To catch you up – yesterday I lost my iPhone. Now, if you know me then you know that I have a very close relationship with my iPhone. I have been known to refer to it as my third child. I love it. As you can tell I’m still speaking in the current tense as I’m not yet ready to cut the ties in spite of knowing it’s not coming back. I predict the seven stages of grief to come. I’m still hanging out in 1) shock and denial and 2) pain and guilt at the moment.

Anyhoo today I thought we’d concentrate on the aftermath…..

A lot of the time at home when we talk to the kids about the predictable number of electronic gadgets that live in our house  we say things like ‘be careful’, ‘be gentle it’ll break and we can’t afford to replace it!’, ‘that’s expensive and if it breaks you’re not getting another one’, ‘don’t drop it or once it’s gone – it’s gone’ etc

I think about how I would feel if our 6 year old lost his Nintendo DS – as of yesterday he would have been in big trouble and I would have refused to buy him another so that he could ‘learn the value of things’ and ‘learn to be more careful and responsible with his things’. But what would that really teach him? Does he not already value his things? I think that kids (for the most part) really do. The truth is that I lose things ALL the time. I lost my wallet a couple of weeks ago and cancelled all the cards before finding it in the glove box of the car. I rarely know where my sunglasses are and it’s a good thing that we have two sets of car keys as I only ever know where one is. I value all of these things and still lose them, often. And, in spite of all of my clearly obvious short comings, I get upset at my son (who’s only 6 and still learning) if he comes home without his school hat or his lunch box.

Yesterday when Miles discovered that I lost my phone he asked if I’d get another one – I explained that they were very expensive and we had to see. I also added that mummy just can’t get a new thing every time that she loses one. Miles immediately offered me all of the money in his piggy bank to get me another one. All of it. Everything he’d saved, for me. Not because he needed to but because he wanted to make things better. He didn’t judge me for losing the phone. He didn’t make me feel guilty or call me names like silly, or scatterbrained and didn’t ask for anything in return. When I said thank you but it wouldn’t be enough he started working on dad to pool money with him so that they could get enough together. It showed an amazing generosity of spirit and an empathy that I can only dream of.

I thought back to what I’d do if he lost his DS and I took a really hard look at myself. I thought about how terrible and stupid and embarrassed I feel right now, having lost my phone, without anyone making me feel so. I thought about how Miles might feel if he lost his DS, not just because he didn’t have it but also because he’d have to tell us and fear the repercussions. Now, I just hope that no matter what Miles ever loses or accidentally breaks I have the courage to remember this moment and be a bigger person – to give him a hug and tell him it’s ok, it’s just ‘things’ and we all lose and break ‘things’ sometimes then I hope that I open my wallet and offer him  my money to put with his and replace it, even if we can just put together a plan to get another. I hope I can do it because I want to be more like him.

I’m hoping this was a sign – not JUST that I’d lose my phone today but that some lovely soul would find it and return it to me. One outta two ain’t bad.

If you are my dream angel and you have my bestest electronic friend would you please consider it? I would even change my name to a symbol for you…..

Although if you can’t manage to get the phone back I wouldn’t mind a chat with The Artist Formerly Known As either

clip also includes the brilliant maceo parker *swoon*

We have.

Twice.

Personal nomination for film of the year – already…….

1) going to a school function or dance recital you put on pre-baby clothes and you get comments like ‘Wow, you look nice’. Yes, the rest of the time I look like Molly Weasley, who I love but is NOT my style goddess

2) you actually go to school functions and dance recitals

3) you refer to members of The Wiggles by their first names and are indignant about who should wear the yellow skivvy

4) you can step on lego without howling

5) you can’t discuss with your book club anything off the NY Times best seller list but can discuss at length Jamie’s 30 minute meals

6) you’re in a book club

7) things you hated used to include being late for happy hour, strapless bras and waking up before 10am but now include endless washing, stepping on lego and nits

8) you can no longer drink more than a bottle of wine at a dinner party

9) if you do manage more than a bottle of wine the next morning hangover’s only solution is to sell your children on ebay

10) your cultural reference points mostly consist of The Chipmunks, Ben 10 and Disney’s multitude of Princesses

11) You display your children’s art with pride and call it postmodernism

you no longer have the ability to count……..

Our little 6yr old boy had his first criterium race last week at Balmoral Cycling Club. He had the biggest smile on his face that I’ve ever seen! Here are some pics to enjoy

The Daddy put it together and with nothing to go inside we undertook a family craft project using the left over scraps of wood (and a couple of finds from around the house). Most of our inspiration was from MadebyJoel – I’ve lusted after his doll houses forever – it was enough to make me want to learn woodworking! Instead we had a bit of glue and a bottle of champagne. Here’s what unfolded….

The upstairs ants must have drunk all the champagne and knocked the chair down!

Flokati rug making a comeback

The Daddy experiments with fabric

champagne requirements obvious

more seating than in my actual house

need more chairs = drink more champagne

We have pictures that the kids have made that are still to hang on the doll house walls and need to make some beds (mmmm – thinking futons) but it’s getting there……. is it wrong to have house envy!?

unless……

you want to stand in lines – lots of them, for a long time (everyone’s secret to do list I know)

if you’re lucky, when you get near the front (wait is only about 75mins) the ride may break down. 

They do that – a lot. Most of them…..

While waiting you have lots of think time – you could work out that if you went on 6 adult rides you could line up for approximately 8 hours for a total of maximum 30mins of ride time. Value? Sure!

It’s ok though, because when you’re hungry you could buy a dagwood dog

don’t worry they won’t burn you, they’re not hot.

Hunger vs Salmonella……. toss that coin and take a chance baby, after all you’re on holiday!

Later you could get an ice cream, just in case you’re still hungry after the dagwood dog episode…. unless you want anything that’s not a calippo (clearly the unpopular choice)….

or a water, when you run out – because it’s hot. After all it is Queensland which is why you brought some. Take lots of money. Water is expensive, after all it is precious I agree. But you can refill the lemonade cups, if you line up…..hmmmm…..

Really it’s ok – cause the tickets were essentially free as you have a FUN PASS.

Guess it’s called a FUN pass because you have FUN?

Luckily the kids still think so……..

P.S. go to Sea World instead. Take your food though – and water

so here it is for you…….

Cheesymite scrolls

Makes 16

Prep 10 mins

Cook 20 mins

2 cups self-raising flour

30g butter, chopped

3/4 cup grated tasty cheese

1 cup milk

1-2 tablespoons vegemite, or to taste

1. Preheat oven to hot, 200 degrees celsius. Lightly grease an oven tray.

2. Sift flour into a bowl. Using fingertips rub in butter. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese.

3. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in milk. Using a bread and butter knife, mix quickly to a soft sticky dough.

4. Turn out onto a lightly floured board, knead gently, then press out to a rectangle about 5mm thick, long side facing you.

5. Using a spatula, spread Vegemite completely over dough. Sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese.

6. Roll dough up like a swiss roll. Slice into 1.5cm slices. Arrange cut-side up on tray in a circle or other shape, slightly overlapping.

7. Bake 15 – 20 mins, until base sounds hollow when tapped. Cool slightly and serve.

Highlights?

Friday arvo Miles met Craig Smith – author of The Wonky Donky. I know it used to be all about meeting rock stars but the times they are a changin’.

Miles and Craig Smith

Compost and worm farm workshop at Miles’ school – run by the council, super dooper awesome! Go people! Upcoming ones can be found here……

Dina from the council - our guru

Pool Party – I mean what isn’t awesome about pool parties, especially when there are dinosaurs…..

Mr 1's birthday pressy

Bike riding, 6km group ride on the north side – Tilly sang the whole way

Pushies Galore Swapmeet – Tilly told me this dude had strange hair, in a loud stage whisper that we all heard. Luckily he liked to laugh.

More swimming, this time at the neighbours.

Reciprocate with bbq dinner at our place for the neighbours.

Collapse. Start over.

Did you survive yours?

I know I said I was going to wait until Christmas BUT Tilly said she wanted to dress up for Halloween as Red from Hoodwinked. Then said ‘I don’t have a red hood, but that’s ok – I can still do it, I can just pretend’ and it tugged at my heartstrings that she didn’t ask for one or ask me to buy her one and so I folded like a cheap suit.

This pattern is from Oliver + S‘s book Little Things to Sew and it is gorgeous – it’s easy to sew and turns out beautifully, highly recommended even for people that are just starting out

I did it all in quilters cotton (as it’s pretty hot up here ) and it turned out beautifully – the lining is a forest print, I kind of like the idea of Red Riding Hood taking the forest wherever she goes…. and I used a gorgeous green and gold vintage button to finish it perfectly…….

Here it is…..