Sunday, August 31, 2008

Returned

I spent the last week conferencing in Adelaide, leaving Nat & Ella to hold the fort. Not a bad week -- the highlight being a half-day wine-tasting tour of McLaren Vale, which we discovered is astonishingly close to Adelaide. Got home on Friday night, after Ella had gone to sleep, but she didn't belink an eyelid when I went in to get her up on Saturday morning. Perhaps she didn't notice I was gone ...

Anyway, I better tell you about the highlight of this weekend (which goes more towards showing how dire our weekends are than anything else). Following this morning's run we went to the Belco Markets for Ella to play in the mushroom and to have coffee & scones while we were there.

While trying to enjoy our food we were treated to an impromptu and amateurish exposition of bellydancing. Most of us were rolling our eyes, but Ella loved it. She started by standing beside the stage swaying around herself. After a bit of practice she decided she was ready for the big time, and climbed onto the stage to join her new-found friends. We spent the next half hour trying to restrain her from the stage (see photo) as the bellydancers brandished swords and sticks while jiggling their hips.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Swimming

It was the last day of the term for swimming today.  Thankfully it was warmer and much more enjoyable than in previous weeks.  Normally when Ella puts her mouth under she either drinks or licks the water but today she managed to accidently blow some bubbles!  For the last 5 mins of the class we all got to go down the waterslide - what fun!

Summary of Last Week

So we have been missing in action for a week - only real excuse I can come up with is that Andy is currently in Adelaide for conference and time has run away from me. Here is what we have been up to:
  
 Drawing

  Climbing on the couch

 Exploring in the kitchen

 Reading puppy stories

 Impromptu wheelbarrowing

 In jail!

 Wrestling with mum


Reflective Moment

Over the past week, a number of sad incidents (all unrelated) have occurred to friends and colleagues.  It is these moments which make you realise that we take way too many things for granted and that life can change in a second.  It makes you step back, look and realise what is really important.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Minor Hand Surgery

It was over to Nana and Grandpa's place this morning to clean out their gutters for them. Although they were quite full of leaves, it only took me 45 mins to finish the job which I thought wasn't too bad.

While I was climbing around on the roof, Ella was entertaining Nana by pulling every toy out of the cupboard and insisting that Nana read to her all the puppy books.  She really enjoys spending time with Nana and actually spent all of yesterday with her, as Andy has a colleague visiting from the US this week.  

It was yesterday while outside playing and climbing on the wooden fort, that Ella got her first splinter and I must say it was a pretty decent one! Today it was a little more inflamed and hurting her so the decision was made to take it out. Doctor Nana did the expert digging while I held her tight.  Ella complained quite a bit during the procedure but once the splinter was out gave Nana a big cuddle!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Party Time!


We were invited to Makhaya's 2nd Birthday Party today.  Maki was in his element after receiving a guitar from Nana and Gaga (Grandpa).  He entertained everyone by strumming and singing Baa, Baa Black Sheep - the funny bit was he only knew one word - baa - so the song went baa, baa, baa, baa, baa! It was lovely to see all the cousins playing around together, eating fairy bread, frankfurters and cake as well as jumping on the trampoline.  

Ella, Joshua, Mia, Makhaya and Luca

How they change so quickly in a year - here's a photo flashback of Ella and Makhaya at Makhaya's 1st birthday!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Gold ... for Mama

It's always exciting watching the Olympics, and Ella has been drawn into the fever. We were watching this afternoon, and Ella was fortunate enough to catch Leisel Jones win her gold medal. Very excited she was, so we kept it on for the gold medal ceremony so Ella could hear her National Anthem for the first time.

Now Ella routinely misses Mum while she's at home alone with me. Natural I guess, and I don't really mind, but this time she was very insistent -- yelling "Mama, Mama" at the top of her voice during the medal ceremony. All of a sudden I realised that Ella thought that that was Mum on the TV getting a gold medal. Sure Ella, she leaves home in the morning to drive to Beijing, wins a gold medal and comes home in the afternoon. Then again, comparison of the photos below (thanks to ABC) does show a passing resemblance. That's Nat on the right in case you can't tell....

Only a Matter of Time


So I ran the bath, just like any other night - went off to get Ella's towel, pj's, nappy and returned to discover that Allison had jumped in! Once in the bath, Ella had great fun washing Allison's face.

The Final Chapter

Well it finally has arrived ....we were hoping that ActewAGL had forgotten about the small gas leak Andy made sometime back in June but no luck there.  So the final damage or if you want to look at it another way, the cost of the new letterbox, was $341.00. Mark II is still going strong (I've probably jinxed it now!)

Monday, August 11, 2008

Skiing at Guthega

  
With the car packed to the rafters, we headed off on Wednesday for a few days of snow. Andy's dad is a member of Doorack Lodge, located at Guthega (which is adjacent to Perisher) and this entitles him to 4 person weeks per year (and more if space allows). So this year it was decided to go earlier in the ski season, therefore hoping for better snow conditions.

Downhill skiing was on the agenda on Thursday for Andy and his Dad, while his mum went off for some cross country skiing lessons with Geoff. That left Ella and I by ourselves so we headed out for a walk. Conditions were fantastic -lots of snow and blue skies! Ella enjoyed watching all the skiers and snowboarders wizz past. I decided I'd had enough of a workout after about 40 mins of trudging through the snow with 15kgs on my back! On our way back to the lodge, I looked back actually to see if there were any skiers coming and noticed Ella laying back fast asleep in the backpack! Somehow she stayed asleep while I took her out of the backpack, undid her snow clothes and put her is her cot! Unbelievable really.


That afternoon we headed out again for some tobogganing! Ella thought this was great fun as you can see from the video clip below!


Friday, Andy and I both got leave passes so we headed out on a cross country skiing adventure. As it had snowed lightly overnight, the conditions were even more perfect than the day before. Up Farm Creek we went. Andy being very patient while I stacked a few times - at least I didn't spit the dummy!  Traversing through the snowgums along the edge of Mt Back Perisher was wonderful.  Popped over the saddle and into the warm coffee shop at Blue Cow.  Then it was down Pleasant View trail back to Guthega.  A great day out :)

By Saturday the weather conditions were less perfect and so was Ella and my health!  Andy ventured off for a real cross country trek with his dad and Geoff.  They were hoping to climb Mt Twynam then drop down to Blue Lake.  However the weather gods had other ideas and they were forced to turn back part way up Mt Twynam.  Half way home, they decided to try a different route home, which turned into an ascent of  The Paralyser from the north. Again, they met with failure due to low visibility (after a few hairy moments on the side of a steep icy hill) and skied home via Farm Creek. Meanwhile back at the lodge, after climbing up and down the stairs numerous times,  Ella and I headed out to empty the rubbish on the toboggan.

Sunday was pack up, clean up and drive back day.  The car needed to be dug out of the snow and Andy was excited that we got to use the snow chains (which we had purchased a few years ago and not yet used).  Ella was knackered and slept the whole way home (2.5 hr drive).  When we arrived home mid afternoon, to Canberra it was 4C and had apparently been snowing!

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

You Know...

you're getting old when you go to buy a new pair of sunglasses from say, Sunglass Hut, and after a little while of looking at all the latest trendy sunglasses your husband turns to you saying "God all these sunnies look ridiculous!" Which doesn't really help with the process of choosing a pair. Also that same husband proceeds to buy a string for his sunnies to prevent them falling off his head! Anyhow I did walk out with a new pair of ray bans which I am really happy with :)

What else has been happening? Well we have been busy packing and cleaning as we are off to the snow tomorrow for a few days. We are joining up with Andy's mum and dad who have been at the lodge in Guthega for the past several days. Weather forecasts predict snow - which makes a nice change as in the past it's been very patchy and not that great for skiing. Just hoping Andy's bulging disc in his back continues to behave itself otherwise it could be a long few days....