Ring Trophy

The other day  I packed up the Muddy Kids and headed to Baradine! It was where it was all at! The annual Ring Trophy Carnival between the Catholic Schools from neighbouring towns, this is where they all come together, they have competitive marching down the main street, then a war cry competition and then the fun begins with races and relays, tunnel ball, captain ball, tug-o-war and then the novelty races. It is a great day, by the end of it I was busted and so were my 4 little people, just walking around the oval soaking it all in seemed to exhaust the young ones. Let alone my Muddy Organiser who marched and war-cried and played her little heart out. It was a proud Mum day as I watched her march so focused and go in the three legged race with her bestie, not caring who won, only that they worked together to stay upright.

I know there will be lots, lots more of these over the years, but I think each one will be just as heart warming and as exhausting!

The Stone Age

Each year the school puts on a concert, every student has a part to play and most have a line, there is lots of dancing and singing and it keeps the audience in fits of laughter. So much time and effort goes into these concerts each and every year. There is a theme through each year's performance.

This year it was 'The History of the World' and each year took a different part of history and turned it into a fantastic performance. Year One had 'The Stone Age', complete with The Flintstones and lots of cave people. I am in awe of the teachers that pull all this together and also of the sewing skills of some of the parents that make costumes! I do wonder how they'll top each year, but somehow they do!

The Eyes Have It.....

A little while ago a friend of mine was telling me about her little boy, he had had his eyesight screened at preschool and they had recommended that he have a full eye examination by an optometrist. Lo and behold he is longsighted and needs to wear glasses all the time.

The first time I saw him with his glasses on I made a really big deal about how cool he looked and how great it must be to see things clearly. His Mum was telling me he has been remarking on things all day like he's seeing them properly for the very first time 'oh wow Mum can you see that, that's great', 'look at that Mum'. It was such a joy to watch the world open for him.

A week later I spoke to another friend who had just had her little boy's grommets put in and when they got him home it was as if he was hearing things for the very first time, she put the dishwasher on and he came running up and pointed to the dishwasher and looked at her with amazement that it actually made a noise. It was so heart warming to hear such positivity.

Last week we got a recommendation that our Muddy Pixie see an optometrist, nothing major but after having both these conversations with parents I was straight on the phone to book and appointment. I got off the phone and a day later decided to also book in my Muddy Organiser just to be sure she has no problems, yes I know it's overkill and it's only because she's been holding her book too close to her face, but I'd rather be safe than sorry down the track.....

Grandparents Day

Last week we had the pleasure of celebrating Grandparents Day at school. Last year my Muddy Organiser had no grandparents in attendance, this year she was lucky enough to have one. Thank Goodness it was the one she'd written the story about to display in the classroom.

 

I love days like these because you get an insight into what they're doing in the classroom, what they're writing in their sentence a day book or about their weekend. Funnily enough there are several mentions of playing with my sisters and going to the pub! I swear the teacher must think we hang out drinking all weekend!

 

Anyway My Muddy Organiser wrote a delightful story that ends with her telling everyone that my mother-in-law cooks and gardens for me! If only I was that lucky!

 

When friends come to play

I have been promising my Muddy Pixie for a while now that she can have one of her 'best friends' over for a play date. Finally I got myself into gear and organised it. It was set to be a great day, she bought her bike and her swimmers and her mutual love of craft. It didn't take long for things to turn pear-shaped.

You see, what I hadn't counted on was that my Muddy Organiser also considers this little girl her friend and they would start fighting for her attention, for who got to ride their bike next to her, or sit next to her for morning tea and lunch and who got her to play their game of choice.

I tried reasoning with both of my Muddy girls, I pleaded with my Muddy Organiser to just give the Pixie and her friend a little bit of time (even a few minutes), but it didn't stop the tears and the distress.

By the end of the day I was exhausted from keeping the peace, dancing then craft seemed to heal all wounds and keep us occupied for a good 90 minutes before we changed activities and then the day was over.

I am really not sure how to broach the play date in the future, it's not a problem we've had before when we've had friends over to play. Maybe I try to lessen the numbers and organise activities elsewhere for one or the other, or maybe I just have to let them at it and they'll sort it out.

How do you handle this kind of thing? Or is it something that only happens in our house?

Everything Old is New Again

One of the things I love about my Muddy Organiser going to school is reliving my childhood, or parts of it anyway! There's been stories they're reading at school or that she brings home from the library, sports I'd forgotten about like tunnel ball. I love watching her learn new songs and dances for the school social and singing along with her.

I was extra excited though last week when she bought home some string. Not just any string, but a loop of string to do Cat's Cradle with. I can remember spending hours and hours trying new tricks with the string, I was hopeless but it didn't stop me trying! My Muddy Organiser though has proved to be quite a whizz with the string, she can already do the Harbour Bridge and is teaching her friends how to do it. My Mum (god bless the teacher in her) has dug through her bookshelf and found a book on Cat's Cradle and other string things which the Muddy Organiser is learning from to add to her string repertoire. She has already well surpassed my string abilities.

The thing I love most about the string is it's portable, she takes it everywhere, it's not electronic, it's just good old fashioned fun at it's best, just like my childhood. A teacher friend tells me elastics are the next thing coming back in!

Concert Fever

The last week has passed in a rush of pretty dresses, parties, preschool concerts and ballet concerts. We've had rehearsals and our scary first foray into ballet concert make-up! We've had costume changes and hair spray in abundance to keep the wispy bits of hair in a tight bun.

 

Through it all we have had lots of fun, lots of photos and lots of proud Muddy Mummy, tear-in-the-eye moments. Each day I wake up and pinch myself in amazement that I have 4 beautiful Muddy Kids and feel like I've blinked and missed the last 6 years, as I now have a little ballerina, who proudly danced on stage, accepted her cup and her encouragement trophy, all without a clingy moment or worried cry!

 

Both the preschool concert and the ballet concert were hot, hot, hot days, 40 plus degrees, and my lovely Mum (Nana) came and sat through them both, helping me to look after the Muddy Kids and take photos and videos to make sure we don't miss a bit of it! I am now officially exhausted and we have a few weeks of school, birthday parties and Christmas parties still to come before the guy in the big red suit visits, somehow I'm not sure that the next few weeks will pass without a few tantrums from all of us!

 

 

 

Spending up Big

I am always in two minds when a big event comes up in town, do we go and come home exhausted, overtired and with considerably less money in my wallet. Or do we stay home and make our own fun?

 

Friday saw the big School Fete all organised. The Muddy Organiser was so very excited, she could barely contain herself. So I loaded up the rest of the Muddy Kids and headed straight to the school fete after school (it went from 3-7pm). I walked in and I was overwhelmed, there were so many stalls and activities and people! I had no idea where to start.

 

My problem too, was that I hadn't set a limit to spending or activities in my head. Having never been before I wasn't sure what to expect. It worked on a ticket system, you bought a heap of tickets and these were exchanged at most of the stalls. I quickly decided on a yes to face painting and fingernail painting, and yes to the jumping castle. The rest I was happy to avoid, but they suckered me in with the showbags and each of the Muddy Girls went home with one.

 

I have learned my lesson though, buy a set amount of tickets early and they can choose what to spend their tickets on, and once they're gone, they're gone and there's no more! For some reason I found it heaps easier to spend tickets than cash! Very Dangerous! We did all have a lovely time though (even me) and they have started talking about what they would like to do at next year's fete!

 

I am curious though - how do you manage kids and spending at big events?

 

Families Are Special

Once a term my Muddy Organiser's Class hold a Liturgy at school. Each term they have a different theme and the service is designed around the theme. Each member of the class has a role to play in the liturgy, whether it's reading a line from a prayer, talking about the offerings they are bringing forward or to carry forward the offerings. They project the words for hymns and songs up onto a screen so the class and everyone in church can sign along. It is quite simply heart warming to watch.

 

My Muddy Organiser has a tendency towards shyness, she struggles to make eye contact and say hello, yet after only 6 weeks at school in term one she spoke into the microphone in a packed church for her line of 'My name is Chloe'. Now in term 3 she is speaking long sentences into the microphone, sitting still through the service (and weekend services if we go), singing the hymns and songs and showing us just how much she has grown, learnt and changed in 3 short terms. It just never ceases to amaze me. With one term left of Kindergarten I have no doubt she'll continue to warm my heart and make me all teary with just how much she's grown up.

 

Left, Left, Left, Right, Left

For the last few weeks when the house goes quiet my ears prick up (as any mum's do really) and I listen hard, what I've been hearing though isn't the sounds of mischief, it's the sound of my Muddy Organiser organising her Muddy Sisters into line ready to march. Then starts the call 'Left, Left, Left, Right, Left' as she instructs them to keep their hands at their sides, fists clenched before setting off around the house.

 

It's that time of year for the interschools sports trophy and one major part of this is the big march all the schools do down the main street of the town it's being held in. There is even a separate trophy awarded to the school with the best marching (not kidding).

 

The teachers and principal at school have had them practicing for weeks (yes weeks), they have the drum going and you hear the call of 'Left, Right, Left, Right', 'Lift those feet', 'Keep your arms straight' as they march around the streets that border the school. It's serious stuff this marching (who knew! Cynical me didn't). My Muddy Organiser was so very proud this week to put on her poorly ironed sports uniform, white sneakers and school socks and head off to the march. For her it was all about the march and not so much about the sports and games.

 

The best bit though was her enthusiasm, she arrived back with just as much as when she left, she tried her best, had a great day and is already practicing her marching for next year, as much as I'm informing her that she'll run out of march by next year if she keeps it up, she just keeps going. I have no doubt that by the time the rest of the Muddy Kids start school they'll have the marching down pat thanks to their big sister!

 

 

And just so you know, they won the Marching Trophy!

Athletic or Unco?

When I was younger (and really still now) I was a bit unco-ordinated when it came to sport or any sort of gross motor activity. I'm not sure whether it's lack of exposure or whether it's ingrained into me to suck at most physical activity. Either way, sports carnivals were not my favourite event at school, except for the fact that it was a day out of the classroom. I have been hoping that my Muddy Kids inherit Muddy Hubby's enthusiasm for sport more than mine, so I was interested to see how my Muddy Organiser would go at her first Athletics Carnival. We rugged ourselves up on a windy and cold afternoon and settled in for the fun.

 

As it's only a relatively small school, they ran it for just over an hour on Friday afternoon and the kids had a ball. They had a running race, a sack race, 3-legged race, jelly bean on a spoon race, dress in footy jersey and funny hat race and a tug-o-war. After watching the whole carnival, I think it's safe to say that my Muddy Organiser has inherited my gross motor skills (poor thing) but she had a blast and not once did she stop smiling, which I thought was the best bit. As long as we can keep encouraging her enthusiasm and making sure she doesn't stop trying I'll be a pretty happy Mum.

 

How do we make that happen though? Is it a matter of lots of positive reinforcement and encouragement, is it a matter of getting out there and practicing with her to make sure she's not afraid to give anything a go, or is it something inbuilt into them to keep giving everything their all with a smile on their face?

 

Do you have sporty kids, or are they like me and a little un-co? Do they keep trying and how do you keep them smiling and having fun?

 

New Family Members

My Muddy Puzzler only had one request for her 3rd Birthday - Ducks. Our first attempt at the Poultry Auction was a sad outcome, we came home with nothing. Now, however I'm quite pleased we came home with nothing, because I found 6 little ducklings to fulfill the request, and to top it off they're my FAVOURITE type of ducks. They are Indian Runners, they can't fly, so they can't escape on me, they're great for training your sheep dog (so Muddy Hubby is happy), and they are so good looking and friendly once you've got them used to you.

They had a long trip to make it home to our house, I picked them up and they attended their first baby shower, before spending the night in Nana's shower recess, then a 6 hour drive home. They were very pleased to be put in their new home, have something to eat and a nice bath and drink, before the Muddy Kids started the cuddles!

They have kept the Muddy Kids entertained for hours, just sitting and watching, or sitting and holding. Muddy Bubby has tried to climb in with them a few times, or tried to pull down their light, but he's getting used to them.

There's one little duckling we're keeping an eye on, she's a little bit smaller than the others, the runt of the bunch. My Muddy Organiser has named her Sprinkles and yesterday she was being bullied a little bit, today the other ducklings are being a bit nicer, she's getting something to eat and drink and seems to be growing and happier. There's no doubt about it, they're a very welcome addition to our Muddy Family.

A Mini Shearing Break

On Monday we start our 'Main Shearing' this is our big shearing time of the year where we shear the bulk of our sheep. We are shearing at 3 different sheds and we're starting at our lease block up north. This means that this year the whole family is packing up and heading north to check it all out and lend a hand where we can. Last year I was running a course so I missed out and Muddy Hubby stayed back here to look after the Muddy Kids so he missed out too.

I am constantly amazed at how much stuff I have to pack as a Mum. I am an 'overpacker' from way pack always throwing in 'just in case' items half of which I never end up using. As a Mum though I've had to learn to economise on the packing due to the limited space in the car. I have 2 outfits for each Muddy Child, one for each day, PJ's and one spare outfit 'just in case' (I can't help myself!).

We'll hit the road in the morning and have some time to explore the town with the Muddy Kids before heading out to the shed to make sure all is in order for Monday morning. I think I am most excited about not having to cook dinner for TWO nights in a row. We get to partake of one of the two restaurants in town to fill our belly (and they're BIG meals they serve up). How we'll go sharing a room with all the Muddy Kids I'm not sure, we may all be coming back more tired than when we left.

The shearing North will take just under 2 days depending on how fast the shearers go, we'll then start at the second shed on Wednesday and this should be 2 days as well, my Muddy Father-in-law will be back here to help get the shed ready before we get back. Finally on Friday we'll move to the big shed and finish off the bulk of the sheep in just over a week depending on how fast the shearers go.

It's an exciting and busy time for us, most of the family is in the shed at some point, Muddy Hubby is already training the Muddy Kids to pick up the bellies and they've got little brooms to help sweep the floor. Lucky for my Muddy Organiser it's in school holidays so she won't miss out.

The Shearing Shed up North Last Year

What have you got planned for your school holidays?

Cranky at Black and White

So I'm a little bit cranky at the local council. About 12 months ago, before my Muddy Organiser started school, we started talking to the chief engineer at council about whacking a load of gravel opposite the end of our road so that the bus could pull off the road safely and not get bogged (it would also save our shoes from getting too sandy or muddy when it's wet, but you can't use that excuse with council). The engineer said just tell me what the bus company needs and I'll make it happen. The bus company said 'we need not to get bogged and to have enough room to pull fully off the highway'. The engineer said, yes, no problem, there's a few we need to do so we'll put it on the list, it's important especially as you'll be using it each day.

The start of school came and went (and it was WET), and still no gravel. The bus has slowly been wearing tracks in the dirt and sand, when it's wet it will spin it's wheels a few times before grabbing traction and pulling away, much to my relief. By the time the bus gets to us it's pretty much full, there's about 30-40 kids on it, and it needs a tractor to pull it out if it gets bogged (yes it's happened the Muddy Pa has pulled it out once before). I have recurring nightmares of having to ferry kids down in my car to where the crossroads are and they change to the next bus into town.

Yesterday morning on my way to town I got a little excited as I approached our bus stop, the council workers were there, I started to do my little happy dance, then realised they weren't there for the gravel. They were replacing a perfectly good black and white sign with a new bigger black and white sign. Given our road only has two houses at the end of it and we are the only people (other than visitors and the postman) who use the road in my opinion it's a waste of time and money. Maybe there's a new law I don't know about that says the black and white signs must be a certain size, maybe it's an RTA thing, but for 2 council workers to come out, remove the old (perfectly good) sign and bang in an extra 2 new posts and hang up the new sign, to me it's a waste. I'd rather have my load of gravel! My preference (if council cared to ask) is to do everything possible to avoid getting the school bus bogged, to help get the kids to school and to avoid me being a taxi for those 40 kids when it does get bogged so they don't miss the next bus! I know if it does get bogged it won't be council workers pulling it out it will be Muddy Hubby on the tractor!

I know it's a small issue, I know I shouldn't get so worked up about it. However when you have a council that is continually crying poor and telling us they need to up our rates by 50% (I kid you not) then it really makes me wonder why they would spend money doing something like this. I can cope with muddy shoes and the fear of the bus getting bogged and go without the gravel, but did they really have to make me cranky by replacing a perfectly good sign.

Our flash new sign

View from the bus stop on a warm summer morning

Did you have similar issues with your local council? How do you tackle your council problems?

Sharpest Pencil in the Ice Bucket

For AGES and AGES I have been struggling with the girls craft and drawing, struggling with it being spread from one end of the house to the other, struggling with their individual craft boxes they were given as presents by a well meaning family member. These boxes, while much loved, have finally given up the ghost, with sides ripped and lids lost. Their loss has given me the perfect opportunity to bring some order back into at least the colouring in stuff.

On my last trip into the largest town nearby I popped into the Bag a Bargain $2 shop (you know the ones I mean where you can find anything from feminine hygiene products in brands you've never heard of, to really tacky ashtrays with the Australian Flag plastered all over them) to see what I could find. The pencil tins and pots I had been thinking of were all gaudy with decorations that would quickly fall off and annoy me no end. I then happened upon these lovely 'mini champagne buckets' as they were labelled. They were just what I was looking for and the Muddy Kids love them. So much so, that next time I'm in town I plan on picking up a couple more to further organise the craft area.

The added benefit has been it has kept the Muddy Girls entertained for hours (literally hours) sharpening pencils and sorting crayons, deciding which ice bucket to put them in, and 'Is it sharp enough' as they sharpen them to within an inch of their life. They've been re-inspired to get back into the colouring in, and it has been a daily activity ( several times throughout the day). I'm now looking for new storage ideas for the rest of the craft paraphernalia and am looking for any suggestions as to how you keep order in the chaos of craft.