The Cycling Duthies

When we lived in London, Rob and I cycled everywhere, arriving at work, dinners and parties almost always dressed in bike shorts. We also notched up a few hundred miles cycling from London to Brighton, Oxford, Southend and Cambridge - the latter ride the scene of the famous stitches in the back of the ambulance story. We also chucked our bikes on the plane to Madrid and cycled around a sizeable area of central Spain during an August heat wave. Despite being a much smaller city, Sydney is not as bike friendly as London, bike paths stop abruptly or suddenly become part of the freeway. I only started cycling to work again when we moved to Leichhardt and it was mostly bike path door to door. Once Scarlett came along, my bike stood idly by, until I finally left it out in the back laneway for someone to take. It was easier to run or walk with the 3-wheeler pram for exercise and so Scarlett could sleep. Suddenly, I find it is 3 and half years since I have ridden a bike. Yesterday, inspired by the warmer weather and Flo's newfound ability to sit, we hit the bike shop and left with two new bikes fitted with bike seats for the girls. Scarlett's seat sits on the back of Rob's bike and Flo's sits in front of me. This morning was glorious and we headed off for a big ride around the bays near where we live. Almost the whole ride is through inter-connecting parks that run down to the water or purpose built bike paths off the road. We had a blast, Flo loved it, squeaking away as we went, checking everything out in her cute little helmet and shades and Scarlett loves signalling for turns. We all arrived home extremely content, if a little sore in the urals. I can see the purchase of a bike rack in the not too distant future so we can drive to bigger parks further afield. Look out for future pics of our newly re-formed buns of steel.

Set adrift on memory bliss

Flo and the dancing donkey = total bemusement.

Flo and the camera = can I eat that?

The Mother-in-law

She's back - Barb is back.The smokiest, scariest, wheesiest Grandmother ever. That can only mean one thing - Rob is back on the fags. Oh and also, a lovely carer also on hand to watch the kids, fold the washing, play football, read books, monitor kids in the bath, give cuddles and kisses. etc etc. Awful.

Scarlett has become the epitome of the perfect older sister. Does anyone, apart from my sister and I, know the words to 'Sisters' from the movie "White Christmas' as in 'there were never such devoted sisters'. Well, Scarlett has clearly learned the words, or at least the principles, that Maria and I have shared over the years - God help the Mister etc -. here she is hanging on to Flo as if her life depended on it, in a shot not disimilar to one my Dad took of Maria and I when we were kids. Also Flo has finally mastered sitting up by herself, which can only mean one thing - soon she'll be crawling. Ahhh , that's why people like babies - 6 months of no movement. Also, Scarlett and Flo with their Yia Yia, Barb, who leaves tomorrow after another lovely week, on her way back to NZ.

xx

Spring is springing

Three weeks into Spring and we're finally getting some good outdoor weather. Scarlett and I had a great day at the beach last week with Julia and Ella, a lovely Saturday afternoon lunch in the garden with James and Amelia and a gorgeous day at Balmoral yesterday with Rob's mum Barb, who is staying with us for a week on her way back to NZ from London. She and Scarlett are sharing a room which Scarlett loves. I love it too because it is so light in the mornings now that Scarlett is waking earlier than normal and instead of coming in to my room and bothering me she chatters away to Barb. Can't wait until the clocks change as I have been awake at 5am two mornings in a row now. If the light doesn't wake me then the birds do. We have huge cockatoos, the size of cats, that wake early too and fly from the trees in front of house to the large fir trees behind, sqauwking as they go, the whole tree swaying violently when they land. Nothing a shotgun couldn't fix.

Strewth - she's an Aussie!

I had to call in Matron with the smelling salts to revive me this week upon hearing my eldest daughter utter the words 'G'day'. "Christ, Sheila," I thought "this little bleeder's a right ocker Aussie'. Short of taking her over my knee for a sound thrashing and washing her mouth out with soap to remove all signs of her having been born in Australia, I remembered she is in fact an Australian and it's her birth right to speak that rubbish. I think she's been spending too much time with our mate Paul who really does say things like 'she runs as fast as a roo with its arse on fire'*. To try and turn her back to a little bit of England, we went to the zoo and headed straight for the bit that most resembled the old country - the farm yard section. We were lucky enough to arrive just as the zoo keeper was coming out to feed all the animals. Those who know me well will know my lifelong affection for sheep, so even though the feeding time is really for the kids, I was happy to let Scarlett take the limelight when it came to feeding the chickens and the turkeys and collecting the eggs, but I was right in there pushing the rugrats out of the way when it came to feeding a lamb from a bottle. Note, that in this photo, I am the only adult in a queue of children waiting to feed the lamb. After all that, a few run throughs of 'the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain' and an intensive four hours of Eastenders episodes when Angie and Den were running The Vic, I think we've got our girl back batting for our side. Phew, it was close. After our disastrous appearance in the Rugby World Cup so far, I need all the poms I can find here. Rob has spent the last 4 years stewing over the fact that England are the world champions, stating repeatedly, and without a hint of irony, of the All Blacks, and I quote "England only won because they never got to play the All Blacks' to which I always reply 'that's right, because you were knocked out in the semi-finals'. He is now loving England's dismal performance. I also have to contend with the entire population of Australia saying "England only won because Jonny Wilkinson kicked that drop goal' as if that isn't part of the rules. You're allowed to kick a drop goal to win!! Anyway, as long as France or Australia don't win I'll be happy.

* Quite fast.

Fortress Sydney

This week Sydney hosts the APEC conference (Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation) so world leaders including those from Japan, China, New Zealand and, of course, the US are in town. Because Bush is among them a large part of downtown Sydney has been forced into lockdown with the erection of a huge security fence wrapped around the Opera House (where the conference is being held), Circular Quay and other central locations. Sydneysiders are being actively encouraged to leave the city. It seems ridiculous that the conference is not being held in Canberra, after all it is the capital of Australia and where the federal parliament is, and that such over the top security should be required. Friday is now an APEC public holiday. Good grief.

Welcome home

Rob came home on Sunday morning (Father's Day here) after five days in New Zealand. He had jumped on a plane to Auckland on Tuesday, after learning that his Dad's wife Doreen had died last Saturday. Rob's brother Craig and sister Catherine also made their way to Keri Keri for the funeral on Thursday. While a very sad event, Rob said it was great to spend time with his family and with old familiar family friends who also made the journey up to the beautiful Bay of Islands region where Ian and Doreen have lived for many years. As well as shopping for a suitcase full of NZ- themed gifts for me and the girls - an NZ-shaped mirror, NZ-shaped canape dishes, toy kiwi, mud from Rotorua etc - he also found time to pop to the local barber in Keri Keri for a trim. We celebrated Rob's return with a whole salmon cooked on the BBQ and a Father's Day lunch with our old friends and neighbours from Leichhardt Rob and Freya, and Dave and George.