~ FALLING OFF THE PLANET ~

ok i know it feels like i have fallen off the planet but no i haven't and i am still alive and kicking but only just. so this is the quick catch up - well i will try to make a month long story short. be wise go grab a cup of something warm and read about my month, view my favourite pictures of this time and catch up on the world of sonia's thoughts.

sunday 9th april - day 13
this was the beginning of our holiday i was armed with supplies to keep up my challenge. first stop on our break was mum and dads in appin - nice drive out, awesome day with family celebrating an early easter with my sister, her hubby and my two nieces all in all a great day - and i achieved my goal of completing my challenge page

- perhaps it was an omen day 13 = bad luck - as this was the beginning - i had a saw throat.

monday 10th april

in bianca's journal word's

"3.28am we have left. so exciting. cold with butterfly's but ready to roll. were off."

we left for melbourne with most of the car sleeping except for me the driver. i soon realised that the cold that had been annoying me for the past week was going to raise its ugly head - not what i wanted on my holiday - but soldier on i did. i am the devout driver, not the pleasant passenger in any way - so drive i did we stopped for homebaked banana bread and cuppas on the side of the road in wangaratta (i managed to do the plan ahead remembering that we were traveling out of the driver reviver zones in non holiday periods). on our way out of wangaratta we saw the stardust circus and we just had to stop and snap up some awesome pics of the elephants - have i mentioned that i love the elephants slow meandering style and i could sit for hours and watch them. bianca's journal words again "we watched one dig at the grass and shake the dirt off and eat it. it was beautiful!" mum, bianca and i snapped away it truly was beautiful - i was hoping to give you a photo a day but today will have to have 2 favourites, as the next picture makes me smile - we had a great lunch in one of my favourite wineries in Melbourne. Tahbilk we sat and enjoyed this picnic lunch beside the wetlands with the birds singing and the sun shining and the dirt road not far so dust in the air - but we all laughed and laughed - these are the memories i love. arrived melbourne around 5ish absolutely exhausted - nose has started to run and throat feels like razorblades have been swallowed. so off to bed - first failure in the 21 days challenge to exhausted and no internet access - so no entry for today.

tuesday 11th april

i awoke early 5.30am as i couldn't sleep feeling horrid, a coughing up a storm decided it would be easier to sit on the couch downstairs in the apartment away from everyone so they could sleep. Brian woke around 6ish and came looking for me - told him i couldn't breath laying down and felt horrid but to go back to bed. the kids came next around 7ish i tried to be brave faced but they both realised that mum was going to be a sicky today. we headed into melbourne city for some shopping but i was not in a good way - feeling the fever horrors of a head cold full on - so after making them all stop for some lunch, they gave up on the shopping and we headed home so i could nap for our big day out tomorrow to the zoo (this was the planned excursion) we stopped at the supermarket and managed to get me some lemons, and herbal cold remedies as i can't take the standard drugs with my allergies. came home and filled up on them all and went to bed early - again no entry in the journal feeling like i was not going to achieve this at all. today's favourite picture was this little arcade we walked thru - i so love the architecture of melbourne it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful it is.

wednesday 12th april

i felt worse today - so instead of the planned melbourne zoo trip we decide a drive in the car ( with me as passenger - that's how sick i was) up through the dandenongs another of our favourite haunts. a little retail shopping, what would a trip to the dandenongs be without a visit to my favourite tea shop and buying some buddha's tears tea - i just love sitting down to a big clear pot or glass and watching it unfold so peaceful - which is where today's favourite photo comes in - i can almost feel the sun falling on me i felt so horrid with my plastic rubbish bag and my box of tissues at the ready i sat and soaked up some rays - the sun was beautiful - although i was shocked at them charging to go into the viewing area, they are creating a wonderful place to stop and view all of melbourne - there was a guy carving a tree with a chainsaw - absolutely amazing. kids were disappointed the maze wasn't finished but it will be next time we visit we hope. headed back home as i was getting worse as the day went on. again no dinner out feeling to horrid the poor kids a praying on our dinner in lygon street hopefully tomorrow i will feel better. think i should be on antibiotics.

thursday 13th april

felt horrid - reading bianca's journal entries of this day - makes me feel sad as well - i was just too sick - i needed a day in bed - so i insisted they leave me behind on the zoo trip and i could sleep. my sleep was interrupted by the cleaner, then by them checking on me, and by ange telling me that we should be able to dinner by the weekend - as we still hadn't caught up due to her house being quarantined due to a vomiting bug - they took over 138 photos at the zoo - to help me feel like i didn't miss to much and bought me this cute little elephant that when squeezed makes a very realistic elephant noise. this was sweet. again no dinner out - really sick needed chicken soup - thank goodness for chinese restaurant take away. today's favourite photo was hard to choose from the many that they took but this one made me feel like i was there i can almost imagine touching this lion he looks so fluffy.

friday 14th april - good friday -

determined to make it out for dinner to lygon street it was decided a slow start to the day lazy morning watched a dvd then into the city for the free tourist bus around the city - due to good friday most tourist attractions including the city circle tram were closed - i remember being very cold this day - it was miserable only 1 photo taken today not a good one we were sheltering from the wind and the rain at southbank waiting for the bus to collect us. our dinner in lygon street - delicious - and well waited for even if we were eating dinner at 4.30 in the afternoon, we enjoyed it. home and early to bed. still popping my nurofen to brighten my outlook - having trouble breathing through the horrid slime that is becoming my nose - argggghhhh i hate having a cold.

saturday 15th april

dragged myself off to the queen vic markets - how i love to go here every time we come to melbourne - this is the multicultural side of me that loves the crowds, the sights and the smells - well most of them - this time around the meat market got me (it was a funny sight bianca, mum and i running thru with our shawls and scarves pulled high so that it covered our noses and the men waving all that raw meat around selling it at half price - mum was in fits of wanting to buy it just because it was on special) but to see us fly out the door and gasp for fresh air - oh one of those cartoon scenes. i find it funny that i hate crowds but love them at the queen vic markets. dinner at anges - wow she made us all feel so welcome, and food - wow "food glorious food" - this is how i feel when i think on that night - we all got on so well, and it was fantastic, you can see a picture of this night on ange's blog - thank's again girlfriend for a super night out with awesome company. i really enjoy our friendship and its true what ange has said it is amazing how not only are we friends but our men get along too!

sunday 16th april

the easter bunny spoilt us all - don't you just love chocolate - but due to a sick mum alas no chocolate photos - i hate that when i am not well the camera is forgotten at key moments. breakfast was enjoyed as per the usual for this special day - dippy eggs alround cooked by pa - yummy. off to enjoy a day out - well try too, on a cold and blustery day - we headed for st kilda another of our favourite spots especially on a sunday to stroll along the promenade overlooking the waters edge and browse the markets. photos today well i had trouble choosing just one this first one is st kilda to me all the cables of the trams the palms and that clock i don't know how many pictures i have of it all from different angles and different visits but my lens is always drawn to it - this is the best from this trip. It was so blustery and now mum and dad's colds are freshening up so they both are on the tissues and not feeling so good - so we decided the warmth of the sun in the car would be good for a cruise around - so we drove around catching some sights from the window of the car - although the kids and i got out to do the st kilda pier photos - i was amazed at the crowds as i would have preferred that shot of the pier with just the lights and no-one on it - so brian found me a pier further down the road - not sure where as we just drove along the waters edge enjoying all the architecture of the buildings - just one of the things that i so love about melbourne that keeping of the old details and this last picture is one of those snapped from the window after dropping mum and dad back at the apartment for a nanna nap - i felt horrid but felt that it was our last day in melbourne and the kids really needed to just see more so cruising around looking at the window displays and shops and buildings was something i could do - hot chips in the car before finding a gelato shop to take back some for mum and dad - mmmmm wish i had one right now - oh how it soothed the throat (raspberry sorbet mmmm drooling on keyboard thinking of that one). out for a thai dinner before dropping mum, dad and the kids at the apartment to pack there bags - i felt the need to spend a little more time with ange - so with her parents out us grown ups sat and drank loads of coffee and chatted non stop - till i really wilted and new it was time to leave - i enjoyed my time just wish it had been longer - ange is coming to sydney in august so - we are both hoping it will be a week long girly chat time - i can't wait - no sickness allowed. i can't imagine how tired we will both be after attending the kiwi scraps event ange is staying at our house - looks like i had better stock up on coffee as i imagine the all night chat sessions we will be having.

monday 17th april

time to leave melbourne for our adventure part of the holiday - these are the bits the kids love packing and driving till we feel like stopping and then just finding somewhere to stop - our plan was to drive up to rutherglen and visit some wineries and make it our stop overnight somewhere just before the border but taking in some of the scenery driving out to bendigo first - well the drive was long and dad was not feeling well so now 3 of us were feeling absolutely horrid - but the kids were fantastic in the back - unfortunately bendigo has this huge ceremony that we were unaware of, the awakening of the dragon and the town was closed so no stop here, so we really drove a long way out to come back in - but one of the attractions that i was awed by along the way were these trees in the yarrawonga - mulwala lake - a man made water catchment (most of these pictures were taken traveling at 110km/hr whilst driving along i had the camera in the passenger seat the only way i could keep myself entertained i truly am not a good passenger even when sick) it was a very eerie feeling all those dead trees. my next photo is of the winery we stopped at after choosing our accommodation for the night we needed to pick up a muscat to sooth our throats - ahhh the best cough medicine i know. - dinner tonight was an awesome pub dinner in the center of rutherglen - we stayed in the torkay suite at the walkabout hotel - a very sweet little cabin that accommodated all 6 of us comfortably - with the luxury of a spa bath that the kids just loved, hence the next 2 photos. we also think this would be a perfect spot to meet up with ange and her family for another holiday - so a bit of forward thinking happened here - and as the name instilled we can all go walkabout to the nearby wineries - ahh the bliss - with bianca being the onsite babysitter what a grown up holiday it could be. (ange start planning for summer)

tuesday 18th april

well time to head home - with us three sickos still not feeling too good brian was at the wheel - a couple of wineries before we headed out of rutherglen - managed to join ourselves up on the winery club for the at all saints estate - and purchased this awesome little picnic cheese platter for a roadstop lunch later in the day. awesome cheeses with a loaf of bread and a pear sweet little balsa wood knife. before hitting the road again and some more of those out the window photos - again it was hard to choose. first photo epitomizes my love of the journey by car from melbourne to sydney i love the open space and the rolling hills as you leave all that is flat of melbourne and start hitting the hilly nsw parts - i have always imagined that the hills are like soft folds in fabric - they look smooth to the touch even though i know they are hard and very dry - i guess that's just me and the way i see them. my next picture is a favourite -of the kids with our next stop in gundegai for me to get another cup of tea - it was the only thing that seemed to sooth my throat and stop my coughing. it was funny to watch bianca climbing up - her fear of heights is amazing - i wonder if that is hereditary - i fear that i have passed on - i know how scared she was but i was so proud as she did it for me to catch a photo - the ones of the going up - then the fear in her eyes of the picture before this and then i said smile and she performed beautifully - i love this photo. this next picture - again traveling at 110 if not more - remember brian is driving - we drove passed many trucks full of sheep and cows but i asked brian to slow along side this truck as i could see there faces and i wonder where they were going i hope not to some where i didn't wish to think off - i hope that his eyes aren't as sad as i fear they were - the sign on the back of this truck - i remember as being nice but then we realised that perhaps the (non bruised delviery sign) was not for the intention of comfort. however sad this makes me dwell now - i still love this picture and can't wait to scrap the few that go with it. as to this next picture - i guess knowing that the holiday is coming to an end i really wanted to catch the sunset but it was setting behind us and try as i might over each hill and bend i just couldn't manage to turn around to catch it - so this was a little earlier than sunset - but it is like a close a final goodbye to our holiday snapped in the side mirror.

19th - 24th april

well home at last exhausted and feeling horrid, too sick to even contemplate the computer - the challenge was gone by the way side - and dylan started to complain of a saw neck - so for the next few days we spent it quietly veging and resting and hoping we all would fell better soon. but unfortunately dylan had a relapse with his spinal disorder and i found myself having to comfort him in emergency after having a flying trip via ambulance to RNS hospital - again nobody seemed to know what was up - after almost 12 hours in hospital we were sent home to our gp who then sent us to another specialist - who finally seems to be leading us somewhere - it looks like this will be a life journey for dylan - and perhaps by the end of next week when we get more bloodwork test results back we may have been shed a little more light on why these relapses are occurring, to better perhaps avoid them - as from a parents point of view there is nothing worse than sitting by and not being able to take the pain away - having suffered back pain myself - i know there is nothing worse - and to see him suffering really breaks my heart. i was put on antibiotics - i am so glad that brian is so supportive as he managed to soldier on with both dylan and i and our visits to and from the drs - i was told i had to rest or face the thought of pneumonia again. but with bianca's birthday looming and the plans for her birthday all ready on the boil - we had a party to organise. and we did.

25th april - anzac day -

brian and dylan were up early and took ma to the dawn service - funny men and food all they talked about was the amazing breakfast they had. home and it was all hands helping with the preparing of food for bianca's formal sitdown dinner party. chocolate dipped anzac cookies were on the menu for the after dinner coffee drinks, well never multiply the recipe four times - this creates thousands of cookies - but we all had fun all four of us sitting round the table rolling cookies - it was a fun morning. next on the menu was the lamb filo parcels, bianca and i folded over 80 parcels we had to have the taste test chef few whilst we were cooking, i really enjoyed this day of cooking with all of us in the kitchen. i then had to send bianca upstairs to clean her room so that dylan and i could start of the placecards for the tables - and this is where running a scrapbook store came in handy - i had seen these making memories little giftbags a few months earlier and ordered them in especially for her party - we filled them with jellybeans and the labeled them all before hiding them away till the table needed setting - don't they just look sweet all those little bags very pretty in pink with there sweet little bows. late to bed as i was madly folding napkins with the help of bianca and dylan, all the cooking that could be done today had been. i had the balloon table centers done by around midnight and then had to tackle the birthday wrapping and the card which i still hadn't done.

26th april - bianca turns sweet 16

well its hard to believe that i am the mother of a beautiful 16 year old daughter - where did the years go - it only feels like yesterday that i held you in my arms for the first time - i hope you enjoy this day immensely and remember it for years to come. i certainly remember turning 16 as i can never forget it with the tradition of the singing of "16 candles" was apart of my growing up - so i held true to my promise of not singing it too loud but i did play it during the cake cutting and i didn't cry too much - but i hope that one day if you have a daughter that you will remember it and sing it for me to her - it is a special time for you. we made this year the last in our number of presents for each year - so enjoy your 16 gifts - and know that you are truly loved and spoilt this year. -

1.ring, 2.purple trench coat, 3. purple top, 4.purple quilt, 5. purple and green bracelet made by mum, 6. matching necklace made by mum 7. sims 2 open for business 8. hairdryer, 9.mascara, 10. eyeliner, 11. eyeshadow, 12. bedsocks, 13.PS2 - singstar rock, 14.Book - in search of africa, 15. purple tinkerbell pjs. 16 green glass vase.

with the aid of my assistant chefs tahleah and bianca we managed to get the meals all cooked and served on the beautifully layed tables. it was a very wet and cold night - so unfortunately it didn't do me any good - but it was beautiful night anyway - the girls all slept over and sang and played buzz on the playstation to the wee hours of the morning - i think this was a birthday bianca will remember for a long time to come.

27th april till today

well if your still reading thanks for coming along on my travels - i hope i didn't bore you silly - its taken me two days to compose this entry - but i think that's what i love about my bloggin it makes me reminisce and i do enjoy it - i have spent the best portion of the passed week resting and visiting the drs for both myself and dylan and we are both doing much better - dylan is now only wearing his neck brace when he is on the computer and i am down to an asthma preventer with 12hour ventalin and on the nebuliser only once a day now so hopefully i will be back to more regular posts. i will leave you with this picture one of the things that has happened during the past week is that max my puss has become a bit of a boss - ok mum its nanna nap time he would sidle up beside me and snuggle in as this has been a daily event during my recuperation needing my nanna naps in the afternoon. well yesterday when i came into start this blog entry - this is what happened he wanted me to take my nanna nap - brian managed to catch it -

enjoy and happy scrappin.