Stress and stupidity

Pfffffffff, I am so losing it! We booked flights to Bali. All very exciting of course and then yesterday I realise it's right in the week when it's the City to Surf race (12k) for which I have been training. It's a huge event and it ends near enough at our front door and now I can't take part. Not the end of the world, I know, but still very stupid and annoying.
But now comes the best part. I phone up KLM because I still hadn't received my e-ticket for the flight tomorrow. He says I never paid for the flight and therefore they cancelled the reservation. You can believe my reaction. The boys (and me too) are so much looking forward to going home. How on earth am I going to tell them... Well not, obviously and I asked the guy to see if the flight was still available. And.. luck is with me...it was. I only have to return one day earlier. And pay an awful lot more... boohoohooooooo.
But at least we can go. Just feel really bad towards Jamie as he's the one working and I am spending more money just by being stupid and forgetful. At least I sold our Stokke cot for $500. So that's some money coming in...
Now finish packing and cleaning and let the stress flow out of my body....

Sculpture Course

Yesterday I went to the Fremantle Art Centre for a sculpture course. The art centre is a beautiful old building, built by convicts and it's first use was a lunatic asylum. A Hungarian guy called Viktor was our teacher. It was a small group and everybody else had done sculpting before. We bought a piece of Hebel stone, a man made "stone", which is very easy to carve. I borrowed tools from one of the mums in school I really like, Michelle, who is a sculptress herself. That morning I had woken up at 5am hearing the loud crashing of the waves and they kept me awake, so I decided to make a wave. Also because I thought it would look good in our garden with ocean views. It's hard work! Pfew, certainly feel my arm muscles today! But also great fun and although my sculpture isn't perfect, it still looks alright for a first attempt!
The other bit of news is: I won an i-phone! I entered a competition about Russel Crowe and his new film. I don't care at all about Russel Crowe but I could use an update as my phone is a real old one (can't even take pictures). You had to name his best films and write 25 words why you liked them:

Beautiful Mind, L.A. Confidential and Gladiator are his best films
They stay in your head
You feel in your toe
That's Russel Crowe!


Still haven't got the phone.. need to fill in a form to prove my identity, blablabla
But am happy I will get it at some point (probably after my trip to the Netherlands)

What else.. boys are doing well. Willem has lost 2 teeth now. His reading is improving. They still enjoy multi-sports, swimming and the tennis on Friday afternoons is a real success. The boys love it and I get to sit in the setting sun with a bunch of nice parents from the school and a drink. Makes me feel part of the community.

Thursday night I went out with the mums from Willem's class, Friday night I organised a girls night out to a tapas bar in Leederville. It was a really good night, despite the really heavy rain.
Saturday I ran to Cottesloe (about 8k) and Jamie drove there with the boys to meet our friends on the beach for a swim. In the afternoon we had a leaving party at the Dutch School. One of the dutch mums is leaving. I don't know her very well, only go to the gym with her, but it was nice to catch up with a lot of people.

Here are some photos of the sculpting course. Jamie did well looking after the boys and took them to the beach. They were in their swimming trunks and Willem even went in the sea. It's winter!!!

Estate agent

Last week I phoned our estate agent in Aberdeen. We'd heard the woman who lived in our ground floor flat would leave the end of June. We're glad to see her go. She broke the washing machine, the tumble dryer and she also claimed the lawnmower was broken but we suspect she just didn't want to mow the lawn. Anyway, you can imagine the state of our garden. I don't like that at all as everybody looks after their gardens really well in our street. But that's not even the worst: she also hasn't paid the rent regularly. Anyway, I phoned Lewis, who I always dealt with. I was told he no longer worked for the company. I was surprised and to be honest, it would've been nice to have been informed. The new guy, James, was very understanding and apologetic and would find out about everything as soon as he could after I explained our experience with our first tenant. I received an email today in which he explained their solicitors are now dealing with the rent she still owes us and he also found new tenants for our property starting the beginning of July. A couple signed up for another year for £100 more a month than last year. This time we will include a gardener in the rent, though. Anyway. good news!

Guilford

Today we went to Guildford, an old town about 15 km east of Perth on the Swan River.  It has lots of antique shops and a fabulous old pub, the Rose and Crown.

We had a lovely time. Dinner at Katja's.. perfect ending
Hope your Sunday was just as good.
XXX

PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!

I passed the test, 8.5 reading, 8.5 speaking, 8.5 listening and 7.5 writing. I am so happy!
The results will be forwarded to the Teachers Registration office and they will than assess my file one more time but within 14 days I hope to be a provisional registered teacher! Plan is to do relief for the remainder of this year and maybe will start looking for something more permanent (or fixed term) in 2012 when Frank also goes to school full time.
Last weekend we had a long weekend and we went camping in Yalgorup, south of Perth. It was cold at night but still pleasant during the day and you are allowed fires now so it was lovely. We also had a birthday party for Willem, a farewell party (Sue and Gareth) and dinner at Arjen&Urmila's.. so we were busy!
Willem had a wobbly tooth and it came out yesterday. Frank had his 4 year old vaccinations today. Tennis on Friday evenings is great, it's such a lovely small tennis club and it makes me feel part of City Beach Community.
3 more weeks and then I am flying back to the Netherlands.

 Thrombolites

 Camp site with fire ring

Salty Lake