Dog-Cat

Today we went for 'breakfast' (late) into the forest. We'd thought that it would be nice to go where Tild and I went last week. So we packed up and set off, but realised that Jack was following us, some way behind.

He's a bit like Molly the cat used to be in London, where he used to follow Daile to the shops. Jack is very like a more feisty version of Molly.

When we got to the gates of the forest walk, we thought that he'd stop, but he kept on coming. He was on high alert though... jumpy at first, as there's obviously a fair bit of wildlife in there that could eat him... or at least give him a run for his money. There are Possums, (fierce) and snakes of all kinds. (Some are lethal). Kangas are glimpsed from time to time, and of course the Goannas.

He's following behind in this shot....







We went a pretty long way in, until we decided that we'd just stop and have our breakfast where we were, rather than go to the site that we were aiming for. We were thinking that if Jack did get scared and disappear that far in, chances are he'd get lost or eaten! So we made a stop and had bacon and eggs. YUM!



The light was gorgeous...



...and then we set off back, with Jack fully replete on Daile's milk that was for her coffee.







We have a blanket policy of killing all spiders in the house regardless of where they are or what they look like. Yesterday Phoebe spotted one in the spare room, but then said it was a fly. I didn't bother to look. It wasn't until they'd been playing alongside it for ten mins that Matilda suddenly realised that it wasn't a fly...it was a Redback!



...this was the first time that I've ignored the declaration of a spider... and the first Redback that we've found in this house. Aint that the way!

...and then there were two...or rather there weren't two!

The Feeb lost another tooth today...

The fairy did come the other day, so hopefully there will be a repeat performance tonight.
I just tucked them into bed and they're sleeping like... well er, like kids. (Which may mean they both get up and come into our bed) (Again).



... and when we all arrived in their room, Jack was asleep on Matilda's bed, with the little bear that Matilda and I made a while ago. Sweet init?



and just for fun... on the subject of teeth here's a thing about a freefalling Grannie!

Lovely weekend...

On Sunday morning we went round to our new mates house for breakfast. Rather nicely, they live on the hill right opposite our land and we can see their house from our land... or at least we almost can, but for one of their neighbour's house which is in the way.

Here's a picture of them taken later in the day. From left is Ryan, Janice, Anna, Ewan and Jack. They're all lovely.







Daile asked me to sort out making a fruit 'thing'. I got a bit carried away...



...but it went down really well with the kids...and this is the aftermath:



Another person who lives at their house is called Gilly, and she's a Staffy.



That picture above is about the only one I've taken of her that isn't a blur. She's always moving, and really quickly... this is more like what I normally get...





After breakfast (full English) we all decided that we'd head off to the Southbank and check out the galleries. We went on the train... which was a great idea and we got a whole bit of the train to ourselves.







Percy pig came too.



Matilda seems to have taken to biting her nails...



and the results are not pretty....



.... thumb sucking is better!

When we got there we had sarnies and tea that we'd brought, and some nice cake. Then we did the water taxis down the river to the galleries.

Daile looks good in this eh? You know I think she got the 'enigmatic smile' off to a tee. (It was the only free thing at the Leonardo exhibition... which we swerved on as it was $50 per family, and didn't look big enough to be worth it... at least when you have tear-aways with you).



In the art gallery they have some neat air conditioning vents that kids love. Here's Phoebe on one, but I couldn't get her to do the Marilyn Munroe thing... she thought I was stupid! (Amazingly perceptive kid eh!)







Matilda and I went out for a bike ride... just us, on Bank holiday Monday. We went about an hour into the forest in front of our house. It goes for miles and miles and miles like this. We got to a car park, had a bit of chocolate, and came back. We both had a ball. I fell off when she chickened out of a steep hill, and I (stupidly) thought I could carry her bike whilst still riding mine down the hill at speed! Ha ha. I've got bruises on my bruises, on my calfs, knees and inner thigh. I was laughing so much that Matilda had to pull the wreckage off me.







This week FINALLY saw Phoebe's first tooth come out. She kept coming up and 'showing' me her wobbly teeth (there's another coming soon). Thing is I couldn't see them cos of her finger!



Anyway, this is what she looks like now...(tonight). The eye seems to be a LOT better thank goodness. I hope the fairy comes!

Nasty little bleeder

Last Sunday, I went to see if the girls were OK because we'd not seen them for a while. It's not normally something we worry overly about because they play with their mates in the street, or they go around to each others houses. We have the neighbours kids more than they have ours, but that's probably got something to do with the 'facilities' here... I don't know, but its what happens.
I found them at Tara's house, and Tara's mum, Tracy, pointed out that she'd just seen what she thought looked like a tic on Phoebe's left lower eyelid. I thought it was a 'jewel' cos Phoebe had got some little jewel stickers on Saturday, and had some elsewhere. However, when i tried to pull it off, it didn't want to come. I put my specks on and got closer...and it WAS a tick! Yuck...NOT yum! What was worse is that pulling a tick is about the worst thing you can do, as they inject their nasty tick-i-ness into the site (where their barbed mouth parts are buried) They can be there without you knowing because they numb the area - all very clever. I took her home and we decided to immediately get her down to the Chemist (the doctor was closed - Sunday - isn't it ALWAYS Sunday when these things happen!).

On the way there, I looked across at Feeb and the thing had gone... and she said her nose was itchy. We were at the lights so I looked up into her nose and thought I could see it... but had nothing to get it with. Then the lights changed. I told her to blow her nose and gave her an old oily rag ...all I had to hand. She did, bless her and when we got there I could see no evidence. The chemist gave me an address for a doc a little way away to check. He declared her all clear in the nose and the eye looked clean ...

But it obviously wasnt' because this morning they both came into us at 5.45 to show us Feebs eye.



Apparently it can take up to two weeks for this to happen... Daile had to take a day off to get her down to the docs... (Fortunately this time it was a Friday) and she's got anti-bio tics.

This is what can happen if it's not treated with anti-bio tics...



Nasty things eh!

On a more positive note, I've got on well this week with the work, and have had an opportunity to show a bit of speed and innovation... as was asked to turn around a tricky job from start to finish in a day and a half (should probably have been 3 days). I did it and the boss was delighted... not so much for the speed as the way I'd done it. Encouraging start. Lets hope it goes somewhere.

Liking work...

Today I went to work on the film. I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

It was great to be using tools again, and smelling all the familiar smells. Even some of the nastier smells smelt good! I start at 7 .30 and finish at 6, with 45mins for lunch, which is laid on by the production.

So far the lads seem like a pretty good bunch too... so lets hope it stays that way.

Now I have to get into the habit of getting a bit more sleep... so that I can function better than my normal self and impress someone!

... and that's all I'm saying for now... I think I'll go and rest my weary (unaccustomed) bones.
:-)