After a long hiatus

. . . I'm left feeling like the queen, who announced one year (1992) that she'd had an annus horribilis, which we've had this year. Life has become so chaotic that I've been away from the blogosphere, but I am trying now to make a return and resume more normal duties instead of just running in what I term "survival mode".

Not everything has been bad, of course. Princess Sleepyhead has had highlights: doing better at her new school than expected -- for the first time ever she received an academic award -- and finally finally getting to perform on "Carols by Candlelight" on Channel 9. She has waited and waited and waited for that. And while I don't have a link to that performance I have one to the Victorian State Singers performing their nine-lesson carol service (the lessons have been edited out, though not by me) earlier this month. It's well worth a listen -- they're an excellent youth choir, and looking for new members. In case you're Melbourne-based and under 30, here's their website.

Sir Talkalot, the cause of much of this year's chaos (which is a change as he's usually the "easy" child), has started at a new school, which he loves and we're very impressed with.

So, let's hope the new year is more settled, happy and productive in all ways -- for you and me both!