Reluctant country chick!

During previous years, this was the time of year when I used to get excited to see all the store catalogues and pour over the newest and latest Christmas gift ideas. They were delivered to all of suburbia, and I loved it.

Today as I checked the mail, I was mortified to pull out the Christmas catalogue for this area. Two of them. "Rural Post" and "Farmer Direct." Neither looked very glamorous. Apparently farmers don't wear make-up and heels. Residents of our neighbourhood are meant to wear rubber boots and tool belts. I feel like I am being forced to fit a mold.

Being surrounded by boys, I am hanging on to the last threads of femininity. Now this?

On the front cover of Rural Post, the promise of great Christmas gift ideas tempts the reader to continue. Now, call me ungrateful, but if anyone followed the suggestion of the magazine and purchased me a 'hawk bird scarer' (the modern equivalent to a scare crow), I may just peck their eyes out.

I am also in the market for a new car, but preferably one that has a roof and doors. I could almost imagine Andrew trying to get away with this.

Anyway, my point is. Yes there are farmers nearby that may legitimately need some of these things, but I am still a girl and I am reluctant to let go of my womanhood for the sake of practical solutions.

I vote to get impractical junk mail. Civilised society is not that far from here.

Besides, I have Christmas shopping to do for 'non-rural dwellers,' so I will kindly recycle the farm mail and venture into the 'big smoke' tomorrow for some real shopping!

Forced fun

Bailey and our family were invited to his end of year football celebration at Springwood pools on Saturday. The older boys were complaining about having to go and hang out with the 'little' kids, but we insisted they come and we all spend some time together.


A few hours later, it was apparent they were miserable and having no fun at all...

Fanning the fire

You know the weather is warming up when the scramble for pedestal fans begins. The boys love to have them blowing directly on their faces as they sleep. As we don't have the ducted air installed yet, these fans have become a valuable commodity. I went into Mitchell's room the other morning to find the fan he had used the night before belted to his bed with his good belt and then locked through the buckle with a combination lock. Desperation!

He thought he had outsmarted his brothers until Josh dismantled the fan into pieces to untangle it from its locks and then re-assembled it in his own room.

I did tell them that an open window cools a room as well, but I think they enjoyed the challenge of winning a fan for the night. Now I have bought more fans, I am guessing I will see open windows and redundant fans!

Chain gang

On Saturday we made a quick decision to start putting grass down. We were so fed up with the dirt and dust in the heat and mud when it rains, so we rallied the troops and started work. Not long after they started, I looked out the window and saw the boys all in a row and thought it looked like our own chain gang, so had to take some pictures.

They all worked really hard, but Jordan and Mitchell kept going until 9.30pm with plug in lights so they could see. Josh and Bailey opted for an early night.

Funny that.

"Wilson chain gang"

Andrew on his 'digging toy' and Josh scooping up bits he missed.

Green, green grass at long last.Thankfully no more of this in the front garden! (M looking anything but 'girlie' in Bailey's footy shirt covered in mud.)

Guilty Pleasure

Well I know I have been missing in action lately but we had been back from our Queensland holiday for three days when Andrew called me and told me the conference he was going to 3 days later in Hawaii was meant to be for spouses too. Apparently he was the only one going without a partner. He had to book my ticket right away, so there was no time for thinking about it. He had called his Mum and asked her if she would mind watching the boys for the week which she kindly agreed to, so I started re-packing the cases.
I felt a bit concerned about how the boys would feel about me going away for the second time this year without them so when I picked Bailey up from school I carefully began explaining to him how Dad was meant to bring me along and how he hadn't realised and how Dad would feel lonely if I didn't go because he would be the odd one out. At the end of my speil I asked Bailey if he was ok with me going, to which he replied, "I don't care, I'm not paying for the ticket!"
How did they get so independent. I guess I was looking for an "I understand, but it will be tough" or an "I will be counting down the days" or something.
Needless to say they survived fine without me... even though we missed our return flight and had to come home a day later (unintentionally I swear).
I had not initially been very excited about going because I felt a bit rushed and pressured with other things happening, but I ended up having a great time, met some lovely people and had a good break. I also scored a new camera while we were there, so hopefully the quality of my pics will improve..as soon as I can work out how to use it.