April pix

AJ recently turned 7! How did that happen? He had a fun day with lots of fun with friends around him all day.

Cary left for the USA the day after AJ's birthday. Dear Nicholas cried for about an hour after we dropped him off at the airport, he misses him so much. He still can't talk to him on the phone as he gets too upset.

We had some friends come and camp next to us for 5 days. Unfortunately, it rained most of their visit. They really wanted to go to Sea World so we went too. I have a big problem with live animal shows, but thought I'd go and see how my kids reacted to large animals in relatively small enclosures. Our friends really wanted to see the dolphin show and we went to that. After that I could not go to any more animal shows. I kept thinking of the dolphins I've seen in the wild and how they have the entire ocean to swim in - they remind me of my unschooled children, free and yes, a little wild. The dolphins in the show were like the straight-A students at school who knew very well when to jump through the hoops or dive or perform some trick. Their performance was appreciated by most of the audience, but I kept wondering if the dolphins were happy. Some of them had been bred in captivity and some had been rescued. Did those born there feel the pull for a different kind of life, a longing for something but just not sure what? Or did they just dutifully do what they were taught because that's all they knew? See, it reminds me more and more of people and school. I know when I was at school, I felt the longing for something else which I later realised was freedom.
Anyway, we did go to the waterski show which was very good. And as the weather was kind of rainy, there were not too many people there so the kids go to go on all of the rides over and over. Some of the rides they just stayed on, without getting off and needing to line up again, others they did line up again, but the wait was very short. Summer really surprised me by going on the flume ride, which goes up a steep hill, around a bit and then down a steep waterslide, about 5 times and then going on the Pirate ship twice - and sitting way up the back too!

Two of our friends and Summer on the right, on the pirate ship.


Before Cary left, he bought this old Land Cruiser. The kids (ours and others from the park) think it's a great place to play!


AJ riding a friends chopper bike with his daredevil side-kick, Nicholas. Several days ago, our little guy said "I'm Nitolas...no more Noo Noo". And he has been very clear ever since that he wants to be called Nicholas instead of the nick-name he'd been happy to use before then.