Busy Sunday in Ringwood

We managed to assemble the new trampoline yesterday. The old one had been providing stirling service for many years but had finally expired.  The boys had no problems remembering how it worked.

It was installed in time for family dinner that evening.

Basketball - Jack

Jack is now well into the new season of Basketball and we got to see him in action today with his new team and new Coach.  There has been quite a change.  His play has become more assertive and he is now more confident in going for his shots.

Granny has given Jack and the new Coach the thumbs up!

James in the Lead

We had the opportunity to attend the final Middle School assembly for the year at Tintern today.  It was the last day of school for James and it was great to see him presented as House Captain for next year as he joined the rest of the leadership team on stage.

Patrick's Birthday Photo

It has been a while since Patrick's birthday and, for a variety of reasons, we have been unable to get his birthday portrait.  Tonight the stars aligned and this is the result. Straight to the Pool Room.

Basketball - James

James' Celtics are having a tougher season than the last as they are up against teams of similar quality. The consequence is that the games are exciting to watch as the boys get faster and more skillful.  They lost by a small margin tonight in a great game.

Ebony's Grand Final

Ebony's Netball team had been dominant all season so we were a little surprised to see the writers of the program notes for the Grand Final were tipping against them. The girls didn't look worried.

The first shots at goal are important confidence boosters but Ebony seemed to be having little trouble racking up early goals.

Ebony worked hard the whole match even taking one quarter in the centre. Suffice to say the opposition found her very difficult to contain.

They won the match by a very healthy margin so we were able to watch a very happy team being presented with their trophies.

Penninsula Indulgence

A visit to the Mornington Penninsula necessarily involves visiting some of the many wineries and hearing the stories of their origins and approaches to their craft.

It is always amazing to taste the different products that are made in the same area by different winemakers.  On this occasion we are at Quealy Wines.

Wine is not the only product of the area. We had a magnificent tapas lunch of local produce at the Green Olive at Red Hill.

The Portsea Hotel may be old but they can still put on a wonderful meal in magnificent setting. After two days away we felt as though we had been away a week.

Best BnB

It was that time of the year when we take a break with friends we met on a European tour many years ago.  This year we went to a BnB at Rye.

 We each had a themed Lodge.

 

The days started with "main meal" breakfasts and then we continued feasting through the day at wineries and eateries around the Penninsula.

Basketball - Cooper

We had our first chance to see Cooper with his new Basketball Team tonight.  They gave the opposition a bit of a thumping but there is still plenty of work to do.

Cooper is not the tallest in his team but he can certainly make up for it with his jumps.

Mum is happy with his progress.

Spring has Sprung

Some water, some warmth and a little attention can do amazing things to a garden. The General Manager of Horticultural Affairs has been giving the place a bit of attention lately and it is paying off with luxuriant growth and colour.

The vege patch is starting to produce and areas that have been a bit of a wasteland in the past are starting to do well.