The Chook Yard

Ok, so I haven't gotten to the video repair yet. I'll get to it, no worries. Just be patient. You demanding fans, you.

But I do have these for you!!!!!


And this:


How many preschools in the states have you seen with live chooks (chickens) and peacocks (or something peacock-ish) running through the yard. The children are not allowed to chase them and they are a bit shy. But the kids collect the eggs and sell them for about $4 AUD a dozen. They store them here:


And yes, since I'm on the pre-schoold board , I'm making an executive decison to paint the fridge during the year end parent working bee.

And since we're all about Gracie today, we have this:



And no, she hasn't been mistreated in any way. She just bonked her head.

And we have this. The Gracie version of a rally cap...only we're not really cheering for a comeback. We just like it this way.



Don't hate us because we're cool. And gorgeous. We can't really help ourselves.

And just because we can't leave it as a Grace-o-rama post:


Thanks Grammy for the Halloween socks.

And speaking of Halloween. 100 hotdogs for the neighborhood party ordered and picked up. 75 goodie bags stuffed and ready to distribute to neighborhood kids. Big bowl of American candy sitting on the counter waiting for trick-or-treat (thanks Debbie). 1 tooth fairy costume complete. 1 blue morpho butterfly costume complete. 1 comander Cody costume and gun ordered and received.

Stay tuned for "Halloween with the Cavanaghs" coming up soon.


Chook chaser and primo chook photographer,
A

Technical Difficulties

Ok, just checked the last post and realized we are having a few technical difficulties with the videos. Unfortunately I won't be able to make any corrections tonight. Too, too tired. Here's how my day went:

6:30 Up to fry bacon.

9:30 Whole family to church where Cole participated in his Reconciliation Commitment Mass.

10:45 Visited overcrowded (i.e. smelly) grocery store with entire family so that we could spend $125 only to purchase crap that won't last through tomorrow.

11:45 Home to unpack groceries, feed family, wrap presents and wipe sweat from armpits (it must be 120 outside!).

12:45 Arrive 15 minutes late to 6 yr old's bowling birthday party with 5 (count them - 5) kids in tow, myself and my neighbor. All transported illegally by strapping 7 people into a 6 person vehicle.

1:00 Argue with son (yet again) - "No, you cannot have money to play video games. Bowl like the rest of the children. Don't make me take you home!".

1:15 - 2:30 Help to reign in chaos as 21 (count them - 21) 5 and 6 year old girls bowl. All attempts unsuccessful.

2:30 Thank you God we're leaving.

2:35 Wrench left ankle and right (bad) knee in parking lot.

3:00 Ice Knee

3:30 Clean kitchen. Keep cleaning kitchen. Keep on cleaning kitchen.

4:00 Cut Jason's hair.

4:30 Take a little more off Jason's hair.

5:00 Cut Cole's hair.

5:05 Threaten Cole with loss of life or loss of all hair if he doesn't shush the crying.

5:30 Take a little more off Jason's hair.

6:00 Make scrambled dogs (had a craving).

6:30 Clean kitchen....again.

7:00 Read with kids.

7:30 Kids in bed.

7:35 Make homemade Carrot Bread...because I'm an idiot.

8:00 While Carrot Bread is baking make homemade biscuits for breakfast...because I'm an even bigger idiot.

9:00 Make last swipe in kitchen...again. Bag and wrap biscuits and bread.

9:15 Hop online to surf mindlessly.

9:45 Notice something missing. Fix glass of wine.

10:00 Check blog and notice technical difficulties but have no capacity to think logically as is necessary for repair of said difficulties. Just too, too tired.

There you have it in a nutshell. My day.

Come on....don't lie. You feel like you need a drink now too, don't you?

Drivin' people to drink all across the world,
A

All She Wants To Do Is Dance

It's dance recital weekend!!! Along with the start of T-Ball and Rookie Ball, things have been a bit crazy to say the least. Brady was a Starfish in the Octopus Garden program.

Unfortunately, the dance studio didn't think that our $185 in tickets for the three scheduled programs was enough. Nope, not enough. They needed to supplement by selling DVDs. If the dance studio is selling DVDs, that means no photos or videotaping is allowed. Therefore, no pics of Brady except these:



And then there are these of Grace. Her program was during the day. A smaller production (although just as long). Photos and videos allowed.

Gracie's beautification:






Gracie's class demonstration, shown before the dance of the "Butterflies":




And more dance class:



Even more dance class:




Ladies and Gentlemen. I give you the Dance of the Butterflies. Drumroll please............




Please note that since Gracie had to go to the toilet and wasn't returned to the Dance of the Butterflies until right at the end, the dance seems a bit shorter than it actually was.

Aaahhh, the call of nature.

A

PS - I'll post Brady's $50 five minutes of fame when DVDs are released. It's stunning. Just stunning.

Puttin' the Filth in Filthy

A few things about me:

• I love dirty children. Dirty children = Happy children. Dirty bodies and faces mean they've played hard and eaten well. They've had an overall good day.

• I am one of those people that believes my husband is just as much their parent as I am therefore has the right to do things his way without too much questioning or redirection from me. Meaning, I won't give him a hard time when he uses the same water to bathe all three children instead of changing it out in between.

• I haven't scrubbed the grout between my bathroom floor tiles in over a year.

All that said, Alice Springs is a dry, dusty and grungy place. We live in a desert. It's expected. My kids take full advantage of the dirt by rolling in it, smearing it from head to toe and throwing it on top of the nearest head. They take pride in their work.

And I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "Who's the unlucky kid that got to be number three in that line-up?"

Good Afternoooooooon Ms. Padget

How cute is that?

A

Back to the Same Old Same Old

We're back! Well, actually we've been back for a bit. Just trying to settle in to the school routine again. Back to homework, spelling words, set bedtimes and bright mornings with Mom screaming "I swear if I have to tell you to brush your teeth again, I'm going to beat the life out of you!" Empty threats of course. But they make me feel better.

We're gearing up for Halloween. The kids have all decided on their costumes. Cole is going to be some Star Wars character. The least he could have done was picked the Star Wars guy that he dressed as last year. That would have saved us some money. But nooooo, he had to go be a different Star Wars guy. Kids.

The girls are going to be the Tooth Fairy (Gracie) and a Blue Morpho Butterfly (Brady). And of course I did that thing that makes Moms everywhere kick themselves 2 weeks down the road...I said "I can make those".

And why, why, why do I have to have a child that must be a Blue Morpho Butterfly? Not just any old butterfly? You're sure Brady? A Blue Morpho? "Yes Mom, a Blue Morpho like on Diego that lives in a cave and has brown wings on the back and blue wings on the front and can't fly when it gets cold."

Know what you want and want what you know. That's what we say here in the Cavanagh household.

Jason and I won't be dressing up this year. It would be really difficult to top last years costumes. We were that cool. But I think I might draw a big scary face on my melon knee. How gross is that?!?! I've got Halloween in my blood. I have the best ideas.

We're hosting our "2nd Annual Neighborhood Halloween Gathering" as we're calling it. Luckily there isn't much we have to do to prepare. Note to self: Must order 100 hotdogs. Be on the lookout for pics from that one.

In the meantime I'll leave you with these photos taken by the kids' new camera while we were on our trip:

From Kids NZ2

From Kids NZ2

From Kids NZ2

Darn it they're creative little things aren't they?  Note:  You are not allowed to disagree with me on the perfection or imperfection of my children.  Or on anything else for that matter!

Love to all,

A