Yesterday and Today.

Did my washing yesterday! I've been making the boys use these for their lunches. The theory is that over time we'll save money on Glad wrap by reusing these. Plus we're saving the planet, which is an agreeable bonus.

Every time I hang these out on the line I have a chuckle about a conversation I had with my friend Ian. He was visiting, and I brought him outside to see the veggie garden. He saw the bags on the line, stopped dead and asked in a horrified tone, "My God Frogdancer, what are you doing?"

"They're for the kids' lunches," I said. "I just wash them out and reuse them."

"Thank God for that," he said. "I thought you were selling drugs!!!"

Something I'm SO not into, let me hasten to add.

Yesterday went pretty much according to plan. Brennan waited patiently until I'd finished making the breakfast pancakes (he ate 5) and then asked me if now was a good time for me to teach him to knit. He got the hang of it surprisingly quickly, and he's knitted about 12 rows of his North Melbourne footie scarf. We went through the stages of knitting so tightly that he couldn't get the needle through the loop, to knitting so loosely that the stitches slipped off the end of the needle if you looked at it sideways, dropping stitches and looping extra loops to create unintended extra stitches, but by the end of a couple of hours of work he was garter stitching away as happily as you'd like to see. He'd keep coming back to it and knitting more. Even at this early stage he's discovering knitting's uncanny ability to be addictive.

Until the phone rang at 1.30. It was James, one of Brennan's friends, wanting to know if he was still coming to the party (Luna Park and a sleepover) that started half an hour before. Oops. The knitting gone thrown aside, and he was packed and out the door (though we had to go back for his sleeping bag that he left on the kitchen bench). James' mother works at the same school I do, and she's lovely. She opened the door with the words, "So, English teachers can't read numbers on an invitation?" If she was a Maths teacher that would mean war, ("Them's fightin' words!!!") but she's also English. I had a quick look at the new reno they've done (upper storey, new kitchen and rumpus room.... really gorgeous) and then I was back to keep an eye on young Study Guy, previously known as Jack.

He's done a lot of work this weekend. He started off yesterday with 'Romeo and Juliet'. His teacher told me what she'd told the class to do to prepare, so we talked about the play and I helped him look for short snappy quotes and I showed him how to embed them in his sentences. I was really pleased by his depth of understanding of the play. His teacher has really taught them well (or maybe it's just pure natural ability.... she starts laughing hysterically... the kid loves numbers and only reads a book if its stapled into his hands). He wrote quite a good essay, with me standing over him and reminding him to expand on his points. He doesn't show enough detail, and that's been his downfall in English this year.

His Science cheat sheet was the afternoon's work, and I think he also did some work on History. His English and History exams are tomorrow, and Maths and Science are on Tuesday. Then he's a free man. Until Year 11 Orientation week in December. (I wonder how much housework I can get him to do when he's at home all day? Hmmmm....)

I finally mowed the lawn yesterday. The whipper snippering didn't get done, so some parts of the garden look as if they're growing a fringe around the outskirts, but at least the long wavy grass is a thing of the past. My Roma tomato plant that I put in 2 weeks ago is growing a couple of tiny tomatoes, so that was all very exciting. I went and bought some salad things for dinner, and the cucumber was really spongy. Edible, but nothing like the ones we were eating last year from the garden. I can't wait until we're eating our own again. (I went out and put some extra shower water run off on the cucumber plants, just to give them a bit of encouragement.)

This morning was very pleasant. It was raining, so I didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn to water. I sat up in bed knitting the afghan (mmmm, the afghan) and getting enthused about it again. I'm just a few rows off being half way through. 4 balls down, 4 to go. It's already looking large, so who knows how many tv watching Frogdancers it'll be able to shelter next year when it's finished? Twenty seven or so is my guess.

So far today I've made 4 cakes, hung out 2 loads of washing, picked up Brennan and had a coffee with James' Mum, knitted 13 rows of the afghan and started mixing up a huge batch of biscuit mix. The dogs are NOT smelling deodorised and homogenised, so I'll be hurling them into the laundry trough soon and ruining their day. I want to make some more leek and potato soup, because the leeks are looking thick and yummy, and I'll freeze them. We have one more caulie that needs eating, so tonight will be macaroni cheese and cauliflower cheese night. Come to think of it, I'd better go out and feed the budgies. I'm sure they'll appreciate it. It's been two days since my last visit. (Don't worry, I'm fairly sure they're both still alive. I saw them from the kitchen window this morning. They were on a perch, not lying down on the bottom of the cage with their pathetic little feet stuck imploringly in the air, so I think that's a good sign.)

Molly and Murphy are having a very different morning. I gave them both a bone yesterday, and I think the strain of guarding their bones from both the cats and each other has told. That's Murphy on his back. If I could include the oceanic rumbling of Molly's snoring, I would.

Out for blood.

The house is up early this morning. It's all my fault.

I was chipping away at the old novel because I woke at 5am and couldn't submerge back down into sleep. At 6 I decided that it was time to feed the animals, so I passed the chicken wings out to the dogs and put the chicken necks on plates and served the cats in the laundry. So far so good.

I always leave the back door shut until the cats have finished, otherwise the dogs will come in and demolish the lot. So when the cats saunter out into the lounge, I get up from the computer, switch the kettle on for another cup of coffee and go to the back door and open it. The dogs surge in. There isn't much room because I've got a huge pile of clean washing that has to be folded near the back door, so I step politely back to let Molly and Murphy through, and in doing so step squarely on Daphne's foot.

She lets out a blood curdling sound the like of which I've rarely heard, and as soon as I realise and step off her foot, she shoots past Maris and into the lounge room. Maris, meanwhile, assumes that the dogs are attacking, and goes in for the kill.

The poor dogs, intent on reaching the laundry to clean up any minuscule scraps of chicken neck the cats might've left, suddenly realise they're heading straight into a full blooded attack, and start yelping and trying to retreat. I'm in the way. Maris herds them towards me, spitting and clawing. The sound is incredible.

I react like the pacifist I am and kick out at Maris, yelling, "Stop it! It was me, you idiot!" which didn't seem to defuse the situation much, even though it was true. Murphy is terrified and tries to crawl up my leg. Maris bypasses Molly and keeps coming, batting at Murphy and hissing until my foot connects with her and she shoots around the other side of the island bench.

The dogs come for comfort and I pat them. Maris, meanwhile, emerges from the other side of the bench and balefully regards them. It's clear who she blames for the upset. I try talking to her but she goes outside. All puffed up and in a huff. Daphne is nowhere visible. I follow Maris outside, but when the dogs come too Maris slinks under the steps. She lets Molly go down, but when Murphy follows she sticks her paw out from between the steps and has another go at him.

It's clear she's a Scorpio. She'll get her revenge.

When I go back inside, Molly follows, but Murphy is too scared to come back up the steps. Finally he makes a run for it. They curl up together in their basket in the lounge.

As I was typing this, Maris came inside, smooching and asking for pats. She'd shrunk back to her normal size. She looked at the dogs in the basket, and walked over to them. I could see Murphy, at the front, tense up. Molly just opened and closed her eyes again. Maris touched noses with Murph, then turned and walked away. What an idiot. (In the photo Maris is the one with the glowing eyes. )

Child free Saturday morning.

Still no Daphne...

but in good news on the pet front, we took Molly back to the canine eye doctor and her eyes are SO much better. No operation needed, the ulcer is nearly gone. Yay. So there's different pills to shove down her neck, and the saga continues, but it's looking good.

The afghan... ahh, the afghan. I did quite a bit yesterday. I was exhausted when I got home, so I had a packet of potato chips for dinner, (they were chicken ones, so that's good for me, right?), and went to bed with my knitting, Oprah and Dr Phil. Sounds like it's lucky no-one got their eye poked out with the knitting needles doesn't it? I know that anyone married will probably be aghast and would think that spending a child free Friday night like this is a wanton waste of precious time. But trust me... it was bliss. I've found that after having a trip overseas (first Bali last year and now Phukhet) it takes me about three weeks to recover my bounce. It's still worth it though.

This weekend is earmarked for the usual pursuits. Veggie gardening, ( a trip to the local market for seedlings is happening tomorrow. Can't wait!), biscuit and cake making for lunches and after school, veggie soup making for lunches for me, mowing the lawn so the cat doesn't have an unfair advantage when stalking the pigeons, (I should've said cats. But I'm a bit pessimistic about Daph...), knitting, reading AND vacuuming. Some of the dust bunnies are bigger than Molly.

On a slightly different tangent... why are some house keeping jobs appealing, and others are blah? It's different for everyone. For instance; I could hang washing on the line till the cows come home. But as for folding it, yuck. You've heard of dumpster diving? We do jocks diving, otherwise known as Lucky Dip In The Clean Clothes Basket. It's no way to live, but I do it to us nearly every week. It's got to the stage where the spot in the walkway where I park the basket looks strangely empty if I've been organised and done the folding. The crazy thing is that it's not a big job. I fold the clothes into piles, and then each kid puts his clothes away.

Does anyone like vacuuming? I hate it. And yet, when it's finished I love the way the house looks. All dust free and shiny. (I have wooden floors.) Without fail I say to myself, "That wasn't so bad. The house looks great. I'm never going to leave it so long between vacuums again." Then I empty the bag into the bin, put it away in the hall cupboard and avoid it like the plague until we either
a) have guests or
b) we start giving names to the dust bunnies. We're at this stage now.

Open the door to my pantry and you'd be amazed and so impressed with the organisation. Everything is lined up, labels facing outward. Same with the fridge. Every time I shop I rotate everything, so nothing goes off. I have a list on the outside of the freezer so I know what's in there at any given time, (ok, it's little out of date, but it's easy to see how many tubs of ice cream we've got. 4 litre tubs are hard to miss, even in a freezer my size). My friend Sandy said once, "I know why we get along so well. You're as meticulous as I am. You just hide it better!"

My bookshelves are organised. I can lay my hand on any book I own at a moments notice. I actually love ironing. It just takes so long to get it all done, but I find it a pleasurable job to do around the house. Mowing the lawn is also good. I can go into the happy place inside my head and mechanically mow away.

OH MY GOD!!!!! Daphne has just walked through the door!!!!! Seriously!!!! Right now.

I've plonked a bowl of food in front of her for a reward and shut her in the laundry so she can eat it without Maris's help. I can't believe it. She just strolled in the lounge room behind Maris, nonchalantly miaowing "Hello, where's breakfast?"

Now I know she's safe, I want to kill her. I've got to go and text the boys to let them know she's back. They're at their Dad's this weekend. (Hence the chicken chips and farnarkling with Phil and Oprah.) Hooray! My family is all safe and accounted for again.

Where's Daphne?

I'm worried. Daphne, pictured with Brennan and Molly on the couch, didn't come home last night. I hate it when cats do this.

Maris was at home waiting for dinner when I got home at 6.30 after Jordan's piano lesson, but no Daph. This, of course, brings up everything that happened with poor little Daisy. She's the cat we had before the two girls we have now. I don't have a picture of her I can post. She was pre our digital camera.

She disappeared for a couple of days. In the end, Connor, who was 8 at the time, went looking for her next door in the empty house. He thought she might've got locked in the garage or something. He found her under the house. She'd been attacked by another cat or a car had hit her. The vet wasn't sure which. But the bones inside her hind leg weren't hidden anymore, and there were maggots writhing around on her. She was so glad to see us. I knew how to move her, because when I was a child I'd seen the neighbours move my dog Bonnie into a car after she'd been run over. I sent Connor racing back home for an old towel, and eased her across to it. Then we held it as rigid as we could underneath her and everyone jumped in the car.We had to have the windows down on the way to the vet. The smell was truly awful.

The first thing the vet did was give her a pain killer. She was so cold. We agreed that if she survived she'd have her leg amputated. She was only twelve months old. As I left the vets I could hear her calling for me. She died at ten that night. At least she was warm and comfortable.

So now, of course, I get antsy if the girls aren't home in time for dinner. When we first got them I said they'd be indoor cats, to avoid another Daisy episode, but they wanted to be outside. When I saw Maris trying to climb the curtains that was it! I don't want to live in a wrecked house, so they had their way. They sleep in the laundry at night, and everyone is happy.

Except me this morning. Yesterday, after a late night at the year 12 Valedictory dinner, I woke at 5.30. Sleepily I opened my eyes, only to be eyeball to eyeball with Daphne. Scared the bejeebers out of me. The kids had forgotten to put the cats away before they went to bed. I woke this morning wishing I could wake that way again today.

The last post on Phukhet.

Poor Molly has come back from the eye doctor with LOTS of antibiotics, ointments and drops to put in her eyes. Her right eye has an ulcer on the cornea (how does that happen?) and she's got dry eye, so if we're lucky we'll avoid a 1K operation on her eye if we can get medication to fix it up instead of surgery. The poor love is so sick of things being squirted in her eye. Every time I go near the bureau where I keep her medicines her ears droop, (in fact everything seems to droop) and she looks miserable.

My essays are all marked. I went through them like a threshing machine yesterday. I had no classes, so I sat and read read read, stopping only for lunch, yard duty at the canteen (what a joy that was) and two cups of coffee. Good on me. That leaves the weekend free for a big Aldi shop, as we're out of food, and I'm going to weed the veggie patches and start a new knitting project.

I want to go back to Marta's yarns in Caulfield, but my frugality kick is still going strong, and I've got wool for a jumper that I haven't made yet, and there's wool left over from an afghan that I made Jack for Christmas. So, frugality tells me that I must use up what I've got before I go and indulge in beautiful, but sinfully expensive wool. So I'd better get started.

Back to Phukhet. This is the last post, because I'm pretty sure I've nearly finished putting down what I wrote in my notebook. There's sure to be pictures coming for MONTHS though.... poor Delmar from work spent ages getting them to transfer to my computer, so they're not going to waste! I'm not sure if that's my frugality kick speaking again, or just plain old bloody-mindedness.

Fantasea was a place worth going to. It's not cheap, but it's the gaudiest place you're ever likely to see. I was a bit worried that it would be a cultural theme park and show that would be a little TOO Thai, and end up being boring for the kids, but they loved it. It's an odd mix of Las Vegas and traditional Thai... especially the show. It has to be seen to be believed.

As soon as we stepped off the bus we were surrounded by tourists, neon lights, people in costumes and muzak. It's full on... the kids loved it! There were tigers, deer, the biggest goldfish I've ever seen, market stalls, shops, carnival games, fire jugglers and elephants. Lots of elephants.

Jordan bought a necklace that has his name written on a piece of rice. Just in case he forgets who he is. He's obviously not very bright.

We went to the restaurant for dinner. Bec from work said that it was the most amazing place she's ever been to, and we had to see for ourselves. There were literally hundreds of diners, yet the place ran like clockwork. There were multiple buffet stations, so you just chose the one nearest you and joined the queue. Chandeliers hung from everything, huge statues of chicken-footed gods were looming over us, piles of food , drink, people, lights, camera action! Again... full on glitz, with hundreds of people all over everywhere. As the man sitting on the table with us said, "If this place was in Australia, we'd be waiting to get fed for a week!" Yet everything moved with electric efficiency.

After dinner we went out to find our friends amongst the crowd. While we were looking for them, we wandered into the 'Luxury Goods Shop' to have a gander. Again, lots of glitz and sparkle (why wasn't that a surprise by now??) but there were some lovely bags, shawls and pearls. As I came through the door I noticed the most delicious pearl necklace - just 3 small pearls in different colours. Simple, and beautiful. I assumed they were too expensive and left. However, once we caught up with our friends, I dared Pitsa to go in there and buy something. She's laughing and saying "No. I'm not buying!!" but we all went in and yes... when I found out the pearls were only 1000 baht (about $40) I laid down the cash. I was so rapt. I've already got a silver chain from Bali, so I'm set. That was going to be my major present to myself. (Little did I know that the emerald and diamond ring was lurking in my future. )

We hung around together for about an hour before the show began. My family were up near the back, which was good because we got to see everything without craning our necks every which way. The show opened with a row of elephants parading through the theatre. Have to say that I've never seen this before. And they held the tail of the one in front of them with their trunks, just like in Dumbo. I was enchanted.

The show itself was interesting. A mix of traditional Thai dance and culture with trapeze, fireworks, magic and clowns thrown in. The colours were gorgeous, and there were huge amounts of performers on stage at any one time. Simple economics in Australia means that we never get to see theatre on this scale back home. However, it was the animals that made the show really amazing. Trained chickens (I know!!!! Real chickens!!!), doves and goats, and of course the elephants.

They were doing tricks like we've seen in old fashioned movies: rearing up and balancing on each other, standing on tiny little platforms, sitting down... and two baby ones actually stood on their hind legs waving their front legs in the air. All very spectacular and SO not what we'll ever see back home. After the show, Connor told me that the elephants made him feel sad, and I knew what he meant. While I was watching it I was torn between feeling amazement at the skill and dedication it would have taken to train these huge animals to do things like this, and a tinge of sadness that they were doing things that were obviously so totally alien to their natural inclinations. I still enjoyed it though, I think because even though it's so foreign to us, working with elephants is an integral part of the Thai culture, so it seemed natural.

On our last full day we went shopping in O-Top market. The boys had pretty much run out of money, so I gave them 1500 baht each and told them that they were doing Christmas shopping. That's around $60 to buy presents for me, their Dad and Vivienne, Gran and Grandpa, and the other three brothers. They could club together to buy things, or go it alone... it was up to them.

O-Top was practically deserted so they made some excellent buys. It was slightly nerve-racking though. They'd split up to buy for a particular brother, I'd lose sight of them and start calling, market stall owners would join in, minutes would tick by before the errant kid/s would appear with a puzzled look, "What's the problem? I was just over there..." It was all good. I finished my Christmas shopping too, so the plan is to wrap all the presents as soon as we get back, and then we'll have the most trouble-free, painless Christmas ever! (It worked, too. All presents are wrapped, and waiting for the tree to be put up in December. It's a good feeling.)

We went home via a 7-11 where we bought noodle cups for the boys' dinner. I was happy just to eat steamed rice after the big lunch we had at the market. Actually, it was funny watching the guys eat the noodles. Obviously the Asian people like a touch of chili in their flavourings, which was a tad unexpected for my namby-pamby skips. A few mouthfuls downed, and then they were scoffing steamed rice and gulping water as if it was an Olympic sport. We then watched the last Harry Potter movie all curled up in the lounge room together, and then it was off to bed.

The last day was spent at the resort, where I had my 'free' massage paid for by listening to two hours of buy-into-the-Marriott-holiday-club, (it was worth it when I was having the massage...pure bliss), we ate at the deli for lunch and dinner because I didn't have access to the kitchen anymore, and we lounged by the pools, bought a couple of emerald and garnet rings, sipped a cocktail by the infinity pool and read. Well, one of us did. It was a lovely way to finish the holiday, relaxing and simply enjoying each others company. Then it was off to the airport, and home.

All in all, I think it's been a good holiday. Obviously, the hotel's location spoiled it in a few different ways, (and when I wrote this, I had no idea that my credit card had been skimmed), but once we got away from that then everything came together.We all loved the shopping and the tours were fantastic. Especially the elephants. Those big feet! Those flappy ears and twinkly little eyes! I want one.

And we've only had two bouts of vomiting, which if you take into account that I'm travelling with 4 kids in Asia isn't bad. Brennan lost his dinner in the gutter of the main drag in Patong the second night we were there, and Connor chucked his cookies in the taxi on the way to do Christmas shopping. Too much Gameboy playing in the car and not enough looking out of the window. No mess though, much to the relief of the driver. I learned from poor Brennan and I had a plastic bag in my handbag.

It's been the time with the kids that has been the best thing, though. I'm so lucky to have such fun, mature and loving kids who are such good company. At least most of the time...They've been so agreeable, enthusiastic, co-operative and appreciative of the whole experience. The younger three haven't put a foot wrong, and Jack comes into his own when haggling is involved. He has a mind like a calculator, so he's our resource when it comes to converting how much things cost. He loves doing it for anyone, not just himself, so that's come in very handy.

Getting away from the day to day routine has been wonderful for reconnecting to them as people. It's also been wonderful watching them interact amongst themselves. They'd disappear off to the pool for ages and play together and just hang out. They like each other, and that makes me feel hopeful for the future. I'd love them to have a tight bond with their brothers that lasts.

Molly and more Phuket.

Well, I got an answer. Apparently my name has changed....

"Dear Valued Customer..."

Don't you love the personal touch? How hard is it to type my name at the top?

They're going to get back to me in 7-10 business days, which leads me to believe that they're waiting for me to calm down over time. (Which, of course, I already have. But a Drama teacher can get back into the zone any time she wants. It's a gift.)

It's going to be a busy day today. I've been a bit tired after Phukhet, so I haven't been up to correcting the 136 or so essays that my two classes of year 12s have poured out during their practise exams for English. The due date to hand them back is Monday, so today and the weekend are earmarked for some serious reading. The light at the end of the tunnel is that once these are knocked over, then the work for the year 12s is virtually done. Yay. There'll be kids writing practise essays before the exam, but they come in ones and twos, not hundreds.

This afternoon I've got to take Miss Molly to a canine opthamologist. Mum and Dad were looking after her while we were gone, and her eyes really flared up again, to the point where she was walking around with her eyes closed looking utterly miserable, and putting her head on Dad's knee whenever he sat down, begging for eye ointment. The vet said that she has an ulcer on the cornea. Can you imagine how awful that must feel? This makes me officially a Bad Mother to my furry-faced daughter. I'd include a photo of how crusty looking her eyes are, but someone reading this might be eating, and I'd hate for anything untoward to happen...

Hopefully we can fix this up fairly easily, though judging by the vet's sombre face, we might be up for many $$$$ and lots of mucking around with her poor eye. She's certainly still not back to her happy little self.

Still, maybe Mum's vet is a big panic merchant, and she'll be fine. Fingers crossed for Mollicent's sake.

I want to keep going with writing about the holiday, because I want to remember it. I very intelligently packed my video camera in my suitcase when packing for the holiday, and when we got to Thailand found that it always thinks the lens cap is on, so there's no video recording. So photos and this blog are all I've got. For a supposedly intelligent woman I certainly do my share of stupid things.

Brennan grew while we were there. That tropical climate is amazing. Before we left he was shorter than me, and now we're eyeball to eyeball. He's so rapt. But that only leaves one child that I tower over. (By about 2 cms.) What happened to those gorgeous chubby-kneed infants I made, and then dandled on my knee? Jordan sat on my lap for a joke the other night and I nearly disappeared.

Following are extracts from a notebook that I wrote in while we were there. I used to get up, make a cup of coffee and then sit out on the balcony outside my room, looking out across the gardens to the little stream that ran through the property. The air was always warm, humid and filled with tiny sounds of birds and the distant sea. Utterly relaxing and beautiful. I'd write about the previous day and wait for the boys to wake up.

Here goes...

I'm sitting on the balcony outside my room. I'm in my very shabby pjs and look hideous, but who cares? I can hear birds twittering, the wind gently moving the palm trees, and low... so low that it's barely there... I can hear the sound of the sea.

I look across, and it's all green. Rank, brilliant green.The thing I love most about looking at palm trees is that when I'm doing it I know without a doubt that I'm not at home. I'm overseas - and I love that feeling.

Down by the little stream there's plantings of a wieird lacy lily type thing. It's beautiful, but in a strange way. I'm really taken with them. They have an eeriness that I find appealing.

The kids have fallen in love with the pools here. Brennan doesn't go in much; they have too much chlorine in them and he hates getting his eyes red. This doesn't seem to bother the others. They're going every night - even Jack! There's a kids pool with slides, (the first night we were there, they had a baby elephant there), and the other pool near us is more for adults. It's quiet, with guys quietly coming up to refill your water glasses with iced water, (about the only complimentary thing the resort offered!), while the patrons sleep and read under umbrellas. This is where we had lunch the first day. The staff gave us 4 beach balls for the kids when we arrived, and the kids play pool volleyball and have a fantastic time. I'm so lucky that they genuinely like each other and get along. Most times, anyway.

Just a short walk from the pool is the beach. The kids didn't go there all holiday, and I only went once. We're not big beach people. On the first day after lunch the kids went back to the room to sleep and I went for a wander. It was pretty magical.

The beach is a turtle reserve, so there's no vendors or people offering massages. It's empty.Considering how crowded and bustling the rest of the island is, this is amazing. I dropped my things and ran to the water. I waded in - I've now been in another sea... the Andaman sea. I'm now in the northern hemisphere too, which is another thrill. I was going to swim, but the current was strong and was trying to pull me out, and the last thing I wanted was to be caught in a rip when no one knew where I was. Especially on the first day of the holiday. So I waded thigh high, and I was really, really happy. I got us all here. We made it.

A couple of days later Jordan and I were walking down the path beside the lake when a familiar, yet exotic scent wafted across. At first we couldn't identify it, but when we looked across to the middle of the lake we saw a Buddhist shrine, where someone had lit incense. Everything was quiet, the shrine was painted in vivid colours of red, gold and white, the lake was dotted with pinky/purply waterlillies, and Jordan and I just looked at each other and smiled. The aroma of incense added the last touch. It was definitely a moment.

Seeing one of the pools near the lobby being lit with many little fires at sunset was another. A man waded through with a long handled fire lighter and as he went, the fires lit up. (A stupid sentence, I know.) It was dusk and we were on our way to dinner at the buffet. All through our meal I could see the glow of the fires behind Brennan. It was undeniably beautiful. I took photos, but they don't do it justice.

Wherever Brennan goes he's getting called 'Harry Potter' by the Thais. It amused, then annoyed him, and now he's resigned to it and has started counting. I think he's up to 29 or so. (When I showed photos of the elephant ride to my classes, without fail at least one person in each class made the same remark. Looks like this might be something the poor child has to live with.) He's still bemused by it... "I don't look anything like Harry Potter..."

I'll have to continue with this in another post. It's time to wake the boys and officially start another day.

Sooky la-la list.

Here's Molly when she got her new bandana collar. Sadly, Murphy ripped off the scarf part when he stayed... he's such a pup still. She's got a lot more coat now; I haven't bred or shown Cavaliers in fifteen years, but it still bugs me when my dogs are lacking in any 'show-y' area. She's got too much black on her body, and she's got ticking on her neck ruff. How awful. But she's the gentlest, sweetest thing in the world, and she loves us totally, which is what cavaliers do best.

Actually, it's unusual for us to have just one dog. (When I was breeding them, sometimes I'd have up to 20, including puppies. That was before I started breeding my own species.) Sometime after we get back from the holiday we're going to have to get a puppy. I think that dogs are happiest when they've got a mate to hang around with during the day. Molly and Murphy are always rapt when holidays come and they get to live with each other for a while. They snore as a duet, which is always charming, except when the tv gets drowned out and you have to wake them up. Selfishly though, I've enjoyed just having Molly. She's absolutely no trouble, knows the ropes and I have one area in my life that I don't have to juggle. She simply fits in, whereas a puppy will be work-- at least for a while. Sigh.

Our bags are pretty well packed, some of the cooking has been done, (no baking though... I'll do that today) and by tonight we'll be at the airport. Molly is wandering around, running towards the laundry whenever I look at her. The cats are still in there. I threw them their chicken necks and then slammed the door, (actually, that sounds more dramatic than it was. I gave them their chicken necks on saucers, as always, and then gently closed the door on them. You'd think I slammed it in their faces by the shocked looks they gave me, though!) I want to drop them off at the vets early, and if the kids forget and let them out they'll probably disappear for most of the day. They saw Jack bring in the pet crate from the garage last night, and that always means that they're off to live in the cat room for a while!

This holiday..... here's a list of scary things that might happen.....

• I don't have transfers from the airport organised. What if there's trouble getting us to the Marriott, and we have to live at the airport for a week like Tom Hanks did? Maybe we could walk. Phuket's an island... how big can it be?
• What if the elephant we're riding suddenly runs amok and squashes one of the boys?
• What if there's nothing I want to buy? Or worse, nothing the boys want to buy?
• Wouldn't it be awful if the boys find what they're getting for Christmas? I bought a padlock to put on the bag, but I won't rest until we're home and the presents are stashed away safely.
• What if I get home and my vegie garden has shrivelled into nothingness?
• What if we somehow drink the water and spend all week writhing in agony, unable to stray more than three feet from a loo? We could do this at home... could've saved myself 6K on airfares....
• What if someone drags Jack and Jordan off the street and into a strip club? This happened to a kid in Jack's class. The boys are tall now.... I know they're male, with everything that entails, but I'd prefer that some doors remain closed for them for a little while longer.....
• What if my skull gets sunburned? Thommo at work told me to rub sunblock through my stubble. He says that's what he does. It'd be ironic if I initially shaved my head to raise $$ for cancer research, and end up dying of it myself.
• Maybe Phuket is boring, and Bali is the best trip ever, so this'll be an anticlimax. I've only ever been to Bali, when I was 19 at uni, and last year. Perhaps people are lying about how much fun it'll be.
• What if we get seasick going to Phi Phi island? (Is that how it's spelled?) We'll be there all day, throwing up and wishing for death...
• What if I don't have enough spending money? Maybe there'll be too many good things to buy.
• What if I come home with fewer kids than when I left? I'm reasonably fond of all of them. I don't want to spend the rest of my life missing someone. No tsunamis, mad terrorists or runaway donkeys please.
• And the scariest one of all... what if I run out of books to read? (That's a fear I have every day, not just for when I'm overseas.)

There. I think that about covers it. This list is written with the hope that if I write them down, then Murphy's law will dictate that they won't happen. Unless I've jinxed it by writing this paragraph down...

See you when we get back!

One more sleep...

Daphne in the garden with me. I've never known an animal to enjoy smelling the garden so much. It's nice when I'm pottering around, weeding or watering. The girls seem to magically appear and just hang around near me. Companionable.

I saw this great saying, supposed to be from a comedian on 'Parkinson'. I thought I'd post it, because it puts a terrific spin on the old saying. Here 'tis:

"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today. You may find that you like it, and then you can do it again tomorrow."

Today is baking and cooking day. I have a heap of fruit, onions and salad stuff to use up, so I'll be making lots of soups and stews to freeze. I want to have the first week of term's biscuits and cakes ready to go, because something tells me that I won't feel like spending my first day back chained to the oven. So I think I'll make cornflake cookies and some chocolate chip ones, and 4 or 5 cakes. That should keep body and soul together for the boys.

I was going to go to Aldi and stock up before we leave, but now I think I'll wait until the first weekend of term. I haven't been for nearly 3 months, and my stocks of flour, margarine and pasta are getting low. So we'll just eat out of the pantry, and the boys and I will take 2 trolleys and do the HUGE Aldi shop in a couple of weeks. I love having a big pantry and freezer to be able to do a main shopping trip every 3 months instead of every 3 days. The more I stay out of the supermarket the happier my wallet gets.

Young Molly needs a bath before she goes to my parents' place tomorrow, and the boys are getting haircuts this afternoon after lunch with their Dad. I'll probably get one of them to run the clippers over my head as well, just to look neat. A number 4, so it still has a little length. (Just not much.) Suitcases are coming out today, and the packing begins!! Whoopee!

Daphne and Maris.

Great photo, isn't it?

Nowadays the cats are a good bit bigger. This was taken at Christmas, nearly two years ago. Maris is on the left, and Daphne on the right. You can tell we're huge 'Frasier' fans.

The reason the cats are on here is because of something that happened today. I was doing a quiet spot of weeding and the animals were out in the yard with me. Now I know that Cavaliers are not renowned for being brave and savage creatures, but it's getting a bit pathetic when Maris can leap out from behind a bush, whack Molly on the rump, and then chase her yelping up the path. Then... she did the same thing to Murphy. He was just as useless. I couldn't believe my eyes. The dogs got told off about chasing the cats when they were kittens, but the pendulum has swung a bit too far.

I yelled at Maris and scared her off. She sat under the clothesline and pretended that I hadn't had any effect on her at all. The dogs then came up for a cuddle to calm their nerves. I don't know who I was more disgusted with... the cat or the dogs.

But having said that.... one of the best things I ever did was go to Lort Smith to buy the kittens. Jordan wanted a cat for Christmas after our previous cat, Daisy, was killed, so I went kitten shopping a week before Christmas. The best thing about Lort Smith is the price. It cost only $55 for a kitten, and that price includes desexing, microchipping and vaccinations. How amazing is that?? The second best thing is that you're saving little lives who would otherwise be in a very desperate situation. (Maris was found up a very high tree in Collingwood when she was around 8 weeks old, and Daphne was dumped in a park with the rest of her litter.) The third best thing is how well the people socialise the kittens. They bring them home, litter train them and get them used to being around people. Well worth a phone call if you're looking for a pet and you're not fussed about pedigrees. (For dogs I am, but not for cats...)

I carefully chose Maris after half an hour of evaluating the kittens. She was elegant and her coat went with my decor, so what else could we want? When I was filling in the paperwork for her they brought another litter in. Daphne's little face was peering at me from under the woman's arm, and I fell in love. I squealed with delight at how cute the kitten was and they grabbed her and brought her over. (They're not stupid!)

"Your grey one needs a friend", they said.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" I said, hoping it was male. (We have a rule that we only have female pets. Too many males already without adding more.)

When I was informed it was female, I said "Shit!" like any lady would do.

"Did you want a boy?" they asked.

"NO!" I wailed, and they immediately started filling in the paperwork. If it was a pet shop, where they sell moggies for ridiculous amounts of money (I've seen them for $140) then there's no way I would've come home with two. But for only $55, it was do-able, so I did it.

It's been fantastic having two kittens growing up together. They play together, sleep together, have their little spats and then make up.... it sounds like they're married, doesn't it? But the weird thing is that they really suit their names. Maris can be an absolute .... (w)itch. She's thin, elegant and very into herself. So like Niles' first wife. Daphne, on the other hand, is just like Daphne Moon.... chatty, friendly and always up for a snuggle. I can't take credit for being a brilliant namer... I named them before they came home.

Mum and Dad are home from Bali, so Murph has gone. Jack has been in full biscuit production this afternoon. I think he's up to 120 biscuits and he's still going. It cost him $30 for the makings, including chocolate buds and mini m& m's. These biscuits are HUGE, and very chocolate-y. He wants to charge $1 each, or 3 for $2. He should make a killing. They look fantastic and they taste delicious. Currently I'm flash freezing them before I pack them away in big snap lock bags in the freezer awaiting Friday. I hope he does well.