A little while ago my Mum got the kids some of those little mannequin-type things with all the joints, that artists use to do anatomically correct drawings.  I’m not sure a six and nine year old are quite ready for anatomically correct anything yet, but there they sit, on the desks, and at the ready, should the need arise.  For anatomical correctness.

Over the last few days I guess I’ve been a bit preoccupied, what with trips down to Sydney to say goodbye to Hayley, and then back home to work, and organise our trip back down South for the funeral.  So the kids have been playing in their bedrooms a lot.   Sylvanian Familes, Puppy School, Musical Shows… You know, the usual harmless and innocent make-believe fun.

The latest game has been “Exercise Class” where one child uses the little wooden mannequin to create a pose, and the other child tries their best to mimic that pose.  Kind of like Twister for two, or, as I like to think, Children’s Pure Yoga.

This morning I went into Coco’s bedroom to find this on her desk:

Nothing like a bit of exercise…

So, yeah.  Nothing Suss here people.

Perhaps it’s time for “the talk”?

We have a cat. I hope the cat is wary.

Anything weird happen at your place this weekend?

Well.

It’s been quite a week around these parts.  Not the week I would ever have hoped for, but a week none-the-less.

Here’s my top five for the week:

1.  These lips.  Delivered with a cuddle from Sprinkles.  What a lovely thing to do.  Some people just have such big hearts.

Thanks Clare

2.  This wine.  QANTAS, you really are the best airline.  Teensy bottles of wine just when you need it most?  Yes please.

Entirely tolerable (and free) medicinal wine

3.  This family.  Some days are just gold with you lot.

They might be wearing nerdy helmets, but I love their guts.

4.  All my beautiful patients, who helped me through this week, with kind words and even kinder hearts.  I appreciate all the words of wisdom and care, and thank my teenage self for choosing such an wonderful career path- one that allows me to share so much of my life with loving and positive people.  I’m supposed to be helping them, yet they helped me.  What a gift.

5.  This chick.  I have no idea how the bits of my heart will ever feel whole again.

I’m so bloody lucky to have had her in my life.   What a smile.  What a laugh.

Love ya Hayls

How was your week?

Gimme some of your Top Hits.. I could use a laugh.

Today I didn’t really want to go to work.

My sad was so big I didn’t know if I could.

But I did, and I could, and I didn’t cry, and it was good.

A dear friend gave me these:

Thank you Sue

They didn’t do much for the sad, but they did remind me that even if my eyes can only see muted colours right now, there is still vibrant beauty in the world.  They reminded me that I have seen it before, and I will see it again.

And so I wait.

I went away for a bit, and now I’m back.

Altered in ways I don’t even want to think about, but back.

This morning this happened:

At least that’s something.

I’ll tell you about it sometime, but not right now.

The air is too thin.

Oh Hayls

Yesterday I purchased my Sweet Ride, Ouiser Boudreaux, so we lost her maidenhead took her on her maiden voyage, on the Tour de Peregian.  The Tour, as we like to call it, was exactly like the other Tour, other than there were no hills.  Or French people.  Or actual exertion.  We did have rolls though, so: baguettes.

All was well, and all would be well, until we decided we would like to feed the canards (French for ducks) some of our baguettes.  The ducks were there, we were there, glutinous blobs at the ready.  Then we saw this:

Duck are gluten free too

ARE YOU KIDDING NOOSA COUNCIL?

Kiddies can no longer feed ducks at a duck pond.  And they should feel very guilty if they have ever done so before.

Nor can they do any of these things:

Fair enough really.  I mean, it’s not as if you come to a park to have any actual fun.   So I shook my UN-HELMETTED head, and cut another lap around the lake, ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE PATH, got a bit thirsty and DRANK WATER FROM THE UNFILTERED TAP and then went into the fenced off park area and LEFT THE GATE OPEN.  I told the kids to do the same, but they just went and sat nicely on the seat until it was time to go home.

Yep, livin’ on the edge, man.

I may have played this Ice T on my iPod on the way home.  I may have played super-soft so the kids couldn’t hear the swears.  Still a rebel though.

Are your parks over-regulated?

What rules are just too hard not to break?

Everyone in our family has a bike.  Some people* have more than one, and if you count the likes of trikes and Green Machines, I think we have more bikes per capita here at The Asher’s than most bike shops.  Everyone has ’em except for me.

I found a bike on the side of the road with a “Free” sign on it last year, so I took that rust-bucket home with a plan of doing it up.  I didn’t get much further than streamers for the handles and some new Spokey Dokeys.  The moral of this sad little tale is: don’t pick up crap from the side of the road, it is there for a reason (the reason is, that it is a piece of shit).

So today, in the interests of being able to go on a family bike ride on something other than a bright pink balance bike, I got this baby:

The Sweet Ride

And I bloody love ‘er.

No confusing gears, no need to tuck forward like I’m on the Tour, the most comfy, non-wedgie-inducing seat ever invented, and she has a STAND.  She can sit there, all pretty, happy to be gazed upon, without leaning on anything.  Self-sufficient she is.  As I looked at her lovingly I didn’t even care if I never rode her.

Until I rode her.

She has BACKBRAKES.  I haven’t ridden a bike with backbrakes since about 1981.  They RULE.

Check out that seat!

I couldn’t find a helmet cool enough for my pin-head at the shop, so I had to do the maiden voyage with my cranium all naked and unprotected, old-school style.  It felt amazing.  Wind in my hair and all that shit, but I gotta tell you I haven’t felt this young since, well, since I was last on a bike like this.

Check out the selling points:

• trendy (As if I didn’t know.. Please note, I will now be using the word trendy until it becomes, um, trendy again)
• compatible with sandals (I hope that means nice, woven, Roman Sandals).

I shall be veritably promenading on this beauty.

My advice to you, this day is:

1.  Get yourself one of these bikes

2.  Get yourself my husband**, or avail yourself of the $16.50 assembly fee… She was a bastard to put together AND she was missing a part, so I had to go back to the shops and get another, which wasted valuable coasting time, and gave me the shits.

3.  Get yourself one of these bikes.

4.  Forget to ask “Does my bum look big in this?”  (It does)

Don’t even say it

Bum size notwithstanding, best 150 bucks I’ve spent in ages.

What should I call her?

Do you love a comfy bike too?

*Spoilt brats I tells ya.

**$16.50 would be cheaper than my husband. He is has expensive tastes.

Note: This is not a sponsored post, but Big W, if you’re reading, you know, feel free…