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Weddings, Girls Nights, Ducks, Playgrounds, Good Food & Bad Neighbours...
This fortnight has been our first since becoming officially "homeless" and leaving our rental property in Harrington.
It had been a strange couple of weeks - the sudden realisation that this was it, we were literally carrying our life on our back... however the fear was removed when we arrived here on the NSW Central Coast to visit family and friends before our long trip inland. At Phil's brother's wedding, we were reminded the importance of family, and the small moments you have with them each day. All was going well... we managed to enjoy ourselves, get into our routine of Homeschooling Axel with his Distance Ed material (more on that later) and begin a few final preparations before the Open Road.
However, never a family for a dull fortnight, we ended it by being handed a notice of removal thanks to the friendly local rangers! But I will tell you all the good news first...
Of course, our arrival was wonderful. Many family attended the wedding that we hadn't seen in many years. Axel and Jovi spent a night at my sister's house, which was most exciting for them... and a strange occurance for us to be kid-free... something we doubt to have for a while yet! The wedding was lovely. The couple had a wonderful, classic church ceremony followed by a cocktail reception at Copacabana... after a few sherberts and tarts, I was shaking the Nutbush until I was dragged off the dancefloor! Needless to say, it was a great night and we were so happy to have been here to be apart of.
Last weekend, the drinking continued with me being allowed out to play with some of my girlfriends... I grew up in this area so anytime we can get together for a drink and a laugh (without husbands or children!) is taken advantage of... although, we all realised in our old age, that the stroke of midnight turns us all into pumpkins! A few classic shots of us surfaced on Facebook and I apologised profusely for any behaviour unbecoming of a lady the day after... This clearly needs to be curbed before we frequent many caravan parks resplendant of tut-tutting Grey Nomads!
So enough of my unsober habits! We did spend a lot of time with the kids (and without vacuum flasks LOL!)... In fact, one particular trip was to Patonga, South of Umina. Memories of camping in Patonga with my family involve my cousin practising his bivouac skills, fishing (and only catching toadfish), and the unfortunate event that produced the appendage referred to by my family and friends as "Stumpy"... Patonga playground consisted of one of those Mach-3 Gravatron-style turnabouts where many a kid wore their fish and chips home, a few tyre swings and one of those huuuuuuge metal slides that would burn you on the way down... as well as launch you four feet into the air before hitting hard asphalt - no Soft-Fall in my day!
Council has updated it (and keeps it VERY well maintained) into a park that would make any kid impressed... Swings, climbing frame, multiple slides and Disable-friendly. We had packed a picnic, so we were able to enjoy a lovely lunch and play, followed by a mass duck feeding. The site fees are a little pricey for this time of year, but Phil and I have decided to definately consider it in the future.
Another park that has changed considerably since our youth is Kibble Park in Gosford. I remember vaguely it was once a mecca of playgroups and magicians, but in recent years it had become the playground of vagrants and druggies. It has been refurbished and the druggies sent on to create a lovely little spot to grab a cuppa and a sit in the shade while the kids manouver the Spideweb climbing frame. Or your husband does.
After a full day of playing, sightseeing and schooling the children ourselves, at the moment it has been a relief to have the In Law's to return to - we had been using the kitchen and bathrooms (obviously) but sleeping in the van at night at the back of their property. They back onto bushland, so it had been ideal. I cook meals in return for our stay and tapping into their power... everything from Moroccan tagine with Vegetarian tenders to delicious 4 ingredient Chicken & Spinach... We are primarily vegetarian and I have been trying to introduce some of my favourite recipes to the In Laws (although the chicken I made the other night was wonderful! See the recipe below...). I feel my pants getting tighter and tighter as we indulge at the moment - the feast before the famine perhaps? A 3km run is helping, and I am currenly completing the C210k (Couch to 10Kms) program... I need to find a route that DOESN'T pass Bakers Delight... those Blueberry & White Choc scones will be my ultimate undoing!!!
So, here we are, fed, watered, living life daily and enjoying ourselves fully with family and friends... you would think life is perfect, right? Well, clearly someone is jealous. An anonymous nrighbour decided to call Council and inform them of our "dwelling" behind the In Laws. Firstly, I must point out, they live on a battleaxe, backing bushland. We don't do anything but sleep in the van to get the kids used to it... although there is plenty of room in the house, we thought best to get them used to it now. At night, we would eat in the house and only go up to the van at 8pm to put the kids to bed and read ourselves. We were up at 5.30 and in the house by 6am. We weren't cooking in the van, we weren't even playing music in there. But the rangers appeared with a notice of removal for the van yesterday... we have until 5pm tomorrow to move the van from behind my In Law's house or else it will be forcibly removed... Not a huge deal, as we are now sleeping in the house anyway, but a royal pain... Some people are just so damn petty... we aren't hurting anyone, and if they just came over to see us and ask what we are doing, we would have been happy to have informed them.
Such is life I guess! So where will we be next fortnight??? Who knows...
- comments
Louisa Nic you are making me feel very home sick. :) You also sound like your having alot of fun. Enjoy your trip and your time with hubby and the kids.