Where did the week go?

Time is flying! One week already over and what do we have to show for it?
Here's a quick overview....


Joe got a new bedroom :) Andrew had been very patient with him and din't rush him at all. The trigger was allowing Joe to decorate it himself. He sat with me and pinned stuff first and then we looked through magazines and catalogues. He has done a great job!! We hacked an IKEA bunk rather than buy a loft bed for his tiny room.The lofts were so, so high and he is still pretty short! There is plenty of room under the top bunk to read and play.

Even Joe got to work with the post- IKEA construction.

Almost complete- still deciding on the fabric for the curtains and bookshelves (IKEA spice racks) are not up yet.

Joe's cafe is the latest fad since he set up his writing centre.

We covered some cheap baking trays in fabric to make some little magnetic boards. 

We are almost done in there. A few more finishing touches to do. I'd like to paint his bed but not sure that I'll get around to it these holidays.

Andrew is loving his own space. That room had NEVER been so tidy- Drew loves having everything ordered and organised. We hacked his bed too so that we could fit the sofa bed in somewhere. It used to be in the 'spare room/ sewing room/ study/ dumping ground' which has become Joe's lovely sunny room.

We have also been planning for Campbell's party and gathering together bits and pieces. He is very excited and he will love the collection of 'Dad's Army' stuff we found on ebay- any 14 year old boy would be!!!!

Lots of time spent at the chiropractor for me. My neck is still stiff but the pain is a lot more manageable. I am so relieved that I have had the time to rest and mend my broken body. The last few weeks have been physically and emotionally exhausting for many reasons and I just starting to feel on top of things again- another week might do the trick. Time with my boys is the best tonic of all :)

A thrown together picnic lunch on a beautful sunshiney day.

Pretending that we are really on holidays in an exotic destination- if you squint a bit you don't even notice the broken lanterns and the greenish tinge to the pool. 

Campbell suggested chocolate fondue for dessert one night. Sure!!! It's holidays :) Check out the size of the marshmallows! They were one of those bizarre one off items in Aldi.

Hmmmmm yummy!

Time to shake things up.

I realise that it is time to turn things around. It is time to make the most of my amazing family and my fabulous job. I am determined that I can be a Mum and a teacher without feeling guilty about neglecting the other. I haven't really wanted to admit that I haven't been having as much fun as I have in previous years. I haven't been very excited about walking into my classroom every morning. I have really, really struggled with the fact that my job is so much more than that- it eats into an enormous amount of my time.  I rarely switch off from teaching and it creeps into my waking thoughts as well as my dreams, all the time. I miss out on so much with my own children while I am thinking about the children of others. While I am planning gorgeous performances for parents to enjoy- I miss out on seeing my boys perform. Here's the thing though...I really can't imagine doing anything else. Being a teacher really is pretty special and I really do love what I do. I have just too exhausted to appreciate it.
So I have decided to love what I do. I can't change the fact that I have to work and I can't imagine ever having another job that I could love like this one.  I ask myself constantly "Am I the teacher I would want for my boys?" I use that as my guide to check that I am enthusiastic, passionate, fun and creative. Hmmmm....all I have to do is create the fun and find things to make each day special. This morning (before I even left my bed) I started the search for fun. I pinned cool ideas and made notes and then I went shopping. I so badly wanted to go to school today to set everything up for tomorrow, but I also really wanted to visit my grandparents and they won!
Tomorrow morning my class will get to play with our awesome new writing centre- I have had a visual timetable card for that for 2 years but I have never been able to add it to the rotation..until this week.
 I might be a bit excited about going to work tomorrow :)

Blackboard paint on clip boards!!! I have been busting to crack open the blackboard paint :)

How cute are these clipboards. Only $2 from Big W and perfect for all sorts of writing fun.

Joe had a go at trying out the stamps. He loved them so much that he insisted on keeping a set for himself.

Pretty, pretty stationery....I LOVE stationery! The frames will be my little signs in the writing centre.

Ohhhhhh drawers of lovely stickers and pretty paper. 

I have goosebumps just thinking about the possibilities for card making.

I love, love, love these stamps...Jonas loves them even more.

Joe's new writing centre at home. Planning for school meant fun with my boys too (don't tell them that it was accidently educational shhhh hehehehe)

Father's Day feasting.

Happy Father's Day to my gorgeous husband. We are enjoying a sunshiney day of feasting on the deck that Dad built. Hurray to you. The boys decided that it should be pancakes and maple syrup for breakfast, bacon for lunch and Pork Belly for dinner. Ewwwww a meatfest for the carnivores in the family! I have just had the sweetest little kip on the daybed to prepare myself for the preparation of the next feast of the day.