Photography

Declan has always been quite interested in photography; just not interested enough to carry a camera around. So when he took a picture of our trifle from last week, his was much better than mine.

Saturday movie

This week I chose to make the Saturday movie a bit educational; we watched the ABC TV movie Curtin, about John Curtin's time as Prime Minister during the darkest parts of WWII.

Callum found it really interesting, whereas Declan thought it was a bit boring. Even on a second viewing, I really enjoyed it; but I think that is more about their relative interest in history than it is about their age.

Callum did say that he knew how it was going to end, so it wasn't as interesting as it would have been otherwise...

We were all a bit too tired to make dessert, so we had the leftovers from Granny's birthday cake from the night before.

Seven Bridges

We had been talking about doing this walk for years, and we finally managed it this year. The Seven bridges walk goes around Sydney, and crosses seven bridges - Harbour Bridge, Pyrmont Bridge, Anzac Bridge, Iron Cove Bridge, Gladesville Bridge, Tarban Creek Bridge and the Figtree Bridge.

We have done very little walking as practice, so walking 27km (the longest we have ever walked in one day) with little specific training probably wasn't the best idea, but we were really fine until the last 3 km, when conversation dried up and we just focused on getting home.

The boys were great company the whole way, and we all now feel very proud of ourselves (if a little tired).

Into town for a Saturday expedition

Everybody checking the bus timetable in Crows Nest

Hotel in Sydney CBD still the same 99 years later

After the change in bus timetables, we haven't been quite sure what the best way into town is. So on Saturday we went to the Opera House via a bit of shopping at the QVB (not the most direct route). A the QVB we got a new mouse for Declan, and some bike shorts, as he has out grown his old ones.

At the Opera House, we saw Brian Skerry (ocean photographer) talk about all the amazing things he has photographed around the world.

On the walk between (as requested by Callum and Declan who had seen the letter the night before) we took a small detour to see the hotel that my great grandfather had stayed at in 1916 - and written a letter to my grandmother from. 

Spring Cycle

Relaxing at the 2nd rest stop

In what has become a tradition, we did the Spring Cycle today. It is a ride from St Leonard's Park (just around the corner) to Sydney Olympic Park. Some changes to the route meant that this year it was pretty close to 50Km (last year was more like 56km).

Callum and Declan on the train home

It was a great day for riding, no rain (although a couple of spots at the beginning) and not too sunny.

Having learned from previous years, we took our own provisions (the coffee van always runs out by the time we get there) and started at 7 am (which is the earliest time possible). Apart from some annoying spots towards the end while Callum and Declan decided to compete for who could be ahead (tricky when there are 15,000 other people riding), it was a lovely day, and gave us a nice feeling of accomplishment as we did very little all afternoon.

A trifle of trifle

Declan taking a picture of his handiwork.

I'm not quite sure why, but yesterday we decided to make trifle for dessert. After much internet research, and a call to Granny for a recipe (she didn't have one, it was all instinct) we made the most popular one on taste.com.

It was very tasty, although I don't think either Callum or Declan realised quite how much fruit would be involved.

The movie was Ocean's Thirteen - we really need more movie ideas.

Four unit maths

In NSW high schools, Year 12 starts in term 4, as the HSC students have now left and are only doing exams. So Callum has started Year 12 maths this week. He is doing 4 unit maths, which means he now has 16 periods of maths over his two week timetable. It doesn't seem too much of an addition to his current schedule; he is quite happy to find that he now misses careers (which was one period a fortnight) and Personal Development and Health (ditto). His other two extra periods are out of school hours, which isn't too much of a hardship.

He has come home desperate to talk to us about the new maths he is learning (complex numbers and conic sections) so he seems to be enjoying it.

Bike riding

This morning we went for a pleasant ride around Darling Harbour. There was some spring fog around Barangaroo which made for a lovely atmospheric view back towards the city from the Maritime Museum.

Matt Damon retrospective

Inspired by the Martian, we decided it was time to look at some other Matt Damon movies, so this week we started with Good Will Hunting. I had expected that we would all like it, as it is about a maths genius. Unfortunately it is mostly about the tortured adolescence of the maths genius, rather than the maths, so the boys found it a bit boring.

Dessert was macaroons - made without packet assistance this time, which meant that they weren't very well shaped, but still delicious.

Final weekend of the holidays

The last weekend of the holidays was a long weekend. Despite the temptations of going to the beach (it was over 30 most days) we ended up not doing all that much. We went to see The Martian at the movies (with Declan's friend Jac), made cinnamon scrolls (with yeast!) for dessert one night, and played a lot of 500.

We did try a bike ride one morning, since we are doing Cycle Sydney in mid October, and we need to get a tiny bit of practice in first. We discovered that Declan has outgrown all his cycling shorts.

We watched Entrapment, with Sean Connery.