You spin me right 'round baby, right 'round...

Last night Cassidy was being her usual pandemonium creating self when she was supposed to be getting ready for bed. She was singing a rather raucous version of Little Miss Muffet and Steve had already told her she was going to have trouble sitting on her tuffet after he had smacked it.

I was sitting on her bed, her pyjamas in hand, with the beaten look I take on at this time of day when she has got the better of me. Steve paused in the doorway, then walked toward her purposefully I think to inflict the afore-mentioned threat on her tuffet when she changed the words mid-rhyme to

"....there came a big daddy who sat down beside her and frightened Miss Cassidy away"

Again with concise life-saving timing, the crisis was averted. Steve and I lost the plot (well I lost it, Steve tried to retain decorum but didn't quite manage it) and she erupted into "aha, I sucked them into my vortex" laughter that resembled Dr Evil.

Cassidy: 1072 Mummy and Daddy: 0

Studio Reno: Part One

If you can't get Jamie Durie and Scott Cam, get the next best thing.... (only joking boys, you're much spunkier).

Finally getting around to blogging an in-progress shot (this is for you Jen!)

Steve and Lyall have been going great guns on the studio extension - I think I actually feel like it's real now! The prep work of cabling and installing my vacuumaid (all wonderful and important parts of the process, but not very exciting to watch) is now done, the stud work is done and the glass doors are in. They have started sheeting the walls now so it actually looks like a room! I think they may even get to painting this week, then it's the floor....oooh I'm getting all excited!!

It is amazing to think that however long ago we stood in the garage and said, "you know, this could make a great studio" and now it's actually happening. The other day just after all the stud work had gone up and it was seeming very "real", Steve stood there and said, "you know, this would make a great garage". At least he thinks he's funny.

Sheye is trying to convince me I need to have an opening party with champagne and canapes. I personly think about three people I know, including my family, would come and the rest would be the weirdos from down the road that heard about the free grog.

Steve and Lyall have been amazing, this simply would not be happening without them. Steve is in it for the love and the back rubs, Lyall is in it for the love and the cups of coffee :) Thanks so much boys, you know I love you both very much.

My dynamic working duo are back at it again today so there will probably be some updated shots later on :)

Home James.

our four gremlins in hoodies :)

Cassidy spent much of her time looking like nobody owned her.

Isaac's face after I told him if he kept annoying the emu it would jump the fence and chase him.

Cassidy and Bella

The playground was great - it was a "real" playground, obviously been there since before they decided fun things like round-a-bouts were un-safe :)

What you are lucky you can't see is how close I came to bringing up my breakfast whilst on the round-a-about trying to get shots of the kids.

Another cool piece of spinning enquipment I'm sure some government department has deemed "un-safe" by now

We had a great time :)

I was little nervous at first as when we drove up to our abode's for the next two nights, we realised the difference between the "deluxe" cabins and the "standard" cabins. Heidi, our fearless accomodation organiser, was planning on getting us the deluxe cabins but they were booked. There was only $10 difference between the pricing, so she thought (and rightly so) that there couldn't be much difference between the two.

Well, that was lesson one learned. The deluxe cabins were actual cabins. Ours looked like what I've always imagined the people that go on Jerry Springer live in. Lets just say there was no shortage of timber veneer or vinyl and you couldn't pass one another inside without unintentional groping. We were cosy and the kids thought it was just fantastic.

Basically we ate and drank tea, the kids played, Heid and I ready trashy mags, we made some awesome campfires and in general enjoyed being parents of four semi-independent children.

ie no nappies to change or toddlers to thwart from eating rocks and deer poo.

A little bit of crazy

What do we do when things are crazy busy and we can't keep up with it all?

We go away for a weekend, that's what we do!

Now, I know we will have a great time with our good friends and we have been looking forward to it heaps, but why at the final hour I can't stop thinking "we are insane!"

The whole remembering everything - the food, the entertainment and the not-sure-on-the-weather clothes for the kids really does me in. It's only for two nights yet my brain is spinning. When I look at Steve in a what shall we do kind of way, he just shrugs his shoulders and says,"it's only for two days. There's shops."

I shall be sure to remind him of his nochalant attitude if I forget to pack his socks and he's complaining about cold tootsies at night time :)

Anyhow, as my mum would say - we're going and you WILL enjoy it! Have a great weekend everyone xx

ps. and yes, the first picture she is actually asleep. She got put in her room this morning for being cheeky (I'm sure you can't imagine that!) and fell asleep on her chair :)

Labradoodle for sale

12 week old male, cute and cuddly, big brown eyes and is the devil incarnate.

Today I arrived home to find Toby had had the run of our house all morning. He had busted his way in through the cat door and the laundry door was also open, giving him full puppy-reign over the entire house.

I walked in the front door to see him at the top of the stairs with Cassidy's baby in some sort of sordid looking crocodillian death roll. He had her by the neck and was shaking her back and forth. I don't know if he thought he was releasing his inner rottweiler, but at that moment I was glad we don't have a newborn in the house.

Once I recovered (he didn't hear me come in he was so engrossed in his prey) I yelled "TOBY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!", and he dropped the doll, sat back on his haunches and unleashed the full extent of his Cadbury chocolate eyes on me.

One glance around at the devastation and I unleashed the full extent of my foot shoving him out the door.

My folding at the top of the stairs had been re-distributed around the house. Cassidy's pullup from that morning was torn into bits. Various items which he obviously decided he now owned as Canine King had been dragged onto his bed.

Well King Toby better abdicate his throne pretty quick or a trip to the taxidermist could be arranged.

My marketing manager

This afternoon I picked Isaac up from school. As we were walking out to the car we passed another mum carrying her brand new baby. Everyone walking along the path was stopping to ooh and ahh as I'm pretty sure she was still pregnant only the day before :)

Luckily we had passed by when Isaac chose the moment to offer a pearl of marketing wisdom for me.

"Hey mum, you should just ring that lady and ask her if you can take photos of her baby in your photo room, eh?"

Nothing like the straight to the point marketing approach. I'm sure he doesn't see why I can't just accost new mums at the school gate. Forget waiting for clients to come to me, I'll start chasing them down like a hungry lion brandishing a 5D.

Maybe we could do a team effort - he can distract them with his baby blues while I thrust a flyer into their nappy bags.....

Fete-ed out

Isaac's school fete was yesterday.

The usual overload of hot chips, lollies and rides left us looking a sad state of affairs come five pm.

The kids had a great day (as kids tend to do at fetes!). Steve proved his culinary skills by manning the hot chips and dagwood dog fryers for an hour whilst I did my best in the face painting tent.

My first customer off the ranks sweetly asked for a dolphin diving into the water at sunset. I kid you not. I was about to suggest she kindly take her pigtails round to one of the more dolphin-savvy artists when her mum jumped in and said maybe just something small on her cheek would be fine. So I did my best to create a cheek-sized dolphin. I thought it looked like the logo on the Greenseas tuna can, but my little Greenpeace customer seemed satified so that's what counts :)

Em was most distressed that she forgot her camera, but braved mine to take a shot of us (I was very impressed at this, Em's not usually one for trying new technology :P )

What a bedraggled lot we are. Cassidy has the "end of day" glaze, Spiderman's face had started to peel and I was on my fourth hit of sherbert lollypop. Steve for some reason looks suprisingly good. But as photos of the four of us together are usually hard to come by, this is a keeper for sure. Thanks Em xx

Our puppy is short on love.

Do you think?

Maybe not, but the Tobalicious is certainly short on his lifespan this morning. I found him in the shoe cupboard, after I had locked him into the laundry, and he has chewed the heels of my favourite pair of peep toes. Not. Happy. Jan.

I have to say I do admire the ways animals manage to get their "I'm not happy about this situation" message accross. They can't talk but still manage to pick the exact thing to do that will hit you where it hurts. For example, "you lock me in the laundry, I chew your Fiorelli's. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, nasty human".

The problem is the big pathetic labrador eyes. I'm thinking of blindfolding him.

Pictures on yet another walk with Toby...we ran across a cute old mini, my favourite car. I plan on having one of these before I look too old and daggy driving one.

Although I'm thinking of the newer, soft top (and ahem, $45,000) one.

9.58am

We went to bed at 12.45am after watching the end of a movie on tv I had already seen.

This morning the kids came in smelling of puppy after Steve had held them off to let me to sleep in.

I was made tea and vegemite toast.

Isaac bought me chocolate hearts and some body lotion from a stall the big kids held at school.

Cassidy bought me a huge heart pendant necklace that looks like it belongs on a rapper. She picked out a smaller version for herself so we could match and also some bright pink eye shadow.

Cassidy had grabbed some of the chocolates from Isaac and was refusing to give them back. He was sulking and I tried to tell him to ignore her.

Cassidy wanted my last half piece of toast. Isaac wanted some too. I tore it in half into two little triangles and gave one to each of them. Cassidy shoved hers down in one go, Isaac tore his tiny triangle in half again and gave one half back to me.

I had just said to Steve there was an insight into our two kid's personalitites right there in vegemite toast.

I think he took this picture just after that. Messy bed, kids in their chosen clothing of the morning and me in daggy pj's, puffy eyes and bed hair and wearing my rapper necklace. But I love it. I am so grateful for the little bubble of family that is my world. I am so very, very loved.

Happy Mother's Day to you and yours xx

I am not a dog. I am not a dog.

After Toby living with us for the grand total of four days, I fear that we did not purchase a dog, but a human in a dog's body.

At least he seems to think so anyway.

Toby likes being held, being played with, sleeping on our feet or sleeping in the shoe cupboard. Those few activities pretty much make up his days.

He has figured out how to bust into the laundry via the cat flap and this is usually where we find him - in the bottom of the cupboard lying on the shoes.

You tell him "no" and this is the look he gives you with his big labrador eyes. I can almost hear him saying "what?" :)

The Tobe-ster

Mad we may be, but we have entered the world of Puppydom. Toby the labradoodle joined our family today.

If you haven't heard of a labradoodle, its a labrador crossed with a poodle. Or as I like to call it, a fancy name for what is commonly known as a mutt (that the going rate for is around $700). Basically we picked the breed because he should be great with the kids, grow to a robust but manageable size and is hopefully low-shed. Knowing us he will probably grow to the size of a great dane and get a coat like a mammoth.

Toby was a suprise for the kids and they have been in raptures for most of the day. Our old man of a five year old boy has asked questions all day such as do we have to give him back and, heart breakingly, is he doing a good job looking after his new puppy.

It's almost like the joy of having a puppy is too much for him. At one point he came and quietly put his arms around me and said "mummy I feel sad". I said why's that and he said (his exact words) "it's just so lovely that you and daddy got me a puppy that I feel sad". Oh my heart. I think in his five year old way he was trying to express the feeling of being so happy you want to cry. He has been so beautiful to watch today, I just want to squish him into my pocket.

Cassidy has been, well Cassidy. I don't think Toby has used his four legs at all today. She has carried, fetched, hand fed and basically done everything to quench any possible little puppy-desires his heart may have.

Don't look too deep into the brown eyes, they suck you in and make you do silly things like creating puppy residences similar to a canine Hilton under our back deck.

Photos taken on Toby's first walk today :)

Speaking of quirks...

You can't get better entertainment than Cassidy.

She is a champion excuse maker once she's in bed. Comes up with every reason under the sun for us to come in to her, but one last night took the cake.

Cassidy (from her bedroom): Daddddddddeeeeeeeeeeee.........

Steve (from our office): Yes, Cassidy..........

Cassidy: There's bones in my legs.

Steve: Yes there is. They're supposed to be there.

Cassidy: Oh. But there's a big bone in there.

Steve: Yes. If there wasn't, you would fall over.

Cassidy: Oh.

----

Silence. Obviously she'd used the "bones in my legs" trump card and there was nothing left to go with.

Her kindy teacher told me yesterday she knew Cassidy would end up on the stage. Somehow, I can see that.

Quirky? Me??

Sheye tagged me. If you haven't experienced tagging before (I'm explaining this for you mum!) it means some topic is going around - for example, for this one I'm supposed to name six quirks about myself - and you have to blog your quirks and tag six more people. They are usually topics that want you to point out embarrassing facts or flaws about yourself, just like this one. So thanks Sheye for making me share more about myself than I think the public wants to hear and sorry to the those in advance that I'm going to tag :) :)

1. So of course before doing these things I had to do a little research on other people's blogs to make sure I don't share anything a little too out there (not that I'm "out there". I'm not. Completely normal. Nothing to see here). So number one for me is that I have to sleep with the rattly, zillion year old air conditioner on in our bedroom. I am used to the noise that and every year as winter approaches I try to sleep with it off and I can't. The silence is deafening.

Note: Noone can actually say this is weird as one of the first things I realised from my blog reseach is that almost everyone (ahem, Carrie, Sheye and others) have to sleep with their fan on all year round. I think this makes me normal, in fact if there are so many of us doing it, does it count as a quirk at all? Hmm?? :)

2. When having hot drinks, tea, coffee or whatever, I always have to leave about a centimetre in the bottom of the cup. This was of much amusement to my husband in our early days of marriage. My reasoning is that the last little bit is always tepid (hate that word), has too much un-dissolved sugar and basically spoils the end of a hot beverege for me in general.

3. When brushing my teeth in the shower (hang on, maybe that's a quirk on it's own, does anyone else brush their teeth in the shower? For me it's a time saving mechanism) I have to move the toothbrush around under the water because I like my toothbrush really wet. I will often use my hand to funnel water in a direct stream onto my toothbrush to make sure it's really wet. I honestly don't know why I need to do this but it seems to be a great source of entertainment to my husband so I'm glad I can bring him joy :)

4. I like toilet paper rolls to come down the wall, not over the front. For all those now saying "what the", and have never had this great realisation before, go check your toilet paper rolls - you'll realise there's a very important choice in how the paper comes off the roll. I think Steve changes them just to annoy me. If I go to people's houses and need to use the ladies, I will change their's too - it's obvious they just haven't been enlightened to the proper way of doing things.

5. Not sure if this is a quirk, but I really feel extreme temperatures. I am a mid-season kinda girl. I have been known to faint in really hot weather and I am always freezing in winter. Basically I guess you can say I'm like one of those creatures on the Discovery channel they describe as liking a "mild climate" which really means they're just a sook.

6. I hate massages. I admit it, I'm weird. Once Steve sent me to a day spa and during the massage-y bit I'm lying there thinking when is this going to be over? I think it's because I love doing stuff and my brain won't relax enough to enjoy it - I just keep thinking of other things I could be doing. Don't get me wrong it's not touching in general I don't like, I love hugs and cuddles and all that but start rubbing and I'm just not into it. Okay, so that didn't sound all that good, but you get my meaning :) :)

7. I often feel that words come out of my mouth faster than my brain thinks them. You may realise this if you have made it through the above 6 quirks and are still with me. It may also be apparent when you realise I was only only supposed to post six quirks and this is my seventh. The good part of this is that you always get an honest answer because I usually don't have time to think before the truth comes out.

I was somewhat disturbed last night when I asked Steve to name some quirks for me and he drew a blank. This could either mean that he was rather absorbed watching Lost (so was I, but I can multi-task) or that I am a complete un-quirky bore to live with. Considering he is usually very quick to point out things like this and then have a good chortle at my expense, I'm going for the absorbed in Lost option.

I'm tagging some non-photographer blogging friends as they usually get out of these sort of things - sorry girls :)

Jen

My sister Em

Renata

Christy

Cath

Leoni