Bec's Daily Snaps and layouts

Done!

2011-04-15T15:19:00.001+10:00

Finally we are all moved and settling into our new house.

We started our move on the 25th March, settlement was on the 1st April and we finally got the phone and internet connected and rejoined the world on the 10th April. We are still waiting on window blinds but the last of the flyscreens was installed the other day and the aircon is being installed right now.

Last on the list will be a TV antenna but that’s not something we’ve even looked at yet, we just don’t watch enough TV.
I wanted to post some photos of the new house from the outside but (unbelievably) I haven’t taken any yet. I had planned on a nice family photo next to the sold sign when we moved in but there wasn’t a sold sign and moving in was a bit too hectic to stop for photos. I’ve tried to take photos along the way of the process of setting up the new house but both the cameras batteries went flat on the same day and then it took me 3 days to find the battery chargers. So there’s a few gaps in the photos and we didn’t set up the computers until last weekend so I couldn’t download any photos from the cameras anyway.

Here’s a couple of shots from the real estate.

and some shots I took before settlement when we came over to measure up one day. The furniture is not mine, it’s just for display.
Ben was enjoying the stairs and Mom was playing babysitter while Dad and I measured things to see what would fit where.

We hired a truck for our first moving day and had the family on hand to help. Dad and I bought the first load of boxes over on his ute then there were 2 truck loads and another couple of ute loads. We then had the week nights to bring over what we could in the car and hired a truck and 2 strong men for the final move. We also had a professional move and reinstall the waterbed for us.
Here’s Dad moving the first box in and how the kitchen looked after that first load.

Now things look mostly like this

but some rooms are more organised than others. The library is neatly set up with all the fiction books in alphabetical order by author and the non fictions are on another shelf behind the door. I don’t think the teddy bear will be staying there though :)

2011 Day 11

2011-01-11T18:53:00.001+11:00

January 11th 2011
Alex has lost his 3rd tooth. One of the top front teeth. He was pushing a shopping trolley and pushed it into his Nan. It stopped suddenly (when he hit her) and he smashed his mouth on the handle and it was bye bye tooth. Hopefully now he has learned a lesson about not ramming shopping trolleys into people. He hurt his Nan and gave her a scare when she saw his bleeding mouth and his tooth out. Gave himself a scare too.
He lost his bottom front teeth the beginning of 2010, just after he started school, and the top ones were loose then so I expected them to fall out already but they hung in there all year. The bottom ones took most of the year to grow back so it will be interesting to see how long before he gets a new top tooth. Hopefully the new teeth will protrude less.

The boys hung out in my bedroom while I sorted the washing. Ben sorted the pegs. He knows all the colours and but hasn’t quite got the hang of pegging the pegs yet. He tries to put them on his toes and says ‘nip nip’.

I caught Alex checking out his teeth in the wardrobe mirror and he caught me taking his photo. Being manual focus the Lensbaby is quieter until I actually take the shot. No focusing motor noise or focus beep and no image stabiliser noise so I can be a bit sneaky.

Ben climbed on the bed with teddy to look in the mirror and Alex decided he wanted in on the cuddle action. This last shot was taken in the mirror.

2011 Day 10

2011-01-10T22:28:00.000+11:00

January 10th 2011

Another day, another real estate showing, another morning spent cleaning and tidying, airing, washing and trying to prevent the Ben from pulling all Alex’s toys and books out again. He loves to climb on Alex’s bed, pull the books off the shelf then sit in Alex’s bed to read them.
Then at 2pm when the real estate agent was due he called Graham at work to cancel and Graham called me. Ben was having a nap then so at least it meant I could leave him asleep and have a wander around with the camera while I waited for him to stir.
I’m still playing with the Lensbaby. I love the textures it gives me in this photo of the grevillea foliage and the candles are on our dining room table. I never noticed before how well the colours of the tablecloth, coasters and candles go together. They aren’t an intentional match. The tablecloth is a recent Ikea purchase. The coasters I made myself and the coloured candles are just some Mom and Dad were getting rid of. The little chime candle holder is one Elin and Jim sent us from Sweden for Christmas. I haven’t had to light the candle yet, it’s so dainty and light that the breeze from the back door is enough to keep it spinning.

2011 Day 9

2011-01-09T18:10:00.000+11:00

January 9th 2011

This morning the in-laws came over with birthday gifts for me :) Earrings, chocolate and soap. Ben enjoyed the attention and then had a very short nap before another private real estate showing this afternoon. I had to quickly clean and tidy while he napped. Not a lot to do really except pick up the toys and clean the bathroom and kitchen again. Ben had left a trail of crumbs around the house from the shortbread biscuits his Nana Kathy brought over but the handyvac took care of that.
It’s nice to have the house looking so good but it’s a bit of a pain having people in and out each day on the weekend, especially as the real estate don’t give us much notice. At least with the private viewings we don’t have to leave the house like we do when it’s an open home. So we can sort of continue with our daily routine but it’s not very convenient to have people walking through the house while I’m changing Ben’s nappy.
This is the clock my Mom gave me. It’s on the empty bookcase right now and looks really good but I’m going to try it in the bedroom which is where Mom intended if for. Taken with the Lensbaby of course. I haven’t taken it off the camera yet :)

2011 Day 8

2011-01-08T22:36:00.001+11:00

January 8th 2011

Backyard boys, bubbles and blur!
Nothing quite captures the excitement of 2 little boys chasing bubbles like wide angles, lens distortion and motion blur :)
The boys had fun chasing bubbles in the backyard and I had fun taking photos of them with my Lensbaby. It really is fun. I’m normally such a control freak with my photos and a perfectionist for sharp clean photos. The Lensbaby forces me to relax and gives my photos a whole different feel. Funny I only just noticed that both boys are wearing outfits their Nana Kathy gave them, she gave them the bubbles too. That top looks good on Alex. He doesn’t know who the character on it is though, he has decided it’s a cheese man.





All that was after a morning of cleaning, tidying and attention to detail, all for the open house which didn’t happen and our BBQ which also didn’t happen. We did have a private inspection at 1pm so at least all that work didn’t go to waste. Not that the house needed a lot of cleaning but I’m a perfectionist and wanted the house to look as ‘showroom’ as possible before an open house.
After all that work it wasn’t so bad that the BBQ was cancelled (Ramish and Rachel forgot about it) because we just wanted to relax and preparing food and playing host was not on my list of relaxing activities. So we played with bubbles in the backyard while the real estate agent showed the 1pm booking through and then the kids had lunch and a much needed nap.
Dad came over in the afternoon to deliver a bookcase which is now in the dining room in place of one of the bookcases we put into storage when we decluttered the house prior to putting it up for sale. I was worried the bookcase would make the room look smaller again but it actually looks good and the fact that it’s empty means it doesn’t look cluttered or messy.

Dad also brought my birthday gifts. Mom sent me some gluten free fruit bread so I can stick a candle in it and call it a birthday cake :) She also sent champagne, underwear, perfume and clock. I’m feeling pretty spoilt :)
Not sure if Mom is trying to tell me something though, there was a sachet of firming cream wrapped up in the underwear and the clock has a world map on it, makes me very much aware I’m running out of time.
Dad took Alex home with him for the night so we had a relaxing evening with fresh salmon, champagne and strawberries. Ben likes his salmon :)

2011 Day 7

2011-01-07T21:19:00.002+11:00

January 7th 2011

It’s my birthday and I’ll shoot if I want to.
Shoot selectively blurry photos that is, with my brand new Lensbaby!

Yep Graham gave me a Lensbaby composer. Exactly what I wanted (for Christmas). He gave it to me just after midnight but I was strong and gave it back to him (after hugging it for a while) so the kids could give it to me this morning. Not that they cared really. Alex was far more interested in giving me the card he made, and so he should be, it’s a work of art! I love getting notes and cards from Alex.

Anyway today was a day of cleaning. We (should) have an open house tomorrow followed by a BBQ with Ramesh and Rachel but we don’t know yet what time our open house is booked for. We do have a private inspection at 1pm so figure the open house isn’t then. So somehow we need the house and garden looking perfect and to shop and prepare for a BBQ all without knowing what the deadline is.
I also had a scrapping deadline today, I needed to finish a layout for Artisan Notebook. It’s done but I will have to type up my blurb for it tomorrow when things calm down.

I played with my Lensbaby throughout the day whenever I had chance to stop. Naturally as soon as I picked up the camera it started pouring (or maybe the washing load of bed linen caused it) so I couldn’t go outside to play. Neither could the kids so they were feeling restless. Luckily they are still at the ages where helping Mom is fun so Alex vacuumed a bit while Ben tidied and then they both had a nap while I redid it all :)

This is my card from Alex, and the Lensbaby box, before I unpacked it.

Then I took some test shots while we ate breakfast. There wasn’t a lot of light with the rain so I went without any aperture disk which should be f/2. Trying to focus manually in low light was tricky and I still need to work on that. It’s especially had to focus and tilt the sweet spot with a moving child but other than that the Lensbaby is easy to use. It doesn’t focus as closely as I expected so I think any arty macros will have to wait until my next birthday and the macro add-on.
Ben saw the camera and demanded I take his photo. He says ‘cheese me!’.

When Ben woke up from his nap the weather had improved a little and the light in Ben’s room was nice, so Alex and I took the camera into his room and I took some shots of the boys checking out the rain on the neighbours roof. I used the f/2.8 disk for these ones and ISO 400 so I could try and capture the kids without too much movement. I think I need to try the f/4 disk next. The shallow depth of field is nice but too hard to hold that focus on a moving target.

Then I tried the Lensbaby with the flash tonight while the kids had a bath. I shoot with the flash on manual anyway, manual camera and manual flash settings, so really it wasn’t any different, just needed less flash with the f/2.8 so I dialled it down to 1/16 power in the bathroom. The Lensbaby blur has an added benefit of censoring body parts in the bath :) Normally I’d just zoom in to cut out full body shots but there’s no zoom on the Lensbaby and I couldn’t get any closer with the way the kids splash. I also ducked outside for a shot of the Christmas lights. Wow! I wish I’d had this lens when all the Christmas decorations were up. I got the focus right in this one then spoilt it with camera shake. It was hand held at 1/4s ISO 1250 and the f/2.8 disk.

and that’s it, Birthday over, another year older (or 29 again). No cake, no flowers. I got a card in the mail from Mom and Dad and lots of emails which I haven’t had a chance to read through yet. Oh and I got a replacement 16GB card for the camera. It’s replacing the one that went missing during an open house last year.

Now back to the cleaning :(

2011 Day 6

2011-01-06T22:18:00.001+11:00

January 6th 2011

My Kobo cover arrived today and it’s perfect!
Graham gave me this Kobo for Christmas and I love it, I love it far more than I expected to. Actually it’s one of those things I never want to be without now. When I first heard about ebook readers I hated the idea. I love books. I like to collect whole series of books I like. Books are special, sacred even.
but there’s a series of books I wanted to reread and I couldn’t find them in the stores new, and second hand stores or the library only had a few. I really wanted to read them again in order. The first few times I read them as a teenager I had to make do with whatever order I could find them in the library and now they have mostly vanished. but I found the entire series online as ebooks, I just needed a reader. So we did some research and decided on the Kobo. I didn’t want any extra functions, just the ability to read books in the format I needed and the Kobo was a good price with all the features I wanted and none I didn’t (like MP3 playing). It’s the new wireless model and it is fantastic. It’s lightweight, easy to hold with the page turning button perfectly positioned for right handed page turning. The screen size is great, I can quickly and easily adjust the font size up and down as needed depending on how much light there is in the room. I’ve already read 4 books in the series on it. I must admit I prefer it to paper books, it’s easier to read one handed and I don’t get cramp in my hands from holding it. The only thing I wish it had is a left handed page turning button. I’m right handed but I like to be able to use either hand to hold my ‘book’.
I wanted a cover for it so I can put it in the nappy bag without worrying about damaging the screen. I shopped around and found a style I liked and had trouble choosing between bright red or lime green. I actually had both open on screen and hit purchase on the red one and then when I received my email receipt it said green so I guess the decision was made for me and I’ve been anxiously awaiting it’s arrival. It came today and it’s a perfect fit, I’m glad I got the green and it will protect the screen just like I wanted. It’s got a flap inside that folds out and I can put my credit cards and licence in there, out of sight but still handy to carry around so I don’t have to carry a separate wallet and ebook. The only thing is of course it now makes my Kobo heavier and more book like, so I’ve lost the convenience of one handed reading and the light weight aspect, but it’s great to be able to just shove the Kobo in the nappy bag and take it anywhere with me and I can always take the cover off. It looks so good though :)

2011 Day 5

2011-01-05T22:18:00.000+11:00

January 5th 2011

My golden child is enjoying the school holidays. We made a Mars bar cheesecake together today, Graham’s choice. It was a tricky recipe and most of Alex’s help was keeping Ben occupied while I had 3 saucepans going at once to make chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and gelatine mix. The end result is nice but would probably be nicer without the chunks of Mars bar in it. Here’s a quick snap of Alex in the kitchen as we cooked and the end result. Of course I can’t eat it because of the gluten in the base and the Mars bars :(

I did a layout for the Mega challenge at Scrap Orchard.

I loooove this kit. It’s perfect for daily photos or 365 weekly layouts.

2011 day 4

2011-01-04T22:18:00.000+11:00

January 4th 2011
My 2011 calendars have finally arrived! I ordered them last year, for Christmas gifts for the family, but they didn’t arrive in time. Finally they are here and now I have to post off the ones to the overseas family.
This is last years and this years covers. I went with a simpler cover this year because it’s not like the cover is ever on display. I have 6 photos for each month from the previous year. It’s good to see each month what the kids were doing this time last year. Ben was learning to walk and Alex hadn’t lost any teeth or started school. What a difference a year makes at their age.

2011 Day 3

2011-01-03T22:18:00.000+11:00

January 3rd 2011
I have a sore eye. Well actually it’s not really very sore, just red and the skin around it is a bit burnt feeling and swollen. It’s been bothering me for a few days. I knew I shouldn’t have slept with my mascara on on New Years Eve. The water proof mascara is so hard to remove, my eyelashes usually get pulled out with it so I rarely wear any makeup, I need to regrow my lashes first.

This is my 3rd year of daily photos, project 365 and my second year on Tangie’s Art Journal Caravan and this year
I’m doing Kami and Suzy’s Project: Love, Me team
. Project: Love, Me is a project 52, 52 weeks of journaling prompts for layouts about me.

There’s a blog for the prompts and a gallery for Project: Love, Me layouts and the kits are available at Scrap Orchard.
The first kit is out and it’s a beauty.

Here’s my week 1 layout for iDream.

2011 Day 2

2011-01-02T22:18:00.000+11:00

January 2nd 2011

We’re trying to get Ben interested in toilet training. He’s at the point where he will sit on the potty but only with his clothes on. He gets very upset if we try to persuade him to sit down without his trousers or shorts on. He now says ‘Ben go potty’ when he needs to go and he runs off and sits down and fills his nappy. I guess it’s a start. I’m not concerned. It will happen when he’s ready.

The January edition of Artisan Notebook is out which means I can now share the layout I did for the December edition :)

As seen in the December issue of The Artisan Notebook.
Created with October Fruit Basket by The Orchard Girls, Mansion Masquerade - Quadruple Collab by DeCrow Designs, Studio Tangie, Britt-ish Designs, & Sahlin Studio, Very Merry by Britt-ish Designs & DeCrow Designs, Fireplace Tales by Irene Alexeeva, Merry Merry by Irene Alexeeva, Clearly Funky Alpha by Tracie Stroud, Brushed Alpha by Faith True, Santa Cruise by Faith True and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

2011 Day 1

2011-01-01T22:18:00.000+11:00

January 1st 2011
Starting this years daily photos with a self portrait. I like to start each year with a photo of myself, usually on my birthday, that way I know there’s at least one photo with me in it each year. Most of the time I’m behind the camera which is where I prefer to be.
So here’s a quick shot. Had to be quick before Ben got up. This is pretty much me as I got up. I had time to wash my face and put some lipstick on but didn’t stop to moisturise or put on any other makeup, the mascara is left from last night (bad I know but it’s water proof). Oh and I didn’t stop to clean my teeth so I couldn’t smile. The things we do!

Taken in the lounge room with natural light but not much of it so it had to be a slow shot.
ISO 1000, f/4, 1/20s, Canon 5DmkII, Canon 24-105L at 58mm. A good solid tripod and a generic remote control to focus and shoot.

While I was at it I took a shot of Graham, he was watching TV. He had his back to the light but I like this one.

I used my photo for the monthly photography challenge I’m hosting at Scrap Orchard and scrapped it.

Created with Digi Addicted by Designs by Kat, The whole world parties by AnnaBV Designs, Happy New Year wordart by AnnaBV Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

September 2010

2010-09-30T21:00:00.007+10:00

September 1st
Finally the first day of Spring! Not that we got to enjoy it.
Alex is still home sick and today is the day he was originally supposed to have surgery.
He is actually worse again today and Ben has quite a bad cough so we went off to the Dr's again today and spent up big at the chemist. Alex has bronchitis but Ben just has a cold. We keep doing what we're doing and Alex keeps up the antibiotics.
Ben had some quiet time this evening playing with a box while Alex went to bed early. Ben spent ages going in and out of the box and discovered he could draw on it. Mostly left handed but still keeping us guessing.
The funniest thing was when he stood up in the box and just stood there frozen. He wasn't stuck or complaining but he just stood there for a few minutes not doing anything else like he was waiting for something to happen. Of course all that happened was we laughed at him.

the box actually made a nice brown backdrop for some photos, just bouncing the flash.

Created with Impressions Of Comfort At Home by the Studio Girls Collective

September 2nd
Alex is still home, still has barely eaten since last Friday :( He is resting and napping a lot.
His teacher dropped in some school work for him so we have something for him to catch up on as soon as he feels a bit better.
He helped me do some cooking today, we made a birthday cake for Ben and some caramel slice for Daddy. It didn't tempt Alex to eat though, he didn't even want to lick the chocolate off the beaters :(
Ben is feeling better and getting quite good at feeding himself.

I wish Alex was back to his old self.

Created with Three-Ring Circus by Ziggle Designs, Three-Ring Circus {Clusters} by Ziggle Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

September 3rd
Happy Birthday Ben! You've come a long way baby.
From this tiny prem

to a very charming 2yo.
Alex was so excited about Ben's birthday that he woke up early today. Hopefully it's a sign he's getting better :)
We set up Ben's presents on the coffee table and got the camera ready for when he woke up.

Ben was a little bit perplexed by it all but thankfully Alex was on hand to help him open his presents.

We gave him a toy lawn mower to push around the garden. Alex had one when he was little and loved it so we figured Ben would like one too, especially now it's Spring and we can spend more time outside. But Ben is scared of it so that was a fail :(
We also gave him a toy laptop computer. Yes I know it's pink but that was the only colour available and Ben doesn't care, he calls all colours red anyway. He loves it and Alex does too. I figured Ben would enjoy the sounds and buttons and Alex would enjoy the learning programs. It's a big hit :)

Ben gave Alex a little present too to thank him for being a good big brother for 2 years. It was a toy car with lights and sounds.
The big box was actually 10 kilos of coffee beans, our regular supply that was delivered that morning and got added to the table for extra visual impact. Alex was just as excited to open that box and we were excited to finally have some good coffee again after we ran out last week.
Later in the day Nana and Grampy came over and we had the birthday cake. It's a gluten free chocolate mud with cream in the middle and chocolate frosting. It was actually very nice and a treat for me to be able to eat cake. Alex tried a bit and Ben devoured it. The kids enjoyed the candles most though and we had to light and relight them for both boys to blow out.

September 4th
Ben's birthday take 2
Today Ben's other Nana came over and brought a cake with her so we had another round or two of candle blowing and cake eating. I couldn't eat this one but there's plenty of gluten free cake left for me :)

Alex was supposed to go on a boat cruise and steam train ride today with my parents but wasn't well enough. In the end it was cancelled anyway because of bad weather so he will get to go again later in the year. Mom and Dad called in on their way home from the non-event and took Alex home with them for the night. He's much better, just has a lingering cough and ear ache and still isn't eating enough. Maybe a few days at Nana's will get him eating again. It will do him good to get away from our polluted air.

September 5th
A quiet day with just the 3 of us. A day of washing and cleaning and some late afternoon sun shining through a glass of apple juice.

Here’s a layout of a photo I took at Ramesh and Rachel's wedding.

Created with Tuscan Garden by Rosey Posey and Wedding Wordart Pack from Elegant WordArt by Bethany

September 6th
Just some sneaky photos of Ben playing with his pencils. Shot through the back of a chair.

Created with Revitalize Collab Kit by Veronica Spriggs And Amanda Rockwell, It's Only Natural by Veronica Spriggs, Brushed PreFABs No.2 by Studio Dutchie and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

September 7th
Alex is much better and finally eating! He even said he was hungry.
He still has a sore ear but that's to be expected until after his surgery.
He's still at home but today was a great day of eating and playing and he was almost normal!
He had a school excursion on today, an all day trip to a farm, and it's a real shame he missed it. He has been looking forward to it but it would have been too much for a first day back after being so sick and the teacher has enough to worry about on an excursion without having to give Alex special care.
So I made up for it by letting him play with the computer then he did some school work and Ben copied him.

Now we have to decide whether to send him to school for the next 2 days or not. Normally he would be well enough and back at school but with his surgery coming up on Friday and we don't want to risk a relapse or him catching something else and he's only just started eating again. He has lost so much weight too :(
It's a hard decision. I'm leaning toward keeping him home safe tomorrow and feeding him up. The days lessons will probably all be reviewing the excursion anyway so he wont be able to participate and will just be reminded he missed out.
Hmmm what to do, what to do?
I might see how much he coughs in the morning and how well he eats and make my final decision then.

September 8th
Well Alex ended up staying home. Not too much coughing but it's just not worth risking school when we only have a few more days to rest and feed him up before his surgery.
Ben got a parcel in the mail today. A birthday present from Auntie Norma.

Alex could barely contain himself and wanted to rip it open for Ben but Ben managed OK

As soon as he saw what was inside he said 'shorts' and proceeded to try them on his head while singing ‘hat on my head’ and then pulled them over his arms. I think he likes them :)



September 9th
Everyone was feeling much better today so I helped Alex make a pirate ship out of a delivery box from Zazz. We called it the Pirate P'zazz and it has a sale and pinwheels and is just the right size for 2 boys to play in.

Of course the boys had to have pirate hats as well and Alex had a spyglass and Ben had a treasure map (a shopping receipt).
They sailed the seas of the computer room until Alex spotted a whale (Daddy coming home) and it was time for dinner.

September 10th
Happy birthday Uncle Jim!   This is one birthday I’ll never forget!
We had an early start this morning with Nana and Grampy coming over to babysit Ben for the day while we went off to the hospital. I was a bit worried about how long it would take us to get there in peak hour traffic and find parking but we allowed plenty of time and actually got there early.
Alex was admitted and we sat around waiting until it was his turn for surgery. He was very impressed with the reclining chairs with attached TV remote. We played an endless game of eyespy while we waited. There was another little boy waiting and he was very loud because he had blocked ears, he was having grommets in both his ears to help with his hearing.
Alex wasn't the least bit worried about anything, not even when he was on the bed going off into theatre. Only one of us was allowed to go in with him while he was anesthetised so we let him choose, he chose Daddy. Fine by me, as much as I was anxious to stay by his side as long as I was allowed I've seen him put under before and it's a bit upsetting. There's that moment just before a person passes out that they instinctively struggle and seeing Alex like that makes me want to scoop him up and run out the door with him. So it was Graham's turn and I was the one who go to be by his side as soon as he woke up.
The surgery was really quick so we just had time to call and check on Ben and grab a coffee. I was starving but there weren't any gluten free options in the hospital canteen except crisps so we had crisps and coffee.
As soon as he was out of surgery and stirring they called me in. He was quite bright and wanted to sit up but he looked awful. He was really pale which made the marks on his face where the mask had been really stand out but after about 10 minutes his colour was better and the marks had mostly faded except for some little bruises over his nose and on his chin. He had some blood from his ear too.
So after a coughing fit, threatened vomit session (from the mucus in his throat) and half an iceblock Alex moved back to the ward and his fancy reclining chair and we waited again. He was supposed to be sleepy and the nurse expected him to sleep but he seems to react to anaesthetic like I do, not that he experienced the same urge to go shopping but he certainly seemed a bit hyper and wanted to go and check out the play room.
After a while the nurse gave up trying to make him sleep and fetched him some sandwiches, jelly and icecream. He ate the lot! It was so much more than I can usually get him to eat. He drank lots of water and played with the TV remote and eventually the nurse said he could go home early so we visited the play room while the paperwork and medications were sorted then headed home to reassure and relieve the grandparents.
They had coped well with Ben. Ben spent the day playing with the buckles on one of his car seats we’d left in the lounge room.
So Alex's surgery went really well. He had his adenoids removed and they were quite large and he had a grommet put in his right ear. I don't know the correct terminology but his eardrum was stuck down against the little bones in his ear and the fear was that left too long that would heal into place and he'd have permanent hearing loss. The Dr said as soon as Alex was on the gas the eardrum lifted so she could see it wasn't stuck and was able to insert the grommet without any trouble. He does have a floppy eardrum now, it's stretched from the constant ear infections, so the grommet could fall out but our GP can keep an eye on it. Hopefully we'll get a year out of it and he will probably have to have another when he is a teenager.
He has some discomfort when he swallows and says his ear hurts but we're giving him panadol for the pain. He also has a nasal spray and ear drops. He hates the ear drops and they make his ear hurt more for a little while but in general Alex did amazingly well. No tears or fears, no complaints at all. He just took it all in his stride and to him the whole adventure was just about the chair with the remote control.
We collected some souvenirs for him to take back to school for his news day. Things like his hospital bands, the theatre slippers Daddy had to wear and they even gave him a certificate for being brave.
Of course I took some photos. Not many and I had to be very careful not to get any other patients in the shots.

September 11th
It's a new day and a new Alex!
He is bright and chirpy with just a few bruises from the gas mask. He hates the ear drops, they hurt, but other than that he is so much better. He is hungry and eating! All of a sudden he is eating like never before. It's like he can suddenly taste food. Can the adenoid removal really have made that much difference so quickly?
It was a nice day so we played outside for a while and then he did a bit of school work.
He's still a bit weak from being sick so needs some quiet time reading or writing and he had a nice long afternoon nap but it's such a relief to see him like this. I was so worried about this surgery and even getting him well enough to go through with it and now it's all over and he is happy and I feel so much relief!
I took photos while they boys played outside.   Seeing Alex this happy just makes me want to celebrate! Isn’t this the most wonderful sight?

Willy wanted to play too but I think he was playing roadkill.

Alex played cricket with Graham while Ben watched from the safety of the deck.

Alex isn't very coordinated and once again Willy showed a complete lack of self preservation.

September 12th
I had to go to a taste test today so the boys came along with Alex's old red car and Ben's new go-go car so they could ride around the big empty car park.
Of course Alex rode Ben's go-go car (that we gave him for his birthday) and Ben just pushed Alex's old car but they had fun and I ate some food and got paid for my opinion :)
Then it was back home for a nap for both boys.

Created with BoyZone by SussieM Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set, Journal paper from Summer Time by SussieM_designs, Frog from The Weather by SussieM, and I used Original Grunge Textures by Christina Renee as overlays on the photos, journal paper and background for extra grunge

September 13th
Alex had a get well package delivered today thanks to some special Scrap Orchard friends :)
He was so excited and there's enough in there to keep him quiet and busy while he is supposed to be resting. He has to stay home all this week and this is really going to help keep him occupied.

This is a layout I did for a competition at Scrap Orchard.

Created with Apple of My Eye by Faith True Originals, Designs by Kat, Designs by Julie Bullock & Tracie Stroud with contributions by Scrapping with Liz & NeeNee Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

September 14th
Ben spent some time playing with his computer. Mostly he just likes turning it on and off. He calls it 'boot it' because I always tell him my computer is booting when I turn it on. So he turns his on and off and says 'boot it'

Must find time to take him to the beach before it gets too hot.

Created with Beach Babe by Rosey Posey and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

September 15th
The rosellas are enjoying the grevilleas.

and my beautiful Ben.

Created with Revitalize Collab Kit by Veronica Spriggs And Amanda Rockwell, It's Only Natural by Veronica Spriggs, Brushed PreFABs No.2 by Studio Dutchie and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

September 16th
My photo printed on metallic, mounted and framed ready for a landscape photo competition.

and a nice clean style layout. Sometimes I like to do simple uncluttered layouts :)

Created with the June 2010 Mega: It's A Journey by the Scrap Orchard Designers and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

September 17th
Ok so this is a weird photo and not easy to take either but I needed it for a layout idea I had. It was tricky to line up Alex's magnifying glass so it would enlarge my eye and not just reflect the flash, all without being able to see how it looked until after each shot.

This is a much nicer photo.

Created with Good Times by the Studio Girls and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

September 18th
Today we went to the annual Wisteria Gardens fete. The weather was perfect and the flowers were beautiful so I took lots of photos. Ramesh and Rachel were there with the kids, running their juice stall and my parents met us there and had icecream with the boys.

Alex wanted to go on the bouncy castle. He had to wait a while for his turn and then only had a short go because he is still supposed to be taking it easy. Ben was fascinated.

The boys enjoyed walking around the gardens. This is where Alex had his first outing when he first started walking so it was really nice to see Ben exploring the same gardens now.

We took the boys down to the rivers edge to see the flying foxes sleeping in the trees and Alex spotted a bride being photographed amongst the flowers and thought she was a princess.

I wish I'd taken a bigger lens to get closer to the flying foxes and a macro lens for the flowers but I still got some nice blossom photos.

Alex found a rose the bride had dropped and wore it in his hat.

Ben showed Grampy the quickest way to eat an icecream cone.

Ramesh made fresh juice for all of us and his mother wanted a photo with her new grandaughter.

and lastly a photo of Rachel with her cute kids.

September 19th
Last night was bingo night at Alex's school and his first time there in weeks. Nana Kathy and Adrian came along. We had a fun, late, night but it was very expensive. All fund raising for the school and of course we didn't win anything.
The lighting in the school hall is shocking for photos and I only had the little point and shoot but I bumped the ISO and took lots of photos anyway.
First we had to have a group shot with the self timer. Ben had given up on his sausage sandwhich by then but was already too engrosed in the crisps to look at the camera.

Alex enjoyed crossing off his numbers with Nana. Some of the games were just for children so we gave him all our game cards to play with.

Ben was quite happy to much on crisps, drink his water and draw on the old game cards.

He listened carefully to the numbers and clapped whenever someone won.

We didn't notice until afterwards that he had been very carefully drawing crosses in the squares. The black pen crosses are his. Such a clever boy :)

Of course Alex got texta all over his hands. He was using his Ikea textas that don't wash off easily.

September 20th
Anyone for gluten free chocolate cake?

September 21st
These flowers look like they're on fire!

September 22nd
Ben really enjoys picking Alex up from school, except when he's having a nap and I have to wake him to go out, then he screams but usually he enjoys the trip. We try to get there early so we can have a bit of a walk before Alex gets out. Ben likes to look at the flowers (weeds) by the footpath and pick one for Alex.

Created with IO adventure by the Studio Girls and The Director font by Tangie Baxter and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

September 23rd
Alex and I were playing around with Nana Kathy's old camera. We bought her a new one for her birthday.

September 24th
I bought Alex a banana guard and had to take a photo to show how it works. It looks a bit strange but it will stop his banana getting squished in his lunch bag and keep it from direct contact with his ice pack. Alex has a banana for recess every day.

September 25th
We went to Nana Kathy and Adrians for Adrians birthday party. It was a nice day and we didn't have the usual freak storm that seems to happen every time we go there for a BBQ.

Ben was a bit shy but happy in Grampy's arms.

The boys enjoyed cake, bubbles and party poppers.

I used one of the photos for a Scrap Orchard speed scrap.

Created with Solid State by Tracie Stroud, April 2010 Mega: April Showers by the Scrap Orchard Designers, 2010 March Mega: Fly A Kite by the Scrap Orchard Designers, summer's last kiss by DeCrow Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

September 26th
I needed a photo of myself for a layout and got Graham to take it. First though I posed him and took a photo of him so I could show him what I wanted and set the camera up for him. I also kept a head shot of him from when I was testing the flash settings :) Usually he closes his eyes when I setting up my flash so I'm pleased with this shot.

This is the resultant layout. I used my photo to cut out a silhouette to help illustrate two conflicting sides of me.

Created with Mama's Kitchen by Julie Bullock, Up There by rene Alexeeva, Waltzing Twilight by rene Alexeeva, Kind Of Magic by rene Alexeeva, Anything Possible by Irene Alexeeva, Deep Breath by Irene Alexeeva, Whispers by Irene Alexeeva, 2010 March Mega: Fly A Kite by the Scrap Orchard Designers, Vintage Treasures by Julie Bullock, Solid State by Tracie Stroud, My Little Einstein by AnnaBV Designs & Ziggle Designs, Into Space by Faith, Artesia by LCC by Amy Stoffel and Krystal Hartley, Autumn Garden by Amy Stoffel and Melissa Bennett and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

September 27th
The boys eating a treat of pizza. Alex never liked pizza until Ben did. Now they enjoy some about once a month. Alex likes to make pizza too but is much more adventurous with the toppings on pizza from our local Italian shop.

Alex wrote a thank you letter to send to England but he wrote it on the back of something I need to keep so we took a photo of it and sent it electronically :)

September 28th
A test photo. I was trying to set up the 5DmkII to record a video. We had already done one with the webcam on the notebook but I wasn't happy with the video quality so thought we could do it again with a good camera. So this is a shot I took to check out the light before filming. Turns out it make a much better video but it wasn't as fun as the first take. Trying to look at the camera and film ourselves without being able to see what was happening meant we were took conscious of trying to stay in shot and lost the spontaneity of the webcam film where we were able to follow ourselves on screen as we filmed.

This is the resultant video. As you can see we had a lot of fun but my video quality wasn't very good.

September 29th
Happy Anniversary Baby!
8 years today.
We celebrated with strawberries and champagne (and a new computer game).

This was us 8 years ago :)

September 30th
Graham had to get on the roof today to clear out a birds nest in the roof right above Ben's room.

August 29-31st

2010-08-31T02:11:00.000+10:00

31st
Is Ben asleep?

Let's take a closer look

Cheese!

Just a few more days and he’ll big a big 2yo :)

Created with Tuesdays Child by Flergs and Kaye Winiecki and Girlfriend Time Template Bunches by Shabby Miss Jenn

30th
Alex is sick again. We've had an almost constant run of cold and ear infections for the last 2 years, especially in winter when he has recurring bronchitis. Sometimes, like now, it's worse than usual. He's had fever and vomiting since Friday night, and just when he'd started eating well again, it’s really not fair. The big worry this time was that he was due to have surgery on the 1st September so we needed to get him well before then but I spoke to the Dr today and the anethnatist wants him to be fever free for 2 weeks before. I can understand how important that is but he is sick almost every week so the chances of us getting 2 weeks clear are slim. We've now rescheduled for the 10th September (happy birthday Uncle Jim) and will just see how he is closer to the date. If we can't make the 10th the next available date is the 22nd October and I hate to think how many times he will be sick before then. He really needs this surgery and I'm so looking forward to him being well again.
He's spending his up time sitting in front of the TV watching ABC kids. I can still get a smile out of him but you can see how pale and tired he is.

I can’t wait for Spring, sunshine, flowers and healthier times.

Created with Garden Beauty by Designs by Kat, Queen Bee by Faith True, Queen Bee Watercolor Paper Add-On by Faith True, Solid State by Tracie Stroud, and Storyteller Templates #2 by SuzyQ Scraps

29th
I like lace, it makes for an interesting textural photo. I don't know that it should be hanging from the kitchen door but with weather like today’s I'll use whatever means I can to dry my washing.

with all the grey outside I decided to scrap some sunshine (gold) today.

Created with Haberdasherie Package by Ztampf!, Lacealogy 2 Accents Pack by Ztampf!, Joy by Rosey Posey, Color Theory, Gold by Christina Renee, Basic Canvas Cardstock by Christina Renee, Flocked Overlays by Christina Renee

August 22-28th

2010-08-28T02:09:00.000+10:00

28th
Ben likes to read. Sometimes he gets a book and says "book, read"

then lies down with it and says "story nigh nighs"

Here’s a layout for Alex

Created with August Grab Bag by DeCrow Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

27th
Ben was very pleased with himself this afternoon.

He'd produced a new work of art, on the wall and all over the table.

So I did some digital art for him :)

Created with Ocean Deep by Em-Ka Designs and her matching blog freebie and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

26th
Ben in his new size 2 shirt. I think he likes it. He's in between size 1 and 2 for shirts now.

Anyone want to buy a nice set of wheels, please? When Graham sold his last car he kept his nice (new) wheels off it and put the stock wheels back on to sell but these wheels wont fit his new car so he needs to sell them. I want them gone! I'm sick of piles of wheels sitting around. It seems every car ends up with new wheels and we still keep the old ones.

Here’s a layout for my Dad’s wheels :)

Created with Impressions Of 7 by Studiogirls and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

25th
Another nice afternoon for a school pickup walk.
Alex explained the speed limit to Ben

Ben still went faster than his shadow and Alex raced us back.

Created with Joyful Spirit by Kay Miller and Vera Lim, Heart Templates III by Scrapping with Liz and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

24th
I had a delivery from Zazz. It's stuff for Ben's birthday so I've hidden it away but the boys like the box :)

Both the boys were in their own little world making music but playing the same tune.
Alex was tapping away on Ben's tambourine and Ben was 'plucking' a tentacle on his ball.

That’s unique :)

Created with Art Stomp! by Roben-Marie Designs and Tangie Baxter, Patched With Love, Fabric Scraps by Christina Renee, Altered Inspired 2 by Phuong Ton, Splatter Graffiti Unconventional by Tangie Baxter, Tape It Up! by Ronna Penner and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

23rd
Alex had to dress up as his favourite book character today for book week at school. He went as Alexander from Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. The book only has black and white photos but on the cover there's a colour photo of Alexander and he has orange

hair so we made Alex's hair a bit more orange than usual with some spray on stuff. Alexander wears a checked shirt and pale trousers and gets stuck with white sneakers, so this was Alex's closest match. I didn't like the idea of sending him to school in his good shirts and pale trousers and I

know his trousers are undone but the stud keeps popping open. Normally we put a belt over to hold them closed but Alex can't undo the belt himself when he wants to go to the toilet so for today undone trousers are part of his costume. It was cold and wet so he had to wear a cardigan and was under strict

instructions not to get rained on or his hair would run.

When he got home the neck of his cardigan was stained orange but thankfully his shirt survived. The first thing I had to do though was strip him off and get his hair washed before he got orange anywhere else.

I love the way the orange is collecting on his eyebrows in this shot.

It did all come out eventually.

22nd
Ben and the balloon.

I can feel Spring coming but meanwhile the Autumn kits are hitting the market like this new one from Kami.

Created with Shades of Autumn by Ziggle Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

August 15-21st

2010-08-21T02:06:00.000+10:00

21st
Voting day and it was warm and sunny so Ben wore his new shirt from Nana when we went to Alex's school to vote.
Alex was at his Nana's so he went to my old school with them to vote.

Ben tried out Alex's big boy bed for size. We're starting to prepare him for moving out of the cot. He stayed there for about 10 minutes.

20th
Domestic bliss is a line full of wet washing on a grey overcast day, not!

What does it say about my day if that was the most exciting thing I could find to photograph?
Much nicer to stay inside and scrap my beautiful boy :)

Created with Stark Raven Bundle by Veronica Spriggs, Glass Plate Negatives by Christina Renee and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

19th
A sign we need to mow the lawn but I like dandelions. They really are a pretty flower.

and here’s a pretty layout, at least I was aiming for pretty. Some times I need a break from boyish pages.

Created with ARTiStitches No. 6 by Ztampf!, Dainty Blooms Accents Pack by Ztampf!, Frayed Folds Layered Templates by Ztampf!, Haberdasherie Package by Ztampf!, Lacealogy 2 Accents Pack by Ztampf!, Naturae PaperPack by Ztampf!, Tiny Ensembles Galore by Ztampf!, Satin Swirls Ribbons by Ztampf!, Velvetoire Paper Pack by Ztampf!, Lumoz Whimzy Page Overlays by Ztampf!, Baby 2 WordArt Pack from Elegant WordArt by Bethany and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

18th
Our flowering plum trees are ummm well flowering.
We never get a thick mass of flowers but they are pretty, even on a dull winter's day.

17th
A sneaky photo behind me of Graham and his desk (mess). Working hard there babe!

Oh wait he has a photo of me on his keyboard, awww isn’t that sweet, I guess he deserves to relax and play a game or two :)

16th
There's a lot of building (digging) work going on up the hill behind us. It's quite noisy in the day and the trucks are annoying, not only when they block the road but they also take the corner outside our house way to fast.
It's interesting to see the changes each day though when I pick Alex up from school. I take the camera along with me most days in case I feel like taking a snap.

Here’s a layout with one of our school pickup walk photos.

Created with Oh Boy by Designs by Kat, Scrap Strip Temps by Scrapping with Liz and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set, and staples from Funny Adventures by Designs by Kat

15th
We went out to my parents for the afternoon. Grampy has made Alex a new bike but he's not quite ready to give up his little bike and trainer wheels (and trailer) yet.

Grampy has raised the seat on his old bike though to make room for his growing legs.

Alex showed me how Prince Charming chopped his way through the vines to reach Sleeping Beauty's castle. He used his sword Alexcaliber.
Then I made the boys cram into the laundry. All for a photo scavenger hunt I was doing.

That's me in a spoon, one lump or two?

and Ben had a drink

August 8-14th

2010-08-14T02:02:00.000+10:00

14th
I have a big sore lump under my eyebrow! It looks like I walked into a door.
This is Ben copying me taking a photo of myself. I don't think I really pulled a face like this.

Ben had fun making a mess this afternoon.

13th
The days are getting warmer, or less cold and there's more light in the afternoons now so when I do the school pickup we go for a little walk before heading home. Alex likes to look at the building work near the school. Ben's not so sure about the big noisy diggers but he likes the walk.
and Alex likes to race us back to the car.

12th
Tears in the morning when Daddy leaves for work. Ben watches through the window.
Here’s a layout of a happier Ben.

Created with Free To Be Me by Rosey Posey, Fragments 102 by Rosey Posey, Day 2 Day by Rosey Posey, Grubby Flowers by Rosey Posey, Sunshine by Rosey Posey and the hand doodled alpha from Big Basket by Rosey Posey and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

11th
Still no sign of those bottom teeth coming through.

10th
The camellia is flowering nicely right now.
and here's my final entry for the Iron Scrapper challenge at SO using Cherry Cherie by mle Card, Irene Alexeeva, SuzyQ Scraps & Ziska with contributions by Scrapping with Liz & NeeNee Designs

9th
Sticky fingers on my lens!

8th
Driving into the sun, I played with shooting lens flare.

August 1-7th

2010-08-07T02:00:00.000+10:00

7th
It's cold but Willy will sunbathe any chance he gets.

and here’s nice domestic layout :)

Created with My Happy Home by Baers Garten, Everyday 365 Solid Papers by Baers Garten and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

6th
Just Ben playing with Alex's truck. I'm so glad the batteries are flat, this is a noisy one.

5th
A nice sunny day with blue skies. It was warm in the car.

4th
Some nice textural details and a car mad child.

It’s hard to believe he was once this tiny

Created with Awaken by Birgit Kerr, Stringwords - Vol 1 by Birgit Kerr and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

3rd
Today was Alex's school open day and assembly for education week. Nana, Grampy and Ben came along. Alex is somewhere on the floor in the front singing.

Ben loved the band playing and the singing.
He stood on Grampy's lap and listened to everything very seriously and waved his arms in time to the music.
At the end of each song he clapped and cheered and demanded "more, singing". It was so funny to hear his little voice cheering in the silence that followed the national anthem.
Here's a little video clip of him keeping time for Alex's class singing.

2nd
The tea towels I ordered from Alex's school have finally arrived. They feature a drawing of each of this years students and teachers and are a fund raising project for the school. I thought they would be a novel souvenir from Alex's first year of school so I ordered one for myself and one for each of the

grandmothers too.

That's Alex's drawing of himself, right next to his teacher :)

I’m hosting the photography challenge at SO this month, it goes live tomorrow. It’s all about rule of thirds.

This is the layout I did for it.

Created with Colour Me Boyish by Lyndsay Riches and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

1st
My new 24-105mm L photographed using my 20-105mm L. Nope I don't have 2 lenses the same, this one is my new coffee mug which arrived in the mail today. As this is my favourite walk around lens I couldn't resist getting a cup to match. The hood and cap come off for drinking :)

and here's my 3rd entry for the Iron Scrapper challenge at So using Slice of Life by by Amanda Heimann Designs, Lyndsay Riches, Tracey Howard Designs, Wild Dandelion Designs, Scrapping with Liz & NeeNee Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 2010

2010-07-31T12:37:00.000+10:00

July 1st
Ben is Mr Dribbles today

and I'm scrapping some old photos.

Created with Lil' Monsters by Designs by Kat, Weekday Masks by Scrapping with Liz and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 2nd
I enjoyed a nice cold can of sparkling apple juice tonight

These are photos of Alex at 2yo.

Created with Discovery by Rosey Posey and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 3rd
Ben has been dropping things like pencils into the heater, while it's off, and usually I remember to check for stray objects but tonight I forgot and this was the result. It's my old nursery heater from when I was a baby and you can't actually see inside it, it's a case of shaking it and if there's any strange rattles Graham has to go fishing for foreign objects.
Luckily I have a very sensitive sense of smell so I noticed before things really started to smoke and unplugged the heater and moved it outside for Graham to deal with.

This is a much more pleasant scene :)

Created with One Beautiful Day BUNDLE by Natali Design and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 4th
A bit of bling? I know it looks like a ring but it's a baby sized bangle. Not sure where it came from but Ben likes it.

and this is my beautiful nephew.

Created with Lily of the Valley Bundle by Ziska and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 5th
Coffee anyone? Mine's the extra large :)

I scrapped Alex's zoo photos again.

Created with Funny Adventures by Designs by Kat and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 6th
Ben's artwork now extends to the table top

hehehe just wait until Johan starts doing this sort of this :)

Created with Forget Me Knot by Rosey Posey, Sketch Collection #34 by Jen Caputo and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 7th
Alex was playing with his little camera so we took silly photos of each other.

I was really pleased with how this layout turned out :)

Created with Brushed PreFABs No.1 by Studio Dutchie, Impressions Of The Sea by the Studio Girls Collective and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 8th
Ben looks like he's up to something. Yep he's climbing.

This was my layout for the February 2010 issue of The Artisan Notebook

Her LullabyKit by Irene Alexeeva, Simple Memories from LCC by Amy Stoffel, i'm yours from DeCrow Designs and Britt-ish Designs, February 2010: Love Rocks by Scrap Orchard Designers, Taking Chances/Leap of Faith Bundle by Wild Dandelion Designs,
Tattered and Torn by Tracie Stroud, Cloud # 9 page kit by Irene Alexeeva, Snips And Snails Page Kit by Irene Alexeeva, Fortune Panda by Ziggle Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set
Fonts - SO Curly Wire and SO Scribble Scrabble by Irene Alexeeva

July 9th
Guess what I got today :)

This was my layout for the March 2010 issue of The Artisan Notebook

Created with Free Style Set..2 by Dani Alencar, Happy Tails Collaboration Kit by Irene Alexeeva and Ziggle Designs, Kitty Kat by Faith True, Vintage Treasures by Julie Bullock , the Scrap Orchard June 2009 Mystery Mega, October Mega: Harvest Spice by Scrap Orchard Designers, November 2009 Mega by Scrap Orchard Designers, In Bloom - The Collection by Wild Dandelions, DARKROOM Collab with Studio Tangie by DeCrow Designs, Tattered and Torn by Tracie Stroud, Cat WordArt Pack from Elegant WordArt by Bethany and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set
Font - SO Scribble Scrabble by Irene Alexeeva

July 10th
The boys went to Nana Kathy's to paint their pergola posts. Alex was a bit disappointed that he had to paint them brown. I think he prefers his Grampy's purple posts.

Can you tell his Dad dressed him?

July 11th
Hello little man :) The boys were playing in their 'tent' in the lounge room.

Ben has grown so much.

Created with Wanderlust by Ziska, June Featured Artist by NeeNee Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 12th
Strawberries with strawberry moose and home made coffee icecream, yum :)

Ben's pretty yummy too :)

Created with Wanderlust by Ziska, Dad's Kid Templates by AnnaBV Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 13th
These little flowers are popping up outside the front door.

and here's Johan again :)

Created with Creative Juice No. 11 by Biograffiti, Believe min kit by Biograffiti and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 14th
Feeding time. Ben thinks a straw is a real treat.

July 15th
The camellias are budding.

I love these photos of Jim and Johan :)

Created with Dad's Kid by AnnaBV Designs, The Ice Cream Truck Stops Here templates by AnnaBV Designs, Customize Me Alpha by Tracie Stroud and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 16th
Alex had his pre-school reunion tonight. I don't know that he actually remembered anyone. That's him at the back.

My layout for the May issue of Artisan Notebook

Created with Her Lullaby Kit by Irene Alexeeva, Thank You For This Day from LCC by Amy Stoffel, Whispers by Irene Alexeeva, Deep Breath by Irene Alexeeva, Fresh Ideas by Faith True, Budding Spring by DeCrow Designs and Megan Turnidge, Thank You For This Day from LCC by Amy Stoffel, Amazing Snowland by Irene Alexeeva, Winter Wonders by Irene Alexeeva, Seek Adventure by Tracie Stroud and DeCrow Designs, Sweet Teddy by LCC by Amy Stoffel, Firefly Lane by Ziggle Designs & Amanda Heimann Designs,Lovey Dovey by Ziggle Designs and Tracie Stroud, Clearly Funky Alpha by Tracie Stroud, Crystal Dangles alpha by Irene Alexeeva and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set
Font – Linenstroke

July 17th
We went to a protest meeting this morning. Alex and Ben thought it was great because they got to check out a new park.

July 18th
It's Graham's birthday on the 20th so his Mom came over with a cake today.
Not sure why Alex was wearing my apron but they boys enjoyed blowing out the candles.

July 19th
Still early but Alex and I made gluten free caramel cupcakes for Graham today. Not that Graham needs gluten free but I didn't want to miss out (like yesterday)

July 20th

Happy Birthday Graham!
An afternoon of biking at Nana and Grampy's.

July 21st
Camellias and bees. A bit of warm weather and the buzzing of bees like a taste of Spring in the middle of Winter.

July 22nd
Ben likes to draw in Alex's work books. He's copying his big brother.

July 23rd
Alex decided it was time to go stay at Nana's and packed his bags. I think he was planning on a very long stay :p

I love this layout :)

Created with PreFABs Storytellers1-2 by Studio Dutchie, Fairytale papers By Flergs, Fairytale glitter by Flergs, Fairytale alpha (blue) by Flergs, Mermaid Lagoon by Tangie, OUAT The Stitches by Redju, Water Babies ARTiStrokes by Ztampf!, Water Babies Splash! by Ztampf!, Ocean Swirls ARTiStrokes by Ztampf!, Treasures Elements by Ztampf! and Scribe Elements by Rosey Posey. All part of the new Once Upon A Time Creative Fusion from the Studio Girls.

July 24th
Another local protest meeting, this time at the proposed development site. Ben stuck around long enough for the newspaper photographers group shots and then he was off.

Meanwhile Alex went to the powerhouse museum with his Nana and Grampy.

July 25th
The aloe vera flowers are standing tall and it's a beautiful day.

and here's a layout for Graham and Ben.

Created with Scribe Papers by Rosey Posey, Scribe Elements by Rosey Posey and Scribe Clusters by Rosey Posey. All part of the new Once Upon A Time Creative Fusion from the Studio Girls.

July 26th
Water or coffee?
My water bottle, the one I keep on my desk.

and a layout for Graham and Alex.

Created with Before The First Snow (With Everything In It) by Lorie Davison, Drifting Snow Dreams Kit (With Everything In It) by Lorie Davison and Digital Tagbook 2 - Book Illusions by Studio Dutchie and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set.

July 27th
Eggs for breakfast. I think they look kinda spacey, or maybe that's just me in the morning.

July 28th
The other camellia is flowering now. I'm not sure if it's the right season. This one seems to flower a lot throughout the year.

This is back when Jim and Elin were still here.

Created with July 2010 Mega: Taste of Summer by the Scrap Orchard Designers and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 29th
Ben is getting taller and able to get into more mischief.

but it's a jungle out there.

Created with Backyard Safari by Rosey Posey, Backyard Safari WordArt Pack by Bethany and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 30th
Mr Moody waiting by the back door to go outside and play.

and an Alex layout.

Created with Happy Camper by Biograffiti, Creative Juice No. 15 by Biograffiti, the mOdern Art Oscraps Collaborative Kit and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

July 31st
I love the warmer Winter days we've had lately. It's a promise of things to come.

I can't wait for Summer!

Created with Happy Island by SussieM Designs, PreFABs Pop Ups - Summer Edition by Studio Dutchie and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

June 2010

2010-06-30T21:47:00.000+10:00

June 1st
A cold wintery morning and Alex was playing with his little camera so I took some snaps of us.

This is a layout of photos from Alex's first haircut. Ben hasn't had one yet.

Created with Time For A Haircut by Britt-ish Designs

June 2nd
Alex was engrossed in his Thomas the train DVD. I'm not sure if I like the colour or BW better.

June 3rd
It's so cold Alex is wearing his dressing gown over his clothes. I do the same :)
Alex had a bowl of spaghetti for a hot snack after school.

A layout of warmer times

Created with Welcome To Paradise by Flergs, Book Of Me The Second 10 by Crystal Livesay and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

June 4th
It's school disco night and the theme is heroes and villains. This is what we came up with for Alex's costume. I'm not sure if he is meant to be a hero or a villain but I think we decided he is the Masked Reader.

Ben was a bit bored waiting around for Alex to get dressed.

June 5th
Alex took his Masked Reader cape to Nana and Grampy's and Grampy made him a sword. Here's Alex pulling the sword Alexcaliber out of the stone.

Meanwhile at home Ben read a book, then sat on it.

June 6th
Nana and Grampy had a leak, for a few days. Eventually a digger arrived to dig down to the pipes to they could be fixed. Alex thought it was very exciting and the work men let him sit in the digger and hold the muddy hose while they pumped out the water.

and at home Ben was being cheeky as usual :)

June 7th
My name is Ben and I like rice,

in my lap and in my eyes.

No so good when it's red curry in the eyes though.

Look Mom, I got a bit on my hand.

June 8th
More adventures in Ben feeding himself. At least this bowl only had sandwiches in it and he ate them first.

He thinks he is so funny.

No he hasn't worn the same jumper 3 days in a row, the way he eats he can't, he just has a couple of tops the same. Actually I think he has 2 of these cheap tracksuits in grey, blue, purple and green. They're great for around the house and easy to wash.

June 9th
Alex with his doctors glasses from his toy medical set. Both boys like to wear these.

June 10th
Just some of my copics.

A competition layout. It had to be about the word glee, with the title glee and no journaling, and was supposed to be anonymous.

Created with Special Delivery by AnnaBV Designs, Vintage Treasures by Julie Bullock, Anything Possible by Irene Alexeeva, Sweet Teddy by LCC by Amy Stoffel, Little Lamb Blue by mle Card, Big Stamp Alpha by Jenn Barrette, Expectations by Faith True and Traci Murphy and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

June 11th
I'm eating a lot of mandarins these days to help fight out the seasonal bugs. I wish I could get Alex to eat them but at least Ben likes his fruit.

Some old camping photos with a new kit from Biograffiti.

Created with Happy Camper by Biograffiti and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

June 12th
Alex got a merit certificate at school and for his reward he chose breakfast at McDonalds. I think he just wanted to visit the play center there. Ben wasn't too sure about it at first but soon got caught up in the excitement of it all and had to be fetch out when it was time to leave.

June 13th
Just playing with the camera and the curves of Alex's car parking station.

and a layout from of yesterday's outing.

Created with Kit Tonic Berries by Redju, Brushed PreFABs No.2 by Studio Dutchie and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

June 14th
A visit to Nana and Grampy's on a cold winters afternoon with not much daylight left. Funny how we have autumn colours now.
Alex rode his bike and Grampy was chopping wood so Graham had a go, for the first time.

Ben watched

and I shot some autumnal colours.

Later Alex and Ben set up a 'tent' in Nana's lounge room.

June 15th
Bath time for Ben.

and I'm scrapping yesterdays photos.
This is a 2 page layout.

Created with Take-Two No. 1 by Biograffiti, Happy Camper by Biograffiti, Graffiti Vol. 10 by SherrieJD, Art Starts Vol. 07 by SherrieJD, Fall Frenzy by SherrieJD and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

June 16th
Alex does his best Harry Potter with a drumstick for a wand.

Created with Storytime Word Art Vol. 2 by Maya, At the Castle by Lorie Davison, Storybook Castle by Lorie Davison, A Land Far Away Elements by Manu, Dragonland by Redju, Mermaid Lagoon by Tangie, Enchanted Forest by SussieM Designs, Scribe Elements by Rosey Posey, Splatter Graffiti Dream by Tangie, Ocean Swirls ARTiStrokes by Ztampf!, Fairytale Overlays by Flergs, Fairy Tale Banners by Veronica. All part of the new Once Upon A Time Creative Fusion from the Studio Girls.

June 17th
A beautiful spider!

and I thought Graham's wood chopping efforts were unbelievable :)

Created with Enchanted Forest by SussieM Designs, At the Castle by Lorie Davison, A Land Far Away Elements by Manu, Mermaid Lagoon by Tangie, Treasures Elements by Ztampf!, Fairy Tale Banners by Veronica, Scribe Elements by Rosey Posey, Fairytale Overlays by Flergs and Storytime Word Art Vol. 2 by Maya. All part of the Once Upon A Time Creative Fusion from the Studio Girls.

June 18th
Alex and I went for drive into Sydney with Nana and Grampy to see the buildings all lit up with projected images but it turned out to be such a popular event we couldn't find anywhere to park so it was quite literally a drive into Sydney, and back.
It was quite frustrating for Nana and Grampy but Alex and I kept ourselves amused in the back of the car by taking shots through the window and making movement photos.

We saw a dog on a bike.

and lots of lights

I love Sydney.

June 19th
More bath time photos. I love a captive subject :)

June 20th
Ben watching a bird on the wire.

and a wedding layout.

Created with May 2010 Mega by The Orchard Girls and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

June 21st
This is what I see through the bottom of my water bottle.

June 22nd
A drip.

and a cutie :)

Created with Toy Store by Nitwit designs, Lil Bits Toy Store by Nitwit designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

June 23rd
The problem with the short Winter days is Graham gets home after dark and the boys get a bit impatient waiting for him.

June 24th
A masterpiece of art Alex brought home from school. He actually did this at the beginning of the year and it's been on display in class but it must be time for a change so now it's on display at home.

June 25th
A beautiful rose.

and a beautiful mother.

Created with Bebe by Rosey Posey, Creative Fusion April 2010 About A Mother WA by Bethany Harty and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

June 26th
Some eclipse photos from tonight.

June 27th
I think this must be the only soft pink in my house of boys and it's for cleaning the bath.

Who needs pink though, I love my boys :)

Created with Classic Red by sherrieJD, Urban Love - The Wordart by Birgit and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

June 28th
This is a photo frame and is Ben's current favourite toy. He likes to name the animals on it, over and over, and he insists on me holding it for him while he does.

Created with My Little Einstein by AnnaBV Designs & Ziggle Designs, Watermark Alpha by Tracie Stroud and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

June 29th
Graham scraping the ice off his car before work. We actually had more impressive ice a few days ago but I didn't get a photo of that. It’s an unusual scene for Sydney.

So glad I don’t have to go out in the cold :)

Created with Renew by Rosey Posey and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

June 30th
Hello Ben :)

Created with Monkey Business by Faith True, Inkabet Brush Alphas by Faith True and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

May 2010

2010-05-31T19:04:00.000+10:00

May 1st
It was a nice day today so we went to the park. Alex rode his bike there and Ben took the stroller.
Ben and Alex shared a joke while waiting for us to lock up.

and we're off. With a stop along the way to try and raise Alex's seat. His legs have grown since he last rode to the park.

This is where our friend Justin lived. Now the house is completely gone.

We stayed at the park long enough to wear the kids out then pushed them both home.

May 2nd
Ben likes playing with the building blocks. Today it's towers.
I scrapped a photo from yesterday

Created with Inspirational Collection - I Wish by Edeline Marta Designs, Empty Alphabets by Amanda Heimann Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

May 3rd
Just playing with macros again.

and scrapping photos from the park.

Created with Brushed PreFABs No.1 by Studio Dutchie, Day 2 Day by Rosey Posey, Splendid by Rosey Posey and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

May 4th
Just some shots of the grevilleas.

May 5th
Me in a coffee plunger.

and another park layout.

Created with Boys of Summer by Ziggle Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

May 6th
The first few flowers on this pink camellia are out.

May 7th
Ben is building again and so proud of his work :)

May 8th
I think it's about time we took down the Christmas lights.

Here's my cool dude.

Created with Duuude by lliella designs & mgl Scraps and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

May 9th
Happy Mother's Day!
I got breakfast is bed.
Alex surprised me with a plate of gluten free toast, a card with a recorded message and a box of chocolates :) What a wonderful family I have!
Of course I made him go back and walk through the bedroom door again so I could take a photo.

I scrapped my Mom.

Everything I used is from the Scrapbook Graphics Creative Fusion: About a mother.

May 10th
I love this golden grevillea. Grevilleas, like a lot of natives, can look harsh and prickly but this one always looks delicate and wispy.

and I'm still scrapping Mom. The SBG Creative Fusion: About a mother is an amazing collection. Rather than a mega kit it's a collection of coordinating products from all the designers and you can pick and chose which to download. To make it easy you can download a catalogue first to see what's available.

Everything I used is from the Scrapbook Graphics Creative Fusion: About a mother.

May 11th
Ben playing with this old play table which has been left on the deck. It's dirty and has no batteries in it but he is still fascinated by all the buttons.

May 12th
Monorail kitty derailed.

May 13th
Cleaning the coffee machine. The old manual machine that is, the new (incredibly expensive) auto machine still needs repairs.

I tried something different with paper strips in this layout.

Created with Tales of the Orient by SherrieJD, Halloween Magic by sherrieJD and Studio Tangie and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set
Alpha from Studio Remnants by sherrieJD and Tangie Baxter

May 14th
Something blue.

May 15th
Ben and Willy following me around the yard. Yes Ben is wearing his Pooh slippers outside. He wont wear any other shoes so it’s either slippers or socks outside.

May 16th
Alex has been at my parents for the weekend so we headed over to fetch his this afternoon. We knew they were going for a walk by the river but thought we'd be too late to meet them there. We went by the river just in case and spotted them straight away. Seems we were all running late.
I didn't take my camera so I grabbed Dad's camera to get some shots and I also brought a copy of his photos home to edit so here's a mix of photos from both of us.

Ben was fascinated with Grampy's walking stick and yep, he is wearing his Pooh slippers again.

A not very flattering family shot. Dad must of had his (make me) wide angle lens on. We just caught the last of the day's sun.

I loved these sunset photos of Dad's. Gave them a little punch in PS ;)

May 17th
Just playing with the camera again. These are the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling of our computer room. They came with the house and have been slowly dropping off over the years. As the computer room is only 4’6” high I keep catching my hair on the edges of the stars so either my hair or the star has to give way. Usually, painfully, it’s my hair.

and I scrapped a photo from yesterday

Created with Fresh Outdoors by the Studio Girls and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

May 18th
Alex has lost his 2 front teeth. One of them was lost at school so it's gone but the other has been saved for the tooth fairy. His top 2 teeth are wobbly too. He's only just turned 5 and already he's losing his teeth!

May 19th
My umbrella drying in the stairwell. Picking Alex up from school in the rain is a real adventure, especially with Ben.

and a toothy layout for Alex.

Created with Graffiti Vol. 01 by sherrieJD, Studio Remnants by sherrieJD and Tangie Baxter, Enchanted Art Box Collaboration by sherrieJD and Studio Tangie, ARTist to ARTist Bad Fog Alpha by SherrieJD, Red All Over by sherrieJD and Studio Tangie, Classic Red by sherrieJD and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

May 20th
I found my old Polaroid camera. Who knows if it still works but it has a set of trippy lens attachments so I tried holding them on the point and shoot and Ben thought they were fun. This is how we did special effects before Photoshop.

May 21st
Yep I doodle. Can't help it, I scribble on everything.

May 22nd
Happy Birthday Dad!
We tried to make Turkish delight for you but it turned out awful :(
So here's some flowers instead. Not rose flavoured but almost the same colour as the Turkish delight :p

Do you remember this?

Created with Impressions Of The Sea by Studio Girls Collective and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

May 23rd
Happy Birthday Elin!
Your first birthday as a Mom. Hope the boys spoil you :)
Here's a pretty pink flower for you.

Created with Lovely by Aja Abney, part of DSA's The Fix for April 2010 and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

May 24th
It's my LOL cat again.

May 25th
The grevilleas in the rain.

May 26th
Ben wants a big sticky kiss :)

Created with Bumble Bear by Jacque Larsen, part of DSA's The Fix for March 2010 and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

May 27th
All the rain is doing wonders for the weeds.

May 28th
The camellias are finished flowering :( The rain knocked the last of the petals off.

Luckily I’m still surrounded by beauty :)

Created with Sammy by lauraskathi, April's featured product from DSA's The Fix and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

May 29th
Alex is not the most coordinated child but he tries.

May 30th
We put seed out for the birds, on top of the compost bin, and the rain has made it sprout.

Created with Creative Juice Freebie by Biograffiti, Retro Solids by sherrieJD, Graffiti Vol. 02 by sherrieJD, Graffiti Vol. 01 by sherrieJD, Classic Red by sherrieJD, Nature WordArt Pack by Bethany and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

May 31st
Willy found some sun :)

April 2010

2010-04-30T13:31:00.001+10:00

April 1st
Ben is getting fussy with his food. He still eats his wheatbix for breakfast but he wants a ricebubble or cornflake (clearly visible) on every spoon. He calls them ubbles and flags.

I've been playing with the April mega kit from Scrap Orchard and you can get this layout as a quickpage as part of the mega.

Created with April 2010 Mega: April Showers by Scrap Orchard Designers and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set
It's another stunning mega. I think this is my latest favourite. I love the way the preview turned out but boy is it hard to fit so much in a preview. The SO designers really pack it in the megas.

April 2nd
Ben's Pooh shoes, used to be Alex's

April 3rd
Easter at Nana Kathy's.
The boys enjoyed an egg hunt. Well Alex did, Ben didn't know what was going on.

Alex counting his collection.

Alex made a cake to take over for Nana and Adrian. I think it was a cinnamon, lime and apple with runny chocolate topping and sprinkles and mini chocolate eggs.

Ben and I stuck to safer mixes, like juice and water.

April 4th
Easter at Nanny and Grampy's.
Another day, another egg hunt. Ben had a bit more of an idea what was happening this time. Yes he's walking in his socks. He wont walk in shoes.

Ben decided he liked the grapes and kept demanding more.

While kept taking sneaky photos of everyone :)

April 5th
Does anyone else find weird messages in those security check popups?
This is one I got today. What do you think it's trying to tell me?

I have lots of photos from Easter to scrap now :)

Created with Painted Easter by Rosey Posey, Easter WordArt Pack by Bethany and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

April 6th
Uh oh! Ben's getting into mischief again.

Still scrapping Easter photos.

Created with Big Basket by Rosey Posey, White Space ABC Template Album by Biograffiti and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

April 7th
This was a photo of a pretty pink lily until I started playing with photoshop effects. Now I think it looks like a photo of a bad photo.
Every so often I like to play with special effects but most of the time I just delete the results. I think I just like my photos to look crisp and clear, not like this.

Still scrapping Easter photos.

Created with Big Basket by Rosey Posey, White Space ABC Template Album by Biograffiti and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

April 8th
Ben drawing. Paper and pencils can keep him amused for ages, until he runs out of paper.

Created with Seek Adventure by Tracie Stroud and DeCrow Designs, Seek Adventure Frame Clusters by Tracie Stroud and DeCrow Designs, Hip to be Square {template album} by Biograffiti and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

April 9th
Hello cheeky boy :)

April 10th
Ben practicing his walking and his reading. I think he's found the centrefold.

Created with Duuude collab With Lliella Designs by mgl Scraps, Creative Juice No.10 by Biograffiti and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

April 11th
Willy helping Graham hang out the washing. He always wants a belly rub when it's washing hanging out time (Willy not Graham).

Created with Feline Dreaming by Tangie Baxter, Field Notes by Tangie Baxter, Cat WordArt Pack from Elegant WordArt by Bethany, PreFABs 1-4 by Studio Dutchie *coming soon to SBG* and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

April 12th
Alex's latest masterpiece. In case you can't tell it's a family portrait. We're all in there somewhere.

April 13th
Ben's using his noodle, on his head

April 14th
Alex went to the zoo with his grandparents. Photos from Grampy. The traveled by train and boat to get there and back.

Meanwhile Ben was climbing again and playing with my printer! It's a bit of a shock to look across the room and see Ben's head at the same height as mine.

April 15th
Some colour in the garden.

and a 2 page layout of Alex's zoo trip.

Created with Jungle Salvage Collab by Tangie Baxter & DeCrow Designs and Sketch Collection #17 - Double Pagers by Jen Caputo and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

April 16th
Ben loves pencils. He calls them 'borrow'. He asks me for 'more borrow please' then takes his pencil over to the table, carefully arranges it, then comes back and asks for another. I name the colours for him so it's good colour practice but he gets a bit fussy and will reject colours he doesn't like.

April 17th
More Ben and his pencils. This time he stopped to draw, in the middle of a meal which is all over his face. He keeps us guessing with his hand preference, will he be a lefty like Alex? Mostly he uses his left hand but tries both. He holds his pencil well :)

April 18th
Some of the veges I'm cutting up for dinner. I can hide 10 different vegetables in the kids pasta if I chop them well enough :) Ben likes his veg but Alex doesn't so he's the one I have to hide them from.

I've scanned in some of Dad's old slides so I can scrap them. This is me and my brother in England, 1979.

Created with SteamPunk by by sherrieJD and Evelyn Ducote, Hip to be Square {template album} by Biograffiti, Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set and Bec's Light Flares. Alphas - Altered States by sherrieJD and Studio Remnants by sherrieJD and Tangie Baxter.

April 19th
Pretty in pink :)

April 20th
Another work of art from Alex. These sketchers are good value, both the boys love using it. I just have to be quick if I want a photo of their art before it's erased.

April 21st
The tibouchinas are looking beautiful this time of year.

April 22nd
Alex took some flowers to school to make an ANZAC day wreath.

Created with Contradiction by Studio Gypsy, ACTION: Word Art Stamps by Studio Wendy, SHAPES: Jumbo (UPGRADED) by Studio Wendy and the Cluster It Action by Studio Wendy from the Oh Shabby Kit & Cluster It Action collab Randi Oh by and Wendy and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set
Gum leaves and grevillea flower from Gumnut Gully Kit By Flergs

April 23rd
My bed linen. A photo for a layout for Artisan Notebook, June edition.

April 24th
We left Ben with my parents and took Alex to the Hawkesbury Show. His first show/fair. It was a hot and sticky day with storm clouds looming.
Alex wasn't too interested in the animals and displays but he thought the hotdogs and rides were pretty cool.

We let him choose 2 rides to go on.
He chose the merry-go-round

then he wanted to go on the big wheel. We tried to persuade him to choose something else because this was ridiculously expensive and we didn't like the idea of sitting in a plastic box in the heat. Alex was determined though so we all went for a ride.
Turns out the boxes were air-conditioned so it was actually a really nice break from the heat and it just started to rain as we got on so we also escaped the brief shower. It was a good photo op :)

April 25th
One of the rosellas that frequents my parents garden.

April 26th
Some of Alex's cars. Neatly packed away so Ben can't get to them when Alex is at school.

and I have lots of photos to scrap from the show.

Created with Art Starts Vol. 05 by sherrieJD, Basic Tabs by sherrieJD, Cirque Joyeux by sherrieJD and Tangie Baxter and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

April 27th
Just playing around with photos of my jewellery box

April 28th
After a long hard day at school Alex likes to come home and finish eating his lunch (he is too busy playing at lunch time) and Ben joins him.

April 29th
Ben has a duck. Well it's the bath thermometer duck.

April 30th
Pretty flowers to end the month.

and a two page layout with the meaning of my boys names.

Created with Big Basket by Rosey Posey, White Space ABC Template Album by Biograffiti and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 2010

2010-03-31T15:22:00.000+11:00

March 1st

Bath time again but this time Ben has the rat.

Created with Squeaky Clean by Ziggle Designs and Lyndsay Riches and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 2nd
Some of Alex's colour pencils.

and my bucket list for ADSR challenge #7

Created with Junque Journal by sherrieJD and Studio Tangie, Brass Tack by SherrieJD, CU Pastries by SherrieJD, CU/PU Watch Parts by SherrieJD, Junque Drawer by SherrieJD, Page Strips Template by SherrieJD, Print Drawers by SherrieJD, Rin Tin Tin by SherrieJD, Natural Wonders Collection: Wild Long Stems by Jen Ulasiewicz, Natural Wonders Collection: Pulling Weeds, paintbrush from Studio Remnants by sherrieJD and Tangie Baxter, and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set
The font is my handwriting.

March 3rd
Straight after school. Alex is hot and sticky.
Just the trip home is enough to make us all like this. It's not far enough for the aircon in the car to get up to speed and the car is baking after being parked at the school while we fetched Alex.

I've been scrapping photos of Johan :)

Created with Casual Attraction: WITH STUDIO MGL by Flergs, Drafts and Blueprints Bundle 4 by DeCrow Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 4th
Sweet and simple. A rose.

and my beautiful nephew for ADSR challenge 8

Created with Casual Attraction: WITH STUDIO MGL by Flergs, Flergs newsletter freebie and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 5th
Ben blissing out on a chocolate biscuit.

and a photo from last year of Alex cruzing in his car.

Created with Geared by Rosey Posey and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 6th
Just me. Taking some self portraits for another scrapping challenge but trying not to look like myself because it's an anonymous competition.

Meanwhile Alex was in Sydney with his grandparents.

and I scrapped one of the photos of Alex with his lego again.

Created with Psycho Magnet: RELOADED by Flergs, Duct Tape Alpha by Flergs, Background Templates by Scrapping with Liz and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 7th
Jeremiah's 1st birthday party!

Next birthday he'll be a big brother!

Created with Spring's Promise by mgl Scraps and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 8th
Ben's stacking rings, or rather what's left of them. They end up all over the house and each time less of them come back.

I'm still scrapping photos from our trip to Mount Tomah last month

Created with April Kit and Calendar, Coming Home, March Kit And Calendar, Spring Blossom Kit , all by Phuong Ton and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 9th
Looks like the lawn needs mowing again.

We'd much rather relax.

Created with Refresh by Lindsay Jane, DSA's featured product for March.

March 10th
Hello Ben :) Wearing Alex's old shirt.

and Alex wearing a hat.

Perfect Wonder by Kari Hentzelt, part of DSA's March Fix

March 11th
A rainbow of paper.

and my escape artist.

Created with Indomitable {Bundle} by mgl Scraps and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set
Template from Polka Dot Plum for ADSR Challenge #11

March 12th
Bath time is so much fun!

Created with Fondness by Rosey Posey and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 13th
Alex helped mow the lawn.

and I wonder who this layout is about?

March 14th
Ben thinking.

Oh well as long as he is happy :)

He wasn't in these photos.

Created with Clouds Over Head by Jenn Barrette and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set
and the SO March Spotlight Challenge template

March 15th
Another of the kids toys lying around.

March 16th
A hot Willy.

and some cool dudes.

Created with Boy Wonder by Rosey Posey, Measure Of A Boy by Rosey Posey, Background Templates by Scrapping with Liz and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 17th
An old Olympus Pen camera we found in a bag of old cameras and lenses. An interesting co-incidence because we've recently been hearing a lot about the new Olympus Pen.

I love these photos Elin took of herself and Johan so I just had to scrap a pretty layout with them.

Created with Mix 'n' Match - Collection by Manu, Lil' Miracle Baby Boy - Bundle by Manu and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 18th
My little Benjamin bunny has his ears ready for Easter.

Of course Alex wanted to try them on, with the bunny tail.

Created with Bunny Imposters by Ziggle Designs and SuzyQ Scraps and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 19th
These little purple flowers are so pretty. Sometimes I just need a photo break from the kids and toys everywhere so I just take some time out to wander around the garden with my camera looking at the little details.

March 20th
We have self sown cherry tomatoes growing in the back garden. They sprouted from the compost.

March 21st
It's so nice to see the boys sharing. Alex gets the occasional happy meal as a reward when he does something special like gets a merit certificate from school and of course Ben wants chippys when he sees them :)

March 22nd
Another action filled bath time.

March 23rd
Happy Birthday Mom!
I thought it was funny when the gas truck ran out of gas outside our house. Not that we have gas here, or that it’s anything to do with Mom’s birthday, he was just on his way past and broke down.

Created with Gem Card by Rosey Posey. Leaves from Peace by Rosey Posey. Alpha from Chilly by Rosey Posey.

March 24th
The Easter parade is coming up at Alex's school. He is making his own hat at school but it's the parent's job to make a peddlers tray for him. He has to take some trinkets or treats to sell on the day to raise money for the school so we've had to shop for craft supplies to make his tray and some goodies for him to sell. This is the tray making in progress.

March 25th
Alex's peddlers try is finished, our first school project! and we have stocked it with glow sticks he can sell for 20c each. All the kids will need to do is snap, shake and bend them into a bracelet shape and they will be ready to wear. I think all kids like glow sticks :)

Moody today and moody when I took the photo. Not grumpy moody, just thoughtful moody I guess.

Created with Indomitable {Bundle} by mgl Scraps, Artist to Artist Template {Leila} No. 1 by Biograffiti, Itty Bitty Dates No.4 by Biograffiti and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 26th
Ben and Grampy

March 27th
We turned out the lights and lit some candles for Earth Hour tonight.

This is a double page layout.

Created with 2010 March Mega: Fly A Kite by Scrap Orchard Designers, Year in Review Templates by Scrapping with Liz and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 28th
Alex went to a friends birthday party where they dressed up as chefs and made pizza. He got to bring his chefs hat and apron home.

These are photos of each of the boys at the same age, just 3 and a half years apart.

Created with A Little Piece Of Love by SussieM Designs and Bec's Shadow Mistress Action set

March 29th
Nana gave Alex a jar of tadpoles. Thanks Nana!

March 30th
Today was Alex's Easter hat parade. He looked lovely in his hat and peddlers tray.
Ben wore his bunny ears for the occasion.

March 31st
Hello Ben :)