#1898 Saturday 13 October

What a day! 
Since the forecast was for heavy rain ..... and Casey doesn't have a driver's licence at the moment.... I thought that we'd drive up to the Cunderdin museum.   (More about that later.)

On the way home, Kaylia was hit by a bad anxiety attack.  None of the usual fixes worked and she was a mess .... Big time!  When we got home, even a bubble bath didn't help.  ....so I resorted to the "cuddle and croon" method.  Kaylia finally went to sleep shortly before Naomi got home from work at 3 ... and then slept till 5pm!  I'm glad she doesn't have those attacks very often.. it wasn't very nice.

 

Now .... the museum.  This museum is located in the pumping station from the steam powered days of the Goldfields pipeline.  It includes the pumping equipment   .....  to the right you can see Kaylia standing next to one of the pumps.  There were originally three of these.

The steam engine is the dark green part to the right .... and the pump is the light green part behind Kaylia.

plus a lot of old farming memorabilia..

Here Kaylia is standing on a railway carriage.

 

Here she is sitting in a period school desk in what was the school house of the day....  I think she finds it hard to accept that this is school!

I can remember doing duty to fill the inkwells with ink at these desks ..... and using the pen that was dipped into the inkwell to write with.

It's a far cry from the school that Kaylia knows!  [fortunately!!]

... and the museum has a simulation of a house in an earthquake.

 

This structure moves and makes sounds as if an earthquake were actually happening.  It's fairly realistic!

#1897 Thursday 11 October

Kaylia is right back in her school groove ....... loving every moment of the day because every moment is either re-living the excitement of the day just past ..... or reveling in the anticipation of the day to come!  What a girl!  We are so glad that she is happy.

Today I heard a rustling noise outside ..... and behold!  Our big black skink is now TWO big black skinks!


 This photo is looking down from the 'bridge' near the front door. 


The rectangular object that the skinks are under is about a metre wide

... so it gives you an idea of how big the lizards are.

Egernia kingii, King's skink, is a species of skink native to coastal regions of south-western Australia and is common on Rottnest Island and Penguin Island and some coastal areas with open forest and open heath. It is a large, heavy-bodied black skink that can reach a length of 55 cm with a mass of 220 gm.

#1896 Wednesday 10 October

Kaylia has had her usual exhilarating day at school and all the way home she was hyper!  What a brilliant girl!




Naomi has finished her 3 day course in Melbourne and  she's on QF481 south of Kangaroo Island at 36,000ft altitude as I write.  Using "Flight Tracker" on my phone I can see exactly where the plane is.  QF481 is the red icon on the blue line.



  Kaylia is very excited with the prospect of driving to the airport in an hour's time to pick up mummy!

#1895 Tuesday 9 October

 

This morning she's rarin' to go!  She recited the names of all her teachers and classmates this morning.  She's keen and smiling from ear to ear.   We have to be careful to not increase her excitement even further.

..... oh .... By the way..... did you see this morning's stupidity?   91 scientists submit a report  on the future of the environment to the government ..... and the report's conclusions don't suit the government ....... so the minister .... who clearly must be much more qualified and trained than the report writers ...... says that the report is wrong!  

This all feels like Orwell's "1984" is really here ... complete with "right speak" and "double speak".  If you haven't read the book, do so!

#1894 Monday 8 October

School tomorrow!  I've been telling her all the steps of the morning coming......  wake up.... shower .... breakfast.... pack your bag..... get in the car ......and she's smiling from ear to ear!

Today it has been many episodes of bubble bath.  I worry that it's too much..... but then I justify it as the last day of the holidays.

#1893 Sunday 7 October

Naomi has flown over to Melbourne today to attend a 3 day course ...... and came a cropper with daylight saving!  No buses from the airport to the city!

 Kaylia is very happy ..... she has ONE DAY left till she goes to school!  I ask her "Are you happy? and she responds "HAPPY!!"
School is such a huge part of her life.  As I write, she's in her room and I can hear her quietly saying "School on Tuesday"


Today is another sad day for the children on Nauru ...... the Australian government still refuses to bring them to Australia for medical attention ..... and now the Nauruan government has ordered the immediate expulsion people who have been providing onsite medical services!  How can those people in authority be so mindlessly cruel.