Concert night

Jules writing blog tonight (yes special permission is sometimes give).  Monday night saw years 3 to 6 of Balgowlah Heights Public School put on their Performing Arts evening.  Tess took part in junior band playing her clarinet - Lullaby and Day O were the pieces.  She also had her first performance as part of the dance group.  The group did a nice little "gone fishin'" act where they danced around, half as fishes and half as fishermen in brightly coloured costumes.  Very sweet.  Lenka's social commentary bit now - lots of wriggling bored younger children in the audience were all gradually handed their parents iphones to shut them up.  Lenka remarked to the lady next to her that in the old days the little ones would get a piece of paper and a pencil to do some drawing and a lolly.  The lady said "yes but it's so much better for their teeth [authors note - the iphone not the paper].

Weekend saw Lenka on cake baking and stall manning duty at the Balgowlah Heights Public school fundraiser to capture funds from people voting during the local elections.  No voter dared not cough up to the Balgowlah Public School mums who were on duty (the police riot squad call them in if things look like they might really get out of hand in Manly on Saturday nights).   Then Lisa, Hunter, Fletcher and Darcy came over on Saturday night and the kids all played their various musical instruments. 

Meantime I had an important mission with Craig to deliver the mini bike to the farm and also to check out Craig's new motorbike which Stuart the farm manager had found for him.  Stuart turned up on Saturday and since we were kicking around he decided to put us to work. We soon had our very own version of "City Slickers" going as Stuart had us chopping down trees, chopping logs and herding cattle with motorbikes.  Once we had the cattle corralled in yard they were drenched and Stuart converted the bullocks into steers with a firm hand and a sharp penknife.  Through our various tasks Stuart imparted his wisdom through clouds of cigarette smoke.  From the mechanical state of his truck - the "effing cnts fked" to what to do if some punter from Sydney gets your expensive chainsaw stuck in a large tree which starts to fall down "let the fing bar go with the fing tree".  What could be a more perfect day - lots of dangerous toys to play with and a big fire under the stars in the middle of nowhere with a few beers to end with. 

Back to reality on Sunday and we all went up to Tania Park on top of the Dubroyd Head.  Glorious sunny afternoon with the kids practicing skidding on their bikes on the gravel and then some rugby ball kicking practice.  

Lenka here - I've commented before on the length of Tess' legs compared to mine which results in Tess being a much faster runner and I've taken a photo to prove my point.  Many of you will consider me brave to have my legs photographed next to my daughters and indeed I think I am!  If you imagine me in teeny tiny shorts (don't try too hard as it's not an attractive thought) you will see that Tess' legs are seriously only marginally shorter than mine.  I rest my case.