It’s Been a Long Time

Looking at my blog site, I realized that it has been a long time since telling anyone anything about what I have been up to. I realize that Jane has been diligent in posting you all photos, but I don't seem to have launched them to the blog.

I find myself with a couple of minutes spare in my busy life – The clocks went back, and someone forgot to tell the Tin Lids they are allowed to sleep for longer – so that will be why I am awake at 5 in the morning.

Talking of sleeping – I've been mostly hard at work (or hard at sleep, as Jane likes to call it). Recently I even managed a full 8 hours sleep uninterrupted. (And to think that I am actually getting paid well for that – in a bed and everything). Not much to report on the work front – as they as here "I am so over it" actually over complaining about it.

In the last couple weeks I've been off on the weekend, and so the family has been very busy with excursions, and days out. I was thinking the best way to describe them, but couldn't, so how about a list.

• Watching the Surf Lifesaving Championships (they just seemed to be playing in the waves and running on the sand).
  


• Trying to emulate the Surf Lifesaving Championships the next day (not so successful, but fun none the less.)
  


• Perfecting our Beach BBQ Picnic Technique (still need more practice – even after 4 or 5 goes this month)
  


• Taking advantage of a free face painting stand (Not the adults – obviously)
  


• Playing Football and Cricket in the park (actually we didn't, but I watched a couple games being played)
  


• Burying the kids in sand and then getting a Noahs Ark (Shark) to eat them!

• Finally – communing with nature, under canvas (it isn't really canvas anymore, but nylon) for 3 days.

The camping was great fun – we went to a camping site we'd been to before. As well as the normal high jinks of the kids there were a couple of occasions of note.

The first entailed Charlie – who is Daisy's shadow, (or is Daisy his shadow – I think the latter). Anyway on one occasion that they weren't joined at the hip – he meandered off, and after 4 or 5 minutes of slightly panicky searching by all the adults who realized he was missing (two of us – his mum and I), he was spotted with a large grin on his ice-cream covered face. He'd found the ice-cream van, and contrary to popular belief, the van had ice-cream in it – even though it was playing it's music (We've mentioned to Daisy when she sees an ice-cream van playing music – it has run out of ice cream - this is a major cost saving exercise on our part). Anyway – I digress – Charlie didn't wasn't worried, and in fact had sweet talked the lady at the van to let him have a 99 with a flake for free – have I mentioned he is only 4. (He has got his silver tongue and his way with the ladies from his fatherJ) .

The other funniest thing was the waterslide a couple of people had brought along. Just picture a long roll of plastic sheeting, with some water and washing up liquid sprayed down it, and then laid out on a hill, and kids sent down it. The kids were all fine – bar a couple of grass burns when they strayed off the plastic. I had a go – once only – and a slipped at the start. It was all being recorded for posterity, but the camera man forgot the adage – Never stop filming, and missed the whole funny episode. I didn't fancy doing it all again.

I think that about 700 words are enough for now. I'm going away with sleep (or is it work) in a little while and will be sending a couple more messages as I am away!