Storm boy

 These school holidays have certainly been chock full of things to do. Jack did some art classes at the Fremantle Arts Centre as well as taking in a show or two. We saw Tim Winton's Blueback at the Spare Parts Puppet Theatre in Fremantle. Blueback is the story of a boy and a grouper growing up together but of course is about so much more. Life, death and the environment. My favourite bit is the Q & A session at the end where kids get to ask the puppeteers questions. 

On Saturday night we went to see the play version of Colin Thiele's Storm Boy  in the city. Jack was off colour on the day and I was concerned we would have to cancel, but he rallied and we were able to go. 

It's such a beautiful story and I still remember seeing the film with my grandparents (and sobbing about the plight of Mr Perceval the pelican that Storm Boy raises). I'd forgotten about the other pelicans in the story and was surprised at how funny the story was. 

The production used puppets for the pelicans and was unbelievably good. I didn't sob but I did get teary. How could you not?

And then the next day we saw this fellow by the river. Mr P. 

 

Antarctic Vortex WA Style

Yesterday Jack and I went skating in Fremantle (as you do). After debating the merits of taking a 3 year old on the ice I decided it was best to take one child at a time. I know Diane worries about Sam missing out but he more than makes up for it when Jack is at school. And the thought of Sam on skates...

Jack had never skated before but had gleaned some knowledge from Peppa Pig and Frozen. After a wobbly start (I haven't skated in a long time) we were both doing fairly well as we dodged penguins, flying children and wobbly adults. It was fun and not too cold (note to self to ditch the beanie). I think the remaining sessions are all booked out which is a shame because this seems to have whet our appetites. 

 

Lucky the film star

This ad popped up at the cinema today. It certainly reminded me of how much I miss our lucky dog. 

ODDBALL Official Trailer (2015) Sarah Snook Famil…: http://youtu.be/_tE7thjLAJ0

Let it Snow!

There's been much excitement for weeks about the forecasted snow and ice here. Hard to believe because it's usually between 20 and 24 degrees. Of course the snow is fake and the ice is in the form of temporary ice rinks in Perth and Fremantle for wintergarden.
I've booked tickets for Jack and I to go skating in Fremantle and today we saw the Perth rink and snow slide and snow dome. The rink, in true Perth style, was beside a big screen televising the afl (Freo vs Brisbane). And through the middle of all this came the people who had been marching for marriage equality in all their, rainbow sparkly wonderfulness.
Sadly the snow slide is all booked out but Jack and I got to try out the dome. Not filled with real snow but weird stuff that is snow-like but kinda smelly. It was slippery as anything and I had to try hard to stay upright even with small children pelting me in the bum and face with snowballs. How did that happen?

Sunday shenanigans

So it's the first weekend of school holidays here and Jack and I really pushed the boat out. We had morning tea at koko black, went to the theatre, had a sushi lunch in Northbridge and investigated the Perth wintergarden. And visited the art gallery. Oh my giddy aunt.
Big cities certainly have a lot to offer and I find myself wanting to try all of the food and activities. Better pace myself before I go bankrupt or burst.

Reports

Jack got his report on Wednesday. It was good, especially considering he only started 3rd grade one term ago. He also had a breakthrough on the social side when he finally got to trade Pokemon cards with his friends.
According to his teacher it's a tough cohort to crack so in spite of previous experiences finding animal or footy cards everywhere  (and I mean everywhere) we got him some cards to trade to give him an in. Especially after he made his own but no one wanted to swap. The first lot were a bit run of the mill but Noel and Diane (with some help) got the right cards and success!
Yesterday we went to our favourite cafe, Lenny the Ox to celebrate good reports, pokemon and german cheesecake.

Visitors

Winter

When we moved here we made sure that we packed all our bikes, even mine which hasn't been ridden in a very, very long time. The idea was that Simon would ride to work and the rest of us would use the wonderful bike paths around here. Well, none of that happened till Monday. 

The weather while Noel and Diane was here was not great, certainly not the balmy winter we'd been experiencing. However, the day after they left it was warm and sunny and beautiful. Sam and I drove to school to pick up Jack (unusual as we always walk) and we drove down to south beach. The boys donned their helmets (very unfremantle) and hopped on their bikes.They decided to go left so we headed in the direction of what is known as dog beach. The cycling paths are very popular so I had to keep reminding Jack to stick to his side (LEFT!LEFT!LEFT JACK!) but all went well. We had a picnic on the beach, met some nice pooches and the boys had a paddle. In Winter.