Gold Paint & Burning Couches!

Lets just say the first week of school holidays was "ok". No major damage, unless you count the fact that the carpets and walls and a few other things upstairs are slightly gold! Courtesy of Madam Maddy! She took it upon herself to spread gold paint all over the upstairs bedrooms and herself - rather liberally I might add! She was, of course naked (any tips for how to get a 2 year old to keep her clothes on will be much appreciated)at the time of the incident and looked as if she had had an encounter with a fake tan bottle!!
The great news is that there will be far more school holidays to endure throughout the rest of this year! Because ...... when we get to Australia, Ross will probably not go to school for the first month (maybe two) and then in December schools there close for 8 weeks!!! I think I shall be suitably "bonded with my kids"!!!
Wait - it gets better!
Madison was due to start full time school in September here in Wales and I discovered recently that she will not be starting school until 2011 in Perth!!! Don't get me wrong, I do LOVE my kids but every mom needs a break and school is good for them. I guess we'll be paying for a few mornings at playschool for Maddy and Gethin until 2011!!
While we're on the whole "school" topic I shall use this opportunity to brag about Ross' reading progress. His teacher printed out a few levels for me to take to Australia and I am very proud to announce that he is at a reading age of a "9 and a half year old". Well done Ross!
Last but not least, I shall take you through the photos for the week. Paul has been talking about this moment for over a year now. Burning the couches!!
Strange for some but very significant to us. We have been putting up with these couches for quite some time now while preparing for this move. They travelled with us from South Africa 7 years ago and have seen us through the last 6 years of messy kids. So, since they were not fit for selling, Paul decided he would dispose of them by burning them. This was no ordinary burning, let me tell you! Anyone who knows Paul, will know he is well known for being very neat and tidy and so this was a very "neat and tidy" bonfire. First, he painstakingly took the couch apart and cut it into smaller pieces.


Next we arranged the bonfire audience to watch from a safe distance so that their ice-creams didn't melt!

And then, Paul very carefully (so as not to spill or make a mess)poured petrol in a steel drum, lit it and proceeded to burn the couch!


This was very symbolic of saying good-bye to our old life in the UK and hoping and praying that our new life in Australia will be all we dream of!
xxx