stuff

We had a wonderful day yesterday out at Vomo island. We spent almost 5 hours just popping in and out of the ocean. Didn't even bother going up to the resort or leave the area by the plane. What a great opportunity for us. I thoroughy enjoyed myself, I think we all did. By the way, we all have a patch of sunburn somewhere on our bodies from that trip. It was a year ago,with Craig and Vic that we were at that same place. This was our first trip back since then! Exactly one year ago.The boys are doing great. Alec and Elias are in a swimming program, not exactly swim lessons but more of a water confidence coarse. I just got a call today that it is cancelled until the new year sometime. Too bad that is the case as the boys really enjoyed the time there. Alecs' best buddy,Edward, is in the class as his Mom is the teacher...or teachah as the boys now say. (a fijian accent there!) Oh, we just got an above ground swimming pool. Need to make sure the ground is perfectly level before we fill it up.I'm having nightmares about the entire valley coming over to have their baths and a swim, and near drownings or worse of my own kids....we have discussed putting up a fence with locks and the like to make sure my boys are safe. They are likely to climb any fence we install though. the monkeys.It's not a deep pool. Comes up to Elias' shoulders/neck but still the nervous feeling is there.

I was coming home this afternoon with all 3 boys in the car, hot hot sun beating up my car and the airconditioning is working just fine but it is never quite enuf in the summer time, well, I hear a rattling and lower my window, huh?, nothing...continue driving, 'there it is again!' roll down the window...huh! nothing again! rattle rattle rattle...roll down window...ahhh,there IS a rattle.....sputter sputter sputter....warning lights on dash,battery dead, engine lights on...car has quit running. I am driving down the crazy fijian road, indicate left to pull over and thank goodness there is room for me to pull over, it is in a bus pullout/bus stop but I drift in there regardless. After I wave off 14 people from getting into my vehicle and say, 'no room' and just wave my hands in the air like an idiot trying to show these potential passengers that the car has died, I start ignoring the people who try to make eye contact in the hopes of catching a lift. I pull out my mobile phone and call Ger. No answer, I try another number....ring ring ring ring.."Hello?"So, I explain what's happening, Alec is growling in the back about 'how boring this is' Elias is howling for no apparent reason and saying 'why'over and over and Vaughn is just plain old screaming. Car is shut off and what little aircon we were getting in the car is now hot air turning us into angry crazy raisens. Just as I finish explaining to Gerry what has happened, I try the engine, IT STARTS! so I zoom out of there, roll down the windows, say NO to 3 more people who want in my car (every car is a potential taxi in this country), hear a rattle, hear a growl a howl and a scream, and then the crack of the last vestigages of sanity that I might have had. If I have to wave one more person away from getting into my car I will run them over! AHhhh, some wind through the car helps to calm the entire community of phsycos in my car and as we reach the top of the hill of our road, rattle rattle rattle,sputter sputter sput. dead. I tell Alec that a little prayer goes a long way and so he asks God to help us down the hill. He does and HE does. Now we are really catching air! but now we need brakes.....quick Alec! say another one! He does and HE does. We glide into our place just short of the driveway. Crack in the radiator Gerry has discovered. we are home safe and sound and somewhat insane.