Weekend Wrap Up

It's a beautiful autumn Monday morning, and I have just walked back from dropping off the boys at school. The experience this morning carried with it an unexpected lump in the throat as I lingered at the gate to wave James off on his first big excursion. He and all of the preps are headed into the city to visit the Melbourne Museum. He was so excited, so happy, and also a bit apprehensive. He has grown a ton in the past couple of months, but still he looked so small as he climbed the steps of the big bus, and turned around to give me a smile.

I had the camera with me only because of another project I am working on at the moment. That you will no doubt hear about in the near future.

I close with a few bits and bobs I have collected over the past couple of weeks. They don't really merit a post of their own, but I wanted to share them nonetheless.

I love the Aussie propensity for understatement. Recently I arrived at school to pick James up with my camera around my neck. A friend noticed it, and introduced me to a parent whom she described as "having a dab hand with a camera." I spoke with him for some time, and ended up giving him the name of my blog. Afterward I discovered that he is a talented professional photographer. I should have known.

I'm not sure how I missed it, but I only just discovered another method of forming nicknames in Australia. I'll cite a few examples, and you will quickly see the pattern. Baz for Barry, Kaz for Karin, Gazza for Gary, Shazza for Sharon, Toz for Thomas. Even James knew about this one before me.

Speaking of James, last week he informed me that his teacher always has extra gray lines at her desk. I had no idea what he meant. Gray lines = pencils.

Last week I watched James exit his classroom at the end of the day. I waited for him to make eye contact with me, grin, and run flying toward me which is what he usually does. This time, however, he hesitated and waited until all of the other children had left. He then went back to his teacher and said something to her. I assumed that he hadn't seen me and was worried. Later he told me, however, that he had gone back to whisper "I love you" in her ear. Don't you just love five-year-old boys?