OUR WINTER BABY TURNS 14 IN SWELTERING ENGLISH SUMMER HEAT!

A quick post about Aisha turning 14 as well as the AMAZING weather we are having.

On the hottest day of the year so far, we took Aisha and 7 other kids to a performance of Limbo at the South Bank. Sally and Mark had seen the show as part of a birthday present for Sally from her colleagues. Limbo is mostly circus style performance with fire, acrobatics, juggling, sword swallowing, music and more. We decided it was something we wanted the kids to see as well as being a good way of getting away from the ubiquitous bowling, movie or ice- skating parties. 

The kids loved Limbo, 

had some fun at Southbank

then came back in the 'scorching heat' by tube and bus to the inevitable Daddio's family pizzas, as well as home-made porky burgers.

The sleepover for three girls quickly became one for a mixed group of seven. They decided to sleep outside ignoring Mark's warnings of the vampire foxes.

Not everyone had come prepared for a sleepover so PJs had to be lent.

The day turned out to be the hottest of the  year.
The car told Mark it was 31 !




...and it remained a very warm night.

9:30pm.

Midnight. Will they ever go to sleep?

1 am. (Mark still chasing teenagers)!!!!

You may be wondering why we've included photos of the car's external temperature read-out? Well, don't forget it was less than two weeks ago that we had put up with months and months and months of winter-like weather. Mark spoke to his Mum recently who bemoaned the chilly Sydney winter temperatures of 17.  Up until early July that would have been considered a warm summer's day here! 

To have 23 at 1am is extraordinary. To come out of the shops and be hit by a wall of heat is a bizarre experience here. At the time of writing, 16th July, we have had two weeks of sunny, dry, actually very warm to hot days. Right now it is 4pm and 29. Just like a Canberra spring day, but just like the snow, England is not geared up for it!

The 10 day outlook is looking pretty good too. The rest of this week is sunny and very high 20s with next week being up to a possible 36 !!

Back at the sleepover, by morning only three hardy souls remained outside Aisha, Dan and Joh. Special Ted stayed too. 

The rest had moved inside to what they thought would be comfier spots. 

The next morning they were restored by pancakes and William's chocolate cake.

An hour after the kids all left, we welcomed Auntie Mary for a family lunch.

Weary kids.

Thank you to the friends and family who sent cards, e-mails, skyped or rang.  Aisha had a very Happy Birthday!

We had the air-conditioning on for those two days. Yes, for some mysterious reason our English house has built-in ceiling-mounted air conditioning downstairs. It was turned on once in 2011, once in 2012 and now twice in 2013. It may well be on a whole lot more if this scorching (windows and doors open all day, windows open all night, no blankets needed) weather continues - which seems it will do through to early August. Yay !