How to make girls happy !

It was VERY early on a Tuesday morning, 2:30am to be precise when Andre arrived home. He had driven home from Yanbu - was expecting him mid-morning, but I guess maybe the incentive to get home quicker was more than he could ignore hehehe. Needless to say there were three very happy girls in our house Tuesday ! After three weeks, we were starting to forget what he looked like hehehe.

Wednesday was C-day for me...... Sick and tired with my hair, I arranged for a hairdresser to come to the house and off came about 4 inches. I am feeling much better about it although getting used to it being in a kindof style not just long and straight. And most importantly I guess, the boy is happy - had threatened to shave it again hehehe and he seriously requested I don't go shorter than my shoulder. So shoulder it was ! Not the best photos but you get the idea, before & after !

Thursday, it was up early to sit on the causeway for 90minutes. We needed to go and book tickets for Thailand. I would be going to our annual NESA teacher's conference being held in Bangkok again this year but, this year, the family would be coming along ! So we're booked, Andre will be heading back to Yanbu for the whole month of March but will return in time for us to spend a week in Thailand together.

And now its Friday. Some of us enjoyed watching the first game of Super 14 round two this morning - Andre and I had predicted different teams to win hehehe his won :(

And then it was off outside for the girls to ride - Steven you asked for photos and here they are ! Lucy needed to start riding a two wheeler, didn't go as well as we'd hoped, still very hesitant but maybe she'll try again later.

and now for something completely different ....

So this blog is mostly about how we as a family are all doing and what we're up to. Considering my darling husband who was meant to be involved with authoring it has left it completely up to me, I'm gonna take this opportunity to spring a few of my thoughts on the world.

Tomorrow marks nine whole years since my father was shot outside a post office in Westmead. Now this post could go in to a whole guilt issue I have but I guess thats for another post. Today I am plagued with thoughts of how reliant I am on male opinion. Not the place most women would like to believe they stand, but what can you do !?
You see the 31st of October this year, marked a year since getting the news that Bruce, my principal at that stage had died the night before. Until that stage I hadn't really realized just how lucky I was. Unlike my siblings, who I am sure felt the untimely loss of our father just as much as did, I seemed to gain Bruce. A good friend said to me last week when talking about a lost loved one "they (meaning the loved one) sent xxxxx to her, they knew what she needed and they found the perfect person to take their place". Strangely this was the day after Bruce's anniversary and so it started me thinking. My father had sent me Bruce. Here I was in a very strange country, no extended family around, about to start a new and at that stage very scary job, and I needed him. He couldn't be with me in person so he found me someone just like him. Now I could also believe it was my Heavenly Father but well that just perpetuates the male opinion issue doesn't it hehehe.
You see as I sit here tonight dreaming back to where I was nine years ago and all that has happened since then, just the same as I sat almost two weeks ago, it is bittersweet. I have both heart-wrenchingly sad memories of both men but more than anything I have those skip-a-heartbeat happy memories.
Both men were my go-to when I needed confirmation or opinion on plans, I could vent and moan - although not too much because I knew they'd put me back in my place lickety-split :) I was pushed by both, they had confidence in me and all that I could be and made me realize I was the only one holding myself back.
As I sit here singing their praises and feeling just a little angry at both of them for skipping out on me, I am ok with the idea that as a woman I felt the need, sheesh still do need a man to tell me I can do it - whatever the "it" might be.

Maybe its because I can also say thanks to my amazing mom and sisters and wonderful friends for their examples of how a woman can standup for anything in this world, who knows hehehehe.
And lest my fabulous brother and darling husband feel left out, I couldn't continue without you either !

But seriously, thankyou to all the wonderful people past, present and future who have and will play a part in my existence, I could only wish my daughters have similar.

Daddy, it doesn't feel like a day has passed, I miss you just as much as ever.

November...

...brings cooler weather, bonfires and.....bubbles !
Well November arrived and the weather has definitely turned, the girls are wearing long pants to school some days, making sure they have a jacket/sweater with them and sore throats and stuffy noses are the order of the day.
Wednesday night saw our compound celebrating Guy Fawkes with a bonfire. It was a very pleasant evening to be outside, weather was perfect and the kids had a ball running around.

Thursday morning we just relaxed at home before joining Ashton and Gary in town late afternoon/evening. Gary arrived in kingdom on Saturday and so had to get out to get some stuff for home.
Friday was the time for bubbles, car washing and updating the blog :)

Needless to say we are more than happy with the change in weather as we enjoy the just warm, just cool time outside !

Bangkok & Halloween

As many of you may know I headed off to Bangkok for a NVS conference on Sunday night. Well first up aren't they so nice to arrange a conference in such a wonderful spot hehehe. We arrived at about lunchtime (Bangkok time) after a very noisy and uncomfortable flight only to find our rooms were not ready. They offered to give us upgraded rooms - but at our cost :( naturally we declined. We were told we'd have to wait at least 90minutes....mmmm now isn't that convenient, meant we could nip down the street to a fabulous little massage place I frequented the last time I was here. Ahhhh just what the doctor ordered, a 60 minute foot massage - includes about 10minutes of back and shoulder for only 250Baht. Of course we had time for a little shopping before heading back to get settled into our rooms. By this stage we're more than a little peckish (4:30 Bangkok) so we meet at the restaurant for late lunch early dinner and surprise surprise, I have pork chops :) a little more of heaven. Then its perfect timing for us to walk about a bit more shop shop shop, pick up some cokes, beers and snacks from the 7-11 and well on our way back to the hotel, who wouldn't stop for a massage before heading up to bed ?! The next two days spent conferencing, very long but enriching days. Wednesday night, drinks with friends - all the administrators had arrived for their section of the conference and .........another foot massage :) Thursday morning its up early, last breakfast to include pork products for a while, and out shopping. And then its off to the airport and home to family.
mmmmmm I love Bangkok, hopefully the family will join me in April for the Spring conference and we can enjoy some of the sight seeing touristy things together then. And of course I shall introduce them to the magic of massage !

And now today, we have spent preparing for Halloween. The compound was holding the children's party along with trick-or-treating today so we had all the decorating to do. The girls were involved in the design of their pumpkins but mom and dad had the joy of carving and cleaning. As much as I tried to get them to stick their hands in and scoop out the inards.....no way josé hehehe I took the girls to the party while André got sorted at home and while I type this up, he has taken them out in the neighbourhood with the warning that "when the buckets are full, we come home !" hehehe

So we're home with our stash of candy now, sadly not too many visitors to our house. Mom and dad say sadly although its a given Aimee and Lucy our eyeing the cauldron still full of all the goodies to give out to continue topping up their own hehehe.
School is celebrating Halloween on Wednesday so there will surely be more photos then but for now ......Happy Halloween !

Who needs pillows....

Who needs pillows when you have a well padded mommy to lie against hehehe.

Hi Ho Hi Ho its off to work we go

Its just busy busy busy busy busy here, so much to do and not enough hours in the day.
We are so pleased to have started the year with increased enrollment but sadly not enough teachers - any takers out there ???
Other than this, well there's not much time for anything else. Maybe in a few weeks it'll quieten down - we hope so anyway.

Going back in time a little ....

Okay so the days and well weeks leading up to my departure to SA for the study trip were pretty hectic.

We had a Family Carnival on the Wednesday evening before I left and some stupid twit got coerced into being put into the dunk tank.

Here with are photos of the trauma which my husband and children got great delight in witnessing :)

(and no those glasses were not a personal fashion statement !)

Of course the girls got to enjoy some jumping castle time, sadly mom was a little too soaked to join in :boohoo:

Oooo and the girls both joined in a mini-performance of a song or three learned in music class.

I'm off !

Okay so there hasn't been a posting in almost 2 weeks but I have an excuse. I leave today on our Student Study Trip to South Africa and Swaziland and well its been a little hair-raising. We have 11 students travelling on the trip ranging from 12-14 years old. We've had issues with getting visas but the real biggie was Tuesday night when I got a phonecall to say even though I had tickets issued and paid for, they had been cancelled. Gulf Air was stopping all long haul flights. Now we'd heard this was happening, it'd been in the news, but then they issued me tickets so ..... (In the news is that they are heavily in debt !) So mad scamble to find tickets Wednesday for our Friday departure ! We have tickets albeit $200 more per student - you can imagine how disgusted and angry I am with Gulf Air at the moment !
We leave at 5pm today and will be back late in Saturday the 12th. Expect an update then because somehow I can't see André getting on here inbetween making sure the girls don't demolish the house or kill each other and well then there's work too hehehe
Check out our itinery on the link above if you're interested.
Have a great week everyone.

Chickenpox......what a spring break we're having !

How ADD am I ?
While sitting in an ADD session this afternoon with Dr. Ned Hallowell I received an sms from André asking what chicken pox looked like ! He was waiting outside the pharmacy - prayer time - to find out what the pharmacist had to say. Take a look at our "Calomine Kid" and you can see, their verdict hehehe

Had to laugh, Dr. Hallowell was absolutely fabulous, in fact it was at last year's conference in Bangkok that I first heard him and ....Wow ! But while I was listening to his presentation, I was texting back and forth with André and heheheh I actually could focus more while doing that than when I was just listening and taking notes ! How ADD am I !

GREECE

Greetings from a sunny Greece. Its Friday and although I have been pretty slack lately, thought I would get back to routine and post :)
I arrived last night for a teachers conference. Its our Spring Break at school - we always try and work our calendar around the NESA Spring conference :) Andre has taken a little leave to be with the girls while I am away. So that covers the....I am here on my own bit.
Well the flight over was okay, of course I sat next to a rather large fellow who was practically sitting on top of me - this of course meant I got no sleep and was a tad uncomfortable as he snored his head off. He also had a strange habit of shreading the plane supplied earphones hehehe
Oh well off to the airport and settle in.
We took a walk past the hotel to find a spot to eat. Managed to find The Roxy Palace - a 24hr adult entertainment place - decided to give it a miss.... at least for tonight hehehe
Up this morning, glorious sunny day. Off to breakfast, register for the conference and then out sightseeing.
We went to the Acropolis, stood on the hill Paul preached from (majority of the photos, with friends from school), walked through the Plaka (shopping area), walked in to the Greek Cathedral and finally made a stop at the Parliment buildings to see the changing of the guard outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Busy busy day :)

Now starts our walk through the buidlings and down to the Plaka.

And now to the Parliment buildings and the changing of the guard.

Off to Hardrock Café now for some dinner and conference conference conference tomorrow.