Precious children...

We sponsor a child through Baptist Aid (even though we don't go to a Baptist church). So many little ones endure so much suffering throughout the world. Poverty, malnutrition, lack of education, slavery...it's almost overwhelming if you let it rush over you. I've just been reading about the child sex-traffic industry...it makes the blood boil!! This world can be full of such incredible beauty, yet unbelievable suffering...

We all wrote to our young man Isaac over in Kenya this week & sent some photos. We hope that our small contribution - although it fells like a drop in an ocean - might help him & his family...

Year 12 are having 'Activities Day' at school - there is fun food & rides & games etc for Prep-Year 11 & the theme is the circus...so I sent a little strong man & a tight-rope walker off happily this morning...can't wait to hear how it all went...found this great image of a strong man on a blog somewhere...so sorry that I can't remember where...it helped me put a mo, eyebrows & a teensy beard on Eric this morning - thank you whoever you are...

Flashforward...

Imagine being able to look into the future...what would we see, would it change the way we live, could we change the course of our lives...

What a great sci-fi concept. The TV series Flashforward started tonight. Free-will v. Predestination, Hope v. Reality, etc. I didn't realise it was based on a book that was released in 1999 about an event in 2009. (The book sounds very different from the TV series - as books often are!!) Very interesting...

But it's getting too late here for deep thoughts...I've had a busy few days - casual work, art group, shopping, a wedding, & the old body just needed to rest today. I'm falling asleep...

More thoughts soon I hope...

Me & my boy...

It's a cold day, I dropped Bon at the bus stop this morning, I don't have to work, D is home with a nasty chest infection, & I'm relaxing with my boys.

Especially this little cutie patootie!

We are snuggling up watching ABC Kids...well, we were but I hopped onto the computer to check emails...

Family Life...

Some snaps from the last year or so...

Bus Crash

Today wasn't quite the day I was expecting...it started with news that one of the school buses was involved in a crash which was more traumatic than I first realised. 

Felt very emotional & teary by the end of the day, but so grateful to God that no children were more seriously injured...it is pretty miraculous that they came out with mainly scrapes & bruises...

Today I saw our school at it's best: staff who had a day off arriving to try to help out, parents bringing in coffee, children comforting younger kids, people pulling together & planning how best to help the school community. 

Monday morning I will be sleeping in, but praying from here with Eric, as the morning briefing will involve trauma counsellors briefing the staff who will then try to help kids who might need to share what they've been through...

I'm relieved that I won't be working so hard next week but I really feel for those kids involved & the families of those killed. Kids from our school were OK, but what about that couple who died - did they have children, were they happy that morning, do their friends & families know they they were killed, what happened as the car started drifting across the road. 

As I sat in the staff room listening to the trauma counsellor speak to the staff my eyes welled up with tears thinking - this is what happened in 2007, only at that time the focus was on Leukaemia & how the kids would feel to hear that the Principal had cancer. Today it was another tragedy & reminder of this fallen world we all live in with all it's pain & suffering...

Bed time, cuppa time, rest time...

Glad it's the weekend...

Exhausted

One day to go before I finish this 2 week block of casual teaching...counting down. I've loved it, but I'm too tired to think about anything else to say...totally exhausted...

This is me...

Drama Queen

I've just finished Week 1 of a two week block of casual drama teaching...only taken on because the teacher was called up for HSC Marking at the last minute & the school really wanted a teacher who could take the children for that time - aiming for consistency for them. Eric is allowed to go to Prep full-time, just for these weeks. It's good to be able to support the school, but it's certainly taking it's toll on my body. As much as I'm loving it, I think I'd be hesitant to say yes again...for a while anyway? I'm grateful I don't have to work full-time. Anyway, the talent of some of the students is AMAZING. Year 12 did their HSC yesterday & I saw all the individual performances - they were just so incredible...they could have been professional actresses. Just truly amazing. Well prepared, enthusiastic & beautiful girls. What a joy to be in the audience!

It's reminded me to be prayerful for the staff there as it really is such a HUGE responsibility to teach children. There is so much going on every day, so much to take into account, so many children...TEACHING = the hardest job, but also perhaps one of the most wonderful ones (when a day goes well). 

But after having children & having various health problems over the years I don't think I have the same physical strength to do it with the same energy as I did in my 20s. As I head towards my 40s it's a more gentle focus? I don't know that I could get up dancing with Kindy & running the most energetic music lessons for hours every day, then come home & cook, clean up, wash, pack lunches, keep the uniforms & ironing up to date, pay bills, shop for food etc etc etc. The myth of "having it all" - the career, the family & the fairytale life really is a myth. Something has to give if I were to go back to that - & my body just wouldn't let me. My relationships with the kids would suffer too because I'd be so weary & grumpy ALL the time. 

Having said that, the kids have been so helpful this week. Eric had a Fathers Day morning at Prep today. Poor D came last in every 'father' half of a race, but then Eric would sprint on home & win in the 'Prep' section. That boy is Mr Competitive. Every Dad was there, it made me happy that D was there to share it with Eric. My eyes keep welling up with tears thinking how sick he was...Yesterday Miss Bonnie was asking about the local reactor & we spoke about how D had radiation to kill the cancer. After a while she said "Mummy, can we stop talking about this, it's making me feel teary & sad." She is the sweetest most sensitive girl sometimes. I am so glad that we can talk about what we've been through...

Thousands of things have happened this week. My head spins, & I am grateful that it is Friday. Hooray for the weekend. I'm off to bed...zzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Fathers Day Sunday...How I miss you Dad. You've been gone 14 years now. I hope you would be proud of me. I will never forget what a great Dad you were - a gentleman & a scholar. I wish I could have that one last hug, one last conversation. You were gone so unexpectedly, so quickly, so suddenly...I never got to say Goodbye. I wish you had met your 5th & 6th grandchildren. They would love you so much. They remind me so much of you at times. Your first grandson is so cheeky like you...I love that you kept all your cards from me. I have them still. I wish I'd kept more of yours. I am keeping things from my children now. Happy Fathers Day Dad. Bless you. I love you forever. XXxx