Yes , I've been slack!

I've had two people at me to update this blog... which I've been trying to do for a month now! But things keep getting in the way (like Facebook, although I've stopped playing Farmtown, Farmville, Fishville and CafeWorld).

A lot has been happening over the Christmas holidays.

First we had Uncle Bah (aka Mark David) come to stay with us for a week. Caitlin enjoyed playing grownups and going for coffee with him at Darriwill Farm Cafe (just ask her about the bit of lemon slice she had with her cream!) Whilst he was here, Tim and Alice came over to shear our sheep, giving him an appreciation of just how much muscle is involved with stripping some cantankerous ladies! In payback, Tim left one of the ladies with a fringe (tee hee).



Mark took the girls to Toyworld to choose their Christmas gifts. They were given a budget of $50 each. Mim took one look around and went "I want that, and that, and that, and that......". It was like letting a kid loose in a candy store! She ended up choosing a Hair Salon Barbie ($60) so Caitlin got cash to that amount as well. (Good to see you are sticking to the limit you set them, Mark, LOL)

And Mim had her final Kindy day, complete with lunch, concert and showing of the Kindy video. Merryn, the loveliest Kindy teacher ever, made each child a display folder of activities and paintings that they had done during the year, and also a DVD of a slideshow of photos set to music for each child. She showed the DVD of all the Kindy kids after the lunch, and there were a few damp eyes in the audience.



A few days after Mark had left, Margaret arrived, on the same day as my work Xmas party. I took the girls to it and let Michael do the taxi service. Sue had organised a lovely catered lunch, music & drinks up at the racecourse with a jumping castle for the kids. Santa arrived after lunch and gave each child a large (and I mean LARGE) bag of lollies. Followed by a piñata for the kids. It was a great event, even though I was still unsure who most of the people there were! I also had to fish the lolly bag out from underneath Jemima's pillow when she went to bed that night,.. and the next night,... and the next night!!!



making apricot balls

Then came Christmas. We tried to keep present numbers down this year, following the example of Meegan (who later admitted that she had failed in that attempt!! I don't blame you when you have young kids, it's too difficult not to splurge.) Caitlin got mostly clothing (that she had chosen) plus money (which she is saving to buy herself a Nintendo DSI). Mim got her Barbie and various other paraphernalia.

I got what I have hankered for for a long time.... a Kitchen Aid!! And because it is fire engine red, it'll go faster!



Lunch was lovely, roast chook, roast pork (and crackling) and salads... and the best part was ALL of the food was gone after Boxing Day. No ham left in the fridge on New Years Day!



New Year's Eve was spent in the traditional way - dinner at the pub. Caitlin and Margaret went home early, but Mim, Michael and I enjoyed the 'live' music (played by three pensioners) until just after midnight. Mim had fun dancing with all the regulars and was even given her own pair of devil horns by the postmaster's table. The only downside she has was when one of the other kids yelled at her, because Mim had been encouraging her to come and dance. The other child was told in no uncertain terms to Go Away and stop being a little beeaatch.

January brought in more cool weather and some trips away for Michael, Margaret and the girls, but I'll blog that separately. Work became really busy, with January being the month in which farmers want fertiliser spread over their paddocks, and fertiliser prices increasing in lat January, so hence the delay in posting. (That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!)

Meeting the extended family

Whilst Margaret was visiting over Christmas, Michael took the family (minus me, I had to work) to visit Margaret's family and "the old farm".

They drove up to Murrayville, in the Mallee, stopping for a picnic lunch at Wyperfield National Park. Mim had difficulty in eating her sandwich.... every time she waved away one fly, two more would take its place. Finally she had help, Caitlin fanning her while she ate her sandwich.

They visited 'Gracedale', the farm that Margaret grew up on. The farmhouse was burnt down a while ago, but at least the toilet is still standing! And a couple of sheds. It was hot and dry, forty plus degrees.

They stayed at the Murrayville Pub and Margaret caught up with some of the family... the Colonel, Blue, Megsy and various others with names that were not on their birth certificates. Margaret hadn't seen some of these people for fifty years. It only took one ring around to create an instant dinner for twenty at the pub.

The name fest continued the next day with a trip to see Splinter and Doreen at Ouyen.

Michael developed a bad headache on the way home, so Margaret had to drive, which of course made Michael feel worse! But they arrived safely home, glad to get into the air conditioning.

A few weeks later, they did another trip away, this time going over to see Margaret's brother George at Waaia, near Shepparton.



The girls had a great time learning to ride a quad bike. Mim became a little hoon. Uncle George controlled the throttle and Mim steered.... luckily George cut the throttle before she hit the verandah!!



Michael and the girls stayed at a hotel in Shepparton and Margaret overnighted with her brother. They arrived home late the next day, very tired.