Swimming and Snails

What a fortnight!

We have enjoyed so many blessings, and had so many terrific experiences that it’s hard to know where to begin.

Chanel is becoming a superstar! Our big girl has settled in remarkably quickly at her new school and is doing extremely well scholastically. While Chanel doesn’t have much motivation to work hard, and usually procrastinates as much as possible, she performs at a very high standard. She also loves to play! She spends as much time in the backyard, up trees, or on the swings and trampoline, as she can. We’re reading Black Beauty together each evening. She’s really enjoying it.

Last week Chanel attended her swimming carnival. She was full of optimism following her successes at Cannon Hill last year. But when I saw how big some of the girls turning 9 this year were I grew concerned. Chanel came 3rd in her freestyle 50m. She felt ok but a little disappointed. Then came backstroke. Oops; dead last. Breast stroke wasn’t much better. Then came the announcement for the 50m butterfly. I saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes and wished her well, but I was less than helpful. My pessimism was strengthened when I saw she was the youngest and smallest in the event. The race was for 8, 9 and 10 year old girls.

Chanel dived in beautifully and began the race. I heard the four boys in front of me saying, “Look at that Chantelle girl!” “No, it’s Chanel”. “Oh, whatever, look how good she is.” Sure enough, Chanel was in the front and charging up the centre of the pool. I got so excited I started yelling “Go Chanel!” as I ran alongside the pool. She came first! WOW! I was so thrilled for her.

Because of her successful swimming, Chanel goes to the District swimming carnival this Wednesday. What an achiever! She also got selected for “house relays” and swam brilliantly. Kylie and I are in awe of Chanel.

Abbie and Ella are settling into their routines and school environments well too. I think that the effects of the move are finally being overcome, and the girls are bouncing back from the massive changes they’ve been through. Ella was even excited about going to church today – the first time since we got to Wollongong nearly 7 weeks ago.

Kylie and I have reviewed the way we structure our schedule and changed things so that I come home around 4pm, shortly after Kylie has done the school pick-up. This allows us to spend time with the children reading and doing other worthwhile activities related to schooling. (I’m quite opposed to mindless homework sheets, but love to see the children engaged in meaningful projects or reading). I’ve been using the time to teach Abbie her “sight words.” These are the words that children should be able to recognise on sight. It has been so much fun. Abbie learned 10 words this week: big, I, come, jump, up, down, A, and, not and in. Abbie is so excited! And we are having great fun. Kylie laminated two sets of all the words (100 of them) and we do a couple each day. We put them all together and play games like snap, memory, fish and so on. I think Abbie will be a terrific reader.

Ella is a real scientist. She is particularly enamoured with anything that crawls outside. Snails have really captured her attention recently due to the remarkably moist conditions we’ve experienced. We have tried to tell Ella that snails are kinda gross, but she is committed to continuing her investigations of them. The other day we were eating breakfast at the table. I noticed that Ella was looking in her breast pocket every few seconds. She was keeping a couple of snails in there! Oh dear.

Ella’s pre-school is amazing. The quality of care and education is second to none. But it comes at a price. We misread the materials due to our enthusiasm for the facility and thought the cost was similar to what we paid for Abbie in Brisbane. But Abbie’s weekly cost is what we pay PER DAY for Ella. Ella’s pre-school is triple what we thought it was. Ouch.

But we’re very, exceptionally, happy with it, and we’ll persist. There’s a teacher who spends a couple of hours each day one-on-one with Ella working on her speech and language. The facilities are superb. So we’ll keep it up.

Our home is wonderfully conducive to the children spending a lot of time playing. The tv is on less than half of what it used to be in Brisbane. And while the kids would love to watch more, they happily amuse themselves when we direct them to another room or outside. The yard is great, the trees are perfect for climbing, and the house is still an adventure. Kylie is such a wonderful support. Most of her day is spent with Ella (when she’s at home) and Annie. Her commitment and effort (not to mention support) are amazing. Kylie is making friends with neighbours and ladies from church and is slowly feeling more comfortable. I think it will be a while still, and her friends from Brisbane are irreplaceable, but things are getting better.

And Annie has decided that she’s serious about getting bigger. She is putting on lots of weight, smiling as much as ever, and has decided to eat solids three times a day! We are amazed at Annie. I’ve never seen a baby who is so loving, and able to show it. She has three mothers in her big sisters. They adore her, particularly Chanel.

Last weekend Pop Bunt got a surprise. It was his 80th birthday, and mum organised a surprise party. About 70 family and friends showed up to the Auburn tennis club to celebrate with him, and surprise him. Mum organised a bus to pick Nan and Pop up from their home. It was the same bus that Pop drove when he was a bus-driver about 40 years ago. We all got on the old bus and drove to the house. When he came out and saw it he was tickled pink! He got on board, saying “I’m overwhelmed.” We had such a great time being there with him and nan. What’s most thrilling for Kylie and I is that our kids are experiencing their great-grandparents. We hope they have great memories of wonderful people.

As for me, I cannot remember living a more balanced, wonderful life! I am having the most terrific time living in Wollongong! Surfing has become a three or four session-a-week activity. I am having so much fun surfing, and finding it incredibly fulfilling.

My studies are going beautifully. I love what I am learning, and I am learning amazing things almost every day.

After being in this house for a little over 6 weeks we finally had an oven delivered yesterday. We have been pleading for one for weeks! It gets really hard to enjoy a wide variety of food without an oven. It should be wired up in the next couple of days. I can’t wait for that first roast! My stomach is rumbling just thinking of it.

This afternoon we realigned our Sunday afternoon priorities. We’re writing in journals more. We started it off by showing the kids what we wrote in our journals as children their age. They loved hearing about the things we wrote about and did at their age. Kylie and I were also grateful for the things that our parents took the time to record on our behalf. It was fascinating to hear what our parents really thought of us as little tykes! The memories are priceless. What’s incredible to me is that without the journals it would all be forgotten. I’m so grateful we have them.

And spiritually, things are improving. I went to a super leadership training at Campbelltown on Friday night. I was so inspired by what I was taught. Today at church I spoke to the young men about the Plan of Salvation. We spent a lot of time talking about what it is to learn Faith in Jesus Christ and why it is so important. As we talked about the nature of our relationship with Him because of the atonement I was uplifted. I hope they were too.

Not only is it impossible for me to count my blessings, but I cannot comprehend the breadth and depth of them!