Today Mark is taking the kids to RG, Mum and Dad are in Canberra because Mum's judging a show (how did it go Mum?).

 

Anyway, dad will be pleased because today is 'try on costumes and run through dance in them day'. So poor Mark has the job of taking notes to remember all the bits and bobs extra that are needed!!! OH DEAR!!! I did hope that Mum could go today, not realising it was the same day as the dog show.

 

Anyway, when we were there last night for CJs ballet a lady walked in with a bag full of costumes, part of which were these little hats in the shape of banana splits. I said to Darcy 'I think that's your costume DeeDee, your dance is called Banana Split!' She was so excited. She told them at Carolyns last night, and she told Mark this morning. I hope I haven't lead her on a bum steer!

 

I sent the camera with Mark. I have asked for him to video the kids doing the dances, because this may be our only chance of actually seeing THEM on the $65 videos Im buying (albiet 3 shows and 4 discs, but still!)

 

So if he DOES video them, I will put it up on here this arvo.

 

Got a busy arvo, it's election day (yahooooo, not working) and then Im going to see Hair with Sally tonight!

CJ told me this morning, that after their spelling test she has to go to Miss Pee's room for some tests. Miss Pee is the reading recovery teacher. The school is trying to work out why CJ is such a dreadful speller, it doesn't correlate to her reading, she reads well - but they need to do those assessments anyway. It does relate to her horrendous writing though.

 

Mrs Punch has given her the rest of the spelling words for the term, so she can study them. We did them EVERY day  last week. We talked about word families, word endings, breaking up the word, rules etc etc etc. And she got 17/25. Which for her - IS AWESOME, but for all the work we put into it, is pretty shocking.

So I am glad the school is trying to work out the problem. I certainly can't :(

 

I hardly ever see CJs teacher, we communicate by notes. Hopefully I can catch up with her next week and discuss what is going on.

 

I made a point of telling CJ today, "well you're a great reader, so let's hope Miss Pee can find out why your spelling is so bad' The last thing I need is for her to think she is a poor reader as well as the spelling/writing.

Well, exams are OVER - woohooO! Very good results for my kids, so that was great. Ceilidh seemed very happy too, so hopefully she did well as well. It was a fiasco though.....

 

Examiner was 50mins late due to traffic accident, she didnt have enough assessment forms, then didnt have ANY report forms in her pack. So, thankfully, the exams are at my home studio - so I jumped onto the computer and made some report forms up (just lucky that I made up the originals all those years ago so knew what I was doing! lol)

 

One of my kids was v late because there was an accident on the road and they weren't letting any cars through.

 

BUT - the weather was GLORIOUS! Rainy and cool, so the studio was really nice (inside the house was muggy, but we didnt matter!)

 

And it was all over and examiner gone by 4.15!!!! And the kids didnt get home until 7.15 from RG! So I just had Dee for 2 hours until Mark arrived, then another hour before kids got here. So their dinner was on the table, waiting as they walked in the door, Dee then went straight to bed and the other 2 stayed up and did their homework, and then bed!

Really Really Really want to get tomorrow out of the way! Have studio exams. Usually I am a nervous wreck re the girls. This year its just been a total schamozzle, losing hours, losing kids etc etc etc. I really wish I'd just cancelled them, but not fair on those that are turning up to the lessons and WANT to do an exam!

 

At least the PrePrimarys will be cute! lol And lets hope its not too bloody hot because even with the a/c the shed will be like an oven!

Anyway - roll on Friday is all I can say!

I have no idea how this works, I have never been that good at these optical illusion pictures!!!!  But the friend who sent me this said if you stare at it long enough, you should be able to see the ocean.  I tried for a while; I can't see any stinkin' ocean!

 

On Friday night we went out for dinner. We meaning the 'Girls' the mums from Hallorans, to celebrate Leanne's 40th birthday!

 

It was a really lovely night, and great to catch up with my old friends. Tristan and I have organised a play date for Ceilidh and Allira in January.

Here's a pic of Leanne cutting the cake!

 

 

Well, yesterday arvo we all bundled into the car and set off for Wagga for the weekend. (in a car with no a/c so it felt like when I was a kid - with the windows wound right down doing 110km on the freeway!)

I was set to examine down there today.

 

We arrived at the motel at 7pm and there was no room booked for us - first warning bells.

The man said 'i will ring Yvonne' (I thought to myself, hmm - friendly town, they all know each other! Turns out it was Yvonne's son!)

Yvonne gets on the phone - "Justine, my exams are NEXT Sunday..'

 

'That's not the date I was given....' says I

 

'OMG OMG OMG'

We ring the Exam administrator.  There had been a muck up - the alternative date was the 18th, which was the date I could do. the Studio weren't informed it was the alternative date, but their 1st choice date'

Obviously noone could turn up for exams today. And I cant' go back down next week! So the EA has to find someone to examine in Wagga next weekend!

 

Well - the Motel was full as well, but thankfully they have a room they dont rent often as it has a bit of a yucky ceiling. We didnt mind! The place had a pool - kids were stoked! CJs leotard was in the car, Con was wearing boardies, Dee wore undies - it was 38deg - so lovely to swim to cool off!

 

And today, instead of Mark taking the kids to the Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory, we both did! It was great. Then we stopped at Gundagai and low and behold it was a special fair day as its the 75th birthday of the Dog on the Tuckerbox!!  Then we had an early tea in Goulburn and they played at the great park there for half an hour!

 

So we are home! From our INTERESTING weekend! Thankfully I will get reimbursed for petrol and the motel will invoice the SDA directly for the accomodation!

But MY , what a muck up!

 

 

At the Tuckerbox of Doggie's 75th Bday        in front of the Ompa Lompa Chocolate Machines!

 

     Making their Freckles at the chocolate factory!

Poor DeeDee just wants to grow up NOW. She doesn't like being too young to do anything.

She wanted to go on the stage and do her solo - well that she did. She wants to go on the stage and do her Pdbs, adn is very cranky she can't have a 'dancing card' until she is 4!

Then, on Tuesday, Brodie was having her ballet exam. After not being allowed to go to Connor's last week, she was adamanent she was going to do her ballet exam too! So when I told her that Leanne was picking her up in the morning and that they weren't going to be at Leannes but at dancing for Brodies exam she raced into the bedroom and came out with this outfit - which she told me was because she needed to do her ballet exam as well!!

Here she is posing outside Hallorans! Thankyou for the photo Leanne, it's nice to have one of her next to the wall. I need to find one of CJ that age and show how similar they are!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artist: Billy Elliot The Musical Soundtrack
Album: Billy Elliot The Musical Soundtrack  Buy Billy Elliot The Musical Soundtrack CD
Lyrics: The Letter


And I will have missed you growing,
And I'll have missed you crying
And I'll have missed you laugh.
Missed your stomping and your shouting,
I'll have missed telling you off,
But please Billy,
Know that I was always there.
I was with you through everything.
And please, Billy...

WILKINSON
But please, Billy
know that I will always be
Proud to have known you
Proud that you were mine
Proud in everything
And you must premise me this, Billy

DEAD MUM
In everything you do
Always be yourself, Billy
And you always will be true

And Ill have missed you growing,
I'll have missed you crying
And I'll have missed you laugh.

DEAD MUM AND WILKINSON
Missed your stamping and your shooting,
I have missed telling you off,
But please, Billy,
know that I was always there.
I was with you through everything.
And please, Billy,
Know that I will always be.
Proud to have known you.

DEAD MUM
Love you forever.

BILLY
Love you forever.

 

 

 

Then, at the end of the show, after Billy gets into the Royal Ballet. He is leaving County Durham, and his family and his house and he sees the ghost of his mum, and he says to her 'Ive written you a letter Mam.....'

Artist: Billy Elliot The Musical Soundtrack
Album: Billy Elliot The Musical Soundtrack  Buy Billy Elliot The Musical Soundtrack CD
Lyrics: The Letter (Reprise)


BILLY
And please, Mammy...
know that I will always be
proud to have known you
proud that you were mine
Proud in everything...
And I promise you this, Mammy,

In everything I do,
I'll always be myself,

MUM
ln everything you do
Always be yourself

BILLY
Mammy.
And I always will be true.

MUM
Love you forever.

BILLY
Love you forever.

MUM
Love you forever.

BILLY
Mam.

The Christmas Countdown has really begun!

Last night the kids had their christmas concert at school. It was a Bush Christmas, with a bushwacker band. They came to the school during the day and taught the kids songs, and learnt instruments and then there was a bbq picnic last night.

 

I couldnt go, everything at MRPS seems to be a WEdnesday night - which is when I have my Championship class. But Mark came home early to take them. They had a good time, he said. Got home at 8.30 and slept  in this morning until after 8 for Connor , 8.30 for Darcy and 9 for CJ!!! So they didnt get to school until 9.30.

 

Here are some pix Mark took of Connor, CJ missed her song because she was late arriving (nanna had a prang on the way home from ballet....)

 

 

 

I went to an inservice at school yesterday. It was the best inservice I have ever been to.

 

1st session was on curriculum adaptions for children with disabilities or learning delays

 

2nd session was on Language Processing.

 

And the 3rd session was on Maths. The 3rd session was particularily amazing! The woman was fantastic and I wish I could get her locked in a room for 1 hour with cj - all cjs maths problems (except times tables!) would be gone in just that time.

Anyway - we got to play with maths toys and I was fiddling with the little counting teddies. Here is their special army!

 

There ARE NO WORDS to explain how BRILLIANT this show was!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I have just gotten home and Im still all fuzzy headed from crying!! It was AWESOMELY AMAZING!!!!!

 

It was hillarious, it was so rude, it was so moving and so very sad.

 

Billy was played by Rhys K today. He was brilliant! When we were leaving, out the front, we heard someone next to us say 'This is Rhys' dad'. I said to Sal 'We have to say something to him!". So we went up to him and said 'OMG, Rhys was beautiful, he was amazing, you must be so proud.' The dad was wonderful. His eyes were shining with tears and he said 'thankyou, yes we are. There were 2 japanese girls sitting in the row behind us and they had gone to London to watch Billy, and they came here to watch opening night, so IM taking them around to meet Rhys'.

 

We saw Nick there (he is the RG Billy), he was in the audience tonight.

Luke from RG, who plays 'tall boy' was very good.

 

I said to Sal how it was amazing that those ballet girls, who are all TOP dancers got into this show, only to dance as really bad crappy dancers in it! They had to be really clumsy and '2nd rate school' and it is ironic that they are brilliant dancers irl.

 

I want to see it again - tomorrow!!

 

I want to see every billy perform..

 

We bawled our eyes out at several parts - but especially at the song with Billy's dead mum. He reads out a letter she wrote before she died. Sally and I were SOBBING (and you could hear everyone in the audience sobbing too.)

 

And then when Billy and older Billy dance a duet - where Billy flys -0 that was amazing. Older Billy is played by Josh Harkness, who is an Aussie Ballet boy/man. It was beautiful to watch.

 

I am so drained, but in such a good way. There was a standing ovation - of the WHOLE AUDIENCE!!

 

OH my, the language in it was foul!! One of the tamer bits - 'Go on - piss off... WHAT ARE YOU DOIN??'  'I'm Pissing off, like you told me to!'

 

Then the whole 'F' song by the miners!!

 

Go and see it - go and see it asap. I can't wait to take the kids back! Just gotta make sure I explain to them about the swearing!

 

 

 

We went up to Newcastle Competition yesterday. It was the last comp for the year - YEEHAH!! (still got to get through exam day next Thursday though)

 

Anyway, Ceilidh tried hard in her dances, made some very silly mistakes, and was looking around the room. But she was pointing her toes and turning her knees out and her arms were much better.

She got 2nd in the Swords and won the Novice Encouragement Award!

 

(It was also one of my pupils, A's first Novice COmpetition and she got 2nd in the Trophy Dance!)

 

Yesterday Connor did his solo in another eisteddfod, one in Penrith.

This section was 6& U Open and there were 18 entered in the section.

 

Connor was number 1, and it made such a difference. He didnt have time to get silly and distracted. I gave him one of his 'magic tablets' (glucose) and also said if he was really good I'd give him 20c.

 

Well, he worked out with full on attitude and HE ROCKED!!

 

As soon as he came off the stage he grabbed my purse and handed it to me! He KNEW he had danced well, so out came the 20c from me and the 20c from daddy! He was so excited!!! I also told his little friend, Kaiesha, that if she got up there and rocked her socks off she'd get 20c too - and she did!!

 

Connie got Highly Commended!!!! 77Marks. 1st got 79 Marks.

He was so excited! He kept saying on our way to lessons when we left 'I got a Highly Remembered!' lol!