Very Very good friend of mine just sent me this - have a good read and reflect!

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.

When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that
person..

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need
you have expressed.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with
guidance and support,

To aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend and they are.

They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,

this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an
end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire
fulfilled, their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has
come to share, grow or learn.

They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.

They may teach you something you have never done.

They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.

Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.


LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons,

things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional
foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson,

love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other
relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Here she is again - she just LOVES dancing this girl.

To explain for non-Japanese friends and family, she just loves dancing to these Japanese baby DVD's - sort of Teletubbies/Hi 5/Wiggles all wrapped in to one, but usually crazy things like singing toilets, bananas etc. but she LOVES it as you can see from this very short clip, which could have actually gone on for a very very long time.

In fact the only reason I stopped was because she saw I was recording and started to get shy - notice when she lays on the floor the second time near to the camera and she does a very sly little look from the corner of her eye - oh yes darling Daddy is filming! Ha Ha!

I'll try to do more of these as for each song she'll have a different dance, maybe this is her career???

Enjoy!!!

Clearly not enough photos taken of the wonderful trip to Indonesia we had with our lovely friends (well family) from Melbourne. So two pictures actually from the return ferry and one of just Ollie on the bouncy thing. Can't believe not one group photos at the wonderful villas we stayed at, but memories were fantastic for me and the kids and hope Craig, Kath, the kids, Rob and Jen visiting and Dani, Simon and the boys. A right giggle was had by all!

Lazy Singapore Days

I just wanted to share with you some random photos of the kids enjoying their Singaporean lifestyle, so not linked to any specific dates/times purely random - but I'll give a little explanation to them all one by one.

So here is #1 Son down the beach, in fact there's a few here from yesterday, 15th November. Here he is stood out on a groin with the just about coming on ship lights as it gets darker. Now the V-signs is a very mummy thing as all Ni's photos when she was a kid were like this - he's showing his Japanese side here, bless!

Goodness me, who made this girl so cute! She had her first real haircut recently (probably needed to correct Dad's attempts at being Toni & Guy). But we still kept it long so we can do things like pig-tails (so cute) - although the hair band things last in her about 5 minutes before she realizes they are there and then they're out. Very cute Amy Boo!

Man down, man down. Poor little thing. This again is yesterday, and is the afternoon after the night that he had been being sick 3 times. Poor little lad. So I wanted to get him out in fresh air, not sit indoors, so off to the beach with friends. We found a comfortable spot to sit and relax and have the babies on the beach playing. For Ollie we found a nice comfy sofa to sit, lay, sleep on and hey presto he was gone. It was the best for him though as he had a lovely sleep in the sea air with a beautiful breeze blowing over him. Rest well big man!

So here he is and believe it or not he is actually doing his homework here. Nice work if you can get it. It's all about metaphors and he was given the letter I to create a metaphor regards to something in Singapore. So Daddy being a lover of food we thought of the following "Indulgence in Little India" - hence the I. So Ollie, Amy, Mary and I went to Banana Leaf restaurant and pigged out as you'll see from the amount of food - well it does say indulgence so why not hey!!! More homework please Ollie!

Life is tough sometimes for an 8 year old is it not. Hmmmm Mr Kennett seen here enjoying the beach life and just chilling on a beautiful Singaporean evening. Mate enjoy this while you can Sir, you look so very comfortable - move over you bugger Daddy wants a go!

Ogichan and Ollie at his birthday party. Can't remember if I actually posted this one on his birthday blog posting, but hey if it is a duplicate it is a duplicate - but it's a great photo or grandson and grandad - I have many like this with Joe which I treasure so here's one for Ollie and Yuko to treasure too!

Girls on the Beach = all different ages but all great friends. Left to right we have; my dear friend Kirsty, her girl Maia, then Amy of course, then Anna (Kirsty's eldest) and then Mary. All playing happily on the sand without a care in the world - well the kids that is, sorry adults!!!

And the final one - great friends Maia and Amy poolside. They stood here for so long just splashing, screaming, jumping - oh yes and then splashing, screaming and jumping and then finally splashing, screaming and jumping - ha ha! They got absolutely SOAKED, good job we'd packed about 3 lot's of spare clothes.

I don't know where she gets this from - hmmmmm!!!

This is an absolute beauty of my wonderful daughter.

As you can see she'll make quite a good actress one day.

Life for her this day was seemingly so hard, look at the trauma she is clearly going through until, that is, she realizes that Daddy is actually videoing her - watch the change in seconds, ha ha ha ha, just a classic moment from Amy. Love it!

Amy, you're a drama queen, and I love you for that. You make us all laugh so much, thanks gorgeous!

All my love Daddy

Halloween Rap

Wow - look at him go. And this is the 8 year old who says he is shy. Miss Atima strikes again with another wonderful assembly performance from the kids. Amazing thing is they have remembered all the lyrics to heart, amazing. Good effort Year 3 Iguanas. So so good isn't it.

Hope you enjoy this one - I certainly did when I was there - well done Ollie!!! Excellent matey!!!

Love Bri

A massive thank you from me and my kids to our very good Filipino friends for a wonderful day a week ago, and also an extended Happy Birthday wish to Isoc.

We had such fun. I think the video shows that with Amy dancing away.

Mary, special thanks to you for introducing us to these lovely people, and for the continued invites to your friends and family special occasions. Such fun for all us.

All our love Bri, Amy and Ollie

More the Ollie Boy & Amy

Hi all,

Some interesting ones here, a complete hot potch update for you all for the 2 little'uns;

Ollie's Birthday Photos that were taken by the lazer shoot company can be viewed at; http://www.lasershootout.com/gallery/v/091017OliverLaserBDParty/

I just wanted to share this email from Ollie's teacher that she wrote the other day. She had asked for a copy of his portfolio from his Year 2 to use as an exemplar for other students. I asked if all was OK still with him at school, and to make sure she looked at this birthday party photos on the blog and this was the reply: "Looks like you guys had fun in his ;arty. I had a look at the blog. Didn't realise Oliver's birthday came with some other memories as well. I think you're an amazing Dad. You're doing such a wonderful job with Ollie, Brian! I have never had to make any leeway for him on account of single parenting in the last few months. You have such a good rapport with him and of course he is a good kid! He is doing well emotionally at school. In fact, he's being tightened by me every now and then because my expectations are higher from him. I just compared last year's portfolio to his work now and there's an obvious expansion of his knowledge base and abilities. It is such a pleasure for me. I am so glad I still have him with me.

Atima, thanks so much for these wonderful words - it means so so much to hear this, and makes me even more proud of him. Thanks so much!

Amy and Ollie were asked to be in a photo shoot by Sash Alexander, a Dutch professional photographer who lives in Singapore, and has Asian wife. He has decided to create a coffee table book full of about 125 people of all ages that are mixed race - European and Asian. So my two got asked to be part of it and hey presto this weekend we went to meet Sash and have the photos done. They're not uploaded yet but check out the following link over next week or so to see them. The book is called 50/50 (& Thereabouts)

http://sashalexander.wordpress.com/category/books/

Well that's it for today - back to work work work - aaaahhhhhh.

Love to all - Bri xxx

Well hello hello who is this mature boy, a mature 8 year old boy that is. His first without Mum bless him. Was always a strange day for us as Ni's brother passed away very young actually on same birth date as Ollie - so we were always in a mixed minded way on this day - very sad but very happy. Same this time and maybe even sadder as we had to think about his mum as well. But we got there didn't we Ollie!

Well I think you'll see he had a great time for his birthday on the last bog I posted, so today opening presents in pyjamas on his actual birthday was almost too normal for him, ha ha.

He did want to say massive thank you to everyone that got him a present and came to his birthday party - you have made an 8 year old very happy so thank you, and a father very proud of this wonderful little man. He sends his love to those he cannot and has not seen for a while in England, Australia and America. And of course the same comes from Amy and me - thanks to all, much love Bri xxxx

Happy Happy Birthday Ollie

Well how time flies - my wee man is now 8 years old. Good grief. We had 20 or so of his mates from school and our of school all come to a "laser shootout". Amazing fun for the kids and you could measure that on their sweat levels, ha ha. All mum's and dad's too I think had a great day, as most stayed the event duration not a "drop off". Great day and thanks to all including Mary, Miz and Yuko who made it all possible for me to arrange, thank you! A great day that I think Mr Kennett enjoyed immensely - love you Ollie - Happy Birthday matey.

Daddy xxxxx