Fidget...appropriately enough...

This week I went down to Adelaide for work, which was actually a very interesting place (what little I got to see of it) and not at all the 'dull' place that several people have said that it is. Maybe they're switched on by things that I'm not.

The drama was getting to the airport from the office. Brisbane is without parallel in my experience for being totally CRAP at signing roads. There are many many major road intersections that have heavy implications if you take the wrong turn that they don't bother to signpost. It's really quite incredible. When you do find yourself going down a wrong turn, they often follow the junction with a series of 'no U-turn' junctions that prevent you from doubling back. You then decide to take a punt through the smaller back-roads to cut across and get back into the general direction, only to find that they close roads and make them closed to the connection that your map tells you they should have. It's really unbelievable how bad they are at it!

Other news this week...Phoebe lost another tooth and pronounced that I was the tooth fairy.. only to then go to the trouble of making an elaborate set out for the fairy. In the past, she's asked the fairy (via notes) what she looks like. The fairy told her to think of her and she'd be in her head. This time she wrote a note to tell the fairy that when she thinks of her she doesn't see anything... and she asked her what her name was. Surprisingly, the fairy wrote her a long (for a fairy.. about 300mm x 5mm long note actually) explaining that her heart could see her, even if her head couldn't and that her name was 'Fidget'. :-) Apparently Fidget lives in the woods (although she didn't specify which woods) and usually wears a silver dress with red and white leggings. I imagine that she must have written this before she opened the little parcel Feeb had made her, which was a little outfit. (Kids have an unerring knowledge about the right size to make things like this).



Both the girls got their reports this Friday and they were both excellent. This was particularly fortuitous for Tild, since we're applying for her next school... or at least an option for her next school this week.. a full 3 years before she'll be going there if she gets past their strict entrance criteria and actually fancies it still. It's a top grammar school (THE top grammar school apparently) in Brisbane, and she's quite up for it... despite it being a long journey. I think she's finding the prospect acceptable on the proviso that her mate Aiden will go there too. He's applying. Phoebe would probably follow if Tild gets in... assuming that she keeps up her good work too.

Been working with Feeb making fencing for her dolls house today, and she's been making a swing for it. Tilda has been making a shield and wants a new sword making tomorrow... hi ho. I'll post up pics of that stuff... remind me.

Got to go and work a bit now...

Ok, this is something that I saw and laughed and laughed. Then I just had to share it. It's primarily for Molly because this is SO relevant to many conversations we've had, but it's also for Kay who's an artist in Utah that follows this blog, (she's very discerning you see...) and I think she'll like it too.

This is amazing....

Early rising and robotic snake...

This afternoon on the way back from school, Phoebe decided that she was going to get up really early tomorrow morning and asked if there was a spare alarm clock she could borrow. She'd obviously decided this at some point this morning as we did our usual rush about trying to get everything on that has to be on... suncream, teeth done, hair done, socks and shoes on, etc etc. You know the drill. And every step of the process has to be enunciated every day to both of them. Well tonight she's decided that she's going to get up really early so that she's got plenty of time. How early?....

4am!

I know!

I said, but Phoebe if you get up that early you'll wake up everyone in the house just by walking around! (Have you ever noticed how bizarre it is that young children, though they're a third of your weight make three times as much noise on their footfall .. OR MORE?) She said that she'd be quiet...to which I scoffed! 'HA!' I said. The voice of experience pulling, sage like at my left eyebrow and tilting my head forward so that I could look under it... with that 'yer think?' kind of expression. So when we got home she declared that she was going to 'practice' being quiet. And... that's what she did. She crept around the house 4 times... and I honestly didn't hear her except when she was telling Matilda that she couldn't talk to her because she was practicing being quiet.

Daile's reaction was the same as mine... complete with the look. But we decided that we'd go with the flow... and let her wake up at 4am.

Tomorrow is photo day at school. We've elected not to pay for the individual photo's but they still have to appear in the class ones....and we have the option to buy those. The class teachers told them that they should polish their shoes. Feeb has been wearing baseball boots for some time.. cos she thinks it's cool and it seems to be acceptable to the school, however tonight she dug out her boots (from my newly organised boot cupboard - a benefit of being off work) and asked me if I'd polish them. I said I'd show her how to do it and sent her off to get the polishing kit... which has always since Molly and Josh were little been in the Ikea wooden drawers set. Never-the-less, Feeb had no idea where it was.... sheeeks!

I ramble don't I!

Anyway, she took herself off to bed early, and closed her door so that the clock doesn't wake us all up. Before she went, she got organised...



SO organised that at 4.15 I reckon she'll be ready...

Ha ha. That'll learn 'er!

Earlier today, I rendevoued with Tild at the robotics class that she does because she wanted me to see the snake that Tilda, Aiden and Lisa are making that is going to 'eat' a robotic mouse in a competition that they are entering in 3 weeks. The pictures below show the 'tractor' unit that they made. I think that Matilda did most of the building, Aiden did most of the programming, and Lisa had the idea in the first place. It's supposed to be a joint effort and the work is pretty much ALL done by the kids. I can't show you the body of the snake as I didn't take my camera to school, but we brought this bit back so that Matilda could make the skin for it. The arm is forming the upper jaw that envelopes the mouse (if it catches it) and I told the teacher I had some animation wire that would be perfect, so it came home. Tilda then got into a book, so now the wire is going back to school tomorrow and they're going to cut it there. I'll try to get a picture or two of the finished thing.





The snake is very long and creates a fair amount of drag. They built a series of buggies that are all attached to each other and carry an arch of cardboard that supports the skin. It looks really good. I asked Tilda a while ago if she wanted me to make some buggies to do that job on the router and she explained that it all has to be done by the kids if you want to be taken seriously as a builder! Anyway, the pic below shows the way that they did gearing so that it has some serious traction....





The bit below is the 'brain' that you program by plugging it into the computers in the classroom that are running the Lego software. (This is a 'Lego Mindstorm' thing)





Below is the Lycra skin draped on.... quite good innit? It will look pretty awesome when it's all fitted I reckon. What they've already done on the body looks convincing...



Other things to do with my health are going OK, slowly slowly getting some sort of feeling of the beginnings of control.. but a long way to go yet.

That's it fer now... better get some shut eye I suppose!

Dog, Cat, Bird 2!

OK, the next day they did a bit more... the 'sequel'. It didn't quite get finished as there was a great deal of giggling, then we had a meltdown, and then it was time for baths and bed... so Phoebe finished it off this evening, unable to prise Matilda out of her book.

Ladies and Gents, DOG, CAT, BIRD... the sequel:



Today was also a significant day because they wanted to walk back from school. We equipped Matilda with a mobile phone... (which caused a fight!) and they made their own way back. It's a 5 minute drive... and it took them 45 mins!! Ha ha. But at least we know they can do it if they have to.