Where is my Spring?

It's another hot, sweltering day here in South East Queensland, although it doesn't seem that long ago we were all complaining about how cold it was.

Honestly, this year we seem to have skipped from Winter straight into Summer. We had a beautiful Spring ... it lasted for about a week before the heat set in.

The kids are on holidays from school for two weeks, so the good thing about this weather is that we can justify throwing towels and sunscreen into the car and heading to the beach.

Not that we often do. We don't live that far from the coast really: about an hour's drive, so you wouldn't think it would be that difficult.

Unfortunately, when it's this hot, sometimes it just seems easier to stay at home. Maybe we should make more of an effort to get out though.

My littlest Caveman and I had the house to ourselves this afternoon, as his sister is at a friend's house overnight and his Dad and brother were out playing golf.  My little boy had already spent plenty of time outside, before coming into the house to play Minecraft on the computer (what is it about that game that kids love so much anyway?).

I was sorting out laundry when he got my attention by dramatically slapping his hand to his forehead.

'Oh I'm so silly!' he gasped, 'I've spent all this time inside when I could have been outside.'

'Well, yes,' I responded enthusiastically, glad he'd finally seen the light. 'That's why computers are bad for you.'

'No, Mum,' he said, 'I meant in my computer game I've spent all day in the house I built, when my character could have been outside instead!'

Well. So much for that life lesson.

On the upside, he really hadn't been on the computer long, and then only in the heat of the day when I'd prefer for him to not be out in the sun anyway.

We're still going to the beach these holidays though.

I spy ... fresh breath!!

I had the funniest game of 'I Spy' with my 6 year old in the car yesterday morning.

It's not unusual for him to want to play I Spy - it's one of his favourite car games. We were on our way to school, just the two of us, and we had fun going through the usual objects.

He went first.  "I spy with my little eye something beginning with G."   "Grass?"  No.  "Gravel?"  No.  Turned out it was Garden. 

My turn.  I chose the letter T.  Tree.  Too easy, he got it first go.  

Although, I don't mind admitting, I will purposely give easy ones if I'm not really in the mood to play.  Also, it's only six minutes to school in our car, so we tend to keep it pretty simple anyway.  

Well, that's the theory.

"I spy with my little eye something beginning with P", came the voice from the back seat.  No worries, I thought.  "Posts?"  No.  "Power poles?"  No.  "Power lines?"  No.  Hmm.

"Is it inside the car or outside the car?"  I asked.  Inside.  I had a quick glance around me, trying to work out what the answer could be, but he was so excited about me having trouble that he jumped in with, "Do you give up, Mum?"  Okay mate, I give up.

With glee, he announced, "It's my Powerful breath!"  What??  At this stage I was thinking maybe I should have checked he'd brushed his teeth before we headed off, until he explained it further.

"Before we left, I had one of your mints and the packet said it would give me Powerful Fresh Breath."

I swear, he said it with Capitals.

It probably did give him really fresh breath too, but how he thought I’d be able to ‘spy’ that (especially with him sitting behind me in the car) I’ll never know.

At least I can be proud that he reads the packaging – and the makers of Eclipse mints would be thrilled to know their labelling has had an impact!