Autumn

It feels like fall! The weather turned cold today and I loved throwing on a sweater and some leggings. While we were in Toowoomba at Easter time, Bob had the kids help him plant some new vegetables in the garden. I get so confused about which season it is- spring/fall? I often feel like I'm all mixed up! I planted some new flowers recently and Simon asked me, "Mama, why do you plant flowers if you never remember to water them?" I've asked myself the same question! We took our third trip to Australia Zoo today, feed the elephants (chokos, zucchini, and carrots - looks like the food we eat at our house!) and even got to pet/hold a baby crocodile. Simon and Gracie are becoming real regulars and know there way around the place pretty well! Yesterday (and today)Andrew attended a conference on understanding boys and girls and the issues they face - He took 10 pages of notes and reported back to me last night. All very interesting but terrifying as well, now that we have our own boy and girl. I think he walked away with the message "Get the kids outside, in nature and away from the television, media and shopping centers." Something we believe in and do but I think need to do more of (and less of). Gracie loves the shops and it makes me laugh and cringe when we pass the video shop and the kids say, "There's the library!" We have the most beautiful, brand new library in town but in the middle of the kids section is a large screen television. Simon and Gracie love books and being read to but whenever we go into the library they seem to have forgotten how much they like books. They pass up books any day if there's a tv around, but actually, I seem to do the same. It's easy, instant entertainment, but scary - when you realize children's lives are impacted by the media and the problems it leads to. So, t-ball is our new best friend! I am loving t-ball! We all went to practice on Wednesday and it is so fun to watch Simon. This time, we pretty much left him with the team and coach and watched rather than participated and he did so well. I love to see him developing a relationship with the coach- so good for kids to have other people actively engaged in their lives and especially those of different ages- I feel so connected to my dad, America, and my childhood when we are at the baseball field. Something about it feels "American". And of course, the trains passing by make me visualize my dad as a kid, throwing and hitting balls. And when I see Simon playing so well and am asked, "Have you been teaching him/ does he practice a lot?" and really, no, we hardly ever play ball with him because he hasn't stood still long enough to do any "drills", I think of my dad and know there must be some natural baseball talent in his genes. Last week we went for a hike up Mt Beerburrem. Andrew carried Grace on his neck the whole time and had to go get a massage and cupping afterwards, he was so sore! But it was wonderful to be in nature- it feels so right and good. Tomorrow we'll go for a hike up a smaller mountain that's easy for kids to walk up and then on Sunday morning I think we'll visit a waterfall. I'm excited we are heading into our winter season when the snakes aren't out - in summer season we tend to not go for bushwalks/hikes because of the snakes. So it's the beach in summer and the "mountains" in winter- we are blessed to live in such a great location, a/t I laugh when Simon talks about really tall mountains which are really small hills. Thanks Cass, for suggestions - I'm trying it now. Now, any suggestions on how to have paragraphs instead of one long posting? And on how to secure my site? Thanks!