15th February 2010 (Monday)

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=-32.957257,151.745052&spn=0.014656,0.024805&t=h&z=15


There's the URL of the Google Maps page to show you just HOW long an 'explore' we went for this afternoon. We went from - well from home of course but really the Merewether Baths (easily visible from space, the green square in the top right hand corner), ALL the way down to where the Glenrock Lagoon joins the sea at the bottom left of the picture. I think it's meant to be about 2km each way - and a good long way it was too. The first bit of the rocky bit down from the baths is what the Non calls 'Rock', and the second half of the rocky bit is 'Ree', the long sandy beach is 'Ash', and we went right down to the end of Ash today (past where the Glenrock Lagoon spills into the sea and the beach turns to rocks) which she named Stone Steps. My it was quite a treck. We left the house at 3 p.m. and didn't get back until 7 p.m. - for us, that's a long beach treck. Usually we keep it to about an hour and a half at the most. Along the way we of course saw all sorts of bits and pieces of flotsam and jetsam - one of the most peculiar being a almost completely shrivelled white balloon with the string bit still attached, rolling about in the waves. We picked it up partly for the entertainment of the Littles (who dragged it along behind her in the low surf rather like a legless poodle), and partly to bin it so that some seabird didn't get it's legs tangled up in the cord. However, before we reached home a couple of very friendly little dogs came along and gave it a playful nip, which (as the Non put it) 'turned the balloon into a Phhhutt' - facilitating the disposal process, and much amusing all present. The surf was relatively low today (at least to begin with) and we were able to get the Non into the sea to swimming-properly depth (for her, still just waist height for an adult) and she got a first taste of being buoyed on waves on her own - which she absolutely LOVED. In her own words: 'This is REALLY LOVELY!' I think she might yet turn out to be quite a surf-chick, just watch this space. Unfortunately it's still very much a rarity for the waves to be low enough for her to enjoy properly - we went in a little later and (for the first time) I got knocked over while holding her up, so we both got washed upshore - the most unfortunate thing about this incident was that I got my sunglasses washed away - the Littles was really just quite amused at being 'under water' for a short while and most stern about what Daddymonster would have to say about my loosing my glasses. However, the Australian surf is certainly to be treated with caution even at the very calmest of times, as we all know here. Still, with caution, a very great deal of good enjoyment to be got out of it. Can't IMAGINE the Non being able to a) swim that well b) not mind being submerged c) walk over 4km at a stretch on a hot afternoon just a very, very short while ago. I think the whole experience is doing wonders for her.

Talking of surf-matters, my 'new' wetsuit came through the post today - GOSH it's fantastic!! Can't believe my luck. For an all-inclusive $40 (not much over 20 quid), it's a full-leg and half-sleeve 'steamer' as they call them - full-on warmth factor and protection. Absolutely great. It feels fantastic once it's ON (and damn hot too, just tried it today and had to take if off pronto after about 1 minute), but LORDY it's a bugger to get on! Gor blimey, like skinning a rabbit in reverse, REALLY tricky. I think it'll take some practice to get the knack of it, but i can certainly see it being veeerry useful in a couple of months' time. Overjoyed, in short. Still waiting for the Littles's mask and flipper set.

Apart from that... Oh, good culinary news this evening, in that the Littles was prepared to give a very good try to a new dish of linguine, herbs, prawns and curry paste. I think the only thing between her and full enjoyment was that the Korma curry paste we had purchased in the hope that it was the mildest possibly available was still surprisingly zingy. Despite that, she gave it a good go, had some of the linguine but gave up after a very decent while, and had all the prawns and pork. Really very good behaviour, considering she's never had anything like it at all, we were most pleased. I think the dish might well make a reappearance on the table with a little less curry paste but still in essence the same. A great relief to us to have something other that Completely Bland on our plates - and although this might have been genuinely a little strong for her I do believe she's relishing the new flavours as well, actually. In her own sort of way.

Talking of which, because she was so good and tried very nicely like a Good Dinosaur, she got another sticker onto the road of the next reward chart... the Echidna Chart. She wants an Echidna as a friend for Nora (the Wombat). Of course. From the Australian Geographic shop, of course. Just like Nora. Did her work and everything very nicely today, I barely paid any attention to her at all while she was doing it, mostly too involved at cursing silently at the Vodafone top-up web system for my phone which she was busy going through her workbooks (I've never seen anything so incompetently set up, so annoying, and so redirecting... but of course then there's BT) - and she seemed to get on pretty well with everything. The only thing she really seemed to need assistance with was how to draw and alien - which I think is quite admissible.

Talking of which (again), I don't think I mentioned that when we went to Kmart yesterday and stocked up on sheets and so on for the Littles, we gave her a choice of pink with polka dots, stripes, and a plain background with UFOs on it and without missing a beat she went for the UFOs, declaring 'I want aliens!' - and for the beanbag selection she could have had any bright colour, jellybeans pattern, dinosaurs, Dora the explorer, Night Garden, all sort of other bits and pieces as well as a giant glow-in-the-dark Earth pattern (which both Ian and I coveted), but now, she went unhesitatingly for Dark Blue with Blue Flames on it. Something you'd expect a teenage boy perhaps to select. Not the red flames, not the pink flames. Blue. Definitely. Well, at least she's certainly not gender stereotyped. Anyway, she's now tucked up nicely in her new Aliens bed-set. And no doubt sleeping incredibly soundly, after the exertions of the day.

Meanwhile, the Mr has submitted his grant (today was the due date), and I believe now there's two weeks before he has to submit the next one. Tomorrow we're going to sign the lease on House number 2 in the evening, and then we'll have to start applying to the school and so on.

Anyway, I have a feeling I've whittered for quite a while today - best shuffle off. Lots of love to all of you, Nancy xxxxxxx