Tess got an early mark from school on Friday because she went up to the farm with Jules, Craig and Darcy. Tom was given the option but after much deliberation he decided that he couldn't miss rugby training and his rugby match on Saturday so it was agreed that we'd go up with Lisa, Hunter and Fletcher on Saturday morning after the boys' various fixtures.
Friday night at training was bitterly cold and quite a few jealous glances were thrown at my warm cozy gloves. Tom was very pleased he didn't miss training as they have started focusing heavily on tackling. Up until now he has played touch rugby but once he's in under-8s next year they play proper rugby and he can't wait to start tackling - he's not stupid, he can see that he's one of the bigger boys!
It rained quite a lot Friday night and also Saturday morning and Tom was playing at Long Reef which is right on the coast so the wind and rain came howling through but it was a great match and Tom was very happy he didn't miss it. After the match we raced home, Tom had a quick shower to remove all the mud and we picked up Lisa, Hunter and Fletcher before heading up to the farm.
Normally when we go to the farm, even just for a weekend, the 2 four-wheel drives are bursting at the seams with all the things we consider "essential". This time we agreed to take a "de minimus" approach and it was amazing how much room we had and do you think we missed a thing - not at all!
This farm trip we did a lot of exploring. With the kids that much older we're able to do proper bush walks with them which is fantastic. On Sunday we did a huge walk involving some seriously steep climbs and amazing views once at the top and the kids managed it all easily (with the exception of Darcy who needed to be carried the entire way!).
At the top we took a rare group photo.
Tess loves tree climbing. It's something she's always loved and I suspect always will. Unfortunately tree climbing is not without it's risks including getting horrible scratches, getting stuck and falling. This tree was the Horrible Scratches kind.
Sleep has never been something we get much of at the farm and this weekend was no different. The four older kids were up at 5.15 chatting, not even remotely quietly, in their room. Craig gave in at about 5.40 and got up to throw some logs on the fire to warm up the house (I slept in singlet, winter pyjamas, fleece and thick wooly socks) but the rest of us stayed in our beds for as long as possible (around 7am) cursing the children and their early rising.
There was amazing mist over the valley on Sunday morning. This is the Capertee Valley which apparently is the widest canyon in the world.
In a previous blog I wrote about how Craig needs to get up on the roof every time we go to the farm. Well here he is again!
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