Unfortunately, as the year ends, temperatures are still soaring in Canberra (39C | 102F) and there are so many fires burning across Australia. We have not seen clear blue skies in a while. The NYE fireworks have been cancelled and there’s a sombre feeling.
It was a big year with Nicholas starting high school and becoming a teenager. We all adjusted better than expected but there were some difficult days here and there. I think overall high school suits Nicholas. We are happy with the support the school provided. He made some new friends. He learned Japanese this year and excelled in the subject. He enjoyed drama and cooking as well.
Catherine has had to adjust to school without Nicholas. It helped to have such a supportive teacher this year. She’s become more confident and braver. She participated in a regional school group dance competition, Wakakirri. She also joined a hip-hop dance class for two terms and performed a street dance at the beginning of the year and the year-end MTV-themed dance.
The kids have grown and changed so much since the start of the year. Bits of their childhood are fading away. We’ve cleared from Nicholas’ room all his stuffed animals. Most of them have been moved to Catherine’s room. He’s been interested in different movies from Catherine too. It’s fun to be able to see more thrilling movies with Nicholas. During the school term, they took the bus home one day a week. We had some bus adventures when they missed the bus a couple of times and we had a search party out for Catherine.
The highlight of the year was our European vacation. The long-haul flights were sometimes not pleasant but once settled on the planes, we enjoyed catching up on movies. Exploring new places was exciting. The kids added 3 new countries to their list. London was lots of fun and Lauterbrunnen was serene and beautiful. It’s wonderful that they’re at an age where they can engage with the planning of our holidays.
Back at the home front we’ve had a couple of home improvement projects. We fixed up our front garden (yay for fake grass!) and extended our back deck which we’ve been using a lot more than before. We also updated our bathrooms with new shower screens, paint and vanity. It’s been 12 years since we moved into our home – the longest I’ve been in one place. It’s also been 10 years since I became an Australian citizen.
Comet continues to love us unconditionally. He’s a good dog except when he becomes the lizard killer. We’ve had the pleasure (not!) of seeing him torture some poor blue tongue lizards that come into our yard.
Finally, we end on a high note with Phil recently being promoted to Professor effective 2020. He did a lot of work travel this year and exploring Bergamo and Varenna was a highlight. He gave up choir this year but still had the opportunity to compose some music.
We hope you have had a good year and may the new year bring much joy, kindness and love to you all. xo
Watch
Movies
Men in Black International, A Quiet Place, World War Z, Abominable, Frozen 2, Get Out, Green Book, Yesterday, Room, Arrival, First Man, Tully, Marriage Story
Shows
The Good Place, Rilakkuma and Kaoru, Sugar Rush, Nailed It!, After Life, Stranger Things, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Fuller House, Jack Whitehall: Travels with my Father, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Live
Big Bash League cricket game (Sydney), Matilda the Musical (London), The Choral Pilgrimage – The Sixteen (York Minster), AFL Sydney Swans vs St Kilda (Sydney)
Listen
Sunflower: Post Malone, Evolve: Imagine Dragons, 123456: Fitz and the Tantrums, A Place We Knew: Dean Lewis, Fire on Marzz: Benee, Ordinary Life: Matt Corby, Claws: Washington x Japanese Wallpaper, Djesse: Jacob Collier, async: Ryuichi Sakamoto
Read
Born a Crime: Trevor Noah, Becoming: Michelle Obama, Big Little Lies: Liane Moriarty, California: Edan Lepucki, I Now Pronounce You Husband and Expat: Summer Land, Back After the Break: Osher Günsberg
Eat
Yum Cha CBD, Sushi Musa, Hyatt Dinner Buffet, Star Buffet Burns Club, Hangari Kimchi, Lolo and Lola’s Merienda Cena, Ramen Daddy at The Forage, Pizza Union (London), The Boat House, La Rustica
Go
London, England; Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland; Hobart, Tasmania; Bergamo, Varenna and Turin, Italy
1 comment:
Thanks for your year in a snapshot...it is always lovely to catch up on the Batterham news. Happy New Year to you all, and we look forward to seeing you in 2020 if you are down our way. Xx
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