A zombie and a fairy

.....went off to school today, looking even less related to each other than they normally do.

Yep - Book Week time again at Gum Flat!

We had a green-faced Zigi Zombieson from "Meet the Zombiesons", complete with exposed brain matter....(yep, that one really tested me - but I think I pulled it off. Thank you eBay)

And Opal the Desert Fairy from "Pearlie and Opal" by Wendy Harmer....

Erm, gee Mia - my delicate fair-skinned child.....you HAD to be an Indigenous fairy didn't you. 

Dark bronzer and shimmer tights were the best we could do there!

Poor Kate - no more Book Week dress ups for you my big high-schooler!

Sharing some characters of Book Weeks past for old times sake.....

2009

2010

2011

Been a while....

.....but each time I think about posting an update I'm overwhelmed by how far behind I am! But, today is the day.

Life has been running away on me.....we've had two trips to Taree, one to Yamba and one to Sydney in the last 2 months.....spring has definitely sprung along with allergies all round.....the farm is looking beautiful with fat cows and gorgeous babies everywhere.....the new vegie gardens are finally done and ready to plant.....swimming lessons have begun for Bethie and Mimi....Kate has started Little Athletics.....music practice madly happening in prep for end of year concerts.....and Kate is increasingly excited (and Mum increasingly stressed) about going into high school next year.

Some photos:

Book Week

Mia as Lola from Charlie & Lola, complete with pink milk...

Beth as the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland

(how's that evil pose!)...

Kate as Malificent, the wicked fairy from Sleeping Beauty (that see-through mask was SO creepy!)...

Yamba Camping Holiday

   

This is the perfect holiday park for families - so much to do!

 State Athletics

We made the huge trip to Sydney for our little Gum Flat relay team to compete at Homebush....

It was a day to remember forever.....summed up perfectly in this letter my Mum wrote to our school principal....

"Good Morning, Mr Bloch,

I am writing to tell you that I had the pleasure and privilege of attending the PSSA sports championships at Sydney Olympic Park with Penny and my three granddaughters, Kate, Bethany and Mia Hackney.

The relay team from Gum Flat made me so proud! These fine young people were a joy to be associated with, their good manners, their friendly team spirit, their courage and aplomb while dealing with the disappointment of the results in the Semi Final, showed a maturity far beyond their years.

They did so well in the heats and were only point four of a second behind the fastest team. Without a proper track to train on at home, this in itself was a remarkable feat. It was so exciting to witness! They were looking forward to success in the semi-final, but when there was a fumbled baton pass between Lydia and Kate, we all held our breath.............Kate was devastated, and she has blamed herself for the error. However, the team ran on, valiantly and finished the race. The girls were inconsolable, and slowly made their way back to us, arms around each other, and in tears...........it was heartbreaking and we felt their pain. Alex and Campbell were gallant and very calm and mature and sympathetic to the girls although they must have been mightily disappointed at losing out on a chance to enter the final. They set an example of true mateship that many more famous sportsmen might need to follow.

I feel compelled to write to you, to congratulate you and your staff on the training of these little sporting heroes. The experience of being on the spot made me so pround of Alex, Campbell, Kate and Lydia, they are fine young people and this day will stay in my memory for ever. I want to thank the four of them for allowing me to be a part of this fantastic occasion. The future success of Gum Flat community will be secure in the hands of these young people, I am sure. Well done to you all.

Sincerely,
Angie Budden Watt (aka 'Martha') Grandma of Kate, Beth and Mia."

 After such an emotional and exhausting day on the track, it was off next door to the Olympic Pool for a bit of fun.....this place is AWESOME.....you have to go if you get the chance!

 

Gardening

I got to drive a tip truck for a day.....I reckon it could be my new career.....such fun!

Apart from driving trucks around the place.....I've been picking up my guitar each evening (determined to learn those chords!)....and have gotten hooked on Ancestry.com.....so interesting and addictive.....chews up hours of time though! Have gone as far back as my Great Great Great Grandparents and still discovering!

I'll leave with a reminder about the latest Show Us Your Stuff challenge....a lovely sketch. Find out here.

Have a joyous day.

xxx

Who Doesn't Love to Dress Up!

After a big weekend of planning and sewing, the girls excitedly underwent their transformations for their school Book Week Parade last Wednesday......

GRUG (aka Mia) from The Grug books by Ted Prior

JANE VOLTURI (aka Bethany) from the Twilight saga

MORDONNA FLOOD (aka Kate) from The Floods series by Colin Thompson

Naturally I organised the morning off work to be there....I wouldn't miss it for the world!

It's the funnest day on the school calendar.....my fave part is when they crank up "I'm A Believer" on the stereo and the whole school makes a conga line behind Miss Angel (the girl's adorable infants teacher) and dances around the playground with all the mums and dads clapping and cheering.

Speaking of BOOKS, since my last reading update I've finished....

....and....

....and now I'm quarter of the way into....

....this Millennium series really gets you in. Completely different to what I would normally choose, but I'm loving these books so much!

Enjoy Dad's Day tomorrow....ours looks to be a very damp and rainy one!

Thanks for the visit.

xxx

Our week in pictures

A busy, yet fun week for the Hackneys...but first a layout share...

Love this photo of Kate concentrating intently on playing her clarinet.  She only started learning at the start of the year and is reading music fluently, mastering the difficult fingering and even wrote her own little tune...she performs in the Eistedfodd in a couple of weeks time.  A shout out to Leeann Pearce and her gorgeous blooms that appear on this layout!

First of all, a certain someone turned TEN - double digits...another big milestone for my dearest first born princess.  We have a big party for her every year and this year, as she is getting so grown up and all...we decided, instead of having a party at home with the regular old pass-the-parcel, etc, that we would take 3 special friends to the movies to see "Coraline"...

then to the park afterwards for fish and chips and a juicy big choc-overload cake...

...here she is, my beautiful Kate, happy and relaxed, enjoying the glorious sunshine and writing in the cool "All About Me" scrapbook she was given by Lilly for her birthday...

Mid-week there was big excitement...Book Week...one of our fave annual school activities.  Costumes this year were nice and simple...only a bit of sewing involved (Dora's backpack, Miss Muffet's skirt and Mousie's tail) everything else was recycled out of the dress up box...the most time consuming part was putting Kate's hair in rags the night before to create ringlets...but well worth it I think!

Introducing....Dora the Explorer....the mouse from the Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat nursery rhyme....and Little Miss Muffet...

We had the final soccer match of the season on Saturday...a fun day with a couple of short games then a presentation.  Martha (the name my girl's give my Mum) is here visiting from the coast so was lucky enough to get to watch Bessie in action.  A very proud girl with her trophy...

We had the funnest time last night with a little celebration for Kate and Mum (their birthdays are 5 days apart)...our good friends the Rolfes came over...I cooked Stuffed Chicken Wings - a very time consuming and complicated dish I learnt this week at Thai cooking class...the kids played the Wii...and entertainment was provided by Tim, my little brother who is an absolute genius on the electric guitar.  Finally another yummy cake and Happy Birthday song for the birthday girls...

That was our week!  Hope yours was just as fabulous...

XXX