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We don’t have the most exciting or exotic garden around, but the Japanese maple has its moments. Like right now, just before it dumps its leaves. Which is surely imminent since it was minus two this morning…

This Easter, like last year, we were joined by our good buddies Ben, Ange, Lily and Ruben. It was a great weekend with lots of noise, fun, chocolate eggs - and a fun play on the new spider web and flying fox near our house. As always it made us wish these very special people lived a lot closer so we could do this more often!

A few weeks ago Mitchell started soccer training with the local club. And so far, he loves it. Considering how wonky his old man is, he’s showing some surprising talent with the ball.

It’s been raining for days, and our Lake Ginnenderra’s in flood. Sort of. The dam spillway’s overflowing so the lake water won’t get any higher - so Casa Sherlex should remain high and dry!

In early Feb I visited Doha and Baghdad, my first to Doha in almost ten years, and first ever visit to Iraq. It was a great trip - lots of very useful meetings, and also some real local colour.

Doha

Baghdad

During most of December, across Christmas/New Years and into the beginning of 2012, we wandered, moseyed and explored our way around the US of A. It was an absolutely fantastic holiday that included:

• Orlando (Disney, Legoland, Kennedy Space Center)
• Washington DC
• New York
• Chicago (Christmas - bloody cold, but no snow damnit!)
• San Francisco (New Years eve)
• Big Sur coast down to LA

All in all we had a huge time. I posted lots of photos on tumblr, but I’m reposting a few favourites here for posterity - and some that we didn’t put on tumblr such as Mitchell as an astronaut, and us swimming with the dolphins.

Discovery Cove

NASA Kenney Space Center

And some of our favourite pics from the tumblr load

This is the first of several sixth birthday parties. This one, at Kids Pantry, was a joint party with his buddy Thomas BC and with most of their class present. They had a great time cooking up a storm.

This week is bookweek and all of the kids at school had to dress up as a character from one of their favourite stories. Here’s Mitchell as the Rajah from the book the Tiger Skin Rug.

The kids also had to send in a photo of themselves with the theme ‘One world, many stories’. This was Mitchell’s entry - and he won the competition for best photo!

Here he is collecting his prize, a book voucher. The little dude was stoked!