Hi everyone!
I’ve had a really exciting time since my last post. Some new experiences have been going to play Laser Quest for Jayden’s birthday. It was so awesome, and twice I ended up on Dad’s team. I must say he’s tactics and strategies were great, but I did sometimes feel like he was giving me up as cannon fodder.
We had an early Easter at our house, as we were going to be away for Easter. So Dad (aka The Easter Bunny for Mikey’s sake) hid goodies all over the house which Mikey and I collect. Even Grace collected a few! It was enormous fun.
Another awesome new experience was going to Mount Grace. Mom and Dad used to go there often before I was around – so it was great going to see where they misspent their youth. It was funny watching Mom and Dad look at something and just chuckle from a memory.
I had a ball there and was really independent, much to my folks’ dismay. We had our own heated pool on the patio of our villa, and on the second day there “I snuck out for a swim without telling Mom and Dad!” Dad woke up and wondering where I was, followed my trail of PJs to the pool! I also ran after the golf cart that took Mikey and Grace back to their rooms. I must’ve run about a kilometre when the golf cart came to rescue me and brought me back home. The driver found me exhausted on the side of the little golf cart track. Mom and Dad chuckled, but I did sense deep amounts of stress and relief when I was returned! I also led Mikey astray and we went exploring in the veld and dam around our villa. Again all four parents handled it pretty well.
Dad was pretty confused when he downloaded the pictures from his camera, as there were loads of photos of people we didn’t know – then I reminded him that I took his camera on a secret mission and shot some really good photos of people through the trees and branches.
Home schooling has been going ok, but I definitely need to start pulling up my socks. Now that Easter is over and the many public holidays it’s time to focus (but only for three weeks before we’re off to the coast again!).
Some challenges I’ve been having is related to my hearing – a course of antibiotics has not had the desired effect, so next is an MRI, with contrast, which I am NOT thrilled about. Mom and Dad have been debating whether to go to Unitas or Morningside Medi Clinic, and it seems we’re tending toward Morningside. Dad has already taken leave and we’ll be heading into yet another challenge as a family. The intention is to determine if there is something mechanically wrong with my ear, or if the nerves were possibly damaged during my many brain surgeries.
Other news is that Twitter celebrated its 10th birthday during March. The sad news is that Ray Tomlinson who is credited with allegedly “inventing email” passed away. The reason I say “allegedly” is that there is stronger evidence that Shiva Ayyadurai was the actual inventor of email. This controversy will be around for a while.
Before I go I must send a big hug and lots of love to my Aunt Gillian in Minnesota. Last year she was diagnosed with MS, and over the past few weeks, as a result, she’s taken a major fall breaking her nose and fracturing her frontal lobe. Also to my Uncle Oliver and my cousins Ryan and Kirsten.
Now enough words and onto the photos that tell my story better!
Love
Jarrod!
Photo 1 Hard at work in my schoolroom
Photo 2 Safety first – looking after Dad
Photo 3 Helping Dad change TVs
Photo 4 Dressed for school
Photo 5 I love sushi
Photo 6 Being industrious
Photo 7 Quality check from the other side
Photo 8 I love shopping for stuff, even if we don’t need it!
Photo 9 Out to lunch with Dad
Photo 10 Poker face Mickey
Photo 11 Mikey hunting for Easter eggs
Photo 12 Frenzied dash!
Photo 13 Gracie offering some help
Photo 14 Got one!
Photo 15 Off to a good start
Photo 16 Dashing about
Photo 17 Found some!
Photo 18 Being pretty systematic
Photo 19 Sneaky bunny!
Photo 20 Divvy up the haul!
Photo 21 Success!
Photo 22 Gracie having a giggle too!
Photo 23 Yes it looks strange but it’s a hug
Photo 24 Laser Quest!
Photo 25 Lunch after some heavy laser wars
Photo 26 Cake time!
Photo 27 Grace came to visit on her first birthday
Photo 28 Hugs
Photo 29 Testing out her new toy
Photo 30 Yes I trapped a cat
Photo 31 For some reason foreign to me now I had to experience what it was like to sleep in a box
Photo 32 Ready for guests
Photo 33 Climbing!
Photo 34 I found the boxes from Madagascar!
Photo 35 Spur dessert
Photo 36 Yum
Photo 37 Who needs spoons?
Photo 38 Dr Nicoletta checking out my ears
Photo 39 Just Joey in our garden
Photo 40 Chilling
Photo 41 At Yeesh with Mikey
Photo 42 Dad following the golf cart at Mount Grace
Photo 43 Chilling out
Photo 44 View from the bathroom
Photo 45 What a view….
Photo 46 Our room
Photo 47 Me and Dad
Photo 48 Dad doing some birding
Photo 49 More birding…
Photo 50 Off to find food
Photo 51 So graceful
Photo 52 Hovering over a meal
Photo 53 Shrike at sunset
Photo 54 Just chilling
Photo 55 Our very own heated pool!
Photo 56 Off to explore
Photo 57 Room service!
Photo 58 Four days after full moon
Photo 59 Night time swimming watching the moon
Photo 60 Loving it
Photo 61 Exhausted. This what the folks can expect in the teenage years
Photo 62 Morning swim – with the moon on the other side!
Photo 63 Preparing for the Easter egg hunt
Photo 64 Off I go
Photo 65 Comparing our haul
Photo 66 Crocket time
Photo 67 This game is hard
Photo 68 Just JayBee
Photo 69 On an excursion
Photo 70 Giggles
Photo 71 Playing with Grace
Photo 72 Grace and Matt
Photo 73 That’s my Dad
Photo 74 Mikey and I waiting for golf carts
Photo 75 Swimming with Matt
Photo 76 Swimming with Gracie
Photo 77 Easter Sunday view from the spa
Photo 78 This was our villa!
Photo 79 View of the front of the house
Photo 80 Stealing a golf cart
Photo 81 Dad said I could have ONE toy….this is me deciding
Photo 82 Cats brought us a frog
Photo 83 I got to hold him
Photo 84 Ladybug Dad found at the nursery