After dropping the kids off I headed into the office. More than half of the staff were away on leave days. I spent a couple of hours there, starting to work out the succession planning process and actioning some key items.Maria and I took Effie to Max Brenner (Chocolate Bar/Café) for a sweet morning tea. We just love the place – in small doses. We look forward to visiting them again when we get to Sydney in the future.
The kids have a half–day on Fridays. We hung out with them throughout the afternoon, part of which involved the antics of a number of local cats. One of the cats, which the kids named “the mummy cat” when we first got here (for good reason…read on) has once again given birth to kittens, holed up in a makeshift burrow behind our large palm tree. This is third litter we are aware of she has had since we’ve been here. She was also the mother of Ben & Gabi’s “Fluffy” who unfortunately disappeared a couple of months ago. Anyway, there are five male cats which are on “the mummy cat’s” case (if you get my drift). Normally I wouldn’t take too much notice, but two of them cry like newborn babies with bronchitis, so I’ve taken responsibility for protecting this female cat using whatever means are necessary to deal with these two ferrel cats. It should be noted that Effie has been keenly feeding the female cat a few times a day so she can provide milk to her babies. We’ve seen four tiny kittens, which are just getting their tiny voices, but are still too small to venture out. If we weren’t leaving so soon, I would have probably kidnapped one for the kids.
Maria and Effie went out for a “girls video night” with some of her closest friends, in an attempt to cry. I’m not about to discuss this intimate time, but can say that I know she was appreciative for being able to share her tears and pain.
As it is usually our “family night”, a few of the guys came over. The group of us and the kids watched a DVD while enjoying some Dominos Pizza. The kids watched a little more while we slipped away and had some deep talk time. It is also a blessing to be able to speak with these wise brothers, who know when to talk and when to listen. Some similar cancer experiences were also shared, which was really helpful.
Our family has been, and continues to be, blessed here—putting aside that our lives have been thrown into complete turmoil by this monumental challenge.
Maria and Effie went out for a “girls video night” with some of her closest friends, in an attempt to cry. I’m not about to discuss this intimate time, but can say that I know she was appreciative for being able to share her tears and pain.
As it is usually our “family night”, a few of the guys came over. The group of us and the kids watched a DVD while enjoying some Dominos Pizza. The kids watched a little more while we slipped away and had some deep talk time. It is also a blessing to be able to speak with these wise brothers, who know when to talk and when to listen. Some similar cancer experiences were also shared, which was really helpful.
Our family has been, and continues to be, blessed here—putting aside that our lives have been thrown into complete turmoil by this monumental challenge.
