Congratulations go to...

Miss 11.  We got the news today that she has just been accepted into the Churchlands Senior High School musical specialist's program for 2012 - Yr 8.  And in her choice of instrument - trombone, of course.  She is so excited she hasn't stopped jumping up and down since.  It is a scholarship program that lasts for five years, right through to Yr 12 and TEE exams.  Well done, baby girl!!

This is a photo that her brother took when playing around with the camera.  Needs to work on his composition a wee bit, but not too bad!

Busy kids

The boy left on his epic adventure yesterday morning bright and early.  The kids didn't have time to get upset as they were also leaving for Miss 11's hockey game.  He and his mates made it safely to Mt Magnet last night and to Wiluna tonight - although apparently part of today was done on the reserve tank as he ran out of fuel!

Meanwhile the kids have been keeping busy with a collection of boxes scrounged from around the house and the recycling bin...

This is the good ship "Cries Star", complete with car decks, helicopter and plane landing pads, and life boats. Oh, and an anchor chain made out of my quilting pins! Photps of the good ship "Paperclip" will follow as soon as it is finished.

And the weather was warm enough to have a mud bath...

Now I just have to clean the mud out the shower...SIGH!  Gotta love 'em!

The countdown is on

It is now only two days until the boy and his beloved bike take off into the wide blue yonder for a month.  Boy, will I be glad to see the back of him after the stress of the last few days!  He is desperately trying to finish off a large project at work so he can leave with a clear conscience, and trying to finish the last bits on the bike, and coping with a broken nose (hockey injury) and needless to say is a wee bit stressed!!

Then I opened my diary this morning to find that Miss 11 had written me this:

If you look forward

into a world of your own...

You will find the happiness

that you have searched ever for.

It will stay in your heart forever,

and in your mind forever more.

Isn't it beautiful? And all out of her own head, so she tells me.

So now we are looking forward to saying goodbye to Daddy on Saturday and then hello to Grandpa a week later.  Hubby organised for Grandpa to come and stay for two weeks while he is away which will be great company for me and a wonderful distraction for kids that are missing their Daddy.

Here's to looking forward...what are YOU looking forward to?

Interruption to transmission

Please excuse the brief interruption to transmission that has recently occurred.  Our computer died - again.  This happened six months ago as well, when the problem was supposedly fixed (under warranty).  Over the phone they told me it was the motherboard, but when the technician came out, the graphics card was fried, and he replaced the RAM and the power supply.

This time the computer was not under warranty.  Again over the phone they said it was the motherboard, and I could either extend the warranty ($600!) or buy a new motherboard ($400) and install it myself.  "But you said it was the motherboard last time and it wasn't and I'm not buying a new motherboard until I know for sure!!!"

A local computer repair company took a look and for that same $600 diagnosed the problem, fixed the problem AND provided a year's warranty, all in three days.  The problem being that the original computer company had put the wrong speed RAM in the computer which was underclocking the motherboard and frying the graphics card.

So the right speed RAM, a new HD graphics card and we are back in business.

Transmission resuming...

The things we do

My darling husband is going to the annual work team building "live-in/love-in", as we like to call it, over the next couple of days.  Now he has known this was coming up for a few weeks.  The first night they have a dress-up theme - last year was national dress - this year is medieval.  He and his mate have decided to go as Shrek and Puss-in-Boots.  And there the drama starts...

Musketeer costume?  Not a problem - costume hire to the rescue - paid for by work.  But at seven o'clock Sunday night he decides that the wig is not good enough and he needs a hood with cat ears, oh, and a tail please Lou.  "I just thought I'd try stretching your creativity", says he!!!

Don't you love the cheesy grin?!!