Tuesday, 30 December 2014

Merry Christmas, beaches!


On Christmas Eve the boys were very excited, as was I to be fair. Although still not quite in the spirit of Christmas we spent the day making things and dancing along to Christmas songs. We established quite early on my strangled-cat impressions (singing) was not fair on anybody's ears. After we had dinner we all went outside to draw arrows for Santa to know where to go and also outlines of the people in the house. The boys were actually wearing Christmas hats but I don't remember a cape. Sam sprinkled his reindeer oats on the grass and there was water and carrots left for the reindeers. The boys went to bed and the elves got to work... not before the boys got up a couple of times with varying excuses as to not being able to sleep. The boys told me I had to draw the blinds back in the bedroom because then I could see in to where Santa would be leaving presents and I might spot him, unfortunately I didn't see him :( 

CHRISTMAS DAY! I woke up at 5 but was allowed to drift off until 6 when the boys came to wake me up. He's been, he's been! - I couldn't believe myself, now I'm 25 I must be getting old, the only thing I wanted was a cup of tea, never mind the presents. So I made a brew and the boys got to work on their stockings. I too had a stocking, which was a very pleasant first. Can't believe it, I'm still getting an apple and orange. Damn it Santa! Give it up already. Although I did eat the apple... the orange went back in to the fruit bowl, it's a Christmas tradition. The only orange I ate from that stocking was the matchmakers mmmmm orangey goodness. The ping pong ball was for the ping pong table that Santa brought, we've not yet hosted a tournament but we certainly should. After all the presents were opened it was croissants for breakfast and getting ready for a traditional Aussie Christmas - at the beach.  





One tradition that has been embraced by the family through Charlotte is pigs in blanket. I had an appreciative moment of silence when I was stuffing my cheeks with the delicious pork sensation. If you don't know what pigs in blankets are then you need to go and reevaluate your life, go and sit in the corner and think about what you've wasted your years doing. After going in for a dip and making Cam facepalm because I went in to the water near the rocks like a moron, I got out and had a cider and sat with my hat and the reindeer ears to embrace the Christmas weather. After the cider and drying off it was clearly time to go and jump back in the sea, I got Archie's board and got some lessons from Cam on how to carry and stay on the board, the first few times I succeeded with his help... then he left me to it... eep. Luckily they weren't massive waves as my skills are not up to scratch. I was only lying down, of course, I could just about manage that, never mind standing on it, ooosh that would be tricky. It started becoming so addictive. I had already took the board back, ate sushi (a traditional Christmas dish, obviously!) before going back in to body surf, Charlotte came in to tell us we were leaving, so I told myself just one more, I told myself that several times. Then Charlie decided to teach me how to dive under the waves, so as not to potentially get caught by a biggun and drown. So under we went, again, and again, and again. I wasn't really getting the hang of it; I could get under but it was knowing when to get up, I think I stayed under too long. By the time I got out my ear was blocked full of water. WHAT? WHAT DID YOU SAY? 


 We dried off and rubbed the sand off ourselves as best we could before heading home. At one stage I felt myself starting to toast so I had put more suncream on, this was whilst eating the sushi. Hair sufficiently wet (it's the rules remember!), we were on our way home, an hour at the beach had turned out to be a few but we all had a lot of fun in the sun. Not a cloud in sight and beautiful sand and sea. 


The way to get to that beach is across an extremely bumpy compressed sand path so we had all been cheering like we were on a roller coaster with our arms in the air on the way down.

We got back and in amongst playing and eating smarties we got the table ready for tea and guess what we had? (You cheated by looking at the picture didn't you? Spoil sport.) Prawns. Mmmmm. Not quite turkey and I certainly couldn't make a butty out of it later but they were delicious. As was the fish Cam prepared. I ate away until I was stuffed, now that IS a Christmas tradition. Although peeling a prawn and getting brains all over me was not such a good thing, not my brains, there's nothing in there to explode, no, I meant prawn brains. The brains wasn't anywhere near funny, "poo vein" however, the boys were laughing at that for quite a while. 

From the moment we had got back it was blatantly obvious that I'm not at all flexible with my arms and clearly find difficulty in suncreaming my back; I need to make sure I make some friends when I travel who are willing to generously apply. I have a big X marks the spot on my back, it's still there five days on and delicate. I made sure I got aloe vera gel slopped on to help. It's definitely going to peel but if you're looking for pirate treasure then I hope it fades before you find me. The shoulders also caught the red and two of the neighbours think I have more colour about me than when they took me to Perth a week ago. This said from a fellow Ginger makes all the difference, we notice the subtle differences, from see-through to white is a change of epic proportions for a Ginger. My legs also got an odd burn on them, nothing quite as clear cut as the X but more of a shaded on burn. I think it was just the direction I was sat in the sun post-sea pre-reapplication. 

After dinner we went and had a drink with the neighbours and they seemed to have the entire family around! There were hordes of them. It's really lovely when you get family together and I enjoy the atmosphere and the conversation, but it's also nice when they all scootch back to their own home, I wonder if the neighbours are of the same opinion. Luckily for us boxing day was sat lazing and doing very little, I'm making the most of these days whilst they last. Got to hold on to the precious things in life. I literally did not much... I'm having to concentrate to remember... nope. 

The following day was the day Grandma arrived. First time she's been to Australia to find 4 of her Grandchild here. Just missing the other 10 and she'd have the set. When we were waiting for Charlotte to return from Perth with Grandma, I realised it was exactly one month since I arrived. Jeeze, a month already, well that's disappeared quickly. Better make sure I squeeze plenty in to the next 11 months. 


The next day I got a lie in! 9:30! It felt like such a win. After leisurely having breakfast and getting myself ready I wondered down to the beach and had a quick dip before walking home. I don't know if it's been all the food and booze but, this walk I've done many times before had my legs aching and tightening. I clearly need to participate in some exercise, although I am leaving my gym things here ;). In the evening I went to the outdoor cinema at Cape Mentelle with the neighbours and their nephew. I was chilling on a low seat with blankets and wine, lots of wine. It was a beautiful experience, the film was good, the company lovely, the wine was nice. What a divine evening. 

The next day I had to face the music... it was time to step out of this fantastic comfort zone and security blanket of staying with my gorgeous family and start what I got my visa for... to adventure. I had talked and thought about what to do but it only got me feeling distressed. I knew I wanted to go to the Southbound festival but trying to organise it with the lack of transport was becoming frustrating so I gave up. Fortunately I found the "f*** it" attitude I needed (after a mini motivational speech from Grandma) and threw myself in to getting it sorted. So it's done, first part of the adventure is booked and I'm ready to go, for a good 40 minutes afterwards I was trembling, excitement, fear, adrenaline... lack of food. Come the new year the adventure will hopefully be a lot more, watch this space! 

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