Gar is growing up...
He lost one of his front teeth this week. The other one is really wobbly. I don't know what his face will look like when the two small baby teeth are gone and big adult teeth replace them.
Sometimes I wish I could stop time and keep him just as he is forever.Last Christmas Sian wanted a pet rat
The kids have been nagging us for a long, long time to let them go swimming "In the DARK"
This weekend we gave in and on Friday after tennis we dashed home before the sun set so Byron could check for spiders before the kids got in. Darkness falls pretty quickly here in Australia. One minute it is bright and sunny and within about 15 minutes the sun sets and it becomes incredibly dark. We sat on the swing seat and watched as the kids squealed, jumped, splashed and generally had a ball. 
Day two over and done with and I'm physically exhausted.
Today was a full theatre list so lots more pushing beds, running up stairs two at a time and mopping theatre floors at high speed while the next patient was waiting to be wheeled in.
I am getting the hang of pushing the large rubbish skips through the basement corridors at speed, just God help anyone behind any of the swing doors as I come hurtling through! 
I think I am holding my own now. I shared the workload fairly evenly with the other wardsman, despite the fact that he really is a wardsman, about 2 foot taller than me and with a few more muscles. I even managed to get given the job of holding unconcious legs up high in the air while the surgeons cleaned them down and draped them in sterile wraps, a job I was deemed not strong enough for yesterday but they decided to give me a go today. My arms were nearly falling out of their sockets by the time I could let go but at least I managed!Today was my first day in my new job as Theatre Wardsman. I went in at 7am and got changed into "scrubs" the standard theatre uniform. On went the blue paper overshoes and the white bandana and I was ready to get started.
I really enjoyed today. It was a world away from any job I have ever done before. It was very physically demanding and I think that I will be very tired by the end of the working week. However everyone I met today was really friendly and I kept being thanked for the jobs I was doing. In the end feeling that I did a good days work and was appreciated made me walk back to my car with a spring in my step and a smile on my face. There isn't much more I can ask for than that.Hi Gareth Jones in Edinburgh.
This message is for you.
Yes, you Gar.
Byron's friend from childhood, Best man at our wedding and Godfather to our middle child. Ever since Chris arrived you have been talked about.
I think Byron and Chris are missing you so they made you this little video to say "Hi"....
I know lots about "Identity Fraud" You read about it in the paper every week. I've put a shredder by the paper re-cycling bin so I feel protected from anything like that happening to me.
What I have been conned by though is "Identity Confusion" I thought I was female. I thought I was a nurse. I thought I was looking for a job in that area to bring a bit of money into the house. I was soooo wrong.
I am trying to get my Nursing Registration here in Australia so I can start working as a Registered nurse. In the meantime I started working as a nursing assistant in a local hospital 3 months ago. This was to bring in some money to help out since Byron's job in the US went belly up. I work as a casual, this means I get a random number of hours of work in each fortnights roster. It is hard to budget as every week brings different shifts and I often get last minute phone calls to fill in the gaps when people ring in sick. I have been getting quite frustrated with how few hours I get given at the beginning of each two week roster(even though by the end of the two weeks I have usually notched up plenty of shifts) I got a phone call from the hospital last week asking if I wanted to be trained up as a Physio Assistant. Same hourly rate, just doubling my chances of being offered shifts in either the Physio gym or the ward. I said yes and last week was a Physio Assistant on Monday and Wednesday and a Nursing Assistant on Thursday and again this afternoon.
I only have one uniform which was from my Reflexology course in the UK and is different to the rest of the staff. It is a bit confusing for the patients who don't know whether to ask me for pills or a walk. Having got used to these two roles I then had another phone call from the hospital offering me another job. This time in theatre. Same hourly rate and regular shifts every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. How could I say no?
But now the confusion starts. What exactly is my new job? On Monday I become the new Theatre Wardsman. No, not wardsperson, wardsman! I will be joining the ranks of the blue shirted, moustached, tattooed wardsmen who push beds and trolleys from the wards to Theatre and Theatre to the wards. I will be lifting and carrying and generally doing all the jobs that the other porters do. I start tomorrow morning at 7am. I am a little nervous. Maybe I should change my name to something more manly, something that sounds strong and rugged? Perhaps a big tattoe on my forearm will make me fit in better.
I'm sure it will be fine. I shouldn't waste time worrying about it. I'm sure the Theatre sister was only joking when she looked me up and down and with a look of disbelief....
"You better be stronger than you look" .....
It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Here is the view from my front door.....
Here is the view from my back door.....It's oh so quiet.....
No entries on the Baynham blog for over a week......
I've had a few people nag me about the lack of new posts....
I know, I know, I know. We have been doing things, I have been taking photos, I have loads of things I'd like to blog but there is only one thing holding me back....
Time, or lack of it to be precise.
I have been putting in loads of hours at work over the last couple of weeks. Any time spent in the house has been trying to keep on top of the boring stuff, washing, drying and ironing uniforms, shopping, cooking, packed lunches.
Does anyone know the legal age limit on making kids work for their pocket-money? I mean how hard can it be for a 5 year old who knows how the computer works to handle an on-line grocery shop ? Surely an 8 year old should be able to operate the washing machine? And do you really think that 10 is too young to organise and cook tea while a tired, overworked and underpaid Mum sits in front of the computer to write blogs for you to enjoy reading.....
I rest my case! So watch this space as I plan on sitting here with a cup of tea writing a few blogs up and back dating them over the last week...
...and before you panic, the washing machine is on, the fridge is full, dinner has been cleared away and the kids are tucked up fast asleep in bed. Don't go calling the authorities on me just yet!
Rhiannon was in the school's "Talent Quest" last week with her friend Natalie. They sang a song about nagging their Dad for a puppy. As the Talent Quest was running out of time each act was cut short to about 1 minute each. Apparently the kids were disappointed not to have sung the full song and the teacher told me that they were going to let Rhiannon, Natalie and Rhys do the whole thing again at this Fridays school assembly. I decided to go along and watch and brought my camera with me.
I was really excited when one of Rhiannon's friends Ellie got a Merit award.
Then Ellie's sister Maddie also got a Merit award.
The next name called out was Sophie. Wonderful, funny Sophie. One of Rhiannon's very good friends.
Monica loves photos so out came the camera again! 
Next was the Principles award. An award given out for exceptional achievement. The lead up to the announcement was long and wordy, and finally the name of the Award winner...Gareth has started playing tennis with Sian and Rhiannon on Friday after school. He inherited Sian's old racket that she has grown out of and has joined up with Tommy, Kayla and Owie in the junior group of newbie tennis Wimbledon wannabes!
Isn't it exciting to be watching history unfold in front of you!
The older kids were very enthusiastic in their answers. They had arms stretched so high they nearly popped their shoulders joints. 
Melbourne Cup. The race that stops a nation. The day when women all over Australia get dressed up and meet for lunch, champagne and a little flutter on the horses.
I wasn't due to work on Tuesday so arranged a last minute lunch at my house. Most of my friends here in Australia have started going back to the workplace over the last couple of years so I wasn't expecting many to be free.
Despite it being short notice a few of us had a great lunch and as always a great laugh, even setting the camera up on a tripod for some self portraits! (after fixing up the lippy in the mirror of course!)
Friends who were working said they would come over after work and so when the school bus pulled up about half the kids poured out the door and down the steps shouting and laughing and making a bee-line for our front door!
The noise and excitement of the next couple of hours cannot be done justice by a few photos on a blog. It was crazy, ear-splitting, fun, fun, fun!
The swimming pool was like soup!
...and a bounce on the trampoline at the end to warm up again!
Sian got a digital camera for her birthday. She loves taking photos but even more fun is the ability to take little movie clips.
Here is one from this weekend.....
Are you scared of spiders?
I never was until I moved here to Oz.
Now we share our house and garden with spiders that can kill.
My favourite household product is Mortein Black. One squirt and you're dead.
When did you say you were thinking of visiting...?!!
