Last season

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Last season was eventful in both good and bad ways. As per usual this time of year, autumn was a happening time for us. We had a good start in March and went out to most of the festivals in Canberra. It was so good to experience live music again and seeing Lior was great. Van Gogh Alive was a new and different way to appreciate his art. We enjoyed the visuals and music but not so much the crowd. We were a bit disappointed by Enlighten this year. The National Gallery projection was the best and Catherine was happy to find fairy floss. Going to The Forage and The Balloon Spectacular with Catherine was also a highlight.

Nicholas decided to have a bigger party than usual for his 16th birthday and invited a big group of friends. 14 friends showed up at iPlay and 5 slept over our place. It was an exciting 24 hours. iPlay was a bit chaotic with only 3 staff holding the fort and multiple birthday parties happening at the same time. Despite some delays the kids had a great time and the staff appreciated our group’s patience and help. We got an extra game of laser tag in the end.

And then I got struck with covid later that week. Fun fact: I tested positive exactly a year to the day I got my first covid vaccine. It was a stressful time as there was so much unknown. We thought we would all test positive but it turned out only Catherine tested positive a week later. The rest of the family quarantined for 7 days while I isolated from them. My symptoms included body aches, coughing and congestion. I was feeling better after the first 3 days. It was the last week of school term 2, but unfortunately Nicholas had to miss a day of Road Ready which he was so keen to do. We also missed out on our previously booked holiday to Jindabyne. Nicholas and I were planning to do the Mount Kosciuszko Summit walk, so it was a bit disappointing. Catherine also ended up eating Easter lunch in isolation but we ate together via WhatsApp. Her symptoms were mild but she was left with an asthmatic cough for many weeks after testing positive. We were so grateful that the vaccinations gave us protection and left us with relatively mild symptoms.

It felt like the rest of April was a write-off and it was a little hard to get back into our routine. Catherine recovered just in time for her first overnight camp with Girl Guides. It was a good experience and she had her promise ceremony the next day. She also was voted the Year 6 Library Minister at school after having to make a speech in front of her cohort.

Catherine and I were finally able to go on a girls’ weekend away to Brisbane. It was lucky and a much welcomed trip after recovering from covid. This was on the cards for us to do when she turned 10 but then the pandemic got in the way. So we were very excited to go on a plane, eat yummy food, watch Frozen the Musical and explore Brisbane.

Phil also got back on a plane several times for work travel. It almost felt like the pre-pandemic days when he would be away every other week. He went to the Gold Coast, Sydney and Brisbane in May. It was another adjustment to our routine that month.

The season ended with me being the shortest in the family and Nicholas getting his learner's license. Nicholas was about 164cm|5'4" and Catherine was about 160cm|5'2"+ at the time. It also ended with Catherine learning to ride a bike and turning 12. She had a quiet celebration this year. We went out for brunch at Daughters at Hall and then to the Canberra Walk-in Aviary at Gold Creek to feed the birds. We checked out The Lolly Shop and I was excited to find that they had Pepperidge Farm cookies. Catherine’s birthday ended with an impressive Cookies and Cream gelato cake from Gelatissimo.