The Sep hols are nearly over.
We've survived a comparatively quiet second week with surprisingly few complaints and very little TV. In fact, the kids only started watching ABC Kids today (Thu). I'm very proud of them for this achievement.
So far, we've had lots of sleep-ins, meaning that J gets to daycare really late (11 am!). On days when she doesn't go to daycare, we have brekkie at 11 and lunch at 3.
Last night, Beth stayed up till midnight - for no particular reason.
The girls have been playing together nicely.
Beth has done some Excel English and Math assignments, Chinese reading and writing and (occasionally) practised the piano. I think that visit to our neighbour has reassured her that she is not the only child who has to do extra work during holidays!
This weekend will be busy. Hubby and I are involved in the monthly market at church on Sat, then we get to visit our Filipino friends at their new home in the evening. There'll be karaoke! Beth has taken a shine to ABBA after we watched Mama Mia when we holidayed in Phillip Island, and is learning the songs through YouTube.
On Sunday evening, we'll be attending the Newcomers' Tea and bringing curry. It'll be a great time to get to know our newer HXUC members.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
It's a funny thing about life that you sometimes get what you want when you're not looking for it.
I've been struggling to tie my scarves in a way that will make me look groomed, instead of just cold. Normally I put the two ends together in a knot, but they sort of bulge out of my coat, or are too long and stick out under my jacket. Not a good look.
This morning, I just happened to find my silver-and-charcoal scarf which would go perfectly with my black top. I thought, 'Gee, this scarf's a bit long.' So I doubled it over and made a loop with the ends.
Voila! Perfect look. Perfect length. Scarf problem solved.
Serendipity is a beautiful thing.
Or as Polly says in the movie Mandie and the Secret Tunnel, "Ah do so looove providential timing!"
I've been struggling to tie my scarves in a way that will make me look groomed, instead of just cold. Normally I put the two ends together in a knot, but they sort of bulge out of my coat, or are too long and stick out under my jacket. Not a good look.
This morning, I just happened to find my silver-and-charcoal scarf which would go perfectly with my black top. I thought, 'Gee, this scarf's a bit long.' So I doubled it over and made a loop with the ends.
Voila! Perfect look. Perfect length. Scarf problem solved.
Serendipity is a beautiful thing.
Or as Polly says in the movie Mandie and the Secret Tunnel, "Ah do so looove providential timing!"
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Know Thy Neighbour
This has been an interesting week.
Yesterday, we chanced upon our neighbour S while Beth was pedalling down Elmes Court. S once introduced herself to me at school and mentioned that we are neighbours. She is a SAHM with three children. C, the eldest, is a lovely girl and a year senior to Beth at school. S is in kinder and the youngest, F, is two, with huge eyes (like most Indian children). They came for our church's car boot sale once and bought three paintings from Yvonne.
As I stood there chatting on the side of the road, S said she was home all day and invited us over for tea. I said yes. Her hospitality reminded me of my former neighbour Rukshanta (now living in Tarneit) whose home was always open to visitors. S took us on a tour of her house, where I admired the neat rectangular backyard, learned about planting coriander (seeds are better than seedlings), and discovered that her family are the new occupants of the house formerly owned by the cake decorating business The Cake Stand (if I'm not mistaken).
Hubby said no wonder there have been no recent complaints about Scottie barking. The former owner had apparently complained to Council that our dog barked excessively during the day. I remember we got quite annoyed at the time. I mean, of course Scottie barks; that's what dogs do if strangers walk past the house, and if they didn't we'd be surprised. But to say he barks excessively or unnecessarily - considering I'm home all day - is a bit much, cos he doesn't do that at all. But that's all water under the bridge now.
In the hour we spent at S's, I learned that there is at least one other family out there that insists on some structure to the children's lives and that children should not stop studying, even during school hols. There was a sheet of paper on the fridge listing out the time for each activity, and S told me she gives her daughter assignments to work on every day: English and Maths. This led to a comparison of Indian vs Aussie education systems and Beth was invited to borrow C's Grade 4 textbook that she's bought in India. Beth spent the afternoon in her room poring over the English, Math, Environmental and Moral Ed lessons and learning about the capitals of Pakistan, Nepal, India and Bangladesh.
This afternoon, I was cooking Beth an omelette when the doorbell rang.
I spied S through the glass - here they were, all four of them, because the kids had been talking about coming over since our visit yesterday!
It started off a little awkwardly but after Beth took the older ones to the games room, things just flowed naturally. S and I were able to sit down and have a chat.
When I'm chatting with someone, especially someone new, there are often gaps in the conversation where I just can't think of what to say. So we smile at each other. And I get uncomfortable. I really need to learn to just let go and enjoy the moment.
S says she feels lonely because her family's back in India and none of them come to visit.
I wonder how many migrant families in our community are going through this same tangled web of emotion?
Yesterday, we chanced upon our neighbour S while Beth was pedalling down Elmes Court. S once introduced herself to me at school and mentioned that we are neighbours. She is a SAHM with three children. C, the eldest, is a lovely girl and a year senior to Beth at school. S is in kinder and the youngest, F, is two, with huge eyes (like most Indian children). They came for our church's car boot sale once and bought three paintings from Yvonne.
As I stood there chatting on the side of the road, S said she was home all day and invited us over for tea. I said yes. Her hospitality reminded me of my former neighbour Rukshanta (now living in Tarneit) whose home was always open to visitors. S took us on a tour of her house, where I admired the neat rectangular backyard, learned about planting coriander (seeds are better than seedlings), and discovered that her family are the new occupants of the house formerly owned by the cake decorating business The Cake Stand (if I'm not mistaken).
Hubby said no wonder there have been no recent complaints about Scottie barking. The former owner had apparently complained to Council that our dog barked excessively during the day. I remember we got quite annoyed at the time. I mean, of course Scottie barks; that's what dogs do if strangers walk past the house, and if they didn't we'd be surprised. But to say he barks excessively or unnecessarily - considering I'm home all day - is a bit much, cos he doesn't do that at all. But that's all water under the bridge now.
In the hour we spent at S's, I learned that there is at least one other family out there that insists on some structure to the children's lives and that children should not stop studying, even during school hols. There was a sheet of paper on the fridge listing out the time for each activity, and S told me she gives her daughter assignments to work on every day: English and Maths. This led to a comparison of Indian vs Aussie education systems and Beth was invited to borrow C's Grade 4 textbook that she's bought in India. Beth spent the afternoon in her room poring over the English, Math, Environmental and Moral Ed lessons and learning about the capitals of Pakistan, Nepal, India and Bangladesh.
This afternoon, I was cooking Beth an omelette when the doorbell rang.
I spied S through the glass - here they were, all four of them, because the kids had been talking about coming over since our visit yesterday!
It started off a little awkwardly but after Beth took the older ones to the games room, things just flowed naturally. S and I were able to sit down and have a chat.
When I'm chatting with someone, especially someone new, there are often gaps in the conversation where I just can't think of what to say. So we smile at each other. And I get uncomfortable. I really need to learn to just let go and enjoy the moment.
S says she feels lonely because her family's back in India and none of them come to visit.
I wonder how many migrant families in our community are going through this same tangled web of emotion?
Sunday, September 26, 2010
How To Entertain the Kids During School Holidays
The first week of school hols has gone by in a blur.
Beth had a play date with her best friends on Monday, and I had the best of both worlds - peace for a few hours and a nice chat with the other mums over a cuppa.
Thu and Fri, we were at Phillip Island to see the little penguins (their current name, no more fairy penguins), marvel at cuddly koalas and see how people lived in the 1900's on Churchill Island.
Sat, we took the kids to their first ever Royal Melbourne Show, which hubby says is the first and last time because it's so ex, so commercialized (what's with the show bags?) and a bit disappointing after all the hype. We managed to save some by bringing our own lunch and limiting the kids to one show bag. Even then, I reckon we spent at least $50 on snacks and rides. Coming straight after Phillip Island, that was a bit painful on the pocket. Better planning next time!
In the evening, we had a BBQ for friends and family to mark my 40th. There was heaps of food, which means no cooking for the next few days. Hurray. Beth performed her assigned duties well: she handled the flower arrangements (with blooms picked from the garden) and managed the little ones - a 5 yo girl, a 3 yo boy and 妹妹. Not bad for an introvert.
Today, we had lunch with our friends the Kwoks and Phangs (minus Trudy and Steve, unfortunately). The kids entertained themselves, which freed the adults to catch up without interruption (very rare!) and swap stories, parenting tips and thoughts on complex issues like Suzanne Cory High School and the importance of LOTE. Had an enjoyable time with some very fine folks.
It will be interesting to see how we manage with a relatively quiet second week.
Beth had a play date with her best friends on Monday, and I had the best of both worlds - peace for a few hours and a nice chat with the other mums over a cuppa.
Thu and Fri, we were at Phillip Island to see the little penguins (their current name, no more fairy penguins), marvel at cuddly koalas and see how people lived in the 1900's on Churchill Island.
Sat, we took the kids to their first ever Royal Melbourne Show, which hubby says is the first and last time because it's so ex, so commercialized (what's with the show bags?) and a bit disappointing after all the hype. We managed to save some by bringing our own lunch and limiting the kids to one show bag. Even then, I reckon we spent at least $50 on snacks and rides. Coming straight after Phillip Island, that was a bit painful on the pocket. Better planning next time!
In the evening, we had a BBQ for friends and family to mark my 40th. There was heaps of food, which means no cooking for the next few days. Hurray. Beth performed her assigned duties well: she handled the flower arrangements (with blooms picked from the garden) and managed the little ones - a 5 yo girl, a 3 yo boy and 妹妹. Not bad for an introvert.
Today, we had lunch with our friends the Kwoks and Phangs (minus Trudy and Steve, unfortunately). The kids entertained themselves, which freed the adults to catch up without interruption (very rare!) and swap stories, parenting tips and thoughts on complex issues like Suzanne Cory High School and the importance of LOTE. Had an enjoyable time with some very fine folks.
It will be interesting to see how we manage with a relatively quiet second week.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
How We (Almost) Acquired A New Dog
Last night was another peaceful evening in the Tan household.
Until we heard a strange noise in the backyard.
It was a noise unlike any other - not human, but not an identifiable animal either. In fact, it sounded spooky.
Hubby and I looked at each other and the first thing I said was, "Let Scottie in."
Scottie is our 9 yo miniature schnauzer and king of the backyard. He comes indoors when it gets dark, or if it's raining or cold.
We could tell Scottie didn't much like the disturbance in his territory either, though he wasn't making much of a fuss compared to our neighbours' dog, who sounded like there was an intruder in the vicinity.
When hubby went outdoors to investigate, what did he find but this gorgeous black puppy, who was whining (the source of the strange noise) and positively terrified because it was clearly lost.
Hubby brought it indoors; I called for the kids to come and see.
Beth and J were beside themselves with excitement.
"Aww it's so cute. Can we keep it?" the 3 yo wanted to know.
The frightened pup climbed into a cardbox box that had a towel in it, and I wondered aloud about getting some warm milk. It was just like in Beth's school readers: child finds lost puppy... child looks after puppy and everyone is happy...
While J played with the puppy, I took this 33 sec video.
Then we heard a commotion out on the main street.
Voices shouting...Voices approaching.
"Maybe someone has lost their puppy," I said. Hubby opened the door and went out into the street as two people drew nearer, calling out something we couldn't hear. It was obvious they were looking for the puppy.
"Have you lost a puppy?" asked hubby.
"Yes!"
It was our neighbour from across the street, followed by her teenage son. She explained that she'd gone out to get herself a dog and seen some pups that had been badly treated and she'd bought the lot. Seven of them. She's now looking for homes for them.
"I opened the garage door and four of them ran out."
"We found him. He came in through our backyard," said hubby.
"Oh thank you, thank you!" exclaimed the teenager. You could tell he was so relieved; I'm guessing he must really like dogs.
So the girls had to give up their dream of a puppy. J was particularly reluctant to return the puppy.
But at least we still have the video to remember how we almost got ourselves a new puppy!
Until we heard a strange noise in the backyard.
It was a noise unlike any other - not human, but not an identifiable animal either. In fact, it sounded spooky.
Hubby and I looked at each other and the first thing I said was, "Let Scottie in."
Scottie is our 9 yo miniature schnauzer and king of the backyard. He comes indoors when it gets dark, or if it's raining or cold.
We could tell Scottie didn't much like the disturbance in his territory either, though he wasn't making much of a fuss compared to our neighbours' dog, who sounded like there was an intruder in the vicinity.
When hubby went outdoors to investigate, what did he find but this gorgeous black puppy, who was whining (the source of the strange noise) and positively terrified because it was clearly lost.
Hubby brought it indoors; I called for the kids to come and see.
Beth and J were beside themselves with excitement.
"Aww it's so cute. Can we keep it?" the 3 yo wanted to know.
The frightened pup climbed into a cardbox box that had a towel in it, and I wondered aloud about getting some warm milk. It was just like in Beth's school readers: child finds lost puppy... child looks after puppy and everyone is happy...
While J played with the puppy, I took this 33 sec video.
Then we heard a commotion out on the main street.
Voices shouting...Voices approaching.
"Maybe someone has lost their puppy," I said. Hubby opened the door and went out into the street as two people drew nearer, calling out something we couldn't hear. It was obvious they were looking for the puppy.
"Have you lost a puppy?" asked hubby.
"Yes!"
It was our neighbour from across the street, followed by her teenage son. She explained that she'd gone out to get herself a dog and seen some pups that had been badly treated and she'd bought the lot. Seven of them. She's now looking for homes for them.
"I opened the garage door and four of them ran out."
"We found him. He came in through our backyard," said hubby.
"Oh thank you, thank you!" exclaimed the teenager. You could tell he was so relieved; I'm guessing he must really like dogs.
So the girls had to give up their dream of a puppy. J was particularly reluctant to return the puppy.
But at least we still have the video to remember how we almost got ourselves a new puppy!
Zoning Matters
Just saw this listing on RealEstate.com.au.
Why so cheap? It's all in the use.
According to the listing, this block is designated Special Use Unserviced Land, industrial zoned (not residential).
Special Use land is land set aside for a specific purpose, eg. to implement a State/Local Planning Policy Framework, to provide for the use and development of the land in a municipality. The purposes and land use requirements are set out in a schedule to the zone.
See http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/CA256F310024B628/0/0BF7524E44B3827ECA2573940007BD13/$File/Chapter+1+Planning+Schemes.pdf
Unserviced land is land where critical infrastructure such as sewer, water, roads, drainage, electricity, gas and telecommunications have not been planned and installed. See http://www.geelongcity.vic.gov.au/armstrongcreek/infrastructure/
Industrial areas can be zoned 1 (most common), 2 or 3.
Borrowing to buy land - Industrial vs Commercial
How much the bank will lend would depend inter alia on the purposes and nature of the land.
For instance, ME Bank offers a maximum LVR (loan to value ratio) of 65% for vacant unserviced land that is intended for commercial purposes, compared with 72% for vacant fully serviced land.
With residential land, you get a better deal: 70% for vacant unserviced and 80% for vacant fully serviced.
See http://www.membersequity.com.au/business/business_finance_solutions/eligible_securities.html
If you were shopping for a block to build your new house on, $35,000 would represent maybe a 20% deposit.
This 310 sq m block in The Heartlands, the newest estate in Tarneit (and so still relatively affordable), is under contract at $168,000.
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-vic-tarneit-2765062
What a difference zoning makes.
Lot 40 Government Road, Altona, Vic 3018
- $35,000.00
Why so cheap? It's all in the use.
According to the listing, this block is designated Special Use Unserviced Land, industrial zoned (not residential).
Special Use land is land set aside for a specific purpose, eg. to implement a State/Local Planning Policy Framework, to provide for the use and development of the land in a municipality. The purposes and land use requirements are set out in a schedule to the zone.
See http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/CA256F310024B628/0/0BF7524E44B3827ECA2573940007BD13/$File/Chapter+1+Planning+Schemes.pdf
Unserviced land is land where critical infrastructure such as sewer, water, roads, drainage, electricity, gas and telecommunications have not been planned and installed. See http://www.geelongcity.vic.gov.au/armstrongcreek/infrastructure/
Industrial areas can be zoned 1 (most common), 2 or 3.
Borrowing to buy land - Industrial vs Commercial
How much the bank will lend would depend inter alia on the purposes and nature of the land.
For instance, ME Bank offers a maximum LVR (loan to value ratio) of 65% for vacant unserviced land that is intended for commercial purposes, compared with 72% for vacant fully serviced land.
With residential land, you get a better deal: 70% for vacant unserviced and 80% for vacant fully serviced.
See http://www.membersequity.com.au/business/business_finance_solutions/eligible_securities.html
If you were shopping for a block to build your new house on, $35,000 would represent maybe a 20% deposit.
This 310 sq m block in The Heartlands, the newest estate in Tarneit (and so still relatively affordable), is under contract at $168,000.
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-vic-tarneit-2765062
What a difference zoning makes.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Who's Ann
Pam from around the corner just rang the bell.
"Is this you?" she asked, waving a letter in my face.
I had to peer very hard through the fly screen mesh to read the name of the addressee.
"Er yes - my husband actually."
Locals tend to think anyone with an "Ann" in their name must be female. It's hard explaining the intricacies of Singaporean Chinese naming conventions, which we never thought about until we came here.
"Is this you?" she asked, waving a letter in my face.
I had to peer very hard through the fly screen mesh to read the name of the addressee.
"Er yes - my husband actually."
Locals tend to think anyone with an "Ann" in their name must be female. It's hard explaining the intricacies of Singaporean Chinese naming conventions, which we never thought about until we came here.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sustainable House Day 2010
Sunday 12 Sept was Sustainable House Day 2010. It's when homes with eco-friendly features like water-wise gardens open to the public so people can pick up tips on how to improve their own homes.
We printed off a list of open houses in Geelong (we love Geelong!) and planned to check them out over the course of an afternoon.
In the end, we only managed to see two. I had thought I would be in and out in 15 minutes, but the first house - a 90-year-old weatherboard cottage near an industrial area - took much longer than expected.
The girls wanted to stay in the car, so hubby stayed with them and I went in alone.
Which I didn't like at all. I dithered a little bit at the front door when I heard voices within - oh no, people! - but a friendly lady's voice urged me to come in.
So I did.
She turned out to be the owner.
At the entrance, a table had been set up for visitors to sign in, and I was asked to supply my details. There were also numerous info sheets and brochures about sustainable gardening in Geelong that visitors were welcome to pick up.
The lady's husband showed me through the house and explained all the things they have done to make it draught-proof and to improve the insulation.
Secondary glazing (cheaper alternative to double glazing; involves attaching piece of film to windows from inside the house using magnetic strips).
Good quality seals on gaps where air enters the house.
Pelmets over curtain rails.
Foil in the ceiling and under the floors. (With houses built on stumps, there is a small space underneath that allows you to insert stuff, like what this owner did, or crawl in and check for termites, as a friend hired a pest inspector to do when she bought an established house. You can't do this with a house on a concrete slab.)
We went out to see his backyard, and there was this beautiful lemon tree laden with the loveliest lemons - not lumpy or discoloured like the ones you sometimes get from people's gardens - and raised veggie beds where he has planted huge clumps of silverbeet and cabbages and what looked like Asian greens.
What was even more enjoyable was meeting the Acting President of the Geelong Sustainability Group, who was there to help out for the day. She patiently answered my questions when the owner turned his attention to the visitors who came through after me, and we chatted about where we've lived, our kids, being a SAHM, how we occupy ourselves apart from family and kids...She says one of the benefits of volunteering for a half day on SHD (which I can sign up for next year if I want) is that you get to place your biz flyers out there for people to pick up.
The next house was completely different.
First - the View.
The house is in Rippleside, facing parkland out front and Corio Bay on one side. Simply stunning, although I don't know how it feels in winter with all the sea breezes coming through. You could have the tiniest backyard and not feel deprived. For those with kids, there's a timber maze playground that reminds me of the one at Presidents Park. It gave our girls endless hours of fun - they didn't want to leave.
The double-storey house is new, has a unique contemporary design with timber cladding on the outside and looks so refreshingly unlike the mass building projects you see in new estates. It is architect designed by a company called Third Ecology and incorporates heaps of green features.
14,000-litre rainwater tank.
Solar panels that enable the owners to sell back to the grid if they have excess (going rate is 66 cents per kw).
Louvred windows that allow cross-ventilation (hubby commented that we already have these in older houses in SG!).
Low VOC paints.
Kitchen made from recycled timber. Staircase railings made from South American timber that is green-credentialled and turned out to be cheaper than local equivalent.
Polished concrete floor because of its thermal mass.
The info sheet on the house contained a list of its eco-friendly features along with the names of suppliers. Very helpful for anyone who wants to retrofit an existing house or build a new one.
I feel blessed to live in a country where people take an active interest in their environment and think planting and eating their own veggies is cool.
We printed off a list of open houses in Geelong (we love Geelong!) and planned to check them out over the course of an afternoon.
In the end, we only managed to see two. I had thought I would be in and out in 15 minutes, but the first house - a 90-year-old weatherboard cottage near an industrial area - took much longer than expected.
The girls wanted to stay in the car, so hubby stayed with them and I went in alone.
Which I didn't like at all. I dithered a little bit at the front door when I heard voices within - oh no, people! - but a friendly lady's voice urged me to come in.
So I did.
She turned out to be the owner.
At the entrance, a table had been set up for visitors to sign in, and I was asked to supply my details. There were also numerous info sheets and brochures about sustainable gardening in Geelong that visitors were welcome to pick up.
The lady's husband showed me through the house and explained all the things they have done to make it draught-proof and to improve the insulation.
Secondary glazing (cheaper alternative to double glazing; involves attaching piece of film to windows from inside the house using magnetic strips).
Good quality seals on gaps where air enters the house.
Pelmets over curtain rails.
Foil in the ceiling and under the floors. (With houses built on stumps, there is a small space underneath that allows you to insert stuff, like what this owner did, or crawl in and check for termites, as a friend hired a pest inspector to do when she bought an established house. You can't do this with a house on a concrete slab.)
We went out to see his backyard, and there was this beautiful lemon tree laden with the loveliest lemons - not lumpy or discoloured like the ones you sometimes get from people's gardens - and raised veggie beds where he has planted huge clumps of silverbeet and cabbages and what looked like Asian greens.
What was even more enjoyable was meeting the Acting President of the Geelong Sustainability Group, who was there to help out for the day. She patiently answered my questions when the owner turned his attention to the visitors who came through after me, and we chatted about where we've lived, our kids, being a SAHM, how we occupy ourselves apart from family and kids...She says one of the benefits of volunteering for a half day on SHD (which I can sign up for next year if I want) is that you get to place your biz flyers out there for people to pick up.
The next house was completely different.
First - the View.
The house is in Rippleside, facing parkland out front and Corio Bay on one side. Simply stunning, although I don't know how it feels in winter with all the sea breezes coming through. You could have the tiniest backyard and not feel deprived. For those with kids, there's a timber maze playground that reminds me of the one at Presidents Park. It gave our girls endless hours of fun - they didn't want to leave.
The double-storey house is new, has a unique contemporary design with timber cladding on the outside and looks so refreshingly unlike the mass building projects you see in new estates. It is architect designed by a company called Third Ecology and incorporates heaps of green features.
14,000-litre rainwater tank.
Solar panels that enable the owners to sell back to the grid if they have excess (going rate is 66 cents per kw).
Louvred windows that allow cross-ventilation (hubby commented that we already have these in older houses in SG!).
Low VOC paints.
Kitchen made from recycled timber. Staircase railings made from South American timber that is green-credentialled and turned out to be cheaper than local equivalent.
Polished concrete floor because of its thermal mass.
The info sheet on the house contained a list of its eco-friendly features along with the names of suppliers. Very helpful for anyone who wants to retrofit an existing house or build a new one.
I feel blessed to live in a country where people take an active interest in their environment and think planting and eating their own veggies is cool.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Prep - Grade 2 Instrumental Concert
J and I enjoyed a pleasant hour listening to cute Preppies (how little they seem!), Grade Ones and Grade Twos performing on various instruments.
Some were accompanied by their music teachers.
Some were performing publicly for the first time.
One little girl had stage fright when her turn came and her mummy went on stage with her. That drew lots of sympathetic Ahh's and Aww's from the audience. When she did eventually play, she actually did very well.
As Rebecca (Beth's music teacher, who came to support her students) said, it was good the girl conquered her fear and got on with her performance. If she had given up then, it would be much harder the next time.
There were some virtuosos. I am thinking Joshua J (Poseidon's Throne and Arabesque, played with flourish and without score) and Jerry D (Fur Elise).
Beth's performance was one of the shortest: 36 sec was all it took on my videocam. Was so relieved that she made it through without a single mistake. That's awesome considering how she plays at home. Maybe she needed the adrenaline rush to give her that extra edge.
We're rewarding her with a lunch order today: the canteen special is beef pie with free cookie.
Monday, September 06, 2010
Election 2010
More than 2 weeks have gone by since Election 2010 and still no government.
Will it be the Coalition? ALP?
None of the locals I know seems frazzled. Life goes on.
A fellow stallholder I met on Sat gave me a mini-lecture on the pros and cons of life under the Libs vs Labor.
When the Libs were in power, they cut services, health and education. Her son (now 32) was one of those youths who fell through the gaps because there were no vocational options like TAFE. Apparently the Libs were all for tertiary education but didn't care so much about every child getting a chance. She says the Libs were able to do the damage they did because they were in power for so long.
Will it be the Coalition? ALP?
None of the locals I know seems frazzled. Life goes on.
A fellow stallholder I met on Sat gave me a mini-lecture on the pros and cons of life under the Libs vs Labor.
When the Libs were in power, they cut services, health and education. Her son (now 32) was one of those youths who fell through the gaps because there were no vocational options like TAFE. Apparently the Libs were all for tertiary education but didn't care so much about every child getting a chance. She says the Libs were able to do the damage they did because they were in power for so long.
What At-Home Mums Do During The Day
Mondays are particularly challenging for our family.
They probably are for most people, having to switch from pleasure and do-nothing for 2 days to a mindset of school and work. At least the mums in the reading room think so.
Spent a fair amount of energy this morning trying to rouse the girls. The little one eventually woke, and in a cheery mood too, which made things easier. The 8 yo was impervious to reasoning, nagging, threats and fish-wife shouting (she knows Mummy too well). She merely burrowed deeper under the covers, and turned her back on me.
Why do I keep reverting to default mode when I know it doesn't work? I know I need to develop a new vocab just for the 8 yo, and more creative (aka devious) parenting strategies that do not involve reverse psych, cos she's too clever to be taken in any more. But it's such HARD WORK. And just when you think you have them figured out, something changes again and down the hill you go.
After reading with Beth's class and swopping plans-for-the-morning with my reading partner, I stopped at Tasman Meats in Synnot Street - still the best value meat retailer in the 'hood - and bought a week's worth of supplies.
Where I learned that there is minced beef and there is minced beef.
Just as Coles offers 3-, 4- and 5-star beef mince, TM also grades its mince. You need to read the labels carefully. It can be as cheap as $3.99/kg if you buy at least 2 kg, right up to $11.49/kg for extra lean mince.
I bought nearly $45 worth today -
1/2 kg pork mince
1/2 kg chicken leg mince
1/2 kg premium lean beef mince
1 kg chicken breast fillet with skin on ($3/kg cheaper than skin off)
1 kg gravy beef
1 pack of frozen cooked and peeled shrimp
Am boiling up a chicken carcass to make stock to cook chicken porridge. We had roast chicken for dinner last night (from Safeway) and hubby helpfully shredded the leftovers as he was making himself lunch for work, so I have plenty of shredded chicken for the porridge.
Possible menu plans for the week:
Chicken pie
Roast chicken with potatoes
Pasta
Beef stew
Fried rice with minced pork and shrimp
Have vacuumed the kitchen, swept the yard, washed the car (the first time in 4 years, not counting the manual car wash) and done some weeding. Those star-shaped weeds are VERY stubborn compared to the grasses, which come out easily. Decided against putting the newly acquired tomato plant out in the garden. Am bound to forget to water it and it will suffer the fate of all our bought plants...
Only 12.36 pm! Feel very accomplished today. \LOL/
They probably are for most people, having to switch from pleasure and do-nothing for 2 days to a mindset of school and work. At least the mums in the reading room think so.
Spent a fair amount of energy this morning trying to rouse the girls. The little one eventually woke, and in a cheery mood too, which made things easier. The 8 yo was impervious to reasoning, nagging, threats and fish-wife shouting (she knows Mummy too well). She merely burrowed deeper under the covers, and turned her back on me.
Why do I keep reverting to default mode when I know it doesn't work? I know I need to develop a new vocab just for the 8 yo, and more creative (aka devious) parenting strategies that do not involve reverse psych, cos she's too clever to be taken in any more. But it's such HARD WORK. And just when you think you have them figured out, something changes again and down the hill you go.
After reading with Beth's class and swopping plans-for-the-morning with my reading partner, I stopped at Tasman Meats in Synnot Street - still the best value meat retailer in the 'hood - and bought a week's worth of supplies.
Where I learned that there is minced beef and there is minced beef.
Just as Coles offers 3-, 4- and 5-star beef mince, TM also grades its mince. You need to read the labels carefully. It can be as cheap as $3.99/kg if you buy at least 2 kg, right up to $11.49/kg for extra lean mince.
I bought nearly $45 worth today -
1/2 kg pork mince
1/2 kg chicken leg mince
1/2 kg premium lean beef mince
1 kg chicken breast fillet with skin on ($3/kg cheaper than skin off)
1 kg gravy beef
1 pack of frozen cooked and peeled shrimp
Am boiling up a chicken carcass to make stock to cook chicken porridge. We had roast chicken for dinner last night (from Safeway) and hubby helpfully shredded the leftovers as he was making himself lunch for work, so I have plenty of shredded chicken for the porridge.
Possible menu plans for the week:
Chicken pie
Roast chicken with potatoes
Pasta
Beef stew
Fried rice with minced pork and shrimp
Have vacuumed the kitchen, swept the yard, washed the car (the first time in 4 years, not counting the manual car wash) and done some weeding. Those star-shaped weeds are VERY stubborn compared to the grasses, which come out easily. Decided against putting the newly acquired tomato plant out in the garden. Am bound to forget to water it and it will suffer the fate of all our bought plants...
Only 12.36 pm! Feel very accomplished today. \LOL/
Friday, September 03, 2010
Happy 4th anniversary to us!
Was just flicking through my old posts and realized tomorrow's the 4th anniversary of the day we arrived in Melbourne.
Golly. It does make one think.
All the ways God has led us through the migration and resettling process.
All the wonderful people He has brought into our lives.
All the good He has enabled us to do and the blessings others have been to us.
To everyone who has been part of our Great Oz Adventure, we say Thank You for letting God work through you and in you, whether you knew it or not!
Golly. It does make one think.
All the ways God has led us through the migration and resettling process.
All the wonderful people He has brought into our lives.
All the good He has enabled us to do and the blessings others have been to us.
To everyone who has been part of our Great Oz Adventure, we say Thank You for letting God work through you and in you, whether you knew it or not!
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