I Miss Mexico

Have I ever been to Mexico? No! But oh how I miss it. Australia is a lovely country that truly utilizes its native produce. Avocado oh sweet avocado how we love to mush you up with lemon (stolen from your neighbor) and added to bread with a boiled sausage. The stealing it from your neighbor is incredibly important for everyone does it. Lets begin now discussing pumpkin. Pumpkin is the Australian love child. They use in and with everything. Pumpkin soup, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin grilled, pumpkin boiled, pumpkin filling in everything. Pumpkin you darling veggie what next shall we do with you. Why oh why no Mexican? I miss you spicy beans and sauce. I miss your tanginess your spice your crunchy burritos and tacos. What is wrong with this country? It's not like your a million miles away or anything! Why can't I get a damn proper mexican meal? I miss you Taco Bell! I heave a heavy sigh for you. I lament Ashley's Pub and Grill. I need you Burrito Bothers. I shed a tear for Qudobas. So with a heavy heart I leave you. You with your Mexican spices that I can't get. You with your black beans. You with your aughhhh I can't go on! Please leave me with my memories. Please remember to think out side the bun!

Blogging Mania

Okay this is what I did today... I watched the door so that the cats wouldn't go visting the neighbors while the movers well moved. I washed clothes, I hung up clothes, I took down clothes. I put Rose's room together. Then I sat down and overhauled the blog and this is my lovely attempt so please leave loving comments like. Gee good job, looks great, your my hero!

Skiing anyone

Here I am getting ready to go! Don't I look like I know what I am doing?

Okay here I am again. Please note the lack of a boat and me looking like a drowned rat! I drank a fair amount of the Murray River. I hear that everyone on the bank got a good laugh! Believe or not I plan to try again as soon as I can move my arms. For more photos of our boating adventure scroll down and click on the small photos on the side bar. There you can see what knee boarding is suppose to look like!

Partly cloudy with a chance of rain

For a desert country it sure does rain a lot! I mean it rains almost every other day some weeks. And so we are drenched as usual. So no laundry for me.

Whats under your bed?

Whats under your bed? Come on you know you want to tell me. The comments are waiting for you. I tell you if you tell me!

Happy Australia Day To You

It was Australia day on January 26th here. What it is nobody knows they just know they get a day off from the toils of life. So here's to you Aussies and your reasons to play hookie from from work! Beer and bar-b anyone?

Picasso's Mother

Did the great artists of the world have mothers who just wanted to ring their little necks? Had they patient mothers who stooped over indecipherable scribbled masterpieces and think I don't get it, what is it? Did they look at their budding artists and want slap them silly for drawing on the walls for the fourth time? Did the great ones have mothers who lovingly spent hours trying to clean up a outstanding work of art? This is what I did for nearly an hour tonight. My little artist climbed up into her closet and drew me not one, but two lovely pieces of art on the inside walls. What was her medium? Well, she chose wisely beginning with an assortment of markers and ending it all off with a box of 64 broken Crayola crayons. What did our artist draw? Well as far as I can make out I think it's a self portrait on the left and her pent up anger and aggression towards the "Man" on the right! (Her use of black circles and green lines was dead give away for the later.) Did I spank her? No. Did I yell at her? No. Did I want to? Hell yeah. My artist has needs that need to be met (apparently). She needs to draw only on paper in a supervised area. She needs a good spank on the ass! But for tonight I will sit and think of Picasso, Monet and all the other great artist's mothers and think, Damn they were saints. God Bless the women of restraint for not killing their prodigies!

what we have been living off

This what we have been living on for over two months. This is all of our things stuffed into one trolly. Will has informed us that our stuff is on the way and will be here on Monday!

posting is addictive

Okay out of boredom last night I posted well okay this makes the fifth item today so scroll down and have a look. The last post was Superhuman 4 posted on Tuesday evening.

birthday 

Rose's Birthday Pictures

Our Trip to Florida in November

 

Superhuman 4

Being 4 has somehow endowed Rose with superhuman powers. I am not sure if this is when Superman got his powers but I believe the day after he turned 4 he looked at his dear sweet mother and said today mom I think I will fly around town and then maybe I'll save the planet once or twice because you know mom today I am 4. Somehow Ro has it in her head that being four somehow allows her to do what ever she wants when ever she wants. All day she has been telling me all the things she can do now that she is four. Rose has taken on her new role of four year old to dizzying heights.

Me: Rose becareful climbing on the rocks.

Rose: I'm four so I can climb really well!

Me: Rose please clean up your toys

Rose: I don't have to, I'm four! Four year olds don't have to clean up.

Me: Rose time for a nap

Rose: I don't have to nap... I'm four!

So now that Moya is four don't be surprised if you see her on the news for conquering Mount St. Helen or rescuing kittens from trees or managing to make the biggest mess ever! I believe she will be famous for the later of the three. But now that she is four who knows what she will accomplish.

Happy Birthday Baby

My baby is 4 today! I wasn't sure we were ever going to see this day. Considering there where many days I wasn't sure she was going to make it past 1. Many days I swore I was going to sit on her. (that's my threat) Be good or I will sit on you! I figure as long as I am bigger than she is I can always use this threat. Well this morning Rose was sitting on the floor while I was getting ready and this is the song I heard I don't need my mom and dad anymore because I am 4 and can do anything that I want to, because I'm a big girl! "mom do I look like a hippo""mom what's a hippo?". Were not sure where she came from! Many mornings start this way. Instead of breakfast I get small dictator like advice and demands. Rose wakes me up with "I want breakfast because I am soooooo hungry" (this needs to be said through a whine and fake tears). So we hear in the Bos's believe this is going to be an interesting year to say the least. I have to go I hear fake cries calling me!

Damn Kookaburra

Damn Kookaburra siting in the old gum tree waking up you and waking up me! Laugh kookaburra laugh kookaburra next time wait and see!

108 degrees HOT

Due to overwhelming heat the zoo party was cancelled and moved to the Bos's home. It was a roaring success other than the 3 stitches incurred when Sue was attempting to leave said party. She was taken to the hospital by her husband who didn't really want to leave the party. We were told "she's fine 3 stitches" by the husband as he headed for the airconditioning. Moments before this Ewen and Rose sent our hearts racing when we heard *BOOM* "HEY" the exlamation was Rose being disappointed when the water boards they were using to slide down the stairs didn't work exactly like she thought they would.

Liam and Brad erected what can only be described as well a sagging M*A*S*H tent over the pool. All the children had a good time suffocating under the sun protection! Rose received an all purple birthday! All of her gifts had a general theme of purple. So again a success. Food was snack type items on the floor (we have no furniture). The children were repeatedly yelled at to "Get Out Of the Kitchen" the tiny theives kept stealing the candy popcorn. So in conclusion we hoped up all 5 children on candy and potato chips and sent them home. Except ours who is on the moment playing with a construction set received from her father who is also playing on the floor. Pictures to follow soon!

Worst Movie Picks

We want you to let us know what movie you consider the "worst". So far this week we have rented three contenders Dukes of Hazzard, Fantastic 4 and The Skeleton Key! I would also like to add the "The Burbs" was pretty awful!

Happy Birthday Sara

This is for my baby sister. Who will always be two in my heart and mind. She will always be that chubby little baby who toddled after me constantly. She looked like the Michelen tire man so that's what we called her. She had hair that stood up on end in all directions. She hardly ever smiled just because we wanted her to. She made pouting into an art form. She also has an Indian name "Chief Run Away from Thunder" you'll have to ask her about that one. Lets just say it involves pouting and running all the while wearing an Indian headdress. Very funny stuff!

She did and still does everything in a swift action. Sara got angry quickly and was easily appeased into laughter. Sara could do anything she put her dandelion haired head into. She played soccer like she was born to play. She was an amazing player. Sara is also a great actress "Hey good looking whatcha got cookin". She once had to play a microwave and let me tell you I have never seen a better one since. Sara is beautiful inside and out. She will do anything for anyone.

Okay Sara has a temper that could put an Irish man to shame. She could let loose those two tiny fist of furry and hit anything that came near her. I had the bruises to prove it. Sara is also incredibly hard headed. That's both physically and mentally. She once flew and I mean flew off a merry-go-round and landed on that hard head. She says she felt like "Superman". I believe her I saw her fly and thought it was pretty funny. Of course I didn't think everything she did was funny. Like the time she destroyed my doll house and then hide in the closet behind the blankets. Not funny Sara! Of course she once let me stick a lollie pop to her face over and over and over again just cuz I thought it was funny. Well it was!

Sara loves the Grateful Dead and Elephants. She loves her children more than life itself and she is a damn good mother. Her sister (me) thinks the world of her. I want to wish Sara a Happy Birthday. I love you baby sister and always will!

Life

I wanted to take a moment to congratulate a few of my friends who will be bringing new life into this world. These wonderful women are doing amazing things right now. Sarah R. she is bringing her 4th child in to her family. If she doesn't deserve our prayers I don't know who does. Then Chery M. Is expecting her 2nd child and this has been a year long battle for her and God knows she deserves this. Last but not least Meg H. who will be delivering her 2nd in September. Meg has been through more than most have in a life time. This baby is an answer from God. I would also like to congratulate my friends who have had babies in the past year. Kim C. and her baby boy Ty and Daisy H. and her sweet son Will. Tiana C. and her little girl Alesia . Plus Christie F. and little man Alex and Margret P. and big boy Charlie. God has blessed these women with a special gift. Please say a prayer for them and the newest members of our planet. I love you girls.

Smiles,
Morgan

lollie love

"Oh lollie pop your oh so sweet."
-Rose

Ransom of Red Chief

Once upon a time there lived a little boy who was quite obnoxious. One day while playing a lively game of Cowboys and Indians two bumbling kidnappers came upon this boy and snatched him. To make a long story short. They tried to ransom Red Chief (the nickname the boy gave himself) for money but nobody would pay. So they were stuck with little Red Chief running around driving them crazy. In the end the kidnappers paid his parents to take him back. Why a recap of this story? Because we have always called Moya "Red Chief". We are pretty sure that if anyone tried to kidnap Moya they would gladly pay any price to give her back.

So Red Chief had an appointment to meet with an all girls school Headmistress. She stepped on to the plush grey carpet and took off her shoes (wouldn't you) and promptly crawled under the table and refused to come out. All the while we were trying to convince this headmistress that "she really is mature for her age and can do the work". I don't think she was convinced. Red Chief will not be going to that school.

How did I feel while all this was going on? First off I wanted to kick her because she kept rolling on to my feet and telling me to stop annoying her. Then I wanted to sit on her for throwing what can only be described as a monumental tantrum. Lastly I wanted to pinch her for talking baby talk and acting, acting, acting 3. That's when it hit me. Red Chief is only 3! I was trying to force her to act older than she is. I wanted little Red to prove to this Headmistress what I already knew. Red Chief maybe obnoxious and throw tantrums she may kick off her shoes and run around like a crazy person but I would gladly pay any price to get Red Chief back. So Rose I get the point you can't form fit a child like Red Chief into a mold that won't budge!

Click on Red Chief above in blue and read the short story by O' Henry

Little Devil

Lovable
Emotional
Amazing
Happy





My little Leah!

Meet Koko

You've met Betty, you've met our hitchockain kookaburras, you've met the little redheaded boy that Rose adores.

Now, meet our crazy, furry voyeur.

KOKO.

Just one name, sorta like Kong.

"Every move you make, every step you take, I'll be watching you".
I think Sting knew Koko.


Koko is the neighborhood cat who absolutely loves our floor to ceiling windows which allow her to casually walk up and look in at the furry residents within. If Koko were human, she'd be sort of like Betty, but bolder. Koko lives the life of luxury prancing about our yard pooping here and there. She takes much enjoyment in watching our family perform our daily lives. She spent all Christmas morning watching gifts being opened. Laundry is a lonely task no more, Koko is there watching your every move.
Koko especially loves to give cooking tips. She sits patiently outside the window meowing orders like, add more salt, less pepper and so on. We feel the same connection that we did for Mr. Kitty, our previous walk-on in Pittsburgh. Our cats, much like our daughter, make friends easily. Now that doesn't mean they won't gang up on a fellow pet, corner him, take a flying leap and ride him like a rodeo cowboy.

We like crazy cross eyed Koko, she adds enjoyment to our everyday lives. The cats seem to enjoy their new friend. Koko you go girl!

Friendship

Friendship is one of those things that once you find it you hold on with both hands. It's someone you find standing behind, as you feel you're going to fall over. They are the strength that you yourself can not muster when things become unbearable. Friendship is never being lonely when it really counts. They are there when you believe you can't go on. Its when going on just doesn't feel like an option that friends shout, "You can do it, jump!". For that friendship is invaluable and necessary. Friendship is thankless and thankful. Friendship just is!

Style for 06

This child is going to go far! She has stars in her eyes. At this moment Rose truly believes she is the Diva of fashion. We love our guru of style for many reasons.
1. She won't let you out of the house in sandal's and socks.
2. Plaid makes daddy look old and he should never wear it again.
3. Mommy should wear dresses its more girlie.
4. Sunglasses make everyone look good.

Style is only style when someone says it is. Then someone else comes along and says that a good idea and on it goes. Rose has fashion sense because she believes she does. When she sees you looking at her on the tram it is merely because you to love the combination of yellow shorts, turquoise shirt and a crazy pink hat topped of with yellow star sunglasses. Rose loves the way she looks and believes everyone else sees her style for what it is, fabulous and for some reason they may disagree that only means there is something wrong with there fashion sense. She would gladly give anyone a needed tip.

Tip #1 Purple goes wonderfully with everything from socks to hats and everything inbetween.

Stop lurking and start typing

Daisy has informed me via her log it is delurking week so go ahead let me know your watching. Type me a note!

A word of thanks

I want to take the time to thank a few people who have been helping me get through this very challenging time. With Rose being tested for gifted and talented I have been a tad bit stressed. Okay I have been a nut case. But a few thankless people have put up with me admirably. First a great big thanks to Grandma Bernita for patiently listening to me over the computer. She has kindly allowed me to go on about how I fear I am doing a horrible job as a parent. She has been a pillar of strength for me having been through all this with Will. Next a huge thank you to Suze for giving me a personal account of her experience as a gifted child. Her insight has been invaluable and I will love her forever for that. Last but not least Vima my mom away from home. She has seen my anguish and frustration for fear of doing the wrong thing. She has seen me through the tears, and for that I am forever grateful. Thank you each and everyone for all your suppport and love.

Our little talker

Hey everyone this is going to be a short update. Rose did fantastic today at her test/games. Mommy and Daddy are very proud. Rose blew the scale for verbal skills she is better than 98.9 percent of her peers (4 year olds). She is average at spacial relations. She wanted to put the blocks together the way she wanted to, not how the tester did. They think it maybe only a female thing an just not enough practice with blocks and object manipulation. We may put her in a term of preschool if she doesn't get into the right school. The right school meaning one that takes younger kindergartners. That will all be the drama of next week. She is most definatly gifted in... well talking. Can you believe Rose is talented in talking. Never would have guessed that one. So folks our baby is a *genius, but whose child isn't. Go give your little genius a hug!

*to us
Picture of Rose age 3

The boy next door

Shasta aka Chester

I HATE Laundry

Yes I know that HATE can be a very strong word! I prefer to say things like I greatly dislike ... having bananas shoved in my ears or gee that's not my favorite ... green dress *(but not a real green dress cuz that's cruel). But when it comes to laundry I HATE is just perfect. Laundry is never ending. I am pretty sure that mismatched socks get together in the dim light of night and tango and in the morning give birth to millions of tiny little mismatched socks. These tiny little socks then go on to live tiny little lives spreading their wings and traveling from one end of the house to the next. They themselves then breed and cough up dust bunnies that roll across my floor like Texas tumble weeds blowing gaily in the breeze. I like to think that in the night they, the bunnies and the little socks, dance in the moonlight and play little games like find the crumbs under the refrigerator. I believe next week I will begin naming them. "Hi Fred, George, Ringo, Yvonne..."

* Bare Naked Ladies If I had a million dollars

Again with the boredom

Hot and cranky would be the best way to describe my family this week. We did it so well last week that we have extended it for an unprecedented second week. Yes folks you to can enjoy the on going excitement of the Bosley's by logging on daily to see our fun filled antics. We swim in emerald green pools (slight cleaning problem) and listen to Kokaburra lull us to sleep with their loud obnoxious laughter. We even sit around in the only room in the house with furniture and watch horrible and I mean horrible TV. Yes folks were dull! You might think that "wow" your living in Australia you should be having a hum dinger of a time but I seemed to have misplaced my map of fun things to do in Australia. First off we have a hole in our atmosphere that is putting a damper on our fun. Check out the UV index sometime and you will see that you could burn yourself into crisp if you spend more than 20 minutes in the sun. Were not even going to mention that sometimes the temps are well into the 100's. Last but not least Australia closes at 5:00 pm on the dot. Nothing is open beyond this time so don't even think of trying to pick up something up on the way home from work cuz it ain't open. Life here moves slow so slow that most Australians are 30 minutes to an hour late and nobody cares, it is actually expected. So I will go on making my "plains" and I will sit and wait for my ozzie friends to arrive. I won't name names (Brad, Vima, awful pool man). So while you're at your local BP getting an extra large slushy at 10 pm think of us fondly!

I do want to take a moment to thank my girlfriend Daisy (see her blog at http://www.dadamama.typepad.com/dadamama/). She has helped me tremendously with getting this blog up and running. So to you Daisy I tip my hat. If only I had a hat to tip (its been quarantined).

Watch out world

Today I witnessed what will be a long journey of exploration. What I learned is that I will bite my nails and hold my breath every step of the way. Rose has begun her testing for the gifted and talented program. Just thinking about it makes me ill, but she enjoyed every moment of it and even cried when it was time to go. I could barely stay in the room. For fear of what I am uncertain. I want her to succeed I want everyone to see the brilliant, creative and wonderful daughter I have. I'm afraid they won't see what I see. But then again do I care?

We are having her tested because the school districts here are different, harder in some ways. We didn't know where to put her and in what grade. We were told under no circumstances should she go into preschool. Pretty much she's too smart. How smart we won't know until the testing is done and even then I don't think I even care. They did a series of math problems on paper. Rose was coloring and I thought not paying attention but believe it or not came up with the correct answers. They were just doing it to see if she could do it. They were tests for much older children. Without blinking an eye she added and subtracted with ease. She then went on the to tell the tester what letters made up the word stop and dog and so on. It was hard on me and I plan to let Will sit in on the rest of the tests. The tester was impressed and Rose enjoyed herself and I needed a stiff drink when it was all over. Its hard to let go and let them succeed or fail on their own terms. Sometimes loving means letting go. I'm not sure I'm ready. But I am positive Rose is ready to try! But is the world prepared for Rose?

The day that lacked

Today nothing happened so I sat on the couch feeling not at all like myself. I played around on the computer untill I got it to do what I wanted it to do. I am not sure what it is I wanted but I am sure the computer is happy. It didn't once beeb or squeak at me in protest. So I sat and I fiddled like all good computer people do. I sat and I waited. Waited for it to update and reconfiguare and republish and reboot and reanimate itself. I am not sure it ever reanimated itself for if it did it would have become terribly bored with me a got up and left for a coffee or something. So this is the entry of non- importance. It has a lack of substance much like how I feel. So go on and have a day of dysfunctional boredom.

Leave me a note

Hey everyone a short note to say leave a note and let me know what you think of the blog. It helps me to know what you think. Plus I like to think people are reading this.
Just click on comments and leave me a note. You can leave it anonomous if you aren't apart of a blog.

Smiles,
Casey

Peeking Betty

We here on Copper Pl. have a new "friend", we like to call her peeking Betty. Betty lives across the street in what would appear to the naked eye as an average home. White house, manicured lawn and well watered flowers in front. But we here on Copper Place know better. Betty is a covert officer for the CIA. She may appear friendly, but let me stress do not cross Betty. Betty uses her highly honed skills of espionage to spy on us all. Betty does a remarkable game of hide and seek when someone catches her at her game. She can in a flash run into her home and peer out from the crack in her door in a heartbeat if she believes her cover has been blown. And we here at Copper Place know that when Betty (if that is her real name) is watering her well maintained yard it is only to record information on us. Because let me stress Betty will allow a puddle of water to pull around her feet just so she can make sure we strange and formidable Americans aren't doing something ominous and illegal. Betty has gone so far in her effort to keep the peace in our fair city as to call the police on us. We had left a very dangerous looking 30 year old car in front of our home for an unprecedented 6 hours. God only knows what that car could have been capable of. Thank the Good Lord for Betty! Another crisis averted! But I have to say I feel safe having Peeking Betty looking out for us. Because let me tell you nothing gets past her. She can hear us coming down our gravel drive way. Peek her white head out from between her curtains in such a way that only a trained expert would make out. With Peeking Betty on the job no robber, Jehovah's Witness or evil wrong doer would dare step on our property with out Peeking Betty taking note and calling the appropriate authorities. So let me say again without people like Peeking Betty I would be bored! Thank you Peeking Betty for keeping the peace and keeping me amused for hours!

Sometimes it pays to look up

Sometimes it pays to just stop and look up. For tonight when my wee family looked up into an unassuming gum tree we were blessed to see the back end of koala bear. "koala's aren't bears" ( qualifier from Rose). We walked around and got to see the front end too. Our dear "friend" acted as if Rose's high pitch squeals were music to his ears for at the sound of her voice he clung tightly (as if in fear) to the branches and tracked her cautiously (like a hawke) with his two beedy eyes. I truely believe if he could have climbed down off of his perch he would have walked up to our dear sweet Rose and slapped her with his darling little paws. Rose has a laugh she likes to use that could split a coconut in half. She likes to use said laugh to get people's (and koala's) attention. Its a mixture of one part maniacal hiena, a dash of spastic glee, and a pinch of crazed launatic. People hold their loved ones close when she gets started. Now back to our Koala.

Mr. Koala was left to his own devises when a family with two dogs ran by and created a new audiance. We left Mr. Koala to his peaceful sleep. Good night Mr. Koala and good luck.

Mr.Koala!

sitting in a tree

looking at me

Please don't pee...

The way of the Hippie

I have gone the way of the hippie. Or maybe its just the way of homeopathy. Anyway you look at I've gone to the tree hugging side. I've always bordered on tree hugger but now the scales have tipped. I am officially "green". I love Bach's flower essences to calm the nerves and Tea Tree oil can heal all. Australia makes it easy to find alternative therapy. I'm meditating towards a more youthful me. I'm using herbs to cleanse and clean. I am the new and improved herbal me (please prononce the H). Forgive my hippie ways but I am now a staunch believer in the ways of the leaf. Nature heals pass it on.

http://www.bachcentre.com/centre/remedies.htm

When God steps in

Sometimes God says no and when he does you listen. I wander the beach questioning why I would be sent here. Here of all places a million miles away from home. Here to raise a child I am now just getting to know. Here where I can't find my way home. Here where I wander the beach alone. Thats when God steps in. I look up and I see this. The heavens have opened up on what looked to be a fierce storm. There in the distance was peace. Silent rays of light reaching out. Reaching out to me.

Hey everyone here's Rose in our front yard looking oh so cute. I will learn to use this on my own soon. Love and miss you all.

friends

Hi I'm gettin started with a little help from my friends