Remember this post about Rhiannon swimming in her School swimming carnival?
And how a beautiful Mum called Kerrie Brady took loads of photos and sent them to her friends?
Well today was the swimming Regionals competition. It fell on a work day for me so I was at the hospital and wasn't able to be there but Rhiannon went with a good friend and Byron managed to get to the pool on his lunch break to see her race. I felt a bit sad to have missed out on seeing her myself but that is life now that I am working. I make it to some things but not everything.
Imagine how excited I was when I got home and checked the computer only to find that once again Kerrie had brought her camera, taken lots of photos and passed them on. I feel like I was there in person.
This Valentines Day I decided to shun the commercialism of Valentines day. I could say that I was disillusioned with how much junk was being offered up for sale in the shops and how I was making a stand against buying more rubbish that will end up on the garbage tip next time I go mad spring cleaning... The reality was I looked but I didn't see anything I thought Byron would want. There are only so many pairs of fluffy handcuffs one can own. I was tempted to go buy myself some new undies (all in the selfless name of a gift for him) but I think I've pulled that trick a few too many years running and it is wearing thin!
And so I decided to listen to some old fashioned advice. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I decided to bake him the most decadent rich dark chocolate cake possible. Easy!
We have been invaded.
First there were the 26 red-back spiders Byron found happily spinning webs on our outdoor furniture. Yes, they can kill you but since the introduction of anti-venom it is more likely that you will only have excruciating pain and need hospitalisation but will actually pull through in the end.
Rhiannons school elect pupils in year 6 to be School Councillors and Captains each year. Rhiannon had to write and practise a speech and then say it in front of the other year 6 pupils and teachers. The students voted, the papers were counted and Rhiannon had been voted Sports Captain of the Hunter Team for 2011 !
There is a really nice Mum at my kids school called Kerrie Brady. She is a professional photographer and despite her busy life she always makes time to bring her camera along to school events. She doesn't just take photos of her own kids, she spends the time to take photos of any kids she knows and then always passes them on totally free of charge. She really is a star sharing her talents and not trying to take advantage of these opportunities to "cash in" like others might. Here is my favourite photo she sent me of Rhiannon at Fridays swimming carnival...
Send. Ice. Quickly.....
It is mid 40's all this week. The wind blows strong hot air in my face every time I open a door or window. Thank God for air-con. This sort of weather we have named "Tumble drier days" Put wet washing on the line (if you can stand to breathe in the hot air in your face) and it will be dry in 20minutes. Think you can go outside barefoot to do this 5 minute chore? Think again. The ground is so hot you could fry an egg on it. I found myself trying to hang some shirts bare foot and without sunglasses and looked like a blind Riverdancer hopping around doing an Irish jig feeling for clothes pegs with eyes tight shut against the glare. It took 2 days to recover and go out to bring the clothes back in!
I have been collecting the kids from school everyday because the school bus has no air-con. Before leaving the house I grab some "icy-poles" from the freezer, tubes of frozen fruit juice. By the time I get to the school 6 minutes later they have all but melted. It's too hot to use the swimming pool, we worry all day about the poor Guinea Pigs and bring them inside to the air-conditioned kitchen as soon as we get in from the school run. Even Sians school which is mainly without air-con finally gave up and let the students ring home on Friday lunchtime to be collected and brought home to the cool.
You have to check your car before you pull away from a car park because animals are seeking out the shadows underneath to fall asleep in. A trip to the supermarket is a treat. The kids run for the refrigerated aisles and stand with their hands, belly's and faces pressed against the freezer doors trying to absorb the cool.
You know you are living in Australia when your kids fight over who gets to hug the big cold milk cartons in the car on the way home...
It was the St Joseph's School Swimming Carnival today. Guess who got voted in to being the Sports Captain of her house...? Yes: Rhiannon! She was delighted. She got to carry her "Hunter" team flag off the school bus and into the swimming centre.
