The End of the Heatwave

The 13 day heatwave ended today. I don't think we could have taken much more of being cooped up inside. There are only so many games of doctors, offices and shops that one can manage without being driven completely crazy!

On a more serious note though the bushfires which have ravaged parts of NSW and Victoria have been horrifying. The death toll hit 181 at last count. It is so hard to believe that some of these fires would have been as a result of arson. We can only pray for the families involved at this time.

I was looking back at some earlier photos of William and Oliver and came across this one of William with his teddy. He was only one month old at that time.

Now here is Oliver this week with that very same teddy! Quite a difference in size!

As I mentioned, we have had a week of playing doctor. Here we can see Oliver playing the part of the patient. He looks suitably worried. We went through a lot of Wiggles bandaids that day.

Oliver is now the doctor and has come to William's aid. They had both been camping under the table and had skinned their knees.

Most things can be fixed with a cuddle!

Or if not with a cuddle then certainly with a nice hot cup of tea for both doctor and patient.

It looks like the patient has recovered! You will notice though, that he has a bruise in the middle of his forehead. He hit his head on a didgeridoo. I kid you not! William was given a cut-off but still very heavy didgeridoo by a stallowner at the Eumundi markets in Queensland. He used to be frightened of didgeridoos after I demonstrated how they worked one day at the Australian Geopgraphic shop in town. While we were on holidays he mustered up the courage to investigate didgeridoos more closely and for his troubles he was given one. The other day he had his didgeridoo out and accidentally hit his head on it with some force. He ended up with a lump and a big bruise.

Here we had another attempt at painting inside. You'd think I'd learn....................... I had the idea that I could dilute some paint and get the boys to blow the paint through a straw to achieve some interesting effects. By the time they had finished there were more interesting effects on their faces, clothes and the table than there were on the paper. After that I introduced my our next craft activity. Yes, it was the old glue the dried pasta and peas on the painted box to make a treasure box idea. I won't even tell you what happened with that idea except to say that I am still occasionally stepping on the odd hard chickpea.

I think we'll take a break from craft.


This morning we walked down to Mama Carmella's for our usual Sunday breakfast. The boys always like to play in the ambulance station grounds in this big old tree.

William was being a terror with this stick which he found.


Here he is demolishing his pancakes.

And then enjoying a leisurely read of the Sunday newspaper.

Before I finish my weekly update I must introduce little Maddelena who is now two months old. She and her mum, my dear friend Marianna, came over for coffee on Thursday.

Maddelena is Marianna and John's youngest child. She has three older brothers!