A grumpy mum's doodles ... and more kangaroos

We had 9 kangaroos in our garden last night, plus a baby in it's mum's pouch.  They are so gorgeous!  Apart from the ticks, which aren't so great ...

Anyhoo ... isn't it peculiar how protective one can become of one's offspring?  Big B is learning to drive and I am supervising driver for the moment as he completes his 25 hours pre-test driving practise.  It's a nerve wracking enough experience without silly numpty young drivers being aggressive because of some imagined slight!  We had pulled out of someone's drive with plenty of room and time between the car behind us, who proceeded to drive at warp factor 10 and drove up our bottom!  My driver was serene and contained as he negotiated the hill and intersection up towards our house, whilst I sat quietly fuming and wanting to hang out of the passenger window telling the impatient little twerp behind that we were learners, although probably not that politely.

Big B just drove me home ... good boy, at least one of us acts our age :)

Christmas creativity

Today we made our Christmas cake.

I had my very own trade assistant who dutifully chopped up cherries and cracked eggs to mix with the brandy.

action shot ...

He even took it upon himself to cart the completed bowl of Christmas goodness around the house for everyone in the family to taste and have a stir whilst making their Christmas wish.  No mean feat as that stoneware bowl filled with cake mix was not light!

The bowl was an early Christmas gift.  I've seen this style of bowl on many a cooking programme and admired it, until I finally gave in and got one for myself.  I'm sure there will be many more cakes made in it!

Now we just have to wait 6 weeks before we can taste it properly ...

Will somebody please slow it all down!!

Every year the same thing happens - as soon as the end of October hits, it's a mad, downhill rush to Christmas.  This year we've had visitors from the UK (lovely to catch up), we went on a short holiday/business trip to Adelaide (fantastic and pics to share soon); and to add to all of that, I have two of my children turning 18 just before Christmas (did the time really pass that fast?) and a pile of lovely things to make for my favourite people in my life.

But the thing I really want to share with you is that - I COMPLETED MY VERY FIRST TRIATHLON last Sunday!!!!!  Yay!  On the morning our guests left for the airport, before our flight to Adelaide in the afternoon.  Contrary to all my whinging it would appear I do like rushing about and being hectic - not!

Anyway,  this triathlon was part of the Triathlon Pink series, which occurs all over Australia in aid of Breast Cancer research.  My friend and I decided to take part in the short run as it was our first time, which consisted of a 100 m swim, 3 km bike ride and finishing with a 1 km run.  I surpassed my own expectations in the swim, as although I love swimming I am terrified of water (go figure) and can't stand putting my head under water or being splashed.  The bike ride was, if I'm being honest, bloody terrible!  I couldn't even get my bike to coast downhill and had to pedal to make it faster down the hills.  Plus I hadn't really got the hang of the gears, and my friend noticed that the gears weren't engaging properly when I did change.  So that really slowed me down and made the ride very hard work.  Lastly, have you ever tried to complete a run after a bike ride?  It's not easy - my legs felt like lead, and didn't want to move and at one point I told my very long suffering tri partner to just carry on by herself as I was too stuffed to continue!  But she had told me she would not leave me and that we had to cross the finish line together.  So we did, holding hands, arms in the air and yelling at the top of our voices!  I may have been one of the slowest, but I finished, and I worked towards something very much out of my comfort zone and didn't talk myself out of it.  To say I'm extremely pleased and proud of myself is an understatement - and I can say I'm a tri-athlete.  :)

And it's the first in a long line of triathlons and running races I think - I've got the bug!