It would be so nice...if we took a holiday

I love school holidays. Actually, I love not having to be organised with school lunches as much as I love just having the kids home kicking around. My kids make their own lunches but I try really hard to have good things for them to choose from to put in their bags, but gee, home lunches (particularly the 'get it yourself' variety) are so much easier! One kid is gluten free, nut free...so that presents it's challenges (interestingly, there are generally less complaints about lunch options from that direction!).

Next Tuesday we will be sending the eldest off to HIgh School. It feels like a big thing to me. Eldest child appears excited..there will be about 120 students in year 7 and I think there are 4 others from his school. He seems to be keen on meeting people and making new friends, so good on him. Fun thing is graduating from the black tracky dacks and faded polo shirt uniform to a  rather smart one that involves lace up school shoes rather than sneakers and shorts and shirt made out of a woven rather than a stretch fabric. Ask me again in a few weeks...it may well turn out to be the first thing in this household that requires regular ironing...maybe my sewing room will no longer get sole use of the iron!

We've played a fair bit of Cluedo over the break...to the point where now I say 'anyone for a game?' and everyone else says 'not Cluedo!'- terrible shame I think because that is one 'family game' I haven't seemed to tire of. I haven't got much time for Monopoly, Yahtzee I can play a few,  but Cluedo? Well, was it Miss Scarlett...was it in the kitchen- you'll have to play to find out! I'm keen on suggestions- what are your favourite board games?

We had our longest ever time away as a family, ten days- very do-able, in fact, I could have stayed longer (I did take my sewing machine and even sewed a dress for me- which I'll have to get off the line for a photo because I've been enjoying wearing it). After nearly a week over 40 degrees, it was so nice just to get a break from the hot, dry climate we live in. We swam in the ocean most days, enjoyed the salty air and each others company (most of the time!).

Each school holidays, we try to have sort of 'kid dates'- so I have time with each child by themselves, and so does their dad. So, I have a 'girls times' and 'mums and sons' time. 

Because our nearest town is 20km away, and doesn't have any kind of cafe other than the bakery that shuts at 5.30pm, I thought it would be fun if 'girls time' involved a cafe and some hot chocolate after dinner- novelty factors all round- cafe close by, staying up late, going out after dinner.

The 10 year old was keen on this suggestion so out we went (she was keener on ice cream than hot chocolate) and when we sat down she said "So, what are we going to DO?"...umm, come out to a cafe for dessert?...she looked confused and a bit ripped off 'but that's not DOING anything...that's just eating...that's a boring girls time"! Fair enough, gosh, it's a long while since I've been 10- I thought it would be a fun surprise...
"well, if you want to do something...we could go to the carnival and go on a ride together". She was very keen on that idea and got all a bit 'let's go now-ish' (gee, I hope she learns to appreciate the post dinner cafe visit, because I'm keen on that idea...oh, really? the intention of girls time might not be all about me? Ahh, well!)

So off we go to the carnival and she was eyeing off the 'Pirate Ship'. I remember going on the Pirate Ship with my mum when I was a few years older than my girl is now...she hated it, I remember saying things like 'I do not understand how you can hate that ride...it's just like a big swing'. So, I thought, oh, why not. In case anyone is curious, it's not just like a big swing- and I am not so much a thrill seeker at 40 as I was at 14. I didn't like it at all- but pretended to be 'all cool' because at one stage my girl looked at me with eyes wide and said 'Mum, I hate this' so we proceeded to talk about her favourite ice cream flavours while I was thinking 'surely this must end soon'. She happily reported back to her brother that the Pirate Ship was fun, but there was just this one bit she didn't like...I would question the accuracy of that report. My friend Tan (hello Tan, yep, I'm here, and okay, have got your phone messages, hope we get to talk soon) will remember sitting next to that same child on the Scenic Railway (which I didn't know was built in 1911 and was the oldest continually operating roller coaster in the world when I went on it...but we did talk about the structure!)...that also wasn't a particularly thrilling thrill seeking ride. 

and in case the title of this post has left you with an ear worm...