Stomp your feet

Apparently "If you're happy and you know it" has a flawed verse...

L: That's not really good, you don't stomp your feet if you're happy!

Humour them Laura, humour them.

Breakfast chats

The topic of manners has been of big 'interest' since the other day I took away a donut D & L had when they chowed into it without a word of thanks. Told them they could have it back after dinner that night. Gave it to them after dinner - and not a word of thanks. So the donuts went in the bin. 

Manners have since improved!!

Mum: Thanks for your manners this morning Laura.

L: Yeah, but Nick can't have manners.

M: We're all learning different things, like he's learning how to talk, and you guys are learning manners...

L: And what are you learning?

M: ummm... how to be parents.

L: (big laugh...)

Good fun.

The sights...

Sunrise over the Ganges River

Bit of sightseeing over the city of Hyderabad with Mike and Nicole who we've been travelling with

Visiting a group of loan clients, this lovely lady for some reason couldn't quite let go of us, she was so excitable...

Beside the road

The blue tarps in the middle ground are houses, shanty towns that the government has yet to build proper housing for. When exactly that will be done is anyone's guess...

Typical sight, smaller than a typical load though...

Only 3 people on this bike!

In a fort on the hill overlooking Hyderabad

Love the English...

This is where the kings lived and looked out over their kingdom...

Back to Australia tonight!

Faces...

Faces make all the difference.

Welcome to India

It is truly a place apart from any other. Lots of emotion - sadness and joy. If I recorded every emotion I've felt in these 2 days, I'd still be writing in the morning. So huge are the differences between my world and this one...

India

Andrew and I are headed to India tomorrow - leaving kids with family and friends for 9 days. Never done it before for SO long! So another blog hiatus...

House tour...

Sometimes I think it's crazy that we gave up walking outside to this view:

- to move to a house without a view (but we can see the mountain from our bedrooms, and that's very pretty!). The new house has heaps more space (tho a challenge in itself) and the backyard is brilliant - huge, flat, full of bushes and corners to explore, and even a cubbyhouse! We've so far had such incredible end-of-summer weather too, so we've been living outside and the kids can even ride their bikes here!

I tried to do this video quickly and with minimal shaking, but it's hard... 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITf6wOF7FIM

We really do love it here. Come and visit!

Yay!

Nick is at such a fun age. I have taken so much video of him, but [clearly] posted none until now, thus the abundance of NickPosts all of a sudden...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80zpB8cpOF8

Kicking with passion

He would kick a ball all day long. I often get a pat on the leg, look down to find Nick with a ball, pointing and grunting for me to come outside and kick a ball with him. How can I say no?! And he's so serious. I often just can't stop laughing...

(I seem to not be able to upload video, so youtube will have to do) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PDTGQt4CWk

Busted

I was only trying to video Nick talking to himself. But check out the look in his eye when he sees me and knows he's busted... because he knows he probably shouldn't get down with pen in hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpXQtxDwp5g

He may only grunt, and he may be only 17 months old, but you can't tell me he doesn't know stuff!! :)