Travelling by postcard

Although currently stuck in our home state members of TeamSAK have been travelling by postcards. A selection of our recent postal deliveries are shown above. C&R have just returned from their annual 4 month European tour. We have been updated about the wonders of England, Italy, France and then home via Asia. My pen pal Ingrid has returned to the pen and sent a postcard from the family's summer break in Devon. Not to be outdone MoS and DoS kept us updated about their follow the sun caravan trek including the flood dramas at Noosa! Can't wait until TeamSAK pack our bags and head off on our own holiday capers.

Building an education

In my day we were lucky to have classes in a demountable or portable classroom. Heating or cooling was unheard of, the school gym was a converted classroom and an environmentally sustainable building was years away. Kingsley's primary school has been undergoing a massive building project for the last 18 months and it is nearly over. She is already enjoying new high tech, modern airy classrooms with its own cooking area, wet area for artwork and roomy environment. The Education centre ( partly pictured- too large to fit one frame!) which will house years 3-6, a new sports hall, performance area, science wing, music, drama and art rooms is scheduled to open next term. The old wings, with their rich history , will be demolished and the oval, ( which was where the new building now is!) will be reinstated in their place.

Water wings

Kingsley loves the water so with Queensland holidays and a pool Ahubby and S have always encouraged swim lessons. Due to privacy laws S has not been able to take photos or video of recent swim lessons to capture Kingsley's Klim like stroke powered by Thorpie six beat kick, her Madam Butterfly like style or Matt Welsh like backstroke! For the record Kingsley has the best tumble turn in her current class. This video was taken in January 2007 during a lesson at the Noosa Aquatic Centre . Let's hope it has uploaded correctly. Without appearing to be a proud boasting parent Kingsley's technique has improved considerably since then.

High Tech Baby

Long time readers will know of Ahubby's new baby. The new car smell has been so strong that S has only just recently been able to travel in it so I am still finding out about all the accessories and gadgets. The ignition key is not a key- rather a stick that slots in. It's our house keys you can see in the photo. Push button engine start/off and one switch for automatic roof. I am still trying work out the buttons and knobs for the custom fit seats so that I travel in comfort.

The GPS system is no big deal these days, nor is the entertainment system, bluetooth handsfree phone and quality speakers. The on board television, which only operates when the car is stationary, is a bit of a novelty. Today while waiting for Ahubby to return from the bakery Kingsley and I sat in the carpark watching car racing on the onboard car TV.

The baby is going in for surgery on Monday to have the woodgrain replaced to the colour we actually specified and ordered .

Gardens are resting

Another beautiful day to enjoy the wonders and facilities of our state capital. A very slight rain shower replaced by blues skies and mild temperatures by breakfast time. After Ahubby's nearly 30 km run this morning , TeamSAK headed out to the Botanical Gardens to meet friends for brunch. While the men devoured the big breakfasts, the women caught up and the kids enjoyed the open paved and grassed spaces at the Observatory Cafe.

We promised Kingsley we would take her through the Children's Garden after brunch. After farewelling our friends we headed around the corner to see the familiar sign ( above) at the point of entry.

Then the sign to the right was spotted. Closed for maintenance from 16 July to 12 Sept. Just our luck! Will have to put this activity back onto the list for school holidays now.

Topdown motoring

Forget about Queensland - Beautiful One Day Perfect the Next! Try Victoria! Today Melbournites enjoyed a glorious winter day with a top of 22 degrees Celsius! Perfect for top down motoring in Ahubby's new baby. TeamSAK enjoyed a great family day out and about after picking Kingsley up from her friend's ten pin bowling birthday party. After a kerbside lunch in an outdoor cafe we hit the road sans roof and visited friends. Another great day is forecast for Sunday.

Ironically MoS and DoS are up north on the their annual follow the sun caravan trek. For the last 2 days they have been marooned in the caravan park on evacuation alert after the Noosa River broke its banks due the rain deluge. It was serious flooding almost at the level of the infamous 1992 flood of 1.8m. They have managed to safely escape the " non" sunshine coast and are heading back south to home to enjoy better weather!

Book Week Parade

It's the annual bookweek parade at school time where children come dressed as their favourite character. This year everyone was encouraged to come as an Australian character to celebrate the Children's Book Council of Australia. Kingsley had already decided to go as Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden and made a hasty swap to Nell from The Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner.

A huge thanks to Fairlie and Queenie for the loan of the outfit and to MoF for her creative sewing skills. The black pinafore and white apron are gorgeous!

For those who want a refresher of the story try the Wikipedia entry for a quick update.

It's nearly Daffodil Day

Yes it is a serious entry and a plug for a cause that ( ironically) has always been strongly supported by TeamSAK but with the events of this year takes on even more significance.
Just a reminder that Friday 24 August is Daffodil Day. A fund raising initiative of the Cancer Council to raise money for education , research, patient support. It is also a day to remember people touched by cancer and to hope for a brighter future. Some locations and organisations are already selling merchandise and collecting donations.

The following information has been sourced from information on the official Daffodil Day website. Daffodil Day was created by the Canadian Cancer Society in the early 1980s. In 1992 it was run nationally in Australia. Daffodil Day is now run by cancer charities in UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Denmark and Australia.

The daffodil was chosen as the symbol of hope for all affected by cancer because of its reputation as a hardy annual flower, pushing its way through the frozen earth after a long winter to herald the return of Spring, new life, vitality and growth. *

Just where does the money go? According to the Cancer Council funds raised funds go to help fund operations like the Cancer Helpline, training volunteers to help diagnosed patients, research , clinical trials and to provide information and support.

This day is , of course, only one of a number of very worthwhile fundraising days for good medical causes that include Red Nose Day, Jeans for Genes, Pink Ribbon day etc. If only the day arrives that these causes are no longer an issue because the underlying scientific/medical problems are resolved.

* source FAQ section Daffodil Day website

Swimming with Sharks

Our friend 4M just celebrated a milestone birthday . His partner Gena arranged a surprise Dive with the Sharks experience at the Melbourne Aquarium on the weekend and invited close friends to watch the experience. Kingsley and Ahubby represented TeamSAK cheering 4M on.

Mid week I called the aquarium to check what time the sharks were fed. I thought 4M was diving at 4pm which I recall, from previous visits, was about the time of the shark feeding demonstration. Very relieved to find out the dive was a later time slot and the sharks would be fed well prior.

Got me thinking about other unusual milestone birthday gifts. While not boasting , S is pretty good at unusual but relevant gift giving. However a girlfriend told me about a website she found (and for the record I have not used) called RedBalloon Days . May need to drop a few hints to Ahubby !

Turning into Grandma

For the record I love my late Grandma very much and still miss her 20 years later so this entry is in no way a slight against my Grandma or Grandmas in general.

I now understand how the early versions of the community program Neighbourhood Watch evolved. Grandma had a permanently bent venetian blind at eye level. This was because it was her viewing point to observe unusual behaviour of passersby , investigate unusual noises or observe cars that had remained stationary for too long. While on the phone to Fairlie S had to pause the conversation to do exactly the same thing.

OK - well we don't have venetian blinds but the effect was the same- trying to find a good vantage point which still gave me privacy. Three men, one in a suit, one in tradesman clothes and one in jeans and t shirt entered the front yard of the neighbour over the road. It appeared an unusual combination during the daytime knowing the single mum who lives there was at work. With all senses on alert, and thinking I was going to witness something untoward, I began relaying details to Fairlie. The business logo on the back on the "jean's man" tshirt was known to Fairlie who explained that they prepare houses for sale or re rental by by making them more visually saleable with minimal change. The suit man , therefore, must have been a "real estate agent" . " Overall man" must have been the tradesman. Problem averted but I must catch up with my neighbour to check out the goss and see if she is moving.

For the record Neighbour Hood Watch have been in existence around 20 years in our state. MoS and DoS are active members of their seaside town committee and Kingsley has even been a helper folding and delivering the local division's newsletter.

No Rain Thursday

Without fail it has rained nearly every Thursday this term ( but not enough to make a dent in the water reserves) . Kingsley's school renovations, which include a state of the art education centre, has meant that the tennis court is no longer in use. Kingsley now undertakes her weekly tennis lesson, run by her school's aftercare provider, at the courts of a selective boys' school. She commutes there by bus with a responsible adult, adding to the fun of the afternoon.

While the sky is getting grey and the BOM Radar shows signs of precipitation I am confident the lesson will be over without needing to resort to alternate indoor activities.

The Guilt of the Discount

The Great Shopping Expedition yesterday was great for a number of reasons. The first being that S could actually undertake the journey ( admittedly only after medical appointments) and the second that S still has the uncanny skill of sourcing a bargain.

It was only when WStar and S arrived home that the guilt set in. We bought Kingsley a dressing gown for her to grow into and that would last a few years. It was marked down from $55 to $20 so became a justifiable purchase even though Kingsley's beloved current purple dressing gown still fits her. Auditing the sales receipt dockets showed that the purchase went through as the further reduced amount of $15.

S feels like a thief but can I really return to the store to pay the difference. They would think I was crazy. Now S wonders how often the error has gone the way of the store rather than the customer and will be studying the weekly grocery bill more closely! Guess it all evens out over time.

Photo: Check out the discount pink dressing gown for Kingsley and discounted jeans for S .

In a (Johnny) Blaze of Bargains

According to the marketing blurb on the back of the packet:

"Johnny Blaze is touted by extreme sports writers as the greatest of all time. His fearless death defying stunts are legendary. With his trusted bike and amazing speed, he's ready for his greatest stunt yet: jumping over 20 helicopters and living to tell the tale!"

Such speed, such skill, such legendary status and I am only talking about myself for finding it for such a bargain of 86 cents marked down at the local Target Store! S is back !

Old Ted New Ted

Once upon a time, many decades ago, there was a baby called S who was given a furry bear to hug and love. This bear, let's call it Old Ted, saw a lot of adventures in his day. He met with unfortunate accidents and received TLC and stitches from MoS. Old Ted survived house sales and moves and despite narrowly avoiding the trip in the big metal bin to the Tip , Old Ted is still around. Balding and fur less, with one eye replaced and with major surgery to the back of his neck to keep his insides in. At least S's body ,which is the same age, is in a marginally better shape!



Roll forward 40 years and S and Kingsley were the lucky recipients of a "Build a Bear Workshop" bear thanks to very kind friends- the nearly Blacks. New Ted is a magnificent specimen of a modern bear. Lush blonde fur, two well attached eyes, 3 times the size of Old Ted, detailed nose and mouth and wearing a designer plush pink dressing gown and comfy blue slippers any mother would love to receive for a Mother's Day present.

This is where the problems started. Old Ted and New Ted had to fight for the affections of Kingsley and S. Kingsley's empire of Teddies of various shapes and sizes fills the top shelf of her wardrobe. S on the other hand , only ever had one teddy while growing up which is probably why Old Ted looks so worn out.

After a series of intense discussions Old Ted and New Ted have settled their differences and will enjoy pleasant co- habitation in the house of Team SAK.

Fish out of Water

What do you do when your yard is too small for an outdoor pet and you are anti indoor pets as you still haven't recovered after a disastrous fishsitting exercise for a holidaying neighbour four years ago? Kingsley now has the answer with her ceramic guineapig and now "stain glass" fish. The fish craft set was fun until a toxic like smell permeated the kitchen when the fish went into the oven to melt all the crystals we had painstakingly placed into each section. Fish, as it is so aptly named, now is stuck to the kitchen window. May it enjoy a long and happy life!

Mr Marketing Man

Once again there is proof that it is not what you know but who you know! TeamSAK connections saved the day yet again. In actual fact , if truth be known , the problem was partially caused by Mr Mattel Marketing Man ( aka MMMM ie 4M).

When TeamSAK caught up with friends for morning coffee Kingsley and 4M were deeply engrossed in a conversation about an interactive game called Cube World . Kingsley has been saving her $2.50 a week pocket money and was convinced by 4 M that Cube World would be a good investment! The product was readily available in major department stores and good toy stores.


Ahubby reluctantly transported TeamSAK to a suburban shopping centre which housed a large variety department store and an independent toy shop. Neither had it in stock . We then travelled over the river to the Gardens which had another major variety store. After wasting 10 minutes of our complimentary 1 hour park trying to get a car park TeamSAK again encountered another stock supply problem. No luck there either!


S called 4 M and jokingly suggested he could deal with a disappointed 7 y.o. for the remainder of the afternoon! Given the generous person that 4 M is and knowing how easily a child could be crushed with disappointment after such a day of buildup about a quality product, 4 M paid Team SAK a visit at 7pm tonight.


4M came bearing gifts and parted with his own personal set of series 1 cubes called Slim and Scoop. The beauty from the marketing point of view is that there are still plenty more for Kingsley to spend her pocket money on ( if only we could find the stock!) Knowing 4M as we do I am sure all distribution issues will be resolved on Monday!

Kingsley's Camp Report

Kingsley arrived back from camp tired but elated. Here is her partial recount of camp in her own words. All names have been altered to protect the children's privacy.

Just wanted to tell you a little bit about camp. We left our bags in the science room before the bus arrived on Thursday morning. Miss L and Mrs C gave us a list last week of everything we had to take. Even though we were only going for two days we had to take 3 changes of clothes in case we got wet doing activities.

The bus trip took about an hour and a quarter to get there. I read and talked on the bus and other people chatted , read or played stuff. When we got to camp we were introduced to Maggie ( the dog) and went to our bunk rooms. Miss L decided who was sleeping in each room. Z, S, M, C, L, Sh and I were in room 11 which was the biggest room. You can see a map of the rooms on the Gundiwindi website at http://www.gundiwindi.com.au/index.htm. We met the owners, Tracey and Danny . We had a piece of fruit, a muesli bar and a fruit drink for morning tea after we put our bags in the room.

We got to play in the playground then fed the donkey, horse, the alpaca and cow. Lunch was sandwiches with a variety of 2 different slices of cheese, vegemite ,salami and ham. In the afternoon after lunch we did some activities. The three activities were the flying fox, the rope course and hut building. I thought the flying fox was the best because Danny , one of the owners of Gundiwindi Lodge, said to let go of the rope and I had to just lie backwards. It wasn't scary at all.

We had Spaghetti bolognaise for dinner on Thursday night. After that we had a chocolate birthday cake because it was A's birthday . We all sang happy birthday. After dinner we went to a bush dance and we learnt three bush dances. Boys and girls had to hold hands. Miss G danced with Max and then Miss L danced with Max because Max didn't have a partner as there weren't enough girls for each boy. After the bush dance we had hot Milo . Then we all brushed our teeth and went to bed in our sleeping bags.

On Friday morning Sh and I had to wake up especially early because we had breakfast duty. At breakfast poor H wasn't feeling very well and had to leave the dining room. Breakfast was corn flakes, rice bubbles and toast with a selection of strawberry jam, raspberry jam , vegemite, butter and honey. Mr P came up for breakfast.

After breakfast we went back to the cabins, then had another play in the playground. We then had morning tea. I did archery today and managed to hit the bullseye which had a balloon in the middle of the target. We did a team work course where you do lots of activities with everyone else in the group. The easiest one was when everyone had to fit on a plank and everyone just walked on and fitted on straight away. We also did damper making and we had to make a sausage of dough then Ms C would wrap it around a stick. We would then toast it over an open fire. We had a choice of having jam or butter or both or nothing in it. I chose jam. G and J's damper caught on fire and had a flame coming out of it. Once we finished making damper we got to toast marshmallows. Some boys were saying that the white marshmallows were evil but I don't think so.

I played with Lucy and Jessa ( the puppies) . There were trampolines there as well. Lunch on Friday was burgers. There was cheese tomato and lettuce as well. On the way back to school L and I told each other spooky stories on the bus. The bus trip back seemed a lot quicker than the trip up there.

Camp Gundiwindi

Camp Gundiwindi is part of an educational milestone for a number of Kingsley's 7 year old school colleagues. It is the location of their first school camp. There has been plenty of positive build up to this exciting excursion. Kingsley practised repacking her sleeping bag, acquired new boots and was up at 6.30 am on departure day in excited anticipation of the trip ahead. It is an outdoor based activity camp with flying foxes , rope courses, camp fires and damper making. In keeping with tradition of previous years it appears the weather will be the only issue with rain forecast. Given how excited the children are nothing will put a dampener on their big trip.
Here's a photo of Ahubby supervising the final check of the packed bags. Kingsley is wearing her new boots, new pink Gimos cords and warm jumper ready for the outdoor activities. In typical fashion S covered every contingency and put the sleeping bag in a protective outer plastic bag to protect it from the rain during transport to camp.

Naming Rights

One of my very dear friends ,who is an extremely talented legal eagle and presides over courts, has raised a concern about the TeamSAK blog. I was thinking worse case thoughts like libel or defamation and the panic set in. No - thank goodness - nothing as dramatic as that. My friend is concerned about the naming rights of Ahubby!

She feels that the name Ahubby doesn't capture the essence and importance of the place of the only male in the family. I replied that at least it wasn't Hubby No 1 which implied subsequent hubbies could be on the scene! Her very fine suggestion was to replace Ahubby with Adam - who of course was the first male!

If I could set up a poll online I would . Instead let me know if Ahubby should be renamed Adam.