Kookaburra bites!

Today my finger got totally nailed by a kookaburra.  We feed them ground meat in the mornings, a tradition started by my Dad.  The kookaburra managed to latch onto my finger this time instead of the meat.  Now I sat there for a bit thinking that the bird would eventually work out that my finger was attached and to take the meat instead.  Unfortunately, that wasn't how it worked.  The kookaburra did that very characteristic head shake and it ripped apart the top of my finger.  So now, this  one handed typist is down about 20% of my effective typing ability!

Levi played on the trampoline for hours on Sunday afternoon.  I know that there are arguments for and against trampolines all over the Internet.  I know they are dangerous.  I know that all those good mothers out there are banning their use, but I think that there is some acceptable risk.  The acceptable risk of childhood, at a time when you are most flexible and most able to absorb that risk.  My Dad has built a fairly safe trampoline.  It isn't completely safe but then again, nothing really is.  The trampoline has a net and was built into a hillside, so you can walk onto it from the grass on one side.  You can sit on the grass too and 'Watch me again".

 

 Levi has just got to where he is starting to really be strong enough to play and experiment with his jumping.  He and Ty have developed a very complicated game of Poison ball that involves two balls and no one 'it'.  They play them against the balls where the trampoline makes the balls random and difficult to predict.

If there is ever a reason for letting him hone his skills on the trampoline, it is the unadulterated joy on his face in this third photo.  I don't remember the last time that I felt that unrestrained in my joy.  Don't get me wrong, I am regularly happy and often joyful, but not like that.  It makes me so happy to watch it on his face.  It makes me so happy to see him come in after jumping, bright red in the face, exhausted but happy!

 

He gets quite a lot of air too doesn't he!

  

Christmas Tree

 Today we put up the Christmas tree.  I thought that we might as well, because we can and because you can't leave up the tree very long after Christmas, so you have to get your money's worth before the day!  Levi loved it and the final toll was only down one priceless ornament.  Actually the one he broke wasn't to bad, as it was the porcelain one for him last year.  At least when I order the ones for this year, I can just order the same as last year again.  So instead of being down one priceless ornament, we are down one $14 ornament!  Too easy!

Here in Australia you can't really have a real tree.  In the middle of summer and fire season, placing kindling in the house is way too much of a risk and I think it would be nuts to have a real tree.  I have no idea how you would even go about buying a real tree, because I have not seen them.  Actually if you look in the top left of the picture, you will see the other traditional (for me) decoration; the Christmas fire extinguisher!

It is always a little bittersweet for me to decorate the tree.  There are all the ornaments that celebrate Frankie's life and I love that they are there but I am always just a little sad that there is not another little boy (or not so little now) helping with the tree.  There are ornaments as well that Evan and Ross made for me when they were little and I miss them too during these times.  I have no luck with lights but have a theory that you just have a long string and inevitably there will be enough that actually work that it looks like the tree is lit.  The star was very important to Levi today and he kept saying;

"Won't Santa be impressed!" 

 

All told we had a fun afternoon, placing the decorations and dreaming of Christmas!

Levi in Mum's glasses

Levi was playing with my glasses today and I thought that he looked so adorable in them I took some photos of him.  So this is what Levi is going to look like if he ever has to wear glasses.  I almost hope that he will have to.  That is one cute boy!

It has been a long week but there is no good reason for it to have felt so long.  It is now only three weeks until vacation and I am sooooo looking forward to it.  We aren't going to do anything dramatic for vacation.  Days to the beach.  Days to the public pool.  Time with friends!  Oh boy, I can't wait.

Quiet but Busy

This week has been a quiet one.  Busy at work but fairly quiet at home, just the routine of the week that chews through days until suddenly you are at the weekend again.  It can't come fast enough at the moment.  Three and a bit more weeks and the mancub is on holidays.  He will just make it I think.  His school shirts wore twice a week for a year are getting very tired.  He will last with shoes but his shorts are starting to leave marks by the afternoon around his waist.  Yes he has grown a heap this year and must be in a spurt of growth at the moment.  He is now 126.5 cms (95%) tall and 21kgs (25%), so he does still look tall and thin.  It is just his body type.  I will get a photo of him with his Uncle Ben when he comes out from London next week.  They are the same.

Today after school we went to see the doctor (hence the accurate stats above) because he is getting loud and having trouble hearing some of the time.  It isn't age appropriate selective hearing because he is as likely to not hear "Levi, do you want an ice cream" as "Levi, time for a shower before bed".  The doctor said that he has some fluid in both ears but it is resolving.  He said that I could ask the teacher if there are problems and then we could work out what to do.  He said that it would likely resolve in a month or so.  So instead of polishing my 'Mother of the Year' award, I elected to do exactly - nothing.  Checking him and getting things organized for school will take more than the few weeks left.  Likely it will be resolved before school starts again at the end of January and we will have time to decide if it isn't resolving.  So, nothing!  

We are just warming up to the frantic season, but I am mostly done with Christmas shopping.  I am planning to stay a long way away from the stores in the next month or so, but still there is a lot going on.  There is a lot at work and a lot at home.  There is a lot here and a lot in USA, but it will keep things interesting!    

Lazy Sunday

 Today was pretty quiet.  We got up and started slowly.  Levi wanted to do the Gingerbread house, so we spent some time doing that.  Actually, Levi has been bugging me to do the Gingerbread house since Jo bought it for him a few days ago.  So finally I acquiesced and we built the house.  Levi had a blast and it was right up his alley.  I had to do the eaves on the roof but other than that, pretty much he did it on his own.  It came with everything that you needed and about twice as many lollies (candy) as you see.  He ate as many as he put on the house, but it was much more about the task than about the end product.  He happily played for at least an hour though and that is a bonus as well.

Then we did our Sunday tasks of grocery shopping, filling up the car with petrol and getting organized for the upcoming week.  I am grateful that there are only four weeks of term left and even more grateful that at the end there I have three full weeks of holiday as well.  I am looking forward to just time.  Time to feel like I am not spending every waking hour working either at work or in the yard.  I am looking forward to having time with Levi without feeling like I am torn between conflicting tasks. 

Levi and I then 'fought' for about an hour.  He loves this Fighting Game and involves me lying on the couch and just with my legs trying to 'pin him' to the couch.  He begs to play this game all the time and I have to be careful because if he (or I) are too tired, it always ends in tears!  I am hoping to get him into Judo or Karate after our term off to let him get out some of that Testosterone without feeling like I am going to get hurt or accidentally hurt him.    

Then Levi drew pictures while we watched the new Transformers movie. Levi has really got into drawing and every now and then surprises me.  Mostly he draws Rocket cars.  Well of course!  But today as he sat drawing beside me he said;

"Can you see my feeling in this picture?"  (Top one)

I said;  "You are feeling that you want to go grocery shopping with your Mum today"

He said; "No Mum, It's a feeling of hope"

It is amazing sometimes how he can suddenly come up with something that will just sit you back in your chair.  He said that they are 'hope colours'.  Then he drew me a Hope Star (Middle picture).  He was in a very hopeful mood.  I wish I shared his surety.  I am glad that he is that sure of hope.  I am proud that he is that hopeful and just that fact gives me hope for the future, when the future all in their hands!

Miracle

 Today I got up to a miracle.  I came around the corner of the sofa and Levi was reading, by himself, by choice.  He was sitting on the sofa, playing with his lip and reading quietly by himself.  In a blog post only a few months ago, I despaired that he would ever learn to read.  Now he is reading without saying out loud.  Six months ago, I thought that he might have even been going backward in his reading and today he is a reader.  Not just a reader but he is choosing to read, for fun.  It does my heart good to watch him this morning. 

Actually I had inklings that this was coming.  Suddenly the notes he writes are more accurate and he is writing 'books' complete with 'chapter pages'.  I don't know what was the switch but it has definitely been turned on.  I suspect that some of it was just the way his brain works.  He needs to find the pattern in something, but when that pattern emerges, he is insatiable.  Some of it may have been, that I relaxed.  I didn't 'give up' but I definitely relaxed.  I read to him at night when he was tired, rather than being frustrated that he was struggling to read to me.  We got through all eight books of 'Deltora Quest' and have started on the 'Stories of the Shadowlands'.  I just read two chapters and we go to bed.  I don't qualify it anymore, making him read his book to me first.  Now I just chilled out.  Maybe I should have thought to do that months ago! 

Today was busy and all over the place.  I had to take a baby goat down to the vet, which took forever and tried to get at least a little yard work down.  Today was mowing, tomorrow is whacking weeds.  It is getting hotter and hotter and I am starting to think that the weeds are going to win this summer.  I keep thinking that if I can just stay on top of them I should be fine, but as the days get hotter earlier and summer really takes hold, there is a panicky feeling that I will lose control.  Ah well, some things just can't be done.  And weeds can be pretty too!

 Di came over with her boys and we were going to the pool but this was delayed due to the excursion taking the kid to the vet.  Di was lovely and looked after all the human kids, so I could take the four legged kid in.  Then we went to play in the pool.  Levi just loved it and both Di and I commented how much easier it is to go to the public pool when the kids (human) are completely confident swimmers.  Di and I sat in the shade and planned the trip to the coast, glancing up to check on them.  One year ago we had to stand on the side, or knee deep in the water watching them.  Two years ago we were in the water with them and they had life jackets on!  My, it is incredible how fast and strong and independent they grow without noticing it.

Signs that you live in the country

This sign was not not a fence post on a way road corner and it wasn't fake.  The sign was attached to the entrance to the school.  yes, signs that you live in the country, are signs that find ducks and cows and not the standard dogs and cats.  I just find it exceptionally funny that the people who found them took them in and loved them enough to advertise for their owners. 

It has been a busy week and shouldn't really have been.  If you look at my Outlook calendar at work, it looked pretty clear.  It was the week that I was supposed to catch up on paperwork, but unfortunately with the computers systems failing at work there have been times when I have just given up and worked from the computers at home.  Today was one of those days.  I had about two hours to work and was at home where it was quiet.  I am grateful that my work allows that kind of flexibility, but I guess as it is their computers that are the problem to begin with, it is with a tempered gratitude.

We did our standard Wednesday play at the park with friends after school.  Levi loves it and we have about two and a half hours of just playing and chatting.  OK, Levi plays.  I chat!