Well, it's about time...

Hello all! Miss me? Yeah, I know you did. Don't try to deny it. Just thought I'd drop in to give you guys an update on the Cavanagh life. Really, I just thought you might be gettin' sick of the "gettin' busy" kangaroos. I realize there's only so much you can stomach!

Much has been going on. First and foremost (since it's always about me) I'll be having another knee surgery in about a week (probably). The doctor decided something was definitely wrong when I showed up with a knee the size of a cantaloupe (or should I say rockmellon). But since I went back today and the swelling has gone down, he suggested that I stop taking my meds about a week before my appointment so that the orthopedic guy could see the "real thing". Sadist.

I'll be flying to Adelaide on the 11th, have an MRI on the 12th, and if everything goes as is expected I'll have surgery on the 13th. I'll fly home on Friday the 15th. Out of necessity, Jason will be staying here with the kids. I'll be all alone. Sniff, sniff. No seriously. If I could have imagined I would be getting a week alone with part of that time being waited on hand and foot by nursing staff, I would have taken a hammer to that knee months ago!

In the meantime, I've been going through a forced life transformation. Yes, due to one too many forgotten appointments and misplaced bills, I'm getting organized. Don't laugh. I'm really gonna do it this time. I'm really, really gonna do it this time. I have a whole list of steps I'm taking to get my life on track. Now, if I could just remember where I put the list, I could get on with it.

The kids are getting ready for their school concert. Sometime late in August. I'll be taking pictures and hopefully posting video. (Once I figure out how to do that for a video that's over 15 seconds long) I have pictures to post, but I need to touch them up in Photoshop Elements and convert them from the RAW format. But since I just got the program, I have to figure out which end is up first. Keep a watch out.

Car registration was due today, had to have the car "inspected" before registration and we failed. Due to tyres (that's how they spell it) that aren't "road worthy". Which of course sent images streaming through my head of the kids and I riding down the road at mach speed when all four tyres suddenly explode at once. Shivers and shite, that's scary! And of course, since I can never do things before the last minute, I had to get a temporary permit (another $35) to drive the car home and to the tyre shop. But I guess it's not so bothersome considering we're avoiding a firey death.

So the next few days goes like this: getting new tires today, shopping for groceries and hitting the library. We have dance Saturday morning and a dinner party Saturday night. Mass on Sunday. Monday is an Australian holiday, Picnic day (whatever that is). Jay has to work but the kids and I will be having a "picnic" with friends.

That's it in a nutshell. Boy, we lead an exciting life don't we?

'Roo Rompin

Yesterday we decided to visit the Desert Park with friends. Since we had purchased a family membership on our last trip, and we were packing lunches, it turned out to be a nice, and free, way to spend an afternoon.

As you may know from a previous post, the Desert Park boasts plants and animals from all of the different types of desert environments in Australia. Lots of birds. Lots of rodents. They also have kangaroos. The Red Kangaroo. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that they had a few kids activities throughout the afternoon, to include a guided walk through the Red Kangaroo section of the park.

We set off with a group of adults and kids and were quickly able to get up close to a lovely young girl kangaroo. She was probably about 6 feet away. The guide promptly turns her back to the kanagroos and launches into her speech of how to distinguish red kangaroos from others, why they are so springy when they bounce, why they are light on the belly and dark on the back and other things that probably included how often they get their hair done and who their favorite rapper is. By this time, needless to say, I was zoning out.

Midway through her speech, a young boy raised his hand with a question. Our guide was excited about his interest and told him to ask away!

And that sweet little boy asks, all innocent like:

"Well...um...why did that other kangaroo climb up on that other kangaroos back?"

What? All adult heads snapped up at that one. That certainly got our attention. And sure enough, right behind the guide, just a few feet away from our impressionable children...


Of course this is not actual documentation of the event since I forgot to charge my camera and came unprepared. I pulled this off the net. Believe it or not, it's not that easy to find two humping kangaroos in a format I could swipe for this. But I thought it was important for effect so I persevered.

Now, I tell you. The realization of what was going on behind that guides back in full view of everyone is not the shocking part of this story. Well "shocking" is too strong a word. I should say, it's not what makes the story funny. What makes the story funny, is that it didn't stop. And the guide didn't stop or move.

I guess it would have been like losing a stare contest. Who's gonna blink first?

Those kangaroos just kept going. And that guide just kept talking. And we just kept listening, trying not to feel like we were peeping into someones bedroom windows.

And every once in a while, my friend, in a loud whisper would say behind me:

"Will you look at that?"

or

"Man, she's gotta be getting tired?"

Then the guide starts to pass around a wood and spring contraption that emulates the kangaroos legs. You push it down and it snaps back. A serious accident waiting to happen for these kids - well at least my kids. Sure enough, the wood's slapping back and people are getting hit with it. So there we all are. Our little group in the middle of the Desert Park in central Australia, humping, talking, more humping, slapping wood, kids screaming from the pain of getting hit with the wood, more humping and my friend's ever present voice behind me going "Bet she wishes he'd just leave her alone!"

After the excitement had died down, the guide went on to explain that they are fairly young kangaroos and that the boy must have been "practicing" since he's not actually of the age yet to be doing that kind of thing.

I blame the rap music.

"Standley, Standley, Standley!!!!" Chant with me now...

Ok. Let's face it, I'm private school ignorant. And since the kids are now attending a private school, I find myself often wondering if the differences I see are actually between public and private school or between American and Australian school. I assume they are a mixture of both.

Take for instance...houses. Now those of you who have read Harry Potter, have probably become acquainted with the idea of "houses" within school. And no, "houses" aren't just for wizard school. Although wizard school would offer a good explanation of some of the strange happenings around the Cavanagh household - but I digress. There are four houses at OLSH. Each with their own name and color. I could name them all but, well truthfully, I don't remember all the names. Except for one...Standley. That's the one that Cole and Brady belong to. Grace will belong to Standley too when she enters next year. Families stay in the same house. (Just like Harry's friend Ron and his brothers). Standley's color is red. You are assigned a house when you start at OLSH and remain in that house throughout each year of your education. Which means when we have a total school gathering of the houses, each house has representatives from all grades, seniors down to tranies (transitioners). The houses compete against each other in sporting events, school spirit and, well...volume.

A couple of weeks ago our Bath Street campus (Tranie through Year 4) held their annual sports day. Grace and I came along to offer support and cheer (rather loudly) for our house. After all, gotta help get that volume ribbon. They had various sports day activities before they split into houses and got ready for the big "relay race". I missed most of the small activities since I had to pick Grace up from school. Kind of glad since I would have been expected to help and let's just say...sports ain't my thing. Lack of coordination and all.

Anyhoo, I made it for lunch (yes they eat on the ground outside)...

and the "relay race".

Are you wondering why I keep putting "relay race" in quotes? It's because what was dubbed a "relay race" had no relay to it at all. They went by age and Brady was in the first heat. (Don't I sound like a sport commentator when I say "heat"?)

Here's my baby.


Check out the concentration. She's probably thinking "I'm gonna kick some green, blue and yellow butt!". Doubt she knew all those stupid names either.

Here's the start.


And they're off!


And she ran. She didn't place but she did get a beautiful purple ribbon that says "Competitor". And she didn't come back. I was all set to see them turn and run back but they didn't. They ran one way - no relay about it.

Cole came in last in his race. I can't quite understand it. His form is beautiful. All grace, strength and sinewy lines. What do you think?


Poor kid. Takes after his Momma.

Check out the rest of the Sports Day pics.

Sports Day