Sally + Tim = 5

2012-02-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

La Familia Swan has been away for a fortnight on summer holidays. I will add more photos after I've dominated the pile of laundry and reorganised the house. Oh heavens, and blown the sand out of my car...

2012-01-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

Last week I sent L & A away on camp for the very first time. It was as big a milestone for them as it was for me! I can proudly say that I did not embarrass them with tears and kisses as we farewelled each other for the week. Though I would REALLY liked to have.

The camp is for children aged between 7 and 15 and is run annually by a group of Baptist churches. The campsite is in Pirque which is about a one hour drive out of Santiago into some beautiful countryside.

Apparently there were tarantulas around the campsite which I was fine with (kinda). When the children returned home, I was told "we kept finding them in our cabins!". Oh the sublime horror!

My boy came home dirt-riddened and tanned, but with such happy stories of new friends and adventures. He grew a bit too and not just in height. This is what camp week is all about I guess - giving children a week away from home to learn about God, others and themselves. And they did.

I just wish he had changed his underwear and clothes at least ONCE!!!

2012-01-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

My 11 month old has been weaned. Welcome to the real world, little friend. Your time of sweet innocence is almost a thing of the past. Sad, really. But oh, didn't we have fun!

2012-01-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

Master Edward Hugh Swan is now a graduate of the Colegio Antilhue Kindergarten Class of 2011. He will continue on into Year 1 (Primero Basico) this year at the same school.

The graduation was held on 28th December at 7.30pm, finally concluding at 10pm. I attended with Lachlan and Annabelle and we became mesmerised witnesses of the crowds of overtired, hyperactive 5 year olds! But it was a nice event despite the late start and long speeches, and mostly importantly, my little graduate had fun!

2012-01-11T16:06:00.000-08:00

Tim and I married 15 years ago today. He was 22 and I was 19. During the dancing after the wedding, I remember laughing to myself as I heard the pianist playing that gorgeous old love song, "They tried to tell us we're too young, too young to really be in love...".

Well, 15 is a milestone which tells of a marvelous journey with an amazing man. He is the best man for me and I love him! It helps that he is also hopelessly good-looking. May God help me bring this old Proverb to life daily "She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life."

Lachlan, in his superb, quiet, thoughtful way created this little surprise for us this morning. With lego, of course.

"And then some day they may recall... we were not too young at all."

2012-01-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

I have had to redevelop my garden. It's becoming a recurrent theme, I know. The last flowers (the Spanish Lavender) died, for which I have no sensible explanation. I wept over their dried, broken corpses.
So one day, my trusty compañera Adelaide and I went to the local nursery for some inspiration. I wanted a neat, clean plant which could survive a harsh, neglected environment (my garden). Luis, the garden guy, showed me some 'Boj' plants which I leapt upon excitedly and immediately ordered 3. He then told me they would cost $30,000 pesos each which drowned my enthusiasm somewhat - that's about AUS$60.00. I then begged him for some further brilliance and so he led me to these... yes, they too are little Boj trees but the trick is that they are completely untouched - never exquisitely pruned as their expensive brothers. Luis gave me some tips on how to prune them into round green balls and then sold 3 to me for $10,000 pesos each. Muchas gracias, amigo!

In time my garden will resurrect itself. While we wait, the painfully hot summer sun reigns and everything is quietly settling in time to flower splendidly in a few months.

The clay pots contain two white alyssums and one purple flower similar in sweetness. Please don't die too, my little friends.

2012-01-06T09:17:00.000-08:00

I have a new camera which I find just SUCH a relief after sighing and muttering "oh you silly thing" at my previous camera for 5 years. My littlest boy is proving to be a wonderfully slow-moving target for me to practice on. And it appears he's learning how to smile. Or something.

2012-01-04T04:07:00.000-08:00

Our little church recently elected its first parish council. It's a good group and we love each of them dearly. May God make them wise to serve Him over the next year.

2012-01-04T03:50:00.000-08:00

Annabelle will be our friend's flower girl for a late January wedding, so they went dress shopping last week. With a few planned alterations, this is the dress - perfect!

A new dress AND waffles all in one afternoon! What a sensational combo.

2012-01-04T03:40:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we spent the day at the beach with our friends. The sun didn't turn up, but it was a warm day and we had a blast.

2011-12-31T06:30:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day is my favourite day of the year. We celebrate the birth of God in human form - as a precious little baby - and consider again why it was so necessary, ever mindful of Easter. And of course, it's the one day of the year when we come together as a family and eat (too much) fabulous food and give/receive presents! Unbeatable!

Our 2011 Christmas tree laden with decorations and presents.

Our beloved Tanzanian nativity scene.

Edward's gorgeous angel. I can't imagine real angels looking any happier than this little fellow.

The first present of the day (Lego's Hogwart's Castle) was for Annabelle, though the merriment was clearly shared by them all.

Charles Willoughby Swan's first Christmas! Oh how he enjoyed eating all that paper.

I was very pleased with my 'How People Change' book by Tripp and Lane.

Edward keen to see his Kumon Mazes book which he had stared at under the tree all month.

Lachlan and some new Star Wars Lego. Despite the fact that his "ideas desk" and bedroom floor is positively strewn with the stuff, apparently you can never have enough. Though if I step (bare of foot) on one more tiny smiling lego action figure, I'm going to leave home.

Adelaide carefully opening her present. Each torn piece of paper was handed to Daddy with a "there you go" and a smile. Sweet, tidy daughter of mine. She and I will be good friends one day.

Tim helping Annabelle put her flute together, which our friends Ross and Marilyn, sent her from Sydney. Superb!

As our Chilean friends open presents and celebrate at midnight on Christmas Eve, it was eerily quiet at church on Sunday morning. This is the terrific local school hall where our church plant meets.

Tim and the great little music group.

Christmas lunch with at home Beth and Derek and Sam.

I know my North American friends think we're completely mad, but Christmas to us Australians couldn't be possible without a stinking hot afternoon, watermelons and a swim!

Charlie is as yet too small for the pool but my heavens, the boy makes his own fun in his outdoor bath.

The final activity of the day was dessert. I made the Women's Weekly brownies with caramel sauce and we added a serious fiesta of rasberries, blueberries and strawberries.

I'm unashamedly proud of my first Christmas cake. My friend Rebecca came over one afternoon and helped turn it into a fabulous success. A week later and I've hardly eaten anything else!

Gracias Señor for your abounding goodness and mercies to us this Day!

2011-12-27T07:40:00.000-08:00

The CEP students gave Tim a thank you card this year. The picture on the front of the card was drawn by one of the students. So thoughtful and so appreciated.

The verse is from 2 Timothy 2:1-2 and says "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others."

2011-12-27T07:37:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Swan family photo. Celebrating God become Man! Happy Christmas!

2011-12-21T12:13:00.000-08:00

What a difference a decade makes.

2011-12-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

It took me one whole week to get accustomed to the pleasure of having every child at home for the summer holidays. Initially it was exhaaaausting as we organised ourselves into a happy routine and worked hard at reacquainting one with the other.

Lachlan and Annabelle have a steady morning schedule of working through their Kumon maths and english textbooks, as well as journal writing, sketching, music practice, craft, computer time and so on. And the person who reads the most novels will win a grand prize of $10,000 pesos at the end of the holidays!

My enjoyment of this intense period of life soars every time I see my children taking pleasure in the simple things. Together.

2011-12-16T10:57:00.000-08:00

After having produced 5 babies and realising that lazing around the summertime swimming pool was but a few weeks away, it suddenly hit me that it was time to buy myself a new swimsuit. There is no chore I hate more. My stomach rolls in horror, even as I think about it.

Thus, to avoid as much shop cubicle humiliation as possible, I threw myself into the massively popular Dukan Diet. Very generally, it's all about protein and vegetables, oatbran and water. I loved it and it treated me well, as I dropped 4 kilos in 2 weeks. I seem to have stabilised at 60.4kgs, though that will be enough to keep my head held high as I march soberly around the shops next week in search of that elusive swimsuit.

2011-12-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

Lachlan and Annabelle enjoyed participating in their school's Christmas musical. They both had small, completely non-auspicious speaking parts - they were, respectively, 'Shepherd 3' and 'Bethlehem Child 3'. Despite their humble positions, they were very happy little bible characters and their Mother was proud as punch. Tim accompanied on the piano and was pleased to finally be able to use his poor old hand tendons without so much as a twang.

2011-12-16T10:27:00.000-08:00

3 months of school holidays are here. Welcome back to the action, Fantastic Tiny Splash Pool! You make our looong, hot afternoons much more pleasurable!

2011-12-10T16:09:00.000-08:00

Like my friend Chris said, it's like Simon is saying, "Look, Edward, do you want to see heaven?"

photo by Beth Brown

The wonder of a boy and a beach.

photo by Beth Brown

Of the Week

2011-12-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

It may seem to you such a little thing, but let me tell you that when a baby learns to sit up in the bath, this Mother cries hooray and her back releases a small sigh. Congratulations, Charlie, much appreciated.

We looked after 'Brownie' for a few days and, surprisingly, enjoyed his company very much. He was obedient, willing to learn, and not requiring of too much affection. Come again anytime, Señor Brownie!

Lachlan finished his 888 piece puzzle of Neuschwanstein Castle. Again. We then glued it together and stuck in on his bedroom wall. I'm just so glad it's not on my dining room table anymore.
This is what I do. I feed children. Constantly. Or at least, it feels that way. I often wonder what it would have been like if we had brought forth only 2 cygnets. The reasons I stop to ponder are selfish - it's always when I'm tired, I've mismanaged my time, several of them are sick, or I just don't want to serve them anymore. I want to put my feet up and leave them there until I say so.

But there's something marvelous about 'the many', despite the workload. And I do believe my husband has become a better father, having opened his heart and his time to more. And I know in my heart that the more I give myself fully to the filling of 5 little bowls, the happier I am.

I only see 5 chests of pirate treasure, spilling over with gold and jewels. Sniff.

2011-11-30T17:20:00.000-08:00

Last week we went to a little friend's birthday party.

I hardly saw my children all afternoon as the 'juegos infantiles' were so great.

It was SO lovely to spend the afternoon with church friends. I love them, and already my heart skips a beat when I pause to think about leaving them forever in 18 months.

2011-11-30T17:07:00.000-08:00

This little munchkin does not get very much of my time. So when she asked to have her nails painted and cheerily passed me the bright pink nail polish (silently plucked from her older sister's stash), I just had to stop and soak up the pleasure of the moment. These years are sweet and too fast.

2011-11-26T11:35:00.000-08:00

I am now the proud owner of an Oster 'All Metal Drive' Blender. Fabulously, 5 out of 7 of us are happy with my smoothies and my fruit or vegetable mega juices, though I am yet to convince the 2 most hard-to-please (and littlest) members of the family.

2011-11-26T10:02:00.000-08:00

Clapping: tick.

2011-11-20T15:56:00.002-08:00

A few weekends ago, Tim took the 3 eldest children away for 1 night of camping beside Lake Esmeralda, about 1 hour from Santiago. They had a incredibly good time, what with horse riding, kite flying, swimming, boating, kayaking, bike riding, trampolining, barbecuing, and of course, they slept in the tent!

I politely declined their offer to accompany them, as lamentablemente I have a toddler and a baby glued to me which makes such frivolous outdoor sleepovers quite unfathomable. We cheerily joined them the next day.

Lach spent over one hour (twice) out on the kayak. It seems he is very much a boat boy, which he inherits from his father. I vomit, repeatedly, on small moving vessels, so in the future (perhaps it will have to wait until Sydney) this sport will be pursued by Father and Son without my woeful company.

Looking for small, darting fish.

Playing in the ice-cold shallows of the lake.

Edward was proud, and a little boastful, to have remembered how to swim from last Summer. How he inserted his head into that arctic water and resurfaced without any cerebral trauma, I will never know.

Lach sitting in a stranger's boat. Keen does not begin to describe him.

The campsite BBQ.

We took our favourite neighbours, Beth and Derek, which just doubled the fun!

Prince Charles lying luxuriously in MY chair.

2011-11-13T03:42:00.000-08:00

We have been given two guinea pigs by friends who are leaving the country. The only problem is that they were living in an indoor cage which this Mother really couldn't cope with.

Thus, yesterday I proudly made my first purchase on 'mercadolibre' which is just like Australia's 'ebay'. And here it is below: a guinea-pig cage! (applause, please.) We picked it up from the seller in a neighbouring suburb for $70.

Lach and Bella are on a roster for feeding the guinea pigs and cleaning their cage. Every time they forget, I'll take $1,000 pesos from their money box. Considering they only earn $1,000 pesos per week, it will be a big deal. I refuse to be another Children-Get-New-Pet-Mother-Ends-Up-Caring-For-It statistic.

Welcome, Elizabeth and Louise!

2011-11-10T15:23:00.000-08:00

I bought this high chair a few days after arriving in Chile - almost 8 years ago! It has been an excellent beast of burden and despite never having a day off, it continues to bear my babies without the slightest murmur of discontent.

2011-11-10T05:23:00.000-08:00

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1.31

2011-11-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

Lach is now 11 years old. It is truly fascinating to watch him move away from childhood foolishness and into a more mature understanding of himself, the world and God. I appreciate deeply that he still shouts "Love you, Mum!" as he walks through the school gates. Long may the days of sweet innocence live!!

To celebrate his birthday, Lachlan invited 2 school friends home for the afternoon. I was required only to provide food and shelter while they spent their time playing, mostly with lego (or spellbound by the lego catalogue). This Mother is just ADORING the developing independence and ease of aging children!

From the Month

2011-10-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

I do love a good cuddle with a round baby boy.

Playtime with Beth is ALWAYS fun.

My bear cub has grown 7 teeth in the past 2 months. This little cold ring needs to be paid some serious overtime!

Kite flying is a very popular activity during this time of year. You can buy a cheap papery kite on every street corner and despite having serious doubts about its flight capacity, the thing ALWAYS soars unbelievably high and NEVER ceases to amaze us.

My boys. And a passing, somewhat disheveled girl.

I recently hosted the monthly reunion of CEP Women. During the meeting, I noticed another gathering of similar 'women' under the morning tea table. The sign simply says "Woman's Meeting" and has an arrow pointing to beneath the table where I could see bible reading and drawing occupying my dear little women.

Girls painting nails.

This superb lady, my friend Rebecca, came over to show me how to make cinnamon rolls. They were exceptionally delicious and exceptionally bad for my waistline. Let's do it again soon, Becka!

Saturday afternoon in the backyard...

2011-10-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

Garden completed. The first ball has been thrown in and the first child has fallen in, and I can report that all remains well.

I planted these unlabeled but very sweet flowers. What are they?

2011-10-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

Missing Simon and Kathy.

2011-10-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Another birthday weekend activity was the aggressive pruning of my beloved lavender. Truly I become quite attached to my plants and chopping at their precious purple flowers makes me ponder life.

I tore into the centre of my lavender hedge which really hadn't been thriving this year. I'm still deciding how to fill the hole. Any ideas? (Tim has been begging for a water feature for our whole married life. Not going to happen.)

2011-10-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

"Mummy, can I make a cake?"

"Sure, Bella!"

Ohhhh, did you mean by yourself?? I didn't get that part! But she did and she did a FAB job of it. Sure a lot happened in that kitchen which Flo Bjelke-Peterson would NEVER have approved of, and a handful of 'pushing the envelope' ingredients were added to the original recipe, but the result was wonderful and Annabelle is one step closer to complete independence from her Mother.

Peer a little closer and you will see floating banana, chia seeds, chocolate sultanas from Australia (thanks Chris), and cooked egg (thanks hot butter).

2011-10-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

Another birthday, another awesome Starbucks day by myself. And this time, even the shop was empty. Hurrah! I moved around the room examining couches and corners, taking a long, sweet time choosing my desired nest for the afternoon. Words cannot express!

I ate, I read, I drank, I ate, I read, I drank. All afternoon and evening. Non-stop. Truly a very Happy Birthday.

2011-10-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

My daughters A & A

2011-10-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful church family at Iglesia Anglicana Cristo Redentor Ñuñoa Santiago.

2011-10-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

The bath is getting squishier every year!

2011-10-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed having Derek and Beth and their friends Max and Caro over for lunch to celebrate Derek's 25th birthday. Feliz cumpleaños, dear friend!

2011-10-04T14:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Mrs Niemeyer, I like you a lot.

Poem:

I like you forever,

You're very, very nice,

As long as I'm living

My forever friend you'll be.

You are nice and very kind.

You punish me when I need it.

And if you keep doing it,

then you'll earn a treasure in heaven.

May God bless you in every task that you finish, in starvation and everything else. May the Force be with you.

Isaiah 46.4 Even to your old age and grey hairs, I am He. I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Love from AOS.

2011-10-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

L & A's school also celebrated el Dieciocho with dancing, games and food. Here is Lach with his good friend, Caleb.

Annabelle with her good friend, Chase. They both threw a fit when I suggested he put his arm around her for the photo. It was like I had asked him to propose.

Adelaide with Caleb's little sisters.

2011-10-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

For the Dieciocho Independence Day celebrations this year, Edward had a fantastic time performing a special dance with his class in front of the whole school.

Edward is friends with the whole world, but apparently this boy is his special friend.

'Kinder B'.

Edward with his lovely tia Paulina.

2011-09-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo with our good friends, Becca and Beth - one american, one australian, both living in Santiago. Buin Zoo is in the country, about 30 minutes from home, and now that we have annual passes we plan to visit regularly. Having a pass means we can visit the zoo without needing to commit to an entire day-out where everyone comes home exhausted and dirty (especially the mumma). We can each choose an animal or a particular exhibit and that's it! No tramping all over the zoo pretending fascination at the same sleeping lion or staring meercat. And it's gratis! Go Buin!

2011-09-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

Charles spends all his time lying on his back. At 7.5 mths he is perfectly content barking orders from his baby gym on the floor. So it really does come as a surprise to discover that he loves this weird seat-thingey which a friend lent us. Oh well, whatever makes the young prince happy!

2011-09-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

This month, our lovely friends, James and Maglie, were married at our old church in Providencia. She was so beautiful!

Edward and James are best friends,

and the children felt very privileged to be invited to the wedding.

Me and my Edu very, very late that night. As we left the reception, he was painfully tired so I picked him up and carried him to the car. He whispered into my ear, "I wish I was James..."

2011-09-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

We had a sensational day at the snow last week. I don't think Edward disengaged from his toboggan for more than 5 minutes the whole day - he had a ball!

We went with our good friends, the Charles family. They brought a little barbecue and the children had loads of fun toasting and eating marshmellows.

Jo magically rocked my tired baby off to sleep. So grateful - he and I!

The day ended with a huge snow fight. We began in teams but that concept dissolved quickly into fighting for our own lives. A good, good day - thank you Lord!

2011-09-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

Last month, Lachlan borrowed an ancient book from the school library called "Teach Yourself Archery". He studied it for weeks and talked about archery non-stop. He made himself a bow and arrow from lego (yes it appears it IS possible!) and stuck a target on my lounge room wall and practiced shooting morning, noon and night.

I decided that I admired his dedication and interest and have enrolled him in archery classes which run over two weekends (4 days), 2 hours per morning. Needless to say, the boy is in heaven.

2011-09-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

This niñita is slowly leaving toddlerdom and cruising into childhood. These Kumon maze books have been brilliant at training her to hold a pencil, follow instructions and stretch out her concentration.

She has become quite a focused young academic.

And she's even helping with the dinner. Clever 2 year old.

2011-09-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

I love the lazy time after dinner when it's time for bed and all there is left to do is read and knit.

2011-09-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

Tim reading a letter from Lachlan on Fathers Day. It was full of warmth and love and much encouragement to continue being a good father and a follower of Christ. I pray Lachlan will keep growing in likeness of his earthly father and his heavenly creator. What a treasure he is to our family!

2011-08-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

This is our little band of musicians at church. They are actually very good and it's a great pleasure to have them lead us in song every Sunday morning. Tim's thumb tendon is behaving (3 months after the second surgery) and he now has the strength to play his clarinet. Wide extensions on the piano will take some more time, but we are so relieved to see improvement and pray it will continue.

2011-08-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

Well the party is over, Tim's parents have returned home. School has started up again, Tim has trudged back to work, and my two little ones and I are remembering what it is to be at home without the variety of entertainment and entertainers we enjoyed for those brief 3 weeks.

Some special times were...

... the hours spent at the table playing together

... Tim and Lach's clarinet concert

... John and Lachlan (okay, mostly John) painting the front fence

... our double date to the local Juan Valdéz coffee shop - Edu and I with Marg and Annabelle. I let him beat me, by the way.

And a superb day up at the snow.
Thanks Marg and John for your wonderful visit. Mi casa es tu casa. Do come again!

2011-08-26T17:26:00.000-07:00

seven swans on a swing set in santiago

2011-08-26T17:13:00.000-07:00

ChaCha is now over 6 months old. He began eating solids a few weeks ago and the dear little bear cub quickly began devouring 3 meals a day. I am convinced that at this rate he will wake up one morning 10 feet tall. Or wide.

2011-08-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

Our lovely church, Cristo Redentor, celebrated its 1st anniversary recently. God is good.

The Sunday School released helium filled balloons into the air with bible verses attached to the string - symbolic of the gospel going forth from our church to all people.

We shared lunch after the service with another church plant, and gave them a present (some beautiful communion cups) for our birthday.

A sweet little balloon girl.

Charlie with his godparents, Michael and Jo.

2011-08-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

For 3 weeks in July/August, we had the great pleasure of Tim's parents visiting with us. It's been a wonderful time of quiet rest at home as well as fun excursions out. And the children have just SOAKED up the grandparently love.

Fathers Day in Chile was celebrated last month but as Tim was away for that particular weekend, we decided to postpone it until now.

It was so good to be able to celebrate two terrific Dads.

After presents and cards at home, we went to church and then to lunch at our favourite restaurant, Tiramisu.

Grandma and Charlie enjoyed a cuddle while the warm winter sun poured through the windows.

Another day, another restaurant! We spent the day at a lovely country town called Pomaire which is well-known for its clay kitchenware.

One Sunday we had our baby Charlie baptised.

Grandma brought the magic art of knitting into our home, and Lach and Bella were very keen students.

We enjoyed time at home playing endless board games, doing craft and reading. Note the dinosaur tail which Annabelle stuck on Adelaide's back.

Oh and by the way, I was finally confirmed as a member of the Anglican Church!

Within the 3 weeks, Grandma whipped up this beautiful woollen vest for Annabelle - incredible! It was marvelous for us all to watch it grow.

Tim's parents very kindly brought us some tins of baked beans and jars of vegemite - it really is the simple things that we miss the most!

One day while Tim, his parents and the 3 top children went to a Pharaoh exhibition, Adelaide and Charlie and I strolled around the local mall. We stumbled upon this 'Barbie exhibition' - Adelaide was given cupcakes to decorate, had her make-up done and played with other little girls - all for free! Thank you very much Parque Arauco!

2011-08-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

Edward Swan has become an overnight 'Monopoly Deal' champion. Who knew a 5 year old could take so much pleasure in bankrupting his dear old Mother? School holidays meant we had lots of opportunities to play and I had a chance to sharpen my skills.

And I actually permitted painting (outdoor) on more than a few occasions. The maintenance and supervision which this type of activity requires is usually too much for me to bear.

2011-07-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

At our monthly CEP Women meetings, Charlie never wants for cuddles...

2011-07-26T13:50:00.001-07:00

Our sweet 5 month old baby, Charles Willougby Swan, was baptised on Sunday. Our pastor is Juan Esteban, a good friend and CEP graduate.

In front of our church family at Iglesia Anglicana de Ñuñoa Cristo Redentor, and together with his godparents, Michael and Jo Charles, we promised to raise Charlie to love and follow Christ.

2011-07-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, we began a new bible study group in our home with three couples from church. The first meeting was a great encouragement as people were keen to study God's Word and we had warm fellowship over a torta and other scrumptious pastries.

2011-07-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

Adelaide has playmates for the whole month of July while the children are on school holidays. This makes her very happy, as it does me!

Annabelle, Edward and Adelaide enjoy dress-ups very much. This little peasant girl was very keen for a photo.

Half-naked with a tarzan-style mini-skirt and Daddy's shoes on. And apparently, those are some major biceps.

A Chilean cowgirl offering me a dance.

2011-07-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

The school year has now finished for Lachlan and Annabelle. They will enter Year 6 and Year 3 after one month of holidays over July. Here is Annabelle farewelling her teacher Miss Elizabeth who has now returned to the States permanently.

At the Year 6 Graduation, the Year 5/6 (composite) class presented a variety of items, including a song called Never Alone (Emu Music) which I taught them. I had loads of fun as they are such lovely children.

School holidays bring much more work for me and there is hardly a moment throughout the day when somebody doesn't call my name! (gets a little tiring...) After a few days of teething, the children are now into a good routine of work and play.

2011-07-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

I profoundly enjoy watching Boy No. 1 loving Boy No. 5. Even nappies cause no obstacle for his affection!

2011-07-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

The weather was just too perfect last Sunday after church to simply return home, so we stayed out for a take-away empanada lunch and a play in el Parque Bicentenario.

We think it is the most wonderful park in Santiago and don't mind the half hour drive to get there.

The fellas cooling down on the bench.

The children playing with their large bubble maker.

There can be no more perfect an end to a perfect day than picking up some Juan Valdez coffees on the way home.

2011-07-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

Charles W and I love his bathtime.

He loves to be cuddled and kissed and I don't mind at all!

2011-07-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

For the past 2 weeks, most of the public schools in Chile have been 'tomado' (taken) by the students. They are protesting mainly for free and good quality education. This is the sign outside Edward's school which says " Educate the children and it won't be necessary to punish man."

There have been two major marches through the centre of Santiago - this one went past the CEP (from where the photo was taken). You can see a police line which stopped the crowds from marching down the street in front of us. The first march involved about 20,000 people and the second had over 100,000 (300,000 Chile-wide). People are more frustrated than ever and the students are in danger of having to repeat their school year if they don't back down soon. We are praying that a fair agreement is reached soon and that real changes can be made quickly, despite the many obstacles.

2011-06-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

This is my fantastic mothers' group. We meet on Wednesdays and enjoy some brunch and conversation about christian parenting. Love them!

2011-06-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

Charlie is now 4 months old! He has boldly left behind his newborn status and become a round and interactive little fellow.

He dribbles CONSTANTLY and

sucks his fingers CONSTANTLY!

2011-06-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

The broken men, Tim and James (a friend from church), unbelievably with surgeries booked for the same time, same hospital.

Tim and Charles having some quiet time just before surgery. Every time a nurse came into the room, they would goo/gaa over Charlie and completely ignore the patient. Lucky Tim isn't the jealous type.

Superstar Tim two days after surgery, ready to have the drain removed (ahem, gross), but feeling fine and without pain.

A somewhat graphic photo of the embattled wrist with spectacularly awful stitching.

2011-05-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

Charles Willoughby at 3.5 months old enjoying his beautiful new quilt made by Bev, a friend from Sydney.

2011-05-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

At 3.5 months old, Charlie is sleeping from 7pmish to 7amish with a quick stopover feed at 10pm, and has around 4 naps a day. He has a wide open smile and a divine chuckle, and we are all loving getting to know his little personality.

2011-05-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

I have to confess that I don't really have the time to sit and listen to my children read aloud, nor do I have the patience. An excellent solution is to give myself something to do while they read, thus giving the impression that I'm wholly dedicated to their voices. I can cook, clean, fold washing, change nappies, make phone calls, discipline a wayward 2 year old, write emails, and so on, and remarkably the reading child remains fixated by their stories, their hearts warmed by my devotion to their learning.
I love having 5 children, yet how I WISH my darling Grandmother, who had 12 children, were still alive to share with me her decades of knowledge, sense of humour and dependence on God.

2011-05-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Tim, Lachlan and Edward spent the afternoon at an antique car museum.

These are two cars Edward plans to drive when he's a grown-up.

So blissfully unaware of the contrast!

2011-05-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

Señor Roundness submitting to the call of gravity.

2011-05-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Mothers' Day began with excited, pyjama'd children bringing me breakfast in bed. The pale, rough-looking, circular objects are scones which I had baked the day before. I profoundly appreciated the cup of tea which Tim brought me after the happy crowd dispersed.

After church, we had a long, delicious lunch at Applebee's which is a north american restaurant with international standard service and food. Such a treat.

A face painter was wandering around the restaurant and delighted us all with these lovely additions to my children's faces.

Lach isn't really a face paint kind of guy, but he does sit and stare into the horizon rather beautifully.

Me and my 5. What overwhelmingly marvellous and precious blessings from God!

2011-05-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

There were 5 in the bed...

2011-05-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

The new church plant we attend is now 9 months old and we have just moved to a bigger site situated at the local school. The extra space has made such a difference and everyone is thrilled with the move. The minister is a graduate from CEP (where Tim teaches) so it's such a blessing to see him working and to hear him preaching faithfully each Sunday. www.iglesianunoa.cl/

Tim loves playing clarinet or piano with the music group several times a month. It's led very ably by a young man who is doing 'Gimnasio' (ie MTS) with our church.

Annabelle and Lachlan's Sunday School group is led by a lady who is both a lovely friend and the wife of a CEP graduate.

Edward and Adelaide's Sunday School group is also led by a wonderful and faithful christian friend who does a terrific job.

The school has a beautiful outside area where the children can play (and spill their drinks it seems!) after the service.

2011-05-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

A note which Bella left on the kitchen bench when I came down in the morning. She is so responsible and caring. And very funny.

2011-05-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

We love Isa. She is usually either asleep on somebody's bed, or stealthily hunting out the enemy. She's sees herself as the family bodyguard and has a highly suspicious nature.

¡AL ATAQUE! and in one swift pounce, Isa had the enemy under control and, quite possibly in her mind, had saved Adelaide's life. The next move sent the hair brush flying to the floor.

Then she became confused as to precisely who was the enemy and turned her attack upon Adelaide's puzzle pieces. Oh dear, she gets it so wrong sometimes. But we do love her.

2011-05-01T06:13:00.000-07:00

Annabelle and her two great loves.

2011-05-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

Isa, the neighbour's cat, seems to think she is one of my children. Either that or she thinks I need help keeping an eye on things.

2011-05-01T05:58:00.000-07:00

On Easter morning, the Swan children sprinted excitedly from doorstep to doorstep delivering easter eggs with the message attached: 'Si confiesas con tu boca a Jesús por Señor, y crees en tu corazón que Dios le resucitó de entre los muertos, serás salvo." Romanos 10.9

We stood with our cups of tea and watched them joyfully delivering good news to our neighbours. (...silently! Afterall it was 9am on a Sunday morning!)

2011-04-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

Sweet Annabelle Olivia Swan turned 8 on the weekend.

The birthday celebrations included inviting her best friend, Miranda, to stay the night and my, they had a good time.

Here they are preparing pizzas for dinner.

After dropping Miranda home the next day, Annabelle suggested we pop into Starbucks for some coffee and cake. Oh, she's a girl after my own heart!

Ahem, and here we are.

2011-04-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

This past family day (saturday), we played a fast and furious game involving chocolate, chopsticks, a fork, a beanie and a scarf.

This tiny competitor sometimes found it easier just to snatch at the chocolate, when balancing it on the fork just wasn't working!

Lach was surprisingly agile with the chopsticks and put us all to shame with his calm professionalism.

2011-04-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

In 2003 we spent 6 months at St Andrew's Hall which is a missions training centre for overseas workers. While we were there, living in close community with others, we made some very dear friends who each contributed a patch to this bright, beautiful quilt. They then gave it to us as a present when Annabelle was born! It's a beautiful reminder of their friendship as we have it hanging (almost 8 years later!) in the children's bedroom.

2011-04-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

Here is Charles Willoughby, aged 9 weeks old. He gives us fleeting, gentle smiles (which dissolve when the camera appears!) and is very cleverly stretching out his feed/sleep routine more and more. A precious and very good little boy!

2011-04-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

In an evening of conflict resolution role-playing, the children added to the drama by literally colouring themselves in. Lach remained true to his tidy personality by being the 'journalist' for the event and he made himself a camera with which to capture the stories.

2011-04-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

The Swan 7.

The Cygnets.

Darling Lach with his littlest brother.

The A Team.

Charlie continuing his contented expansion.

Showing how exhausting it is to work so hard!

2011-04-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

Tim at CEP - http://www.cep-iach.cl - the whole reason we're in Chile.

2011-04-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

The children love playing on the street with the neighbours. It's a private street with a gate at the end so only residents' cars enter and it's very secure. Here they are collecting ingredients for their 'soups' and 'perfumes'.

They planned and plotted and mixed vigorously all afternoon. Lovely.

The street where we've lived now for over 7 years - half our married life!

2011-04-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

Edward has finally turned 5 years old. I say 'finally' because he's been waiting all year!

Edu wanted a birthday party with lots and lots and LOTS of games, so I arranged a little afternoon tea party and invited over our dear friends Rebecca & Stephen and their 4 children who are great pals with my 4. We also invited two other couples whom Edward loves best in the world. And with this cheery group in hand we did indeed have lots of fun!

Duck, Duck, Goose
Musical Statues

Steal the Keys

2011-04-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

Little Charlie at 6 weeks old.

A rare quiet moment alone with Daddy.

2011-03-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

Young Charles is 6 weeks old and is starting to look around him and discover his existence. From time to time he gives me smiles of appreciation for all my undying efforts which I apprize profoundly!

I am giving away all our brandspanking-newborn-baby clothes, as wonderful Charlie boy is expanding rapidly with all the eating and sleeping that's happening in this house.

CWS at 5 weeks

2011-03-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

Of the Week

2011-03-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

A highlight of the week was Tim's 37th birthday. ¡Feliz Cumpleaños, amor!

I love seeing my children reading, and I love seeing my children reading together. Currently Adelaide is obsessed by the Girls' Book of Stories and Annabelle cannot get enough of Harry Potter. And Charlie just enjoys their company!

This age group has a stunning imagination and a ridiculous sense of humour. This night they dressed for dinner as a king and queen. Edward has a belt around him which he says makes him look like Indiana Jones.

Lachlan loves sushi and so one night the boy made himself dinner.

He was deeply, profoundly pleased with himself. Sniff, soon he'll be asking for the keys to the car!

We had a pizza and movie night with our favourite neighbours, Beth and Derek. The pizzas at the (not very originally named) 'Pizza Pizza' restaurant are super!

A major highlight for me was the 'Shepherding a Child's Heart' conference with author/speaker Tedd Tripp. I have had that book on my beside table, constantly being re-read, through all my 10 years of parenting, so it was a huge thrill not only to listen to him en vivo, but also to meet him one night and have a little chat. I came away from the talks feeling challenged to be more gentle in the discipline of the my children and to train their hearts not simply their behaviour.

2011-03-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

Edward Hugh now attends Kindergarten every day from 8.30am to 12.30pm at a local Chilean school called Colegio Antilhue. He is learning Spanish well and it seems he has made friends with the whole school.

The school is very friendly though is quite resource-poor especially if I compare it to a regular Australian public school. (There is one tiny plastic slippery dip for the 2 Pre-K and 3 Kinder classes!) However I try not to think about that!... though did you know that 65% of Chilean pre-school teachers scored below-average in a general vocabulary test?

This is Edward's classroom.

Edward is picked up by a yellow school van every day at around 8.10am and then delivered home again around 12.45pm. This makes my life much easier, and he loves it!

2011-03-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

CEP 2011 students and full-time lecturers!

Charles Willoughby Swan - 3 weeks old

2011-03-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

It's official: I'm in love with another man. Well, he's only a boy really. But he's adorable and I find myself thinking about him all the time. And when he's asleep, I find myself wishing he were awake so we could stare at each other and smile.

Thankfully Charlie is not really conscious of where he is or of indeed who he is... so he doesn't mind a bit of cuddling even from his big sister on the hard wooden floor. And it sure makes her day!

When Adelaide hears Charlie cry she sometimes says, "Oh no!! Baby cry! Hit head? Oh nooo!" and we have to explain that usually babies cry simply because they're tired and not because of a dreadful incident.

Adelaide watches and learns so much from Annabelle who is an absolute gem with babies.

I took Charlie to the pediatrician at the 3 week mark, and was overjoyed to discover he now weighs 4.8kg and is 55cm long. Considering he was born 3.8kg and was 51cm long, that's quite a feat to increase by that much. I am SO thankful to God for his miraculous work in my child.

Very cutely, Charlie has started discovering fabulous things (like his fingers!) and as of yesterday he began making meaningful eye contact which is such an exciting milestone.

Lach thinks large families are wonderful. He enjoyed observing my pregnancy very much and was always so vocal in his thanks to God for another sibling and for how God was "knitting together" Charlie even before he was born.

Little Charles is a dearly beloved 7th and final member of our family and we are SO grateful to God for his health and for the happiness he brings us.

2011-03-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Charlie and I sent the whole family to church on Sunday so we could stay home and rest. I felt so great by the time they returned that I gave them pancakes for lunch!

2011-03-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

Can you see the telephone wire loosely hanging down blocking the road? Hmmm, this happens a lot in dear old La Florida.