I’m buggered! I’ve spent the good part of the day with the family at Luna Park. We’ve been promising the kids since last summer that when their cousins came down from Canberra that we’d go to Luna Park. Today was the first chance that we’ve had, usually they’re on a lightning visit and don’t have a spare day.
Tony (Paul’s brother) brought his kids Siobhan (15) and John (13) down with Siobhan’s friend Rose. They live in Canberra and came down at Christmas but decided to come down for a few more days during the holidays. The kids mum Robyn had to work so stayed at home. (Lucky bugger!) They all arrived on Australia Day (Tuesday) so we went over to Bev and John’s  for tea on Tuesday night. Beth must have a boy fetish at the moment (not sure where she gets it from!) She has decided that she’s going to marry John. We have explained to her that you can’t marry your cousin but Beth has an answer for everything and as far as she’s concerned she IS going to marry John. Luckily he takes it with good humour. As she was so chatty with everybody on Tuesday night Tony got to see how well she is talking and said how much she has improved, even since Christmas. It’s so good to hear as he’s not the only person who has said this, my sister’s husband Neil said the same thing last time we saw him. Because Beth is becoming so much more social people get to see her being chatty, especially when other kids are around. It warms my heart to hear this as it means that all that we’ve been doing so far is working and it’s definately all been worth while.
We got to Bev and John’s house at 10am this morning and set off straight away for St Kilda. Beth wanted to go in Uncle Tony’s car with the big kids. We got there just after 11 and got arm bands for everyone. I get to go on everything for free as I have a companion card for Beth. This means that she needs somebody with her at all times, although at 10 years old I think she does anyway. I use it when I can of course, that and my handicapped car parking pass are the only perks in this gig so I may as well use them! Bill was very nervous as he didn’t want to go on any scary rides. Beth is pretty fearless most of the time so I was glad that Siobhan, John and Rose were there to help us out as they could go on the scary rides with her. We started off slow, going on the carousel. We then went on the giant flying elephants, a glorified carousel that was just raised in the air. We then decided to try the ghost train. Rose and Bill sat that one out. Tony took Beth on, I had Bridie with me. It was unbelievably crappy, I had remembered it as being much scarier when I was a kid!
Beth went on a fairly scary ride called G Force. I think she wanted to go on it because she loves the movie G Force! She went on that twice, once with John and once with Tony.
They all decided then to line up for the Scenic Railway. Bill and Bridie gave me the option to cop out and blame it on them! While they waited in line for about 1/2 an hour we went for another Carousel ride and a ride on the little train that goes around the whole park. It was like the trains that go around Knox Shopping Centre. I thought the drivers showed incredible restrain. Even I wanted to shout “Get out of the bloody way” to the morons that gazed around, oblivious to the tooting horn of the train. When we got back to the Scenic Railway we saw them at the exit so realised that we’d missed seeing them on the rollercoaster. Then Tony told me that Beth had backed out. She’d got in the seat and then changed her mind back and forth a couple of times, finally opting to get out. They’d had a go on one of those rides that go up and then straight down again, I think they’re called a bungee tramp or something like that. She obviously hadn’t liked it much and had freaked about the Scenic Railway.
By that time it was 2pm so we went for a little walk to get some lunch. We ended up in Ackland Street and had pies and little chocolates from a nice bakery. It was stinking hot with hardly a breeze. It was meant to be 25 degrees but I’m sure it was hotter. I had put long pants on us all thinking that as we were going to be near the beach it would be windy and cold, but as there were high walls around the park itself we didn’t get much sea breeze. The crowds also made it much hotter so it was a very clammy day. We went back to Luna Park as we still had our unlimited arm bands on but my kids were pretty much stuffed, as was I! There were queues to all the rides so the girls and I headed home and Bill stayed for a little while longer then came home with Tony. Despite my exhaustion it was a fun day and great to spend with the family. They’re all so good with my kids, Beth especially and my kids just love their big cousins, on both sides of the family. We don’t get too much of a chance to see them so of course it was fabulous to spend a whole day with them.
They’re off back to Canberra tomorrow, I think next time they’re here is in August. We’ll see them tomorrow morning as Bev and John have Bill and Bridie while I take Beth to her final appointment with Flaxseed Guy. I hope the virus is all gone, I’ve been so vigilant with the flaxseed oil this time around so it should be. I’ve got an appointment with the Dan Practitioner that Sasha suggested to me. He’s an allergist as well as other things so I think? a step in the right direction. I’ve made it on the 12th Feb, 3 days after our house settles. At least then we can afford it!
