Tag: Child

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#blogjune family anecdotes Technology

#BlogJune Day 26

“Second star to the right then straight on til morning”

These instructions, given by Peter Pan to Wendy Darling, are the directions to Neverland. And my Miss16 was given the challenge of animating them. “What would be seen by the children (Peter, Wendy and her younger brothers, Michael and John) as – with the help of Tinkerbell the fairy, of course – they fly there from London?”

And this was what she created. By herself, by hand. No AI here, folks!

Enjoy 🙂

914137D1-A036-42C0-9738-63D80E03C60A

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune Life places to visit

#BlogJune Day 22

Today was meant to be a shopping morning, followed by a party tonight.

But Miss16 decided that shopping could wait for another day, so it was ‘just relax at home’ before party instead.

De-cluttering happened. Organising happened. Numbers of Gilmore Girls episodes happened, and now I’m with Kiya in her favourite spot. And I have to agree with her, it’s one of my favourite spots too.

Here’s wishing a relaxing day for you too, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune random scribblings Scribblings Writing

Argh! Missed another! #BlogJune Day 16

And there’s actually no ‘good’ reason for missing yesterday’s, either! In fact, I was part-way through writing it, yesterday morning, but got distracted. And never came back, obviously 🙁

Oh well. I’m going to choose to be kind to myself rather than ‘beating myself up’ about it. There’s always today.

So here’s what I was thinking I’d share with you for today’s post: a haiku I made up this morning while feeding Kiya her breakfast. Poem inspired by a conversation with my Miss19, after whose words I’m choosing to title it. And a disclaimer: this is BAD haiku. As in… you’ll probably hate it. Sorry in advance if you do! But I find it highly amusing. So here goes:

Brain rot (?)

YouTube, TikTok meme

Sigma Meals: Skibidi Sliders!

I am the Rizz Lord.

 

So… whatcha think? Bad haiku, hey. I mean, who’s ever heard of an 8-syllable middle line?! Really!

Okay. I’ll show myself out. See you tomorrow, folks! (Hopefully!)

– KRidwyn

 

 

Categories
#blogjune family anecdotes Life

#BlogJune Day 10

So my Miss16 has 6 months left of school. And what does she do? Join in with the Senior Assassin game, of course!

Wear goggles? You’re protected. Floaties on your arms? Also fine. On school grounds (school bus seats included in this definition) or heading to or at your place of work? Also unable to be eliminated.

Anything else? You’re fair game for being eliminated (shot by a water gun, the evidence caught on video) and no longer able to win the hundreds of dollars in prize money awarded to the winning team.

My girl’s latest obsession: looking over her shoulder anywhere we go. Oh, and the goggles wearing, of course.

Let’s see if she’s a few hundred dollars richer by the end of the year!

Have a goggle-free day yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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#blogjune

#BlogJune Day 5

I found a waterfall today. I’ve visited this particular park in Nambour nearly every Wednesday during term time for the past year or so. Today was the first time I decided to take my dog Kiya with me while we waited for Mr15 to have his oboe lesson.

Imagjne my surprise when we discovered a waterfall at the end of the path!

Here’s hoping you too had a day of lovely surprises, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

Categories
family anecdotes

14/52 On social media memories

In spite of my not liking it, Miss 19 uses the BeReal app. For me, it’s the ability to potentially track someone through the app that I hate. I love my daughter, and the idea that someone could be finding her by her location – because she’s telling them! – is just plain ol’ foolish, to my way of thinking. However, she’s an adult, and if she chooses to get and use BeReal and TikTok (which she doesn’t use much, I’m glad to report) then that’s on her.

It *was* interesting though, to hear that she uses the functionality of BeReal as a form of online diary. ‘Where was I / what was I doing six weeks ago?’ Scroll back to that date and ‘bam’, there’s the answer. So that was a less-nefarious way of seeing it, I guess.

And let’s face it, who doesn’t smile when the “Your memories on Facebook” posts pop up. Here’s one of mine from the other week:

 

And reading it took me staright back to that day. Eight years ago, my middle child, determined to find the tooth which she’d just discovered was no longer ‘hanging by a thread’ in her mouth. We were at Kings Beach as a family, and it was farily heavy surf that she’d just been swimming in, with Hubby and the then Master-7.

She was so earnest! She would find it, she was sure…

Needless to say, the tooth was never found.

Have a memory-full week yourself this week, dear Reader!

  • KRidwyn
Categories
Life More about me Random thoughts teaching

On ‘schooling’

So my two school-aged kids are at the same school again, for the first time since June 2021. It’s Brisbane School of Distance Education, and they’ve completed the first week of Term 4.

And so far, it seems to be going well! Miss15 started last term, so it wasn’t ‘all new’ for her, but my taller-than-me-now Master14 has been at it for a week… and he seems to be tracking okay 🙂

Such a relief. This parenting gig is harder than it first looks… and wow but that pregnancy bit does NOT look comfortable!

I’m always second-guessing myself. Should I “let” Miss18 have a gap semester or a gap year – or just figure it out for herself? Will the benefits of Distance Education outweigh the issues for the other two, or have I just made yet another foolish decision? Will they be able to support Master14 with his autism, more effectively than at a regular school? After all – that’s why I’ve moved him…?

And when on earth does it all get easier?

Still. BSDE schooling *seems* to be going okay, at this moment in time, so here’s hoping that this will continue… Wish me all the best, dear Reader!

Til we meet again 🙂

  • KRidwyn
Categories
my novel-in-progress Writing

Almost there…

Well, this month was D-month! (Is that even a thing? And if not, why not? And can I make it a thing? And who even came up with the ‘D’ for ‘D-day’ anyway? And I’m really showing how much of an ignoramus I am right now, aren’t I?!)

And back to the story: my plan was to start querying my Middle Grade novel by the middle of March. Am I on track to still make that deadline? Well, yes… but it’s a long drawn out ‘yes’ so everyone knows there’s a caveat attached!

So here’s why. Amongst my drama group preparing for our performances next week and Miss 18 finishing her 100 hours on her learners and then getting her license (YAY!!!)… my computer died! And yes, I’m one of those people who says ‘I’ll back up *next* week, which of course never arrives, meaning my last back up was before Christmas, and I have done SOOOOO much editing since then!!!

In fairness to the computer, it *was* ten years old, which I’m told is a very good age. My 13 inch MacBook Air, as light as a (okay, maybe a pelican’s or an albatross’) feather, and it had never had ANY problems… even after I accidentally dropped it hard enough to dent its corner a couple of years ago; and even though I’ve let it overheat once or thrice.

But the keyboard stopped. The trackpad, screen, everything else was fine. Just no keyboard – and external keyboards (both wired and wireless) also didn’t work.

Hence: I now have a new MacBook Air. And the IT guru was able to restore my old computer using a P-RAM reset (which he did for free) so I was able to save, back up and then transfer my book baby (and all her siblings!) to my new computer. No edits lost!!!

But Scrivener had apparently undergone a new version in the years I’d been writing, so I had to buy the new version. And then my baby (and her siblings) needed updating to the new version, and I need to relearn how to do stuff on this new Scrivener which I already knew how to do on the old version, so… sigh. It’s been a bit of a set-back.

But I’m determined to send my first query letters on the 16th, so I have 10 days left to get my baby ship-shape and looking her best.

Wish me luck, dear Reader! I’ll let you know how it goes come April!

⁃ KRidwyn

Categories
Life my novel-in-progress Random thoughts Work

Off and running…

So how’s your 2023 shaping up, dear Reader? Mine has been a whirlwind! Although it feels a tiny bit more relaxed, incrementally a little less hectic, than last year.

I’ve added some ‘physical health awareness’ time into my routine this year, and having one child fewer at school has given me a LOT more head-space, for which I’m grateful! And I’ve filled it (but of course) with other things… I’ve paid the Term 1 school fees, closed (and opened) a couple of bank accounts, sold then collected some budgies, had a vegetarian best friend stay for a week, processed a lot of books and kept on top of my ordering, and also done some gardening in there – as evidenced by my aching and stiff lower back as I type.

Oh, and add into the the time spent night driving with my eldest; an extra church activity or two, and more writing this year than any other year I can remember to date… and 2023 is looking good so far!

And the fact I wrote in my last blog post that I’d be querying by mid-March is still front-and-centre of my ‘not just important but urgent’ mental list. Truth be told, it might actually BE the whole list. I’m on track for that still. Kinda…

Speaking of which, I should probably get going now. There’s editing to do. I’ll leave you with this inspirational new(ish) writing from Veronica Roth, shall I?

See you next time!

  • KRidwyn
Categories
family anecdotes Life momentous events

Final milestones

Years ago, prior to children, I couldn’t imagine myself as a mum. Truth be told: I still can’t! And yet, I am. Muddling through as best as I can, and making mistakes left, right and centre. Sorry, kids.

But time passes and things get easier (or, at least, more routinized) and then you realise you can’t remember what life was like before the kids were around. Or in primary school. Or in high school. Or university, et cetera.

Me and my family? Well, Master almsot-12 – my youngest – is about to graduate Primary School. Seven scant weeks after, he’ll be the only pre-teen in my house. And just 16 months after that, all three will be teenagers (and yes, I’m already noticing the grocery bill…) and the eldest will be driving and in her last seven months of school.

Wait, what? Seriously?

Life’s going too fast!

Yup. Breathe. It’ll all happen, and it’s all survivable.

*deep breath* *take a moment*

Well, back to my point – because it’s been quite a rambling one this morning – my little man graduates from Primary School in two weeks. Hip hip, hooray!!

Well done, little man. Congratulations – you made it! I love you.