From the moment they enter the world they make their mark

Kindy and the Easter bunny's assistant

It's funny but as a mum you look back at the birth of your child and it pretty much sums up the path that they travel, well it seemed to be like that for me. My eldest entered this world with his eyes wide open and not a sound! He looked around as if to say "oh really? I am back here again! What did I do wrong??"


He slept quietly for a week and then decided to scream and coil like writhing beast for the next 6 months with reflux that was so bad that he has scaring in his throat that makes it impossible to burp still to this day. I would nurse him all day and could settle him with movement (the rougher the better) which meant he lived in his pram for 3 months with a rope tied to it and me casting him out and reeling him in like a fighting mackeral. We spent many a night driving from Toombul to the round about at Strathpine and back, round trip 40 minutes only to be home and still for 5 minutes till his little body started to buckle with pain.

Day 1 - my beautiful little school boy

As he aged my little mate would spend hours either asking me question after question or dismantling something to see how it worked, an issue when it came to re-assembling the toilet. Both these things will send a mother to distraction when tired and in a hurry. I recall my sister making a comment that I recount to young mums. When a child is born they are like a beautifully bound book full of blank pages, each  time a question is answered, you add to the compliation of  their life experiences. But any time you fob them off with "I'm too busy" or "go away I don't have time" they turn that same page - but it remains blank. This being a lost opportunity in their lives for something that could have been quite special


He was and still is 'one of a kind', he was a dreamer and schemer as a little one. He would be wrapped up in his own little world totally day-dreaming and clueless as to where he was or his surrounds. Alex would often come unstuck and totally miffed when his little sister would pick up money on the ground where only moments before he had walked with  his head in the sky. He still had the ability to make money, he was lucky enough to look alot like McCauly Culkin and this was always the party trick for my brothers friends at their drunken parties. Alex could pocket as much as $20 just doing the 'Home alone' face.

Another skill that he had as a small boy was the gift of the gab, and whilst always being slightly timid, he could and still can hold an adult audience entertained.  I went down to the Hunter Valley and its many wineries, Alex was included due to issues with is father and his history as a control freak. Alex would have preferred to be on holidays with his sister up the north coast but instead was enjoying adult time in our Wine lovers disneyland. Even though he was only 13 at the time, he managed to sweet talk many of the wine staff to allow him to sample much of what their wineries had to offer.

He even managed to set up his own wine collection and provide a brief article for the Hunter Valley News.

He has managed to become a valuable citizen, having overcome many obsticles along the way, including broken relationships, completing his first half marathon and involved in a Global unmanned aviation seek and rescue competition with his team mates. I am extremely proud of him and always happy when we link up for rum's in the Valley or some famous Cocktails at Laruge.