Some pictures from my week

Nan (Mum) new to instagram is now an apple fangirl.

Mr theoldboathouse noticed we have a school price list from 2004 in our kitchen. Chauncy and Frankie have now both left chac.

                                                      Great piece of Trench Art

Lotte's school break up today ~ Twirly pinwheels for her friends and homemade Jellyskins

Have been having a good sought out of my shelves at the WAC

Still got a few more to go....

Time for tennis

Don't forget the best way to keep up with the old boathouse these days is by following @katherinetheoldboathouse on instagram on your phone or tablet. Or going to Instagram.com/katherinetheoldboathouse on your PC or Mac

We're Home and just in time for Chauncy's BIG night ! !

Actually we arrived home Friday. Lotte surprised her surgical team and the wonderful nursing staff at the Mater Children's hospital and had only a 5 day stay, not the..up to two weeks, predicted before hand. What a star! Thank - you for all your kind comments and thoughts.

While we were away a new member of the family arrived. Isn't he cute! I have already wasted so much time watching him dart about in his 5 ft tank...thank goodness that fits in Chauncy's room. He is only about 15cm long at the moment but he will grow much bigger and he should live for up to 30 years. 

And in other super exciting news Lotte and I were home in time to share in Chauncy's year 12  formal. I was secretly stressing about this all week, as every Mum wants to be a part of the excitement of the big night.

Chauncy and his girlfriend, Jadey  made a beautiful couple don't you think ?

And look, he's actually smiling....a blog first!  

This weeks auctions and Lotte update

  Lotte has left intensive care and moved to general ward this morning. So except for some pain and a tube in Lotte's nose that she finds really annoying, all is going really well. Katherine wanted me to thank everyone for all the kind thoughts. Lotte had looked very worried when they took her away to theatre, but not as worried as her mum got as the operation went past the four hour mark after being told, it turns out incorrectly, that it would all be over in only one and a half hours.

   

Handing over an empty table and the blog......for a while

Lotte and I are off for a while to hospital for an operation. But we have been busy making sure the boys in house, well one boy in particular, can not complain.
The table has been cleared of bric a brac. Even my finds from yesterdays garage sales have been cleaned priced and taken over to the WAC and the Garden Centre.

 In fact, Lotte and I have been very good girls and we have cleared a full table twice in the last week or so of goodies. The first time ready for a full table of guests for Easter Lunch.

 So please be gentle with Kristen and his blog postings. I know he will be looking constantly to see if he gets any comments. Fingers crossed Lotte and I will be back in a week or so.

Yellow

Lotte and I bought some flowers today. Big, bright, YELLOW gerberas.

 Yellow is such a happy colour. It is so full of life, and joy, and sunshine. It is extra special to Lotte and I now because,simply, it was Ben's favourite colour. Ben was Lotte's friend. He was the truest of friends and the bravest of boys and like his favourite colour he was all joy and sunshine. Today is his birthday. He would have been 13...a teenager.

We love you Ben, we will remember and miss you everyday.

Saturday Omnibus ~ A week of Panic, Relaxation and treasure finding

So big news for me this week, my youngest, Lotte, went on camp. That's nice you say, no big deal you think...well for me it caused a minor panic and all round near meltdown ha.There were lots of big boys saying "Calm down Mum" and bigger still boys saying, "Just relax honey". But those who know me know I am not great at doing either, where Lotte is concerned, and for the days leading up to camp I had that feeling like someone had punched me in the stomach and then decided to reach in and pull out my heart....

Here is Lotte looking super excited, ( NOT ), moments before she left on the camp bus. Lotte, unlike her mother, is always relaxed, so relaxed she is very good at nodding off during moments of high chaos and commotion.  She doesn't travel light and below is just the tip of the iceberg of gear she took with her for her two nights away.

My panic extended to panic purchases...she suddenly had to have new shoes for camp, new haircut, new outfits. Everything was labelled ...a huge 12 page booklet on everything her carers needed to know, about everything Lotte,  had to be written. Thank goodness Kristen had a plan for me to ease my extreme anxiety and severe separation complex while Lotte was on camp. 

But I was in PANIC mode so this plan led initially to panic food shopping. Notice all the instant and ready to heat meals.

Panic stocking of the WAC and garden centre...including this retro TV

coffee table

Unusual Art Deco style cupboard/dresser. But I am sure you will be pleased to know as soon as I saw this ...

I stopped panicing....Very soon, if asked, I would have said..."Children ? What Children?"

Kristen took me to the Sheraton Noosa while Lotte was on camp...what a super husband! That's why I had to shop up on the instant meals, as we left Frankie and Chauncy home to look after the house etc....(the etc is code for... have heaps of friends over when Mum and Dad aren't around and have free use of Mum's car. )

Our room was at the end of the longest corridor...it reminded me of some kind of movie set.

I drank way too many cocktails and the time went too fast. We have been home now for under 24 hours and already my dining room table, which was empty before we left, looks like this....

Thank goodness Nan is here and she can help me clean and organise. I hope you all had a great week too.