I'm an Aussie, and I'm OK

I had my citizenship exam a few days ago, and I must say I was a bit nervous. So, if I didn't pass would they throw me out of the country? Sentence me to 3 years of watching cricket and eating meat pies?

I shouldn't have worried, the test was fine. It made me wonder though about what the poor immigrants in America have to do.

Anyway, the clerk who gave the exam said I should have my citizenship ceremony before Christmas.

Ho, ho, ho or Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!

School holidays

Vacation is a bit different for school kids in Australia. Rather than having all their time in one lump for summer vacation, they have it distributed throughout the year in two week increments.

This week, the kids have their (checking calendar for season) SPRING vacation. Of course, I should admit that North Queensland doesn't really have a spring. It's either the Wet or the Dry, and now it's sort of the not hot, not cold, not wet season. Oh, yeah, that means Spring!

Dave's mother came up from Brisbane for the school holidays, and to celebrate Donnelly's birthday which is next week. So, we went out for dinner at a local restaurant.

However....

This is what they usually look like when a photo is taken!!!

Here is Grandma Mais with Donnelly

Chloe, Mais and Donnelly

Now, certain pictures you need to hold on to awhile. This one I think will be good for a bit of blackmail when they're older!

Chloe appears to be imitating the whale that swallowed the sea.

A bird in the hand

I don't know what it is about boys that makes them hunters at heart. No matter how peaceful they seem, there is some urge to commit mayhem on poor, unsuspecting wildlife.

The boys latest endeavour is a "bird trap". I remember making traps when I was a kid, and the trouble with capturing squirrels and other critters is that they don't want to come down out of the trees.

Solution: put the trap IN the trees. Brilliant!

Here Donnelly and Brynley display the latest in bird-catching gear.

When I asked Donn what he would do if (should have said when) he catches one, he said promptly:

"Eat it! Yeah!"

Not meatloaf again!

Chloe: So what did you eat while I was on my sleepover?
Me: I can't remember.
Boys: Meatloaf!
Chloe: Oh man! I'm so jealous!

The kids love meatloaf, and surprisingly they are aware that a lot of U.S. shows have the teenagers complaining about meatloaf. They can't figure out why, because they like mine. The fact that one of the secret ingredients in the sauce is brown sugar probably has something to do with it.

No matter how much I cook of it, there are hardly ever any leftovers.

No, this isn't my meatloaf, but it looks like it.
Mine never sticks around long enough to get photographed.

Procrastination ahoy

Yes, you can tell that procrastination is in full force when I start taking pictures.

This is one of the lovely things my mother-in-law sent up to us. It's a brass holly leaf, so we can have Christmas year round.

It actually has cute little feet under it to keep it raised off the surface of a table or shelf.

And then that wasn't enough procrastination so I pulled out my cookbook and made a pineapple upside down cake. My excuse is that tomorrow is my birthday, so I deserve a little brown sugar.

Yum!