Extraordinary mondays - Soulemama

Have you heard of Soulemama? If you haven't you really should go ahead and hop over to her blog. She is amazing. Selfless mother, crafter, homeschool teacher and writer of books. Avid knitter and cook. Reading her blog inspires me but at the same time tires me out!

On some level, I wish I was able to do what she does but one another more practical and realistic level, I like the career path I am traveling on, love the fact that I do get a little bit of time aside to do little things with the kids and am always a little ecstatic when I have time to myself (to be completely selfish). Although I may never write a craft book and could never imagine what it is like to stay home with the kids everyday, I am blessed and want for nothing. What more could a girl ask for!

Mini me

Amelia has just been most adorable today!! She's been potting around the house being a mini me , complete with putting IKEA furniture together and wearing high heels (technically, the heels are my sis-in-law's). I hope when the time comes, she won't be shying away from helping with the housework!

Give away a mammogram

The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle).

This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

CLICK AWAY!!!

Extraordinary mondays - Misty eyes

Today, my little baby Zach took his first steps to adulthood.

Okay, an exaggeration but today was his first day in Kindergarten and his first day where he is in a completely different place to anyone related to him. Today is the day that begins his story of his life away from home, where only he will know exactly what happens during his time away from us.

Were there tears at school? Absolutely none. Just pure excitement with a pinch of anxiety for familiar company at the start. He was so sweet, he asked if Amelia could stay with him. She would have loved to if she was allowed!

From what he told us, he had a great day. He says that school is NICE. He has already made a friend, Zac, on the simple basis that they share the same name and wants to invite him over to play with his dinosaurs.

He has also brought back his very first craft he made in school. A flag with his name and a picture he drew (which we are still trying to get him to tell us what it is of). One of many, I am sure. One of many which I will have to eventually make the decision to keep or to throw away.

Oh, I also got called a liar by Zach. When saying goodbye, I said that we will come pick him up later without thinking of going into the specifics that I had to go to work. When Khoa went to pick him up, he asked for me and said, "Mummy said that she was going to come pick me up". When they got home, he ran around the house looking for me and when he realised that I wasn't home, he said to Khoa, "Mummy is a liar" with tears in his eyes. Mental note to self, be specific with your soon-to-be four year old!

Zach is in bed now after his eventful day. Here I am feeling once again misty eyed thinking about the significance of this day. My first born in school. I was teary when Khoa and I said a prayer for Zach as he slept last night and as I watched him sleep peacefully. I guess I'm going to have lots more of these misty eyed days.

I'm going to miss my little baby boy.

Happy Australia Day!

So I've been in a hiatus. Well, that's not entirely true. I've been on a virtual hiatus. I've been pretty busy in real life.

I just spent an exhausting week in Canberra on a course that ran from 9am to 9:30pm for six days and went on a whirlwind visit to Melbourne.

But I am back home and ready to get back to the routine of normal life. Photos will come, promise.

Extraordinary Mondays - Of greetings and farewells

just another texas sunset, originally uploaded by jmtimages[in a cold mood...].

Today I celebrate the start of the 35th year of my life.

I start it with (in no particular order):

1. A house in transition (transition = messy house) as we are still in the progress of cleaning, culling and storing. (How does a family accumulate so much junk?)

2. A business idea put on hold.

3. New year resolutions which haven't even been made.

4. Terribly sore hands from putting IKEA furniture together all day yesterday and part of today. Yes, yes, I know, a drill would have been better but we couldn't find it in the MESS known as our shed and by the time we found it, we were almost done.

5. A VERY yummy picnic/BBQ thanks to my sis-in-law, Tina.

6. Most of all, I bid farewell to a wonderful year behind me and almost shiver with anticipation with what this year will bring me.

Life is extraordinary!

Incredible Hong Kong

For those who haven't had the opportunity to visit Hong Kong, I offer you a little pictorial taste of the vibrant city. I must qualify this by saying that I hardly ventured beyond the city's boundary except to visit Macau. I am sure there is much more to explore and I shall be doing that when I am next in Hong Kong.

First stop, the Peak. The view of the city from the Peak is breath taking. The more iconic buildings are the Bank of China by IM Pei (the building to with the criss cross on it) and Hong Kong Shanghai Bank by Sir Norman Foster (two buildings to the left of Bank of China). I must warn you: to get this view, you actually have to pay to access the viewing deck. I'm a little too commercialised for me but I did so want to see the view!

Next stop, Hong Kong by night. This is a definite must: take a tram down the main street and enjoy the sights. You will pass Wan Chai district, which is famous for its illuminated signs that hang over the street vying for attention.


Third stop, the laser light show. Every night at 8pm, the city puts on a laser light show that last approximately 15 minutes. Check out the details of the show here. The night we were there with the kids, they were having a dress rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the East Asian Games. The laser show was complete with junks, boats representing the participating countries and fireworks!

Another must is the yummy seafood in all the colours of the weird and wonderful. We were taken by a good friend to the most famous seafood restaurant in Sai Kung, Chuen Kee Seafood Restaurant. This is the place where most of the Hong Kong stars go to eat if they want seafood. For more pictures and information, visit Foodnut's review of it here.

To order much of your dishes, you stand before the array of aquariums as you can see below and you pick out what you'd like to eat and tell the staff how you would like to have it cooked. A little barbaric for the vegetarians but definitely an experience. The range of seafood is the largest I have ever seen!

Another must see is Disneyland, even if you don't have kids. The park is the smaller of the Disneylands and it makes a perfect one day outing. Amelia and Zach absolutely loved the rides and us adults really enjoyed the shows. (Okay, I admit, I loved the rides too!) Oh, did I mention that there is a fireworks display every night at Sleeping Beauty Castle?

Oh and of course when in between these attractions, you shop Shop SHOP! But the best thing of all was the time spent together having fun as a family. There are loads to do in Hong Kong for family with kids. Amelia and Zach are at the age where they are quite transportable in prams and having my parents with us on the trip was definitely an added blessing!