A blast from the past!

Sadly, I Googled myself today! I wanted to show Lauren that there is another Kylie Embury in Australia (she found me on facebook). It's amazing how much stuff is on there about me now - mainly from this blog, forums, and competitions I've won. Sadly (again) this AWFUL photo of me from the Examiner newspaper in 2003 (when the kids were 4 and 3) also came up in the search! I was trying to win World Cup Rugby tickets for the game at Aurora for Shayne, and ended up with the main prize of tickets, a Wallabies watch and gift pack, AND the Sony TV - which is still going strong! I was just saying the other day after my other winnings that I didn't know where our Examiner clipping was, so now at least I've got a copy! Patrick remembers this day, and so do I! They made us wait for AGES late in the day, and the kids were tired and ratty. THEN the photographer made us lie on the floor with the TV and the result was a shocking photo of me trying to stop two wriggling kids from escaping - check out the faces on the little monkeys!

It was worth it for such a cool prize though!

Merry Christmas!

We hope you have a fantastic Christmas

and a brilliant 2010!

Melbourne - here I come!

Just this morning, Mark, Shayne and I were talking about a trip to Melbourne next year for the Wallabies v All Blacks tri-nations game in July, and I said I'd prefer to go and see the Hawks play on another weekend (they are playing in Adelaide the Rugby weekend). Also, as Shayne wants to take the kids to their first Rugby game, I know that I will be the one packing, organising and worrying about them the whole time - are they warm enough, are they bored, are they safe in the Thugby crowd? etc etc - so basically no fun for me!

GO WALLABIES!

Minutes after posting my prize post today, I got another call from Vibe Village saying I was one of 3 agents to win the Pitos Chip prize for best agents - a ONE THOUSAND DOLLAR David Jones voucher! I jokingly asked Mum last week if she'd come with me to Melbourne if I won, and we'd shop all day! I've just spent the last half hour browsing David Jones catalogues on-line. I have had SO many opportunities and freebies through Vibe Village this year - it's been amazing! If THAT doesn't convince you to join, they are having a CADBURY trial in the New Year - now that's a subject I can certainly talk about!

A hat-trick of prizes!

Earlier today, I put a message on my sidebar here about being "in it to win it" referring to prizes I'd won recently. I said yesterday "what's the third thing I'm going to win?" as the old saying goes "good things come in threes", and sure enough, I just got a phone call to say I'd won another prize! OK, so it's not a car - or even $2,500 in grocery vouchers that a friend won recently, but I'll take it!

!!!

Last week on LAFM - our local radio station - I won a family pass to our New Year's Eve Celebrations. We'd already said we'd take the kids this year so it's a bonus it's now free!

Yesterday while I was waiting for Lauren's choir to perform on ABC local radio, I found a competition on their website and entered and won! I picked up the prize today - the entire Black Adder collection on DVD! I LOVE Black Adder, and it came at a great time as there is NOTHING on TV at the moment! Just a few minutes ago, I got a call from Vibe Village saying that I was one of their top 20 agents for the Nude Food Mover program I was involved in and that I'd won a Smash products hamper (below)

I don't want to seem greedy, but I will be focusing on a new car in 2010! Don't' forget - you've got to be in it to win it!

Christmas lights

For the last few years, we have made the tradition of going out to look at Christmas lights on the weekend before Christmas. One year we went on Christmas Eve, but it was too busy and a bit dangerous with all the cars doing u-turns and kids running across the roads to look at the lights. We went tonight and it was busy, but much more relaxed as we could stop and have a good look without feeling rushed by the cars lining up behind us. We have some old favourites, and love finding new lights each year. We are lucky that some of the best in Launceston, including this prize winning house in the first two photos, are near where we live. It's nice now that the kids are old enough to enjoy it (and still be awake). The first year we went when they were about 3 and 4 they both asked to go home to bed!

*Thanks to my apprentice Shayne for the photos

Another tradition...

As well as getting a photo of the kids on their first day of school each year, I try and remember to get one on their last day of each year.

2007 Grade 1 & 2 2008 Grade 2 & 3

2009 Grade 3 and 4

They look so tiny in the first one! Patrick has really grown up this year and Lauren looks so little next to him. Not sure if they'll let me keep doing it - as you can tell by SOMEONE'S expression they weren't keen this morning.

Classic Christmas sentiments

Patrick brought home the Christmas card he made us at school today. He said he wanted to say something other than just "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year"... and so he did!

"TO Mum, Dad, Lauren, Sassy and Beau,

Merry Christmas and how big's the Christmas dinner going to be???

.....NO seriously - how big?"

From Patrick

Super Swimmers

The kids had their Swimming carnival at Glen Dhu pool today. Because it's a combined Grade 3 & 4 Carnival, they were both there together which was great. The Glen Dhu pool is good as it's only 20 metres long, and even depth, so all the kids get to go in an event, even if they aren't confident swimmers. The Grade 5 and 6 Carnival is at the beginning of the year at Launceston Aquatic. It's nice that Patrick and Lauren are only a year a part, as this year it's meant that their carnivals and some other school activities have been together - making it easier for us to see them both in action. Lauren went in the 20m freestyle and came 3rd. I was really impressed with her bilateral breathing - she makes it look so easy. She also went in the 20 metre breast stroke and came second and her team "Sea" came 1st in the relay - helped a lot by her swimming her 20 metres very well! She has a real knack and would make a great swimmer - not sure she has the committment at this stage but maybe one day!

Patrick went in every race he could - the 40 metre freestyle, 40m backstroke, 20m breast stroke and the relay - each time coming a brilliant 3rd behind some really talented swimmers. What he lacks in natural ability, he makes up for in perseverance and proves that slow and steady gets a place (in this case) as a lot of the others were faster to start with in the 40m races, but ran out of steam further along, while Paddy kept his pace and finished well - maybe a long distance swimmer of the future? Every time I took a photo of Patrick he'd go under the water in the breaststroke!

They usually have novelty races at the end, but as so many competed today, they ran out of time...

not before they all jumped in for a free swim!

It was such a beautiful day, and the water looked so nice, Mum and I headed up to Launceston Aquatic to do some laps - fun with a couple of school groups up there! It's much quieter when we usually go in the morning, and hopefully we'll keep going twice a week with the kids when they are on holidays - that's if we can rely on Summer finally staying!

Oh Christmas Tree...

This Christmas is our first without a real tree. I've always loved the smell of the pine trees but in the last year, both Patrick and my hay fever and allergies have become worse, so it's not worth it. Last year, I had sore itchy eyes the whole time the tree was up! It took us ages to find a tree as it seems most people have the same idea this year and are going from real to "not-so-real". Pretty much everyone had sold out except for Design Inn, where they had BEAUTIFUL trees a little out of our price range. Yesterday I went back to Kmart after hearing that they have had lovely trees in the past, and they had more in - and what's more - they were 20% off, so half the price of the one we'd liked at Design Inn! I really like the tree as it's about as "real" looking as a "not-so-real" tree can look - and it doesn't shed! Now, I'm just off to the servo to get some of that "Pine fresh" spray (or NOT!) Every year since they were born, we have tried to get the kids a Russ Christmas ornament. They both got Russ teddies from their Nanna and Pa when they were born, so we've tried to keep the tradition going, and hope they will have a good quality set of ornaments when they leave home.

This year Lauren's is a reindeer

Paddy's is the elf

We have the Kiwi ornament - Buzzy Bee,

and of course, the Hawks!

Each year the company bring out different ornaments

We've only had one "dud" and that's when Shayne was responsible for going to Forever Lace and choosing! I think it may have been the year Russ Berrie died because some of the ornaments were awful including the rat on a swing that Shayne chose for Patrick! Needless to say, it goes at the back of the tree, and I now buy the ornaments each year!

And while we're on the subject of ugly, Christmas just wouldn't be the same without this little guy - "The Ghost Of Christmas Past" from when I was a kid - he has to be 30+ years old!Enjoy the last minute Christmas madness!

I can't believe it's been a year!

I've been putting off taking a Christmas photo of the kids as it usually ends in tears - more often than not MINE! I chose today as both Patrick and Lauren were being amicable - and actually getting on with each other! I does NOT seem like a year since I took this one...

December 2008

December 2009

They've both grown HEAPS this year, and Paddy has really filled out. You can tell by their lack of tans that it's been a lot wetter and colder this year than last!

Let's hope they'll still pose for me when they are 10 and 11 next Christmas!

Woolworths Christmas Party

Yesterday we went to our 6th Woolworths Christmas Party. The first one we went to in 2004 when the kids were 4 and 5, was at Deloraine where we've had two, and the rest have been at the Devonport show ground. We LOVE it - it really starts to feel like Christmas is nearly here when we go, and the last two years they have had FANTASTIC fireworks displays - the best I've ever seen. There are heaps of freebies for the kids - face painting, balloons, tattoos and shows - a magic show this year - a band, and of course - all the fantastic rides! Each year they keep five or six rides from the show. In the past we've had dodgem cars, ferris wheels and the HORRIBLE hurricane last year. This year they had the octopus and a nasty looking ride called crazy dance. As is becoming tradition, Patrick talked Lauren into going on one of the more "adventurous rides" - the crazy dance - and she hated it (surprise surprise). Last year she cried the whole time on the hurricane, so why she'd listen to her brother is beyond me - maybe she'll learn next year!

!!!

It was great to catch up again with our other "Contiki Couple" Lisa and Layne and their kids Carmella and Dylan who are similar ages to Patrick and Lauren - the kids only see each other once or twice a year, but always get on well and just seem to pick up where they left off last time they saw each other!

Will she ever learn? On the crazy dance before it got CRAZY!

Carmella and Dylan

The kids can have as many rides as they like, and there aren't huge queues like at the show!

Lauren and Carmella

Possibly the last year Lol will get Paddy on the bouncing castle!

Patrick driving Lauren around the bend - a common sight and a glimpse of things to come!

Both kids loved this - I remember Lauren going on it at Deloriane when she was 4 - back when she was the more adventurous one!

The Kiwi patient making sure his boss didn't see him overdoing it!

Pestered

Patient (?)

Performing!

Waiting for the fireworks to begin.

Poor Paddy has had horrible hay fever with puffy eyes this year.

We're already looking forward to going next year, it's such a great family day!