SO FAR AWAY

Sometimes it seems like we really are a million miles away down here. In this day and age of instant messaging and email and affordable international phone plans, I still feel so far away. Missing birthdays and being unable to catch up, another family funeral I couldn't attend...

There are a million things I feel like I don't know now. Like, are you happy? Did your life turn out the way you wanted it to? Is vanilla still your favourite flavour of ice-cream? And do you still prefer rainy days to sunny ones? When did you start painting your fingernails? Since when do you have fingernails? What do your children dream of?

The details, I miss the details. Life is not revealed by the complex questions, but by the simplest ones.

I am happy. Most days. Which is enough.

And I have never stopped loving you.

THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

Justice really enjoyed school holidays, three weeks of no writing homework! We got Merlin the first week, which kept him pretty busy. That week was also when Justice attended the Gifted and Talented Bug Challenge which he really enjoyed. He attended with a classmate and then spent Friday at the same friend's house playing games I can not decipher but which were apparently fun and necessitated a change in clothes.

Beginning of Week 2 we went to the museum with a friend from Pre-Prep who attends the same school this year (albeit a different grade). This means each school holiday block of the year I have made it down there (so proud of being able to actually tick something off my list!). He also spent two days at the PCYC - one doing another bug workshop (although not nearly as academic - and followed by Hip Hop dance lessons) and the next doing a Laser Tag day (of course a giant hit). So he spent only one day "at work" the whole week (lucky kid!)

See how big he's getting!

This part is really cool...

Playing inside an exhibit - its a very accessible museum...

The next week we went out and played at the park with Sharona and her little girl, went "back to school" shopping, avoided the Christmas toy sales, and Justice also played twice at his friend Gus' house. So, he was very entertained and very spoiled the entire time. Particularly since Chantal gave him a PlayStation and over the holidays he all but vanquished Spyro. A dragon game - does it get any better? (The current favourite computer game is Wall-E).

THE KITTEN

Our kitten Merlin is doing very well. He has nearly doubled in size (already!) and has settled into our home. Of course, I love cats and have wanted one for ages. But also, I thought that since they are so independent and self sufficient, a cat would be perfect for our on-the-go, never-all-home family. You can guess where this is going - Merlin is NOT terribly anti-social. He is in fact content to be cuddled, coddled and paid attention to 24-7. He comes racing to the door when we get home and even plays ball with Justice. We're all pretty crazy about him. Isn't he cute?

What's New?

We just had a big newspaper ad, and another will soon follow.

We have picked up two new wholesale customers this week...

AND we got a pet.

Never mind its also school holidays.

Basically, we're a bit swamped.

Hope all is well with you and we should be back on the grid soon.

Oh, I am getting a flyer regarding wholesale delivery together. Cute photo, huh?

BUGGED

Justice may look like he's just playing madly on the spinning log,
but these photos are actually from his day at Brisbane Boy's College
(where we would send him if we won the lottery or something).

These school holidays, Justice attended a Gifted Challenge Workshop.

He did the BUILD A BUG workshop, where they learned about insects: bodies, anatomy, functions (hunters, gardeners, etc.) They held some real insects (including a stick bug much like April) and went on a bug hunt on the grounds... They looked at mounted specimens and got to ask heaps of questions... Michelle, "The Bug Lady" was an excellent instructor and a giant hit! After lunch break the kids got bugs inside resin they had to chart and identify.

Justice really enjoyed himself.

It was an all day learning BUG fest which ended with designing and building their own bugs! Justice's fire beetle is incredibly cool!

The fire beetle lives in the garden, comes out at night and is a hunter (obvious by its large eyes). It has warning colours because its poisonous (tastes like fire).

Head, thorax, abdomen, six legs, two antenae. Yep, its a mini-beast!