Reuben is awesome (an extra special tip)

This week I tricked the world into letting me talk about my nephew Reuben.

Read it over here at Lip Magazine.

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What a week

Last week was odd. Almost every member of the family was sick at one point, like sick enough to stay in bed for a day, someone went to the hospital and another one called an ambulance. Gee, more drama than one week needs.

My fancy new phone was stolen too.

There was a tsunami in Samoa, flooding in the Philippines, an earthquake in Indonesia. My amazing Aceh housemate’s house was destroyed by the earthquake, she and her husband are OK. A facebook update from a common friend confirmed she was OK, a follow up email from her gave me a bit more detail, and then I learnt that she’d lost her house via a newspaper article in Melbourne (her story starts in the 4th last paragraph). The newspaper also confirmed that she is pregnant. I hope she doesn’t mind that the newspaper told me before she got the chance. She’d alluded to it in her email but wanted to tell me ‘in person’ via a skype call.

Happy news about pregnancy aside, it got to a point where I lost count of how many sets of “bad things happen in threes” I was up to.

I just followed a link to an article on Twitter which coincidentally and very surprisingly mentions another friend in the midst of earthquake recovery. We chatted on skype on Friday as he waited in a UK airport to be flown out to Padang. Now I know he’s arrived and at work.

Last week was also a really fun week. Em came to stay in Rushworth while she was on school holidays, so we did some gardening, baked banana bread and played Connect 4. Then Siobhan, Abby and Chloe joined us and we stayed indoors doing nice indoor things while it seemed to rain for a few days. Most of us slept Saturday away as we waded through a nasty virus. I slept through my 10 year school reunion. I don’t recall ever having a week that was so quiet and so eventful at the same time.

Port Fairy

I got back from Bangkok just in time to join everyone on a holiday down at the beach. It’s the middle of winter here so this was more of a “look at the beach from the vantage point of a wood fire” kind of beach holiday.

The Beach House

We stayed in a great house just outside of Port Fairy, called Bluestone Bay. It comes highly recommended by the people at Where Is Sarah? It was huge, warm, had a great kitchen and totally comfy couches. But the best bit was the view:

View from the house

View of the house

View out the back

Braving the cold to get some pics

Play time

The weather was lovely for most of the trip. After a few days of mild, sunny weather there was a bit of rain. Which obvs means….

Puddles!

Reuben loves muddles (mud + puddles)

It's a COW!

Chloe and the very hungry caterpillar

Seriously fuzzy caterpillar

Venturing further afield

One day we decided to go for a walk to the lighthouse, then we realised that the lighthouse was a few kms further than any kid was interested in. But we went for a wander anyway. The weather was great and the kids were happy to go climbing on mildly dangerous rocks along the coastline.

What better use for a rock at the beach

Strike a pose

I wanna throw the rock into the ocean Sar...

But then it got cold…

Abby realising that she's over it

Wait for me Mum!

Muuuuuum!!

After a week of taking turns to babysit the twins inside the house (a great way to ensure an afternoon nap by the fire), Jess decided it was their turn to go for a walk along the beach.

Twins go for a walk

Eventually it was time to leave Bluestone Bay.

Before we go home...we have to make at least one sandcastle

The others headed back to Melbourne to resume work/school/regular life, while MJ and I headed in the opposite direction for another few days, but I’ll save those photos for tomorrow.

The last of the Photikans

So I did a rubbish job of reporting on my last trip to Australia. I didn’t take many photos while I was at home (I was too busy sleeping), and because my “reports” of travel are just strings of photos with captions I don’t have much to work with.

So just to make it feel like I’ve met the minimum reporting requirements here are a few random photos from my trip and we will just call it even, OK?

The Night of Jess and Beck’s Double-birthday Extravaganza

Lara at the European after Jess and Beck's birthday

I would add some photos from the party but it’s hard to pick my favourite one out of 500 photos of 17 drunk people trying to squeeze into one shot. I might just create a hall of fame. That reminds me, did I mention the party? In case I didn’t…Jess turned 30 and Beck turned 40 and it was a ridiculously funny party. There were even chocolate cupcakes with pink icing…so we smashed them in each other’s faces. Obvs.

Museum Day

I took heaps of photos the day Meaghan, Clare, Ryan, Miles and I went to the museum.

Skeletosaurus

Ryan in the museum playground

Fountain in Carlton Gardens

Ryan resting by the fountain

Miles exploring the garden

Clare and Meaghan walking through the gardens to the tram

Ollie and Liam turn 1!

The other time I took my camera out was another lovely Melbourne day out. Ollie and Liam’s first birthday at the Children’s Farm and Convent.

Sarah tries to get a smile out of Ollie...Ollie is not impressed

Chloe and Rueben (this is one photo out of a very funny series)

Nanna, Liam and Ollie

Done! that’s a load off my shoulders…

Short trip to Rushworth (all those who understand the double meaning raise your hand)

In my short trip back to Australia I was able to squeeze in a trip to Rushworth (in between my busy sleep schedule). Here are some photos:

1. One of the most compelling reasons to squeeze in a trip to Rushworth

Kitchen fire

2. On Saturday MJ, Benj and I did some burning off. Here we pitted the barrel against the pile-of-stuff-bonfire. Both have their strengths: the barrel is more efficient, but the bonfire can handle some of the larger or more unweildy items.

Burning stuff

3. It turned into night very quickly

Burning stuff, then it gets dark

4.On Sunday the girls came to Rushworth and Em took me for a spin on this monster

Emily on the quadrasaur

5. We also did more burning, and cleaned out the wash house, finding little treasures like this:

Sarah's art from grade Prep. I hit the peak of my talent shortly after.

6. In the evening it was time for marshmallows

Abby toasts marshmallows

Abby eats marshmallows

7. And I made a cake! We fed it to people the next day and it got rave reviews. But then when I told them I made it from a packet (obvs) I got chastised! What!? Since when are packets evil? Without them there would probably be 90% less cake in the world.

I made lemon cake!