Awesome Kids and Trampolining Basil

So my gorgeous and thoughtful Mezz brought up the issue of the kids and how they've been enjoying the trip - it's not that I've been trying to ignore that side of things in my blog, it's just that I've been so damn flat out just blogging even a smidgeon of the career stuff (which I assume most people would rather read about than for instance, Ella's bowel updates) and just, you know, living life, that I realise I actually have overlooked it.

So...for those of you who care:

The kids have been awesome. If, by awesome, you mean 'LOVING the travel experience but throwing frequent tantrums and fighting over who gets to be in the middle.'

"In the middle of what?" you might ask.

Welcome to my world.

I have no idea what this elusive 'middle' is and why it is so important, but apparently it's worth fighting for. A lot.

But yeah...they've been awesome.

The past few days then in a nutshell:

Saturday

Met up with the lovely Rachel Hills for a morning cafe jaunt in Glebe, followed by a rain-soaked expedition to the markets with Tim and the kiddlies, then later that night hit the National TheatreSports Championships Grand Final, to which John Knowles (Head of Impro Australia) had so kindly offered me a free ticket. Talk about a production - wow. Aside from the actual improv itself, the presentation of the entire show, from the MCs to the scorers to the judges (all of whom were in French Revolution attire) was just schmick. Bravo. Bravo. Bravo.

Sunday

Decided to use our final morning in Sydney as my first opportunity to set my alarm by Queensland time (which for the uninitiated, is an hour behind Sydney time), thus resulting in a mad breakfast-neglected holy-crappified panicked trip (I think my exact words were "You dress the kids, I'll pack the stuff and let's get the hell outta here!") to catch our 9.06am train to go pick up our van.

We made our train and before embarking on our next driving jaunt, spent the morning hanging out with my gorgeous and inspiring friends Nick and Jemima (who actually used to be friends with my mum) in their magical cottage up in the rural hills of Mulgoa. Then onto a tantrum-filled drive up to my other friends' place in an absolutely cuter than cute little town...in fact, just plain GORGEOUS Tea Gardens. That's the name of the place, seriously. Isn't that so Enid Blyton? Or something?

Monday

Hung out more at Tea Gardens - which, if it weren't for being just a little too far from a major city and not having bigger surf, Tim and I agreed we would desperately love to move to - then drove up to Forster where we let the kids run riot at the beach (Ella has fallen completely head over heels for swimming in the sea-bath, or what the locals affectionately refer to as "the Bull Ring") and then were reunited with Tim's cousin Joel and his partner April's family - we cooked curry while the kids proceeded to pull apart the family's basil bush and jump with the leaves on the trampoline.

I gotta tell you - turns out trampolining herbs is surprisingly effective. Not only did it crush everything to perfection but the place smelt great.

Tomorrow

We're hanging out here for a bit, then driving north to some unknown destination to camp the night. Then Byron on Wednesday - I have a gig at Nimbin Wed night, then one at Bangalow Thursday night, then home again to Brisbane on Friday.

We then have a whole WEEK in which to pack up our house and move out.

"Moving where?" you might ask.

Well, that's going to be a whole new adventure.......