Little Wandering Wren

'Schools there are many, renowned in our story, 
founded by Kings, in the days long ago...'

Last week our son finished at school,  singing the rather apt school song one last time Schools there are many...
His education has spanned nine schools on four different continents.
Despite this, he's turned out alright! Says his Mother ...
Born in Belgium, to British parents, and like all local kids, he started school at two and a half. We had the choice of French, Flemish or our native English schools. We wanted him to be good at languages, unlike his parents, so we choose a French Maternelle school. 

He had passed the only entry requirement, which was to be fully potty trained with flying colours. In those early days, he had a teddy bear in his locker which he would nap with during sleep time, after he'd eaten a three course cooked school lunch. Extreme weather meant on snow days the school was closed.


When he was three we moved to Australia where they were horrified at the previous lo…

For the past six years I've been in 
oval therapy.

This involves
wandering around in circles, 
always in a clockwise direction,
around a cricket or footy oval,
with a pack of dogs, and a good friend or two
 putting the world to rights.


There was nothing that we couldn't sort out during our  oval therapy sessions.
When I think back over the years we've covered some pretty big issues
including this years classics...
So... 
'Have you decided whether you're moving to 
Shanghai, Beijing or Kuala Lumpur?'
That was January this year.
We stayed.

or in August

'How's your daughter going in Liberia?'
She left.




Some of the more trickier discussions took 
up more than one morning in the park.
Ebola for instance has been a hot topic 
over many weeks now...

The Crazy Poodle and I 
first visited Rathmines Reserve, Hawthorn East
 as a puppy 
when I needed a safe haven 
for his first off lead adventures.

The park is an easy stop off 
on my way home after the school run.



It quickly became part of ou…

Shhhhh - Let's get Wordless

Spring shines brightly in our street


Our trees burst forth with a'look at me'pazazz! under our brilliant blue skies.

It's a time for long walks in the parks

Or to to flop and recover!

and watch swans in love  on the banks of the Yarra...

Until the sun goes down in the city

Spring is a special time of the year in Melbourne!
This post has been inspired by Lady Fi with her wonderful post Bedazzling for Our World Tuesday. I thought I would show you the  Aussie Spring equivalent!
With grateful thanks to Lady Fi

Linking With Our World Tuesday Thank you to  hosts: Arija,Gattina, Lady Fi,Sylvia,Sandy, Jennifer

With the footy Grand Final behind us  Melbourne turns her attention, with a nod of a stylish fascinator, to the start of the VictorianSpring Racing Carnival.
Today was the Thousand Guineas, one of the big horse races of the season, but I didn't go.
I am hatless  and we are horseless!

For the past five years   we have enjoyed life at the races as a bit part Owner. We never had more than a hoof and a tail...
Twelve months ago our horse  was even entered for the Caulfield Thousand Guineas  at one point.
What a difference a year makes! Today are at home watching the race on the television. The crazy poodle goes bananas barking at the horses.

He had an unfortunate experience as a youngster when he disgraced himself with excitement  originally over a chicken on the run, but the whole moment turned completely sour when he realised he also had the attention of twenty elite thoroughbreds...
The crazy poodle has never forgotten, and neither have we!


This week our current horse was sold. Little Miss Hussy is off to en…

Whilst my family in Europe   are starting to think about winter we're seeing some delightful signs of summer.
First of all we bought quarter finals tickets to  the 2015 Australian Open. Apart from the beach,  nothing scream summer  more than the tennis! ... oh, and maybe the cricket!
This week was the start of term four Our son has five days left at school, ever. So we have various end of year events Speech Night and Valedictory Dinner,  and not to mention his final exams, then he has three months summer holidays off before university starts.
This weekend I am running in the Run4Refugees team at the Melbourne marathon hopefully my knees hold up for 5 kms! It is going to be 27 degrees we're in that summer mode of thinking;  water, sunscreen, hats...
I have modified this picture to join in  with the wonderful bloggers at  Mandarin Orange Monday!

Have a lovely week everyone!

Linking with Orange You Glad it's Friday
Mandarin Orange Monday - Thanks Lori!

I live in a great street in Melbourne. It is certainly not the best street in our suburb... We're down the hill from the posh houses of the Golden mile and up from the railway line.
It is good. We get the runoff from the posh peoples' watering systems and we're closer to the train station in the morning.
OK let's be honest  so, we're a long way from the posh houses,  and live on top of the railway line... We love our street!

We have a street Christmas party where all the neighbours are invited and we have a pretty good Neighbourhood Watch thing happening. We do each others bins, mail and pets when we travel and the big kids babysit the little kids.
When a house is sold we all turn out to see who is moving in. When the new people buy and bulldose a house It's impromptu street party time. We're are all out there with interest!

It's not that easy buying your perfect dream house in Melbourne. For a start it's consistently voted one of the world's most liveable cities. S…