I agree with this article from smh.com.au, i have worried quite a while about cushioning the impact of life for our kids. Drawing a line between protection, neglect and over-protection is important.
Cotton-woolling our kids October 31, 2009
My girl October 26, 2009
Sare had a birthday last Saturday- I do love the chance to make a fuss of her. The thing I got for her, which I don’t have pictures of yet, was an orchard. In real terms, 16 different fruit trees for our place at Gloucester. They look pretty cool when they’re all in rows. But I am not looking forward to the hard work of planting them all.
I think this was a pretty cool present to give her, I know she felt very loved and will get heaps of joy from her orchard. I have had better years though. What I’d really like to know is, what is the most awesome present you have been given? Let’s steal good pressie ideas here.
SONset dinner September 27, 2009
Last night at church (SONset is the name of our evening service) we had a dinner together. Food is always a good way to get together I have noticed. People chat, you get to know people better and in a new way, and it is fun.
We have done these dinners a few times before, catering for about 20 people each time. But since moving to the new building we average more like 50 people each week. Still I thought it might be a few less coz it was a dinner. Not so. We had a packed house. I felt so proud to be a part of my church community. One of our guys played some cafe style music, a few different people shared stories, a poem (these things are always cooler and more powerful than I think they will be), a song, stuff which was real and honest and powerful. All these different people brought food along so that no one had to do it all. and it worked really well.
I don’t think we were trying to be an emerging church, or a cafe church. We were just trying to shift the boundaries of what corporate worship should look like. And, for this night anyway, it worked.
A week September 13, 2009
I was sorta reminded last night that I don’t post enough blogs these days. I’m ok with that though, I am trying to do blog posts when there is something worth writing about these days. Really actually trying to hold to my resolution of June 22.
So anyway, this is not life changing, but it made my night happy. The other night as we were downstairs and Xave was upstairs supposedly asleep, we hear (very loudly) through the baby monitor “Never… Never make noise at night!” This is one of my Soupy Sounds songs (letter Nn in case you’re a bit slow). He often just shouts out these words during the day, but at 9:30pm it was a little more entertaining.
I have put this song onto my myspace page, so you can now listen to the parents’ favourite song on Soupy Sounds.
A bloody big back yard September 4, 2009
There’s not really any other way of putting it, well not one that does it justice. I mowed our 4.5 acres this week, and it was a good thing that I didn’t teach Thursday because it took about 6 hours.
Still, it was a very satisfying thing to mow every bit of it (thanks Unca Phil and Sam for your mower). I have not until these last 2 days been over every part of our land, and that was pretty good too. Plus, 6 hours sitting at the wheel, I got a lot of praying done- hope it blessed you.
A public thanks August 19, 2009
I would like to publicly thank my friend Kath and my brother Jae for teaching me how to do conflict well. Had to do some conflict management today with a courier of my CDs, and I’m glad that I have had some good role models. My observation is that most people do not do conflict well, so either passive aggressive their life away or get angry and lose friends. These people have shown me a way that is neither.
Thanks!
Finally August 5, 2009
Well it has taken a while, but not coz we have been sitting around doing nothing. it has been a crazy full time, living in two parts of the state as we now do, taking Soupy Sounds CD stuff to the masses, and losing soccer matches with a monotonous predictability. But here are some photos of our new pad:
the dining room and out onto the happy hour verandah
What we do in Gloucester
Our first visitors July 4, 2009
So our dual life has begun! Sare and Xave and I (with my mum this time, who offered to come and look after Xave) went up to do our second round of painting. It’s lots of work, but alos kinda relaxing coz you just put some music on and go.
Anyway, in the middle of that, there is a knowck on our door. I was pretty excited because it is our first person knocking at the door. Guess who (I loved this so much!)? The JW’s. It was the door knockers who were our first door knockers.
I hate their wacky pictures hey! They totally need to find a new artist.
p.s. p’s and q’s June 28, 2009
forgot to mention this one, but it was funny. Our wonderful friends the Henrys are off overseas soon, and Xavie loves them so much. So he knows they are going, and has been saying all day….
“Unca Phil on the f-in-crane…. Sam on the f-in-crane” etc for “Kats” and “Betsie” (say it to yourself, it’s funny)
