Hello all,
Many thanks for all calls and contacts, thanks for all the well-wishes and congratulations, they have all be much appreciated! It's been I guess a relatively low-key celebration today what with the current situation but all very nicely taken on board and enjoyed. The good news today (for those of you who haven't heard) is that WE GOT THE rental!! As previously mentioned, it's not glamorous, it's not great, but it's INCREDIBLY convenient - and not too expensive, either. I don't think any kid could be closer to the school other than if they were the ground-keeper's child - and actually probably not that, I think I'm thinking more along feudal rural England of about the 18th century, not modern Australia.
Gosh, so very sleepy really groping here trying to think what's the salient stuff to mention. Many thanks for your time on Skype to the Pie and the W&W - lovely to see Nea and sorry to miss Leo to the Pie and apologies for the sudden recalcitrance of the Littles to the W&W - though of course also very nice to see you - I think there might have been a slight I've-just-woken-up-and-I'm-five-and-got-lots-of-birthday-presents-and-it's-all-a-bit-intoxicating scenario going on there, probably. We rushed out before 8:30 this morning to get to the Ocean Baths before they shut for cleaning (as they always do of a Friday morning), but I think the Littles wasn't actually properly awake at the time and didn't spend too long there - wanted to go back quite quickly. Ah gosh, falling asleep here. What did we do. Mr had to go to work so it was never going to be hugely exciting, but we went back and were just going to do a bit of the usual but then while we were doing our reading (great story today, and Australian version of 'Goldilocks and the three Bears' with the Bears as a Koala family and Goldilocks as a Sulphur crested Cockatoo who (like all good cockatoos) is noisy, greedy and destructive - eats Baby Koala's porridge AND bowl, eats his chair, trashes the house quite conclusively and runs out of the house in terror when the returning irate koalas severally blow a tuba at her, throw a bucket of water on her and give her the fright of her life by scaring her with a scary mask).... sorry, as I was saying we were doing our reading when we got news that we were in possession of the winning application for the rental place and they wanted the deposit banker's cheque by tomorrow - that meant walking down to the Junction and the bank to get the cheques today because of course they wouldn't be open tomorrow. So despite it's being the hot part of the day, we went down. It was certainly a hot walk but the Littles actually enjoyed the bank quite a bit because they had put out a little table with a colouring book and some pens and pencils, which were incredibly attractive... she coloured in a giraffe (very nicely), and I had to wait a little for her to finish off the picture.. and she left the table only reluctantly to say 'bye giraffe, we'll see you again tomorrow when we come again to the bank!'.... Hmmm... not so sure about that but still, a nice gesture. Stopped at the next-door surf shop to see whether they had ear-plugs (I've been finding that the wind immediately gives me pretty severe earache if I dip my head under water in the baths), and as per everything else I've looked for in that surf-shop (cheap body boards for juniors, flippers for juniors, masks or snorkels for juniors, cheap hats, any decent footwear.... the list goes on...), they didn't have any. However, a very walnut-looking crusty old surfer heard my enquiry and gave me the tip-off that you don't need ear plugs, just blu-tack. Apparently, shape your blu-tack into a teardrop shape, shove it into the oracular orifice and make sure that it covers the whole of the aperture, and bob's your uncle. You can re-use it for a considerable period but 'after about three weeks it starts to go reeeeeaallly stringy, so might be best to change for a new lot at that point....' as he reminisced with a faraway look in his wrinkle-bound eyes. Actually I think the stringiness is probably more to do with contact with salt sea-water than earwax, but the combination isn't pleasant to think about.
What am I going on about. After a hot trog down to the 'town' on her birthday, I tried to make it up to her with an extra little birthday treat when we went into the little bits-and-pieces shop nearby - and she culled up FOUR new fluffy toys - Cocoa the Koala, Wallace the Wallaby, Rico the echidna, and Kylie and Kookaburra. I think she considered the expenditure of sweat thoroughly worthwhile given this augmentation to her menagerie. We then went home and had pancakes with sugar and lemon for lunch (the most unhealthy, indulgent thing I could think of, and it seems to have been pretty well received, too). Subsequently, we were so very hot and tired we retired to the relative coolth of the upstairs... and did reading on the big bed rather than any work. I read a book to her, and she read a book to me - I read another book, and she read a book but halfway through the last procedure I fell asleep, only to wake up at the end of the book. I have absolutely no doubt that she read through ti properly - but was entirely unconscious for most of it.
By this time it was gone 3 o'clock, and we were OK to go out again to the beach. By the time we woke up properly, put on suncream again, etc etc - it was nearly four. It was still astonishingly hot. Usually at 4pm it's pretty cool, but not today, I think Ian said that as he was coming home at about 6pm it was still 37 degrees, both by the car thermometer and on the news on the radio. Goodness knows what it must have been during the heat of the day - by 5pm we were heading back from the beach with towels wrapped round us for warmth, never mind an hour later. However, the mozzies are TERRIBLE today - we're promised a storm later on and one can believe it, the insects are quite going bananas.
Deary me what am I going on about. Sorry haven't thought anything about this entry before plummeting into the depths of it... really long-drawn out. We had a lovely Non-chosen birthday dinner of lamb sausages (VERY tasty, that girl has definitely got taste), barbecued courgettes and tomato salad, followed by chocolate cake (candles five), and then of course Potter Time at the very end of the day. We had party poppers (she discovered these at Ian's leaving party for the lab and loves them), hooty-blower things (don't know what they're called) and balloons. All good stuff. Tomorrow we've got some other stuff planned and possibly for Sunday, we'll see what the weather does but as far as possible we'll try and make it a birthday-celebration weekend. She seems to enjoy being five, and appears to consider a certain air of gravitas to be quite appropriate at times of reflection on the whole maturity of the situation. Quite right, too.
Right, I'm off. Dropping off and I'm sure you are too. There were a few pics, I'll try and post tomorrow or something - computer-switch-over-pics-download-shenanigans-can't-be-bothered-to-wait-until-the-other-one-turns-on-and-warms-up-for-45-minutes stuff, sorry, will post. Lots of love, Nancy xxxxxxxx
Many thanks for all calls and contacts, thanks for all the well-wishes and congratulations, they have all be much appreciated! It's been I guess a relatively low-key celebration today what with the current situation but all very nicely taken on board and enjoyed. The good news today (for those of you who haven't heard) is that WE GOT THE rental!! As previously mentioned, it's not glamorous, it's not great, but it's INCREDIBLY convenient - and not too expensive, either. I don't think any kid could be closer to the school other than if they were the ground-keeper's child - and actually probably not that, I think I'm thinking more along feudal rural England of about the 18th century, not modern Australia.
Gosh, so very sleepy really groping here trying to think what's the salient stuff to mention. Many thanks for your time on Skype to the Pie and the W&W - lovely to see Nea and sorry to miss Leo to the Pie and apologies for the sudden recalcitrance of the Littles to the W&W - though of course also very nice to see you - I think there might have been a slight I've-just-woken-up-and-I'm-five-and-got-lots-of-birthday-presents-and-it's-all-a-bit-intoxicating scenario going on there, probably. We rushed out before 8:30 this morning to get to the Ocean Baths before they shut for cleaning (as they always do of a Friday morning), but I think the Littles wasn't actually properly awake at the time and didn't spend too long there - wanted to go back quite quickly. Ah gosh, falling asleep here. What did we do. Mr had to go to work so it was never going to be hugely exciting, but we went back and were just going to do a bit of the usual but then while we were doing our reading (great story today, and Australian version of 'Goldilocks and the three Bears' with the Bears as a Koala family and Goldilocks as a Sulphur crested Cockatoo who (like all good cockatoos) is noisy, greedy and destructive - eats Baby Koala's porridge AND bowl, eats his chair, trashes the house quite conclusively and runs out of the house in terror when the returning irate koalas severally blow a tuba at her, throw a bucket of water on her and give her the fright of her life by scaring her with a scary mask).... sorry, as I was saying we were doing our reading when we got news that we were in possession of the winning application for the rental place and they wanted the deposit banker's cheque by tomorrow - that meant walking down to the Junction and the bank to get the cheques today because of course they wouldn't be open tomorrow. So despite it's being the hot part of the day, we went down. It was certainly a hot walk but the Littles actually enjoyed the bank quite a bit because they had put out a little table with a colouring book and some pens and pencils, which were incredibly attractive... she coloured in a giraffe (very nicely), and I had to wait a little for her to finish off the picture.. and she left the table only reluctantly to say 'bye giraffe, we'll see you again tomorrow when we come again to the bank!'.... Hmmm... not so sure about that but still, a nice gesture. Stopped at the next-door surf shop to see whether they had ear-plugs (I've been finding that the wind immediately gives me pretty severe earache if I dip my head under water in the baths), and as per everything else I've looked for in that surf-shop (cheap body boards for juniors, flippers for juniors, masks or snorkels for juniors, cheap hats, any decent footwear.... the list goes on...), they didn't have any. However, a very walnut-looking crusty old surfer heard my enquiry and gave me the tip-off that you don't need ear plugs, just blu-tack. Apparently, shape your blu-tack into a teardrop shape, shove it into the oracular orifice and make sure that it covers the whole of the aperture, and bob's your uncle. You can re-use it for a considerable period but 'after about three weeks it starts to go reeeeeaallly stringy, so might be best to change for a new lot at that point....' as he reminisced with a faraway look in his wrinkle-bound eyes. Actually I think the stringiness is probably more to do with contact with salt sea-water than earwax, but the combination isn't pleasant to think about.
What am I going on about. After a hot trog down to the 'town' on her birthday, I tried to make it up to her with an extra little birthday treat when we went into the little bits-and-pieces shop nearby - and she culled up FOUR new fluffy toys - Cocoa the Koala, Wallace the Wallaby, Rico the echidna, and Kylie and Kookaburra. I think she considered the expenditure of sweat thoroughly worthwhile given this augmentation to her menagerie. We then went home and had pancakes with sugar and lemon for lunch (the most unhealthy, indulgent thing I could think of, and it seems to have been pretty well received, too). Subsequently, we were so very hot and tired we retired to the relative coolth of the upstairs... and did reading on the big bed rather than any work. I read a book to her, and she read a book to me - I read another book, and she read a book but halfway through the last procedure I fell asleep, only to wake up at the end of the book. I have absolutely no doubt that she read through ti properly - but was entirely unconscious for most of it.
By this time it was gone 3 o'clock, and we were OK to go out again to the beach. By the time we woke up properly, put on suncream again, etc etc - it was nearly four. It was still astonishingly hot. Usually at 4pm it's pretty cool, but not today, I think Ian said that as he was coming home at about 6pm it was still 37 degrees, both by the car thermometer and on the news on the radio. Goodness knows what it must have been during the heat of the day - by 5pm we were heading back from the beach with towels wrapped round us for warmth, never mind an hour later. However, the mozzies are TERRIBLE today - we're promised a storm later on and one can believe it, the insects are quite going bananas.
Deary me what am I going on about. Sorry haven't thought anything about this entry before plummeting into the depths of it... really long-drawn out. We had a lovely Non-chosen birthday dinner of lamb sausages (VERY tasty, that girl has definitely got taste), barbecued courgettes and tomato salad, followed by chocolate cake (candles five), and then of course Potter Time at the very end of the day. We had party poppers (she discovered these at Ian's leaving party for the lab and loves them), hooty-blower things (don't know what they're called) and balloons. All good stuff. Tomorrow we've got some other stuff planned and possibly for Sunday, we'll see what the weather does but as far as possible we'll try and make it a birthday-celebration weekend. She seems to enjoy being five, and appears to consider a certain air of gravitas to be quite appropriate at times of reflection on the whole maturity of the situation. Quite right, too.
Right, I'm off. Dropping off and I'm sure you are too. There were a few pics, I'll try and post tomorrow or something - computer-switch-over-pics-download-shenanigans-can't-be-bothered-to-wait-until-the-other-one-turns-on-and-warms-up-for-45-minutes stuff, sorry, will post. Lots of love, Nancy xxxxxxxx
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