My OMG Moment

We took off for the next leg of our adventure today – weaving our way down toward Sydney. Our usual plan is to break the kids up between the car and the bus based on, if we’re honest, whichever personalities are currently hell bent on head-butting each other for our amusement. Unfortunately, today we couldn’t do this because Tracey had to race down ahead of us to a photo shoot at Raby Bay, leaving me with the five kids and a plan.

I was going to impress the pants off my wife. With luck, literally.

I decided I would have everything done by the time she joined us where we’d agreed to put down stumps for the night – the Caboolutre Showgrounds – and then go the extra mile.

And I nearly did it too.

Power leads and hoses in and out of the bus set up? Tick

Beds cleared of the stuff we store on them when we travel and computers set up for work tonight? Tick tick.

Showers sorted? Tick.

Dinner cooked and kids fed? Tickitty tick.

Medicines dealt out? Tick.

Bin emptied and dishes done? Tickitty tick tick tick.

I was on fire. I was in the zone.

Which was when I decided to go for the OMG moment for when Tracey rejoined us. The cherry on top, if you will. The pièces de résistance, if you’ll excuse my French.

“We’re watching a documentary tonight,” I announced to the kids, “for homeschooling. So put your electronics down.”

Okay, so it took many, many increasingly shirty and pitchy utterances of that last sentence before that actually happened, but we got there.

I pulled up Curiosity Stream on my computer and chose episode one of Miracles of Nature, which is hosted by a favourite personality of mine, Richard Hammond. The documentary is basically showcasing ways evolution in nature has inspired unlikely human inventions.

Perfect, I thought to myself incorrectly.

I’ll add here, if you like documentaries you really need to check out Curiosity Stream. I think we pay about $4 a month subscription and it’s brilliantly packed full of them. This isn’t sponsored or asked for, I just love this sort of thing – i.e. really cheap telesitting.

It all went smashingly for the first invention – a submarine which is inspired by, of all things, condors. And to astonished delight, the kids were loving the doco as much as I was.

Next up it was a way nature is helping fighter pilots to not pass out.

“I need to go to the toily,” Miss5 announced, just as Richard started to explain the problem.

“Anyone else need to go?” I asked the kids. I didn’t even get an answer, they were so engrossed in the show, so I didn’t ask them to pause it while I was gone in case their attention lost its way.

Imagining, if I’m honest, the reward I was going to get later tonight from Tracey for incorporating homeschooling into a moving day, I locked the bus and tottled off to the toilet block with Miss5. But by the time I arrived back the documentary wasn’t playing anymore and the kids were a different kind of grossed entirely.

“What the hell happened?” I asked when I was met at the bus door by screaming and unhappy children.

“AHHH!” seemed to be the general consensus on how Richard Hammond and his mates solved the fighter pilot problem. Finally, I got it out of them.

“They cut open a giraffe!” screamed Miss13.

They what now?!

“It was gross! I’m going to have nightmares!” predicted Miss10.

Correctly, it turns out…

…because it’s after midnight and she still seems upset giraffes have blood.

So much blood.

I watched the show myself and it really wasn’t that bad. They even show a happy giraffe (or a giraffe anyway) being released after the op.

Still, on the bright side, after all my good work I did get that OMG moment I was chasing from Tracey. It happened just a few minutes ago actually.

“OMG, you suck!” she cooed to me after the fourth of fifth time Miss10 called us over to her bunk for comfort and to scream at us.

If I’m honest, it wasn’t quite as good as I imagined it’d be. For one thing Tracey’s still overdressed for bed.

*This was what I left. Peaceful. Educational. Jet fighter on the screen.*

*Showed the kids the giraffe being released after the operation. At least they carried on watching the doco after that.*

Before we left I asked the kids to take our two huge ‘buckets’ of shoes outside and set them out in pairs, in rows and grouped for who they belong to. I could have done it in three minutes and I don’t know anyone’s shoe size. Took them half an hour, most of which was spent snapping at each other about the lay out.

*Naturally, once it was done, they disappeared without even telling me they’d finished. I just happened to look out the window.*

In other shoes news we found these, which don’t belong to anyone in the family. Master12 brought them home from skating the other night thinking they were his big brothers, who was carted off to hospital in an ambulance with torn ligaments. Took them back before we left and, luckily, they know who they belong to. Sorry about that.

*Left Gympie (again) today with the traditional one dollar frozen drink to keep our sugar levels up.*

*Was pleased as a politician with myself for backing the bus between these vehicles and into the corner spot the caretaker gave us – I seriously thought he was having a lend at first.*

*Found some great fruit and veg buys at the night markets, including a heap of bananas for 99c a kilo. The kids were thrilled because there were a heap of double bananas.*

*Miss5 even found a triple. This was after dinner, mind, and she ate the lot and then asked for more food when we arrived back at the bus for bed. Worms or a growth spurt. I’m undecided.*

Kids wanted to go on the Monster Truck but it was $10 each for two laps of the show ground – fine for families of one or two perhaps. I explained to the kids it was just like driving a car around only higher, and that maybe if it went over a car or something I’d consider it. The kids assured me if it did any such thing they wouldn’t want to go on it. We called it a stalemate and ate more bananas.

Googling things to do in the Caboolture area if we decide to stay another night and found this. I’m guessing it isn’t what we’re thinking. A part of us hopes we’re wrong. It gave us a good giggle anyway.

Waiting for Master12 to come out of the Mens so we could go to the markets. Found him staring at the wall – specifically, at this sign. “Mate! We’re all waiting out here!” I snapped at him. “It’s not my fault, it’s yours,” he assured me. “You’ve got me reading stupid signs for homeschooling whenever we see them and now I can’t stop.” I’m calling that a win.

Raising a family on little more than laughs

not sponsored

2 Comments

Lynette says:

April 9, 2017 at 7:14 am

So much to see and do around the Caboolture area – head across to Bribie Island there is a museum at Bongaree, the beach, fishing and the list goes on. You can even top up your groceries. Head to the movies, the surf beach or just have a wander around the shops there. Call into Sandstone Point, Beachmere or Toorbul. Lots of pretty areas to stretch the legs.

Debbie says:

April 10, 2017 at 12:19 am

You really need one of the portable bucket Thunder Down Under toilets for the littlies!