GrannyKinder

Cooper and Lachlan came to visit today and Granny kept them busy,  We finished the sticker books then there was the marble tower.

The cars and trucks were given a run and then it was painting and PlayDo.  It's a busy day.

Changes.. Changes

As the programs and photo techniques seem to be changing every day it becomes a task to keep up. There are rewards however. Some of the new tools provide some great photo editing options. Here is one I prepared earlier.

Jack's Certificate

At School Assembly, Jack was recognised with a certificate for his work on the school production -

in front of an appreciative audience.

Parkinsons - Walk in the Park

The Annual Parkinsons Walk was on today.  The crew all met up in Federation Square ready for the Walk at 11.00.

There had been some threat of rain but the weather was clear and cold.  As a result, the event T shirts were a welcome addition to the wardrobe.  We all trooped off along the Yarra.  As can be seen there were a lot of participants and it appeared to be a significant increase on last year.

With all the chat going on you hardly notice the walk.  Congratulations to Parkinsons Victoria (and Peter) for a smoothly organised event and we hope for greater awareness of Parkinsons and the need for research.

Pat Plays the Top Team

Patrick's team had the challenge in front of them today.  They were playing the top team. 
with a couple of early breaks they were ahead for most of the game.

Bulleen came back in the latter part of the game and the teams finished with a draw.  Great game Pat!

Wilma's Funeral

It was a tough day on Wednesday.  We traveled to Cohuna to attend the funeral of Claire's cousin Wilma.  She had had an aggressive cancer and we had visited her a number of times when she was in Melbourne having chemotherapy.  Claire had been bridesmaid at her wedding to John.
Cohuna turned on good weather for us as we arrived early to look around the old stamping ground.

The town looks much the same but there has been work done on the surrounds to make it an attractive little town.

The funeral was conducted at the graveside.  I had not attended this type of funeral in the past but I was impressed by the form and the dignity of the event.  Wilma was a personable outgoing character who was popular in the area so there was the overwhelming belief that she was taken well before her time. This made the funeral even more difficult.  There would have been at least 300 people in attendance.

Adam's Birthday

There was a gathering of the clan to celebrate the commencement of Adam's last year as a youngster.  Our combined efforts provided him with a present that is in keeping with his advancing years.

With everyone contributing to the table, there was no chance that anyone could leave hungry.

The roast went down a treat and the All Saints Shiraz-Durif was perfect.  As expected a deep rich velvety wine.  It has to be reported that he managed to blow out all the candles in one go.  He's still got it!

Pat Wins Again!

Pat's Under 9 Team had another good win today.  All the boys have showed improvement during the season and it was evident today.

Not only have the boys improved but some of them have been growing fast and on occasions this puts Pat at a disadvantage.

It was great to see them working as a team and supporting heach other.  Great game Pat!

Cooper and Lachlan Visit

Cooper and Lachlan spent the day with us on Friday while Mum worked on the backlog list.
The sticker books occupied them for a considerable time.

Then it was off to consider the problems of developing a transport system.

James - Olympian?

After a number of delays due to poor weather, it was finally clear enough for the James' School Athletics.  He took part in a number of races but here he is in the 200m.  He pushed himself to the last.  Great race James!

Lachlan Comes to Visit

Lachlan came over to keep us company while Mum did her Kinder Duty.  We had a busy morning of construction and book reading.

Followed by an energy replacement session.

Cooper came in after Kinder to make sure we had been looking after Lachlan correctly.

Family Dinner

We had another magnificent meal last night with Kate producing a new recipe for Lasagne, Lisa provided a chocolate pudding with raspberries, Claire brought along the obligatory Tea cake (this always makes James happy) and I found a 98 Taltarnie Red blend which went well with the Lasagne.  However there is much more to report from the evening.
Sophie showed us her new dress which she is wearing to a party today.

Mitchell has thrown down the gauntlet so the War Hammer Construction Crew has been on the job preparing the Southern Hemisphere Challenge.

While currently light on for heavy armaments, plans are afoot to add to the arsenal at a later date (hopefully before the Northern Hemisphere invades).
While still on the Games Theme, the older boys were introduced to a new game that Adam had learned in Brighton.  As may be gleaned from the photo, it did not take us long to learn the rules!

Jack's Auskick

The forecasts were not good but it turned out a reasonable day for AusKick.  The ground was very wet but Jack did not seem to mind.

It is a big group so there are plenty of helpers to ensure the kids enjoy the whole experience.

Gardening Techniques

We have found the way to grow orchids.  The process is simple. Put the orchid in a pot and leave outside for about 20 years. This is the result.

Jack's 100 Day Milestone

Jack has completes his first 100 days of school.  To celebrate the kids all arrived dressed for the occasion.  Of course Jack decided on being a Centurion.

Jells Park

Wow! We finally got a weekend with a bit of sun so it was not an opportunity to be missed.  It was decided that a picnic at Jells Park was in order.

On arrival the adult preoccupation with coffee had to be satisfied and then it was down to the business of the day. There was a bit of football (while ensuring the coffee was not spilled).

There was a bit of cuddle time with Granny.

And there was time spend rocketing around the bike paths.

What a relief to be able to get outdoors for a while!