The Dam is Full, The Dam is Full!!

We went to the movies today and saw "Bolt" then we went for a drive up to the Ross River Dam to have a look at the water coming over the spillway.

Here is Jack and Will at the bottom of the spillway.

Kate always has a cheeky smile for the camera..


The grate in front of us is out over the flowing water and the spray and wind shoot straight up, this is where we get soaked..

We had to leave Kate's chair up the top and I carried her down the ten or so staircases AND THEN back up again...Phew!

Always knows there's a camera around..

Time to think!

I had a terrible night last night, That's why I'm up at 0330 on the computer.
Yesterday (Fri) we were supposed to head up to Cairns for the week end. Donna has the week end off - and that doesn't happen very often - so we were staying at this nice resort with a big pool and playground for the kids. It was a last minute thing but I was really excited about getting out if this house.

The rain has been depressing me and even though it was probably raining in Cairns also I was happy to lay about in a hotel room and watch movies or go for a swim with the kids in the pool and maybe even do a trip to sugar-world.

But it was not to be, and for some reason I feel like there was a reason we should not go. I don't know what it is - but.....

This business with the young child being thrown off the bridge in Melbourne has really knocked me around a bit also, I keep picturing it in my head - Dad driving the car in solid traffic, Kids screaming in he back, Dad under lots of stress, Dad then snaps!!! I picture the child looking at its Dad has he carries her to the side thinking he won't do it he's my dad and then looking back up at Dad while she's falling to earth thinking.... he's supposed to be protecting me....what Did I do??....Why doesn't he love me????

I know as parents we all been in the situation where you are driving and the kids are going ballistic in the back but where is that line that changes you to do something as irrational and deadly as the above story.

How close has any of us been to that line. Maybe not to the extreme as the above but to at least not paying attention to what is really important - The deadly weapon you are driving - not who took who's toy or who's turn is it to pick the movie.

A friend on mine was driving home the other day from picking his kids up from school and came across a fatal motorcycle accident where the rider was an older guy - maybe had kids maybe not but no doubt had a family somewhere and his (my friend) kids were in the car while he was trying to save this guy. What a terrible thing to happen.

Sorry about the rant but it makes you think.....

What really is Important to Us ...Huh!!!

Australia Day

This is how we Celebrated Australia Day.
Just a bit of a BBQ with the neighbours!!!




The Pool.

The Flag..

The pool again....In the rain!

Cleaning Up the next day..

First day of school!

Can you tell that the first day of school followed Australia Day! This was a great opportunity to take a photo of the 5 of us together, looking somewhat respectable!

Kate Talking!!!

Kate has had her trial 'Talker' for a week now and is going really well with it!

Here is the video that we have sent away for apply for MASS (Medical Aid Subsidy Scheme) funding for some of the cost of Kate's Liberator 14.

Please enjoy!

It All Arrives!

What a day it was yesterday,

Kate's Liberator 14 arrived for trial.



It's an upgrade of the communication device that she is already using and we have it for a month.
As you can see from the link above it is a very complex voice output communication device and we now have a month to raise the AU$13,000 so Kate can continue using it at school.
It has always been Donna and my goal for Kate to have a new one by the start of school.

Kate's old one has never worked at 100% since it came home one day from her old school rattling like a baby's toy but that is another story....

This one has a MP3 player and runs Windows XP so now everything can be done on the device where as we used to have to connect it up to her laptop for her to use Word etc.

But I think the Mp3 player is what Kate is most excited about...

What also arrived yesterday was the approval for funding for the renovation of our bathroom, We wanted to enclose the laundry, toilet and bathroom into one big room with full wheelchair access etc.

The funding only covers half of the cost so we need to come up with the rest (just over 9 grand).

So it will be interesting where all this money is going to come from?

Oh Well that's the life of a parent with a special needs Kid I suppose.

Getting Sorted

Now that it's 2009,

I'm going to get all my pics and video's sorted into albums for 2008......True!

Jack The Bike Rider

Today Jack came up to me and asked
"When can I take my training wheels off Dad?"
and I said
"Right Now Mate!"

So we did and here are the results:





I'm So Proud Of Him!!!

Summer Days!

Poor old Will had to go back to school (Pre-Prep) yesterday.

So he's been missing out on the odd swim.

When he got home yesterday he had a swim all by himself:

Hi Mum!


It's not cold - trust me..


I'm Batman!!!

Happy Campers

Kate and Jack both wanted to sleep in our bed tonight, So they did!
But then they talked Donna into sleeping there as well.

Not this Daddy though I've got Jack's bed all to my self...Hah!!

Happy New Year!!