Adventures with Olaf

Ever have anything that you half dread yet half anticipate with excitement? It was my turn this weekend.

Pickle's playcare class have an Olaf toy (from the movie Frozen if you have been hiding under a rock don't have young kids) that goes home with a family each weekend, and they document the adventures.  So far he's been away to the Gold Coast and Townsville on holidays, but even those at home have done some seriously creative scrap-booking displays.  One talented Mum even propped scenes.  I'm not sure if I want to hat-tip or throttle her... stuff like this is just not my forte!

Then Miss Vanessa, Pickle's girlfriend educator sprung it on me Friday morning that we'd be taking Olaf home this weekend.  Cue panic.  We didn't have anything out of the ordinary planned, but...

Olaf came along for the ride - quite literally - on the cargo-bike, in prime position next to Pickle for the journey home on Friday night to kick start a pretty typical weekend for us.

Arriving home, Pickle and Olaf set to playing on the fort before a dinner of sushi in the garden.  I had joked that Olaf needed a spa day. Jinxed myself didn't I, as Pickle had a massive nose bleed just before bed.  Olaf enjoyed his spa night and looks quite spiffy now.

Saturday is Kindergym... gymnastics for under fives.  Lots of games, balance beams, trampolines, and the pièce de résistance: the foam pit.  Pickle and Olaf were also up on the rings, they bowled and finished off the morning playing under the parachute.

Time for a relaxing fruit frappe and dairy-free babychino which Pickle and Olaf shared.

We went shopping to get Pickle a proper tea pot. Afternoon tea time meant we each had a cup of "tea" poured for us.

Then Hermes decided to get in on the action for cuddles. Lulu was camera shy.  Olaf previously met (co-educator) Miss Rachel's cats, so he knew cats are friendly and like warm hugs as much as he does.

Pickle wanted to make Warm Fuzzies, so he could give one to Olaf to let him know he enjoyed his visit.  He picked each set of feet, pom-pom body and mouth for each person he made them for.  Olaf's is the green pom-pom with yellow feet and red "kissy lips"!

B2, B1
Pickle, Olaf & RJ

Sunday night we went out for dinner with Big Ted and his "big boys", B1, B2 and RJ.  B2 has finished his final school exams and he graduates this week, so we went out for dinner to celebrate (he also got the purple Warm Fuzzy and a "gratulation" from Pickle).


Last night for the sleepover with Olaf and Pickle with his regular cohorts of Charlie the monkey,
Woofy the dog and Sven the reindeer (who is actually a moose, but Pickle named him after the Frozen character, and who am I to argue). It's been great fun.  We'll miss you Olaf!

So the scrap book has been updated.  Pickle will stand up in class tomorrow to tell everyone about his weekend with Olaf.  *proud Mummy gush*.

The end result - what do you think?

My coloured card and origami paper might not be quite as artistic as some of the efforts, but I don't think it's embarrassing and we sure packed a lot in.

So what do you think? Are you one of the über artistic parents, or do you dread the creative stuff you need to do for daycare/school participation as much as me?!

Cheers, KangaRue :)

Degrees of doldrum

I'm done!  After taking the best part of 8 years to complete my degree, I've finally finished.  And truth be told, it's been a little anticlimactic.  I was expecting a huge rush of triumph... but it didn't happen.

Finishing up was spread over a couple of months.  I handed in my last paper, a few weeks later I got the results.  Then I had to finish the practical aspects... the required client hours and clinical supervision.  The final supervision session was delayed as I ended up in A&E with Pickle (who had fractured his arm, but coped really well in plaster and is fine now)... and then it was done.

I had to finish up at my placement venue as I was no longer a student, yet the required meetings and paperwork hadn't been completed in order to offer me a position.  So I set to spring cleaning my house, de-cluttering our wardrobes and the accumulation of toys (this is still a work in progress).  I had the meetings, signed the paperwork and a couple of days later I was back in the workplace having only missed two days of work (I've chosen to work part-time as a good balance for my own mental health and well-being particularly as a single parent).

The beautiful flowers on my desk at work
with obligatory photo of my gorgeous Pickle

BigTed sent me a gorgeous bunch of my favourite flowers to celebrate my first day as a fully-qualified paid counsellor... and as they are opening up they smell stunning.

And don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic that I was offered a position doing the work I love.

Over the coming weeks I'll need to do some delightful paperwork *yawn*, to apply to graduate... in May 2015... so I'm not sure when, or even if, I'm going to a celebratory *woohoo* moment.

Has this ever happened to you?  Did you get your *woohoo* eventually?  What triggered it? And what happened if you didn't get that lightbulb moment?

Cheers, KangaRue :)
BAppSocSc (Couns)  - well, that's the first time I've written that and admittedly it feels pretty good