Slice of life

This is our weather.  For the most part, it's been raining. A lot.  I mean, seriously, it's been pouring here.  We've missed some soccer practices; we've done some in the rain.  We go stir crazy.  And we play Monopoly Jr.

So, if you've ever wondered about the body of water that we can see from our house...

The water and beach we overlook is Bagnall Beach Reserve and Nelson Bay.  The beach there is a dog beach.  We tend to visit it on weekend mornings, if it's not raining.  All it takes is the time required to walk there, about 20 minutes one way.

All the black stuff on the beach...it is sea grass.  It covers the beach here during low tide.  During high tide, there is no beach.  This is probably the reason why this is a dog beach. 

Lacey got a new bed.  This one stays in the living room so that she has someplace to lay when she's not in the laundry.  I thinks she likes it. 

Joe has been trying for the last several months to get a friend over for a play.  It's been tough to schedule, but it finally happened.  This is the first time that Joe has had a friend over (just for him) to play.

They had a lot of fun bouncing on the trampoline and playing video games. 

This week, it was my turn to watch Joe and his team, the Raptors.  They played in Newcastle as the away team and lost, but they tried hard.  The Raptors are the ones in the yellow shirts.

Joe, center of screen, in bright blue shoes

Joe, center screen, bright blue shoes



Joe, getting ready to kick the ball



 It is amazing the view we have when it doesn't rain.

sunrise

Of course, when it's gone, we miss it.



pouring rain



School and such

Monday was our first day back to school.  New school years are a little different at Tomaree Primary School.  Students return to their previous year classes and spend the first 3-4 days with their old classes.  No idea why...they just do.  On Thursday of this week, the older boys should move to their new classes.  Sam also started a new school this year.  Previously, he went to a pre-school at a long day care centre.  Now he goes to a community pre-school that is much closer to our house.  Birubi Point Community school is a very nice little school.  Sam is in school for pretty much the same amount of time as the big boys.  Sam settled in very nicely his first day.  He goes three days a week for almost the same amount of money that we used to pay for one day.
I have to pack lunches and snacks for all three boys.  It creates quite an assembly line of boxes on the three days a week that we need all lunches packed.

While we used very little disposable packaging last year, my goal is to use even less this year.  Their fruit snack treat is the only item in disposable packaging and it comes like that.  All sandwiches, chips, etc are all put into washable boxes.  They each have their own colors so that I can keep them slightly straight while packing lunches.  Each boy's requirements are a little different.  Sam won't eat the bread of his sandwiches if they're lunchmeat sandwiches and he can't have peanut butter at school.  He gets jelly or almond butter and honey.  Sam also is not permitted to have candy or chips in his bag for his school.  We don't do candy anyway, but Sam gets pretzels instead of chips.  Tom likes cheese on his sandwiches, but Joe does not.  Sam and Tom both have afternoon snack, but Joe does not.  Sam doesn't like oranges in his lunch, but Joe and Tom do.  I hope to stay as organized as I have been the last few days.
In other news, it's hot...damn hot.  The eastern part of Australia is experiencing a very prolonged heat wave.  While late January through late February is the hottest time of the year, it's not typically quite so hot nor so hot without any cooler days mixed in.  The heat arrived on the 24th of January and hasn't let up yet.  Tuesday was the worst with a high temp of 42.2.  That's 108 degrees!!!!  Today is slightly cooler and is hovering around 97.  It's too hot to be outside and it's too hot to go to the beach or do anything.  Of course, it's too hot to be inside since we have no air conditioner.  We are managing, but just barely. 
We may get a storm or two through in the next day or so, but the temps should break for a bit and be down in the high 70's next week. 
Northern Queensland is also bracing for a category 5 cyclone.  Scary stuff.  We are nowhere close, and we don't know anyone up there.  The state of Queensland has been through a lot lately as large parts of it had been flooded.  The storm surge is expected to be over 8 feet high.  Crazy stuff.