It's been a
great weekend. Saturday and Sunday the kids and I went to Canberra and took in the spectacular colours of Floriade with a trip to the flower show. And it was spectacular. The flower beds were planted with over
one million blooming bulbs and plants in designs which represent some 16 countries. The garden beds are inspired by flags, iconic symbols, history, flower festivals and traditional gardens from Canada, France, Spain, China, New Zealand, Turkey, England, Netherlands, Japan, America, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, Colombia, Belgium, and Australia. It was fantastic to see. We also went to see
Cockington Green, which catered to the Floriade theme with more fabulous gardens and minature villages and buildings from all around the world.
This morning it's back to reality and a few chores around the house that need attending to. Last weekend my
back step broke while I was taking out a basket of washing and I ended up on my back on the stairs with washing all around me. Carly must have thought it was a funny sight because she stood there and laughed her head off. Until I couldn't get up and then she was a little worried. When I did manage to stand, I was very sore and bruised but could walk okay.
My neighbour from down the road replaced the 3 back steps during the week and told me I had to paint them with a wood preservative, so this morning I was out the back with the spanner and a tin of preservative and the job is done. I could have asked Alex to do it, and he would have jumped at the opportunity. They're both still in bed and the old saying is still true. "If you want something done you have to do it yourself."
Today we're going over to Wagga to collect Kate. She has a week off work and wants to stay with us for her "holidays".
Kate is my sister's child. Not a child really, she's 21, but I can't help to think of her any other way. She isn't as old as Carly in the head and certainly never went through the teenage years, and she has the most fun and argument with Alex, who is 10 years younger than her. She's coming over especially to update her music collection and to download a few songs off the internet. She'll be sleeping in Alex's room and we'll have to clean that up before we go anywhere. Alex isn't the tidiest kid, and more than once I've paid Carly to clean his room.
Alex thinks (and believes) that I'm his slave until he turns 18. Yesterday when we got back from Canberra I asked him to make me a coffee, in appreciation for all the grouse things I bought him while we were there, and his response was that I'm supposed to buy him everything. I'm his mum. I guess that's true, but it irks, because growing up we had very few new things and getting a box of hand-me-downs was like Christmas come early. Neither Carly or Alex have lived like that and think it's their right to get everything they want, and it's my own fault.