Merry Christmas to all...

Dear Hayley,
 Today started like every other Christmas morning with Erin waking us up and asking 'can we open presents now?' but this time it was 9am. The present opening wasn't as frenzied as other years and I hope every one was happy. The awful part of facebook is all the bragging that goes on with pics of superloaded Christmas trees. Ours was minimalist this year but that's how it goes sometimes. We went down to Big Sister's and had our usual lunch with prawns, turkey, pork, ham, loads of roast potatoes and gravy. It was all delicious. The surprise this year was a small gift with the bonbons which was a very nice touch. It was good to hear everyone's news. Big cousin is working in a pub and going off to Cambodia in January. Middle cousin finished his VCE this year and has a place at a city Uni/College to do a Bachelor of Music Production. Littlest cousin is not so little any more and will be in Year 10 next year. You will definitely be the shortest grandchild in the picture now. Little cousin is doing her IB next year as well as fitting in some part time hours at Wendys scooping icecreams.

Dad hates posing for photos

dad made sock puppets and a silly hat with his new socks

They all wanted to know what you are up to and how you are going. I missed you acutely today and thought back to you saying last Christmas that you wouldn't be with with us for this one. I didn't believe you back then but you knew what you wanted to do and I'm so glad you have gone off and done it. I hope you have a lovely day and that the people over there realise how lucky they are to have you spend Christmas with them! love you lots, Mum

Dear Hayley, anniversary edition...

Dear Hayley,

Congratulations on your 6 month anniversary!!!!

The last 6 months seems to have flown by. 6 months since I squeezed you goodbye at the airport and watched you go through those doors with a mixture of emotion. Having to let you go on your adventure was hard for me as a mother. I want to be there, for all of you, to help you with things, to make things easier for you but you seemed to have done a great job figuring it out for yourself.

I am immensely proud of you for going off to the other side of the planet, to see and do things I have only seen on TV. I am so glad we are able to message chat so frequently. I look forward to the video chatting more though as I want to hear your voice. Sometimes I ring Erin's phone to hear your voice mail message with your Aussie accent. I know things haven't always been perfect for you but you have matured so much in the way you handle them. I know people will love you wherever you go and your personality will get you far.

Celebrating Christmas away from family and old friends will be different but you survived your birthday in a foreign country, and you've travelled on your own and gotten a job. Who knows what the next 6 months will bring and how many countries you'll visit in that time. Like I said to you before, while you are away I have something interesting to talk to people about, even on Saturday night at the Christmas party I was telling all manner of strangers about you! All things here will be exactly the same when you get back, just you will a world traveller. You'll always be able to say " When I lived in England I..." When I lived in Spain I turned 25..." "I saw in the New Year in London..."

We love you, we miss you and we live vicariously through you, keep it up!

Love, Mum,xxx

Dear Hayley...

Dear Hayley,
I loved our Skype conversation yesterday, you definitely have a lilt to your voice that has an English influence but your funny, quirky self still shines through. I went through your stuff today looking for the peach scarf but couldn't find it. I found a jumper and a thick shirt that Erin has snaffled up to wear. If the Post Office x-rays your parcel they might be a bit puzzled by the hair extensions. Don't read the declaration on the outside of the parcel so you get a suprise when you open it.

I have been playing around with the camera and put the exposure onto 5 seconds to get this pic of the lit Christmas tree

 Not bad. It took a few shots to get this one, you cant see what you are photographing in the dark.

Then I put the camera on 'P' for this shot of your decoration. Erin wanted to put all the decorations on the tree in the end.

Hope you are nice and warm and looking forward to Christmas.

Love you, Mum

Dear Hayley...

Dear Hayley,

Today is the first day of Summer and the day we usually put up the Christmas tree. Erin wanted a real one this year but I didn't get one so we put up our usual tree. She is enthusiastic at the start but peters out before its done.

I finished it off and put out some of the house decorations. It was a warm day and maybe our summer will start now. I don't feel Christmassy yet and it usually takes me a while to get into the mood. The house lights may not go up this year, I have to get Dad motivated as well. I haven't got a clue what gifts to get you or anyone for that matter. I started the facebook album to share our Christmas with you. I'm not doing it to make you homesick or to miss us at Christmas but to see we are doing the same things we always do. When I start my cooking I will get into the mood. I will have to work Christmas Eve and then start holidays, luckily Christmas Day is at Big Sisters'. Nana is coming over and staying with your Aunties I think on the 18th.

Do you see that shadow in the first tree picture? Some of the other inside pics I took are like that too. It looks like the flash isn't aligned or something. I want to play with the exposures are bit more now and want to get a pic of the tree at night with the lights going.

Erin has her first guitar concert tonight and she doesn't want me to watch her. I'll either sneak in the back or get Callum to video it on his phone.

I hope your Christmas will be nice, and you get to spend it with family-like people. It will be quite different having it in wintery conditions. All those cards with snow flakes on them will be perfect. I hope you get to have a tree and rumballs and turkey and gingerbread and reindeers dashing through the snow.

love, Mum xxx

Dear Hayley...

Dear Hayley,

Hello love! So the weather is changing and you're feeling the cold now. I was reading this page about moving abroad...http://mamacongo.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/5-tips-for-moving-abroad.html
Have a read, I think you will identify with all of the points, especially how its normal to have some regrets.

We had 2 lovely warm days and now its back to cold again. I am hoping our Ladies Day Tennis Tournament on Friday will not be a wash out. Fingers crossed. I've put on some fake tan lotion but it might be for nothing.

Maureen's daughter Amanda is back from her travels and is looking for work locally to save some money before she heads off again. She has an interview at the new Max Brenner chocolate shop that has opened at Woodgrove. She was thinking of applying at Burke on Main as they 'need staff' but I told of your experience and she wasn't keen anyway.

Do you want me to send over my red woollen knitted coat from Ishka? Erin tells me you want the hair and a peach scarf, is there anything else?


She is desperate to see the second Hunger Games movie, we might go on the weekend. Did you see Jennifer Lawrence's new pixie hair cut? It looks really cute. Wish my short hair looked as good.



I've started watching the next Real Housewives of Beverly Hills but there is no Taylor or Camille. I get annoyed with it and fast forward through the bits where they are fighting with each other and then the show is over.

Love to you my dear and I hope you are having fun with your new friends and enjoying the 'living abroad' experience, xxx

Dear Hayley...

Dear Hayley,

I had the day off today in lieu of Friday. I have to go into the city for a forum so had a break mid week. It was nice actually to get some cleaning done and to pick up Erin from school. It has rained all day again and been very gloomy. I noticed that the trees in Grant St are full of leaves not bare like the wintery feel we have at the moment. It has been cold, I've had the heater on. I made little cakes this afternoon with Erin and it made me feel good, I would like to be a stay at home Mum being able to make things for you all. It was good too to get the dinner organised early which would be good when I need to go out at 7 for tennis.
When I made the cakes I was reminded of how my Nana would have cakes ready for us after school and I would eat loads of them before dinner, they were so yummy and fresh.
We had tuna patties for tea and I made a yummy sauce to go with them, it was natural yoghurt, gherkin and parsley.

Random thought: I noticed tonight that the label on the bottle says 'Sarsaparilla'. I've always called it Sarsparella. No a. 

Erin went back to school this week but every day she has fallen asleep before dinner. Twice I came in from work and there she was tucked up under a blanket and again today. The weather doesn't help. She might be anaemic, she was taking iron tablets but she forgets them.

This weekend we are running in the City 2 Sea but we have not done much training for it. I think it will be OK, Running Buddy is stressing. She asked me to go to Bikram Yoga with her in Werribee and I think I will go over the holidays when there is no tennis on. She enjoyed her first 2 sessions and said she has never sweated like it. It goes for 90 mins and you aren't allowed to talk and she got into trouble for laughing. She said she couldn't help it, she was behind a man with speedos on and kept getting an eyeful. You aren't allowed to leave either, if you get too hot you have to sit it out.

I'm sorry I tell you things that people say about you as if you were dead. It's just that I like to retell these anecdotes as other people are missing you too or telling me how wonderful you are. I still spend all my time talking about you or giving updates when they ask how you are going.

How did your job hunting go? It would be funny if you get a waitressing job in a Mexican restaurant, going back to your roots. Keep thinking of what sort of coat you want. I could go to our local op shops but still wouldn't be able to pick your taste. Do you have enough scarves/beanies/gloves too?

Thinking of you over there in the cold, love Mumma, xxx

Home...

Dear Hayley,
Thank you so much for your lovely message. I loved it, it was so nice to have you express those feelings. The gratitude you feel is mirrored in my own feelings for you.  I wanted to respond with a message that was equally moving about how much I love you, how you shaped me as a mother as much as I shaped you and how proud I am of you. I think it came across as a ditto but I meant it. After talking about you recently I realised how I miss you keenly. I don't want you to come home yet but I do miss you, your lovely sense of humour, your you-ness. I  am very proud of you and the person you have become, a person that is entertaining to be around. Someone that others want to be with. I look forward to your Instagrams because they are a perfect reflection of your quirky humour and unique style. I know you can be moody and that you recognises this in yourself too but nobody is perfect.

And I'm posting these pics as reminders of what's happening at home, not to make you homesick.

 Callum cut his hair again and he does a good job, he looked really good today with his shirt on. It was 30 degrees today, too good to be a work, a sneak preview of Summer.

 Erin loves taking pictures of Pippa with my new camera, there are more photos of her than of anything else.

Here I am modelling the top Erin tie dyed for me. This white top was going to the op shop but has found a new life. She has got the dyeing bug and wants to do more. 

Careful Pippa she might dye you too!

Dad had a charter to Anglesea today, and took some kids to camp. Good day to go the beach. Erin was sick all the long weekend and didn't go back to school today either. Dad didn't realise she didn't go until we told him tonight!

Hope you are working lots and having fun, love Mumma, xxx