Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Here's some Pine kids we prepared earlier.
One of the lovely bonuses at Kate's wedding was seeing so many old Pine kids.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Katymae's wedding
Months of planning, the odd anguished moment, copious amounts of money, lashings of good taste, and almost 23 years of loves labours by Maris resulted in a beautiful wedding for Katymae and Evan.
Contrary to appearances Evan was actually there - I just have no photos.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Green Frogs
When Sam was staying with Susie at Moonstone long ago, Susie took her revenge on Sam (after Sam made a Lemon Meringue Pie and ate it all before Sue got home) by throwing a bucketful of green frogs on Sam while she was in the bath. Worked too - Sam leaped out of the bath and ran naked through a crowded room to escape.
At Glenellen in Rocky we had so many green frogs that Joan and Lee paid me 20 cents for each one I got out of the toilet - I was enterprising too - I paid Matthew 5 cents to catch them and put them back in the toilet!
Now they are so rare that when we heard one in the drain pipe Roger took the whole pipe apart to get it out to look at and relocate to somewhere nicer (the dam).
Well they tried - but the way Louisa tells the story she put it on a lilypad but it looked so scared that she had to pick it up again. It looks scared don't you think?
At Glenellen in Rocky we had so many green frogs that Joan and Lee paid me 20 cents for each one I got out of the toilet - I was enterprising too - I paid Matthew 5 cents to catch them and put them back in the toilet!
Now they are so rare that when we heard one in the drain pipe Roger took the whole pipe apart to get it out to look at and relocate to somewhere nicer (the dam).
Louisa and Max found a couple of little marsh frogs for friends but Roger was insistent that it should be let go in the dam.
Well they tried - but the way Louisa tells the story she put it on a lilypad but it looked so scared that she had to pick it up again. It looks scared don't you think?
So Louisa rescued it.
And it sat on her arm for so long that I almost believed the story. Finally Louisa and Max walked around trying each tree until the frog finally hopped off onto the Jacaranda tree where it seems to have made a new home.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Rain
Can't resist it - a bit of rain brings the creeks up and since we heard on the radio that Dayboro Road was closed due to flooding, we went out right after school. It was a full car - me, Jesse, Peet, Louisa, Simone, Robert Max and Samuel.
After a little of bit of disappointment at finding all the roads to Dayboro open we bought a couple of pineapples and found joy on Kobble Creek Road.
At first it was all very civilised - I watched the kids carefully while they paddled near the edge of the road. But when I picked them all up on the other side of the crossing we discovered that one of the pineapples had fallen out of the car - back across the creek. So Louisa and Simone went back - then I drove through and splashed them - then everyone had to have at turn.
So being the responsible (you could even say over protective - though Louisa claims that nobody would) mother/aunt that I am I found another crossing on a less busy road and unloaded everyone - then waited while the traffic passed - then gunned the car through the crossing to splash them all - and again - this time a 4WD followed and got the idea and splashed them too - then again - and again - then I said that was enough but Jesse wanted a turn. So she took off her shirt and put on Peet's and we did it again - and again.
By this time the little boys were getting cold so we put all the wet muddy bodies in the car and went for a look at Cedar Creek. Also fun. Lots of giggling was involved.
Robert made the whole trip when he got out of the car telling us 'that was awesome.'
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Teenagers
I think teenagers may be the single greatest demographic in the world.
Teenagers have such a keen sense of right and wrong and a willingness to do something about it. Think Joan of Arc - Joseph Smith - the kid in Tiananmen Square - youthful civil rights activists - missionaries - and so on. We always need teenagers. Teenagers have time and energy to match their convictions, and a lack of other pressing responsibilities, like children to care for.
There is no pulling the wool over teenage eyes.
There is no point in trying to impress a teenager - unless it's with something that really is impressive.
Teenagers can pretty much do the work of an adult - and often do it for half the pay.
Teenagers can be the best possible example for children.
Teenagers can initiate and contribute to conversations about almost anything.
Teenagers can be left at home alone (except when they are planning a party while their parents are away celebrating their wedding anniversary!)
Teenagers adjust, fast, to changed circumstances.
Teenagers are fascinated by so many ideas, thoughts, and facts.
I love newborns, toddlers and young kids. Ten to fourteen may be my favourite stage of all. But teenagers are just plain admirable, and fascinating to watch.
It's worth having lots of kids just to have lots of teenagers.
I'm not Pollyanna - I know that teenagers have some rough spots too - but for most, they are totally outweighed by the good stuff.
All that good stuff also means that teenagers have some important responsibilities. They need to be looking for ways to make life better, looking for injustices, looking for the spiritual in the everyday, building the Kingdom of God in diverse ways.
Which makes me worry that we are feeding them mental tripe* and confusing them with notions of teenage romance and consumerism.
Let's have more teenagers and let's watch the world change for the better I say.
*Twilight springs to mind - although I have only read part of the first one so may not be in a position to judge - Jesse was more diligent and read all of the first one and most of the second - and was not impressed. Actually she said she hates Edward and various other caustic and unkind things about the authors literary abilities. See teenagers really are willing to do the hard stuff.
Teenagers have such a keen sense of right and wrong and a willingness to do something about it. Think Joan of Arc - Joseph Smith - the kid in Tiananmen Square - youthful civil rights activists - missionaries - and so on. We always need teenagers. Teenagers have time and energy to match their convictions, and a lack of other pressing responsibilities, like children to care for.
There is no pulling the wool over teenage eyes.
There is no point in trying to impress a teenager - unless it's with something that really is impressive.
Teenagers can pretty much do the work of an adult - and often do it for half the pay.
Teenagers can be the best possible example for children.
Teenagers can initiate and contribute to conversations about almost anything.
Teenagers can be left at home alone (except when they are planning a party while their parents are away celebrating their wedding anniversary!)
Teenagers adjust, fast, to changed circumstances.
Teenagers are fascinated by so many ideas, thoughts, and facts.
I love newborns, toddlers and young kids. Ten to fourteen may be my favourite stage of all. But teenagers are just plain admirable, and fascinating to watch.
It's worth having lots of kids just to have lots of teenagers.
I'm not Pollyanna - I know that teenagers have some rough spots too - but for most, they are totally outweighed by the good stuff.
All that good stuff also means that teenagers have some important responsibilities. They need to be looking for ways to make life better, looking for injustices, looking for the spiritual in the everyday, building the Kingdom of God in diverse ways.
Which makes me worry that we are feeding them mental tripe* and confusing them with notions of teenage romance and consumerism.
Let's have more teenagers and let's watch the world change for the better I say.
*Twilight springs to mind - although I have only read part of the first one so may not be in a position to judge - Jesse was more diligent and read all of the first one and most of the second - and was not impressed. Actually she said she hates Edward and various other caustic and unkind things about the authors literary abilities. See teenagers really are willing to do the hard stuff.
Peet
Peet came home grumpy from school and claiming that he was not as smart as all the other kids in the Academic Achievers program and that he couldn't possibly keep up and that we better just transfer him out of the class and anyway all the other kids were smug.
I said I'd talk to his teachers.
The science teacher said 'you have got to be kidding' and that he was doing very well and that the other kids were smug but that there were some good kids he could be friends with and she'd orchestrate it.
The maths teacher said he was always finished early and that his year 8 maths teacher had told her to watch out for Peet because he didn't think Peet wanted to be in the class and would probably try to get out of it but that he could easily manage it. She said she'd been watching and he's doing great.
I told Peet. He took it on the chin, laughed and said OK. Till next time at least.
I said I'd talk to his teachers.
The science teacher said 'you have got to be kidding' and that he was doing very well and that the other kids were smug but that there were some good kids he could be friends with and she'd orchestrate it.
The maths teacher said he was always finished early and that his year 8 maths teacher had told her to watch out for Peet because he didn't think Peet wanted to be in the class and would probably try to get out of it but that he could easily manage it. She said she'd been watching and he's doing great.
I told Peet. He took it on the chin, laughed and said OK. Till next time at least.
The House of the Lord in Brisbane
A short conversation with Max.
M: Which country was Joseph Smith in?
K: America
M: That's what I thought - if he was in America then how did the true church get here?
K: Long winded explanation about missionary work and Zion and the gathering and staying where you are to build the Kingdom of God etc.
M: Yeah I knew that -but I mean how come we've got the House of the Lord in Brisbane when the church started in America?
K(knocking the wind out of Max's sails): Another long winded explanation about all temples being called The House of the Lord
M(actually a bit crestfallen): Oh
Slight pause.
M (obviously recovered): So when can Dad and I go mountain biking again.
Mountain Biking
It started with Peet admiring Daniel Woods and his tales of derring do on the mountain bike. Then Peet bought a bike with all his hard earned cash and Max admired Peet's tales. Then Max bought a bike and now we can admire his tales.
Roger and Mark (Parry) took the little kids - Max, Jessica and Louisa - mountain biking on the Jinka Track on Saturday - now that was a hit. There were creeks to ride through and 'burns' and mud covered their backs. What more could you want? Turns out you could want to go again. Badly. So it looks like this Friday or Saturday they'll be tearing down the Jinka Track again.
(The really good news is that the mud splashes stained Max's shirt and now he wears it all the time because that way people can ask what the stains are and he gets to tell them!)
Roger and Mark (Parry) took the little kids - Max, Jessica and Louisa - mountain biking on the Jinka Track on Saturday - now that was a hit. There were creeks to ride through and 'burns' and mud covered their backs. What more could you want? Turns out you could want to go again. Badly. So it looks like this Friday or Saturday they'll be tearing down the Jinka Track again.
(The really good news is that the mud splashes stained Max's shirt and now he wears it all the time because that way people can ask what the stains are and he gets to tell them!)
Visitors
We had guests at dinner - the ducks brought their babies all the way up to the house for a visit.
Of course if our yard wasn't a jungle we might have a better photo - or the ducks might not have felt safe to bring their babies that close.
Cello
Apparently it takes 10,000 hours of practice to reach virtuoso status in pretty much anything - Joan and Louisa have the first hour down for Cello playing.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Sky diving
Sitting at dinner last night Alec nonchalantly asks 'so what are your thoughts on skydiving?'
Roger said 'not till after your mission'.
I said 'not when you have a family'.
Alec reckons that's a pretty good window of time.
Roger said 'not till after your mission'.
I said 'not when you have a family'.
Alec reckons that's a pretty good window of time.
Fasting
Fast Sunday has just been and gone. Max usually fasts for one full meal (breakfast when we have morning church and lunch when we're in the afternoon). But this week was it just too much for him.
After wandering around the house looking forlorn all morning he whimperingly told me that he couldn't possibly fast because he was just too hungry. I said 'no problem - you just go into my room and pray about it and if you feel like Heavenly Father is saying that you don't need to fast then go ahead and eat'. So off he went - appearing a few minutes later looking downcast. "How'd it go' I asked.
Sighing and heaving shoulders. And on we go with the fast. It was going to be a long day.
All through Sacrament meeting Max was like jelly - flopping and collapsing and at one point dramatically sliding off the seat on to the floor like a puddle.
Then he had to recite the 3rd Article of Faith in Primary - fainting from lack of food he made it half way through and then collapsed in front of everyone - very melodramatic - just not very successful at eliciting sympathy. I said he could sit with me in Sunday School and then go with Roger in priesthood.
After Sunday School I passed him to Alec to give to his father.
Time to go home - no Max - all his friends were in the Camphor laurel tree at the back of the chapel - I call for him - no answer - call again - this time I hear a peep of 'Mum'. Finally I look up and there he is at the top of the tree - ready to jump out. Apparently he recovered.
The Pharisees have nothing on Max.
After wandering around the house looking forlorn all morning he whimperingly told me that he couldn't possibly fast because he was just too hungry. I said 'no problem - you just go into my room and pray about it and if you feel like Heavenly Father is saying that you don't need to fast then go ahead and eat'. So off he went - appearing a few minutes later looking downcast. "How'd it go' I asked.
Sighing and heaving shoulders. And on we go with the fast. It was going to be a long day.
All through Sacrament meeting Max was like jelly - flopping and collapsing and at one point dramatically sliding off the seat on to the floor like a puddle.
Then he had to recite the 3rd Article of Faith in Primary - fainting from lack of food he made it half way through and then collapsed in front of everyone - very melodramatic - just not very successful at eliciting sympathy. I said he could sit with me in Sunday School and then go with Roger in priesthood.
After Sunday School I passed him to Alec to give to his father.
Time to go home - no Max - all his friends were in the Camphor laurel tree at the back of the chapel - I call for him - no answer - call again - this time I hear a peep of 'Mum'. Finally I look up and there he is at the top of the tree - ready to jump out. Apparently he recovered.
The Pharisees have nothing on Max.
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