I forgot to select the *auto-complete* option.... (TropicalSoup)

Well wouldn’t you know it, this blog isn’t one of those self-completing ones after all!

Bugger.

005 crop sml by you.

The good news though is that the Campbells are now officially on broadband at home. Woo-freaking-hoo! The bad news is that I’ve been so excited about this that I’ve spent every computer-opportunity since the hookup a few days ago getting my online surfing fix, leaping giddily from website to website – because I can – rather than being a responsible blogger, and, well, blogging. Bad Jo. Oops.

And in case you’re wondering, the reason I’ve been hogging the laptop is because Dave is away, not because I’m quicker than him at getting to the keyboard! He’s off this week in Kenya, wandering around in khaki flak jackets hunting elephant and rhino. Ha! No, he’s really working. A conference and several dozen meetings is what’s keeping him entertained this week, and from the few snatched moments of conversation it sounds like he's certainly donating his pound of flesh to the cause. He left on Sunday and returns again on Sunday.

It’s the first time he’s been away in almost 4 months…the longest period he’s been home since he started with Zetland…and everyone’s finding the adjustment is taking a little getting used to. There’s a lot of travelling for Dave for the rest of this year, and we’ll all find our groove in the new rhythm with time. Cole and Imogen are – as always – the perfect examples of how to go with the flow and not get too hung up in the details, and so Mama and Daddy are trying to follow their lead. Yet another example of where our littlest munchkins are proving our greatest teachers. They're both interested in sneaking in a few extra cuddles here and there this week, and keeping a closer eye on me, but I'm happy to take all the cuddles I can get, and it's amazing what you can do with 2 little people attached to you physically when you need to!

049 by you.

Speaking of our littlest, they’ve both had a tough week – two bouts of flu (complete with fevers, runny noses, congestion, nasty rear end contributions and sore throats), one almost-lost voice (Imogen’s current husky voice is absolutely gorgeous coming out of a two year old’s mouth, but clearly pretty sore for the little Mouse too!), and one – please let it stand at one – case of conjunctivitis (Coley takes eye drops better than his mama does, but gets pretty freaked out every morning when his right eye is glued shut before I wash it out). So we have been housebound for most of this week…and keeping our little energizer bunnies quiet and reasonably still to have a chance to recover is rather like teaching Irish ducks Jivvanese (10 bonus points to the person who knows which of Cole and Imogen’s current favourite book that quote’s from!) And I get that it’s a tough sell anyway – feeling miserable and sick is one thing, feeling miserable, sick and being expected to keep still when still isn’t something you do, is a tall order!

063 by you.

054 by you.

So today we tried to have a little more fun and adventure, albeit at a safe distance from anyone else who might get infected…or send extra lurgies our way! We went to the Children's ark playground this morning (a little one we discovered a fortnight ago, with a fabulous slide!) and they had a ball...ran and climbed and slid and see-sawed (complete with loudly and joyously singing the *Marjorie Daw* rhyme over and over and over. So sweet they should be dipped in chocolate!) their little hearts out for over an hour, until we finally had to retreat from the sun.

045 by you.

Then later this afternoon at home we retrieved some ripening pawpaws from the tree – an experience in itself, went adventuring in the backyard....Immy led the charge looking for *tiny kittens with wick-usss (whiskers)* ...and went *bird-nest* hunting around the trees and bushes. And hooray, we found one in the hibiscus bush right opposite the top of our front stairs! So then Cole insisted that he and his sister took some bread to crumble and leave around the base of the bush for the *mama and daddy birds* to eat with their *beak-mouths* whilst they keep the eggs warm. (And after the babies hatch, they eat mama's boobies, Immy reliably informed me!)

053 by you.