TWTWTW

Or more precisely, the fortnight that was...
Gemma commented that we seem to be having a lot of fun in TP. This is true; however, we also have a lot of mundane and that is pretty much the reason that the blog has been neglected this past fortnight...we were having too much mundane!
So briefly:
Esther managed somehow to get Mrs Astbury on side with her plan to bring Max the cat to school. I would like the record to show I have vetoed this plan on several occasions in the past often with the reasonable excuse that Mrs Astbury would not appreciate animals in her classroom and some of the other kids might have allergies. Plainly Mrs Astbury does not share my good sense (or perhaps she's just less miserable than me) because the P-Ps had a pet parade last week where the class were invited, nay encouraged, to bring in their pets. And so (straight after my night shift) I packaged up Max in his kitty-carrier and took him to school. He cowered in his carrier for virtually the entire hour we were at school and was only forcibly removed coaxed out of it for 2 minutes to have his picture taken with Esther; I had to ensure that he didn't bolt so I didn't get that happy snap, instead I captured these...

Disgruntled

Sadly Max wasn't biggest, cutest, most unusual or best behaved. He was up against another (less terrified) cat, several dogs, crazy crabs and a budgie.

In other news, we lost our netball semi-final :( But we won the best dressed table award at the Presentation Night!!

Hmm, actually this isn't my team; here's my team and our table...

And here are some more awards we didn't win!

The week in review

Some things that happened this week:
Murdoch Uni Chiropractic students are in town and doing free whatever it is they do.
Freya has rather fallen in love with student Jennifer and has had a few sessions with her.

Lou and Ade are proud to announce that Freya has been formally recognised as "Gifted and Talented" and invited to join the school's Literacy extension classes. Not to be outdone Esther brought home a 'you can do it' certificate for her "fantastic attitude to her reading and all class activities. You continue to approach each day with enthusiasm and complete all activities to the best of your ability". Her teacher had ticked the 'persistence' and 'getting along' boxes, Ade couldn't believe the 'confidence' box was left unmarked!

I did parent roster on Friday and watched the pre-primary and kindy classes practice for the sports carnival which happens in a couple of weeks.

Esther triumphs in the hurdle relay

Hospital and Population Health staff (and their offspring) met down at the golf club to give Maree the school nurse (previously DON, CNM and more) a bit of a send off. She's been in TP for over 10 years and has made a mark, hers are big shoes to fill.

Esther was invited to celebrate T's 5th birthday on Sunday. Where there are presents and cake there is Esther:

Esther wobbled her tooth, and wibbled her tooth and then just pulled the darn thing out. The tooth fairy hasn't been informed yet because she is taking the tooth in to school today for her 'news'.

In other news:

• Nameless 2 (my netball team) made the final four. We play our semi tonight. I am a bit amazed!
• Simmos ice-cream van left town today, *sob*.
• I have cut my hours so that I will only be working 8 days each fortnight. This is AWESOME news and probably deserves its own post!
• We watched Hoodwinked Too and Red Dog at the drive-in. You must see Red Dog; take your tissues and enjoy a sweet tale and some Pilbara scenery. 
• We are an aunty. Congratulations to Gem and Simon and big love to baby E. 

Awwww! xoxo

Saturday and Sunday

Last Saturday, in the midst of the Nameless Jarndunmunha festivities, the Jonkers attended an alternative event. Cinderellas and Cinderfellas who had missed the real Nameless Ball were invited to Maison Mary (and Tony!) for a sophisticated evening of sophistication. Unfortunately I drank too much bubbly to properly document the event on film, but it was a corker and a good time was had by all. I suspect fb had alerted Mary to my birthday, 'cause obviously I am too demure to purposely promote my special day ;) She had rustled up a Nigella choc cake for me. I heart Mary Mary.

Clapping games :)

It was a black tie event, I think A did quite well!!

While I dislike banging on about MY BIRTHDAY, I would like to thank all for your kind emails, fb messages, texts, phone calls, cards, pressies and general sweetness. I enjoyed the attention immensely and have, again, vowed to be better at celebrating all of your birthdays...perhaps don't hold your breath!!
Sunday saw us back at the fair, I think I must have driven Freya and Esther up the wall:

Freya flipped out:

All the fun of the fair

More photos from the festival today...

Ade and girls at 11 o'clock. They wanted to go on this ride but cried until they got off, at which point they declared it was "awesome" and wanted to go again...

This one's for you Lozza xxx

Freya checks out a roof-top tent

Tightrope at the circus skills tent

Esther with her balloon kitten from Sparkles the magician, she made an excellent magician's assistant...

What a star!

Carny

I can't go to a fair without having a little smile about The Simpsons' episode where Bart and Homer become carnies. For those not au fait with this, or any, episode of The Simpsons (hello Mum and Dad), the gist is that carnies are tricky, double-crossers but are ultimately outwitted by Homer! Ade and I nudge each other, nod toward stall holders and whisper "carny", it makes us giggle...
The carnies currently calling TP home are all class and not at all tricky...although I didn't see a single person win anything at the shooting gallery.
The morning started with the street parade, starring Esther and the rest of TPPS kindy and pre-primary classes, but mainly Esther! Girlfriend knows how to dance and wave and work a crowd, she was in her element.

Those clever Tom Price Primary peeps took out the prize for best float and I'm not surprised, it was very impressive.

Some close ups of the panels each class created to demonstrate all the wonderful things about Tom Price...

By Esther's Pre-Primary class

The awesome TPPS float

By Freya's Year 3 class

And now for something completely different...
A movie!!

Birthday weekend

This weekend sees a milestone birthday...40!!

No! Not me! There are still a few several years before I enter my fifth decade and anyway I have started mainlining rosehip oil so I might never get there...

The other (older) club bunny is the Nameless Jarndunmunha Festival which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Technically the festival kicked off last weekend with the Nameless Ball but the party really got started today.
This year's N-J-Fest includes a series of community events including a street parade, jewellery making workshops, art competitions and exhibitions, fashion and talent shows, community group demos, a fireworks display and Diesel in concert (Diesel will be entirely unknown to those who didn't spend the '80s in Australia).
Today we went to have a look at the People's Exhibit in the TP community centre. Freya and Esther were both represented in the Tom Price Primary School display.

Esther points out her egg carton dump truck

Freya's mask. Disclaimer: Freya didn't actually make or decorate this mask, she was still in Perth on the day her classmates created their exhibit contributions; her teacher made this one so that there was something on display that had Freya's name on it. Freya wasn't worried!

The wonky well-dressed lady above the "Pet Show" label is another of Esther's art works

This evening we picked up Shirl and headed for the town oval where there was a carnival in progress. The girls ate doughnuts, slushies and ice cream despite finishing their dinners just before we left the house (I include Shirley and myself in "the girls"!). We picked which rides we wanted to go on and which rides we would be avoiding at all costs. Shirley bought a bag and we all watched the fashion show and the fireworks.

We bumped into LOTS of people we know (it's a small town!). Here are a couple of our favourite people to know.

Making like Winnie-the-Pooh

Tony shakes his little tush on the catwalk

Tomorrow morning we'll be watching the street parade and taking lots of photos; then back to the carnival to consume more sugar, fat and artificial colouring and try and keep it down after a turn on the flying umbrella ride.

Lubey

Ade started a new job this week. He is working on the Tom Price mine as a Lube Technician and he greases nipples... he enjoyed telling me that.

This photo makes me chuckle a lot

He comes home looking like a grubby oompa-loompa.