Trusting

This was what the Easter Bunny brought Levi last night.  He was very happy with some of it but was a bit disappointed that the Easter bunny hadn't hidden any eggs outside for him to find.  I didn't remember our Easter bunny ever hiding eggs outside for him to find but he insisted.  I think that he was confusing the hunt with the bunny but you know six year olds are always right and their mothers are consistently wrong. 

Today we spent the first part of the day doing nothing.  Actually that is not correct.  We spent most of the day doing very little.  Until three in the afternoon, I was unable to get Levi to do anything really.  He watched TV and played on the floor.  He adamantly refused to do anything.  I went out to the dump and to get a newspaper and he didn't even want to come for the ride.  Pete called to say that the water slide was back up and that we should come and play.  Levi wasn't keen until about three in the afternoon and then suddenly as a light switch he wanted to go.

When we got to Pete and Cheryl's place we went for a walk up the back of their place to check out a snakeskin and try to decide if it was a regular carpet snake or a brown.  We decided that we didn't know.  Then with one kid on a motorbike and two on regular bikes with walked around the perimeter. 

The kids all wanted the slide on!  They are all very relaxed and independent kids, so we turned on the slide and let them go, watching from the top.  They had so much fun and went down on the inflatables, on their tummies, on their backs and any other way that they could think of.  I am sure tomorrow, they will all have bruises along their spines where they bumped across the hard ground.  They slide down with an almost identical look on their faces.  They pretty much close their eyes and just let loose.  I don't remember the last time that I did that.  I haven't just closed my eyes and let things go, trusting that there will be a soft landing.  I wonder if we lose that ability somewhat as we get older; the ability to just let go.  The ability to trust that someone or something will catch you at the end there.  It is very much a child's ability.  I envy how easy it is for them.  I am going to try to find it!

Then the boys started to swim.  Well they used the pool anyway.  It was about jumping.  They hammed it up for the camera and it was just a blast to watch them.

And still they would land, eyes closed and trusting.  Ah kids!  They are fantastic!  I need to go play another fantasy creature tonight.  Levi lost another tooth today.

Christmas Eve

OK, I know I am running a day behind but at least it is just one day at the moment.  We have been busy!  You know with real life!  Anyway, the weather has been appalling and it has been cold and rainy most days.  At least it hasn't dampened the spirits of all the small children around here!  They are all high and act like they have no attention span at all.  Christmas is perfect for six year olds.  Younger than four they are scared of Santa and don't really get the whole thing but then suddenly, it is magic.  Suddenly, they can anticipate the event weeks in advance and that all builds up until they are really impossible by Christmas Eve.

We went to Bear and Di's house for a Christmas party on Christmas Eve.  We have a great system.  I buy something for Levi for Christmas and she buys something for her boys.  Then on the day, she gives Levi the present 'from them' and I give their boys the gifts 'from me'.  It is great.  The kids get something that works really well for them and we all have less stress about the whole event.  Anyway, 'I' bought Alex a water slide for his present and regardless of the pouring rain, they went out and slipped their way down and ran their way up over and over!  We had cups of tea, chatted and watched them.  All around perfect day!

I love this photo.  It looks like Levi is posing for a modelling shot and behind him: carnage.

Even though he was completely exhausted from all the sliding and running, Levi struggled to get to sleep.  He actually went to bed early but struggled.  He got up several times to go to the bathroom.  He called out for different drinks.  Pretty much he rolled around until I went in and cuddled him until he went to sleep.  It was about 9.15pm and it all boded poorly for the next morning.  We put out milk for Santa, an ANZAC biscuit and some carrots for the kangaroos who pull Santa's sleigh through out Australia.  I went to bed hoping that we would both at least sleep through dawn!

More Weekend Waterslide Action

Waterslides and Parties

Today was Luke's birthday party.  It was also the opening ceremony for their waterslide.  Pete made the waterslide, the way that I built the cubby.  It started small as a good idea and then just took on a life of it's own, getting bigger with every 'good' idea.  It started with us standing there and saying; "We could put plastic down and the kids could use this as a waterslide."  Then about four months, a backhoe, turf (yes really - turf!), a sprinkler system, a rubble drain, a dedicated water tank, a load of sand and about $500 worth of plastic inflatable sliding toys and the slide is finally finished.  The kids had so much fun on the slide.  Actually no one had as much fun as Pete did but the kids had a blast!  It was a horrible wet, cold, rainy day but the kids didn't care and they stayed warm running up and down the slope.  I had a blast watching (and trying to photograph) their happy faces as they came down the slide and hit the water pooling at the bottom!

 So here are the photos of the kids coming down the slope and hitting the bottom.  They were so happy!  The other part of the party was pool diving for treasure.  It was a fabulous idea, They lined the kids up and gave them goggles and threw a fortune in silver money.  Then we all said Go, and they all dived for coins.  The kids are all about the same level of swimming ability so they went for it until they were exhausted!  Levi came out about $3.80 ahead, which for him is more than six weeks of allowance!