Camping trip and the prized ROBOT

	The Year 2000 - Wishing all a merry Christmas Our New Year was uneventful, Harry worked New Years Eve, and I went to a friends until the boys lost the plot, (10pm). The fireworks on the TV were great and I talked Harry through them from his office block. The next event was the arrival of the Simonet Family from New Calendonia, we had 5 weeks of fun, and adult conversation after hours! By this time we had been to the local flea market and sold our junk and Harry's beloved golf clubs and bought a tent, we were so excited that at last after years of waiting until Luke could cope we could go and experience camping with the boys. Our first find was a beautiful full amenities camp site just south of Byron Bay, we arrived there just after New Year, and wished we had planned longer away, 1 minute walk to the beach and so safe for the boys. We made friends and had long hours discussing life over bottles of wine (or scotch and cokes). We then went back with Gilles Simonet and his 3 children, once again a big success all round, lots of surfing, sun and nothing to do!Whilst Gilles and his family were here Mayrse and Sarkis with the 3 children came for their annual holiday to Surfers Paradise, we all had a wonderful day down there, beach, bbq swimming and 8 children between us. Every year we await the arrivals of these two very special families. Guy started Year 1 at Ithaca Creek state school, not a success, bullying in the playground and kids without shoes in the class room with a teacher out of control….Well….we moved him to St. Peter Chanel, at The Gap, he is so happy and had a very good year, lots of friends and happy to go alone to visit them after school, I too have quite a social life that only includes the MUMS, (leave the DADS at home to babysit), we get together for lunches night time drinks and parties. There are about 350 children at the school it is a well rounded Catholic School with lots of resources for Luke when he gets there in 2002. Guy also does JuJitsu once a week (a form of martial art…similar to Judo), he is now an Orange belt…(pretty good for 5yrs old). His swimming progresses he got two 1st's in the swim Carnival and wants lessons to beat the higher groups!!! Another love of his life is cycling, we bought him a new bike for his 6th Birthday, (early Bday present). Guy has done very well in school this year, but hates reading...not unlike his mother and father at the same age...luckily he is good at maths and enjoys it, thankfully as I would never live it down if he was as bad as ME!! The Olympic Flame came through Bardon, so we all went to watch with friends from school...and watched the Olypmics day and night. The boys reckon Ian Thorpe is the best and want to be just like him, having spent 2 weeks shouting "Go Ian Thorpe". Fantastic viewing and a somewhat hightlight in ones life, the opening and closing ceremonies kept me seated for hours with tears in my eyes. Proud to be Australian. Luke…he is thriving, he has grown up, out and length wise this year, no stopping him trying anything. His Birthday present was a go-cart which Harry had to adapt so that he could ride up hills too!!! After many years of battling in the swimming pool at last he can not get enough of it, many thanks to the Physiotherapy Unit at the RCH Brisbane. Once the new pool was built they opened the doors to Luke early in the day so that he could be first in (avoiding infection) he has one on one tuition and now can swim without any aids. He loves our pool but needs the security of his noodle ( a long foam thing!!), yet he tells me if we put hand rails around the pool he wouldn't need the noodle…bad luck we are not a hydrotherapy pool!!! Luke also had surgery on his teeth again this year, the four top front ones are now capped and more fillings, but no hassle and he is proud of his teeth. For being a good boy Harry bought him a remote control Crane, the biggest toy to bring into hospital…he loved it and that's what counts. Blisters continue and they have been bad this year probably due to more movement but he has learnt to deal with it, and is confident he will survive next year at pre-school. Harry, after many months of searching for work….12yrs experience does not pay off in Brisbane, he eventually got a job, one would say whipeee, but it just didn't work out that way, the company did everything on the cheap and when they said they didn't have enough money to pay him he wasn't too upset, shonky work is not his style. Since being made redundant from them he has started to paint the outside of the house (we have been talking of this for years). He is happy and thankful to enjoy the early years with the boys, not to mention me too!!! Hopefully someone will respect his expertise and employ him and pay him what he is worth. (Brisbane is a tough place at times) Me…since Guy started school I have met lots of great women who love to chat…right up my alley. I am kept busy with luke at the hospital but I love that too, being in touch is what keeps me going. The weekends camping are what I live for, but finding somewhere that will have the dog too is no easy find…my advice don't have a dog if you intend camping. I am hanging to get fit and loose those excess kilos once Luke goes to pre-school, already my 2 days are filling, squash and swimming, then of course the lunches!!! Our big purchase this year was a new car,(my so called third child) a Ford Explorer 4wd, and I love it, I am high up and king (or queen) of the road. Camping off road and on beaches is now available, getting away from it all is only there if you have the car to do the job. Not long after buying the Explorer we headed for the beach camping, no loos or such things, yet an open fire and a long beach to stare at under the stars makes it all worth it. The next major event in my life and Harry's and the boys is that Helen came to see us this year, we all had the best week ever, she and I wined and dinned each lunch time, did lots of shopping and talked in to the early hours over yet another bottle of wine. We went to Noosa for the day, drove onto the beach and let Helen drive, WOW what a smile she had. It was the best week ever and the photos remind me daily. (I hope she comes again VERY soon). The holiday of a life time starts on 23rd December, we are going to New Caledonia for 2 weeks, the first week is spent on a resort in huts right on the beach. The second we are with Gilles and his family and many other friends, we are all so excited as this is our First family holiday that is not camping!! Don't expect postcards, if you are on email you might get a holiday newsletter on return….so I suggest email is the way to go in 2001!!! After our return, we hope to go camping and get more use of our pool, it is so warm after some fantastic weather then its time to get the boys ready for school again, and catch up with the gossip. I hope to hear from some of you soon, email is your best option if you want a response! Keep in touch, have a great 2001 and remember to check our website for the news. http://members.optushome.com.au/myeb email myeb@optushome.com.au Lots of love Lucilla, Harry, Guy and Luke.

The Year 2000 - Wishing all a merry Christmas