Crumpled Home

When you’re running late to get out of the house and you’re already in the middle of child-induced battle number twelve of the day, this time over how it is absolutely vital that these ten, no ELEVEN things (including a toy frog, a pirate eyepatch, a piece of plastic rubbish, a cup full of toothpaste, a licked-but-not-eaten piece of toast and more) come along in the car on the way to school with you and you just KNOW that when you get there, the argument will begin all over again because there’s no possible way that a kid can survive a day at school without any one of these items, let alone all ten ELEVEN of them and you’re mentally screaming “Why, why, why did I sign up for this and why can’t they just be sensible, rational human beings … only smaller and cuter?!” and the dull ache of bruises on your shins remind you of the collateral damage you took from the frenzied storm of kicking and thrashing incited by the peace keeping operation you carried out earlier so that they didn’t claw each other’s eyes out, you need close your eyes for a second and remember the moments like this.

The Pay-Off

A small restaurant has been running in our back yard for a couple of years now. Everyone is welcome to stop by. They often have great specials of some really unique dishes. The pasta is particularly good, but a bit expensive. The turtle cake is divine. They are always willing to prepare dishes to your requirements, just make sure you let them know if you have any food allergies or other dietary needs.

"Why can't I get any decent help around here?!!"... Life can be difficult being the sole proprietor of a small restaurant.

Lots of great things happened in November, here’s the run down: Summer is slowly arriving with only one or two hot days here and there, RJ and Dad see some airplanes take off, RJ goes to some birthday parties, Mum catches LR at camp for a day, Dad and RJ hit the beach, someone got older, and LR’s year one class visits a wildlife preserve.

Make sure you follow the “Continue Reading” link to get the whole story!

Time for a quick icecream break on a hot summer day.

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(In the back of the car, listening to nursery rhymes)

Music: Little Tommy tucker
Sings for his supper
What shall we give him?
Brown bread and butter.
How shall he cut it without any knife
And how shall he marry without any wife?

LR: I know! He can go to America and marry a boy there if he wants to!

Mom restrained herself from commenting that he can only marry a boy in some states.

(after school)

Dad: Hey LR! How’d your spelling test go?

LR: Ummm…

Dad: All wrong…?

LR: Nope! All right, but there was a problem.

Dad: Yeah?

LR: Jenny forgot to do two of the words, ‘right’ and ‘high’.

(and she probably did them in the wrong order too)

LR had her first piano recital on the weekend. She was incredibly nervous and needed a little extra time to get up there, but after a few other kids had their turn, she was up and did a great job.

LR in her debut piano performance.

Read on to see a video of her performance!

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(in the car, on the way to school)

RJ: Can I sing a song for you?

Dad: Sure RJ. Which one?

RJ: Puff the magic whale. It’s like the other song but it has different words.

Dad: Go ahead mate.

RJ: He was stuck by the sea, and he had to dig a hole… a BIG one. It was whale shaped. Then he got back to the ocean.

Dad: Okay. You can sing it now.

RJ: (singing)
Puff the magic whale,
lived in the sea.
And chased some fish
and other things.
And splashed them with his tail! Oh!
Puff, the magic whale….

(He continued on with a bit about pirates and lots more splashing. It got decidedly weird when it transitioned into Puff the Magic Sunscreen… )

Mum was away working this weekend, so it was a bit crazy at home. LR had her big piano recital, so we spent the morning playing around to relax. Afterwards, we went to the ‘farm-zoo’ and got ice-cream!

Forced smiles? Maybe?

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