(while eating dinner)
RJ: Mom, did you know that I’ll eat crustaceans now.
Mom: Really? That’s good.
RJ: And I’ll eat fish, birds and mammals, too.
Mom: Uh huh.
RJ: But I will NOT eat amphibians or reptiles, so don’t even go there.
RJ: Hey Dad! There’s a worm in the tadpole tank! I think he’s made of ham. He’s got red eyes too. I think he’ll be my pet, called “CheeCheese”.
Dad: What’s he doing?
RJ: Just doing the ham-worm thing. Wiggling around a lot.
(LR wanders over to have a look at the tank)
RJ: LR, I have some sad news.
LR: (sighing) What did you do, RJ?
RJ: Not me! Mum! She had to clean out the tank yesterday. There was too much algae in there. And… well… Remember your favorite tadpole, Goofy?
LR: Yes?
RJ: He got washed away. He’s not in there anymore.
RJ: Mum was really sad about it.
(There are about 15 tadpoles in the tank, all of them identical, and all of them very, very small. No one can tell them apart, and none of them actually went down the drain.)
LR: I don’t believe you. I can see him right over there.
RJ: That’s not him. That’s Gooby. I can tell the difference.
(just before bed)
RJ: But wait, Dad! I have to show you something!
Dad: Okay… What is it?
RJ: (holding up a toy seahorse and a fish) Look at this. I put a tiny hole in the seahorse right here. That’s because it’s where the parasite fish gets in. It swims in through the hole and then up through the neck and into the seahorse’s brain. Then it lives in there and makes the seahorse do whatever it likes. After a long time, the seahorse dies and the fish goes and finds another one… And that’s a real creature! They really do that!
RJ: … But usually it’s a fish, not a seahorse.
Dad: Desperate times, eh?
RJ: Yeah. He was really desperate.
After ten days on the road, we’re back and we’ve got some great stories to tell! Expect pictures and updates to start up again over the next few days.
We've got a monster!
Just minutes after this shot was taken, RJ was winding in his line in and BOOM, something took the hook and zoomed off with it. The reel whizzed madly, line flying through the tip of the small rod at an incredible rate. After holding on defiantly for a few seconds, the rod was brutally yanked from RJ’s hands into the water.
We don’t know for sure what he had on there, but they named the area Shark Bay for a very good reason.
(early morning)
RJ: (whispering) LR… LR, wake up…. LR… Wake up, LR…
LR: What, RJ? What is it?
RJ: I put Mozy in my place next to Dad, where I was. Then I got out of bed.
LR: Shhhh… Good idea!
(a minute later)
Dad: (Yawning and stretching) Good morning, RJ!
(giggling from beside the bed)
Dad: Time to get up. Don’t lay around in bed all day.
(louder giggles)
Dad: It’s a school day today. Better get dressed!
(more giggles)
Dad: Wow, RJ, you’re feeling very fluffy this morning. Your entire face is fuzzy! I think it’s about time you started shaving.
(fits of laughter)
(later, while eating breakfast)
Dad: Come on RJ, eat up a bit faster please.
RJ: Mrrmmmummm mmmm.. Rrrrrmmmmummm oommmmmm…
Dad: I don’t speak mosasaur, RJ. You’ll have to translate.
RJ: Mrrrroomummmmoom… Only spinach… Roommmummmrmmm…
Dad: But I thought mosasaurs were carnivores… They ate fish and things like that…
RJ: Rooomummm… Not today… Mrrrrrmmmmm… On a diet….
This year, just like last year, many of the parents and teachers from the kids’ school head over to Rottnest Island for their school camp. There are various gatherings and get togethers for the kids and parents — it’s generally just a great chance to relax and catch up with everybody. The major events are the Students versus Parents Games, a sandcastle competition, and the “Fox Hunt” — a treasure hunt in and around the main settlement to find teachers (and some parents) dressed up in crazy outfits. This year the theme was fairy tale characters. Mom always gets roped into this.
RJ watches for dolphins on the fast ferry across to Rotto. LR was the first to spot them though!
Read on to find out about our exciting adventures with dangerous oversized animals at the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple at Lake Beratan. We get drenched by a massive tropical thunderstorm, and are amused/delighted/revolted by some hot beverages. Finally we end up having a meal at a great little place on the coast.
Mom leads the kids off to the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple!
Found it!
But it's guarded by lions... hungry lions... Careful M!
Look out, LR!
We'll ride the magic giant fish off to safety!
The sign said, "Beware of Giant Eagles", but did they listen? Oh nooooooo.... "No giant eagles around here," they said. Here's your freaken giant eagle, buddy.
"Spin us, Uncle Paul! As fast as you can!!!" ... The kids learned a valuable lesson that day.
Mom and P take M and RJ on a WILD ride on the swing.
On the way back down the mountain, we ran into our first tropical thunderstorm.
Rice paddies and farms on the side of the mountain.
On the way back to the villa, we stopped by this nice little coffee shack and tried their various coffees and teas, as well as the infamous, "Poo Coffee."
Poppa is awfully suspicious. In the background, you can see a big poster describing the process of feeding coffee berries to the lewaks, collecting their valuable coffee-bean-caffinated turds, and the washing that takes place before roasting and grinding the beans. They did mention washing the beans, didn't they? Lots and lots of washing?
No RJ! Don't eat that bit!!! Ha ha... Actually, the hot chocolate made from their own cocao beans was really fantastic.
Mom refused to try the crappy coffee, but did give the lemon tea a go... and it was actually great stuff. The kids loved it too.
After a long day, we went to the Potato Head Club to relax and have a great dinner. The place was extravagant, decadent and completely over the top... and we loved it. Aunty Bron, Uncle Troy and Poppa enjoy a drink while trying to get Shazam working on their phones.
Aunty Carrie, Grammy and Uncle Paul sit down for a cup of tea... Hang on a second, that's not tea in that pot!
Mom watched whle the kids had a brilliant time swimming and jumping around in the pool.
We even enjoyed a tiny, 2 minute sunset. There was so much cloud that the sky didn't really light up.
The kids kept swimming and playing into the night while our dinner was prepared.
Sophie checks out the menu... Yep, just about everything on there looks delicious.
Uncle Paul waits for Auntie Carrie at the bar... The place felt like a scene from a movie.
After dinner, LR and the other kids danced on the grass to the loud, thumping music, while Dad cheered them on.
PA. prepares to launch her sky-shooting glowie -- a tiny light on a pair of wings.
Bali is absolutely packed to the brim with three things: motorbikes, temples and souvenir shops, often mixed in a kind of a petro-spiritual-capitalist melange. The markets and hawkers serve as a tense, bustling, confrontational entree, sitting in stark contrast to the quiet zen-like peace of the temples…
One of the temples we explored was Tanah Lot. Like most of the temples, it was calm and quiet… except for outside the cave containing the Holy Snake (a revered, venomous guardian of the Temple at Tanah Lot). That place was nuts.
We also visited Ubud, a market district renowned for its artists and crafts… and markets and temples.
Finally, we had a great time on the (heavily chlorinated) water slides and rides at the Waterbom water park.
PA and RL stand at one of the entrances to Tanah Lot!
(while getting ready for bed)
RJ: It’s a different kind of click with your mouth. Like this.
Dad & LR: (making clucking noises) Like this?
RJ: No. Like this… See?
Dad & LR: Ohh! Got it!
RJ: Now we can make up our secret click language!
LR: And mum wont understand it!
Dad: Great idea! What words do we need?
RJ: Four clicks means ‘Yes!’
LR: Click-click-click-click! And three clicks means ‘No!’
RJ: Click-click-click-click! And sixty-five clicks means ‘Swordfish!’
LR: Good one!
RJ: And one thousand clicks… means… ‘WHALE!’
