FAVOURITE TIME OF YEAR

I love this time of year... Sub-tropical Queensland spring is settling in, and the days are warm, sometimes hot, but it still cools off at night. And for a few weeks, fragrant jacaranda trees are in full bloom...

I love the sight of the big lavender purple blooms, the colourful carpet they leave on the ground, the sweet smell of them in the air... I dread the heat of the summer ahead - but right now - right now is my favourite time of year!

DRAGON MASTER

So, Justice and I have spent the past few weeks looking after Achilles and Puff for a friend of ours. We had to feed them live crickets (we also had to feed the crickets) and plates of salad.

I was convinced Puff died one day, but he was just faking me out. Achilles liked to jump at me and see if he could make me flinch... it was an interesting experience for me...

I am glad our friends are back -they were missed! Justice REALLY loved having his own dragons for the month though!

FOLLOW THIS LINK...

Well, anyone who knows me knows that there is nothing and no one funnier to me than Jon Stewart and The Daily Show. I think I still have ticket stubs for Jon Stewart standup back in 1994 in Boston?! And I remember a very fun trip with Andriena in NYC to see more standup (and that's saying something as most memories of that night will never be more than fuzzy)- and I think I even dragged Jason to a taping of The Daily Show... and that wasn't the only time I went... Occasionally we have the Global version of The Daily Show, but the airing is somewhat sporadic. Instead I have to rely on the internet... I am a giant fan of the comic genius that is Jon Stweart - and honestly, this clip made me laugh til I cried --- sometimes (like any time I hear George W. speak!) I feel so grateful that I moved!!!

STICKER

This is STICKER the stick bug. Justice and I found him on the door when leaving our friends' house last night. We flicked him into a takeaway cup and brought him home with us. Before bed we got STICKER all set up in a clear bowl with a few twigs and some leaves. We agreed Justice could take him to preschool this morning to release in the yard there.


However, Justice and Will looked them up on the internet this morning, and discovered that stick bugs eat insects and moths. Like geckos. We love our geckos because they save us from bugs. So the boys decided to release STICKER in our garden (also known as the patch of earth outside our door).

Justice told me all about this when they woke me up this morning. I assumed the bug would be long gone, but when we left for preschool a few hours later, there he was in the flower patch. STICKER let Justice pick him up several times, he just didn't want to be put down...

Justice was so gentle with the bug! I am much more of the flick them away persuasion myself...

Especially when talking about such a LARGE bug...

Our friend Sharona has been planning to give Justice a leaf bug as a belated birthday present, so how appropriate that we found this bug on her door... I think its pretty obvious he will love it!

BIRTHDAY BOY!!!

WOW! Where does the time go?! Justice is FIVE now! Its amazing to me that already five years have passed since he was born... It seems like he is growing up so quickly, that time is flying and we are all too busy to really mark all these amazing days!

For his birthday at pre-prep today (Wednesday) he was spoiled to have a cake Dad made for him... Justice is passionate about dragons at the moment, particularly his little Imaginext dragon Archibald (who is quite cool - he walks and breathes fire!)... He looks a little something like this...

Monday we had a get together immediately after pre-prep. There have been a bunch of birthday parties lately, and Justice was quite keen for one. Unfortunately there was already a party scheduled for Sunday morning (Will's only day off). I told Justice we could have a small bunch of friends get together after school on the Monday. It was a pupil free day. The last pupil free day we only had eight kids at school... but this pupil free Monday we were full. So, with the addition of much missed friends Annie, Euan and Patrick, and Justice's older women crushes: Evie (a year older), Chantal and Lydia (a set of 14 year-olds!) we ended up with quite a full house (27!).

Obviously not in our house! We all braved the madness and took the kids bowling... Justice had a blast - he felt really special (as if the world did indeed revolve around him) and we ended up with heaps of lanes, so they got through their game in an hour... It was lovely... An unusual, but fun, birthday gathering... Although as much as we missed Will, he might have had it better with the whole sleeping, slaving away at work thing... That many children in a confined space is a bit of work in itself... I was lucky because it wasn't a traditional party so there were heaps of parents and everyone kept the kids on track and entertained... Justice had a mindboggling haul of presents which he finally got to open this (his actual birthday) morning...

OBSTACLE-A-THON

Today we had our last pre-school fundraiser... an obstacle-a-thon. The kids all got sponsors to make donations for each lap of the giant (ten obstacles) obstacle course they completed (to a maximum of ten laps or we might have been out there ALL DAY). JUSTICE LOVED THE ENITRE THING - particularly since Wipeout is still his favourite show and this was like having his own Wipeout zone...

RECOGNITION

Ok - we knew they were taking this picture for the Business Achievers Awards - but what a pleasant surprise to be featured in the paper as we were!

Last year we were unable to attend the awards as they were held on a Friday night (we work every night except Saturday). We did win our category though. As we have staff this year, I am able to get away for the awards dinner (on Halloween night) while Will will be busy baking for Saturday's trade...

HALLOWEEN FREE LAND...

Saturday Justice went to a PIRATES birthday party

So, sadly Halloween is not really an Australian thing. It is a beautiful, selfish American activity which I love and dearly miss. More and more Halloween goodies and decorations are available in the shops, and costumes even at the discount stores. But since the celebration of Halloween is really a minority event (how does a whole nation forego good old trick or treating?) I count myself lucky Justice is born in late October... I will get to host costume parties with an excuse... However, this year we have already been spoiled with two dress up parties! Saturday's included a giant Pirates jumping castle!
On Sunday he attended a FANCY DRESS (AKA costume) birthday party!

(This is the backlash of being in a preschool group where the birthdays are lumped in a six month time frame- one birthday after another!)

The party was awesome, with an organised costumed story, a dedicated treasure hunt (that corresponded with the story) and a treasure hunt collection of great goodies like Christmas ornaments (representing the treasures of peace, joy and love) and feathers (to remind you to value your treasures) and chocolate gold (hello - because its chocolate!). It was a really lovely weekend, if a bit busy.

The princess pictured with Justice had her birthday party this past Wednesday. Justice attended, but in another mother's charge, so I don't have a picture for that one... Still, he has been having a blast!
The treasures he found...

The cool goodies bags they used on the hunt... And a trampoline...

And pinata...

It was like the ultimate birthday party weekend! (Ok, and yes I am a slacker Mom - those ARE pajamas - and size 3 at that!)

I CAN NOT BELIEVE HE WILL BE FIVE NEXT WEEK!

Politics

Came by this via Jamie! HILARIOUS!

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE

Well, its official! Wednesday night our family trekked over to the Logan Entertainment Centre for a rather uninspired ceremony where I was conferred Australian citizenship!!! Whoo hoo - that means I can work in the EU without needing a visa! I can attend university for reduced cost OR deferred tuition! I can get a cool new passport that makes me slightly less interesting to scary terrorist type people! I can mark "obtain dual citizenship" off my life's to-do list! I can finally, after more than five years since applying, rest assured that I have citizenship and I can stay!

Justice and I waiting... Justice proudly wore the Australian lapel pin they gave all the applicants... On the stage with group 2 of 4, swearing the pledge...

There were no inspirational speakers, no fireworks, no actual (vs. projected) flags - but I did get citizenship and I did register to vote (well, I got cornered at the door - it's compulsory voting here after all). I am a total goober - I had fun!