Tis the season to be jolly fa la la la laaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Well it is Christmas time again and it seems to come faster every year! The kids are excited by presents, pretty lights, chocolate, Santa etc etc etc! Conor is just loving everything about Christmas this year-he even talked to Santa! He doesn't usually talk to anybody that he doesn't know but happily told Santa what he wanted for Christmas, lol! He just adores the "PRETTIES", the beautiful Christmas light displays here in the suburbs that just seem to get better every year!

I haven't taken any piccies of the lights because my piccies would simply not do them justice! They are just gorgeous though let me tell you!

We went to a Christmas festival a couple of weeks back and it was great-free rides, free bar-b-que, free games and lots of fun for all! Conor had a ball, he tried just about everything they had for the little ones, he especially liked the Merry-go-round! He tried the bigger kids jumping castle but got scared at the top and would not come down and I had to get the ride attendant to go up and get him! That was quite funny! Mika and Cody had a great day too!

We went to see a Christmas show followed by a preview screening of "Santa Claus 3" a couple of weeks back also. It surprisingly was quite funny, being a 3rd installment and a kid's movie I had my doubts but was pleasantly surprised. The kids just loved it and raved about it for days.....

We have been busily preparing for Christmas and are just about done. We are doing a bar-b-que this year which should be nice-simple and relaxing! Can't wait!

My brother is getting married early next year (March) and their baby is due in April so he is gearing up for a busy year!

Recent developments

Well what else has been going on recently?? We got a kitten, yes, a black tortoiseshell named Suzie. She was 8 weeks old when we got her and has done quite a lot of growing since. She is one of the family now and is certainly loved by all!

Wildlife Park Piccies

Visitor from afar

Yikes just realised how long it has been since I last wrote and how much has happened in that time! Well to start things off, back in August we had a visit from the kid's father and we stayed at the Gold Coast for the duration of his visit (one week). He stayed at my place the last night which completely pissed me off because of the fact that he seems to think it is his right to stay whenever he feels like! I mean, come on, we have been separated for 4 years now and he does not pay regular child support and does not support us, and DOES NOT pay the rent so where on earth does he get the idea that he has a right to stay???? It just annoys the total crap out of me! If I went to Japan for a visit I would not just expect to stay at his house!
Anyway back to the visit, it wasn't too bad and we managed to stay civil to each other for the kid's sake. He brought the kids an old laptop each which they thought was just it and had loads of fun with. Not quite so much fun for those forced to listen to the noise of them though lol! There was a pool there and the kids made good use of it!
Daddy took Mika and Cody to see "Hoodwinked" while I took care of Conor outside. Conor's attention span isn't really long enough to watch a full-length movie yet! The kids loved it though.
We went to the beach and playgrounds and stuff like that too which was lots of fun! We went to a wildlife park too-I'd never heard of this one before and was a little nervous about taking the kids there for that very reason but as it turned out, there was no reason to be. The park was quite small but absolutely lovely-lots of animals for the kids to see, no huge crowds of people jostling you all the time, the park was clean and the animals well cared for and they had a snake show which really thrilled them all! They all had to touch the snake and were just rapt! I, on the other hand, kept my distance and hoped to hell that he wouldn't bring the snake my way and thankfully he didn't!! For some reason the photo of the kids with the snake wouldn't appear after I uploaded it so will have to try again later.
The kids just had a ball though down the coast and weren't really that impressed about going back to school after Daddy went back to Japan.

Rest in Peace Steve Irwin

Steve Irwin is dead-I can't believe it. He was always larger than life and seemed invincible. My thoughts and sympathies are with his friends and family in this difficult time. Rest in Peace Steve.

where do I begin????????????

Yikes it has been a while again! Well to start with we had the kid's school fete last Sunday and it was a big hit with my kids (Conor stayed at my mum's) and all the many others who attended! I was the arm band stall convenor and so was kept very busy for most of the day but it was fun too. The kids had a ball, lots of rides, junk food, sample bags etc etc etc!! There was a great turnout! At the end of the day both were worn out!!

We are all well again now, after spending half of the holidays all feeling sick from one ailment or another which wasn't much fun at all!! None of us should be sick now for at least a year or so!

I am back at uni again next week after a much enjoyed break, looking forward to getting back into it all again. I did very well in my exams after all the stressing that I was doing, was very relieved to see my results!

The kid's father is coming to visit soon which they are looking forward to, we are going to the Gold Coast for a week which will be a nice break. Pity I will still have to study though and the kids will have to do a little school work there too due to the fact that their father refuses to come during the holidays. That is due to the fact that it is easier for him that way, never mind anyone else! It will still be nice to get away for a week though.
We are going to stay at a place we stayed at a couple of years ago for a few days. Cody took a liking to the garbage disposal plug and smuggled it home! I was horrified and after a very apologetic phone call to the managers of the complex, sent it back in the mail!! Hopefully he won't try that again!

back again

This month has been a bloody nightmare! Exams, sick kids, sick me, sick of it all me!!!! I was only sick for one day so not so bad but kids have been sick for past couple of weeks-not all at once mind you. They all get sick one at a time (so considerate!) and one after the other and just don't stop! Today it was Mika, although Cody was saying his tummy hurt too and Conor is still coughing up a storm.............. I had to pick up Mika from school as she was throwing up-yuck. So many people are sick at the moment, someone (some bigwig) suggested that it is because the dams are so low and the water has become of a lower quality.
One plus is that I am now on holiday for the next few weeks and by golly do I ever need it!! I am looking forward to relaxing a little and recharging and getting some semblance of sanity back!
The kid's fete is coming up soon and this year I am running the ride armband stall which so far hasn't been too bad, will be busy after the kid's holidays though! They are looking forward to the fete, they just loved it last year!!

It's a miracle

Wow, today a miracle happened here in Australia, down in Beaconsfield Tasmania. Two miners were rescued from an underground cave-in, 14 days after it happened!!!! They spent 14 days underground trapped in the small cage that they had been working on the shaft wall, and were kept alive by food, water and other essentials being pushed through a small tube that had been driven through the rock. The rescuers were forced to tunnel underneath to rescue the miners, through rock tougher than concrete.
The trapped miners said that they wanted to walk out and they did to the roar of the crowd and into the arms of their waiting families. All of Australia cheered with them! It was truly an amazing moment, and an amazing day that I will remember for the rest of my life.

What time of day are you?

I got this from Andrea's blog http://andreainjapan.blogspot.com/

You Are Noon
You are upbeat, ambitious, and never at loss for energy.You have a lot that drives you in life. The desire to be the best, and a secret hope of fame and power.And while you definitely have a Type A personality, you are still fun to be around.You have a ton of charisma and a genuine interest in others. You are adored by many.

I agree with some aspects of that-I would really love to be famous and powerful!!!!hahahahaha

Yahoo! Chocolate heaven here we coooooome! hic!

Well, it is Easter this weekend, today is Good Friday and while I am well aware of the significance of Easter I keep being distracted by the over-supply of chocolate EVERYWHERE we go! Even at the corner shop where you drop in to grab milk for breakfast there are chocolate eggs at 10 paces! And it has been that was since JUST AFTER CHRISTMAS!! Sorry for the big letters but it is just riddiculous in my opinion!! Makes you wonder when the "Chocolate" (most easter egg chocolate is just that crappy compound choc!) was actually produced doesn't it??!! The kids are looking forward to seeing what the easter bunny will bring for them and I am looking forward to some yummy chocky eggs too-from cadburys though which actually taste like real chocolate! Yum! The kids don't care-to them if it looks like choc and smells like choc and tastes something like choc then it is good enough for them!! Actually I think it is just the fact that it is sweet! I will probably have to peel them off the ceiling at the end of the day though!

It's party time- commando style!

Last Saturday Mika and Cody went to their cousin's birthday party. It was at a place where they put on packs, get guns, go into a big darkened room and basically have a ball dividing into teams and shooting each other with laser guns! The kids all just loved it!! Cody got a bit miffed at first because, being the youngest and smallest, he made a fantastic easy target and kept getting shot! Luckily he was ok by the end of it and managed to get a few of them! The kids didn't want to leave! We adults had a great time too having a quiet chat while the kids were playing shoot ems! Unfortunately I couldn't get any photos of the kids inside the play area but I got some of them enjoying the cake and yummy party food!

To see piccies of the Tachibana gang head to

http://au.msnusers.com/TheTachibanaFamily

Time flies...........

when you're having fun!! Well, not so much fun I guess but busy!! Just realised how long it's been since I've last written so thought I'd better update. At the moment I am verrrrrry busy again, crazy in fact, getting an assignment done! I am almost finished it now but got another one hot on its heels! Uni is great but the assignments get to be a bit of a pain after a bit! Never mind, it won't be forever, eventually I will be able to work with my new found knowledge!
Kids are great, Conor is going through a stage where he is biting everyone-ouch! Not at daycare mind you, just here with us! Maybe I should feel flattered that he only treats us to his teeth....... He is finally almost potty trained, it has been a long hard struggle and I think we still have a little way to go! I don't remember it being quite this hard with the other two! He fell over at daycare the other day and split his chin open, luckily it only needed a butterfly bandaid and no stitches. It is healing now but still looks pretty awful, doesn't seem to worry him though! He is such a dare devil, unfortunately he is a little accident prone as well.......... He is finally beginning to eat some different foods which makes meal times a little easier!
As for Mika and Cody, they are loving school and having a ball! Mika is doing a space project at the moment and Cody is learning his times tables and how to tell the time. Mika is going to the science centre next Monday she'll love it there! Mika says she wants to be a vet when she grows up but she loves science too!
Mika wants to learn ice-skating so when it starts up again after the school holidays she can start. I told her that she has to last the whole term-yep ten or so weeks so even if she hates it she has to stick it out for that time then if she still hates it she can quit! Hopefully she will like it, if not she can try something else!
I have tuckshop tomorrow again, not my favourite job but if no one does it then the kids won't have a tuckshop! As it is they only have enough volunteers to keep it open 4 days a week(shut Mondays). The kids love it when Mum helps out on tuckshop too so it's all ok!
Well got to get back to the assignment now, it won't do itself will it??!!!!

happy days are here again.............

Yes I am back at uni again for another gruelling semester and I am looking forward to it. Looking forward to graduating too finally and getting a job! I have officially dropped the teaching component of my degree and in June I am going to change degrees again-it was too late to do it by the time I had finally figured out what I wanted to do! sigh!

This week just gone was Oweek and I worked again as info booth attendent/tour guide and it was sooo quiet-I only did one tour on my tour day and worked the booth instead. There were still quite a few coming for their free diary etc but none were particularly interested in a tour. Maybe they thought they knew it all already or something???? I enjoyed it though, was good to be earning some decent money for a change-cleaning doesn't pay much and it is much harder!

I worked Tues, Fri and a training day and it was lucky that I had those days as Conor got sick on Tuesday. I got a call saying that he was running a high temperature and I had to pick him up. Luckily it was almost the end of my shift when they rang. I got a call from Cody's school too saying that Cody had walked into a pole and had a big egg on his head and I had to pick him up also! Yikes! Cody still has a nice bruise on his head today but says it only hurts if he presses on it! Conor was boiling hot off and on until Thursday night and I had to cancel my cleaning job on Thursday but luckily he was on the mend for Friday! Yes!

Friday night though saw a rash start on Conor's face and eventually cover all of him...... I have no idea what it is, he has been immunised against measles and rubella and it is definitely not chicken pox. The doctor is closed today and tomorrow so if it is still there on Monday it will be yet another visit. He seems ok but very very very cranky!

Mika and Cody are healthy and happy and are, shock horror, not fighting with each other for once! They are playing the make a word game and even Conor is getting in on the act! We are going to my aunty's house tomorrow for a swim and they are looking forward to it, even if the water is stone cold they love it!

ahhhh back to school!

Yay, finally the kids are back at school after the long summer holidays! They are just too long I think, for both them and adults. Mika is now grade 4 and Coday 2 and they are both very excited about being back! I feel sorry for them having to wear uniforms and sit in class in this heat though-it is just awful! Not as bad as down south though-down in Adelaide they have been having around 40degrees and a lot of bushfires! It is still bloody hot here though!
Mika came home the first afternoon and informed me that she has swimming the first semester now that she is year 4 and she has a camp too! Goody goody, more money to have to come up with, swimming was $60 last year and goodness only knows how much camp will be! I will send her though as she is very excited about it all. Parent/teacher interviews for both are on next week.
I am rostered on for tuckshop next Thursday but I won't be able to do it as I have managed to get some cleaning work. I am not saying no to paid work to do volunteer work-sorry tuckshop! I HATE cleaning work but until I have my degree there is not much else that I can do or rather not much else that I am likely to get a go with!
I have been doing some much needed soul searching over the last couple of weeks and decided that I REALLY do not want to teach. Late last year I decided that I was not going to teach but then I decided to stick with my original degree but then this week I decided once and for all that teaching is really not for me. I thought it was ok in Japan but they were only very small classes, I don't want to do it for the rest of my life and teaching a class of high school kids would be a complete shock to the system! Soooo I have decided that I will continue with just the languages/linguistics part of my degree and hopefully I can get a decent job with that! I REALLY love linguistics and learning Japanese, even though my progress in spoken Japanese is rather slow lately! I have a lot of work to do.
We have been having some trouble in the family recently, my cousin is a deadbeat drunk (yahoo) and has been saying some really awful stuff about other family members. This stuff is not the kind that can be laughed off easily........ My cousin needs a good swift kick up the ass and a complete reality check, man I hate what alcohol does to people! She was a fairly decent person before she became an alco!
Last night we pissed off the old lady next door-yikes! Cody and Mika had a fight (yeah I know, what's new?!!) and Cody was screaming at the absolute top of his lungs, just screaming! His window was open, and you guessed it, directly opposite her living room windows which unfortunately were wide open. ERRRRR I quickly shut the boys' window as she was shutting hers with a foul look on her face, I said sorry but she just gave me a look that could kill and I gave up.........

I feel wooooonderful!!!!!!!!!!!

Why you may ask???? Because, I have FINALLY figured out how to ...........post piccies!!!! I feel so proud of myself! Took awhile but I did it! Yahoo! Watch out, there's no stopping me now!hehe I will post some piccies of the kids.....

I HAVE A NEW COMPUTER AT LAST!!!!

YAHOO! I am just sooooooo excited and having lots of fun playing around and discovering all the things that I can do now that I have a computer that actually works! I was going to try and save money by using the computers at Uni but I figured that since you can't get near them when it gets near exam time and since I will probably have to do a good deal of my work at night I decided that it was a necessary purchase. So I finally bit the bullet and got one! I am one happy camper right now! I might be able to finally post some pictures! hehe

January is already half gone!!!!

Yikes, I just realised yesterday that January 2006 is already half gone! It seems that this year too will zoom by before we know it!
We are back from the Gold Coast now and we had a nice time there-was nice to be able to cool off in a pool for a few days. We went to Wetnwild, a theme park here and it is choccas full of water play; slides, pools, fake waves, whirlpools.......it was a lot of fun! There was a special section for the under 10s called Buckaneer Bay and it had all sorts of stuff for the littlest pirates to do. One thing that was there was this huge bucket which periodically filled up and emptied out all over everyone which usually resulted in a lot of screaming! Conor HATED the bucket and even if he could only hear it he started freaking out but a nice hug each time he noticed it put him at ease again! Conor totally loved the water there and was all over the place-every time I took my eyes off him for 2 seconds usually resulted in- "oh no, where is he now?"!! He is just soooo quick, gave me many heart flutters for sure!! Of course Mika and Cody had the time of their lives too and did not want to leave when it was the end of the day.........
Next week it is back to school time already for Mika and Cody-year 4 for Mika and 2 for Cody, they are looking forward to it. Conor is at a different day care now as the other one was getting too expensive and I wasn't happy with the quality of care there in the last couple of months of last year. Conor seems to have settled in well and loves it, and the director there knows my aunty which is reassuring to me! If only the potty training would only proceed as smoothly!! One step at a time I guess!!

Congratulations Andrea and Li!

Congratulations Andrea and Li on finally getting your visa, that must be a relief to say the least!!! I am so happy for you! I haven't been on the net much lately so haven't had a chance to leave any comments on your blog or even to read much of it but am looking forward to a long read real soon!! Now you have all the packing etc to look forward to...........