Well we have been busy house hunting. The dream of owning our own home again seems to be such a big task and so stressful. First we not only have to find the kind of home that we think will fit the ever changing needs of our family, but then we have to ensure that we can secure the much needed funds to purchase it. We seem to have been saving and saving since forever, yet still we can’t find the house we feel really fits the bill for us…

Fingers crossed that we will be able to find it soon, especially since we don’t particularly want something Big and flash!

Well here we are! Already it is the last day of the week – or depending on how you view life, the first day of the week! Regardless of where you think Sunday may fall within the seven day structure,  Sunday is always Bun day here at our house.

In this house, our love of freshly baked buns has turned into something of a tradition – come Sundays. For quite some time now, every Sunday it has been our destiny to get up and go and buy buns from our local bakery. Then once home we top then with spreads of butter, jam and Vegemite or in the instance of one of us, nothing at all!

I am not really sure when the act of buying buns (Knot rolls to be precise)  as a Sunday treat suddenly turned into a must have addition along with our Sunday newspaper. But it has, and for quite some time we have enjoyed this relaxed atmosphere and start to the day.

Also around here, Sunday  traditionally means – roast day at our house too. We always have roast meat, roast potato, pumpkin, carrots and such like and the ever trustworthy mash potato on hand.

Argh, now wonder Sundays seem to be our favourite day with such predictability and tradition surround it!

Well we have been selected by the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) to be apart of their monthly population survey.

It all stated a few days ago when we got a letter in the mail saying that we, the occupants of our address, have been selected to be a part of this survey group. We had to ring a number, which we did, and organise for a call back for next week – which is when they actually start taking the responses. According to the leaflet they provided with the letter, we are required to answer the survey questions once a month for the next 8 months. the only way we can get out of doing it is to move house.

Apparently, these surveys have been carried out since 1960 and are designed to provide regular information about the Australian population and it’s civilian workforce. They look at the flow of people in and out of work, looking for work, in retirement, hours worked, occupations, type of industry worked in and what steps you take to find work if unemployed. They also have the right to ask about education, the environment, conditions of employment and child care arrangements.

I guess it is going to be an interesting few months ahead of us!

Want to learn more about the ABS’s Monthly Population Survey? Click Here….

I just can’t believe that we are all now sick, and my thought of me missing out has finally come to bite me in the bum! This morning when I woke up I felt dreadful. My head was heavy and felt like I have a headache coming on. My nose is also dreadful. It is not running, but clogged and every time I blow it, the mucus is green and full of blood. My eyes are sore and I am constantly squinting. So I have a doctors appointment to check me out, which I can’t get to until tomorrow. Tata and the girls are also booked in to make sure that they too are not getting sicker and to make sure we have not missed something along the way.

I am hoping that this sickness I have is not connected to my sickness earlier in the year, when I had to have two weeks off work. Then I was experiencing dizziness, coughing up blood and lots of other horrible symptoms. They could not find the connection to the coughing up blood then, so hopefully this blood issue is not related and is not part of a much more sinister and hidden agenda.

I just wish that we can all get over this and back to good health real soon as Tata has already been off work almost all week, Nik has been sick for almost two weeks and now Jah and I have started to fall sick too. And winter has not even officially started yet!

Well I hate to say it, but everyone in our house is still sick and off colour. Everyone that is but me. Tata has been off work since Monday with a medical certificate and he is unlikely to go back to work until next Monday. Nik has also been sick and Jah too. They all seem to have a temperature that fluctuates constantly. They are also experiencing runny and blocked noses, very sore throats that are so sore at times the girls have complained at swallowing their own saliva. I think they have all complained about every part of their bodies aching at one point or another.

We have the heating on in the house to keep them all warm and also they seem to slip under doonas and sit on the couch most of the time to watch TV and just relax. None of them have any energy for anything more. Sleep time is a nightmare as lying down aggravates their nose and throat and therefore makes it uncomfortable to sleep.  Thankfully I have been able to continue to go to work and the girls have been able to stay at home in the warm.

I just hope that the three of them manage to get over it all soon…

Well today was a rather quiet day. The children, Tata and I just hung around the house doing our own things.

Tata was playing on the computer and happened to get the cleaning bug half way through the day so he stripped and cleaned the fridge, did the washing and also the toilets and bathrooms. I on the other hand preferred to spend the day checking out things for the girls home education, reading websites I hardly ever get to spend time on and working on a recent project we are undertaking (more about that a little later!).

The girls spent much of the day curled up on the couch upstairs watching Dr Who. I am not quite sure why we have a craze of Dr Who spreading throughout our house but both Nik and Jah enjoy talking about Dr who and which actor – Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant or Matt Smith is the best doctor. They take turns in watching the various episodes of Dr who and even at the ages of 4 and 9 rank the series into their most favourite and least favourite by which actor plays the DR and who his companion is at the time! – Tata and I just laugh at it all – two very Sci fi girls we have here!

And their verdict is:

Christopher Eccleston  & Rose Tyler

David Tennant & Rose Tyler

David Tennant & Martha Jones

Matt Smith & Amy Pond

David Tennant & Donna Noble!

They shall not grow old,
As we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them.

Today, Jah and I got up early and got ready to take the drive into Hobart to attend the ANZAC Day Dawn service that the Cenotaph. Tata stayed home with Nik who has been sick lately. In the lead up to today we have talked about ANZAC Day and what it stands for. We have explored our own family history and connection to the ANZACs as well as spent a lot of time learning about the ‘spirit of the ANZACs’ and  completing work based around this important day in Australia’s History.

We will remember them -Family members who served in the Australian Armed Forces.

Our Grandfather – Bartholomew Bermingham - Australian Army

Our Grandmother – Aileen E. Bermingham (Nee Durward) - Australian Army

Our Uncle – Peter W. Bermingham – Australian Navy

Lest We Forget

Download, Listen to and play  – ‘The Last Post’ – thanks to www.anzacday.org.au

– The Last Post – 214kb

ANZAC Day

I saw a kid marchin’ with medals on his chest.
He marched alongside Diggers marching six abreast.
He knew that it was ANZAC Day – he walked along with pride.
He did his best to keep in step with the Diggers by his side.

And when the march was over the kid was rather tired.
A Digger said “Whose medals, son?” to which the kid replied:
“They belong to daddy, but he did not come back.
He died up in New Guinea on a lonely jungle track”.

The kid looked rather sad then and a tear came to his eye.
The Digger said “Don’t cry my son and I will tell you why.
Your daddy marched with us today – all the blooming way.
We Diggers know that he was there – it’s like that on ANZAC Day”.

The kid looked rather puzzled and didn’t understand,
But the Digger went on talking and started to wave his hand.
“For this great land we live in, there’s a price we have to pay
For we all love fun and merriment in this country where we live.
The price was that some soldier his precious life must give.

For you to go to school my lad and worship God at will,
Someone had to pay the price so the Diggers paid the bill.
Your daddy died for us my son – for all things good and true.
I wonder if you understand the things I’ve said to you”.

The kid looked up at the Digger – just for a little while
And with a changed expression, said, with a lovely smile:
“I know my dad marched here today – this is ANZAC Day.
I know he did. I know he did, all the bloomin’ way”.

D. Hunter – (A veteran of Shaggy Ridge with the 2/12 Battalion in WW2)

A few days ago, we received a phone call from Tia asking if she could come and stay with us on Easter eve. We were so excited. Unfortunately Tia could only come for two days and one night, but even so we very much looked forward to her visit and spending some quality time with her. In all the talking and chatting we forgot to take any memory catching moments in photo format until the second and final day of her stay. Here are some of the glimpses into her visit we captured.

Hope you come back soon Tia!