Little Miss Giggles

That people actually eat this stuff?! They really do!  Dad actually dared Daniel to eat one of these grubs!  Gross!  Check out what Daniel thinks about them on his blog.

And I heartily agree!  What about you?

This week is Western Australia’s first week of school for 2010.  Our family likes to take spontaneous school holidays off for birthdays, friends’ birthdays, public holidays, and other random reasons, and we often start our school holidays a week before the school system does.   Not this month, however.  No, just like the rest of W.A students, February 1st was our first week of school.  Today is the third.  (a piano resounds music as keys thunder music down the board)

So far, I have been really enjoying school.  Already we can see some things that need to be changed (like more time for piano practices) and things that seem to be working really well – like Nomi’s’ and my new science program.  If I keep up to my schedule, then I’ll be getting a lot more reading done and consistently working through my school.  Being in a disciplined mode will, I hope, help me to excersize more regularly and stay on track with my morning routine, finishing quiet time, jobs, breakfast and excersize between 5:20am and 8:00am, AND being productive with my time and hands in the afternoons.

That’s the thing: keeping it up.  Plans and schedules, routines and ideas all look so glamorous, so easy, so wonderful, but when the rubber meets the road its true colours show.  How do I keep on track of what I know needs to be accomplished?

Diligence is the key.  Diligent hands rule the world, a Proverb predicts, but lazy hands are too lazy to bring food to their own mouth.  Consistency is its companion.  You simply cannot be diligent spasmodically (don’t worry our holidays aren’t that spasmotic ), yet being consistent without diligence is ultimately worthless.

It’s like my Dad told us recently about excersizing: it has to go beyond being comfortable.  You might get up one morning and feel, ‘ouch, that’s stiff’ but you still have to keep going.  That’s the only way to get fit.   And it is the same about just about anything: it will go beyond being comfortable.  There will be days with my schedule where I do not want to read a certain book, or watch my math DVD, or finish my work which has been patiently lying in my folder since before Christmas; there will be times where it is much more comfortable to not study but rather curl up with a snack and movie.  Yet what is better, what is hard, and what will change my life?

Alyssa kindly awarded me with the “From Me to You” award, and although I struggle with awarding people (therefore don’t) I thought I would rack my brain for seven things about me for your enjoyment…

1. Chipmunks are among my three favourite animals because they are so amazingly orderly!  Love ‘em!  Neatly, they store the food they are gathering in little pockets on the side of their mouths, and ’spring clean’ on a regular basis as to not attract animals with smells.  My other two favourite animals are horses and dinosaurs. Yup, dinosaurs.  I jest not.

2. By the time of Australia’s next election (not the upcoming one but the one after that), I will be old enough to vote – I think.  Depending on when they hold the election, I will be 18.  Yikes!

3. Isaiah is my very favourite book in the Old Testament — what’s yours?

4. “Piglet” has always been my favourite Winnie the Pooh character (stickin’ up for the little guy, I am)

5. My favourite Beatrix Potter story is likely the tale where Tom Kitten climbs up the chimney and is captured by rats to be made into kitten dumplings.

6. Learning to dive is one of my last ‘2009 major accomplishments’!  Yes! It feels wonderful to plunge through the water, head first–without it hurting!  What was something YOU achieved in 2009?

7. At the suggestion of a friend, from now on, whenever I write a list the first thing I am going to add is this: ‘Make List’.  Such wisdom.  Or do any of my readers already do this?

I hope you enjoyed these things about me!  If you want to know more about me, check out my random list of 127 things about me – and be sure to comment and tell me some things about you!

Photo credit

Australia Day has never been one of great importance to me.   In the past, it was the day where Aussies gathered together at the pool, or held a BBQ in their backyard, or simply when all the shops were – annoyingly – closed.

Last year, I was asked to write an article for Growing in Grace’s January 2009 issue on Australia Day.  Although unsure as to the reasons behind Australia Day, I decided to give it a shot.  To my surprise, I discovered a day not about Australians having a day off coz we are Australians, or about our love to casually hang out with our mates.  Instead, I found out about the day Captain Arthur Philip planted the Union Jack on the sandy beaches of New South Wales; the day eleven ships pulled in the harbour, with the 1,373 convicts who would soon have to accept ‘Botany Bay’ as their life.  On Australia Day, 26th January, we ultimately celebrate the day Australia was born – and that is what holds the greatest importance to me.

Thank you Lord for Australia!

I want to ask this pleading question concerning facebook… why does it have to be so addictive??  Why?  Although I don’t actually have an account on facebook, my Mum does, and a bad habit is growing with me to continually check what is happening in the facebook world via her account, which she often (and rightfully) leaves open.  I have been contemplating considering asking for one, when it dawned on me that I don’t even know what is so essentially addictive about facebook, and consequently, why I even want an account.  Why is it so addictive?!

Recently, when blog-browsing, I stumbled across a girl who wrote about her facebook account-deactivating experience.  She wrote it was so much fun, she nearly wished she could reactivate it just so she could deactivate it again!  (I think I can relate – not with facebook mind you, but I can relate)

So, what is your perspective on facebook?  Is it addictive for you?  Pros and cons – do tell.

(now let’s hope us Aussies win the Boxing Day Cricket match!)

Well, Mum, being a Scrapbooking consultant, gently rebuked me for not posting the stories, so here they are!  Stories starting top-left and going clockwise.

To start off with my explanations, I was given a camera from Mum and Dad, and Nomi, Daniel and Josh were ‘tackling’ each other, but stopped for photos, one of which you now see.

I gave Mum a doll for Christmas – you can see her wrapped in the photo of Mum and I.  Stay tuned for a photo of her!  She took some courage to make as I don’t feel very confident with sewing but I decided that I should be confident with sewing and that I was going to make it for her!  And guess what – she turned out beautifully!

The red and white checkered tablecloth is a new favourite in our house and was washed (ha!) just for Christmas Day.  As is traditional we ate croissants for breakfast before Church – yum!

The first present we gave to eachother this year was Mum’s new ipod from Daddy.  This is them laughing about something during that priceless giving moment.  Whether it was the ipod, something somebody said or just being happy I’m not sure – but I love it anyway!

I rather like this photo of Daniel; it was one of the first I took with my new camera.  He spent the day contentedly on his Power Wing (scooter-cross-ripstick), zooming in circles around either the house or in the shed.

Daniel also chose to tackle some of the hardest wood in the world and carve a statue for Dad.  Daniel is quite brilliant with building things – this present is no exception.  Daniel and Dad enjoyed a special moment together before opening the gift.

Nomi loves Adventures in Odyssey, produced by Focus on the Family, and recently decided she wanted to start collecting the entire collection.  To kick start her off, Josh presented her with #1 – a Gold Edition album.  Oh – don’t you love her dress?

Funnily enough, the past few years I have grown very unphotogenic, and honestly it has nothing to do with wearing glasses and braces.  These past few weeks have seen me take a big step and smiled confidently at the camera- I think I have it all figured out now!  I really love how this photo turned out…

If you know Joshua, you will already know two vital pieces of information about him: he loves history, and books.  What could have possibly made him happier than 20 books from Mum and Dad, all written by historical fiction author G.A Henty?  Only one thing, I assure you: the broken record of having recieved a grand total of 25 books for Christmas!