Roberts 14th Birthday

Robert celebrated his 14th Birthday over three days. We started on Saturday morning at 10 am. Robert had set his XBox up in the lounge room and was pretty excited, as it was the first time the XBox had left his bedroom. Three boys rolled up, not quite together. Kiarn, Peter and James. After the giving of cards and as it turned out, cash, we took a drive into Warragul for food and videos. First stop Civic Video. The Boys borrowed 3 XBox games and 9 movies.


Then it was off to Coles where we purchased and assortment of food from Ice cream, soft drink and lollies, to frankfurters and chocolate. What more do teenage boys want? Back at home the xboxing began, followed later by frankfurters and meat pies for lunch, with a liberal serving of tomato sauce. The afternoon consisted of more xbox playing and a movie.


Amy made a chocolate cake and late in the afternoon we put on the '14' candles and some sparklers. Much fun ensued as Robert tried to blow out the sparklers. Gee, who knew you couldn't blow out a sparkler? Apparently only Robert. Anita picked up chips and potato cakes on her way home, and the boys ate the chips and potato cakes before moving back to the XBox. Robert had put some crumbed fish in the oven and Anita and the girls had gone out to a trivia night. I went into the kitchen and smelt an acrid smoke wafting through the house. I opened windows, switched on fans, choking all the while. It was about 5 degrees outside with a chill wind blowing very briskly. But the smoke cleared, Robert promised nothing had spilled in the oven, the boys tried to eat the fish, only to find it tasted as acrid as the smoke smelt. More lollies anyone?


Peter had to leave at 9 pm, no sleep over for him as his family were getting up and leaving early for a holiday on Sunday morning. The night was mainly XBox, and movies, with Jmaes the only sensible one falling asleep between 12 and 5 am. Kiarn and Robert napped, but watched movies and you guessed it, played the XBox all night. At 7 am Sunday I rose to visit the little room, and heard Kiarn's voice booming "No, No, No." Getting excited apparently about the Xbox. James left at 9.30, and Kiarn at 11. So it was Dad cleaning up around the boys as they departed, so the kitchen was tidy for Robert's Gran and Grumps when they came for lunch.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Gran and Grumps came at 11.30 after they visited and open garden in Darnum a few doors away from us. Fresh Coffee was enjoyed, and when the Girls cam home from church at around 12.30, more Fresh Coffee was enjoyed. Mmmm aroma! Lunch was a fresh platter of salad and a platter of chicken and ham, with fresh bread rolls. Make your own salad rolls. Amy had to babysit in the afternoon, so Gran, Anita and the girls went off just after 2 pm with the intention of dropping Amy off at work, and Katrina showing Gran her favorite house, just around the corner from where Amy babysits.


Dad, Robert and I sat around talking until the girls got back. Mother being unable to stop herself headed straight for the rose bushes with a pair of secateurs and proceeded to prune. Feeling guilty I pulled a few weeds to keep her company. They left late in the afternoon after another coffee and tea. We had Robert's Birthday tea Sunday night because I was on call on Monday, and couldn't guarantee being there. His choice of food consisted of home made chicken croquet's, potato gems, broccoli and cauliflower in cheese sauce and a tomato and onion pie just for me. Desert was Anita's homemade Chocolate mousse.


Monday morning, 22nd September, Robert was raring to go, his real birth day! he had to hold back as it was the only chance Anita had for a sleep in, so it wasn't until 8.30 am we gathered on the bed to present him with his presents. A book from Oma and another from Amy. A jar of Lollies from Katrina. An MP3 player and a voucher for the newly released book, Brisingr. Hand made cards all round, and a total of nearly $140 cash for his birthday. So what does he want to spend the cash on? A computer game!

Three months to go and we get to celebrate Amy's 18th Birthday, IF I have recovered from tihs one by then!

The Saga of the knee: Part II

The saga of the knee continues. Katrina has had problems since she returned from the snow, the CT was clear. But her knee has continued to plague her. It has collapsed under her a couple of times, so it was off to the Doctors again. He deemed it enough of a concern to get her into the orthopaedic surgeon the next day. Of course you can imagine the worst case scenarios were going through our minds as we contemplated the necessary visit. Not so bad, after an initial diagnosis from the G.P. about it possible being the cruciate ligament, the outcome was far more positive. The Ortho suspects the problem is the knee cap, so it’s off to physio, an MRI in 6 weeks and then 8 weeks time back to the Ortho for review.

Katrina has now had two weeks of physio, she has been shown how to tape her knee, she has thrown away the crutches, and the physio is happy with her progress. So now its wait and see.

Amy went away for a few days this week to stay with one of her nannies. Nanny Amy. Our Amy needed to be in Melbourne for some Chemistry prac’s as part of her distance Ed requirements. So she caught the train up Tuesday, shopped at DFO, went on to Rosanna and Stay with N.Amy, did her prac on Wednesday, stayed with N.Amy again and Came home via DFO again on Thursday.

When Amy went away her cat, Nutmeg was on heat, Nothing unusual there. But after 18 months of her trying to find a male companion, she finally attracted the attention of one of the local Tom’s. Funny thing was as soon as she got him, or did he get her? She cried so loudly she scared him, he dismounted, and ran a few feet away, she chased him and hissed at him, then proceeded to try and take a swipe at him. Then in the very next breath she rolls around on the ground like a ferret and starts crying for him again. So that cycle then repeated itself for the next day or so.

Anita went outside to shoo a cow away from our silver birches yesterday morning and stood on the step in her socks and the next thing I knew she was gone. Vanished like a UFO abductee. Actually she slipped and fell off the step and bruised her right palm and heel. She is okay so not to worry.

Robert is excited about his birthday party sleepover this weekend, and his birthday on Monday. It will be weekend of feasting boy style, chips, lollies, pies etc; Videogames on the X-Box; and of course the mandatory marathon movie session on Saturday night. I know I will be exhausted on Sunday!

I'll let you know how I coped next time!