Author: Isolde

The loss of around 8 teeth by Lara and 5 by Rhea has prompted a recent correspondence with the Tooth Fairy. Here are the letters and responses: Dear tooth fairy If it is posible could you make my wish come true I wish that I new fairy’s and helpd them. From Lara PS what is your name could you write me a note back Dear Lara We fairies don’t like to show ourselves to humans but we do like to visit you. My name is Rose. I hope to see you again soon when your next tooth comes…

Holidays at last after not having more than four days off in a row since April. We’ve had an adventure in the first week, the girls and I flew to Adelaide to spend some time with old friends and see the sights. I emailed my boss Hilda from when I lived in Adelaide twenty years ago, suggesting we have a drink together and asking if any of her friends were going away or had a spare room or two to rent out as my friend Amy couldn’t have us stay because of a large family gathering. Hilda replied the same…

‘It’s raining,’ called Rhea. ‘No it’s snowing,’ corrected Steve. Last weekend we went to the snow – and it was near perfect skiing weather in a season that one veteran told me she thought was the best in twenty years. It’s an effort to get there, including the stopover to rent skis, clothes and chains for the car, and I had just developed a sore throat so I stayed in our cozy bunk room while the girls went outside under Steve’s supervision while it was snowing to make snow angels lying in the snow in their warm ski suits. We…

Heidi brought the girls in to my work last week – their first visit to see where I am all day. Just out of the lift we met Sally, who was choosing a chocolate bar from the huge stash of junk food we have for sale on our floor, much to the girls’ delight. I introduced the girls by name after taking a quick look at them first, and got them mixed up all the same (Heidi wasn’t impressed). Sally has twin sisters who are only fifteen months older than her. She told the girls that her sisters weren’t identical. They stared…

It was Rhea and Lara’s birthday last week, which capped off a week of birthday treats. On the preceding Sunday we had afternoon tea – a castle cake that Maggie made – with family and the girls’ godparents at the Botanical Gardens; Tuesday after swimming they had a pie and a lolly; on their birthday on Friday our friend Helen brought them over a large plate of iced cupcakes to take to school (the highlight of Lara’s day apart from the presents), they had a lunch order, then hot chocolate and chips at the local pub for afternoon tea. Then…

Today I had the girls all day while Steve was off gliding again. Maggie and Oli visited us bringing Turkish Pide for lunch, the girls waiting for them excitedly perched up the (now bare) Manchurian pear tree out the front for forty five minutes. They enjoyed listening to Maggie and I play together the same piece we both remembered on the recorder and that inspired them both to pick up the recorder again and play a bit. I haven’t been able to find a local teacher since their teacher last year couldn’t teach them on a suitable day. After Maggie…

We’ve just been down to the Victorian coast for ten days during these Easter holidays. The girls jumped straight on the Powerwings (a type of scooter) when we arrived and were excited to be sleeping in top bunks in the bunk room. Only two of their cousins spent Easter with us this year – Abe and Harry – both were mostly absorbed with their young teenage friends but Abe gave them some attention and showed Rhea how to use a knife with her fork at the dinner table. It’s useful having older children for that – one of my theories why…

On March 19 my grandmother Kathleen would have turned 100. She died 17 years ago now, aged 83. Some of her children, my uncles and aunt, had a celebration for her last week – they live interstate and it was a small and informal occasion which I wasn’t invited to and most likely wouldn’t have flown down for had I been invited. We have all been thinking about her though and I’ll talk to my cousin and sister about her when I next talk to them, my cousin already reflected in a recent email about her warmth and generosity. She…

We’ve adjusted now into the new year. Swimming lessons twice a week, gymnastics on Monday afternoons, and homework. Loads of it. We took the girls shopping to buy swivel chairs as an incentive for them to do their homework and they chose a red and blue one. ‘Why is everything red and blue today?’, asked Rhea, noting the red and blue balloons in Officeworks and the red and blue balls at Ikea’s play area, in addition to the chairs they had bought. Steve cleaned up the long desk we had built so they have their own work areas and I…

2016 was a busy year for our family. The girls started kindergarten and began learning to read, to play the recorder and do gymnastics, and learnt to ride a bike. They also lost their first teeth. We worked hard on clearing the clutter by cleaning out our shed, having some storage and a desk built, and culling old clothes. We also stained the deck, had new ceilings and ducted gas heating installed and had the whole house painted. I started another new and very challenging job and Steve took up gliding again. And along the way, here are some of…