Good Friday at the Show

Visiting Meago

Graham's brother John is working in Zambia, so while his mum is staying with us we went to visit Meagan in Orange.

We set out early, stopping at Blackheath for breakfast. When we arrived at Orange, Louka said "Hi, Auntie Meago".

We then went to the Botanical Gardens to have lunch at the café there — but it was closed due to new ownership! So Meagan gave us an antipasto-style lunch.

Next morning after breakfast Meagan took us for a drive to the top of Mt Canobolas. Louka took the opportunity to run around and climb rocks.

At the pool

This past summer has been really erratic: the odd stinking hot day and lots of cool, wet days. So far, autumn has been much nicer. Sarah and I had decided we should take advantage of the nice weather before autumn really sets in, and take the girls for a swim. So today we went to West Pymble pool.

Louka played in the water for 1½ hours, then ran around on the grass eating an apple before wanting to go to the playground.


All this should have tired her out beautifully, but she decided not to have a nap till 5:15pm.

Big weekend

First up; another party. This one was the mothers' group birthday held at Ku-ring-gai Bicentennial Park. The weather was lovely, the playground is fenced, and the tables are sheltered. One of the mums arrived early to lay the tablecloth (thereby claiming a table). There were chocolate cake, cupcakes and fairy bread, party hats and blowers, as well as some nice crudités and dip. The kids lined up nicely on the park bench in front of the spread, and waited (mostly) patiently while the parents took lots of photos.




We all contributed pressies, kris-kringle style, and Louka received a wheeled suitcase full of play-dough and modelling tools! One of the other kids got the same present, and Louka grabbed both suitcases and trundled them around the park.


After a quick shop, we headed to the Blue Mountains for the Blackheath Growers' Market. We stayed at my parents' place, where Louka has visited a couple of times before. This time she decided she would walk Trishy and Johnny down towards Govett's Leap lookout. There she found a hollow tree, and did a bit of bush-bashing.


In the morning, it was off to the markets. Unfortunately there were no duck sausages (the duck sausages are delicious). But there were fresh apples, beans and quinces, smoked trout, and saltbush lamb sausages which we haven't tried before. My parents also found some passionfruit butter that Louka liked very much.

Headed home at noon to beat the traffic, then Graham did a lot of packing and I did the mowing. We were both more tired than Louka.

Party party party!

Yes, it was three parties in one today. Louka's birthday, my dad's birthday, and my birthday all fall within a couple of weeks of each other, so it seemed easier to combine parties. Of course, this did result in three cakes to eat, so we all went home feeling extremely replete.

Louka got to wear the lovely dress she'd been given by the boys in Perth. It suits her beautifully.


We started with a barbecue, followed by dad and me blowing out candles on our cakes. Then we ate dad's cake and had some coffee, and dad and I got our presents.


Louka discovered the midyim berries growing in the garden, and ate them all.

Then a bit of a break for digestive purposes before afternoon tea with Louka's ice-cream cake and my little chocolate cakes. There were party hats, blowers, and fairy bread. Then Louka got her presents. It was all a bit overwhelming for her.