yes it’s been a while, and my only excuse is that i’ve been busy! i’ve been attracting some very unwelcome spam to my blog, most of which typepad has caught before it’s been published, but i may have to add an extra step - that code word thing – to comments if it continues. i’m thinking it’s just a message from the universe not to neglect my blog.
anyway, nic and and i are back from our adventures for good for a little while. we’re still playing around with the idea of adelaide craft and quilt in november, but i don’t even want to book yet! the schedule has been gruelling, and with frank away in the snowy mountains it’s meant that ‘nanna’ has had to move in here for the three week-long periods that i’ve been away, so it’s been tough on everyone.
it has meant though that we’ve got the ‘budget scrapbooking’ word out there, and orders have been steady – so thank you to everyone for your support. we’re just finishing up september kits ready to go out on the 15th – many of the august ones flew out quickly so if you’re interested i really recommend subscribing!
annoyingly i don’t have any photos from our adventures on this computer (still trying to organise life with a laptop, an external hard drive and a pc) so i’ll leave them to nic – who was way more snap happy away than me anyway ;)
this weekend marked alex’s eighth birthday. along with every mum i wonder where the time has gone since this little creature entered my world.
he lay on my tummy this morning and i remembered with him that this is how it was in hospital the day after his birth, just him and me, cuddling and dozing, unaware of how my life was about to change for ever – and certainly with no concept of the gorgeous clever funny thoughtful 8 year old he would become.
so he wanted a sleepover for his birthday party. 
an ‘evil dude’ sleepover. six eight year old boys, and phoebe. we dragged all the mattresses into the loungeroom.
with frank chaperoning phoebe. i was amused to see the paternal instincts kicking in.
and a dagger cake. it’s been a long tradition to choose a cake from the women’s weekly cake book, and the kids love going through it every year. last year we had a break from it because of the star wars phase, but this year the dagger suited the evil dude theme perfectly apparently.
and in the morning there was sensory overload from 6.50am, with the computer blasting ‘boom boom pow’, the wii going non stop and constant movement in every direction. he has a really lovely gang of friends, full of life and positive energy and i’m surprised to be able to report the very next day that i not only survived, i really enjoyed their company.
what i’m even more surprised at though is how i’ve underestimated him in so many ways. to a large extent the only social interaction i see with him is when he’s out of his element – with kids he doesn’t know very well or situations he’s not especially comfortable in and he can be awkward, quiet and shy. and mostly when he talks of school situations it’s about when his friends aren’t listening to him or when he feels uncomfortable, or when someone’s been ‘mean’ to him. but what i got a glimpse of this weekend is a more confident, assertive alex, who’s in the middle of the pack rather than the periphery, whose friends seek his approval as much as he seeks theirs, who’s comfortable in his skin and skill set.
happy birthday kid. i mean dude. i’m proud of the fabulous young man that you’re becoming.
