Home of Slightly Cracked Dreams

Let’s hope it’s better than 2008.

Not that 2008 was particularly bad. Just that 2009 could surely do better.

Right now anyway, it stretches out before us, free of preconceptions and past failures. A clean slate. A blank page, ready to be written.

What will I write on the page this year?

To be honest I haven’t thought about it much. I know there are so many things I want to happen this year.

I want to keep studying and getting reasonable marks.
I want to learn to sew enough to make M&M’s uniforms.
I want to finish the cross stitch I started 4 years ago.
I want to scan the 10! boxes of photos I have in the garage and burn them all to DVD’s.
I want to ease my way back into the workforce in the industry of my dreams.
I want to lose the 10kg I’ve put on since having Miss Moo.

But mostly I want a clean, uncluttered home filled with happy, healthy people.

The reality is I have no idea if I’ll achieve any of those things. Life has thrown a huge challenge our way which has left me feeling like I have no idea how I’ll achieve any of those things. In some ways it’s exciting. In other ways it’s scary. We have so many opportunities before us, it’s hard to know which way to go. I had this same problem just over two years ago, and I did it. I made the right choice. I just hope I make the right choice this time.

While I have articulated my dreams for 2009, I can’t go much beyond that because of the curve ball life has thrown our way, I have no idea if we’ll even be in this house in 8 weeks time. If I will need to postpone my study to deal with everything.

I can’t even tell you what I hope will happen next week, despite the fact I have decided to temporarily resurrect my Tupperware career to see if there’s a possibility there.

But despite the unkown, the blank page of 2009 stretches before us, stories waiting to be told. Experiences waiting to be shared.

What will 2009 bring for you?

It’s been a long month. As with any holiday of decent length, the last week is the toughest when you just want to get home.

But home we are, and the year is rapidly coming to a close. I still have many MANY things to share from our trip, including just how cute my big girls are as flower girls, fantastic markets on the Sunshine Coast, proving just how insane I am by voluntarily taking 5 children on 5 trains and two ferries to a concert, and many other exciting bits and pieces we got up to.

Still, along with all the fun of the last four weeks I’m looking towards next year: I’ve started collecting the bits off the book list for M&M’s school, I have two weeks to clean out the spare room for my Dad, and I’m trying to figure out what goals I need to set next year.

Next year is already presenting challenges, which I’ll no doubt get to eventually. It may lead to many things including a big move to, well, I don’t quite no yet. It could be anywhere. Or, it could not.

Still, life would be boring without challenges wouldn’t it?

Which isn’t technically true as we had been twice before, but it was the first official visit, where the kids found out the classes, class rooms, teachers and other exciting tidbits.

I’ve never seen M&M quite so excited. To be fair she’s been asking when she can start school for the last two years. Thanks to the change in starting age she had to wait an extra year, and it’s been tough.

So it was with much excitement we set off for a morning school visit. I had planned on leaving Kiki behind, but she wanted to see too (we don’t call her “Kiki Me Too” for nothing), so I loaded all 3 of them up and timed the 22 minute drive to her school.

M&M had a wonderful time (so did Kiki and Miss Moo come to think of it). She has all the kids from her daycare in her class, as well as some friends from ballet and a couple of kids whose parents I know, but she hasn’t had much to do with the kids before now.

Her teacher is young and enthusiastic (and the daughter of our real estate agent). She has a full-time teacher aide in a class of 23 students.

Each day they have year 7 helpers for things like crafts and playground time.

I think I’m looking forward to school more than she is. Which is saying something because I haven’t seen a kid so excited about school since, well, me.

It was also a lovely opportunity to meet some other parents and car pool’s are already being discussed, as the only buses from our area are p-12 buses, and there aint no way my 5 year old is getting on a bus with 14 and 15 year olds.

In the 2.5 hours we were there, they had a story, updated the calendar, made a mask and did some painting, as well as dress ups before breaking for fruit time and spending some time out in the playground.

I cannot get over how wonderful her teachers are.

Bring on 2009!

*crickets*

I thought as much.

It’s amazing what the loss of internet does to your life.

In the last 3 weeks I have read some 20 novels, and got thoroughly bored with the shops. And slightly broke.

But here I am. Back online and not sure where to start.

So much has happened I’m not sure where to start, so I might go back three weeks to my last post - Menu Plan Monday for a week that was less than organised.

We survived the drive to Brisbane, I’ve spent a fabulous two and a half weeks with my best friend and her daughter, and now find myself with the family spending hours a day playing cards and watching the girls play with grandparents, aunts, uncles and the lone surviving great-grandmother.

So if you’re still here, I’m gonna start posting about what we’ve been up to over the last few weeks to catch you all up.

Starting with M&M’s first day at school.