My Fun Run results were published in the newspaper last Thursday and I was delighted to see that my official time was 1:03:19. Well under my desired time to beat of 65 minutes. Needless to say I am proud as punch and ready to go again next year.

Today is Amy’s 2nd Birthday. Can you believe that? I can’t quite really, but there you go! Tania reckons she has 4th child syndrome because we didn’t get her anything – but I ask you what more does a 2 yr old want or need that 3 big sisters and doting parents can’t provide? She just wants some cuddles and a candle to blow out and she is happy as Larry.

We went along to playgroup and I made butterfly cakes, so we sang Happy Birthday and all enjoyed a yummy cake. Holly told me they were the most delicious things she’s ever tasted (mind you she was taste testing at 8am before she’d even had breakfast, so her taste buds were bursting!).

Here are a few pics of the birthday girl.
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She is talking so much now it is just a delight. We can make her say the funniest things. She loves her sisters and just hanging out with them. She is still taking off her clothes at night time or whenever we put her into bed for a nap. She just doesn’t seem to like clothes! The other night I asked Justin to check on her before we went to bed, to make sure her pj.s were still on. He came into me and said “Do you mean these clothes?” holding up her bunny suit. Ahh, that little imp Amy!!

Happy Birthday Little Angel. Can’t imagine life without you. xxxx

PS Just got a call from the school inviting me to Assembly on Friday as Meg will be receiving the Quiet Achiever Award for Kindergarten this term. I remember Holly getting it this same time as I raced home from Hospital after having Amy to get to the assembly. Well done Meggie, my clever girl!

PPS – we got 4 more chickens (Names are IceCream, Henny, Charli and Gregory Peck) so come Christmas time I might have a stall at the front of the house selling free range eggs for $4 a dozen!

Saturday Morning, 4 little babies come into our lives.

Strawberry (Jess) Asterix (Justin) Tweety (Meg) Penelope (Holly).
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Farmer Justin has found his calling and has built the new chooks the Taj Mahal/Disneyland of Chicken coops. Saturday was the most beautiful Spring day so it was delightful to be out in the coop fixing it all up and making it Swooping Magpie proof. Saturday night the worst storm hit, with thunder lightning, hail and wind so Farmer Justin got up every few hours to checks that the babies were alright. Mind you, he never did that with our own kids!

Amy is quite thrilled with the ‘kikens’ and asks Jus to take her out there. The others could take it or leave it!

So the disrupted sleep on Saturday night was not what I needed going into my 10km Run on Sunday morning. Neither did I anticipate it being quite so wet, but I didn’t pull out. No Siree. Justin drop me off at the start point and I did a jogging warm up and stretched. The start seemed miles away as there were about 4000 runners I think. Anyway, the atmosphere was buzzing and soon we off. The rain held off for about 6kms and I was feeling really comfortable in my stride. I was totally enjoying it! There were runners of all shapes, sizes and ages. I overtook some, some overtook me. It was great fun. With about 3 kms to go the rain really took hold and as I came over Kings Ave Bridge (with the Lake underneath) the rain was coming in sideways and it was hard to keep straight. Turning off the bridge to the home stretch, those who walked the 5km circuit met up with the runners forming a bottleneck, so that combined with headlong winds, pelting rain, walkers strolling along 5 abreast with prams and kids it was a very difficult finish. Nevertheless less, I crossed the line in 65 minutes and I am waiting for my final time to be confirmed this Thursday. I was wrapped when I saw the Timer over the finish line because I really had no idea how I had gone, only that I had run fairly constantly and felt great while doing it. Justin and Amy met me at the finish and I was ever so glad to sit down in the car on the way home.

My legs are still sore today, 2 days after the race, but I’ve been walking and stretching and will get back into the running by the end of the week.I’m really thrilled with my achievement and am pleased to be able to tick that one off my ‘Goals for 2008’ list.

Some photos of the girls to finish off. Holly was reading them a story yesterday morning and there’s Meg with the trophy from dancing class.
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Meg and Holly are both in the school concert tomorrow night but are both home today with Tonsillitis. However there is much frivolity and squealing, so I am wondering if it is the drugs dulling their pain, or I have been duped!

Have a great week!

That is the slogan on a new shirt that I bought online this week. Love it!!

This week I have taken it easy on the running side, as I don’t want to wear myself out for my biggest run yet. The Canberra Times Fun Run, 10kms of road from Woden to The Lake. I am going to challenge myself to get it done in as close to 65mins as I can. Anything under that will leave me elated. I ran 3 times around out Mountain last weekend and I am guessing that it was about 7.5lms. I know I can do the 10km, I just want to do it well.

I started my new job last week and while I was just observing and having to recall a lot of jargon and teminology it was OK. Yesterday I actually did some hearing tests of clients. The last time I did a hearing test would have been in 2002, so technology has changed and that is what I found to be the biggest challenge. My head was spinning at the end of day just trying to get my head around the machines and equipment. This time next month and I’ll be cruising.

Meg got the weekly trophy for good dancing last week. It is what they aspire to get, and she was so delighted. It is funny how such a small thing can actually be quite a big thing, and also such a confidence booster. She had to return it this week and was sad to hand it over, but not before she showed EVERYONE.

I hear a baby crying, awoken from her sleep and needing me to pick her up. Have a great weekend.

Tania just gave birth to a little girl – Julia Elizabeth – via C Section in Hobart.

No other details yet. Tania is doing OK.

Seeing today is the first day of spring, I thought I’d change my Banner to reflect the season. Isn’t spring the best? Well second best after a Canberra Autumn, but the sunshine is different and the days getting longer. MMmmmm!

Had a blast in Melbourne over the weekend with Holly and Kate. Melbourne is a fascinating city. I like it more than Sydney and it has a much more fashionable yet relaxed kind of feel about it. We did every kind of mode of transport. Plane there, bus from airport to city. Tram though city and train from Kate’s top floor lah di dah office to her place. Just need to have done a ferry ride!

We did a lot of eating, shopping and walking around. Saw an Imax 3D movie about dinosours, went o the Victoria Museum and saw Phar Lap shopped at a Mega DFO and ate a great Chinese Dinner in the city. It was fun.

Home again now and Holly is taking some time getting used to being one of four and not the number 1 honcho. I nearly put her back on the plane last night after a performance that rivaled a 15yr old tantrum. What will I do when she is a teenager?

So quite a busy week ahead. New job starts Thursday and I am nervous, but very ready for the challenge and all the things that it will come from this. A new phase is certainly starting and it is exciting to wonder where it will lead.

Tania still has not given birth and I haven’t finished the blue blanket, so I’m hoping she has a girl cause the pink is ready to go. If she needs blue, I’ll be giving the pink to Penny. If Penny needs the blue, I’ll give the pink to some random chick I see walking down the street with a baby girl!!

Off to make a tablelcoth now with some great material I got at Spotlight in Melbourne.

Have a great week and Happy Spring time.

PS we get out chooks real soon!