Hiccups

Tim's uncle has passed away, Australia Post has LOST my passport - meaning that I have to change my flights to allow time for them to find it - and we're all sick.

Top that with the endless goodbyes to people I love, and I'm pretty much a bonafide nutcase.

Still, as Polly from Triple Zed said to me yesterday, maybe we're just getting all of the hiccups over in one hit. Get em done now, so the other side of the journey will be smooth sailing. Problem is with all the hurdles we've hit lately I feel like we've honestly been in a month-long hiccuping fit - here's hoping there's a massive glass of water around the corner and we can truly savour the peace and tranquility of an un-stressed diaphragm.

Now excuse me: I've got some mind-blowingly exciting house-scrubbing to get through.

Hicc.

A magical day

Mezza, you are an angel.

This afternoon was the kids' going-away party/playdate, at the very wicked PipSqueaks, thanks to the above-mentioned friend forever. In the end the only guests were Caleb, Ella and best friends for life Sam and Lilly(kids of my best friend for life Frankie), plus myself and Timmy - unfortunately feeling sick as and spending most of the time napping in the car - yet it was one of the most magical afternoons ever.

Even though I have consequently ingested an entire children's party worth of food.

That aside, I know Ella in particular, will remember this day for the rest of her life. As will I. But then again maybe that just says more about my disturbing tendency to find 'The Chicken Dance' cathartic.

Either way, Mezz, thank you so much.

I almost feel like a good mother. :-)

***
And finally...

MAGICAL QUOTE OF THE MAGICAL DAY

Ella to Sammy, my brother's girlfriend with whom we live:

Ella: I'm not listening to you, I don't have to do what you tell me, cos I didn't come out of your belly, I came out of JENNY's belly!

Hehe.

Damn straight, kid.

If Posh and Becks can move the family overseas...

...then it can't be that hard.

*breathing into a brown paper bag*

Is is still Friday the 13th?

It must be. Seriously.

I've never been one to buy into the 'Friday the 13th' moggly joggly, but the past two days just defy anti-superstition.

Consider the evidence before you, my friends:

- embarking on the trip from Byron to Nimbin - where I was all pumped to present a workshop for women on Life and Laughter - only to have our car break down en route, completely with hubbster and kids in the car. $103.
- running out of credit on our phone. $20.
- finding out - only after we had managed to score a ride back to Bangalow - that Tim had taken it upon himself to keep Caleb entertained by handing him possession of his mobile phone, whereupon Caleb had taken it upon himself to throw it: "IN THE DIRTY GRASS". $80.
- finally scoring a cab ride to Nimbin. $120.
- receiving a phone call from the Passports Office, telling me that one of my photos is damaged, makes me look like I have a scar on my lips and thus my passport has been delayed (again) and I have to bring in new photos ASAP. $14.
- getting back to the workshop to pick up our car, only to find the initial $103 quote didn't quite cover the myriad of turdships in the ocean of our vehicle. $140.
- driving back today to Brisbane, only to break down. In the middle of nowhere. Again. $100.
- being mid crisis-call, only to have our phone run out of credit. Again. $20.
- realising that our car is now completely foo-bahed, not worth fixing and thereby paying a tow-truck driver to bring us all back to Brisbane. $200.

But being able to blog about it and thus open the possibility of the past two days of pain being tax-deductible?

Priceless.

The Banff Centre, here I come...

In some good news amidst the stress of last-minute preps, I've just found out I've been accepted to do an independent residency at the Leighton Studios at the phenomenal Banff Centre, come January. Check it out - ain't it purdy?

My homeboy Sean from the fabbo Misinterpretato spent a couple of weeks doing some jazz masterclasses there last year and absolutely RAVED about it as one of the highlights of his life.

Excitement in a jar, batman!

*Note to self: what are you even writing?

Doesn't the tooth fairy leave share certificates?

Ella has been SOOOO mega-excited about losing her first tooth.

As have I, but more in that 'it feels like only yesterday my little muppet was sprouting it through, at this rate I'm going to blink and she's going to be driving, working and screaming at me for screwing up her life' kinda way.

Dang.

Thanks to all you guys too for all the tooth-fairy stories, by the way. :-) Ella was completely intruiged by the whole thing, if not a little perplexed.

Her: But mummy, where will the tooth fairy put the money?

Me: In the cup of water, where your tooth was!

Her: In the water?

Me: Yep. She'll take the tooth and leave the money there instead.

*dramatic pause*

Her: You mean...*shock horror* it's just a COIN?