Well it has been a while since the last post and time is flying by – we approach the 6 month mark of our time away. It seems like yesterday that we left, but also like we have been here forever, which is a lovely blend as we feel like Brentwood is home, but that Geelong is not far from the front of our minds. Especially when celebrating birthdays and holidays.
Easter fun:
Birthday celebrations
Our Skype conversations with family and friends provide us, the kids especially, with a fix of home especially when they are feeling homesick. Particularly sweet was an emergency call to Chloe’s friend Amelia on evening when she was inconsolably missing home. Luckily Amelia’s dad answered the phone and we caught her in her bathers in the back yard playing – talking and laughing with her friend was enough to cheer her up and get her off to bed.
The focus of this blog is going to mainly on the kids and their activities. While they should be blogging themselves, I am having a great deal of trouble pinning them down as they seriously get home from school and disappear on campus to play with their friends until we drag them in reluctantly for dinner and homework. This is a pretty good existence since they finish school at 2.15!
There are two most notable differences in the schooling and sporting experiences here for the children are as follows:
Extra curricular opportunities at primary school – I think I have said in in previous posts that the kids school is producing the School Musical – Susical and Dibs is playing the role of the Mayor of WhoVille. Jemima and her friends in grade 3 have been asked to be citizens of WhoVille. They have practiced so hard and give up lunchtimes and after school. The musical is on next week and I cant wait to watch them, such a terrific experience for them.
Dibs and Jemima have also made the team to represent the school in the district cross country next week which has them pretty pumped. Chloe has been part of an indigenous language club – free food apparently! Anyway there is always something the kids can put there hands up for and they are making the most of it. Im sure it will define their memories of school in Canada.
Sport: they are much more ‘hard core’ which younger kids and sport here – they expect more than I would have ever been willing to ask of them. At school the kids are doing a Kilometre challenge, to see how far they can run over a month. Each day all grades hit what is called the ‘chip track’ which is a 500mt loop around the playing fields. They get 15min to see how far they can run. Chloe regularly runs 3 laps (1.5km), jemima 5 laps (2.5km) and dibs 8 laps (4km) each day. Dibs has now run 35km. He is also training with school for a 10km race this Sunday.
In addition, we have just joined the local swim team – last week they had a swim-a-thon for all swimmer in the club, including the very little ones. The goal to swim as far as they could in up to two hours to raise money for new starting blocks for the club. I roped in the support of family and friends, suggesting 10c a lap would be a good amount. Figuring that would be about a $10 commitment. Boy was I wrong! I sat on the sidelines wanting to pull the kids out as they just kept going lap after lap. I seriously thought they would do irrevocable damage to themselves – Shem was much tougher saying ‘they will stop when they have had enough’. Wrong! We stopped Chloe after 32 laps (800m) of freestyle and backstroke – a mighty impressive effort for our little Pop. We pulled jemima out after an 1.10hrs and 120 laps (3km) as she started swimming slightly wonky! Pulled Dibs out after 152 laps (3.8km) in an 1.20hrs. The following day I went for a swim and pulled myself out tired after 60 laps feeling very humbled! So what did people end up owing – $60 for those who sponsored .20c per lap and $30 for others – oops! Of course we have gone with a lump sum donations for all but family!
We are off to an under 10 swim carnival in a couple of weeks and the line up of races includes 200 & 400 free, 200 IM & butterfly, and 100m all strokes. That is for 7-10 year olds! As I said tough. The coach who spent a lot of time in New Zealand said that although Canada is much stronger in Youth swimming it does not transfer into open swimming, so she is not sure which model is better. I just know I’m exhausted just watching the kids sport at the moment!!!
On another note – we took advantage of the beautiful and unseasonable weather over Easter to explore some of the local scenery. It is truly beautiful around us and with blossom and new growth on trees rapidly appearing it is getting even better. We went across to the west coast for a day trip to a coastal town called Sooke. We walked up river to see the ‘potholes’ carved into the rocks by the water cascading over the rocks and little pebbles getting caught going around and around over time – impromptu geography lesson thanks Dad!
We also went to see the local trestle bridge which is the largest of its kind in the world. It is literally 6km from our house and is part of this stunning walking/cycling trail called the Trans Canada trail which winds its way from Lake Shawnigan near us to Lake Cowichhan.
Dibs getting into photography
Finally, the kids did this high ropes course just outside Victoria – it involved zip lines, rope bridges, swings and a feet first bungy jump. They absolutely loved it and wanted to do it again and agin. unfortunately Dibs was the only one tall enough to try the more advanced course – although they all could have handled it, so we didn’t venture there. I would love to do it too – it looked so much fun!
There is only nine weeks left in the academic year and summer is well and truly on the way. We are in the process of booking our trip away – it looks like we will be on the road for 8 weeks which will be amazing – details are still be worked out.
The Fitzgerald Family 
Great blog post Fi. We are looking forward to our little vacation with you too. Ropes course, running and cycling trails, swimming pools, free food for singing…our kids may not come home.
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No beach – is the deal breaker!
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Hi Fi, Seb has started the countdown to your return! The boys have even made a song which they sing regularly called Dibsy Come Back (sung to the tune of the baby come back Toyota ad!)
Loved reading about the kids’ school activities, such a great experience for them all.
Nadia
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Hi Fiona & Family,
I soooo love reading all your news! I love hearing about what all the kids are doing and what you are all up to? I hope that Dibs does really well in the play and Jemima too; I can’t wait to hear all about it! Each time you write it just seems so more and more amazing. Love the fact that the kids are coming home and can just go outside to play outdoors. I think we keep our kids so busy after school here that we don’t give them the opportunity to be ‘kids’. Sounds like we could learn many lessons from you. I’m so glad to hear you are all having so much fun!!! Missing you; especially you Jemima! Loved your surprise in the mail – just need you to send the box of tissues to go with it; I was really touched. Perhaps I could sype you one day? Enjoy your trip away on your mid term break!
Love Mrs T xxx 🙂
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