notsmokinjo

Well as it seems to be Australia Day in the Christmas songbook .... Let's just keep the hits coming...

Just wanted to send out prayers to all affected by the Volcano eruption in New Zealand...to those suffering in hospitals all over NZ from their burns may your recoveries be Swift and your suffering eased...to those around the world waiting for news of their loved ones my news by at hand soon, and to the amazing kiwis who rallied to the aid of those affected as always you are an inspiration to us all on what it means to be a mate, finally the first responder heros, who flew their choppers in against advice and got everyone off that they could..thank you for being the selfless heros you are and make sure you take care of you. On a personal note, it's been a long night waiting for news with relos over there on holidays...took a while to hear from everyone but we are lucky and have everyone unharmed and accounted for.

Sydney's bushfire smoke haze today...and expecting 42°C... Stay safe...

Hugh Jackman...carols by candlelight circa before he blew up Hollywood.

Having a cuppa and breathing a sigh of relief. Finally got contact with relos holidaying in NZ and on the cruise ship. All safe, saddly many others won't be as relieved as I am.

You're not alone Lilly lots of us had some degree of being fed up with the whole process...it takes a brave soul to post it.. I know I only wanted to post the positives because I didn't want to put those coming behind off which is stupid thinking. So much better and healthier to put it out there. Just remember you're not quiting.. you have quit, you quit 9 months ago, you are just protecting that quit. ...and doing a bloody good job of it too.

-1

My dad taught me well...I did it on auto pilot. Dad made us all do a defensive driving course once we got our PS. Because I am stupid!!!...not supposed to drive for medical reasons but when the kids dad wouldn't pick her up and Noone else was volunteering I went.. 4hours each way on public transport (Sunday time table..requiring 3 buses and a train) or 70-80mins drive on mainly back roads and industrial areas.

Sitting with ice on me shoulder waiting on me dad to come strap me wrist...cos the wheel fell off the car goin' 80 on the roundabout. So handbreak stop in a 3tonne ute with 3 wheels and driving on the hub....biggest frickin insult got sunburnt waitin for the frickin towie. Am I supposed to be driving...No! So I say to the kids dad, time to pick her up from the sleep over (4 suburbs away 40 min drive) .. no he can't be stuffed, chucks a frickin man tantrum wobbly so even though my BP is spaz and I'm not deposed to be driving I go to get the kid. Half way home, doing 80km/hr (50m/hr) in his twin cab ute there is a loud explosion, the steering is shot and I'm figgering the tires blown...then there is the grinding squeal of metal on asphalt an I'm thinking fruck now I gotta change the tire and the rims shot and I'm trying to change lanes and pull over using the hand break and steer the fruckin tank one handed and calm the kid and what comes bouncing past me passenger window but the fruckin rear tire. ... How! How the fruck do 6 bolts snap and a whole wheel come off?

Did you know...we don't call freestyle Australia Crawl....it's just freestyle. Most Aussies are pretty good at bending the elbow.

^^^ what the fruck @Boo get out of my bloody head. So the kids Chrissy is almost donski...just stocking stuffers etc to do. Everyone else, I have Nada. First official function next sundee...making 2 salads and peeling, deveining and cooking some prawns. Still gotta finish the little ones pressies.

Got 4 of my boys (3xvic, 1xSA) up north with the firies. Praying for rain.

True.... Tnp....can sing the Fresh Prince of Bel Air song

False...never seen an episode. Tnp....can sing the Gilligan's island song.

The kid had a book called Zoo Poo... toilet training book...I think it was just saying poo that was the fun bit..but it was super cute. She so had a picture book that came with a CD of the song and it was amazing pictures and the words were the lyrics of the Dylan song Man named all the animals...she did spend a month or so saying "in a beginning" at the end of every sentence. Robert Sabuda's...anything...12 days of Christmas or any of his other pop up books...Believe is a really good one..all about believing in yourself and making your dreams come true.

@Cbdave you and all your mob safe? Sending prayers up to all in fire zones atm, especially the bloody cockroaches as three massive bushfires merege into one just out of Sydney...Gunna be a long night for fieries. Stay safe all. @forestgreen...hope you and you mob are safe too. Remember, leave early...you can get new shit but not a new you.

Oh Nd the kid loved this one...when you read the frog bits you have be really loud and obnoxious... The Big Wide Mouthed Frog by Martin Larranaga

Amazing Babes by Eliza Sarkis This is a new one (2012) and was written by a mother for her son for his first birthday....it's a basic picture book that features amazing and inspirational women from all over the world... It starts with the sentence "as I grow...." Then each double page spread has an illustration of the person and a quality they had....ie Then at the end there is a little paragraph about eat babe and why she was amazing.... There activists, there are inventors, there are artist's and the kid lived it, but so does my nephew.

So with @Boo building a bookcase for BB and me doing a tidy up of the kids books with the view to sending some to the Salvos...(Salvation Army)..I got thinking what books, in your opinion are a must for kids...and why. It might be something you remember from your childhood...or something you read to you kids or grandkids.

Goodbye Greedy....taken much too soon....thanks for helping write my soundtrack... Last of the original Mental still playing your trade.

Remembering to say hi from Doreen...her Nicky is keeping her so busy she doesn't have time to pop on but she misses everyone heaps an will be on again soon.