The Whole Festive Season

I feel like we have been celebrating Chistmas for a long time this year! The Adelaide Christmas pageant was held on a stinking hot 42 degree day on November 14th and it has been festive ever since. That was six weeks ago!

So, what have we done to celebrate? What have been the highlights of this time?

The girls' Nativity play at school was a very special highlight.

Last Saturday night also makes the grade. We had my Mum and Dad, sisters Martine and Sheriden, their husbands and Sheriden's children over for a swim and pizza dinner. It was a good chance for Matt to catch up with the crew before he went away to miss Christmas (a painful issue...!). By the time everyone left it was about 8pm and close to nightfall. Daylight saving here means it doesn't get dark until after 8:30pm so there were few times I felt inclined toward keeping the kids up late enough to see any of the night time Christmas lights. Because it was already late(ish) we seized the moment and spontaneously decided to veiw the Christmas decorations hung by the residents of 9th Avenue, St. Peters. We loaded the kids up for the adventure and had a magical time wandering the avenue and hearing the kids gasp as they went from house to house. Asha commented that now it really felt like Christmas and that the whole experience was "like a dream come true!". Out of the mouths of babes.... We had the added joy, when we returned home, of showing the kids our tree all lit up and then taking them outside to see God's wonder in the sky - STARS! So many of them in our clear, dark sky. What a marvelous display.

Next on the list is a glorious family day we spent at McLaren Vale - arguably our favourite place on Earth. The kids played hide and seek in the gardens of Coriole Winery, we visited the Willunga bakery for doughnuts and then indulged our small family members in a visit to the beach at Pt. Willunga.

Wednesday, December 23 was the Tamms family Christmas lunch which was relaxed and lovely. We tried to have a real "Christmas Day" early, but it isn't really the same. We all enjoyed receiving our new nighties and pj's and paraded around in them over our fruit salad breakfast (plus icecream for the kids). Yum! Apart from the presents, the highlight for the girls was sifting through the icecream pudding to find the wrapped coins. The pudding was then abandoned (maybe next year I should just wrap up some coins and put them out for dessert!).

We sadly dropped off Matt at work on the morning of Christmas eve and then headed for IKEA to the kids playroom (ie quiet time for mummy) with a hotdog chaser for lunch. Home for naps (everyone) before heading to the church Carols by Candlelight where the girls sang in the childrens choir (gorgeous!), the kids had their faces painted, we all froze and arrived home ready to fall into bed at 10pm.

Christmas morning started slowly for us. The girls marvelled over their stockings and anxiously waited for Ethan to wake up (8am!!!). We unwrapped gifts from Luise and Graham. The kids had a breakfast of Freddos and hot chocolate and watched TV until Mia and Grandad arrived. I busied myself with preparing a yummy Nigella watermelon salad and putting the finishing touches on our dessert of white chocolate cheesecake with berries. Presents with Mia nd Grandad. Catching a few snails and a fly in the garden (Ethan and Grandad) and then off to Aunty Sheriden and Uncle Grant's house for the feast. The scene was perfect and it was lovely to be with family (and to at last have some adult company for Christmas!). The cousins enjoyed each others' company and played well. We shared communion as a family and it was special to hear Dad read to us from Isaiah where it talks about the coming Saviour - the reason for our celebration. It was a beautiful and drama free day and we arrived home at about 5:15pm ready for a bath, story time (new books!) and bed. We were blessed and the kids were spoilt. But.......

We missed Matt. I missed Matt. While philosophically we can accept that it is only fair to miss a Christmas after having spent the past 5 with us, the reality is that we weren't all together. Daddy was missing. And that was very, very difficult.

So, here we are. Boxing day. The kids are playing surprisingly well together. We are not going anywhere and there is noone coming over. I am exhausted. Today we will be hermits and might just eat toast for dinner. We are all still in our new nighties and pyjama's. Peace.

Going, going.....gone

A number of things have been removed from our lives in the past month. The first to go were Shae's two front bottom teeth. They both fell out within 5 days of each other - the second one while she was in the pool so the tooth fairy must have gotten wet that night!

Shae's missing teeth

After a very long application process we were finally given permission by our local council to remove a very large white cedar tree from our back yard. This tree was beautiful in the middle of summer, but for the rest of the year a major pain in the butt and a substantial safety hazard due to the copious number of poisonous and very slippery berries it dropped in our garden (and most importantly the kids' play area). It was a great victory and on November 10th we watched the tree surgeons swing through the tree and take it down (in 39 degree heat!). Last week we had the great delight of planting three beautiful ornamental pear trees in it's place - one for each of our gorgeous kidlets.

The kids look on as the guys begin the job of removing the berry tree

Ethan, Asha and Shae claim their trees

Last Friday night Shae and Asha went to their first disco (at school). They were very excited and had a lovely time being out at night with their friends. They looked so grown up and sophisticated and it made my breath catch to see them in the rearview mirror.

The Belles off to the Ball

The girls performed their Nativity play for us today. It was very special. Asha was a talking sheep who delivered her lines with clarity and intonation. Shae was, of course, an angel. It all happened perfectly - there were lovely songs, Joseph picked his nose and there was the obligatory school play feedback through the sound system. The reception teachers had also put together a slide presentation of activities the kids have done throughout the year and played tear jerking music. Then the teachers prayed a prayer of thanksgiving for the year that was and for all the kids as they move on to year one.....and for the families who are leaving St. Johns.

Well, that was about all I could handle. I hadn't brought tissues (though I'd been warned I might need them). And all of a sudden it was real. We are leaving. My girls have not been assigned to Mrs. Cosh or Ms. Sunman's class. We are heading back to Hong Kong again - again. But I will save my reflections on our time here for another post.

In the meantime I think I might need to find a partridge for those pear trees....

The Things We Do For Love

Last week I found myself in the middle of a panic attack.

We have been praying for protection for our family from swine flu all winter. And God has most awesomely provided that protection. I understand that swine flu is "just another flu, like seasonal flu", but to us it is more than that. We fall into the category of having "underlying health conditions". I say "we" even though I know you know I mean Shae. But Shae is part of "us" - all of us.

For this reason our family has been and will continue to be vaccinated against anything we can be to avoid unnecessarily exposing Shae to an illness which could tax her amazing body beyond its capacity. This includes the new swine flu vaccination (once it has received paediatric approval). We do it because we love her and because she is important to us. We do it because the alternatives are unacceptable to us.

So, when I received a "scary" email warning about how potentially dangerous the new American swine flu vaccination is (just a few days after Matt had had his Australian shot), I panicked. I experienced fear to my core. It is a helpless and lonely place to be and it can cripple you to a point at which you are no longer able to function. Now, fear is not something that God has in His plan for us and He was quick to bring to mind who I should talk to about this and to restore my peace (thank You, Lord). He reminded me that He is in control and cares deeply about all these things and that His purposes are sovereign.

This event caused me to think again about how careful we need to be with the choices we make - what we do, what we believe, what we read. Throughout life we are always making choices - weighing up the risks and the benefits. Sometimes they are minor decisions with limited impact on us and those around us. Sometimes they are much bigger. It is certainly much more simple to make those decisions in which love is not a key player.

Love make things trickier.

Sometimes love can lead to irrational choices, crazy behaviour, risky decisions - if they are not weighed and measured and wrestled with. And then sometimes it can lead to selfless acts that can change someone else's life for eternity....... like dying on a cross.

So, because we love, we get vaccinated and weigh the risks. Given the choice, what would you do?

Adelaide's Finest

We have just enjoyed a lovely long family weekend taking in some of Adelaide's unique features and having lots of fun together in the process.

It started on Friday, which was student free day at school and also the first day of the Royal Adelaide Show. Now, I had planned on perhaps avoiding the Show again this year on the premise that our children have never been to the Show before, so they didn't know what they were missing. Silly me, however, had failed to take into account the important fact that 5-6 year olds are very cluey and they actually talk to each other at school. So, the girls came home from school on Thursday with in-depth information about this Royal Adelaide Show and all the wonders it had to offer and armed with the knowledge that it would be happening tomorrow!

We were blessed to receive some entry tickets for Matt and I, so we geared up and bit the bullet. And I'm so glad we did! I have very fond memories of attending the Show as a child. When we lived in Perth we went every year - my Mum's dad and brother owned various show rides so we enjoyed the benefits of knowing the "Showies" - rides, carnival games, little plastic fairy dolls on sticks etc. The only expenses were the food and the showbags (which then were relatively reasonable - now, I think there are probably families who save up all year to buy the hundreds of bags of "stuff" they cart out the gates at the end of their day). When we moved to Adelaide the rules changed a bit (we didn't know the Showies in Adelaide), so we went every second year and there were certain limits on rides and showbags, but we always walked away feeling very indulged and satisfyingly exhausted. We had really fun family times at the Show.

Anyway, having visited a theme-park or two, I had the strategy for our day planned. I had enough food packed to feed us all happily for the entire day (including chips and cupcakes so there were some treats involved). Our first activity for the day was a visit to the showbag hall where we found the Bertie Beetle stall and purchased a blue bag for each of the kids. Right, they had their lollies and were ready to play (big tick for me - showbag hall done when it was still quiet with no nagging for goodie bags having taken place). After a wander through the Lifestyle Pavilion where we sampled various cooked treats and picked up a Woolies Fresh Food Kids free goodie bag for each of the kids, our next stop was the kids carnival which housed the inevitable rides and carnival games. Now, the kids had been prepped that they could choose one ride to enjoy here (they are used to HK Disneyland where they can hop on everything as many times as they'd like). However, when they saw the games and all the glittering (cheap, tacky, plasticy) prizes on display, they decided to try their luck at one of these instead. Asha had a go at fishing for a noodle box and won a blue stuffed cow. Shae and Ethan opted for a variation on the clown game where you feed 5 ping-pong balls into the mouth of the clown (or in their case a mermaid and a penguin) and win a prize from the section marked with the number bearing the sum total of the balls played according to the channels they land in. Ethan won a plastic toy truck (with a picture of some vegetables and a Chinese baby on the side) and Shae picked up a Barbie telephone. And that was side-show alley taken care of - ANOTHER big tick for me! And three very happy campers.

Next stop was in the horticulture pavilion where we were treated to a fashion parade entitled Wearable Blooms. It was an interesting concept with some lovely intricate designs and some rather unexpected bawdy antics. Like I said, interesting. After that we glided past the cake displays to see if our friend Sue had taken out another prize this year - unfortunately not. And then we began to wander toward the animal pavilions. Fortunately for us Asha was side-tracked by a performer who was setting up his act on a stage we were passing and she asked if we could watch. Sure! We had no real agenda, so we set up camp. And for the next half an hour we were treated to the BEST juggling and street performance act we've ever seen. All we can say is "Go Mr. Spin! We love you!".

As our day drew to a close we watched some V8 utes driving in formation (that wasn't anyone's highlight and we didn't stay long), visited the farmyard nursery, saw some show dogs, sampled lots of different types of salami and olives and then made the trek back to the car. Picked up pizza on the way home and thus ended a fun and surprisingly low-stress day. Minimal whining, no melt-downs (by us or kids) and lots of joy.

Saturday morning was lazy (bliss!) and then in the afternoon we visited the Railway Museum with our friends Brenton and Hayley. Brenton in a train fanatic and made the entire experience a lot of fun and very memorable (by fanatic I mean - this is where Brenton held his 30th birthday celebration - he just LOVES trains!). We spent two hours jumping on and off old railway carriages, exploring engine rooms, riding the miniature Thomas train and enjoying the thrill of seeing Brenton in his element! It wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without him there.

Shae, Ethan and Asha with Brenton and Hayley

(and one of the many train engines at the Railway Museum)

Sunday was Father's Day and we enjoyed a 'low-key' lunch with Matt's parents at our house. It was simple and relaxed. I wish that I could've given my Dad a hug and kiss and some bbq steak on the day too, but he and Mum are currently enjoying some time overseas - so, across the miles, Dad "I love you and thanks". Adequate words would take a whole post of their own, so I will save that for another time....

Losing It

As per usual much has happened since my last post:

Matt has had another birthday.

Matt with a celebratory "Birthday Platter"

We visited Sarah and her girls in Brisbane, and met Ellie (our God-daughter) for the first time!

Me with Sah and Ellie by the beach

Shae has starred in New Idea magazine (in a short write-up about Ronald McDonald House in Melbourne).

The event which earned Shae "celebrity status"!

Ethan has become the proud owner of his first guitar (an early birthday present from Mia and Grandad).

The boys and their toys

And Asha has had a visit from the Tooth Fairy - twice!

Asha just after losing her first tooth!

Ash discovered her first loose tooth when we were in Brisbane during the school holidays and last Wednesday night (August 12 - 5 weeks later) it finally fell out. Unfortunately, Daddy missed the event, but the Tooth Fairy obligingly granted the request written by Asha and left the tooth for him to see when he came home from his trip. The Tooth Fairy had her work cut out for her last night when she came to collect Asha's second tooth, which was unfortunately rinsed down the basin drain with the toothpaste after brushing her teeth yesterday morning! It's lucky she is so tiny and can fit through the plughole....

Princess for a Day

Disney came to town! Princesses on Ice. And Disney-holics that we are (and raising our children to be) we splurged so the princesses in our family could attend. It was a mummy and daughter affair to remember.

Me and my Princesses

The entire day was such a delight!


The show in itself would have been enough to get our wildest wishes flowing, but there was icing on the cake as well. As a prequel to the event we were invited to attend a Princess Luncheon and Playdate at Jane's palace (now officially crowned Queen of the Princesses). Princess Claudia (Jane's daughter) hosted Princesses Asha, Shae, Zara and Emma (all in the same class at school) for a selection of princess themed activities, lunch and, of course, princess cupcakes. Meanwhile the princess Mums were also hosted for a beautiful lunch and lots of photo taking!

The Scene

The Princesses

The Mums

Princesses at Play

It was such a fantastic day - as you can tell, because it inspired me to get blogging again! A total escape from reality and into fantasy land. And goodness knows we all want to feel like a princess once in a while. Thanks Jane!

When I grow up

Last night at the dinner table our family conversation turned to career and life decisions.

Asha informed us that she would like to be a hairdresser and live here in Adelaide. I'm sure that if she does end up pursuing this career path she will make a lot of women feel like the princesses we all are inside. A noble cause indeed.

During our time in Melbourne Shae decided (after having watched Father of the Bride Part II quite a few times) that she would like to be an obstetrician. She loves babies and has always said that she would like to be a mum when she grows up. I think the labour scenes in the movie were enough to make her rethink her position and rather help other mothers get their babies out. I have told her that if she wants to, she could actually be both. She would also like to live in Hong Kong with Big Ethan (our friends, the Hunter's, son) as her husband. She said over dinner last night that she would visit us should we be living in Adelaide at the time. Today Shae asked me about my earrings and whether it hurt to have my ears pierced (to which I truthfully replied "Yes!") and she asked if she had to get that done. I told her that she might want to when she gets older, so she thought about that for a little while and then said "I don't want to have earrings when I'm an obstetrician"! She has herself all figured out then.

And then we came to Ethan. We asked him "What do you want to be when you grow up?" and he said "A pirate!". We all laughed and Asha said "No, do you mean a PILOT? You know, and fly the plane like Daddy?" At this point Ethan was the one who laughed and he said "NAH. I want to be a pirate!!!". Case closed.