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

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