I knew this week was going to be big.
Monday the 22nd seems so long ago. I had a full day at work, visiting over 15 trainees for their Frontline Management training. I have a good job. I am so grateful for it. But on Monday I was wishing I didn’t have to work because of the enormous assignment I had to complete. The day went well and I arrived home from work at around 5.30pm. After a brief catch-up with the family I left for uni.
Dinner Monday night was eaten in front of the computer at uni. I arrived just after 6pm and snacked on chocolate liquorice bullets while I worked. Hardly nutritious, but very quick and convenient!
It was close to 1am Tuesday morning when I finally turned the computer off and headed for home. My day was almost done. Kylie had left some dinner in the fridge for me which I enjoyed, before going to bed around 1.30am. It was one of the biggest days I have had to do since being a student, and it came in the last week of my degree! But it felt great to finally complete the assessment on Tuesday evening and prepare it for handing in, on time.
Wednesday I drove to Ipswich and ran a Frontline Management training course for 10 trainees, then handed in my assignment at uni. My last one! That felt good. All I have to do now is prepare for my final exam in mid-November and it is all finished. Wednesday arvo was pretty simple. Mowing, cleaning, and getting ready for the weekend. I was really looking forward to Thursday though.
Chanel had been looking forward to Thursday more than me. We were going to Wet ‘n Wild, a theme park with huge waterslides to ride all day. Chanel had won our tickets by raising more money for her school spell-a-thon fundraising efforts than anyone else. We arrived just after 10am. The crowd was small. It was a perfect, sunny day. Chanel looked nervous about the rides. We went on a couple of smaller ones which Chanel decided were “boring”. So we headed for the big ones. Chanel was barely tall enough to get beyond the height restrictions, but barely tall enough was enough.
Tornado, Mach 5, Jet Stream and Black Hole were the names of the rides. They were big, and I was certain that Chanel would not want to go near them. To the contrary, it seemed that the bigger and more thrill-filled the ride, the more likely it was that Chanel wanted to go on it. In fact, Chanel enjoyed some of the thrill rides more than me!
Because the crowd was small we didn’t have to line up long for rides. In fact, most of the time we were able to get straight on. This would normally be terrific, but at Wet ‘n Wild I have to wonder. Every ride requires that the rider climb stairs – hundreds of stairs! I would be understating, quite conservatively, if I suggested that we climbed 10 000 stairs on Thursday. But the rides were fun, and Chanel was in her element. By the time we got to 1pm I was in pain. My legs have not worked so hard in over a decade! I loved theme parks as a child, and I never remember coming home thinking, “Gee that was fun, but wow my legs are sore.” Aging changes our perspective a little.
By the time Chanel and I walked out of the park, at 5pm, we were both in pain. We had walked miles, climbed thousands of stairs, and been in the heat all day. We had had enormous fun. But we couldn’t walk. I was suffering from chafing, and sore feet and legs. Chanel was in tears, unable to walk because her legs were so exhausted. It was wonderfully funny!
Friday was busy, preparing for the weekend and doing some work as well. We went to the chapel to set things up for Saturday, and tried to get some sleep in preparation for the big day.
Saturday – Chanel’s baptism…
The day started early as Kylie and I prepared food for the expected 150 people at the baptism. Family photos were scheduled at Wynnum, by the bay, at 10am (I’ll post them when they arrive). The morning was perfect. As I drove to the designated place I got a call from my parents. My whole family was at Brisbane airport, having just flown in, and were unable to hire a car. For some reason the rental companies were all out of cars. I spent the next 20 minutes frantically trying to get them cars, and eventually succeeded.
Photos went well. Everyone was happy until the end. Two hours in thirty degree heat by the bay, with sun reflecting off water, had the children tired out – and sunburnt. But I think they’ll come out nicely.
We enjoyed delicious fish and chips for lunch, and then went to the chapel for the baptismal service.
Highlights:
Chanel and her best friend Brittany sang a church song, “I like my birthdays.”
Kylie gave a beautiful talk
Dad and Karina sang a church song, “How will they know”. Very special.
The baptism itself was special
Wonderful friends who came and participated
Family and friends who travelled great distances to share our special day
The greatest highlight, for me, occurred as the final hymn was sung during the service. We were singing “I am a child of God”, sitting in the front row of the chapel. I looked at Chanel, singing sweetly. She smiled at me as we sang. I told her, “You look happy Chanel.” Her eyes filled with tears and she stopped singing. Then she gently nodded her head and smiled. Chanel was happy. And that is the greatest joy that I can ever feel.
I love that little girl.
Sunday, 28 October 2007
Sunday, 21 October 2007
The End is in Sight, But There is Still Work to do
On Monday I handed in my thesis – over 100 pages created over 9 months. It felt great to submit it, and I enjoyed the moment. The burden was lifted, and it felt good. I have no feelings of having done too little, and am confident that it was the best work I could produce. Of course, reality struck hard as I hit the books again, this time for my last project of the year. There is still work to do.
The week has been very challenging actually. Once the thesis was in I had to commence this final assignment, and also prepare an hour-long presentation for the Australian Family Association State Conference. The long nights and busy days have continued.
The conference was held yesterday and I presented to a diverse group of around 50 people. It went quite well and there was a lot of feedback and involvement from participants throughout the workshop. “Connected Parenting” was the topic, and it was terrific fun. Experiences like that make things a little confusing as I consider my options for the coming years. Part of me wants to keep running workshops. I have what it takes to do so, thus building my business and providing for my family. Part of me says, “Be patient, get some more qualifications. Then I can work with far more credibility.” Either way, there is still a lot of work to do. But it felt fantastic to run a workshop and help people explore ideas about how they can be better parents.
Earlier in the week I also received some correspondence from the University of Wollongong. They have invited me to visit for an interview. So my flights are booked. I’ll fly into Sydney, drive to Wollongong, and fly out of Sydney on Melbourne Cup Day – the 6th of November. I’m really looking forward to the visit, and getting some answers and clarity on what I should be doing next year.
Kylie, as always, has been the stable support of my life. Without much help from me Kylie runs our home, looks after our children, and continues to develop her skills and talents in many ways. I am looking forward to having more time to spend with her in the coming weeks as uni winds up.
Abbie and Chanel celebrated their 5th and 8th birthdays respectively on the 18th. It is increasingly apparent that they are getting bigger and older. They bring enormous joy to our lives. Chanel was particularly excited to receive a brand new bike unexpectedly from a family acquaintance. Over the years we have made several attempts to encourage her to ride, but is has always been difficult. When she received the bike, Chanel hopped on while I held the seat. I began to push and she peddled. Then she called out, “Let go dad.” Hesitantly I watched as my fingers left the seat and she rode down the driveway without me beside her.
Chanel is really growing up. My mind instantly reverted to the oft spoken idea that letting go is part of being a parent. The bike is clearly a perfect metaphor. And I felt it way down deep. I had another experience with Chanel this week that should be recorded. We had planned that I would take Chanel out of school for her birthday and visit the Wet ‘n Wild theme park. On that morning I was stressed. With far too much work due (project and conference presentation), and not even close to sufficient time, I wasn’t sure I could take her. The day was cloudy and cool, and it wasn’t much of a day to be at the theme park. I explained my situation and then told Chanel that I would take her because I had promised. Alternatively, I suggested that we could also go next Thursday when I have no commitments, no stress, and the day would hopefully be nicer. Chanel selflessly listened, told me she understood, and then volunteered to go to school on her birthday. So this week we go to Wet n’ Wild without a care in the world, because school will be over for me (except that last exam, but that is not until mid-November).
Chanel loves her bike. I took her to the park this morning (with the rest of the family) and she practiced going up and down the hill. It has only taken thirty minutes and she has it completely under control!
Abbie had a tremendous time on her birthday too. She had half-a-dozen 5 year olds playing with her at her party in the park. Abbie is incredibly tender, but is also growing up fast.
And Ella. What can be said about that little munchkin this week? She tries us terribly, and is so frustrated (as we are) with her inability to express herself. It is so difficult to communicate! But she is a treasure too. Last night Ella was in the bath, submerging herself and swimming laps underwater. Since the bath is only a foot longer that Ella, she didn’t have far to “swim”, but she thought it was terrific. Her happiness is entirely unabashed, and she smiles BIG when she smiles. Ella’s other favourite things to do are singing (although she often doesn’t know how to sing the words) and dancing.
Annie is a wonderful gift. She is always happy, smiling at everyone. This week we had a couple of nights where she slept for 9 hours, but averaged around 7. It is wonderful, considering she is only 7 or 8 weeks old. Given the other challenges we’ve had, it has been nice to not have broken sleep as well.
This week: final assignment goes in, Chanel and I go to Wet n’ Wild, and we have most of the family arriving for Chanel’s baptism. Lots to look forward to! (I’m hoping I might even get my first surf this year in).
The week has been very challenging actually. Once the thesis was in I had to commence this final assignment, and also prepare an hour-long presentation for the Australian Family Association State Conference. The long nights and busy days have continued.
The conference was held yesterday and I presented to a diverse group of around 50 people. It went quite well and there was a lot of feedback and involvement from participants throughout the workshop. “Connected Parenting” was the topic, and it was terrific fun. Experiences like that make things a little confusing as I consider my options for the coming years. Part of me wants to keep running workshops. I have what it takes to do so, thus building my business and providing for my family. Part of me says, “Be patient, get some more qualifications. Then I can work with far more credibility.” Either way, there is still a lot of work to do. But it felt fantastic to run a workshop and help people explore ideas about how they can be better parents.
Earlier in the week I also received some correspondence from the University of Wollongong. They have invited me to visit for an interview. So my flights are booked. I’ll fly into Sydney, drive to Wollongong, and fly out of Sydney on Melbourne Cup Day – the 6th of November. I’m really looking forward to the visit, and getting some answers and clarity on what I should be doing next year.
Kylie, as always, has been the stable support of my life. Without much help from me Kylie runs our home, looks after our children, and continues to develop her skills and talents in many ways. I am looking forward to having more time to spend with her in the coming weeks as uni winds up.
Abbie and Chanel celebrated their 5th and 8th birthdays respectively on the 18th. It is increasingly apparent that they are getting bigger and older. They bring enormous joy to our lives. Chanel was particularly excited to receive a brand new bike unexpectedly from a family acquaintance. Over the years we have made several attempts to encourage her to ride, but is has always been difficult. When she received the bike, Chanel hopped on while I held the seat. I began to push and she peddled. Then she called out, “Let go dad.” Hesitantly I watched as my fingers left the seat and she rode down the driveway without me beside her.
Chanel is really growing up. My mind instantly reverted to the oft spoken idea that letting go is part of being a parent. The bike is clearly a perfect metaphor. And I felt it way down deep. I had another experience with Chanel this week that should be recorded. We had planned that I would take Chanel out of school for her birthday and visit the Wet ‘n Wild theme park. On that morning I was stressed. With far too much work due (project and conference presentation), and not even close to sufficient time, I wasn’t sure I could take her. The day was cloudy and cool, and it wasn’t much of a day to be at the theme park. I explained my situation and then told Chanel that I would take her because I had promised. Alternatively, I suggested that we could also go next Thursday when I have no commitments, no stress, and the day would hopefully be nicer. Chanel selflessly listened, told me she understood, and then volunteered to go to school on her birthday. So this week we go to Wet n’ Wild without a care in the world, because school will be over for me (except that last exam, but that is not until mid-November).
Chanel loves her bike. I took her to the park this morning (with the rest of the family) and she practiced going up and down the hill. It has only taken thirty minutes and she has it completely under control!
Abbie had a tremendous time on her birthday too. She had half-a-dozen 5 year olds playing with her at her party in the park. Abbie is incredibly tender, but is also growing up fast.
And Ella. What can be said about that little munchkin this week? She tries us terribly, and is so frustrated (as we are) with her inability to express herself. It is so difficult to communicate! But she is a treasure too. Last night Ella was in the bath, submerging herself and swimming laps underwater. Since the bath is only a foot longer that Ella, she didn’t have far to “swim”, but she thought it was terrific. Her happiness is entirely unabashed, and she smiles BIG when she smiles. Ella’s other favourite things to do are singing (although she often doesn’t know how to sing the words) and dancing.
Annie is a wonderful gift. She is always happy, smiling at everyone. This week we had a couple of nights where she slept for 9 hours, but averaged around 7. It is wonderful, considering she is only 7 or 8 weeks old. Given the other challenges we’ve had, it has been nice to not have broken sleep as well.
This week: final assignment goes in, Chanel and I go to Wet n’ Wild, and we have most of the family arriving for Chanel’s baptism. Lots to look forward to! (I’m hoping I might even get my first surf this year in).
Monday, 15 October 2007
Relief... and Muscle Ache
Our children are bringing us greater joy every day! But let me start with last night. Annie, our 6 week old baby, slept right through the night. She slept from a little after 8pm until just before 6am. Wow! Yet, as we look at her we can’t help feel a little sadness. Already, it would seem, she is out of the newborn stage. Our baby is getting bigger. We keep on asking ourselves why it has to happen.
Annie has been overflowing with smiles in the past week. A couple of weeks ago the smiles were more reflexes due to wind, discomfort, or perhaps feeling good. Now her smiles are purposeful, wide and heart-melting. I’ll try and get a photo and include it in the next blog.
Our little Ella is a bundle of energy. She hates going to bed, and endlessly wants to run, jump, scream and shout. “Play” is her favourite word! She’s also pretty good with “Pleeeeease” when she wants to play and Daddy is too busy. Hard to resist when she pleads with just the right amount of cheeky smile on her face. No one loves cuddles (she calls them “cuggles”) like Ella.
Abbie is the sweetest, most tender girl. She told us this week that because she’s nearly a big girl there won’t be any more sooky whining and whinging. Abbie loves cooking in the kitchen with Kylie, and can crack eggs like a pro. And she and Ella regularly fight over who will set the dinner table.
Chanel is growing so fast! Too fast. She is increasingly adult-like in her words and actions, yet she is so small and immature and young. It is incredible to watch her grow. Loves swimming, reading and doing! In fact, we call her the events co-ordinator. It is remarkable, how efficiently she can arrange who she’s visiting, where and when. Chanel is putting a calendar together with all of her friends’ birthdays just so she can be more organised. I think there’s a Karen Coulson gene in there exerting some influence.
Chanel turns eight on Thursday, and Abbie will be five. Both girls are tremendously excited, and anxious for their big day. Abbie will have a party with friends on the day. Chanel will have her celebration on Saturday the 27th with her baptism and the ensuing gathering of family and friends.
During the week we enjoyed a visit from Mum, Dad, Rachel and Leah. They came up for a holiday at Kingscliffe, and visited our family to celebrate Kylie’s birthday and my birthday. We ate Chinese. Yum. As usual, Mum ordered enough to feed far more of us than necessary, and so we ate Chinese the next day, and the next. Oh, and we ate Cherry Ripe Cheesecake. That was pretty good too.
I have experienced the joy of wonderful relief this week. I finally completed my thesis. It was titled, “An Investigation into the Impact of Praise on Theories of Intelligence and Goal Orientation.” All told, it fills 103 pages. It’s big. I will hand it in today (Monday). It feels so good to have it completed. The feeling is great. I just hope it garners a high grade.
On Saturday, to celebrate the completed milestone of my thesis, I went swimming. I’ve decided to get involved with Squad Swimming again. The only problem is, I haven’t swum for years – and years! In fact, I haven’t done anything for my fitness for longer than I can honestly recall. I couldn’t complete the session, but it felt great to be back in the water. I’m sure that with practice I’ll find my fitness again.
When I returned from swimming, I took to the barbeque. It was cleaning day. Hmmmm. I scrubbed that bbq for nearly four hours. My muscles still have not recovered. They haven’t had such a workout for years. The bbq was a mess, but it came up looking great. I had to throw away all the plates, burners and internal pieces and start again. $350 later the bbq looks like new. I can’t wait to cook on it. And to look at it, there’s no doubt all the hard work was worth it.
Kylie has been frantically working on church assignments. She completed a major event for about 30 or 40 women last week. By all reports it went extremely well. Now it’s preparation time for major events for Abbie and Chanel! I’m sure Kylie will have plenty more to work on when that’s done too. What a talent!
As for me, this Saturday I’ll be presenting a workshop for parents. I start preparing that today, and then practice like crazy all week. It’s for the Australian Family Association Qld State Conference at Parliament House in Brisbane. Then I have another major assignment due the following Wednesday which I really need to finish this week too. After that, exam time, and then… graduation. Lots to do between now and then. But it will be nice to finish!
Annie has been overflowing with smiles in the past week. A couple of weeks ago the smiles were more reflexes due to wind, discomfort, or perhaps feeling good. Now her smiles are purposeful, wide and heart-melting. I’ll try and get a photo and include it in the next blog.
Our little Ella is a bundle of energy. She hates going to bed, and endlessly wants to run, jump, scream and shout. “Play” is her favourite word! She’s also pretty good with “Pleeeeease” when she wants to play and Daddy is too busy. Hard to resist when she pleads with just the right amount of cheeky smile on her face. No one loves cuddles (she calls them “cuggles”) like Ella.
Abbie is the sweetest, most tender girl. She told us this week that because she’s nearly a big girl there won’t be any more sooky whining and whinging. Abbie loves cooking in the kitchen with Kylie, and can crack eggs like a pro. And she and Ella regularly fight over who will set the dinner table.
Chanel is growing so fast! Too fast. She is increasingly adult-like in her words and actions, yet she is so small and immature and young. It is incredible to watch her grow. Loves swimming, reading and doing! In fact, we call her the events co-ordinator. It is remarkable, how efficiently she can arrange who she’s visiting, where and when. Chanel is putting a calendar together with all of her friends’ birthdays just so she can be more organised. I think there’s a Karen Coulson gene in there exerting some influence.
Chanel turns eight on Thursday, and Abbie will be five. Both girls are tremendously excited, and anxious for their big day. Abbie will have a party with friends on the day. Chanel will have her celebration on Saturday the 27th with her baptism and the ensuing gathering of family and friends.
During the week we enjoyed a visit from Mum, Dad, Rachel and Leah. They came up for a holiday at Kingscliffe, and visited our family to celebrate Kylie’s birthday and my birthday. We ate Chinese. Yum. As usual, Mum ordered enough to feed far more of us than necessary, and so we ate Chinese the next day, and the next. Oh, and we ate Cherry Ripe Cheesecake. That was pretty good too.
I have experienced the joy of wonderful relief this week. I finally completed my thesis. It was titled, “An Investigation into the Impact of Praise on Theories of Intelligence and Goal Orientation.” All told, it fills 103 pages. It’s big. I will hand it in today (Monday). It feels so good to have it completed. The feeling is great. I just hope it garners a high grade.
On Saturday, to celebrate the completed milestone of my thesis, I went swimming. I’ve decided to get involved with Squad Swimming again. The only problem is, I haven’t swum for years – and years! In fact, I haven’t done anything for my fitness for longer than I can honestly recall. I couldn’t complete the session, but it felt great to be back in the water. I’m sure that with practice I’ll find my fitness again.
When I returned from swimming, I took to the barbeque. It was cleaning day. Hmmmm. I scrubbed that bbq for nearly four hours. My muscles still have not recovered. They haven’t had such a workout for years. The bbq was a mess, but it came up looking great. I had to throw away all the plates, burners and internal pieces and start again. $350 later the bbq looks like new. I can’t wait to cook on it. And to look at it, there’s no doubt all the hard work was worth it.
Kylie has been frantically working on church assignments. She completed a major event for about 30 or 40 women last week. By all reports it went extremely well. Now it’s preparation time for major events for Abbie and Chanel! I’m sure Kylie will have plenty more to work on when that’s done too. What a talent!
As for me, this Saturday I’ll be presenting a workshop for parents. I start preparing that today, and then practice like crazy all week. It’s for the Australian Family Association Qld State Conference at Parliament House in Brisbane. Then I have another major assignment due the following Wednesday which I really need to finish this week too. After that, exam time, and then… graduation. Lots to do between now and then. But it will be nice to finish!
Sunday, 7 October 2007
School Holidays
It has been an action-packed week!
School holidays have just finished and the kids are back at school tomorrow. We love having the children around, but with my endless and enormous study- and work-loads I haven’t had the opportunity to do as much with the children and I would have liked.
Kylie took Chanel to the cinema to see Evan Almighty. They came home raving about the film, saying it was one of the funniest things they’ve seen in a long time. I’ll look forward to seeing the DVD in a few months. Other than that, Kylie has been taking them to the shops for activities, to the park, and to friend’s houses. It has been a busy time.
Fortunately we have a baby who is very calm and comfortable most of the time. Annie is a gift from heaven. I cannot walk past her without pausing to stare into her eyes. I’m in awe of her. Everyone who sees her is instantly in love. She is a special little girl. And wow, can she sleep! Annie is only 5 weeks old but most nights she sleeps happily for around eight hours. Sometimes it’s a little more, other times it’s a little less. But it’s a good sleep!
Kylie celebrated her 29th birthday on the 6th. It was a quiet birthday this year, as mine will be on the 9th. I had a compulsory psychology conference to go to from 8am until 5.30pm on her birthday. Failure to attend the conference would mean failure to complete my degree. They take these things very seriously. This meant that Kylie had to spend the day on her own. I’m grateful that Kylie has good friends. She had a breakfast with her family in the park. Then a friend took the three older girls so Kylie could have a quiet and relaxing day. Shopping, and sleep.
I got home from my conference a little early and decided that we had to buy dinner. Kylie wasn’t going to cook on her birthday and I didn’t have the capacity to. So we had chicken, chips and salad. It was a hit. Then we had an early night.
My week has been a blur. Study, writing, study, research, study. There’s been a little bit of sleep thrown in, but this has been a heavy week. Most nights haven’t finished until close to midnight.
On Tuesday night I called Wally Goddard in the USA. We talked about positive psychology and parenting. We discussed what I might do for a PhD project here in Australia. His guidance and knowledge are gigantic gifts in my life. I was on the phone to the USA from 10pm til midnight. I hope he wasn’t late to work (that’s 7-9am Arkansas time).
And of course, as I mentioned before, I gave a presentation on Kylie’s birthday. It was to a group of about 40 or 50 people and described my research on praise. Knowing that all of the students would be giving similar presentations on their topic, it was important to me that I make mine worth listening to. So I made it fun, and energetic, and full of life. I provided specific applications of what my research meant. And people responded really well. They enjoyed it. In fact, I had several comments from people saying just how much they had enjoyed it.
Only a short report this week as I’ve done little other than study. My thesis is almost completed (if it is possible to ever complete something like that) and the holidays are over. Work is good, and I cannot do any more than I have.
General conference talks are coming out of Salt Lake City today. I heard some this morning on the Internet. I love hearing what our prophets teach us. Inspiring teaching from inspired leaders.
School holidays have just finished and the kids are back at school tomorrow. We love having the children around, but with my endless and enormous study- and work-loads I haven’t had the opportunity to do as much with the children and I would have liked.
Kylie took Chanel to the cinema to see Evan Almighty. They came home raving about the film, saying it was one of the funniest things they’ve seen in a long time. I’ll look forward to seeing the DVD in a few months. Other than that, Kylie has been taking them to the shops for activities, to the park, and to friend’s houses. It has been a busy time.
Fortunately we have a baby who is very calm and comfortable most of the time. Annie is a gift from heaven. I cannot walk past her without pausing to stare into her eyes. I’m in awe of her. Everyone who sees her is instantly in love. She is a special little girl. And wow, can she sleep! Annie is only 5 weeks old but most nights she sleeps happily for around eight hours. Sometimes it’s a little more, other times it’s a little less. But it’s a good sleep!
Kylie celebrated her 29th birthday on the 6th. It was a quiet birthday this year, as mine will be on the 9th. I had a compulsory psychology conference to go to from 8am until 5.30pm on her birthday. Failure to attend the conference would mean failure to complete my degree. They take these things very seriously. This meant that Kylie had to spend the day on her own. I’m grateful that Kylie has good friends. She had a breakfast with her family in the park. Then a friend took the three older girls so Kylie could have a quiet and relaxing day. Shopping, and sleep.
I got home from my conference a little early and decided that we had to buy dinner. Kylie wasn’t going to cook on her birthday and I didn’t have the capacity to. So we had chicken, chips and salad. It was a hit. Then we had an early night.
My week has been a blur. Study, writing, study, research, study. There’s been a little bit of sleep thrown in, but this has been a heavy week. Most nights haven’t finished until close to midnight.
On Tuesday night I called Wally Goddard in the USA. We talked about positive psychology and parenting. We discussed what I might do for a PhD project here in Australia. His guidance and knowledge are gigantic gifts in my life. I was on the phone to the USA from 10pm til midnight. I hope he wasn’t late to work (that’s 7-9am Arkansas time).
And of course, as I mentioned before, I gave a presentation on Kylie’s birthday. It was to a group of about 40 or 50 people and described my research on praise. Knowing that all of the students would be giving similar presentations on their topic, it was important to me that I make mine worth listening to. So I made it fun, and energetic, and full of life. I provided specific applications of what my research meant. And people responded really well. They enjoyed it. In fact, I had several comments from people saying just how much they had enjoyed it.
Only a short report this week as I’ve done little other than study. My thesis is almost completed (if it is possible to ever complete something like that) and the holidays are over. Work is good, and I cannot do any more than I have.
General conference talks are coming out of Salt Lake City today. I heard some this morning on the Internet. I love hearing what our prophets teach us. Inspiring teaching from inspired leaders.
Sunday, 30 September 2007
Weeding
The past couple of weeks have been quite intense and so I have struggled to find time to write. School is getting intense with only 4 weeks to go. It’s hard to believe that I will have completed a Psychology degree by mid-November. The workload is really intense, but I’m managing well and trying to focus on here and now. If I focus on November I’ll want to put my feet up, and now is not the time for that!
Chanel has given us lots to do recently, and lots to laugh at. For some reason she has started calling me Sire. When I call out to her, she says, “Yes Sire”, and when she wants something she’ll come to me and say, “Excuse me Sire”. It’s really funny. Yesterday Chanel was doing something to the DVD player that I had never seen. I asked her how to do it and she showed me. Shortly before that she had been demonstrating how to do something clever on the computer for me. When I commented to Kylie that Chanel grasped technology so well I heard a little voice behind me say, smilingly, “And I’m only a child and you’re a full-time university student”. I didn’t mention to her that university courses don’t equip people to use DVD remotes!
Chanel is back at swimming now, and loves it. She swims from 3.30 – 4.15 four days each week. Soon it will be five days. Her form in the pool is exceptional, with a gorgeous butterfly and backstroke. Swimming seems to energise her and she revels in any opportunity to get into the pool. With an increase in energy output there has been a corresponding increase in caloric input. Chanel eats as much for dinner as I do. It’s amazing. I should also add that Chanel loves Annie. What a helper. Sometimes her help is a little overzealous and we remind her that just because Annie squeaked doesn’t mean we need to pick her out of the cot. But Chanel is wonderfully helpful and extremely enthusiastic. In fact, a few nights ago Annie awoke at 4am. Chanel came stumbling, bleary-eyed, into the bedroom and said to Kylie, “It’s okay mum. I’ll look after her and you go back to sleep.”
Abbie has a new t-shirt. It says, “Everybody’s favourite.” Very cute, and she wears it well. Her other new one says, “I know I’m cute, I can’t help it.” Most of the time she’s right. Adorable Abbie has become our number one sleeper. She used to put up something of a struggle on occasion but recently we put her to bed and within 20 seconds Abbie is out. It’s wonderful, because Ella takes a lot longer. Hard work there. (I might add that Ella’s new t-shirt says “I love Drama.”)
Ella has given us lots to enjoy in recent weeks. Her talking has dramatically improved, although there is still a long way to go. At dinner time Ella loves to set the table for us. It’s very funny though, because when her dinner is served Ella will go to the cutlery draw and retrieve 3 or 4 spoons and forks. She then uses all of them to eat her meal. But it works, and she’s happy to eat so… no complaints from the dishwasher.
As for Annie: wow. What can I say? She sleeps beautifully, typically around 7 hours a night at this point. And what a cutie. In the last few days we’ve enjoyed a smile from her which is tremendously exciting. It’s hard to believe that she’s a month old today! We carry Annie in a sling when we are out. It goes around Kylie’s neck and shoulders and Annie lays in front of Kylie’s belly in the sling. It is amazing how many people come over and ask to peek inside! Yesterday I wore the sling and had strangers constantly coming up to me to peer in at our baby. She’s a heart stealer too! So cute. Endless cries of “oh she’s beautiful” from everyone who sees her. We love our little Annie Grace.
Kylie is going well too, somehow keeping the house running while I study and stress and be busy. I’m so grateful for her. Hopefully there will be a wonderful reward for her at the end of all of this. This coming Saturday (6th) is Kylie’s birthday, but unfortunately I’ll be in a conference all day for school.
I had a funny incident occur last week. My jaw was sore and began to swell under my ear. It enlarged quite significantly. Eating became difficult as did talking, and turning my head (such as when I was driving) became very painful. Kylie finally convinced me to go to the doctor and I was told that I had a blocked salivary gland! Antibiotics sorted that out relatively quickly.
While I was feeling unwell I struggled to study. I did what I could, but to keep myself busy I did something that I really haven’t done for a number of years. I weeded the back garden. It has been quite overgrown and was in significant need of a tidy up. I can see why people claim gardening is therapeutic. I really enjoyed it. There are still a lot of weeds to pull, but they can wait until November!
Chanel has given us lots to do recently, and lots to laugh at. For some reason she has started calling me Sire. When I call out to her, she says, “Yes Sire”, and when she wants something she’ll come to me and say, “Excuse me Sire”. It’s really funny. Yesterday Chanel was doing something to the DVD player that I had never seen. I asked her how to do it and she showed me. Shortly before that she had been demonstrating how to do something clever on the computer for me. When I commented to Kylie that Chanel grasped technology so well I heard a little voice behind me say, smilingly, “And I’m only a child and you’re a full-time university student”. I didn’t mention to her that university courses don’t equip people to use DVD remotes!
Chanel is back at swimming now, and loves it. She swims from 3.30 – 4.15 four days each week. Soon it will be five days. Her form in the pool is exceptional, with a gorgeous butterfly and backstroke. Swimming seems to energise her and she revels in any opportunity to get into the pool. With an increase in energy output there has been a corresponding increase in caloric input. Chanel eats as much for dinner as I do. It’s amazing. I should also add that Chanel loves Annie. What a helper. Sometimes her help is a little overzealous and we remind her that just because Annie squeaked doesn’t mean we need to pick her out of the cot. But Chanel is wonderfully helpful and extremely enthusiastic. In fact, a few nights ago Annie awoke at 4am. Chanel came stumbling, bleary-eyed, into the bedroom and said to Kylie, “It’s okay mum. I’ll look after her and you go back to sleep.”
Abbie has a new t-shirt. It says, “Everybody’s favourite.” Very cute, and she wears it well. Her other new one says, “I know I’m cute, I can’t help it.” Most of the time she’s right. Adorable Abbie has become our number one sleeper. She used to put up something of a struggle on occasion but recently we put her to bed and within 20 seconds Abbie is out. It’s wonderful, because Ella takes a lot longer. Hard work there. (I might add that Ella’s new t-shirt says “I love Drama.”)
Ella has given us lots to enjoy in recent weeks. Her talking has dramatically improved, although there is still a long way to go. At dinner time Ella loves to set the table for us. It’s very funny though, because when her dinner is served Ella will go to the cutlery draw and retrieve 3 or 4 spoons and forks. She then uses all of them to eat her meal. But it works, and she’s happy to eat so… no complaints from the dishwasher.
As for Annie: wow. What can I say? She sleeps beautifully, typically around 7 hours a night at this point. And what a cutie. In the last few days we’ve enjoyed a smile from her which is tremendously exciting. It’s hard to believe that she’s a month old today! We carry Annie in a sling when we are out. It goes around Kylie’s neck and shoulders and Annie lays in front of Kylie’s belly in the sling. It is amazing how many people come over and ask to peek inside! Yesterday I wore the sling and had strangers constantly coming up to me to peer in at our baby. She’s a heart stealer too! So cute. Endless cries of “oh she’s beautiful” from everyone who sees her. We love our little Annie Grace.
Kylie is going well too, somehow keeping the house running while I study and stress and be busy. I’m so grateful for her. Hopefully there will be a wonderful reward for her at the end of all of this. This coming Saturday (6th) is Kylie’s birthday, but unfortunately I’ll be in a conference all day for school.
I had a funny incident occur last week. My jaw was sore and began to swell under my ear. It enlarged quite significantly. Eating became difficult as did talking, and turning my head (such as when I was driving) became very painful. Kylie finally convinced me to go to the doctor and I was told that I had a blocked salivary gland! Antibiotics sorted that out relatively quickly.
While I was feeling unwell I struggled to study. I did what I could, but to keep myself busy I did something that I really haven’t done for a number of years. I weeded the back garden. It has been quite overgrown and was in significant need of a tidy up. I can see why people claim gardening is therapeutic. I really enjoyed it. There are still a lot of weeds to pull, but they can wait until November!
Sunday, 16 September 2007
Sleeping In
I’ve been doing my best to be supportive around the house in recent times, particularly given the changes to our family. Kylie is understandably more tired than usual as she is awake with the baby at night. So on Monday night I cooked dinner. It was Thai green curry with beef. I LOVE THAI CURRY! I was careful as I put the curry paste into the saucepan knowing that too much curry would upset everyone. The children won’t eat curry if it is too hot, and with Kylie breastfeeding Annie, she has the same concern.
The recipe stated that 300g of meat required 3 tablespoons of curry paste. Since I was cooking 600g of meat I decided that 4 tablespoons would be adequate. What I didn’t know is that the tablespoon is supposed to be a “level” tablespoon. I used a “heaped” tablespoon! As we sat down to dinner Ella was the first to dig in. She placed her filled fork into her mouth and chewed. Then she coughed. A bewildered look came over her face as she looked at me as if to say, “What are you trying to do to me dad?” Then her eyes watered as she attempted to swallow the curry.
That night I had Thai curry. I also cooked tomato soup for the children and made a ham salad for Kylie. My curry was delicious, but I was the only one who got to enjoy it. I also enjoyed it for lunch for the next two days as well! Lesson learned.
Our little Annie Grace is beautiful. She sleeps very well and is doing great. We stare at her endlessly. Her peaceful softness captures us and keeps us entirely absorbed. She is our little angel and we love her. Kylie is doing really well too, and keeping up with things remarkably ably.
During the week I have been extremely busy. Lots of work on, plus school galore. I am making good progress in all areas, but it has been hard to regain momentum since Annie was born, particularly with the school work. I stayed at uni late on Thursday just to get stuck into things and rebuild that momentum. It worked and I am now pleased to say that I only have my thesis and two other assignments left to complete (and one of those is 90% finished). Oh, some other good news too. I received a result for an assessment I handed in a few weeks back. Twenty six out of thirty. That’s about 87% which is a high distinction. That’s a nice way to start the semester. Hopefully I can keep it up.
On Friday I made a firm commitment to a particular direction for next year. I submitted my application to participate in a Masters of Psychology at QUT. The course focuses on Educational and Developmental Psychology and is for two years. I am only looking at part-time study so it may take three or four years. At the end of it all I’ll be a psychologist. Part-time study allows me the flexibility to earn money again, and to build up my Happy Families business which has really suffered this past 12 months. I anticipate finding out if I am accepted into the course in a little over a month. Let’s hope so because I don’t fancy applying for anything else at all.
It is a remarkably quiet Sunday morning for Kylie and I. We had a church meeting to attend last night (no children allowed at this one) and Kylie’s parents have Chanel, Abbie and Ella. This morning we did something we haven’t done in as long as I can remember. We slept in. When I awoke I guessed it might be 7.30am. Wrong. It was 9.00am! We have chatted and done a few small tasks. I miss the chatter of the children. The house seems a little empty without them. But it is peaceful. And our productivity is through the roof. Funny, I’d rather be less productive and have children hanging off my shoulders and legs than be highly productive but without the children.
Abbie has given us some gems this week. I believe she must be the happiest children I have ever seen. Her disposition and temperament are a joy. We bought some Kiwi fruit earlier this week. They are Abbie’s favourite food. But she doesn’t quite know how to pronounce it. On Wednesday morning she was pleading for some “Kooie” fruit.
On Thursday Abbie was talking to me about her friend James, from Kindy. He has all of the Star Wars DVD’s. Then she told me all about Dark Baiter (Darth Vader). And lastly, Abbie went to a birthday party yesterday. The theme of the day was based on the cartoon for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Abbie had not been exposed to the Turtles before and came home very excited about the “Injured Turtles.” Abbie gives us lots of laughs. She is beautifully soft-hearted and loves hugs.
Ella is still challenging. Her language abilities are very poor and this will be a concern for some time to come. Her frustration at not being able to communicate with us is a source of difficulty and we are constantly working to understand her better. We pray that she will improve soon.
Our star student, Chanel, was informed that she raised more money in the school spell-a-thon than any other student. Her total raised was $261.00. As such she won a whole lot of prizes including a KFC voucher, a slurpee voucher and a pass to the Wet ‘n Wild theme park. I’ll be taking her there in a few weeks, once my uni work slows down a little. There were several other prizes Chanel won, but on Friday she was also told that as the top earner she would receive $100 cash! She cannot believe it. In keeping with the savings habit we have worked on with her for the past two years she then informed me that 10% was tithing and 50% was savings. When I asked what she would do with the other 40% she smiled an excited smile. Dancing with delight she said she was going to go shopping. Kylie and Chanel are going to have a spending spree! And she deserves it. It has been well earned.
We were told last week by Chanel’s teacher that Chanel is bored. There is still one more term to go, but the teacher assured us Chanel has completed all there is to complete in the grade three curriculum. Chanel will be spending time in the grade four classroom in term four because her literacy in particular is so good. I am pleased for her, and also pleased that the teacher is looking for ways to continue Chanel’s development productively.
The recipe stated that 300g of meat required 3 tablespoons of curry paste. Since I was cooking 600g of meat I decided that 4 tablespoons would be adequate. What I didn’t know is that the tablespoon is supposed to be a “level” tablespoon. I used a “heaped” tablespoon! As we sat down to dinner Ella was the first to dig in. She placed her filled fork into her mouth and chewed. Then she coughed. A bewildered look came over her face as she looked at me as if to say, “What are you trying to do to me dad?” Then her eyes watered as she attempted to swallow the curry.
That night I had Thai curry. I also cooked tomato soup for the children and made a ham salad for Kylie. My curry was delicious, but I was the only one who got to enjoy it. I also enjoyed it for lunch for the next two days as well! Lesson learned.
Our little Annie Grace is beautiful. She sleeps very well and is doing great. We stare at her endlessly. Her peaceful softness captures us and keeps us entirely absorbed. She is our little angel and we love her. Kylie is doing really well too, and keeping up with things remarkably ably.
During the week I have been extremely busy. Lots of work on, plus school galore. I am making good progress in all areas, but it has been hard to regain momentum since Annie was born, particularly with the school work. I stayed at uni late on Thursday just to get stuck into things and rebuild that momentum. It worked and I am now pleased to say that I only have my thesis and two other assignments left to complete (and one of those is 90% finished). Oh, some other good news too. I received a result for an assessment I handed in a few weeks back. Twenty six out of thirty. That’s about 87% which is a high distinction. That’s a nice way to start the semester. Hopefully I can keep it up.
On Friday I made a firm commitment to a particular direction for next year. I submitted my application to participate in a Masters of Psychology at QUT. The course focuses on Educational and Developmental Psychology and is for two years. I am only looking at part-time study so it may take three or four years. At the end of it all I’ll be a psychologist. Part-time study allows me the flexibility to earn money again, and to build up my Happy Families business which has really suffered this past 12 months. I anticipate finding out if I am accepted into the course in a little over a month. Let’s hope so because I don’t fancy applying for anything else at all.
It is a remarkably quiet Sunday morning for Kylie and I. We had a church meeting to attend last night (no children allowed at this one) and Kylie’s parents have Chanel, Abbie and Ella. This morning we did something we haven’t done in as long as I can remember. We slept in. When I awoke I guessed it might be 7.30am. Wrong. It was 9.00am! We have chatted and done a few small tasks. I miss the chatter of the children. The house seems a little empty without them. But it is peaceful. And our productivity is through the roof. Funny, I’d rather be less productive and have children hanging off my shoulders and legs than be highly productive but without the children.
Abbie has given us some gems this week. I believe she must be the happiest children I have ever seen. Her disposition and temperament are a joy. We bought some Kiwi fruit earlier this week. They are Abbie’s favourite food. But she doesn’t quite know how to pronounce it. On Wednesday morning she was pleading for some “Kooie” fruit.
On Thursday Abbie was talking to me about her friend James, from Kindy. He has all of the Star Wars DVD’s. Then she told me all about Dark Baiter (Darth Vader). And lastly, Abbie went to a birthday party yesterday. The theme of the day was based on the cartoon for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Abbie had not been exposed to the Turtles before and came home very excited about the “Injured Turtles.” Abbie gives us lots of laughs. She is beautifully soft-hearted and loves hugs.
Ella is still challenging. Her language abilities are very poor and this will be a concern for some time to come. Her frustration at not being able to communicate with us is a source of difficulty and we are constantly working to understand her better. We pray that she will improve soon.
Our star student, Chanel, was informed that she raised more money in the school spell-a-thon than any other student. Her total raised was $261.00. As such she won a whole lot of prizes including a KFC voucher, a slurpee voucher and a pass to the Wet ‘n Wild theme park. I’ll be taking her there in a few weeks, once my uni work slows down a little. There were several other prizes Chanel won, but on Friday she was also told that as the top earner she would receive $100 cash! She cannot believe it. In keeping with the savings habit we have worked on with her for the past two years she then informed me that 10% was tithing and 50% was savings. When I asked what she would do with the other 40% she smiled an excited smile. Dancing with delight she said she was going to go shopping. Kylie and Chanel are going to have a spending spree! And she deserves it. It has been well earned.
We were told last week by Chanel’s teacher that Chanel is bored. There is still one more term to go, but the teacher assured us Chanel has completed all there is to complete in the grade three curriculum. Chanel will be spending time in the grade four classroom in term four because her literacy in particular is so good. I am pleased for her, and also pleased that the teacher is looking for ways to continue Chanel’s development productively.
Monday, 10 September 2007
Time Out - Soon
Our little Annie Grace is incredible. Having a newborn baby again seems so different. I do not ever recall our children being as small (although they were). I do not ever recall them waking up all night (although they did). I do remember the nappies though! And nothing has changed there with this infant. Annie has been stunning from day one. She really does little except eat and sleep. Most nights she sleeps from 8pm until midnight. She feeds and goes back to sleep until 5 or 6 in the morning. Amazing, and so breathlessly beautiful.
This week I have found myself spending massive amounts of time staring at Annie. I am in awe. That Kylie and I could be responsible for this little girl is staggering, and miraculous. Her features are perfect, her temperament is divine, and her presence creates wonder and calm.
Kylie, too, has been incredible. She is a mountain of strength, hard working, and self-sacrificing. Of all the choices I have made in my life, marrying Kylie is one of the best.
Yesterday I took some time with Ella and Abbie. I took them to Ratatouille, the animated movie. It was fun, but Ella made it hard work. She has been a little difficult all week. Part of it is due to her being unwell (although she seems to be getting better now). But I cannot help but wonder if part of it is related to her knowledge that she is no longer the baby in the family. She still speaks poorly, but we’re not giving up. She has a long and hard road ahead of her. Several times throughout the movie I was forced to take her outside. She simply didn’t want to sit through the whole thing.
I also took Chanel out for a treat. As she gets older, she gets more and more wonderful. I love dealing with her. We had a slurpee in the park on the river and watched the Citycat’s pass by. A perfect afternoon. I think we’ll take the family there for dinner when the whether warms up just a little more. Chanel is getting very funny. I asked her what she was playing when she spent some time with her friends earlier in the day. Her response: “Teenagers”. When I asked what she does when she plays teenagers, Chanel stated, “We go shopping.” So funny! They go shopping in their friends’ bedroom or backyard. I love the way they can amuse themselves by playing make-believe. I guess in some ways we do the same as we imagine what we would like to be able to do with the next tax cheque, or if we win lotto (have to buy a ticket to win, but I still find myself imagining now and then).
As far as my studies go, not a lot was accomplished this past week. Much of that has to do with a quick trip I made to Sydney to pick up a car that we bought. It’s a little Daihatsu Sirion. I think I got it quite cheap and it’s a terrific little car. So I flew to Sydney on Thursday and drove home on Friday. The trip home was terrific. I took my mp3 player with me and listened to 30 conference talks from church leaders. The topics were diverse, but all uplifting, and all inspiring.
I find it interesting that the closer I am to the finish line in my studies, the harder it is to stay motivated enough to cross it. My degree will be complete in another 6 weeks. That doesn’t really seem real. Unfortunately it is difficult to see beyond the mountain of essays, literature reviews and my thesis piled up in front of me. This week will be pretty huge for me. I plan on completing my thesis introduction for the last time (I’ve already rewritten it twice). I also hope to finalise two other assignments which are quite large. It’s interesting, because completion is only a heartbeat around the corner, yet there is so much to do first.
I have been reading a book called The Whole Child. Not one of the greatest parenting books I’ve read, but it is nice to be reading for the love of reading again, and not just because I have something assigned to read from school. I’m slowly making my way through a pile of books that Wally Goddard sent me from the US. I anticipate getting through a lot more in 6 weeks when school is finally over.
That reminds me. I have determined what I should do next year with my studies. Last week I fasted and prayed about it. In fact, I have been doing so for some weeks. I have decided to let go of the Ph.D. It was a hard decision, but in talking with potential supervisors, none were really what I was looking for. It seems that parenting is not particularly popular amongst academics, and so my direction has changed. I am applying for a Masters in Educational and Developmental Psychology instead. I will study part time and graduate as a qualified psychologist in QLD in 4 years. Oh, and it will cost me about $25 000. But I suspect it will all be worth it.
This week I have found myself spending massive amounts of time staring at Annie. I am in awe. That Kylie and I could be responsible for this little girl is staggering, and miraculous. Her features are perfect, her temperament is divine, and her presence creates wonder and calm.
Kylie, too, has been incredible. She is a mountain of strength, hard working, and self-sacrificing. Of all the choices I have made in my life, marrying Kylie is one of the best.
Yesterday I took some time with Ella and Abbie. I took them to Ratatouille, the animated movie. It was fun, but Ella made it hard work. She has been a little difficult all week. Part of it is due to her being unwell (although she seems to be getting better now). But I cannot help but wonder if part of it is related to her knowledge that she is no longer the baby in the family. She still speaks poorly, but we’re not giving up. She has a long and hard road ahead of her. Several times throughout the movie I was forced to take her outside. She simply didn’t want to sit through the whole thing.
I also took Chanel out for a treat. As she gets older, she gets more and more wonderful. I love dealing with her. We had a slurpee in the park on the river and watched the Citycat’s pass by. A perfect afternoon. I think we’ll take the family there for dinner when the whether warms up just a little more. Chanel is getting very funny. I asked her what she was playing when she spent some time with her friends earlier in the day. Her response: “Teenagers”. When I asked what she does when she plays teenagers, Chanel stated, “We go shopping.” So funny! They go shopping in their friends’ bedroom or backyard. I love the way they can amuse themselves by playing make-believe. I guess in some ways we do the same as we imagine what we would like to be able to do with the next tax cheque, or if we win lotto (have to buy a ticket to win, but I still find myself imagining now and then).
As far as my studies go, not a lot was accomplished this past week. Much of that has to do with a quick trip I made to Sydney to pick up a car that we bought. It’s a little Daihatsu Sirion. I think I got it quite cheap and it’s a terrific little car. So I flew to Sydney on Thursday and drove home on Friday. The trip home was terrific. I took my mp3 player with me and listened to 30 conference talks from church leaders. The topics were diverse, but all uplifting, and all inspiring.
I find it interesting that the closer I am to the finish line in my studies, the harder it is to stay motivated enough to cross it. My degree will be complete in another 6 weeks. That doesn’t really seem real. Unfortunately it is difficult to see beyond the mountain of essays, literature reviews and my thesis piled up in front of me. This week will be pretty huge for me. I plan on completing my thesis introduction for the last time (I’ve already rewritten it twice). I also hope to finalise two other assignments which are quite large. It’s interesting, because completion is only a heartbeat around the corner, yet there is so much to do first.
I have been reading a book called The Whole Child. Not one of the greatest parenting books I’ve read, but it is nice to be reading for the love of reading again, and not just because I have something assigned to read from school. I’m slowly making my way through a pile of books that Wally Goddard sent me from the US. I anticipate getting through a lot more in 6 weeks when school is finally over.
That reminds me. I have determined what I should do next year with my studies. Last week I fasted and prayed about it. In fact, I have been doing so for some weeks. I have decided to let go of the Ph.D. It was a hard decision, but in talking with potential supervisors, none were really what I was looking for. It seems that parenting is not particularly popular amongst academics, and so my direction has changed. I am applying for a Masters in Educational and Developmental Psychology instead. I will study part time and graduate as a qualified psychologist in QLD in 4 years. Oh, and it will cost me about $25 000. But I suspect it will all be worth it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)