Exhibit A

I present to you, Exhibit A (below) as evidentary proof that my secondary school Home Economics teacher (Mrs Rob.) should have spent less time teaching us about Generation Y (whose significance on society I have long fogotten) and much, MUCH more time on showing us how to ice a birthday cake for our five year old daughters. Perhaps I was sick that day?

It is, as Kate requested, heart shaped, but it is there that the similarity to the imagined concotion of delight that I envisioned and reality ended. I endevoured to make a rainbow cake, with delightful swirls of colour banded throughout the cake (I have to say I followed no instructions!) but instead it seems to resemble the ice cream pies that we used to make as kids (stirred and semi melted icecream with hundreds and thousands; no wonder our mother used to walk away!). Baked fine, definatley edible (if you close your eyes).....husband brought home the requested marshmallows so that I could decorate with delightful flowers as depicted in the ever misleading Australian Women's Weekly Book of Impossibly to Replicate Birthday Cakes. However he melted them on the way home (a whole other post!) So, me thought, I can do something ELSE creative.....which has lead to the frighteningly pink and rather poorly crafted cake as seen above. I know that she won't care, as long as it has five candles on it, but I rather wanted to have made a cake that was fitting to grace the pages of Donna Hay or feature as part of our life in the bush in Australian Country Style.

Anyhow, it shall be consumed in fine style tomorrow as we spend our Australia Day morning on the banks of the hopefully still running river, dipping our toes in its crystal waters and slapping away the odd five thousand mossies and sandflies.

Resolution

I don't normally make New Year's Resolutions (apart from the constant ones nagging at the back of my mind - clean the house more -eat better food - loose weight....you get my drift!) but I have decided 2008 will HAVE to be the year that I become more organised. Mostly because Kate starts school in a week's time, and that in itself is going to make me keep on top of things so that she gets to school on time, wearing clean knickers and uniform and with a prepared lunch.

The other reason, apart from the fact that I am eternally behind in my bookwork, was that I discovered a what a huge amount of photos I had taken since May 2007 and NOT PRINTED! I won't tell you how many (its a bit like revealing one's weight, or age, or bra size!) but suffice to say, I will henceforth be downloading cameras, editing, culling and having photos printed religiously each month. I shall also be spending an inordinate amount of time sorting and putting away the last seven months worth of photos when they return from the photo printing place.

Anyhoo, in other scandalously exciting news, I thought I would share with you what my sister in law made me for my recent birthday (the one that the kids believe I turned 30 yet again.."your number is 30 isn't it Mum?" ...they are big on owning numbers at the moment, ie Kate's number is four, nearly five; Georgie's number is three). It doesn't look like this anymore after an overhaul, I wore it so much I wore the silver off the letters. I like the newer version better, its got more of those gorgeously yummy glass beads.

I also wanted to share one of the projects undertaken (well actually the only project really! couldn't convince him to bring home any more pavers) over the Christmas break - paving under the bauhinia tree. This is something that I have wanted to do for some time, and I am so pleased with the outcome. Trevor, the one who whinged and whined and told me how much effort and time it was going to take, now lays claim to the whole thing, as it didn't take much of either! I plan to plant some little daisy flowers around the tree.

I did have big plans to do some scrapbooking tonight, as the girls are visiting granma (marvellous how just a few hours without that NOISE has soothed my soul already!) but the insects are so bad I think I shall have to turn the lights out and watch some TV instead. More rain a'coming I do so believe.

Off to dream of a more organised life....with colour coded index tabs!

Hello There!

Its been awhile, hasn't it! Obviously, if you are reading this, you know that I have moved over from http://www.thequietlife.blog.com/ to here. Not quite the same address, but hopefully you will find this quicker to load.

Just a quick post, will be back with what we have been up to later, and of course more insight into the world of madness that is when you have three kids under five years of age.

Been doing some scrapbooking over the "holidays" whilst Trevor has been about and I have been feeling relaxed (none of the usual bookwork or laundry went away, but like I said it has been a HOLIDAY!) ....so I thought I would share these with you. That's real hair on the haircut one, have had that tucked away for quite a while wondering what I was going to do with it!

Also, go and check out this for pretty and affordable beaded bracelets - one for each outfit! The website is still a work in progress, but still you can see her work and details.

http://www.preciouspretties.blogspot.com/

And not to blow my own trumpet (ahem!) I created the simple little header for her. Pretty basic but I think it turned out allright!

Best go and remove my snoring husband from the couch (perhaps I should leave him there considering the snoring?!) He's back to work tomorrow after over a week of wet weather having him at home....not nearly as many odd jobs completed as I would have thought!

See you again soon!