Testing...Testing...1..2...3

I spent yesterday afternoon in the park with Boo testing out some of the settings on my new camera...here's some of the results....

I am so lucky to have one willing little model...I just wish she'd stop still a moment longer sometimes!

Feeling Like S**T!

Yesterday Lollys class (Senior O) had a folio / open morning for the parents to come in and take a look at what they are up to in the classroom. Mondays are busy, busy days at work for me...and even though I work at the school the girls attend there was no way possible that I could get the morning off to attend. I had already spoken to her teachers about coming in sometime this week and looking at her folio...but yesterday....this girl....this gorgeous, loving girl pulled some major attitude and made me feel like the worst mother in the world.

She saw me running messages while her class was sharing morning tea with the parents that did attend...she came up with tears in her eyes and asked why I didn't come up to her classroom. When I tried explaining to her that I had to work and I couldn't get away....she hit me with "You could have made an effort!" right before turning on her heel and flouncing off!

I stood there with my jaw hanging and feeling like I could just burst into tears. This is the third year I have worked at their school...and until now both of them were ok with me not being able to attend when I had to work. I felt terrible...I still feel terrible.

Rusty Pickles and Pirates

Last night I joined some other Chooks and headed of to Scrap of Difference at Brassall to take part in a Rusty Pickle workshop. The workshop was run by Lance Anderson one of the owners of the company.

We had a blast....Lance is a fantastic teacher and the products are great to work with. We all got to make this a little mini album using the new Captain Jack range of papers...

Front Cover

Pages 1 & 2

Pages 3 & 4 (page 4 opens up and becomes a double layout)

Insert between pages 3 & 4

Pages 5 & 6

Insert 1 between pages 5 & 6

Insert 2 between pages 5 & 6

Pages 7 & 8

Pages 9 & 10

Back Cover

You can check out some photos of us Chooks at the event here in the Chookscraps Photo Album.

Tag You're It

1. What time did you get up this morning? 3am
2. Diamonds or Pearls ? Diamonds
3.What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Devil Wears Prada
4. What is your favourite TV show? Miami Ink, American Chopper, Mythbusters and Big Brother when its on
5. What did you have for breakfast? So far only coffee...but I am thinking peanut butter toast is looking pretty good
6. What is your middle name? Tracy
7. What is your favourite cuisine? Italian
8. What foods do you dislike? sausages....oh and pumpkin pie
9. Your favourite potato chip? cheezels or cheetos
10. What is your favourite CD at the moment? Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch
11. What kind of car do you drive? 2000 Honda CRV Silver
12. Favourite sandwich? Corned meat and relish on fresh bread
13. What characteristics do you despise? Racism, bigitory, meanness
14. Favourite item of clothing? my pj's
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Tuscan, Italy
16. What colour is your bathroom? Blue..but not for long...my new one will be green and cream
17. Favourite brand of clothing? No favourite brand
18. Where would you want to retire to? No idea
19. Favourite time of day? 7pm when the girls and I climb into bed for story time
20. Where were you born? Rockhampton
21. Favourite Sports to watch? Huh? Watch sport...who does that?
22. Who do you least expect to do this back? Kandlenut
23. Person who will respond first? Not sure
24. What laundry detergent do you use? Spree Lavendar
25. Coke or Pepsi? Coke...Diet Coke
26. Are you a morning person or night owl? early bird for sure
27. What size shoe do you wear? 8 and a half
28. Favourite animal? Frogs
29. Any news you'd like to share with everyone? I am going to a scrapbook workshop run by Lance Anderson (Rusty Pickle)
30. What did you want to be when you were little? A pre-school teacher
31. Favourite candy bar? Reeces peanut butter cups or Nestle Milo bars
32. What are your favourite childhood memories? My brother and I getting on our bikes and riding for miles
33. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? Despatch Clerk, Telstra telephone exchange, teacher - library aide, mum!
34. What colour underwear are you wearing? Light pink....why?
35. Nicknames: Jibii but only by the people I know online
36. Piercing? One at the very top of my right ear
37 Eye colour? Blue
38. Ever been to Africa ? No
39. Ever been toilet papering? Nope
40. Ever loved someone so much it made you cry? Yes my kids every day
41. Ever been in a car accident? yes
.42. Favourite restaurant? Weiss Resturant Toowoomba
45. Favourite ice cream? not a big ice cream fan
46. Favourite flower? Gerbras and daffodils
47. Disney or Warner Brothers? Warner Bros (only cause they are Keanu fans ;) )
48. Favourite fast food restaurant? Our local fish and chip shop
49. What colour is your bedroom carpet? beige
50. How many times did you take your drivers test? Once
51. Before this one, from whom did you get your last email? Martha
52. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? My local scrap store
53. What do you do most often when you are bored? watch movies
54. Bedtime? Around 8ish
55. Who are you most curious about their responses to this questionnaire? Everyone
56. Last person you went to dinner with? Crockett and the girls
57. What are you listening to right now? Kandlenut sneezing in my ear
59. What is your favourite colour? navy blue
60. Lake, Ocean or River? ocean
61. How many tattoos do you have? none
62. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Who knows!
63. How many people are you sending this Email to? none cause I am blogging it
64. Who sent this to you and what is something you didn't know about him/her? Natalie....I know that she is one hell of a determined woman!
65. What materialistic thing would you ask for if you had one wish to make? My trip to Tuscany!
66. Time you finished this email? 6.29am

I tag you all...if you don't have a blog email it to me...if you are blogging it leave a note in my comments to let me know you've done it.

Wedding Photos

Yesterday we went to a beautiful wedding of a gorgeous young couple that we know. I thought I'd share some photos here.....

Crockett and ILolly and BooThe groom and his men
The beautiful brideMeet and greetThe grooms brother and sisterBoo and M. (who had both been flowergirls at the grooms sisters wedding two years ago)Lolly and H. (best friends since birth)The grooms parentsAwwww....she asked Crockett to dance for the bridal waltz.
The cakes
Crockett and I (again)J and C we wish you a long, happy, healthy marriage!

Somedays I know just how the cow feels...

Castle Zoo Book Club

Each inhabitant of this zoo is an avid reader. The zoo is littered with books, papers, magazines, and printouts that we have read, are reading or are waiting to read.

Crockett reads books and journals on aviation, navies, trains, birds and Australia. Boo is really starting to get into reading by herself and loves short stories about animals, as well as books about snakes, sharks and pigs. Lolly loves to read novels about animals and dragons. As for me, I read anything....novels, non-fiction, magazines, how to books, and at the moment books about autism.

Our school is big on reading with your children. This not only includes listening to them read, but reading to them and reading with them. For both Boo and Lolly this is a major part of their homework. This has brought about a new nightly routine in the zoo.

Come 7pm feeding time is over in the zoo and the remote control for the TV is handed over to Crockett. The girls and I go snuggle into mum and dads bed and the fun starts.

Boo brings home enough library books so that we get a new story each night. Sometimes she reads her book to Lolly and I...sometimes I read it to both of them...but more often than not we read Boos books as a team. Boo will read some parts, I'll read others...and Lolly (as we have recently discovered) does amazing "voices" for all the characters in the stories. We discuss the books, we laugh, and we all feel a lot better for it.

Lolly brings home readers that she usually reads by herself in the last 30 minutes before her "lights out" time. She has started bringing home one library book a week for me to read to her. I love this time...she was starting to think that she was to big to be read to...but her teachers this year are pushing the fact that you are never too old to be read to. We have just finished reading a Tim Winton book called "Blueback" which has opened up discussions about pollution, whaling, illegal fishing activities, urban development, global warming and the effects these activities have on our oceans.

I love this time with the girls. Its a time to just relax and be, its a time to bond and share, a time to grow closer through a shared love. This is one nightly routine that I won't be in a hurry to let go of!

You Were A Little Girl in the 70's if......

Kandles mum sent me this in an email and I got a real chuckle out of all the things I do remember....how many of them triggered memories for you?

• You Were A Little Girl in the 70's if...

You had that Fisher Price Doctor's Kit with a stethoscope that actually worked.

You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it.
You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels.

You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute (admit it!) ! You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island.
You had either a "bowl cut" or "pixie", not to mention the "Dorothy Hamill". People sometimes thought you were a boy. You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days. You owned a "Slip-n-Slide", on which you injured yourself on a sprinkler head more than once.
You owned "Klick-Klacks" and smacked yourself in the face more than once !?
Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession.
You wore a poncho. You begged Santa for the electronic game, Simon.
You had the Donnie and Marie dolls with those pink and purple satiny shredded outfits, or the sunshine family.
You spent hours in your backyard on your metal swing set with the trapeze. The swing set tipped over at least once.
You had a pair of Doctor Scholl's sandals (the ones with hard sole & the buckle).
You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on the Prairie-inspired plaid, ruffle shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture; and you despised Nellie Oleson! ? ?

PONG! ("video tennis" ) was the most remarkable futuristic game you've ever heard of !

Your hairstyle wa s described as having "wings" or "feathers" and you kept it "pretty" with the comb you kept in your back pocket. When you walked, the "wings" flapped up and down, looked like you were gonna "take off"

You know who Strawberry Shortcake is, as well as her friends, Blueberry Muffin and Huckleberry Pie.

You carried a Muppets lunch box to school and it was metal, not plastic. With the thermos inside some were glass inside and broke the first time you dropped them.

You and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazzard was your boyfriend.

YOU had Star Wars action figures, too!

It was a big event in your household each year when the "Wizard of Oz" would come on TV. Your mom would break out the popcorn and sleeping bags!

You often asked your Magic-8 ball the question: "Who will I marry. Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, or David Cassidy?"

You completely wore out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame soundtrack record album.

You tried to do lots of arts and crafts, like yarn and Popsicle-stick God's eyes, decoupage, or those weird potholders made on a plastic loom.

You made Shrinky-Dinks and put iron-on kittens on your t-shirts!
You used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the speaker.

You had subscriptions to Smash Hits.

You learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume books. (Are you there God, It's me, Margaret.)

You thought Olivia Newton John's song "Physical" was about aerobics. (?? its not??)

You wore friendship pins on your tennis shoes, or shoelaces with heart or rainbow designs.

You wanted to be a member of the Young Talent Team.

You glopped your lips in Strawberry Roll-on lip-gloss till it almost dripped off.

Is there any more you can add?