What's Your Earliest Memory?

Hesitantly meeting little brother for the first time.

 He doesn't remember this moment but does remember hanging out for the dinosaur I promised him if he was good for Gran and Papa while I was in hospital. 

We sat up really late last night, sprawled out on my bed, chatting, chatting, chatting. We didn't mean to... but the boys starting talking about what they could remember from their early childhood years and we giggled our way through memories of places/countries we had lived and friends we had made along the way.

The hours I whiled away with my first born, in the park (twice daily), feeding the ducks, swinging on the swings, rescuing naughty 12 year olds from the house they were in the process of burning down while their parents were at work (I kid you not, big son sat in the pram and gnawed a 'milk arrowroot' while I dragged the kids out of the house just before the roof caved in.. they'd been playing with fire in the garage)... big son doesn't remember any of it! All those hours spent gazing adoringly at his little face, tending to his every need, planning my whole life around his every waking moment... not a teeny, tiny memory of any of it remains in his busy brain.

Little one on the other hand remembers drinking warm milk on a gold sofa, on a very furry cushion. He has not seen any photos of that house, sofa or cushion he is referring to.... but he's right.. and he was 8 months old at the time! Amazing.

My first memory was around when I was 2 years old. I remember we were moving into a new house on the outskirts of Brisbane (1969) and I remember having a massive tantrum because I was not allowed the pink room (which was the main bedroom). What a brat!

Is it possible to have memories of before you were 'self aware'? How does my little tacker remember when he was less than one????  What's your earliest memory?

My Sunday ponderings. All the big questions.

It's raining here again today. Big soccer has been cancelled... much to big one's relief. He has 3 exams tomorrow and has had his head in a book since Friday night. I am going to brave the light sprinkle at the moment and head out for a run... clear the cobwebs... plan the week... solve the world's problems.

Happy Sunday!

School Cheats And Busted Chins

Via We Heart It

Big son came home from school yesterday sooo down in the dumps. I asked how his Geography exam went. He said he thought he did really well and then said, "but why bother?.... everyone in the class cheated". I said, "what??????". Year 9? Private boy's school? "Yeah, my teacher was away so we had a relief teacher. She didn't see everyone had their notes on their laps". What????? He said, "Mum, why should I study my guts out to the point of exhaustion, when everyone else gets a good mark from cheating?"

He's in the smart class, the A class. They all get As and above. They're smart kids. They have great teachers... teachers my son admires...teachers who inspire and motivate....teachers who know these boys have big dreams...and they cheat????? I thought they got the As because they worked hard, like my boy?

Do I press send on my strong email to the Geography teacher? Do I? This is so not fair. You just don't cheat. Or am I the most naive high school mother in the world? What is this teaching my son? I am a bit furious. 

And in other news, little tacker spectacularly cut open his chin yesterday afternoon, playing in the rain after school. Big son was with him and reported that he just slipped over.. nothing sinister....nothing illegal. He lay down on the cream carpet that he had already bloodied up in his panic (I ask again... why cream carpet in rentals? why?) so I could take a good look at the damage.... and minimise the risk of him dropping in a faint (he was as white as a ghost). I almost fainted seeing a hole the width of a finger. Yep, hospital. 

Anyone in Brisbane, if you have an emergency and you want to be seen immediately in an emergency department... like immediately... no waiting in a waiting room, catching other people's gastro bugs and pneumonia....go to the Mater Private Hospital Emergency Department. It leaves you $200 out of pocket...after a Medicare refund of $100 (it never used to be Medicare rebated!) but you get seen immediately and you are home in time for dinner (beef stroganoff... I was thinking about it, I must admit.. as I had been in the middle of cooking dinner and had to whip it off the stove and shove the whole pan in the fridge on my way out).

He's all patched up now. We did the Dettol bath thing when we got home, carefully and melodramatically avoiding the wound... and he kept thanking me for looking after him. God bless him. He even thanked his brother for holding his hand the whole time.

Gee, I love them 'til it hurts. It hurts. Everything, the whole mothering thing....the injustices, the injuries, the pains of growing up... all of it. It hurts.

No soccer today... due to the injury. A quiet day at home. I'll be doing some serious doting.

Happy Saturday!

PS I think the Nintendo ban (since Christmas) has finally worked. I offered little one access to his Nintendo (for the first time this year) as compensation for smashing his head open. He sat there last night doing his beloved tracing. He's obsessed with tracing pictures, anything, as long as tracing paper is involved. I reminded him of the one night Nintendo privilege.. "yes Mum, I'll get to it". He didn't.
I think we have broken the addiction. And it was an addiction. It was never allowed during the school week... but weekends were a nightmare. We had to go cold turkey. He's a little boy again... who traces and sings, and runs around and smashes his teeth and his face. All is good.

Everyday Inspiration and Choir Boys

Look at these lovely black doors, architraves and transoms, in this shop in Brisbane city!

It was a 'lightning speed ' photo manouvre. I waited until the shop assistant (who was eyeing off my lingering self) went out of sight before I whipped out the iPhone. I wasn't so lucky trying to snap a picture of a Chanel frock nearby though, for a 'soon to be married' girlfriend. The security guard and I got well acquainted!

I have visions of a black and white kitchen with this very style... white walls, black doors, door frames and transoms... and these beauties hanging from the ceiling...in a row of three...

I seriously love them. If I could hang them in my shed, I would.

Somewhat industrial, somewhat traditional.

... but they might have to wait for this kitchen... and blend in beautifully with the island bench...

I know, this picture keeps on popping up in my blog... at least I won't lose it!

That's my little one... the tiny blonde one in the front row

And in other exciting news, little tacker's choir delighted the crowds last night, in the 'Queensland Youth Music Awards' final. All the parents were whinging about the $10 admission fee so I joined the choir queue and marched right on to that stage with the little ones and sat with the stage crew in the wings. Prime audience position. 

We bolted, straight after their performance, as it was ridiculously late and all the boys had been on a school excursion that day, to an aboriginal educational display thingy where they all got to chuck boomerangs at each other and blow into gum leaves. They were positively feral by 9pm, even though they looked angelic in their 'whites'.

Friday. Breathe out! My poor big son has so many exams and assignments. His late study nights are getting to him... he looks like death warmed up this morning. I promise, I never worked as hard as he does... even in Uni. What is the world coming to? Even little one sat up until all hours doing his 'Integrated Studies' assignment the other night. I went to bed and asked them to turn the lights out. #motheroftheyear

Happy Friday!

Cafes, Antiques and Famous Chefs

I arrived at school pick up yesterday.... to realise it was Wednesday.... and I was way too early.... as we still had big son tutoring Japanese, and little one singing his heart out in choir, until 4.30pm...

... so I hightailed it over to the 'Cottage Garden Nursery', one street away, and plonked myself down in above said pink chair for a cool drink.

Gillian Hirst has taken over the cafe which is now 'Gillian's Cafe'... yes that Gillian Hirst!

(who hasn't had the Sandcrab Lasagne from Il Centro, back in the day ... who?)

The cafe was closed for the day.... so after my drink, I wandered...

.... into Katherine's antique store, which is part of the complex.

This little place has a nursery, cafe, antique shops and now even a clothing shop.

It's such a lovely place to hang out.

I am seriously in love with these trunks. #thatisall

Katherine, from 'The Old Boathouse' is who I call the 'Scarlet Pimpernel Of The Antique Scene'....

... she exists, I know she does, because people say they have seen her ..... "oh, Katherine?.. yeah, she was in yesterday... briefly"...

.... really?....really?

These are all her goodies! Look at this beautiful stool!

She has everything!

Even glorious bar carts!

I think, if you like anything here, you can pop over to her blog and ask her to hold it for you.

She surprised me once... with a treasure I thought she had sold... but she was really keeping it for me, after I hyperventilated over it on her blog. 

I'd really like to meet her one day.

Happy Thursday!

Beautiful Tiles

Image Via DesignSeeds, Pinterest

Oh how glorious are these tiles! I wouldn't change a thing... except perhaps the mirror and the lights.... but that's just me. I am so going to make tiles more of a feature in my next place.

Happy Wednesday! Life is busy. Hope all is good your end!