Category: 6 years and beyond

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6 years and beyond

School Holidays The Smart Way

Kids having fun at vacation care. Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Kids having fun at vacation care. Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Do you use vacation care? I only used a day here or there, but the last school holidays I sent the twins three days in a week. It has been a god sent. Yes me time in the holidays. Who would have thought, being relaxed in the school holidays. I was not meaning to have them in for three days in one week, however the vacation care provider has great activities to do during the holidays. One in particular was drumming and music and the other was a craft day that was themed and of course carried over to another day.

Due to the kids love of music and of course creating as much artwork that is humanly possible I thought they would love it. It would be a win for me and them. They would have fun with kids, some their friends from school and new kids. While at care the twins will be taken to excursions or otherwise known as different activities for the day. You don’t have to sign up to these excursions but it is only a little bit extra and it makes the day much more fun for the kids.

I realised that I was much more relaxed due to having more me time and also less stressed. In hindsight I did the last school holidays all wrong. I was run off my feet entertaining the girls. Although I enjoyed it I am only one person with limited resources. A care facility can and does organise so much better events and excursions than I can.

Next school holidays I am doing it smarter and booking the kids into a few days of care.

Other mums commented on how relaxed I looked and it was like I went away on holiday. NO holiday on a fancy island or resort. Just the simple thing of having some time for me. Quiet time to allow me to do whatever I wanted. Sewing, blogging, resting, catching up on TV shows, going to the shops that are far away (yes having the kids in care allows me to travel down the mountain and to go to the shops. Fancy going to a dress shop without the worry of kids touching everything!)

So come the next holidays I am going to do it the right way this time. I cannot afford too many days of care, but a day here and there is a great help and allows me to do my own thing. It is a holiday after all. I find it sad that it seems like it is just a holiday for the kids. When is it my holiday time? Yes I know very rarely, but you have to try and find time for you and your mini holidays.

Do you use vacation care? Has it been as amazing for you? Do your kids love it? I love it, but it is mainly due to me being able to do whatever for a day. A full day rather than a school day. YES!!!! I hear you say, where do I sign up.

Centrelink also gives you a subsidy for care so you pay a certain amount but this depends on the percentage for your rebate. If you are interested you can check with Centrelink.  This does make it cheaper and more accessible for all.

 

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6 years and beyond

Karate Is A Hit

The twins are very active and have been this way since babies. Both kids always want to be on the move, have the same toy or do the same things at the same time. Yes very exhausting! Not only this, they always want to do multiple things at once; watch TV, play outside, read a million and one books and of course draw and paint. As you can imagine this takes a toll on the house and tidiness. I make sure that they do one thing at a time or at least try to, and once done with that task we put it away or at least make it cleaner than it was once the mess was made.

The kids first go at Karate. They loved it and want to go again. I hope they stick with it. We will see.
The kids first go at Karate. They loved it and want to go again. I hope they stick with it. We will see.

I am sure that this type of behaviour is not unique to twins or just my household, but I do find that due to the kids being close and so intertwined they are super competitive. I have also witnessed one kid in particular getting frustrated and dealing with this with being aggressive to her sister. It is obvious that she is angry and finds it hard to communicate her feelings and wants, she then just reacts and gets upset when she gets into trouble.

I have tried time out, asking why this behaviour has happened, giving her more activity, I thought it was a an attention issue and spent more time with her, praised good behaviour and made sure to not reward bad, and so on. Nothing was working. We have tried over the years to put the kids into a sport due to them being so full of beans, but this never happened. I am not sure if they were just too young but everything I took them to they either cried, had a tantrum or refused to try.

We tried the following:

  • Soccer – they cried and yelled at me and fell on the floor. So we left.
  • Rock climbing – Drove to a far away centre on the promise they would give it a go. Screaming, crying and just no one wanting to give it a go. So we left.
  • Little athletics due to one kids love of running – no one joined in and wanted to leave the second we got there.
  • Tumbling (basic gymnastics) – Screamed, cried and just did not want to join in. So again we left.
  • Karate in 2013 to see if they wanted to join. No they just watched and did not want to join in.
  • Dance in 2013 – liked it then they got to a point where they don’t want to do it. However we are now doing dance for this term and kids love it. It might be due to the fact that they are doing a Frozen concert and the girls will be Elsa in the production.
  • Kids have been doing swimming lessons and love the pool, so that is a win there as well.
  • Karate in 2014 is now a hit and they love it and wish to go back! Finally we have success!

I am not pushing a sport on the kids but feel that if they have so much energy it is best to channel it into something positive, get fit and meet new friends as well. Since the kids have been to their first karate lesson their behaviour has really turned around. I am not sure if this has anything to do with it and have noted that they are very sleepy due to all the extra activity we are doing each week. Now we have karate, then dance, and then swimming. Mind you these are all on separate days.

I do think it is too early to tell if karate is helping them at home more…. time will tell and if they stick with it I will then know if it is a help and working for us.

My kids are smart, I am not saying they are geniuses but I believe they get bored easily. This leads to frustration and upset. I think this might be part of the problem with the twins. They need to be stimulated all the time to keep their bodies and minds active.

Have you had incidents where your kids are being so angry and upset at each other? Do they attack each other with biting, hitting, pinching or just anger? I am so over it and I know this is a stage and mind you being with each other all the time, might make you annoyed to. I have tried to give each child some alone time and I am hoping that this might help as well.  It is probably a sibling rivalry issue and it will work out over time. I however don’t want one child to feel like she is the target of the others anger and of course would like it to be channeled in other areas, and for them both to learn techniques on how to deal with emotion and feelings.  I know karate does not focus on emotion and feelings and I am working on this at home.

I am making sure that both kids have some quiet time like meditation, but not really. Just some time to rest, relax and to just be. They have done yoga at school and a bit of meditation so this is not new to them.

So next week we are off again to karate and the one kid that really wanted to do it was so happy. During her first lesson the teacher praised her for standing correctly and all her good work. She was all smiles.

What are your techniques to deal with anger or aggressive behaviour? Send them in so we call all learn.

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6 years and beyond

Misplaced Fitbit Flex

UPDATE: The kind people at Fitbit are replacing my Fitbit Flex for me. How lovely and exciting. Yes as you might guess I have not located it and been sad ever since I lost it. My device should arrive soon, and pictures will be posted when it does.

Have you ever put something down and cannot remember where you put it? I have and it happened to me yesterday. YES, I have misplaced something important. Admittedly I was tidying up, tired and thinking about dinner, tomorrow and all the other things that I need to do and obviously not the task in hand.

What have I misplaced? Well that would be my Fitbit Flex. Yes, my new wonderful device that monitors my steps. The Fitbit had emailed earlier that day telling me that its battery was running low and it needed a charge (Yes the Fitbit emails you to tell you to charge it – very cool indeed). I knew where it was and it was sitting on my side table next to my bed. Right, I know where it is, I will deal with it later.

Close up of my Fitbit Flex. You tap it to show you the dots. The dots represent how many steps you have done. A full row of dots indicates you have completed your 10,00 steps or more! Half way shows that you have done at least 5,000.
Close up of my Fitbit Flex. You tap it to show you the dots. The dots represent how many steps you have done. A full row of dots indicates you have completed your 10,00 steps or more! Half way shows that you have done at least 5,000.

Hubby then asked while I was up could I get his Pebble Watch as it needed a charge. I then remembered that my Fitbit needed a charge also. I went to the bedroom to get both items. I gave hubby his watch and who knows where the Fitbit went! I now cannot find it.

I thought that I put it on my desk that I had since tidied and had the charger ready to go. Now I just needed the device to charge. This has been the quest of today and last night. To find my Fitbit Flex. Today I have had no luck. My aim tomorrow is to find it and in the process clean a bit of the house. I have a fear that I might have had garbage in one hand and things to keep in the other…. could I have thrown it in the bin?

Garbage night is soon, and before I will go through the garbage to make sure that I have not thrown it out, as that would be very bad news if I have! Best to check before the bins go to the tip.

What is the worst thing that you have misplaced? Lost or cannot find? I wish I could go back in time and find where I put it…. would hypnosis help? What would I do to make me go back to that very moment in time? I don’t know how to do this, so think getting stuck into every area is the way to go. I just hope that I have time to do it all. I am going to prioritize on the bins, and certain areas that will be more likely to have this much loved and missing device.

I just cannot believe that I have lost it in my own house when I went to go get it! I must be sleep deprived if I am doing things like this!

Send in your stories so I don’t feel so bad about this silly act of tidying.  If I cannot locate it I will have to replace it. 🙁

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6 years and beyond

Melbourne Cup 2014

How quickly has this year gone! Yes it is November and today is Melbourne Cup day… and in a blink of an eye it will be Christmas. The year is nearly ended and that makes me think, what do I get everyone for Christmas? But that is another post entirely.

Analysing the horses, their form, jockeys and trainers. Also looked at the odds for each horses. Who shall I pick? Will I pick a winner? Who knows
Analyzing the horses, their form, jockeys and trainers. Also looked at the odds for each horses. Who shall I pick? Will I pick a winner? Who knows

I do love to have a bet on Cup Day, not that I bet much as I hate to lose my hard earnt dollars, but it does make it a bit more interesting and exciting. Betting on a horse or a few makes you involved in way that makes it more fun. You yell at the screen, have a cheeky remark to a mate at work that their horse won’t win and yours will. It is a bit of fun for a day.

A little bet also allows you to daydream with the possibility of winning big. Will this be the year that my horse wins? Will this be the year that I win hundreds of dollars? I am not sure but it would be nice.

I went with a different tactic this year. I looked at how good the horses were regardless of odds. I went with horses that I thought would do well and backed some hopefuls that have long odds, if this horse wins I will be a very happy lady indeed. Last year I went with all the favourties and did not get a win. I wonder if my technique this year will generate a win.

I have taken my time and picked some horses for a win and a place. I am covering all my bases this year. Betting on Melbourne Cup is fun.
I have taken my time and picked some horses for a win and a place. I am covering all my bases this year. Betting on Melbourne Cup is fun.

If you hear a VERY LOUD SCREAM after the race, This will mean I have won. Yes my scream would be most powerful as it would travel for km’s and across mountains and towns, to alert you of my good fortune.

Now I have my horses I can seriously yell at the TV now to tell the horses to win. How I wish they would listen when I say this. They did not listen last year. However, I do believe my new way of choosing the winner to the Cup will turn my luck around.

Are these the winning tickets? I have a mystery bet on. It would be great if that won. How amazing would that be!
Are these the winning tickets? I have a mystery bet on. It would be great if that won. How amazing would that be!

 

My fingers and toes are crossed I am holding a winning ticket…. What about you? Have you put your bet on? Do you have a flutter on Melbourne Cup? Are you in the company sweeps? Do the kids help pick the winning horse? Do you pick the horse based on the colours of the silks the jockeys wear? Let us know how you pick the winner in your household.

Good Luck everyone! Hope you have a wonderful day and if you can get dressed up in a frock and hat, Relax. Enjoy!

UPDATE: I managed to pick first, second and third so my technique this year has worked. Not sure that I have won a great deal but pleased that I might be getting a little something back (My winnings were: $40.20, so all in all it did not cost a great deal to bet on the cup this year). Wish I go the big win though and one day that will happen. I live in hope.

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6 years and beyond

You Cannot Call Me That!

Kids at school. Image courtesy of Vlado at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Kids at school. Image courtesy of Vlado at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Last week some of the boys in the girls reading group were being silly and not nice to one of my girls. She then said very loudly, “My name is Lillian, not Lilly to YOU!” “You Can call me Lillian, Not Lilly!”

Wow! I have never heard her speak like this! The comments must have annoyed her no end and decided they are not allowed to call her Lilly as a punishment.

Sometimes people shorten my name but only people I know very well do. Others generally call me my full name. Do you do the same? I find it is a familiarity and something that friends do over time, shorten your name.

This order from Lillian to address her by her full name took the boys by surprise. They then said that they always call her Lilly not Lillian. She had nothing to do with the mutterings and insisted that she be called by her full name.

I told hubby and he said that she must have been very angry to have said this to the boys. I wonder if this is still the case at the school. Are the boys still having to refer to her by the full name?

What has your child or children said in anger or annoyance that you thought was funny or interesting? Let us know.

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6 years and beyond

If The Strain Was Real Life

I love syfy, drama and horror shows, but one that does the lot is the new show called “The Strain”. This show is not for kids and we watch it when we know the twins are asleep.

So what is The Strain?

The Strain follows Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and his team from the CDC (Centre for Disease Control) as they are tasked with investigating a mysterious viral outbreak. The virus affects all passengers on a Boeing 767-300ER that lands at JFK airport. It stops on the tarmac when it was supposed to be taxiing to their destination at the airport. The windows are all closed and all passengers appear to be dead or so it seems. Four passengers are found alive although affected by this weird and unexplainable virus.

On the plane it carried a large wooden box or more like a coffin. In this coffin was dirt and in the dirt was worms. The worms carry the infection and the infection morphs the body of the host (the people) into a vampire like creature.  Dr Ephraim Goodweather ends up teaming up with a man called Abraham Setrakian who has seen this virus before, when in a prison camp during world war II.  Abraham has devoted his life to eradicating this evil and hunting down the master that controls the vampires.

Below is the trailer for “The Strain”

 

Dr. Ephraim Goodweather has a son and he has to stay with him now at all times ( I won’t spoil things if you have not watched it yet), and it got me thinking. Before the whole group went underground to attack the vampires the son got an overview on how to use a sword, told to stay close, and what to do if something bad happened.

In this episode that hubby and I watched I suggested what would it be like if it was real life and how would we fare if we had the twins with us.

So we are all in the tunnel with the twins. And this is what would happen if it was real life:

  • Each child has a sword and has been told not to drop it. They drop it several times and wake the vampires. We risk life and limb and manage to escape without being infected.
  • One child falls over their own feet or object on the ground
  • Does not remember how to use the sword
  • Does not keep quiet
  • Does not stay close to mummy or daddy and gets into trouble. This would mean more sword action and more chance of infection
  • Starts singing and alerts the vampires to our location
  • Starts dancing and bumps into the wall or falls over a vampire
  • Gets scared and starts to cry and wants to be carried through the tunnel
  • Sword to heavy for child, you end up holding onto it plus all the other teddies they have decided they cannot carry (why are you always the packhorse!)
  • Child not listening to you and you end up having to raise your voice and then alerting the vampires to your presence
  • Child or children have a tantrum which of course does not help and makes the vampires turn on you
  • Afraid of the dark and stays still not helping you move through the tunnel
  • Looses their favourite toy and then has a HUGE MELTDOWN. Which means exiting the tunnel quick smart is an URGENT PRIORITY! Not sure if it will happen but we will try.

I am sure that we are safe from a vampire invasion and an infection like that of “The Strain” but looking at my list I think our minutes would be numbered and we would be infected in no time.

Do you look at television shows and wonder what it would be like if it was real life? Hubby and I had a big giggle about it, and I am glad it is all make believe. I would not be laughing if it was real, and glad it is just a television show.

What show do you watch that you have a list similar to mine. Let us know and we can all have a giggle. Send in your comments.

 

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6 years and beyond

We Saw Saturn

Last night after our BBQ with friends a man came in and said his hellos. He was an astronomer, and he had come to stay to look at the stars. The weather was still, and there was no wind. The sky was bright and you could see all the stars with the naked eye. It was amazing!

The other amazing thing was this lovely man said that he would be happy to show us what he was looking at and give a talk while he set up his telescope. I must say it was not what I expected. I had a vision that the telescope would be like the ones you buy off the shelf. No this was not to be.

The girls waiting for the telescope to get set up. They were very curious about what the astronomer was doing.
The girls waiting for the telescope to get set up. They were very curious about what the astronomer was doing.

His telescope was HUGE and I am sure you are thinking yeah right! However it had a big wooden brackets and circular additions to allow it to swivel around. I did not realise that you could make your own telescope, however if you know what you are doing and have over 30 years of experience like this man did I am sure you can do it.

Just picture it. It is pitch black, there is a group of mainly men, a couple of women, and 2 kids. We were all rather jolly and silly by this time so there were a lot of jokes about Uranus…Yes it was done to death. The poor astronomer has probably heard these types of jokes too many times. However he was polite and nice and laughed them off.

The twins were fascinated how the telescope got put together and its size. They were learning about the stories of the stars, the milky way and the southern cross. We also learnt that there was a second southern cross created by the devil to fool us. I had no idea until last night. Star gazing is fascinating and exposing kids to the great galaxies and universes is a great thing.

Getting the telescope ready
Getting the telescope ready

Once the telescope was all set up, it was then pointed in the direction of Saturn. Each person was kindly given the chance to see the rings on Saturn and the moon Titan. The girls were amazed and at first Julia was asked what she saw. She said nothing but the lens had to be adjusted. Once it was fixed, she saw Saturn and Titan fine. Lillian was amazed that she was able to see a planet through a telescope and was happy that she and daddy were the only two people who saw shooting stars. Yes I missed this and Julia also.

We were very lucky to have had this opportunity and I am pleased the girls had this experience. Have you taken your children to the observatory to look at the stars? Sydney Observatory have some wonderful things on these school holidays. Wish we could do them all!

Do you love gazing at the stars? Do your kids? What is your favourite thing to do with the kids and star watching? Let us know.

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6 years and beyond

Award Winning Photographers

The girls have been fixated on taking photographs and having an iPhone and an iPad it makes it accessible and easier for kids to take photos.  They did have a camera but it is hard to look out the view finder and as it is a more of a toy it is hard to change the batteries and just a pain to use. It is great and the kids love their dog cameras (a camera in a shape of a dog)  but they are not very good for taking pictures, hence them taking over my iPhone to take as many weird and wonderful images as possible and of course silly selfies!

In the newsletter at the kids school they have been asking for the children to enter the local Blackheath Flower and Craft Show. This year was the 94th show! Yes, it has been going a while.

We went to the show and discovered the girls got awards. Well done girls!
We went to the show and discovered the girls got awards. Well done girls!

I thought why not let the kids take my phone and take some images with it and if they were any good we will print them up and enter them into the show. I gave Lillian the phone and she got all creative and bent down and saw things at different angles. I asked if she needed any help and she yelled, “I will do what I want and take pictures of what I want mummy!” O.K, temperamental artist attitude.  I did say that she can do what she wants as it was her photos and she did not need the attitude…. not sure if the artist understood this but she did her images and then gave the phone to Julia for her turn.

Julia took some great images also but was more straight to the point about shooting her photos. Lillian was bending in all sorts of different poses and was getting very creative. The girls loved taking photos and I must get them a better camera that can be easily used by the kids. I have noticed that there are digital cameras for sale but hubby and I would like to do investigate what is best online before we invest any money. I don’t want to spend on some to then find that they are not what we wanted. If you have any suggestions on what to get for two six year olds that would be great. Thinking of Christmas presents for the cameras.

We picked out two images for each child to submit to the flower and craft show. Hubby mounted them on thick board and we entered them after school on the Friday 12th of September. The show was on the 13th and 14th of September and as the kids had their birthday party on the Saturday we went to the show on the Sunday.

Lillian with her winning photos.
Lillian with her winning photos.

When we saw the kids photographs at the show we were amazed and excited to see that they had been awarded prizes. Lillian got 1st and 2nd and Julia got 3rd for infant photography for the show. How amazing is that! We were very proud parents and the kids were very pleased as well.

Julia with her winning photo
Julia with her winning photo

I wonder what wonderful works of art they will produce next? Will they be photographers or just love it as a hobby? I did photography as a hobby and also at university. I must say I love taking photographs. Is it genetic? Who knows. It will be interesting to see how this interest progresses.

As said before I am keen to foster this interest in photography as I believe it is a nice skill and a good interest to develop. Who knows where it will take the girls. Now must figure out what is the best camera for little people that will give you decent images and of course not cost the earth. Plus it needs to be shock proof if dropped by kids. I know, I might be asking for a bit much!

Do your kids love to take photos? Has all the latest technology helped make it easier for them to get involved? Let us know.

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6 years and beyond

Kids Are Now 6

I have been meaning to write this blog post all weekend but did not get the chance. So what have I been up to? Well, the kids had a big day at their school for fundraising on Friday the 12th of Sept, then Saturday the 13th was their birthdays and of course we went to the local craft and flower fair to see the twins photography and what other people had done. It has been a BIG week and that is putting it mildly.

I cannot believe my little girls are now six! Yes they are big girls now. What little babies they once were.

Mummy and the girls on the 27th of Sept, 2008. Julia on left, Lillian on right.
Mummy and the girls on the 27th of Sept, 2008. Julia on left, Lillian on right.

girlseatingsnow

Lillian and Julia
Lillian and Julia – My wonderful girls

 

The girls on the 12th of Sept. The day before they turn six. They have grown so much.
The girls on the 12th of Sept. The day before they turn six. They have grown so much. Julia on the left, Lillian on the right.

Firstly, I was madly baking and organising things for the twins birthday party. We were having it in a park this year and of course the weather was up and down and we were all crossing our fingers and toes. On the morning of the 13th it was raining, foggy and cloudy. Yes just what you want for a party in the park! However about lunch time the sun came out and it stayed like this for the majority of the day. No rain so that was a win and allowed us all to enjoy the day at the park.

The theme of the kids birthday this year was “My Little Pony” I created my own invites again and I have a free download so that you can change them to make it for your twins or children’s party. In the template you have text fields, can change the age of the birthday people. I have it for 6 as it was for the twins 6th birthday party. Make sure you put a picture of your children to personalise the invite on the bottom left of the invite.  I have added an image of the twins. Remove this one and replace with your own image.

You can also download a blank template with no image here

Download your FREE PARTY INVITE HERE

Here are the instructions to add a picture:

  1. Choose Tools > Content > Edit Object Tool .
  2. Right-click the page and choose Place Image.
  3. Choose one of the following file formats: BMP, GIF, JPEG, JPEG2000, PCX, PNG, or TIFF.
  4. Select an image file, and click Open.

A copy of the image file appears on the page, with the same resolution as the original file.

blankinvitetoeditWhat did I serve for food?

I kept it simple. I had savory snacks, cabanossi, cheese, crackers, dip, carrots, celery and so on. I then had fairy bread, vegan cupcakes, salt and vinger chips with grainwaves as well. The party was after lunch so I was not serving lunch just nice snacks to keep tummy’s happy and not starving. I had real juice poppers with bottles of water to allow us not to have cups for drinks. Not having cups cut down on things we needed to bring and waste as well.

We did have a huge cake so I was sure that all kids would want a piece of it and to my amazement it all got finished. Yes the cake was demolished!

IMG_7549Here is a video of the kids helping hubby cut the cake. It is so funny to hear the reaction of the kids.

 
 

This is what the cake looked like inside. What a great surprise the kids got, and also to the adults. I don’t think they were expecting this.

The incredibly huge and colourful cake!
The incredibly huge and colourful cake!

More about the cake

I did a four layer cake. To make it easier I used vanilla cake mix from the shops. I put the food colouring in the milk before adding it to the mixture and made sure that it was a vivid colour for it to be bright when cutting the cake.

To make the whole for the sweets to fall out when cutting I cut a whole in the two middle layers. I had the bottom layer on first then cut the hole in the two layers at the same time to make sure that the hole matched up. Then I carefully put the two middle layers onto the bottom layer.

Now I filled the hole full of M&M’s and Freckles. Once all full I added some icing around the edges of the hole and middle layer to make sure it did not crack or fall apart. There were some slight cracks but all was fine with the icing helping.

Then I added the top layer of the cake and then iced and decorated. I added the Ponies and the candles on the day.

What else did we do?

The kids were also entertained by a unicorn pinata and it took a while for it to break. This was good as it meant each child got a turn. No kid went without as I had ample sweets and goodies in their party bags.

We all had a great time and I was so pleased that the weather was good. Not sure what they might want for their seventh birthday and not sure if I can comprehend that I will have to kids who will be seven next year. I am still processing them being six.

Next Post

My next post will be about my lovely photographers. Yes they are very clever and won awards on Sunday for their pictures. More later.