School and Louisa

So just when we thought everything was getting better Louisa came home from school in tears. The HPE (Health and Physical Education) teacher yelled at her. At Louisa! Good grief.

I phoned Amanda, the year 8 co-ordinator, and said Louisa wouldn't be going to that class anymore - I know that sounds like I over reacted - but this teacher has already had one swearing episode and regularly walks out on the class. (He also lost three of Louisa's workbooks with nary a word of apology.)

Amanda talked to Louisa the next day and arranged for Louisa to work with her during HPE, then she phoned me to give me the run down.

She said that she told Louisa 'we'll come across lots of different situations and we have to learn to deal with them.'

I told her I agreed - and one of the ways we can choose to deal with things is to say no.

Louisa is thrilled - for one of the weeks this term she will be supervised by her very favourite teacher.

Now usually my approach to a child being badly treated is to leave the villain to his or her own devices (or his or her own mother) and teach my own child to deal with the situation. But sometimes, when you are young (or not), you just need to know that there is someone big and strong and powerful in your corner who can take on all comers and make things right for you.

It's true that Roger and I won't always be able to make things right - but this time we could, and with a bit of talking in the next few weeks we hope that Louisa can learn that although the results may not be as immediate as they were in this case she can count on us. And she can count on Heavenly Father to be there - because He loves her as a Father too.

Snuggies

Jesse had snuggies waiting on Louisa and Max's beds when we came home from Sydney - gee willikers that went down well. There were shouts of joy and Jesse now enjoys most favoured sister status. (Those two kids had been begging for snuggies ever since a couple of sick days resulted in daytime tv viewing a few months ago.)

Busy

Sometimes I look back on a busy week or two and wonder what on earth has kept us busy. This last month or so we've been frantic - doing what I don't know.

We did get some new chicks - they are living on the verandah with a light for a mother until they grow. Started with 12 and still have 11 - not too bad I reckon. They are Araucanas and they lay blue eggs - I can hardly wait - I have visions of blue boiled eggs in lunch boxes - because we all know that the colour of the shell is the most important part of an egg.

Lee made Max a go-cart. Admittedly this has not kept me busy at all but it sure has kept Max entertained for hours at a time. Action shots will follow - but it seems to work as a breakfast bench too.

There are lambs at the end of our road - so we walked down for a closer look. (No photos of the lambs - just the kids.)

Roger married Caitlin & James (Welham) - beautiful wedding - liberal dosings of love and laughter and beauty.

Seminary Scripture Faire

Traditionally Enoggera Ward Seminary students have a great time at the multi-stake Scripture Faire - they also traditionally come last.

This year they came third! Maybe the t-shirts helped.

In keeping with tradition they still had a great time - Roger said they could easily be found in the crowd because they went everywhere as a big blue pack.

Peet was moved to dance with excitement when he came in to tell me the good news.

Roger reports that the first thing they did when the questions were handed to them was to push their chairs aside and lie on the floor - some things don't change.

Also - Peet is eating in the photo - another thing that doesn't change.

School and Louisa

Everybody knows that the best way to make a child with a cold or flu better is to take them to the doctor - guaranteed the minute you step into the waiting room the child will be healed.

This principle can be applied in other areas too, it turns out.

All year Louisa has been begging for days off school - quite successfully - it turns out she had 36 days off last semester. (12 of them were the Laos trip - but still!)

Finally Roger and I decided that something hadto be done and duly made an appointment with the guidance officer to talk about sending her to Pine again or maybe homeschooling. These were not our first choices for two main reasons - orchestra and friends.

The music program at KGSC is brilliant - the teachers are dedicated and gifted, the kids are nice and the quality of the music is award winning.

And for the first time in her life Louisa has the opportunity to choose friends. This is a big deal - Pine is so small that you pretty much learn to get along with whoever else is there. That's a great skill and one that lots of people never learn. But learning to choose friends from a smorgasbord of friend choices is another skill - and not one to be missed.

So our first choice was keeping her at KGSC - but it was looking dire - we figured the time had come for some serious planning.

That did the trick - the very same week Louisa got better. She started to enjoy school and decided that she would like to stay - she even said she would like to go to the school dance. Since 'would like to' and 'school' have not been in the same sentence for Louisa so far we bought a new shirt and frangipani hair clips to celebrate. (It was a rainbow theme dance and Louisa chose yellow.) A pair of shoes borrowed from Joan and jeans and she was set. Jesse braided her hair and Roger took this picture when she came home after the dance. (I was away for the weekend and didn't want to miss out altogether.)

Apparently the dance was lots of fun but the music was a 'bit dodgy'. The unbearable gorgeousness that is Louisa continues.

We are very happy - and relieved.

Becky's Baby (and Travis's too).

If little girls are made of sugar and spice and all that's nice then Becky's baby is sure to be a girl! The sugar overload at the baby shower alone should take care of that.

It was an exceptionally pretty and elegant shower - hosted by Susie - and attended by family and friends from all over.

Becky is looking like a pregnant woman at last.

Lindsay-Jane was there too - her third lovely boy will arrive within days of Becky's - and still she looks like Angelina Jolie. Can't wait - two new babies in the family.

Birthdays

Peet is 15 - my goal is to get him out of a flanno before he turns 16 - it's a lofty goal. That's a flourless chocolate cake, which followed chicken and broccoli for dinner.

And Jesse is 19 - and wearing the beanie I crocheted because Max and Louisa were sure she would be terribly disappointed if I didn't. That would be a vinegar cake with a white chocolate ganache icing - which followed salmon and salad for dinner.

We can't get enough of either of them.