It doesn't seem fair

that boys should get eyelashes like this. (Seamus')

Filling in time while the boys swam...

Taking photos of the birdies flying around. Check out the cheeky little Willy wag tail having a go at the magpie. The baby bird is one Seamus found at Mum's place when we were down there over Christmas, he fell in live with the lttle thing and wanted to bring it home. We think is was a baby blackbird (and hopefully not a starling). It was so close to flying, it would flap it's litttle wings and get a bit of air but not enough to take it to safety so a basket hanging in a tree had to do for it's home.

Kids are back @ school

And I can now get to the computer, although I must fess up that I didn't come straight home from dropping the boys off at school, too lonely. The boys are gone and Bren is in Adelaide so I ventured off to Tan's for a cup of tea, then I was ready to face the quiet house, oh and do the laundry of course(or not).

Comet McNaught

I'm the crazy woman who went out in her jammies photographing comets and boy was it cold, a welcome relief from being hot all the time I suppose but not at 9.30 at night at the local playground. Lucky the few neighbours that were up there watching it probably already know about my PJ addiction (as soon as I walk in the door at night from work they go on and quite often the garbage is put out in the evening or the garden watered with them on so my love of my jammies is no secret)

Mount Arapiles

On the way home from Ballarat we took a few minutes to stop off at Mt Arapiles (hope I've spelt it right) It's an amazing place and has a really strange feel to it, sometimes welcoming sometimes not depending on which area you are in. There were huge big chunks of rock that had fallen off the mountain lying around the base. I can imagine the noise and how frightening it would have been when one of them came crashing down. A couple of the photos are of the boys on top of these rocks and leaning against them.

ETA. Just checked these and realised that the colour on some is a bit warm, they were edited on my laptop and look so different here, sorry.

The Fitz Grand kids

Jackson's happy that he is finally the tallest of the FitzGerald grandkids.

Some more from the weekend

Brian's 70th

This Australia day the Fitz clan all gathered at Ballarat to celebrate Brian's 70th birthday. Relies from far and wide turned up giving Brian quite a pleasant surprise as he had only expected the immediate family to be there. His brother (Fr) Des gave the speech followed by a few emotional words from Brian.

A visitor to work.

With Donna gone Tan and I have a few extra hours to do at the shop so I'm on the lookout to find ways to entertain the two younger boys who come to work with me during the holidays, a visit from this cute little roo was quite a hit. Her name is Brandy, her mother had been hit by a car and turfed her out of her pouch, she is now being hand raised. She is like a puppy and loves to be scratched behind the ears. The boys even got to hold her and give her a litttle cuddle, I think they would of sat there all day.

One for next month.

A stamping page for one of next months classes, getting in early with this one, not my usual throw something together a few days before routine, I just can't do that anymore without the three of us. Missing Donna but did catch up with her today while she's home for the weekend, did lunch @Billy Macs, just Tan,Don and me, very nice.The bottom of the page is a little blurry, just because my DOF was shallow not because I can't hold a rubber stamp any more.lol. It's nice to have a few girly shots to scrapbook. I have to wait to go home to Port and catch up with Jodi and the kids with Izzy being the only (little) girl in the family to get these photos so they are few and far between, I think I need a friend with a little girl but would that be wierd scrapbooking other peoples kids, aside from family of course? I live in such a male dominated world (which I must admit I love most of the time)but I sometimes wished I lived closer to home to catch up with all the greaties more often but especially the girly ones. If you haven't guessed I'm missing my family tonight, maybe it's just the late hour, it is after one oclock. Off to beddybyes, night.
ETA Ah this came out side ways but I'm too tired to change it tonight so it's just gonna have to stay that way.

And it's still raining.

Beautiful tank filling, thirst quenching, grass growing, life giving rain... I don't think we even had this much rain in one go all through winter. Two days later and it's still going. It's like a prayer answered. I know somewhere in the vicinity some farmer is probably complaing that it is too much too soon after being dry so long or some other such problem but guess what??? I don't care, I'm selfishly loving it right now. My rain water tanks are overflowing and I am planning a lovely big fresh water bath with yummy bubbles a good book and a great big glass of water, oh heaven. And with rain comes rainbows and trees with brancges laden with rain drops.

Kaleb

The youngest of my great nieces and nephews, taken Christmas day. An absolute fun filled little package, almost always smiles and laughs. I had the pleasure of looking after him and Jayden one afternoon while Trish worked, he laughed, ate and slept, so easy.

Rain, rain, glorious rain...

Joseph clowning around out side with his brolly. It has rained since yesteday, lovely soaking, wet, warm rain. The neighbours must think I'm a mad woman standing out in the rain at 10.30 at night with my blue jamies on cleaning my teeth with my head turned upwards to the sky. I couldn't believe how warm the drops were. It feels like we are in the tropics with this muggy weather, gorgeous. Even the little spiders are wet.

Brendy turns 44.

Just a very quiet party at home with the kids and I. We've all been flat out, him the most, the last week and none of us had any excess energy to go out. Had a brillliant dinner at home though, a 3kg cray, garlic prawns and a yummy salad. Mmmm my mouths watering thinking about it.

Guess who doesn't like having their photos taken???

The boys are back in town...

Paddy (finally) turns 13

I feel like this kid has been on the verge of turning 13 for so long. He decided that he his brothers and a couple of his mates would go diving at Kingston for his birthday and after weeks and weeks on end of stinking hot weather it decided to turn cold and windy. i must admit I was rather relieved when the boys said the water was too murky to dive in as there had been reports of sharks in the area and even though it was a sheltered area they planned to go, I still kept imagining that I saw things in the water. The alternative of jetty jumping was a much happier one for me and the boys and luckily they all had their wetsuits with them. Paddy was lucky to catch up with one of his friends from Port Fairy over at Kinsgston on holidays so we had Sam as well as Jessie.

Happy New Year...

Tired

I came home from work one weekend to find a very tired little Seamus dozing in the wheelbarrow and his sad looking little face waking up.

Lolly monsters....

The two younger boys so over loaded with Christmas goodies that they started playing with the lollies instead of eating them.

Holidays in Port Fairy...

On our last day in Port we did the tourist thing and went for a camel ride and a boat ride out on the bay, it was great fun and the boys loved it. Joseph's helmet made me laugh with the face on the back of it. The dragon fly was on Mum's laundry just sitting there, it let the boys handle it no worries and it was very cooperative when I took its photo. The photo of Griffith's Island was the result of a 5am start to catch the sun coming up behind the light house. Unfortunatley I was a little impatient and the best of the light came as we were leaving. It was still wonderful to get out there early and see what most people don't. There was a magnificent big seal stretched out on the rocks and several wallabies as well as lots of bird life. Definately worth setting the alarm for. The bottom shot of Joseph and Seamus was taken at shellybeach one evening