Thank you to all my friends ...

Like a Diamond

Instead of my mummy writing this page I, Matthew Taylor am posting this blog to your injoyment. My mummy said in one of the posts about me that I'm "one of those diamonds that you have to dig for but, once discovered, you don't want to let out of your sight". Unluckly for you that have found me I'm sure you would want to keep me. But I am very active and face fear without been a scardy cat. I would have a little trouble getting away but hey, Matthew Taylor never fails. I can get away any day. Somtimes. So when I get away it is going to be a bit of trouble been rich. As you may know I have turned double digit. 10. Its a horrible thing. We still haven't organised my party yet. On the 9.7.o8 which was a Wednesday my Grandma took me shopping for some birthday presents but before I can tell you this story I have to tell you this one. On the 8th of July is my real birthday. I was told we were going to walk all the way up Mount Taylor. I am very well known here in Canberra. The Mountain is named after me! We walked up Mount Taylor with my two brothers, my mum, my grandma and some of my cousins. Some people who work for me( I'm extremely rich) made a new path for my use but some people use it because they think they are more important than I am, but they are not. I'm thinking of getting better security. Well we all went up my path because I'm very kind. Then we walked back down again.

At night I opened all my presents. They are a wind cheater( I don't want to play a game of cards with him) , a game called hiest were you have to steal jewels( I'm writing this while I'm in jail). I also got another puzzle called lokulus. You know the geek called Archimedes who pulled the thorn out of the lions paw well he invented the puzzle called lokulus. The last present I got from my family was the movie called "Meet The Robinsons". It is a very good movie.

Anyway I shall get to the story about shopping with my Grandmma. I finally made up my mind about the things I wanted. I got some tricks that some people call magic tricks, you'll never believe me but for some odd reason they keep disappearing. I got a snake that is 145cm long. I am writing this while I am in hospital. My grandma also got me a movie called "Jimmy Neutron". It is very funny. I also got a book called "Geronimo Stilton". It is a mouse who talks about his adventures. The last thing I got from my grandma was a book called "Super Diaper Baby". It has interesting facts that baby power is stonger than grown up humans! My grandma also gave me $15. From my grandad I got $10 for my birthday.

Now to move on to more presents! From my Aunty Ruth, Uncle Josh, Sarah, Olivia and Hannah I got a yoyo and a thing that I like to call a thingy. It is awsome. From my Nanna and Poppa I got a $20 gift card( alot of money!). I got a book called "Soldier Boy" from Pamila, Jason, Matthew and Loren. It is a true story about the yougest ANZAC. The charector is called Jim Martin.

Thankyou for listening to this story. I hoped you injoyed it.
Singed by the future Primeminister of Australia: Matthew Taylor

Wrestling Again!!!

There they go again!!!

If there's one thing all the boys in my house love to do, it's to wrestle in the lounge room.

I think that maybe there's a casualty on the left hand side of this pic!!! Those little legs look motionless.

Don't let those legs fool you, though, because they belong to the Benjamin Bunny!!!

What did I tell you? The Benjamin Bunny is back in action. And with a vengeance!!!

You could see in the previous photo that the older boys were having a little trouble winning their wrestling match. However all is sorted out once the Bunny is back on the scene.

I'm telling you, you have to beware the Bunny. A lot of people have "Beware of the Dog" on their gates - I'm seriously considering having a sign made up - "Beware of the Bunny - Enter at your own risk" for my front door. I think that would scare any would-be thief away!!!

They have done the deed and now they're carting the bodies away.

But only until the next wrestle!!!!

They love it sooooo much. It is such an important bonding time as they exert some physical energy and get up "close and personal". I love the sound of laughter eminating from the loungeroom because I realise that they're all making some wonderful memories.

Matthew's Birthday

Matthew turned 10 yesterday. As I said to my special "little" boy, "I'm so glad to have Benjamin - otherwise I wouldn't have any little kids left in my home!!!" Matthew has now officially joined the "Tweens" - they are the age group of children just before the teenage years. Generally, they are between 10-14 years. Here's what I found on one website when I googled "Tweens":

Welcome to the Tweens: a generation of fashion-conscious, fad-loving, filled-with-attitude youth. You thought angst was a teenage phenomenon. Your 12-year-old is so moody, he begs for attention one minute, and then pretends you don't exist the next. You want to keep your 10-year-old in pigtails, but she tells you belly shirts are the bomb.

At least, with Matthew, I won't have to worry about the pigtails or the belly shirts. Nor will I need to worry about him being fashion-conscious or fad-loving. My beautiful boy is his own person and has his pleasures, which are relatively simple, and his own opinions, which he stubbornly clings to until logic - pure logic - proves otherwise!!! All he really wants to do at the moment is play AFL and cricket. This is great since both these sports are seasonal and there can be no "clashing of the titans". While this may seem faddish because it is "at the moment", this "moment" will last for a long time - once he commits himself, he usually sees it through to the end and doesn't worry about whether anyone else is doing it or not. However, it's hard to play either cricket or footy without a team, so I guess he is kind of dependent on others liking what he likes. :o)

Matthew is a lovely boy. He is quiet, shy and thinks deeply about the world around him. He holds his opinions to himself until something provokes that opinion to be voiced. When Matthew does give his view, it is usually well thought out and the wisdom in some of his words never ceases to amaze me. He loves the deeper preaching at church. Especially when his poppa is behind the pulpit!!

He's a great help around the house. He just focuses his mind on the task at hand and gets it done quickly. Apart from the task he's been set to do, he sees the other things that need to be done in association, and he does them. For example, one of his jobs in the mornings before school is to wash and dry the breakfast dishes. He also puts them away without being asked and without complaining. I have to say, he is very, very cute about it. I have to really bite my tongue when I see a tall tower of dishes shakily making their way from one bench to the other. They usually make it to the other side without mishap ... but I'm waiting for the "big bang"!!! Once they are safe, I allow myself to chuckle. Until then, I'm holding my breath.

He is a very kind and patient boy. He loves his little brother and they generally play very well together. He often defers to Benjy's preferred game or mode of play. I have watched Matthew with other younger children and he's just so patient with them. I'm really proud of my boy.

We gave him a few gifts for his birthday, not knowing what he would really like, because he never asks for anything. If there was anything we gave him that he didn't like, he didn't let us know. He let us believe that everything he was given was exciting to him and special. His grandmother is taking him out for lunch today and a spot of shopping so that she can get him whatever he wants. He has no idea what he wants, but when I suggested maybe new track pants, he countered me with "I could ask Grandma for socks." Poor child - you would think he didn't have any socks - he has a whole drawer full of the things but he is unselfish and he just thinks he doesn't really need anything. I hope he doesn't get disillusioned, LOL!!!

I know God has big plans for this special boy of mine. I keep telling him that he is wonderfully and fearfully made and that God's creation is good. He's one of those diamonds that you have to dig for but, once discovered, you don't want to let out of your sight.

Signed,
His Proud Mum

He's growing up and he's calling me 'Mum'

WARNING: Much longer post then I anticipated!!!!

Having read Michelle's post about the progression of N's language from calling her 'Mama' (a term I happen to love ... when any of my children call me 'Mama' it makes all my insides squishy!) to calling her 'Mummy', I was able to recall the days when my own called me 'Mummy' - thankfully, they sometimes still do. I hope they hold onto that term of endearment for many, many years to come. I can't say that, even though Joel and Matthew call me 'Mum', I was really ready for them to grow up yet. I have to say, I think 'Mummy' is more for me then it is for them!!! I hope that makes sense.

Well, my first-born bundle of joy arrived home from spending four days and three nights in Sydney. Ever since Joel was in Kindergarten, I have been adamant in declaring that there was no way that Joel was going on this particular excursion, which happens to be an exchange program with the school he attends and a school in Sydney. This program has been operating for the last 37 years and, as Joel's teacher pointed out to the parents (for obvious reasons), they have never experienced a problem. My main concerns involved the fact that Joel would be staying with a family I had never met and so I would not know their values/morals/approach to life/brand of toothpaste etc, etc! To this point, I have not allowed Joel to stay overnight with anyone outside the church for the aforementioned reason.

However, Rob and I were sitting in Joel's classroom on the "introduction to the teachers" night when the teacher explained the purpose of the excursion and the safety precautions implemented. My heart started doing an excited little flip, floppy type thing and I realised that this excursion would probably be a good experience for Joel. On our way home that particular night, Rob and I both agreed that Joel should probably go but we would delay telling him our decision until we were absolutely sure - you know, a "cooling off" type of period!! We realised that Joel, at the age of 12 years old, needed to make some stands and take some responsibility for himself.

Anyway, to make a rather long and tedious story, shorter and slightly more interesting, our "little" treasure departed on the bus on an extremely cold and foggy Tuesday morning at the unearthly hour of 7.15am and arrived home on Friday evening at around 6.30pm. I can tell you, I was overjoyed to see my boy!!

Joel took some rather wonderful pictures and gave me permission (you know, copyright and all that!!) to use them on this blog.

Of course, we all know this is the opera house. Joel took several wonderful photos of this beautiful Australian icon and it was very hard to choose one. The one below was taken through a fence.

Then there was the Quarantine Station where migrants suspected of carrying contagious diseases were quarantined at the site to protect the local Sydney community from infection. It was established in the 1830's and operated until 1984. In 1840 overcrowding was a huge issue - there were four children to a bed!

Designed by convict architect Francis Greenway, the Hyde Park Barracks (below) was home to convict men and a place of punishment between 1819 and 1848. Later it became an Immigration Depot for young girls and a Government Asylum for women.

The above picture shows the manacles that used to be put on the feet of the convicts.

And just before they came home -

LUNA PARK!!!!!!!

Joel had a wonderful time. When he got home, he showed us the 187 photos he took (these are a mere sample) and he told us all about everything. There were opportunities for him to draw close to God during that time as well. There were a couple of situations that might have turned out much worse then they actually did, but thankfully Joel knows how to call on Jesus and to trust Him for the outcome of any situation. I am thankful that we have a God we can call upon in any situation.

I just want to end this post with a Psalm that was part of my Sunday School preparation this week but actually, it didn't have too much bearing on the lesson itself. It did, however, encourage me and I pray you find it uplifting, too.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Psalm 121

Time Marches On!!!

This time last week, my first born baby had been through his orienteering at the High School he's attending next year and we had been to the Open Night.

Joel had soooooo much fun at his orienteering day. All the kids broke up into groups and participated in science experiments, performing arts gigs, games (as in PE) and they went around all the classrooms. They met some of the teachers who seemed to be friendly. I, in no way, remember having fun on my orientation day for High School. I grew up through the dim, dark ages where the incoming students had to sit in the hall and listen to the Principal and various teachers give the do's and don't's!!! Our orientation through the school commenced the day of the new school year and we had a Prefect show us around all the classrooms. I remember I still had my school bag from preschool (I know, I know!!) and at one stage, my bag flew open and all the contents spilled out on the ground!! I was sooo embarrassed. Isn't time a wonderful healer? I was over it the next day!

We went to the Open Night (again, we didn't have one of those in "my days"). It was a shamozzle ... to say the least! There was a major crowd in attendance, so much so that, whilst there were people sitting with their children, there were many more people standing, to the extent that the crowd of people was literally going out the door. After we sat/stood through the speeches (of which the Principal did not use the microphone properly so it was really hard to focus on what he was saying!), we were invited to split up into groups and tour the school. It was a great concept, but not great in practice. The poor "tour guides" (students of the school) who were assigned to the swelling crowds, lost most of their groups. Certainly, we lost our tour guide and so we linked up to another group where the tour guide told us that she had lost half her group - :o) - and so we headed on our merry way. However, we hadn't been with our new group long, when we lost them too!!! Because Rob had attended the same school when he was considerably younger, he was able to give us a personal tour of the school!! We went to the gym and spoke to the gym teacher (PE teacher, health teacher, whatever you want to call him) and when we'd had enough, we headed out the door to go somewhere else. As we were leaving, the crowds converged upon the gym and the poor teacher!

We decided to look at the science lab. That was heaps of fun and the teachers there were so helpful! We spent some considerable time there, sampling different experiments and, again, as we were leaving, the crowds converged upon the science labs.

Joel is very excited/nervous about going to High School. It will be such a change in his life in so many ways.

Joel is growing up in so many ways. He is showing responsibility, independence, thoughtfulness, caring etc. Even last night, he showered Benjy for me so that all I had to do was get the BB dressed in his PJ's. Then when Benjy spilled his dinner on the floor, Joel tried to clean it up. I didn't ask him too, he saw that it needed doing.

His greatest desire is to live for Jesus. He will be able to choose a language next year. He told me he's interested in German but he thinks it would be more prudent to learn Indonesian, just in case God calls him there!

He feels a sense of purpose when he does his piano practice. He sees it as something useful for the Lord - and he enjoys it too!!!

He is such a special boy and I am his very proud mother!!!

Tag?!

The rules of the game are as follows:

1. Link back to the person that tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your entry.

1. I love hanging my washing out if the day is nice, crisp with just a hint of snow on the ranges and warmth in the sun. I also hang my washing in an orderly way i.e., socks together, undies together, etc. I actually have a preferred order of hanging my washing out. And I hang everything inside out to offset any fading the sun might do. If you think that's bad, I know of people that colour co-ordinate their pegs to match their washing!!! By the way, I also fold my washing off the line ... (should I keep going?)

2. I love ice cream!!!

3. I am, by nature, a lazy lay-about!!!

4. I love green (green is really the best colour in the world). My poor husband once asked me if we really needed to have more green in our home. I just told him that there is no such thing as too much green. You can have too much of other colours (I won't name any in case I am absolutely pounded!!!) but you can't have too much green. Obviously God thinks the same way I do, otherwise you wouldn't have green grass, green leaves, green stalks, green insects, green frogs, green crocs (I'm not really proving my point here!!!), etc, etc, etc!!! Obviously, green is God's favourite colour!!!

5. I once tried on the most expensive dress in David Jones without any intention of buying it!! It really was just for the thrill of having a beautiful dress on!! The trouble was that the dress was beautiful on the hanger ... 'nuff said!

6. Autumn is my favourite season. I simply love the magnificent colours and the soothing (to me anyway!!) temperatures!! After the heat and discomfort of summer, it's like stepping into airconditioning while you're still outside.

Okay, now it's my turn to tag (however, everyone I know has already been tagged, but hey ... here goes!!):

Ruth
Melanie
The Three Little Princesses
Kirsty
Michelle
Lachlan

Well, now, I'd better get a couple of hours work done before we go to church tonight!!!!