chocolate body paint

it's not what you think.
actually it's all the *chocolate* stain that is going onto the deck that is being flicked everywhere. all over my face, hands, legs, arms, the cream coloured wall of the house...
DON'T P-A-N-I-C!!!!!
D18 managed to get most of it off the wall:
because YOU ARE A NINJA.
i'm told that *ninja* is the Ultimate Teen Compliment.
apparently being a ninja is even more cool than being a pirate.
warning: derrière shot:
and i have to skite add that those boardies are ones i got about eight years ago, after another of my weight-loss-scams...
and i fit them, comfortably.
because I AM A NINJA.
wanna lick that deck, though...

sunday night's knackered chef

Sir made us this amaaaazing dins tonight - it's homemade happy chicken ninja noodle box for a third of the price of a bought one!! and it only took ten minutes from go to woah! ah so.
i'm gonna jot down the recipe so we can make it again:
6 packets 2 minute nootles - pour boiling water over and let them snuggle for five mins.
into wok, throw 6 happy chicken thighs, sliced. add tsp root ginger, 1/2 tsp chilli, sachet maggi chicken chow mein mix. stir fry for a few mins until cooked.
throw in a packet of fresh stir fry vege - the one with the purple cabbage and mung bean sprouts - and a sprinkle of water. toss for two minutes.
add nootles to chooky-and-veggies, swish swish.

serve in six big white bowls, sprinkle over chopped fresh coriander and roasted unsalted cashews. ah so. biggest ninja nootle surprise - there were absolutely no leftovers to be scavenged...

the sweetest thing

i talk all the time about
The Love Going Around The Universe.
it still does.
sarah bean loves me.
sarah bean loves me so much
that she sent me a book about LOVE,
with no carbs attached
cos i am such a ninja speller,
and i was asking her about a quote for moi for 2008.
so this is it: complete with my very own *pink* bookmark.
love the quote, sarah bean.
it's *perfick* for me.
ain't love the sweetest thing.
you are the sweetest thing.
(ok, i'm taking me'n'my hyperlink-hysteria
off to the gym with Bulldog now)
mwah X

winteritis

I have two things to say. One: I’m leaving tomorrow. Two: That could change.

We watched D18’s namesake in Eagle vs Shark on Saturday night. Nope, the littles didn’t watch it. Yep, it’s worth seeing at least once. That’s one of my favourite lines, and I think that the film will become one of our family's "cult movies" for sure.

Over the last fortnight, while I’ve been journaling pink and sparkly and delish and sunshiney and sparkly and speshal days, my head has been whirling on an off-centre roundabout. Ever since I was six, I’ve naively fought every Change Of Season tooth and nail. I have a love-hate relationship with Growing Up. I am deeply in love with my current season of “Mummy who goes beaching with her babies, relishing in beautiful things and making sparkly days”. But babies grow up. I can sense another Change Of Season about to happen and I am doing my usual fighting-it-off.

I’ve been in my timewarp for sixteen years now and I am Just Wondering if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence? See, Bulldog has applied for a scholarship next year to knock off his Master’s Degree. The last few years have seen him juggling a full time job, five kiddos, a Rather Blonde wife, keeping fit, mowing the lawns, and getting an A grade in four university papers, not to mention sleeping. I’m over it too. We need an oasis. So I am thinking, if he’s having a year off teaching and is gonna be in Study Mode, perhaps I could take a year off and do it too? Ya know, upgrade my teaching degree and go back to *duh duh dunnnn (drum roll)* The Classroom?

Part of me feels a desire to prove myself to myself, getting back to uni and Being Intelligent could be a fabulous confidence-booster (or it could be hell lol). Money is getting so tight and a beautiful sunny artsy classroom part-time could be just the ticket (the ticket to the snow - which my kids have never seen, the ticket to Sydney to see Sue and Cambodia to see Fleur and London to see my Brother and Sister, and a ticket to the cinema for the kids, and all those things I THINK we’re missing and kiss off because I've spent my life pouring into my own kids’ lives instead of the bank account). I love kiddos and if mine are ready, then I’d be the ninja at creating a gentle growing-up environment for other peeps’ kids. But could my Unschooling Buzz translate to the classroom? And could I find a Happy Place for my fellers? Could I bear to be separated from them? Would they be okay without my kisses showering them every minute?

Maybe my timing is a little rushed - originally I thought that S10 and M6 would have 2009 and 2010 at home, then go to school when S10 is year nine (the entry point for all the other brothers and sister) and M6 is year five. But I’m also seeing that I’m running such a Boring Ship here at home: I am running outta enthusiasm. I need an injection. That could be the effects of Winter...

I’ve also noticed that I’ve been holding my kids' hands a little tighter since I started thinking of The Big Wide World for them next year. We do have a family-ish school up the road with small classroom sizes, but it’s a highly structured environment and rather prescriptive in its expectations, which doesn't really fit with my idea that kids thrive in The Big Wide Open Spaces.

Still, I wonder if there’s change in the wind...

standing on the rooftops, everybody scream your h-e-a-r-t out!!!

well, it's that time of year again when the government graciously slips us a few bucks. i have noticed, though, that the homeschooling allowance is exactly the same total that it was when D18 was a nipper all. those. years. ago.
like, what is with *that*?
inflation, schminflation.
yeah, yeah, i s'pose we're lucky to get the few bucks we do get. never mind that a kid at a decile one school gets allocated around six thousand a year to pop its head into a classroom every day. (am i right? that does sound like an awful lot, and i can't find the stat's. yeah, i just fished that figure outta my brainswirl)
but hey dood/doooooodette, it's our choice.
(maybe it's time to get off our derrières and get into the Beehive with all the other uncles mothers wimmin? and while i'm at it, i'm going for splitting household income for lentils tax purposes. but have you watched them at it on Parliament TV? that's Bulldog's and Jemaine's favourite show. sheesh, now there's some rooftop screamin' for ya. and there's all these three hour breaks for dinner. i think i'd fit right in.)

so this morning we jumped in The Tardis and beat our fake-converse-clad feet down town with fists full of pooled resources to acquire That Thing We've Been Lusting After For Simply Ever. and for the last hour, and probably all afternoon - even though the sun is shining - we are inside, listening to our heartbeat, watching every sunset.
yep, another highly eduKATEional moment at our place.
oh, J11 and i just scored *superstar* singing whatever-it-was-that-we-sang...
oh and i just scored *singstar* singing Vertigo...
did someone say NINJA?
boo yah.

Maybe This Explains My Spelling Ninja-ness?

cos it's getting me into serious trouble.
*katie apologises to the universe*

You Are An Exclamation Point

You are a bundle of... well, something. You're often a bundle of joy, passion, or drama. You're loud, brash, and outgoing. If you think it, you say it. Definitely not the quiet type, you really don't keep a lot to yourself. You're lively and inspiring. People love to be around your energy. (But they do secretly worry that you'll spill their secrets without even realizing it.) You excel in: Public speaking You get along best with: the Dash

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

well, the public speaking thing is twaddle, cos i get Serious Stage Fright and all my thoughts Swirl Around The Room (unless i have a pre-written speech in front of me).

so then, are you a DASH? cos that's apparently my soulmate.
peace out X

Week Two - Pile Up Who?

ha! it rhymes.

KNOCK KNOCK
who's there?
PILE UP.
pile up who?

hahahahahahahaha - it cracks me up every time.

i've been having a TGIF moment all day.
so it must be time for a celebration of The Good Things In Our Life.
hi, i'm Katie. i'm a school mum.
t-o-d-a-y.....
i awoke at six and decided to fold the Three Day Washing Pile Up.
cleaned up last night's dinner too.
2 loads of washing done and out.
kiddos rooms sorted.
lounge and living area squaaaaared away.
folded clothes put away.
vacuuming done.
(everyone else is far too exhausted to do housework - BD is teaching 34 hours a week plus running around like a Blue Arsed Fly all his other responsibilities)
kids dressed and lunchboxes filled and happily on their way with a few sweet words about How To Handle The Spelling Test.
i am still so quizzical about The Constant Evaluation Inside The Classroom.
b-r-e-a-t-h-e.

300m swim with Triathlon Buddies - swam all the way.
mostly breast stroke, little freestyle, but feet did not touch the sand.
or the sharks/stingrays/jellyfish.
because there aren't any.
i had My Margot's Magic Wetsuit On for protection, just in case.
home for tin of tuna, wash and comb the dreadlocks outta my hair.
back in the car with espresso and pear.
to the pool to teach some of Mick's classmates to swim.

off for a run.
forty minutes WITHOUT STOPPING, her morning elegance in my head.
(ninja comments, anyone? ha. it's my longest run to date. must be over 5 km. bit slow but made it all the way without dying in the midday sun. what's that about Mad Dogs and Englishmen..?)
banana and stretching. loads of water.
back at pools to teach some of Sam's classmates. they are all so gorgeous and fabulous.
home again home again jiggety jig.
five minute breather and back for school pick up.
newspaper deliveries to do and then....
have bribed some of the girls/home ed kiddos to meet us at the beach for hot chippies.

am rather wasted. i need a nana nap.
this week's thanks-es:
BD - got another A for uni essay.
Danny - in The Big Smoke digging up Uncle's lawn.
Woozie - got 33 outta 34 for latest french test.
Charlie - thinks he's made it into school choir.
Sambo - has sorted the homework situation.
Mick - aced the spelling/times tables test without melting down.
Katie - still remembers her name.

every day has pretty much looked like that and i am still wondering how Working Mummies do the juggle? any tips???

cos i still haven't got around to
*making a baby present for two weeks ago
*threading a necklace for a birthday tomorrow
*making an Art Work for our dining room
*photo arrangement for the lounge wall
*sewing a quilt before uni starts in march
(i have cut out a skirt tho!!! squeeeee!)

oh - but i have just been presented with this love letter -

which is really for tomorrow
but i just couldn't wait.

jeez and crackers. how many words was that blog post? maybe i'll have no prob's writing an essay at uni at all then? i wonder what the lucidity requirement is?

did my first evah zumba class last night. uh yeah, i'm only half a year behind the rest of the world.

anyway, it was insanely hysterical: a room full of white sheilas, trying to shake da booty like da black chicks. talk about lol. also, i couldn't be sure, but i think the instructor had a teenage mutant ninja turtle tattooed on her arm.

refabriKATEd

my wardrobe is full of jeans and singlet tops and a few tshirts and two hoodies. which is probably why mick's teacher looked aghast/aghastly/whatever at me yesterday when i 'fessed i am heading for forty - she thought i was thirty. *grin*

maybe my wardrobe needs to grow up? not my katie-is-a-mummy wardrobe, or my katie-is-a-student wardrobe: my katie-is-a-teacher wardrobe. cos i'll be needing one of those soon enough, and there is currently a sum total of one seventies hippie dress and one sunflower skirt, both of which fit me in odd places and not in even places, if ya know what i mean.

enter last night's 90-minute-skirt moment. yep, that's an hour and a half from go to woah. i started with my favourite vintage sheet.
i cut out a semi-circle and a dropped waistband sash thing and two ties. kind of like an apron then. actually i cut a pattern off this skirt that nik had bought recently.
i'll say that again - *i* cut a pattern off something!!!
and i didn't faff it up. i even managed to ninja the circular hem. all by my onesies. ohk, with a late-night-text to my sewing fairy.

but wait, there's more!!!!!
(oh how i LOVE *two for the price of one* deals)
not only is this a skirt, it's about eleventy billion dresses too!
talk about yer instant wardrobe.

Where are we gonna eat today, Napoleon?

Wherever we feel like. Gosh!!
Whenever D17 hangs out at Chris' place, there's the inevitable late afternoon phone call home asking THAT teenage-boy-question, "Mum, what's for dinner?"
Napoleon, give me some of your tots.
and then the lads decide where they'll eat...
tonight:
I caught you a delicious bass.
NOT!!
homemade pizzas here wins out over macaroni cheese there.


but even though i am the sneak paparazzi (Yeah right. Who's the only one here who knows the illegal ninja moves from the government?), they both insisted on the eyes-closed-photo...
to which the correct reply is Peace out, dude...
or maybe *singing*: I love technology, but not as much as you, you see... But I STILL love technology... Always and forever. Our love is like a flock of doves, flying up to heaven above... always and forever, always and forever...

muttering to myself under my breath

when in trouble
or in doubt,
run in circles
scream and shout!

hahahahahahahahaha
works for me...
actually there's not much screaming and shouting but there's a lot of circular movements, arm flapping, list making, box ticking, stationery picking, internet negotiating...
sheesh,
*In My Day* we used to arrive at university the day before lectures started, fill in a piece of paper, and beat it to the second hand bookshop.
that was it!!!
these days enrolment is all online, which means a million phone calls to the helpcentre cos The Big Smoke Uni website is not a ninja. it's almost like a prerequisite to course entry: you know, if you can jump through eleventy billion hoops you're educated enough to cope with lectures.
at least D18 is well-practiced in telephone etiquette, he'll have no prob's getting a part-time-job at a call centre...
ok, am stalling now, i really need to be sucking everything up the vacuum cleaner... cos we're off to The Big Smoke in little less than half an hour
*guess the movie line*

skitey katie

just an incredibly narcissistic announcement that i can finally do The Pilates Sit Up that i've been desperately trying to do for A WHOLE YEAR, watching enviously as BOTH HUBBY AND MY MUM effortlessly execute the mo-o-o-ves during The Pilates DVD.

of course, every time i try to do this i hear Marie Winsor's ethereal tone telling me step by step what to do:
1. lie on your back and tighten rock hard abs WobblyMummyTummy:
2. now swing your arms up and sit up
3. reach right over past your toes
4. lie down slowly *vertebrae by vertebrae*
5. now repeat... ten times slowly...

i can do five before my *Flapping Fish Stranded On Beach Impersonation* takes over.
because i am a ninja.