The Baynhams

Here in Australia it is Fathers Day weekend.

Well actually, Fathers day is Sunday but because it is also Rhiannon's Communion we decided that we should celebrate Fathers day on Saturday so that Mr B could be top banana for the day (as is his want!) So we let him have a lie-in. Brought him up a cup of tea in bed. Showered him with cards and gifts before bringing him downstairs to a breakfast of mini ham and cheese croissants hot from the oven and a big pot of freshly brewed coffee.

Happy Fathers day Mr B!

You are Top Banana in this house today and every day!!!

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It is the day before the big day! Rhiannon's First Holy Communion. We decided to bake a sticky upside down caramel banana cake. When Nessa said she needs three cups of tea in the morning before she can function she wasn't joking!

When Sian saw that we were using my new heart shaped birthday presents from Maree she thought it looked fun and joined in too. Soon I realised I was only needed as a recipe reader so I left them get stuck in.

The end results were fantastic!


It's amazing what three cups of tea can do!!!

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Nessa took quite a liking to the spa. She spent a few of her evenings sitting back in the bubbles relaxing, singing, sipping a glass of wine or two. One of the nights I decided to take a photo of her but they didn't come out very well in the dark so I changed over to video mode.....

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Rhiannon is nearing the end of her preparation for her final sacrament, her First Holy Communion.

We had the final class in our house tonight and all the kids were so excited about this coming weekend. One of the things they got to do tonight was to have a "practise" at receiving an unblessed host so the would know what it felt and tasted like. This was to help calm the nerves for the big day.

We were given instructions to treat the unblessed hosts with respect and so we went searching around the house for something to put them in during the class. Different plates and bowls were taken out of the kitchen cupboards and then put back because they weren't right.

Suddenly I remembered something. A gift given to Rhiannon from her grandparents in Ireland when she was born. A beautiful Irish silver plate with an inscription in Irish on the back. The inscription reads

"le grá ár gcroí" which means "the love of our hearts".

How perfect! What a lovely way to know that you were a part of the preparation for her big day Mum and Dad.

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Today was a real treat. Nessa and myself planned a day in Sydney to explore, sight-see, eat drink and be merry! We dropped the kids in school, drove to a local train station, parked the car in the last space in the car park, raced into the ticket office as the train pulled onto the platform. The man selling us the tickets said we would never make it but we proved him wrong as we ran up the stairs, across the bridge and down the stairs to the platform on the far side of the tracks and jumped on the train as it was just pulling away! It took most of the two hour train journey to Sydney to get our breath back!

We stopped for coffee and cake as soon as we got to the Queen Victoria building.

Next was a walk around the beautiful shopping center and then a lovely walk to Darling Harbour.

We searched for our family name on the Welcome Wall and Nessa managed to find it amongst the thousands and thousands of lines of writing. Next stop was a walk over the Pyrmont bridge. Lunch over looking the harbour, a glass of chilled white wine.

Before we payed the bill we had decided how to spend our last hour before the train home. We left the restaurant and walked 10 minutes to the Lindt chocolate shop cafe and ordered two hot chocolates.

I have never had such an indulgent chocolate drink. You get a jug of steaming milk and another jug of pure melted Lindt chocolate! Heaven!

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After Cian's party we decided to do a quick visit into the center of Sydney to show Nessa the sights.

We got a ferry into Circular Quay and watched traditional aboriginal Didgeridoo playing.




I never knew that it was an Irishman who named this unusual instrument.

Apparently the word is derived from the Irish term dudaire, which is is pronounced dooderreh or doodjerra and means a pipe smoker, a nosey person or a trumpeter or horn blower. The Gaelic term for black is dubh, pronounced duv or do. In combination, the terms produce doodjerra doo.

That's the end of today's history lesson and now on to other important matters! Coffee!

Next stop was a coffee next to the Opera house and looking out on the Sydney Harbour bridge.

It still surprises me that you can see the two most iconic symbols of Sydney from a cafe with a cappuccino in your hand!

Perfect!

All caffienated up we then climbed the steps up to the Opera house itself and went inside. there was a great buzz of excitement, it was interval time during an opera that was being performed that afternoon. All around there were people dressed up, laughing and sipping champagne.

Byron didn't have to ask Ness and myself twice! How posh!

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My gorgeous nephew Cian had his second Birthday party today. We went to Sydney for his party and had a great time. We knew that Cian liked construction toys and so when the birthday invite had a digger and builder on it we should have guessed the theme.

It still didn't stop me getting confused when we arrived to find the frontgate sealed over with Caution tape. I assumed there was some repair being done on the steps. It didn't take long to work out it was just the theme!

And what a theme... Hard hats for everyone, Caution tape everywhere and an amazing construction themed cake.

While we are on the subject of theme, can I say that my brother must be the only person I know who can dress up in a day glo jacket and still be in designer gear!

Our kids had great fun and so did Cian.

Happy Birthday Cian and thanks for inviting us to your party!

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After 3 adventure filled days and chilly sleeping bag nights away at camp we finally collected Sian this afternoon. She had a wonderful time and doesn't look as though she was homesick for one moment.

After a shower and dinner she got into her pj's, wrapped up in her dressing gown and told us all about her great adventures before going to bed and cuddling up on a soft mattress under a warm duvet.

....Before you could say "pink rosy cheeks" she was out like a light!

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It has been 10 days since Sian's school rang to say she was sick. 10 days of sick kids off school, high temperatures, sore throats, Strepsils, Betadine gargles, Echinacea, Penicillin, Calpol, Neurofen, vomiting and trips to the G.P.

At last this morning Gareth and Rhiannon went to school again looking pale and snuffly but not sick enough to stay at home.

It was the first chance since Nessa arrived on Wednesday that we were able to leave the house and go for a walk. The sun was shining, the lake was gorgeous, all hints that springs arrival is around the corner.

The time flew and all too soon we were back in the house getting ready to collect the kids from school and Sian from camp.

Roll on the weekend!

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When you have spent 24 hours cramped up in a plane flying half way around the world you are bound to feel a little tired.

When your good friend doesn't even meet you at the airport and you have to catch a 2 hour train to get to her house your shoulders are bound to be tense from carrying your bags.

So the very least your friend should do when you finally arrive is let you have a lie in and then pamper you for the afternoon.

A real friend would not only pamper you but would join you in that fun and pampering so you feel right at home....

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Just before Byron lost his job we were planning a family weekend away during the school holidays. Everything changed after that phone call and for obvious reasons we put on hold the weekend away as we tried to conserve the money we had not knowing how long it might take Byron to get a new job.

When Byron and myself both started in new jobs last week we decided that we should have the family break that we had been so looking forward to. And so after a phone call to Rafferty's resort at midday last Friday I found myself emailing Byron to come home as early as possible from work and I ran around packing everyones clothes, toothbrushes and swimmers. Gareth and Sian were still off school sick but we knew that we had no other free weekends in the next month so it was a case of going away with all the cough and cold mixtures and making the best of it.

We packed the car as soon as Byron got home and started the drive. We got there about 7pm and checked in to our little house and then went to the Thai restaurant on site for a lovely meal of green curry, satay skewers, spring rolls and fish cakes. The kids were sleeping at the table so we paid up and carried them back to their beds where they slept like logs waking for medicine for high temperatures in the early hours then back to sleep again.

The next two days were spent relaxing and enjoying spending time together with no computers, no phones ringing, just newspapers, magazines, walks and lots of lovely food.

Gareth and Rhiannon swung between looking like death warmed up with high temperatures and then once the medicine kicked in, running around on adrenaline until the medicine wore off again.

We made the best of their up time by going for walks and even managing to swim in the heated outdoor pool, and letting them sleep when they were down.

We had dinner in the fabulous Blue door Restaurant on the Saturday night and again had to pick a sleeping Gareth and Rhiannon up from where they had laid down in front of the warm heaters and carry them home.

My two favourite parts of the weekend are both chocolate related!

One was the round of coffees and hot chocolates we had in front of a roaring log fire one of the afternoons.

The other was the melted dark chocolate and fruit and marshmallows that we stuffed our faces with in the house for lunch on Saturday!

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Sian was vey excited when she woke up this morning and got ready to leave for camp. She rounded Gareth and Rhiannon into the car while I was still getting dressed!

We got to school in plenty of time and she ran around saying hi to her friends and looking not even the tiniest bit sad or lonely. I brought my camera with me but as I turned it on realised that there was no memory card inside it. Monica came to the rescue taking lots of photos which she emailed to me before I got home!

Thanks Monica !

And so begins three days of Sian being away at camp. Only 71 and a 1/2 hours until we pick her up.....

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Sian is tucked up in bed.

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While Sian and her friend Gemma were shopping recently they saw a lovely digital watch and decided to buy one each. Sian was watching a show on the Disney channel this week when she noticed the main character was wearing the same watch. She was very excited by the coincidence. And guess what, the TV character had an annoying little brother too....

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