The month of March...

Hi all

The last couple of weeks have been crazy busy, and we haven't been able to sit down at the computer at all. To recap - I think that 35 years for payback might be a bit long! Dad rang me up at work to tell me that his dinner looked lovely. I thought he might have twigged about the symbolism, but that wasn't the case. Practical jokes don't carry quite as much impact when they have to be explained. It was funny though - we don't have a microwave, so Dad asked me how he might heat the dinner. I explained (over the phone) how to use the oven, and left him to it. I was most amused to see the next day that Dad's plate still had the plastic wrap stuck to it. It seems that Dad heated his dinner in the oven with the   plastic wrap on the plate. He still ate the dinner. A little plastic is a healthy addition to any diet, isn't it?

Jane had a fabulous trip back to Canberra to relive her (long distant) youth. She spent a worthwhile day with our architect confirming the progress of the plans for the house. He is coming up with some fabulous ideas that will make the house look lovely when we eventually get to build. On her return to Brisbane she was very happy to be offered a job with the Wesley Mission. As yet the job is a little slow, but Jane is sure that it will pick up.

MacK has finally had a haircut, but not before pre-school had a 'crazy hair' day.

I wonder if the attitude drives the hair-do or vice versa?

We found a really good park in Strathpine, that includes a pedal powered rail line. MacK loves it when Jane spends an hour or two there! For her part, Jane is very glad that Brisbane isn't as humid as Townsville, as she would surely melt if it was. We have also discovered the South Pine river, which is a short walk from home, and another one of MacK's current favourite haunts. It is a lovely spot, and shallow enough to negate the bull sharks that I am told inhabit parts of the river!

MacK in the shallows

This last weekend, we went to MacK's daycare to give them a hand during a working bee. We are very happy to see that they have a new teaching philosophy. They are (finally) taking the bubble wrap off kids and letting them do what kids will naturally do. We helped them barrow in stones for rock gardens,  that are also full of tree stumps and branches. We were the only parents there, and when we arrived, it was plain to see that the staff hadn't thought through the logistics of the day. They had massive piles of stones and dirt, and were planning on moving it with the plastic spades and wheelbarrows that the centre retains for the kids. Naturally we raced home to get a grown up sized wheelbarrow and tools to make the job a bit more manageable.

MacK had a great time helping, and at one point had a roller in each hand, varnishing the deck. And the ground, the table, and one of his teachers!

We caught up with friends at the Everton Park Hotel on Saturday evening. It isn't much chop for a quiet get together, but it is a great space for kids. They have a big undercover playground set in the middle of the dining space. The kids had a great time and were well exhausted by the time we left. They met Jane's expectations - every time she has broccoli on a restaurant menu she finds a bug in it, and they unfortunately met mine also. I was most interested to see the number of parents who were happy to let their kids loose in the playground with no supervision while they sat at the table. MacK loves swings, and is happy to just sit on a swing for hours. I was pushing him, and turned to see where the other kids were as a youngster ran under MacK's swing on the return. MacK's feet aren't small, and he knocked the poor kid for six. We were just surprised that we didn't see more carnage!

In other news, I have a St Paul's reunion/networking dinner in Brisbane this Thursday. I find it hard to believe that it is almost 24 years since I left the school. I am looking forward to seeing a couple of my old teachers who are coming over for the trip.