A sandy situation ...

Today Christopher's school class went to a Surf Lifesaving Day at Terrigal beach. It was primarily to teach the kids sound beach skills - swim between the flags, how to get themselves out of a rip, basic lifesaving skills, suncare plus a few beach games - volleyball and races thrown in for good measure. Sound like fun??

In car on way home after school ....

Me - So how was it?

CJ - Oh it was alright I guess.

Me - Only alright? So what was wrong?

CJ - the sand.

Me - Oh !!! (Smiling) So you're not a beach person then?

CJ - Nah - there's too much sand and there are way too many dangerous things.

Me - OK so I guess you prefer to be in a swimming pool then.

CJ - Yeah, a pool is much more fun and nothing dangerous there except drowning.


Yep guess drowning would take the fun right out of it !!!

Going around in my head ....

Ever have a song go around and around in your head and nothing you seem to do can get rid of it? I've had one of those cases this week after watching "The Sound of Music" for about the 50th time with my son over the weekend. This song has stuck and I find myself sitting in the car at traffic lights humming away or standing under the shower belting out a few bars. So what to do for therapy? - create a layout of course.

About being thankful ...

Obviously we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in Australia but a number of my online American friends have been doing thankful posts on their blogs these past weeks sharing what they are thankful for. I really like this concept so today I will share what I am grateful for.

John probably deserves my heartfelt gratitude.

I don't say it near often enough but I'm thankful for him almost daily; for the way he supports us as a family and provides for us, for his generosity, his interaction with both children, for putting up with me. I'm thankful for his ability to put together a meal, and I'm thankful to his mother for raising him to help around the house. I'm thankful for his hard working nature, his integrity, his support and encouragement.

I'm thankful for our two healthy children and their different ambitions and personalities. Even when they are sulky, talking back, inconsiderate, annoying, leaving wet towels on the floor, tuning out when I talk to them, living in a pig sty, whinging about doing homework, yelling for me from across the house, etc. Even then, especially then, I am thankful to have them in my life.

I'm thankful for sunrises and sunsets, flowers, rain and brightly coloured birds.
I'm thankful for hot, steamy showers and cozy flannel sheets in winter.
I'm thankful for a good cup of tea and homemade biscuits.
For TV re-runs, music and really good books.
For fast internet service and online forums.

I'm thankful for the opportunities I've had in this life, for friendships made. I'm thankful that I am who I am.

Digital dabbling ....

I seem to be doing more and more layouts digitally. Probably because I have been doing a few projects lately that seem to work best in digital format. Of course pulling together a layout example of the Friday sketch to post along with my Get Teased challenge on Get It Scrapped! may have something to do with it too.

Here are just a couple of the ones I've put together recently.

Heading on up the road ....

Headed up the freeway this morning to Cooranbong for another day of scrapping - yes I have a problem !!!

This was with Catherine Duffy and we did her Christmas workshop; in we I mean with friends Robyn and Jo. It was a lovely day and this gorgeous little bucket was a lot of fun to make - I've pinched Catherine's picture as I still have a few finishing touches to put on mine.

Spent the weekend in Port Stephen's attending the first Kim Archer Scrapbooking Retreat. The weather was cool and with light drizzle for much of the weekend with the sun finally coming out on Sunday morning. My feelings were similar. I was expecting a lot and value for the large $$ outlay the weekend cost me and to be honest I can't say it totally delivered for me. There were some aspects that were great however there were some things I felt weren't; it was a shame really as a lot of time and effort was put into it by the organisers but I just felt they were preoccupied with all the little things and didn't attend to the big picture enough. One of the biggest problems was that Kim picked a wedding reception venue rather than a conference venue and the lighting was terrible for close craft work. Rather than rectangular tables there were large round ones (with too many people placed per table) and just not enough room to spread out your work and supplies. She also badly estimated the time that would be spent on each workshop so there was this constant feeling of being rushed and not being able to give enough attention to detail to your work. Hope she manages to iron out the bugs for next year's participants.

Lost in translation ...

I was talking to John (still at work) on the phone the other afternoon. We were discussing the evenings activities and whether he would be home on time and if I should pick up some takeway on my way back from Christopher's swimming. He asked me what time swimming started. "Quarter to six", I replied.

"No it doesn't Mum", came the quick response from Christopher (aka Mr Big Ears) who was listening in. "It starts at 5.45".

OK !! Guess we can chalk this up as yet another system fast going the way of the dinosaur.