I'm still beside myself!  There was a KOALA in the tree next to Heath and Jessica's classrooms this afternoon at pickup.  I was standing chatting to some of the lovely new mum's that have made me feel so welcome.  One of them tapped me on the shoulder and pointed and said 'there's a koala over there'.  They all laughed (but really really nicely!!) at how excited I was.  I am so used to kangaroos, we just go 'oh yes, another kangaroo....' but a KOALA!!!!!!!!!  They are used to them and it's just another koala.   Of course we had to drive home, collect my camera, and drive back to school so I could photograph him and believe it properly.  I'm still breathless.  What a wonderful part of the world. 

We are beginning to feel like we are settling in.  The kids are completing their 3rd day at their lovely new school which just seems exceptional.  They are enjoying it and have made some new friends.  I am incredibly relieved by this.  Their teachers are both great, Heath's in particular who as usual I have more call to be involved with because of his special needs. I've started meeting some of the other parents.  That is really great for us and for us to settle in to the school and local community.  A number of them invited me along to have coffee with them this morning.  I enjoyed it so much.  This appears to be an area filled with great people.  Mostly they are the parents from Grade 3.  The parents from Grade 6 don't appear to turn up to school as many of the local kids ride their bikes there.  We are a short drive down the highway so that's absolutely not an option for us.  It makes me feel impatient to get our own ho...

There were shining happy faces this morning.  I'll let the photos do the talking for me.  Today is Heath and Jessica's first day at their new school.  The kids got ready all by themselves and on time.  They love their new uniforms.  So do I.  We got there beautifully early so that we could buy their new school bags and their school hats. I have the Official Trials to photograph at the Cranbourne Training Complex tomorrow.  I'm looking forward to meeting everyone there.

Today was a challenge.  Despite my best efforts last night I couldn't get the house below 25 degrees by the morning.  It stayed stubbornly at 30 degrees until after midnight.  Call me an absolute pansy, but I find the heat debilitating.  I've been told this is a slur on me, but I just can't function in it.  Particularly when there is nothing I can do to make myself or my children more comfortable.  An ill northwind blew strongly.  It was too hot for the beach or anywhere.  This morning we went and got the kids' their school uniforms.  I am again bleeding money and this is an expensive exercise.  They do look gorgeous in them and they are both genuinely excited.  My uncle, brother-in-law and nephews turned up with our washing machine (oh joy....) in the afternoon and after this we sought refuge at Lyn's house.  By the time I got there my head was splitting with a vice like grip on it and poor Jessica was pink in the face and he...

I wish I could say our first day was a more memorable but it's been very quiet.  I've done some shopping and unpacking.  We had a slow start to the day because Jessica's cough is still persisting and I had a bad night with her.  She's not coughing terribly frequently, but when she does it's difficult for her to breathe.  We all ended up feeling a worn out by the heat today. Our house is disappointingly hot and the real estate agent is so far silent on the missing roof insulation.  It got to 32 degrees inside and I realise that tomorrow will be worse.  I am under no illusions that this is going to make me feel very shouty before tomorrow is out. By 4pm it was too hot inside and we were all tired and hot and cross so I piled us all into Dan (who's clutch was smelling terrible and he sounded noisier than normal) and we drove to the beach at Point Leo.  When I came out of the water one of the lifeguards began talking to me.  He was lovely and...