Yesterday we didn't have anything planned for the day, so the Big Fella suggested we see if someone could look after the Little Big Fella so we could go fora ride and give me a bit more learning experience.
One of my friends graciously agreed and (after a false start with the Big Fella's battery) we headed off.
We decided to go up to the Tablelands because it's a bit of highway riding, a bit of country road riding, and a bit of twisty-turney mountain riding.
I definitely need to get a full-face helmet, rather than the one I have, which only has the face-covering shield (or whatever it's called). My cheeks get a little blown around and go numb after a ride on the highway! And I got a butterfly stuck in it, which was rather distracting.
Oh! And I almost ran over a couple of snakes! One was slithering across the road (maybe 1.5 meters long) and the other we decided must have been dead because it was in the same position on the way back.
We had to avoid cattle, including crazy mother cows and their skittish calf babies.
It's a really nice drive up there, which you kind of notice a bit more on a bike. You also notice the change in temperature much more!
The ride up to the tablelands reminds me of the drive up to Olinda in the Dandenong mountains (east of Melbourne). They're different plants, and a different climate, but it has a similar effect and it makes me smile every time.
The Big Fella told me I was riding well and took the corners at good speeds, especially considering the lack of visibility. So that was encouraging.
By the time we got home I was completely exhausted though! I suspect doing a workout beforehand probably didn't help. But it was definitely a happy exhausted - I really enjoyed the ride and I'm looking forward to getting my full license so that I can just ride whenever I don't have the Little Big Fella with me.
I got a call the other day from the place that does the Q-Ride course/test. Apparently I'll need to do at least one lesson with them because they don't do automatic bikes in the Q-Ride testing, so I'll have to learn to ride a manual. That's okay, and it's probably a good thing, but I'm pretty nervous about it. Trying to keep a bike upright, while learning to change gears, and keeping everything else happening at the same time is a bit overwhelming. But I learned to drive a manual car, so I'm sure I can learn this too!
So I'm hoping to get my full license before we go to Melbourne in March! Look out Melbourne :-D
Monday, 13 January 2014
Saturday, 11 January 2014
Valuable friendships
I woke this morning...
Well, let's just stop right there.
I was aware of the world, but getting my eyes open was a significant struggle. And when I finally did get them open, I had a tick in my eye for over an hour.
When I finally dragged my sleepy self out of bed I went into the kitchen and started to clean up the (small) mess left there from last night.
And it began.
The Little Big Fella wanted eggs (well, actually he wanted egg whites) for breakfast. And he's much more of a morning person than I am, including almost constant chatter and almost zero listening.
"Mate, I'll make it for you in a minute, just let me clean up a little so we have some space for cooking."
He gets the eggwhites out of the fridge and took them into the lounge room. Apparently he believed I would get rid of it, or something.
"Honey, please just wait a minute. Bring those eggwhites back. I'll cook them in a minute when I've made some space. I won't cook them without you." (Did I mention he quite enjoys participating in cooking?)
This kind of activity continued for a couple of minutes, before I raised the volume and snapped at him for not listening.
And so began a brilliant day in the household of ScooterShell and the Big Fellas!
For the next almost two hours I attempted to put myself in a better frame of mind, and hopefully wake up a bit.
In reality, I was in a bad mood and the prospect of the coming day wasn't good.
Then I got a text message. The short version was "come and play". And even though I didn't think I'd be good company, I agreed.
We spent several hours at this friend's house, and by the time we went home I was in a significantly better mood.
Which got me thinking. I am a very lucky woman. Not only do I have a wonderful, loving, fun husband, and a gorgeous, clever, interesting son, but I'm surrounded by good friends who understand my bad days and help me turn them around.
What more could anyone ask for???
Well, let's just stop right there.
I was aware of the world, but getting my eyes open was a significant struggle. And when I finally did get them open, I had a tick in my eye for over an hour.
When I finally dragged my sleepy self out of bed I went into the kitchen and started to clean up the (small) mess left there from last night.
And it began.
The Little Big Fella wanted eggs (well, actually he wanted egg whites) for breakfast. And he's much more of a morning person than I am, including almost constant chatter and almost zero listening.
"Mate, I'll make it for you in a minute, just let me clean up a little so we have some space for cooking."
He gets the eggwhites out of the fridge and took them into the lounge room. Apparently he believed I would get rid of it, or something.
"Honey, please just wait a minute. Bring those eggwhites back. I'll cook them in a minute when I've made some space. I won't cook them without you." (Did I mention he quite enjoys participating in cooking?)
This kind of activity continued for a couple of minutes, before I raised the volume and snapped at him for not listening.
And so began a brilliant day in the household of ScooterShell and the Big Fellas!
For the next almost two hours I attempted to put myself in a better frame of mind, and hopefully wake up a bit.
In reality, I was in a bad mood and the prospect of the coming day wasn't good.
Then I got a text message. The short version was "come and play". And even though I didn't think I'd be good company, I agreed.
We spent several hours at this friend's house, and by the time we went home I was in a significantly better mood.
Which got me thinking. I am a very lucky woman. Not only do I have a wonderful, loving, fun husband, and a gorgeous, clever, interesting son, but I'm surrounded by good friends who understand my bad days and help me turn them around.
What more could anyone ask for???
Friday, 10 January 2014
Priorities
I've wasted a lot of time looking at Pinterest tonight, but I also came across some wonderful new blogs that I'll read regularly, and have printed out some bits and pieces for the coming week.
A couple of themes have hit me as I've been reading:
1. People are more important than tasks, and
2. I need to include the Little Big Fella in the tasks that need to be done.
Since Christmas I've noticed that my patience has been rather thin, and I've been grumpy with my Fellas. And basically it's because I've been focussed on the tasks that need doing (cleaning up messes and "catching up" on the housework that got behind while I was working), rather than the two most important people in my life.
The Little Big Fella has been desperate for someone to play with. Almost all of his friends have been away on holidays so he's been wanting mine and the Big Fella's attention and energy.
Yeah. Definitely failed him on that one lately.
I haven't stopped to play games with him, or read him stories, or imagine with him.
So, instead of kicking myself (that won't help anyone!), I've written down a few things I'll do with him over the next few days/week.
And I'm planning a playdate for after the weekend.
I've also realised that the Little Big Fella is about to start school (duh!), and is definitely old enough to be a contributing member of our household. So instead of putting him aside while I do things like laundry, dishes, meal preparation, and cleaning, I can make extra time now (while we have some!) to teach him how to do them. Not only will he be learning valuable life skills, I'll be getting the essential tasks done and we'll be spending time together.
And, speaking of school, it's only 18 days until the Little Big Fella starts! He's SO excited about it. Every day he asks how long until he goes to school.
So when we were food shopping the other day, I picked up a cheap calendar, which we have hung in his room. We've highlighted the first day of school (as well as our birthdays later in the year) and have been crossing off the days until school starts.
We did something similar in the countdown to Christmas (this year's version of an advent calendar), so he is starting to understand how far away a week is, and he's getting some great practice at recognising numbers!
Anyway, it's midnight (again) so I'm going to join my husband in bed for the next hour or so before he goes to work. Goodnight!
A couple of themes have hit me as I've been reading:
1. People are more important than tasks, and
2. I need to include the Little Big Fella in the tasks that need to be done.
Since Christmas I've noticed that my patience has been rather thin, and I've been grumpy with my Fellas. And basically it's because I've been focussed on the tasks that need doing (cleaning up messes and "catching up" on the housework that got behind while I was working), rather than the two most important people in my life.
The Little Big Fella has been desperate for someone to play with. Almost all of his friends have been away on holidays so he's been wanting mine and the Big Fella's attention and energy.
Yeah. Definitely failed him on that one lately.
I haven't stopped to play games with him, or read him stories, or imagine with him.
So, instead of kicking myself (that won't help anyone!), I've written down a few things I'll do with him over the next few days/week.
And I'm planning a playdate for after the weekend.
I've also realised that the Little Big Fella is about to start school (duh!), and is definitely old enough to be a contributing member of our household. So instead of putting him aside while I do things like laundry, dishes, meal preparation, and cleaning, I can make extra time now (while we have some!) to teach him how to do them. Not only will he be learning valuable life skills, I'll be getting the essential tasks done and we'll be spending time together.
And, speaking of school, it's only 18 days until the Little Big Fella starts! He's SO excited about it. Every day he asks how long until he goes to school.
So when we were food shopping the other day, I picked up a cheap calendar, which we have hung in his room. We've highlighted the first day of school (as well as our birthdays later in the year) and have been crossing off the days until school starts.
We did something similar in the countdown to Christmas (this year's version of an advent calendar), so he is starting to understand how far away a week is, and he's getting some great practice at recognising numbers!
Anyway, it's midnight (again) so I'm going to join my husband in bed for the next hour or so before he goes to work. Goodnight!
Thursday, 2 January 2014
Blogger's block
I feel like I need to apologise, but I've no doubt you'll all forgive me anyway. I have a bunch of excuses (starting work, trying to keep my house somewhat clean and orderly, computer dying and it's trickier on the laptop or tablet, Christmas, New Year....) but really, they're just excuses.
Reality is that I have "blogger's block".
I don't feel like I have anything to say that anyone would want to read, and when I do, I don't have the time or energy to put it together (hopefully coherently).
So, let's see if we can break the block by writing this little apology. Actually, it's not really an apology, given that it's my blog and I can write whenever I want. But I guess it is an apology in the sense that I know that when I read a blog regularly, I miss it when they take a break, so I apologise if you've missed me.
Okay, let's see if we can break the block by giving a quick recap of what's been happening around here then.
I finally started work at one of the big Australian banks and finally, after two full weeks, managed to balance at the end of the day without having to re-count and re-check all of my work. I literally did a dance!
Working full-time for two weeks was great and really hard. It was awesome to be working again - spending so much time around adults, learning, and using my head all the time. And it was hard not being around my Little Big Fella, trying to keep my house up to scratch, trying to fulfill the commitments I'd made as a non-worker, sitting almost all day, trying to get plenty of sleep and keep up with my workout program.
There were Christmas parties and birthday parties, often on the same day!
And, of course, there was Christmas!
My grandparents were going to join us this year but unfortunately that didn't work out. But we had a great day! The Little Big Fella got way too many presents, again! And we had a fun time playing with all of them :-D
The Big Fella had a sleep in the afternoon (he'd done a string of night shifts with very little sleep in between) and I got a little down, I think because I'm used to Christmas day being full of people.
In the evening we visited some friends. They'd gotten together with others in their street to hire a blow up waterslide and the Little Big Fella had a good go on it. There were a few drinks and lots of laughs. It was a great, relaxing way to end the day.
Boxing Day saw us follow a tradition that began early in our marriage, with Lord of the Rings, actually. The Big Fella, the Little Big Fella and I went and saw the Hobbit at the cinema, 2 hours away. It was expensive, and mildly frustrating a couple of times, but I think it's definitely a tradition we'll continue whenever possible.
The days between then and now have been very quiet and homely. We've caught up with a couple of friends who've remained in town, been to the local pool, avoided the few shops that are near (and all of the ones further away!), practiced on my scooter and the Little Big Fella on his little motorbike, put up our pool and hidden away in the airconditioning from the high 30s to 45 degree days, and slept our way into the New Year.
Do you remember last New Year where I mentioned that I don't like it? Here's the link if you want to look it up. I actually happened to wake up 15 minutes before midnight this year and during that time I remembered some of the really bad New Year's Eve "parties" I've been to.
One included being at church (not the bad part - I loved going to church and spending time with the people around me who I considered my family), where the guest speaker actually continued speaking through the countdown to the New Year!
Then there were others (probably most of them really) where, possibly because there was no alcohol involved, we were trying to stay awake until midnight so we could count down, yell "Happy New Year" and go home to bed.
But this year I've added another reason to not like New Year. And I suspect there will be plenty of people who disagree with me, which is absolutely your prerogative.
Many people seem to think that just because we've changed the number that we write to designate the year, their life will change... without them doing anything differently. Then they whinge their way through the year, get to the other end and complain about what a horrible year it was and how they can't wait for the new year to begin.
Ummmm, sorry folks, that's not the way it works!
If you want your life to change in any way, big or small, you have to make a change! Whether it's a new year or not! And change is hard! Which is why you haven't done it yet. And, not only change for a minute or a day, but consistently! And that sometimes feels impossible!!!
Anyway, I guess I'm off on a tangent, but I guess that means I'm cured of "blogger's block"!
I had a quick look back through my 2013 posts, just to see what I've recorded about our year for you.
Now take a deep breath because 2014 is going to have lots of big moments in it too! The Little Big Fella is starting real school, we're going to Melbourne in March (as a family), in May (possibly just me) and September (just the Big Fella), I'll be getting my full motorbike license, there'll be birthdays and parties and playtimes and homework and events and competitions and Halloween and Christmas and work and love. Put that together with whatever "deep" thoughts I dump on y'all, as well as all the random things that you never expect or plan for...
Can I go to sleep now?
Reality is that I have "blogger's block".
I don't feel like I have anything to say that anyone would want to read, and when I do, I don't have the time or energy to put it together (hopefully coherently).
So, let's see if we can break the block by writing this little apology. Actually, it's not really an apology, given that it's my blog and I can write whenever I want. But I guess it is an apology in the sense that I know that when I read a blog regularly, I miss it when they take a break, so I apologise if you've missed me.
Okay, let's see if we can break the block by giving a quick recap of what's been happening around here then.
I finally started work at one of the big Australian banks and finally, after two full weeks, managed to balance at the end of the day without having to re-count and re-check all of my work. I literally did a dance!
Working full-time for two weeks was great and really hard. It was awesome to be working again - spending so much time around adults, learning, and using my head all the time. And it was hard not being around my Little Big Fella, trying to keep my house up to scratch, trying to fulfill the commitments I'd made as a non-worker, sitting almost all day, trying to get plenty of sleep and keep up with my workout program.
There were Christmas parties and birthday parties, often on the same day!
And, of course, there was Christmas!
My grandparents were going to join us this year but unfortunately that didn't work out. But we had a great day! The Little Big Fella got way too many presents, again! And we had a fun time playing with all of them :-D
The Big Fella had a sleep in the afternoon (he'd done a string of night shifts with very little sleep in between) and I got a little down, I think because I'm used to Christmas day being full of people.
In the evening we visited some friends. They'd gotten together with others in their street to hire a blow up waterslide and the Little Big Fella had a good go on it. There were a few drinks and lots of laughs. It was a great, relaxing way to end the day.
Boxing Day saw us follow a tradition that began early in our marriage, with Lord of the Rings, actually. The Big Fella, the Little Big Fella and I went and saw the Hobbit at the cinema, 2 hours away. It was expensive, and mildly frustrating a couple of times, but I think it's definitely a tradition we'll continue whenever possible.
The days between then and now have been very quiet and homely. We've caught up with a couple of friends who've remained in town, been to the local pool, avoided the few shops that are near (and all of the ones further away!), practiced on my scooter and the Little Big Fella on his little motorbike, put up our pool and hidden away in the airconditioning from the high 30s to 45 degree days, and slept our way into the New Year.
Do you remember last New Year where I mentioned that I don't like it? Here's the link if you want to look it up. I actually happened to wake up 15 minutes before midnight this year and during that time I remembered some of the really bad New Year's Eve "parties" I've been to.
One included being at church (not the bad part - I loved going to church and spending time with the people around me who I considered my family), where the guest speaker actually continued speaking through the countdown to the New Year!
Then there were others (probably most of them really) where, possibly because there was no alcohol involved, we were trying to stay awake until midnight so we could count down, yell "Happy New Year" and go home to bed.
But this year I've added another reason to not like New Year. And I suspect there will be plenty of people who disagree with me, which is absolutely your prerogative.
Many people seem to think that just because we've changed the number that we write to designate the year, their life will change... without them doing anything differently. Then they whinge their way through the year, get to the other end and complain about what a horrible year it was and how they can't wait for the new year to begin.
Ummmm, sorry folks, that's not the way it works!
If you want your life to change in any way, big or small, you have to make a change! Whether it's a new year or not! And change is hard! Which is why you haven't done it yet. And, not only change for a minute or a day, but consistently! And that sometimes feels impossible!!!
Anyway, I guess I'm off on a tangent, but I guess that means I'm cured of "blogger's block"!
I had a quick look back through my 2013 posts, just to see what I've recorded about our year for you.
- We've had chickens,
- been flooded in,
- the Little Big Fella started kindy and turned 4,
- our house has been painted and we have new furniture,
- we've played with friends,
- the Little Big Fella has spent a lot of time in superhero costumes,
- I joined the CWA and was Treasurer for our playgroup,
- the Easter Bunny and Santa visited, as did my brother, and the Big Fella's parents,
- we visited our old town a few times,
- I rolled our car and we got a brand new one,
- the Little Big Fella and I flew to Melbourne,
- I went to my first "real" concert and P!nk was AWESOME!
- I got a 2nd and 3rd in the state CWA photo competition,
- we went to the local race day,
- I've (possibly excessively) considered various aspects of parenting,
- I cut my hair short (again),
- the Big Fella and I exchanged rings in a private (and moving) ceremony... in our car,
- I've gotten back into papercrafts with some of my friends,
- the Little Big Fella played his first sport (soccer),
- we went to the May Day Fair, and the school fair,
- we've been fishing and swimming and backyard camping,
- we've attempted a sleepover with the Little Big Fella's best friend,
- the Little Big Fella finally worked out how to ride his motorbike by himself,
- I've raised the concept of letting men be manly,
- the Little Big Fella gave some of his face-skin to the concrete, and shared his hand with a knife (thankfully not needing stitches),
- I had some bad days and some bad weeks,
- the Little Big Fella had his first visit to the dentist,
- we had backyard fires and front yard fires, and fires at friends' houses,
- the Little Big Fella played with (manufactured) snow for the first time ever,
- we got airconditioning in our living area!
- the Big Fella turned 40,
- we got a shipping container/workshop,
- the Little Big Fella learned how to teatowel fight,
- we did Halloween again, and ate too many sweets,
- I had a girl's night in,
- I re-learned how to tie balloons and got to do it at two different events,
- the Big Fella and I lost weight, and the Big Fella's kidney health has moved back to the "normal" range,
- we've been to local footy games,
- I ran my first ever fundraiser, and it was a success!
- I've found a million reasons throughout the year to be thankful for my friends and family,
- I totally got into the Christmas spirit in the lead up to Christmas,
- we've had LOTS of fun times with friends at the park, at playgroup, at their houses, at our house,
- we've laughed, a lot,
- the Little Big Fella had his Prep Transition days, and loved them,
- we've spent plenty of time splashing around in water,
- the Little Big Fella and I have done a fair bit of cooking,
- and I've returned to being ScooterShell.
Now take a deep breath because 2014 is going to have lots of big moments in it too! The Little Big Fella is starting real school, we're going to Melbourne in March (as a family), in May (possibly just me) and September (just the Big Fella), I'll be getting my full motorbike license, there'll be birthdays and parties and playtimes and homework and events and competitions and Halloween and Christmas and work and love. Put that together with whatever "deep" thoughts I dump on y'all, as well as all the random things that you never expect or plan for...
Can I go to sleep now?
Sunday, 22 December 2013
Christmas joy
This evening has been one of those "essence of Christmas" times for me.
I've been watching the "Carols in the Domain" re-run (one of the two major Christmas carols productions here in Australia), and baking macadamia and white chocolate shortbread. The Christmas lights are on, I finally finished my outdoor decorations and installed them this afternoon and they're looking good.
I'm thinking about my family and the things that have made Christmas for me in the past.
As a kid it was definitely presents. Actually, as a late teenager/early adult, it was about presents too, but the fun, cheap, gag presents that we all bought each other for our Christmas stockings. There were an awful lot of laughs involved in that!
Carols are definitely a major part of Christmas too. I love singing them, listening to them, and watching them on Christmas Eve on TV.
Growing up, a big part was church as well. Not as a tradition or religious element, although there was that as well, but more as a celebration and fun with my friends, who I definitely felt were like family.
I remember sneaking out of bed when I was a kid to sit by the Christmas tree and just look at the lights. Then as I got older, I got that same sense of wonder and magic and "special-ness" from wandering around and looking at all the homes with outdoor Christmas lights.
This evening we also booked tickets to see "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" on Boxing Day. Seeing a new-release movie on Boxing Day became a bit of a tradition around the time the Big Fella and I got married. It started with the first Lord of the Rings movie, actually!
I guess I've just been enjoying the quiet evening, the break from the rush and chaos that this season can bring.
And being thankful for my life and those around me, past and present. I am so blessed in every way.
In these last few days before the BIG day, I wish you love, laughter, excellent friends and family, and a few moments to reflect and relax and simply enjoy the season.
I've been watching the "Carols in the Domain" re-run (one of the two major Christmas carols productions here in Australia), and baking macadamia and white chocolate shortbread. The Christmas lights are on, I finally finished my outdoor decorations and installed them this afternoon and they're looking good.
I'm thinking about my family and the things that have made Christmas for me in the past.
As a kid it was definitely presents. Actually, as a late teenager/early adult, it was about presents too, but the fun, cheap, gag presents that we all bought each other for our Christmas stockings. There were an awful lot of laughs involved in that!
Carols are definitely a major part of Christmas too. I love singing them, listening to them, and watching them on Christmas Eve on TV.
Growing up, a big part was church as well. Not as a tradition or religious element, although there was that as well, but more as a celebration and fun with my friends, who I definitely felt were like family.
I remember sneaking out of bed when I was a kid to sit by the Christmas tree and just look at the lights. Then as I got older, I got that same sense of wonder and magic and "special-ness" from wandering around and looking at all the homes with outdoor Christmas lights.
This evening we also booked tickets to see "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" on Boxing Day. Seeing a new-release movie on Boxing Day became a bit of a tradition around the time the Big Fella and I got married. It started with the first Lord of the Rings movie, actually!
I guess I've just been enjoying the quiet evening, the break from the rush and chaos that this season can bring.
And being thankful for my life and those around me, past and present. I am so blessed in every way.
In these last few days before the BIG day, I wish you love, laughter, excellent friends and family, and a few moments to reflect and relax and simply enjoy the season.
Friday, 20 December 2013
ScooterShell rides again!!!
Before I had the Little Big Fella, I used to ride a little 50cc scooter to work at the backpackers. It was so much fun and cost me something like $3 a week in fuel.
It was also where I got the name "ScooterShell".
I just found a photo of my little old scooter. It's not a great pic, but gives you the idea of the size.
You gotta love the tough expression, hey?
Well, when the Little Big Fella came along, it was time to ditch the scooter. I ended up getting an awesome camera with the money :-D
But today I'm back on the road and am, once again, ScooterShell!
The Big Fella has bought me a brand new scooter for Christmas. The idea is that I can ride it to work and free up the car, as well as reducing our fuel costs. The new scooter is a tad bigger than the old one!
It's shiny and zippy and has SO much room and is fun and quiet and comfortable.
The Big Fella drove it home and I was just a bit jealous. Okay, I was very jealous. But because I'm on my Learner's, and hadn't ridden in four years, and the "bike" is so much bigger and heavier, we decided to let him do the hour drive home.
But once we got home (and put all the shopping away etc.) it was my turn!
Seriously, it is SO zippy!!! I turned the throttle a little and was suddenly doing 60kms!!! You should have seen the smile on my face :-D
I need to do a little practice at the slow stuff though. I nearly dropped it twice on the first drive around our little town, both times when I was going slow and turning right. I can't wait to practice some more!
Oh! I forgot to tell you it's a Honda Forza 300, for those who want to know.
And it really is kind of heavy. I just couldn't get it onto the centre stand without the Big Fella's help and I was so frustrated about it. But after showing my new baby off to my neighbor, I finally worked it out. I literally jumped up and down and did a little dance.
I'm hanging out to have another ride tomorrow! This afternoon the Big Fella had to go to work and we ended up having the Little Big Fella's best friend and his brother here until bedtime. Even though we were having fun, I was itching to ride!
But tomorrow is a new day and the Big Fella will be home and you can bet I'll be riding around our little town, getting used to my new scooter. I can't wait!!!
It was also where I got the name "ScooterShell".
I just found a photo of my little old scooter. It's not a great pic, but gives you the idea of the size.
You gotta love the tough expression, hey?
Well, when the Little Big Fella came along, it was time to ditch the scooter. I ended up getting an awesome camera with the money :-D
But today I'm back on the road and am, once again, ScooterShell!
The Big Fella has bought me a brand new scooter for Christmas. The idea is that I can ride it to work and free up the car, as well as reducing our fuel costs. The new scooter is a tad bigger than the old one!
It's shiny and zippy and has SO much room and is fun and quiet and comfortable.
The Big Fella drove it home and I was just a bit jealous. Okay, I was very jealous. But because I'm on my Learner's, and hadn't ridden in four years, and the "bike" is so much bigger and heavier, we decided to let him do the hour drive home.
But once we got home (and put all the shopping away etc.) it was my turn!
Seriously, it is SO zippy!!! I turned the throttle a little and was suddenly doing 60kms!!! You should have seen the smile on my face :-D
I need to do a little practice at the slow stuff though. I nearly dropped it twice on the first drive around our little town, both times when I was going slow and turning right. I can't wait to practice some more!
Oh! I forgot to tell you it's a Honda Forza 300, for those who want to know.
And it really is kind of heavy. I just couldn't get it onto the centre stand without the Big Fella's help and I was so frustrated about it. But after showing my new baby off to my neighbor, I finally worked it out. I literally jumped up and down and did a little dance.
I'm hanging out to have another ride tomorrow! This afternoon the Big Fella had to go to work and we ended up having the Little Big Fella's best friend and his brother here until bedtime. Even though we were having fun, I was itching to ride!
But tomorrow is a new day and the Big Fella will be home and you can bet I'll be riding around our little town, getting used to my new scooter. I can't wait!!!
Sunday, 1 December 2013
Muddy puddles
Sometimes I discover things that my son gets to do that I never did, simply because of the location we're in.
Yesterday we had a very intense little storm go through here. It didn't last that long - maybe half an hour altogether, and it only rained for about 5 or 10 minutes. But the rain was almost horizontal, and it was very hard, and you could hear the crackle of the lightning, as well as lots of thunder.
Once it passed, the sun came out. And so did the kids!
It had rained hard enough for a mild flash flood, so the Little Big Fella and the three kids from next door were out in the street, running up and down the gutters, splashing and generally having a great time.
And it occurred to me that I don't think I ever did that as a kid.
Where I grew up, it mostly rained in winter, so it was too cold to go out and play in puddles! We had summer storms, but again, the particular place we lived meant that most of them went around our town, so we'd sit out in the heat and watch the lightning in the distance.
Most parents of young kids in Australia will know the character "Peppa Pig". She and her family love jumping up and down in muddy puddles.
Well, the kids discovered a VERY muddy puddle on the opposite corner from our homes and they not only jumped up and down in them, but sat in them, and lay down in them! Then they'd run across the road to a watery puddle to "wash off".
Their clothes were absolutely filthy, but they had a ball!
And us mums enjoyed watching them play too :-)
Yesterday we had a very intense little storm go through here. It didn't last that long - maybe half an hour altogether, and it only rained for about 5 or 10 minutes. But the rain was almost horizontal, and it was very hard, and you could hear the crackle of the lightning, as well as lots of thunder.
Once it passed, the sun came out. And so did the kids!
It had rained hard enough for a mild flash flood, so the Little Big Fella and the three kids from next door were out in the street, running up and down the gutters, splashing and generally having a great time.
And it occurred to me that I don't think I ever did that as a kid.
Where I grew up, it mostly rained in winter, so it was too cold to go out and play in puddles! We had summer storms, but again, the particular place we lived meant that most of them went around our town, so we'd sit out in the heat and watch the lightning in the distance.
Most parents of young kids in Australia will know the character "Peppa Pig". She and her family love jumping up and down in muddy puddles.
Well, the kids discovered a VERY muddy puddle on the opposite corner from our homes and they not only jumped up and down in them, but sat in them, and lay down in them! Then they'd run across the road to a watery puddle to "wash off".
Their clothes were absolutely filthy, but they had a ball!
And us mums enjoyed watching them play too :-)
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