Category: Life

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family anecdotes Life

Readers

Miss 7, like most Grade 2ers, I guess, has readers. She doesn’t particularly like them. I don’t particularly blame her. Nevertheless, she needs to read them, so she does. She’s pretty good at doing what she’s told. And I like that.

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So anyway, I started this blog post last night, while reading with Miss 7. I then set aside my iPhone, which I’d been using to blog (with the WordPress app) when I realised later that I had inadvertently published it. And I’m not entirely sure but I have a feeling that it sent it immediately through to both my twitter feed and my Facebook account. Whoops!

It (the above) was going to be the lead-in to a post on reading. And how Miss 7 doesn’t like it, and how I think that’s due to vision problems. Today, she had a second appointment with a Behavioural Optometrist, who confirmed it. Long story short, she chose some frames today and in a couple of weeks her glasses will be ready. She’ll be the first in our family. But as Hubby and I are both in front of our computer screens for hours every day, and as he’s gone 40 and I’m nearing it faster than I had hoped to, I doubt she’ll be the only for long…

Anyway, sorry for the mixup, dear readers – and for the email you received, my even dearer subscribers! I’ll be more careful when blogging from a mobile device in future…!

Categories
family anecdotes Life

Fish tanks and fun

I wrote last week about Cuddles, Miss 7’s new, free (!) teddybear. And how he sits next to her new fishtank. I’ve written about her tank before, bout how she saved her pocket money for weeks and weeks, until she could afford a tank from the Caboolture markets, then she saved for the filter, and the fish, and so on and so on. We had the learning opportunities that came with overfeeding Whitey, and then a sad episode – his passing.
But the end of the tank itself, came rather unexpectedly. We got home from her swimming lessons, very late one hot Wednesday, and Miss 7 asked why the water had gone down from her tank. I looked at mine, noticed the water as gone down slightly, then started to explain about hot days, evaporation, and all things sciency. It wasn’t until I was in her room an hour or so after that I noticed that the carpet under her desk was wet. So was her chair. So we’re the papers she’d left on her desk. Then it clicked. That line, down the side of her tank, was not just Miss 4’s over enthusiastic penmanship. It was a crack. I was NOT impressed!!!
We’d been out all day. The kids, and I, were exhausted. The last thing I wanted to deal with was a fish rescue and wet carpet. Still, it had to be done, as Hubby wasn’t going to be home for hours yet, and there was the dinner to cook, kids to fed and bathe and get to bed…
So Miss 7’s fish went into my tank until I could get her a new one. She was worried that she’d have to save for it all over agin, but I thought I’d be a nice mummy and just buy it for her. Especially as I’d decided that a plastic tank would be all that she was getting!
Some weeks, and many many many shops later, all I had been able to find that was suitable was another glass tank. And I had exhausted all available alternatives. So glass tank number two was what we ended up with. And I’m just praying that it’ll last longer the glass tank number one did!!’

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Life More about me Random thoughts

Stuff I dislike…

Yesterday’s post was provoked by Hubby’s comment on Gold Lotto. And it got me thinking about how I am incredibly in love with my job. And I’m immensely grateful that I’m in such a place where I can do what I do. So I had sat down to write today’s blog post with this in mind, to list all the stuff that I’m grateful for in my life. But, as I’m mindful of the fact that you, dear readers, are probably getting sick of reading the same sort of things, I thought I’d write instead about stuff I dislike. So here goes:


1. Housecleaning. In particular, the stove and the oven. And the toilet. And the bathroom. And the floors. And really, anything that requires cleaning.
2. Cooking. I’m not a good cook, and I have pretty much zero interest in bettering myself in this area.
3. Repeating myself. I’ll do it, but I hate it. I really really really hate it. Yes, I nag – especially my kids, and probably on a daily basis. But I don’t like doing so.
4. Smelly dogs. Especially when Hubby comes home from fishing, and the dogs find his bait and roll in it.
5. Mosquitoes. Here, at home, we live in a mozzie colony. It’s not so bad now that the cold weather’s coming, but in the summer months it’s pretty horrific. Especially seeing as Mr 3 smells delicious to them – he’s the mozzie magnet in our family, and as he’s too young to control his scratching, each bite swells up ten times its size.
6. Leaks in taps. Really? Yes. We don’t get town water. Our whole street is on bore water, and we use tanks for drinking water. Which is fine when we’ve had a heap of water, as in recently. But when we’re in drought, and somebody accidentally leaves a tap running, thinking that it’s off, we run the bore dry. And this then not only has ramifications for our poor old bore pump, but it also means that we have to rely on tank water until the bore fills again. And if it’s drought conditions, and our tanks are low, then… well, you get the picture. Water’s precious. Especially when you don’t have town water to rely on!
7. Child care fees. This one’s probably universally hated, right?!

Okay, so that’s probably my top 7. I know, I know. I’ll click “Publish” and then think of a dozen more! But 7 will do, I think…!

CC Image courtesy Skley at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dskley/6041500642/

Categories
family anecdotes Life

The weekend that was

One of my Facebook updates yesterday afternoon spoke of how this Easter long weekend has been by far the best I’ve had in years. And I don’t really know why, but then again, I don’t really care why either. I’m just pretty stoked that it was so darn great!
Thursday (yes, I know, Thursday wasn’t part of the weekend, but hey – it’s my story, and I want to start on Thursday, okay?!! LOL) I took the kids to Pioneer Park at Landsborough for the morning. For those of you who don’t know about Pioneer Park, it’s probably the best kids playground (free, outdoor) on the southern half of the Sunshine Coast. It’s fenced (a huge plus for a mum of an escape artist son – apparently quite a few autistic kids are like this!) and its playground equipment is specifically designed as ‘all ability’ ie. those with wheelchairs / specific physical needs can use the equipment too.
But I hadn’t just taken the kids there for something to do; I’d arranged to meet Richard Bruinsma there too. I’d met him a couple of times before, in his role as Media Adviser to Peter Slipper MP, but this was different. This was an appointment with a purpose. And I’m excited to report that Bloxham Marketing has acquired the expertise of a extremely experienced journo (he was several years with Channel Seven prior to working for Mr Slipper) – and I’m ecstatic about that!!!

Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday was also awesome. Time with Hubby and the kids at Kings Beach Pool, then Kings Beach itself, playing ‘Where’s my Water’ with all three kids at the same time, church with Miss 4 who wandered up onto the stage while I was playing violin in the worship team, playing in the cubbyhouse with Mr 3, jumping on the trampoline with Miss 7, gardening, more gardening, baking cookies, watching movies, making curtains and yet more gardening, and exploring the worlds of tumblr, paper.li and google plus (again). Oh! And I also created my first ever A4 flyer -in Russian! And organized its printing and collection on Easter weekend (the manager of CCC’s international program was flying out at 3am this morning, and only got the translation of his text back, late Thursday! MASSIVE kudos to John Sherrard-Smith of Middleton’s Printing, Morayfield!) so that was pretty cool too…

All in all, a brilliant weekend. Now it’s back into what will hopefully be an even more brilliant week… Full of appointments that will hopefully get me (and my family) the outcomes that we need…!

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Life places to visit

Paradise

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I am a very, very, very blessed person. I live in a free country, and in a very beautiful part of it. I have a wonderful husband and three gorgeous kids. I have a house to protect me from the elements, a vehicle to transport me and my family, a brilliant and fulfilling (although exhausting) job that helps to pay the mortgage and keep food in the fridge, and best of all I have a Saviour who considered me worth dying for.
Thank you, Lord, for blessing me so abundantly. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

(Photo taken this morning, at Kings Beach Pool, Caloundra)

Categories
Life momentous events More about me

“Good Friday” – a day for faith

So today is Good Friday – the day that Christians remember the Saviour who died for our sins, so that we might not have to bear their penalty. Today, for me, is the day that takes most ‘faith’. To actually BELIEVE that there was a man, who lived over 2000 years ago, who was crucified, and who, after He was dead and buried in a tomb, rose again, conquering death, and now lives so that, should we put our trust (our ‘faith’) in Him, we too might not have to die, but can know that after our death we too will ‘rise’ and live for eternity in a place with no tears, no hunger, no pain.

I don’t write about my faith too much. But I’m a Christian and proud of it. I love that my faith is secure in Him who created the entire Universe, who created me, and who loves me far more than I could ever love myself.

Each day, one of my friends from Chancellor Park Community Church and I read a chapter of the Bible and discuss it in a forum she set up. She’s currently working over in Papua New Guinea (she’s a doctor) and will be there for the next two months. She’s missing her home and her husband terribly, suffering a little from culture shock and the realisation that practising medicine over there is COMPLETELY different to practising it here – and yet her forum entries are so uplifting and so full of faith and encouragement, they’re astounding.

So today, I feel like sharing here with you one of my forum responses of a couple of days ago. I had just read Thessalonians Chapter 3.

“Again, what an amazing chapter full of encouragement!

I’ve been thinking recently just how easy it is to be discouraged. How negativity and toxic self-talk can bring us down so easily and so effectively. I’ve come to realise that we have really only two options when it comes to the crossroads – we can face it (the negativity) and grow strong; or give in to it – the easier option but the one which restricts us and weakens us and in the end destroys who we are / who we want to be / who we could be. I guess it just comes back to faith, doesn’t it?! Faith in Him that He can grow us to be the people that we could be. Faith that we never encounter more than we can handle. Faith that we are where we are meant to be, and doing what we are meant to be doing, and that all things are in His hands – which is the safest place for them, anyway!
Be encouraged today, Bek. You are a wonderful person, doing exactly what God wants, and where He wants, and your being there and doing that, and sharing your journey with me here on a daily basis, is a true source of both encouragement and inspiration to me. I trust that He who we both serve will walk through today with you, and pray that your day today might be truly a wonderful one.”

That’s my prayer for you too, dear readers. That your day today might be a truly wonderful one – whether or not your share my faith with me and the many others who remember what happened on this day ever so many years ago. Have a wonderful day.

CC image courtesy 50%ChanceofRain at http://www.flickr.com/photos/fiftypercentchanceofrain/4513363944/

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Life More about me Random thoughts Technology University studies

Why I study…

I’ve decided that I really like studying for my Masters. From taxonomies to organizational structures and hierarchy in the informational architecture of websites, from database design to the uses of twitter for professional networking – it’s been a true stretch of the mind for me! And that’s what’s been really enjoyable.

So why a Masters in Information Technology? What’s IT got to do with becoming a Librarian?

Well, I’m a trained teacher. Since I started in classrooms, back in (cough) 1996, I’ve taught in State, Catholic, Independent, Lutheran, and Christian schools. I’ve taught Preppies through to Year 12. In Uni, I majored in English and Music, but I’ve also taught Drama, Dance, Film and TV, SOSE, QCS Test classes, Christian Studies, Independent Studies, and Sex Ed. I’ve been a Music Coordinator (x 2), a Head of English, and a Head of Middle School.

But I like challenges. I don’t like remaining in a position that I’ve been in before. Maybe it’s something to do with my claustrophobia, but I particularly dislike being ‘stuck in a rut’ – which, in my opinion, is remaining in a situation where there is little to challenge me. I love new experiences, and have never yet racked up enough time in any one position to earn ‘Long Service Leave’. But that’s okay for me. I’ve only got one life – I want to live it.

So 9 weeks after Mr 3 was born, I met with some web developers about my ideas for a social network for Seniors – and GoodOldTalk.com became a reality. Less than six months after its launch, I was thinking about my eventual return to teaching, and decided that it didn’t really interest me. But as a bookworm, the thought of returning to the classroom from within the four walls of the School Library made a great deal of sense. Step One was to look into how I could get qualified. A few phonecalls and I had a decision to make. To become a School Librarian, I could study a Masters in Education, which would qualify me for a School Library – or I could study a Masters in IT (within a Science faculty) and I would be qualified for School, Public, Academic and Special libraries. And seeing as I’d never studied a ‘Science’ degree before, I thought “why not?” And I’m very glad I did.

The Science faculty at QUT does the ‘student experience’ pretty well. Blended learning options, and podcasts made of all lectures, makes study-around-kids possible. (Believe me! I swapped to the Business faculty for an elective last semester and was NOT impressed with the resulting experience…)

So although study has its ups and downs, I’ve been ecstatic at (the majority of) my results, and the brain challenge has also been excellent. And I’m learning to code in html this semester, so that’s pretty cool (?!!) too… I think!

The plan, when I commenced, was to graduate as quickly as possible and then to be a Teacher Librarian. Graduating quickly isn’t an option for me any more, and my scope has broadened. Having friends on twitter who are Youth Librarians, Electronic Services Librarians, Medical Librarians, Academic Librarians, Information Managers, Historical Archivists and Library students, I now can see that my interests may be broader than the High School library.

So I wonder where my studies will take me! And I’m excited by the possibilities.

CC image courtesy cseeman at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cseeman/5938716870/

Categories
family anecdotes Life Random thoughts

Happy Easter! (maybe)

Miss 7 brought home a few Easter chicks last week – Easter presents from teachers and friends, craft activities on the last day of school. Her favourite was a tiny pink fluffy thing, which she didn’t want to put away in her bag, but insisted that ‘she needed to be safe in her uniform pocket’.

Unfortunately… tiny pink fluffy chick, safe inside the uniform pocket, didn’t take particularly well to her rendezvous with the washing machine and dryer.

Whoops!!!

(On the up-side, Easter holidays leave more opportunities to visit gorgeous places with our dogs…!)

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Bloxham Marketing Life teaching Work

Where I’ve been

Okay, so I’ve been absent from this blog for what feels like months, but is only, in fact, 10 days. It’s now Monday 2 April, and it’s officially the ‘first day’ of school holidays. But while Miss 7 might sleep in this morning, Hubby will still have to drive in to work, and I’m in front of the screen already, getting work done while it’s quiet and still. Our work continues while schools have their break – and there’s always work to be done.

Last week was incredibly intense for me. Not only was I teaching a pretty full-on Prep class Monday through Thursday, I was also keeping the marketing of my clients ticking along. On Monday, for example, St Paul’s had a branding photo event with the brilliant photographer Greg Parsons. At the same time, the School Captain and Primary Head of School from Caloundra Christian College were being interviewed by Steve Dunster of Radio Rhema, to promote the Bike-a-thon that they ran on Friday, to raise money for the charity Reach-an-Orphan.

Tuesday and Wednesday was ‘quickly-interview-sources-and-take-photos-in-between-classes’ days, in preparation for the news story deadlines that always come around far too quickly. Thursday was ‘book the bus half-backs’ that I’ll be creating the skin designs for this week. And Friday was ‘finish the stories and submit by midday, then collapse’. And in between I was updating Facebook accounts – with photos of Firey’s visits and Cross Country carnivals – twitter accounts, and websites. Oh. And teaching Prep.

Man! No wonder I’m tired! Conclusion: I need a holiday.

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Bloxham Marketing GoodOldTalk Life teaching Technology Work

The calm before the storm…

Today is the *last* day of the working week. Ha! I can’t recall when the last weekend that I didn’t work. Months ago? Years, more like.  I think, prior to conceiving the idea for GoodOldTalk.com – back when Mr 3 was 9 weeks old – I had some weekends where I wasn’t in front of the computer screen. I would have been busy with young children though. Is that just work of a different kind? Anyway, straying off topic here…

I love my job. Which is why I don’t keep regular hours. I often send emails between the hours of 9pm and midnight, or will blog in the early hours of the morning (I’m currently writing this at 3.54am) because that’s when it’s quiet and I can get stuff done. And if a kid wakes me in the middle of the night, as Mr 3 did just an hour or so ago, I’ll generally just stay up and work. And that’s okay with me. Truly. Being self-employed, if I don’t put in the hours and get the work done, I’ll lose my client’s respect – and then their business. Which is not good. So I work, and am happy to do so.

When it gets tricky though, is managing when I’m offered relief teaching. Since teaching means good money, and we need that, I only pass up these opportunities when I’m ill, or one of my children is. So missing a good 8 working hours out of a day while I teach means that I inevitably have to catch up that time elsewhere. And that’s where my organisation, of necessity, goes into overdrive.

Take next week, for example. I’ll be the St Paul’s Prep C teacher Monday through Thursday. I’ve also organised a branding photo event next Monday for the school – so the brilliant Greg Parsons will be shooting some additions to the St Paul’s library of branding photos. And normally I would assist in this event – but I can’t, because I’ll be in the classroom. I’ll also be in the classroom on Tuesday when I would normally be updating websites, on Wednesday during my Skype appointment with Hervey Bay, and on Thursday when I’d be interviewing sources for my weekly news stories that I submit on Fridays. See my problem? I need to re-schedule all my marketing activities for non-school hours… and not forget my mum / wife duties too (swimming lessons, shopping, cooking, washing clothes, helping with homework etc etc etc).

Sometimes life can be tricky to sort out. Lucky I’ve got this weekend to prepare it all! (Oh – and I apologise in advance. I doubt very much that I’ll be posting anything over the next several days!)

CC Image courtesy CC Chapman at http://www.flickr.com/photos/cc_chapman/480188435/