What the kids have been up to

The day Gabe got impatient... You just can't expect a boy to wait when there is water and bubbles RIGHT THERE!

Okay, sorry. I know I used to be such a good blogger! And though I haven't slumped to the likes of Aimee {Taylor} Hada who hasn't posted since February {maybe she has by now, I stopped checking a few months ago...} I know I am no where near my usual pace. I just have been REALLY busy {read on, I'll tell you} and I have lost a little of my zeal -what with having to update 2 blogs. And I just refuse to let the quality of this blog slip... -you know? I am just not going to post to post. When I print this out into a book, I doubt I will be relieved that I posted 3 times a week for 10 years! I don't think we will need THAT much information about ourselves!

Anywho... let's see, where to start... Oh, I fell down the stairs yesterday... that was cool... I broke the already broken phone {Gabe threw it from the loft down to the tile below a few weeks ago. That's been a fun new game he's discovered} and I think my elbows, which caught the brunt of my weight, will never be the same again. I was worried I was going to be on some type of Aussie Rescue 000 show where Laine had to dial the emergency number when Mommy couldn't get up. That was a doozy, I think I'll put some effort into not doing that again...

Laine has started all sorts of new lessons, in a move that has further complicated my life and schedule, all for the better though... right? She and Gabe started swim lessons on Monday. Laine loved it, and I thought my water-boy would too, but scaredy-cat boy superseded and he screamed and white-knuckled me most of the time...

Laine also started piano lessons, which has been fun but time consuming with having to make her practice. Her teacher is this British guy that was so genteel and proper over the phone. From our convos I was picturing a man in a tux, sipping tea, James Bond -but more refined and not quite so rough around the edges, you know?. They went a little something like this, "Ah yes, Mrs. Riley, just ringing to confirm Laine's premiah lesson shyehdyoould for this afternoon at 3:30 sharp" and then he signed off with a "playsiyuh" -which is possibly why today when I thanked Laine for helping me, both times she replied "it was my pleasure Mom"...

Anyway, so we arrive at the house last week for our premier lesson, again, expecting the tux and the tea with the pinky finger. Instead we step into our time machine and are heading straight back to the 70's. The house, though pristine, looks like the picture perfect 70's manor and Richard himself is dressed Halloween party style 365 apparently. He comes complete with one of those 70's cotton candy mullets, you know, super fluffy and lethal. He sports one of those thin mustaches too. He is a crack-up. I wondered how Laine would do with a male teacher, it is so fun to sit and see how your child interacts with other adults! It is good times to see him instruct her and watch what she does with his instructions. I think she is really liking it, and she love music so much.

Oh, BIG news, you remember the whole swing-set debacle of aught-5? WHELL... I was gabbing to some friends about it at the time and then one of them happened to see a sign for a FREE swing set in her neighborhood and rang me up a few days ago! I raced over to the house to see if they still had it and they did! We went last night and dismantled it and hauled it home and Ben put it together this morning. You'll never believe, but is is the EXACT same swing set as the other one. So yeah, crappy, an eye-sore, and dinky. But it did come with the 'slippery dip' {slide} -which not all do you know... And it was better than nothing since we {read: Ben} didn't want to invest in such luxuries when we are here temporarily {even though we should be here more than twice as long as the longest time we've ever spent in any other place, seems pretty settled to me...} But, you know, the kids don't know the difference and they are ecstatic about their new swing set so I'm happy.

We got to go to Bondi beach again last week, oh man, I love the beach. And Bondi is without a doubt one of the most fantastic beaches I've ever been to in my life. It is really warming up here, so it was nice to enjoy the sun and just play in the sand with the kids.

Our other big news is that we got to go to see a symphony -AT THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE! I am kicking myself harder than I ever have that I didn't bring my camera! I have caught several glimpses of it over the last few months, but usually while in a car, so I totally screwed myself over that I forgot it for this time. I will post the complete story later, when I find the cable to my phone that I did manage to get some shots with.

Okay, just a few items of TCB:

1. Okay, maybe this is a stupid thing to say, but I feel moved to bring this up. Many of you blog stalkers may be afraid because of the 'ol sitemeter posted down at the bottom. You wonder if I've discovered you lurking behind those trees.... I should just take it off of this blog, I honestly haven't had time to check it in about 4 months -so you're secret stalking has not been and is not going to be discovered, so stalk away. And whatever you do, DON'T leave a comment!

2. I've noticed that many of you haven't noticed there is a new button for HOTGP. Keep your old one for all I care, but I think this one is a little better, so if you feel so inclined to switch it out, help yourself to the new code. Thanks!