Puh-hickle Cha-hicken

Puh-hickle Cha-hicken is the current phrase that my boys use to make themselves laugh. It's in high rotation. Previous phrases in this series are: wheeeskers and: it's pronounced [insert opening of mouth and closing of eyes while touching index fingertip to thumb-tip] "neggie".  Yep. I don't really know either, but I do know I like how well they get on together. On the weekend when we drove out to visit the Fixit clan, the boys spent the journey making sentences or sums by taking turns to opera-sing a word. Climber: eight Cherub: pluuuuus Climber: seveeeen Cherub: equaaaaaaals Climber fifteeeeeen. The remainder of the journey was spent sticking their heads out of the window like dogs.





They laughed and laughed. I hope they get on this well as adults too, the loonies.

Basil is well. He's been helping me sew.  Not that I've been sewing very much, even when he doesn't sit all over my project.



Fixit seems pretty settled in at the job and it looks like they are treating him like the second-in-charge. I don't have a picture of this so here is one of Basil helping Fixit sort out his work toolbag instead.



They have not as yet made a firm offer for his long-term prospects (which I am cranky about) so he is still on a casual rate of pay and not eligible for sick leave or holiday pay.  He is not keen on rocking the boat, probably because 9 months of unemployment dented his confidence. Allegedly they will sort this out in a couple of weeks.  (Why? Why can't they do it now, since they know they want him?)  I don't have a picture of this, but I do have a picture of a new frock I bought as retail therapy for the stress I've been feeling about it.



I also bought a computer, but not as retail therapy, I bought it because we desperately needed one with an up-to-date operating system that could read modern websites.  I'd been meaning to do this just prior to Fixit being made redundant, so we've been making do for more than a long time.  It is such a relief to have something that works although I'm still ironing out a few bugs with software/organisation.  I have the makings of a new professional website that I'm really keen to get up and running, once the ironing out is done.



My poor Mother-in-Law in back in hospital AGAIN. She has had the worst year for health. On top of diabetes and chronic arthritis and an ulcerated foot which has meant months in a moon-boot, she spent the second half of last year in rehab hospital following a nasty fall in which she broke her leg and arm on one side.  Last month she had a heart attack (luckily she was already in hospital to check out what felt like an angina episode so they were able to perform CPR and bring her back to life) so that was another week in hospital.  And then yesterday she went to unlatch the door to let out the dog and fell and broke her hip.  Back in hospital again!  I don't have a picture of this so here is one of Basil helping me sort out the clean laundry instead.



It was Bookweek at Cherub's school and he chose to dress for the parade as The Joker, from Batman.




For form's sake I was heard to mutter that Batman isn't really a book, but both boys assured me that comics count as books for the purposes of Bookweek.  Cherub was very focused about this dress-up and made sure that I had plenty of notice and a clear idea of all the items required for his transformation.  Both of us were very pleased with the result.






Cherub also had his first turn at playing Goalie for his soccer team, something he has only been interested in this year, despite or perhaps because of his brother's prowess in that position.




Fixit and I and Cherub's coach all thought he did a really good job.  Being a goalie is a tough gig.



This week Climber has two school band competitions in Ballarat, as well as his first ever flute exam (Grade 2). Go Climber! He has been given a flute solo in the Junior Stage Band's rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow which is very lovely. I don't have a picture of him doing any of this, so here is a picture of him with fluffed up hair from sticking his head out the car window instead.



There are little pops of spring in our much-neglected garden.



Fixit was hired out as a Neighbourhood Fixit this month.  It felt like we never saw him when that project (hanging some doors and shelves for some friends-of-friends) was on, what with the 12 hour days he already puts in at work and him also being manager of Climber's soccer team. So he has only this week started to put our own garden to rights. Here is a picture of him multi-tasking, instructing Climber on the correct techniques of shoe-shining (the afore-mentioned band competition performances require shiny shoes) and weeding the little herb garden.  Now our Vietnamese mint can breathe again.



See how Basil is helping?