bottle today that I am going to spray them with tommorrow if they won't get up. This should make a little less mess than bringing the hose in.

The Hubbster and I visited the bathroom supply shop the other day and decided on our bathroom fitouts for The Money Pit.

Our vanitys will be to the floor and I really like this style of basin, that sits on top of the vanity. What do you think?






I still think about my lost little one. Every day. I water his (her) plant and say hello..which is fine because I also talk to my guinea fowl and my chickens, so what's a plant matter?

I bought some new nail polish the other day. It's sort of this colour.




I've never bought anything like this colour before and can't wait to paint my nails. I also bought 10 cakes of soap for $4.95. Bargain.

I've decided to wear my bling instead of hiding it away. I'm always scared of losing my jewellery so I don't wear it. But I'm going to go out looking shiny and expensive.

I walked past two mums at the school gate the other day discussing morning sickness remedies and birthing information, and I twinged a bit. I looked straight ahead and walked on thinking "take it somewhere else will ya".

My blog. My bitch.

Mr C (aged 7) got in the car the other day all distressed and exclaimed:-

"we can't go anywhere yet, I have no technology!!!!!!!!!!!!!" meaning ipod or dsi game.

I love him.