Kiss Me By The Sea

The Accountant and I had a one-night opportunity whilst The Grandparents No. 1 were here to go away.  No dinner to cook.  No nappies to change.  No chasing children around the house at bedtime.  A friend has a lovely B&B in a place called Mount Martha.  The funny thing is - there is no mountain, more of a molehill (ha!), but there is a lovely view of the sea.

We had champagne (some of us had a little too much), spa bath, dinner and quiet time.  We could not get my iPod to work.  The Accountant only has two songs on his iPhone and one of them is Eye of the Tiger.  So we chatted in the moonlight whist Neil Diamond blared from the stereo.

Since I have been back in Melbourne I have had the flu.  Today whilst Jonty had an afternoon nap I thought I would do the same as the headache, sore throat and chills were getting the better of me.

Jesus! The incessant noise of gardening machinery from across the road was deafening.  Even with a pillow over my head I could make out that four different machines were operating at the same time.  If we lived in a less salubrious suburb it would be quieter as these rich folk can afford to have four gardeners working at the same time.

It was two houses at once.  The most annoying people in the street.  "The Flanders" we call them - as they resemble Homer Simpson's Christian neighbours both in tone and character - "HI NEIGHBOUR! Hey diddly Ho!".  And also Mr Obsessive Compulsive.  If one tiny leaf flutters on to the driveway, Mr OCD has to get out The Leaf Blower.  The single most annoying gardening instrument ever made.

I say let nature be natural.  Let the leaves fall, let the grass grow and, god forbid, let those bloody hedges grow in a normal un-box like manner.  Otherwise as a formal protest I will go out in my natural state with a daisy-chain around my head singing appropriate folk songs from yore.

Goundhog Day

It's a bit like that isn't it?

Some days you wake up in a panic and wonder if you have slept in (Ha!) or if the baby has slept in, or the whole world.  And what on earth is the time.....What day is it....Oh it's only Saturday.  No hang on Friday.  Right everyone up.  Lunches stuffed in bags, drink bottles, reading books, library books, bikes, scooters, pram, helmets, dummy, blanket, purse, phone, keys.  Boys!

The other day I left the house in such a hurry that I told Henry to close the door behind him (still brushing his teeth and putting on his shoes) and I headed down the path with Rufus and Jonty.  At the corner Rufus wondered if I was really going to leave Henry so far behind.  I looked up the street. Finally a small figure came came pedalling down the hill.  When he reached us I asked if he had shut the door.  No he had not.  Back up the hill he went whilst we all waited.

A certain man and his dog pass us every day.  If they pass us around the corner then that is fine - we are on time.  If we see them on our street, then we are late.  Today was going to be one of those days.

We have all noticed that our special school crossing man Michael, has been missing in action for some months now.  First it was rumoured that he was seconded to another school.  Now the latest is that he has retired altogether.  Michael was such a character - he knew everyone's names and their little character traits ("Rufus!  What a legend!").  We are now on our third school crossing man.  As we were  heading to school the other day, we crossed with Man No. 3 and Henry in his most carrying voice said "First it was Michael.  Then Barry.  And now this old guy..." and he nudged his head towards the offended man.  I offered what I thought was a wry smile.

I have started going to yoga early on a Saturday morning with The Cousin.  The class starts at 8:15am.  If we walk there The Cousin needs to be at my house by 7:55am.  She usually knocks on the door looking very jolly and fit at 7:45am.  So really I need to be looking jolly and fit by 7:30am so as not to be caught out.  It never happens.  I usually greet her looking tired and grumpy with one or more children screaming in the background.  One leg in a pair of leggings and one hand putting my bird's nest hair up with the other on a cup of tea.

So Saturdays have become a frenzy of activity, as after yoga is football and gymnastics. There is all this organisation to be done - before you enter the yoga class and are told to lie down again.  Hang on. I've just been doing that for 8 hours, then I made myself wake up, jollied myself up, got myself here with all the thin people - only to be told to lie down and relax.  It is actually harder than it sounds as you know you could just drift off again.....

And after waking from the end of class yogic relaxation I think.....What day is it? Where am I.....

Photo caption: You would think it would be the parents climbing the walls, not the children.  But our boys LITERALLY climb the walls.  Just another day Lyons/Burke household.