Wave Braving.

We had a pretty great weekend. On friday we went back to Cockatoo Island for some more street art yumminess and it was another glorious shiny Sydney day...the boys hung out with some old school friends and some new home school friends and lots of fun was had by all....Flex is truly enamored with Banksy! He loves the simple style of this artist's work and is really starting to 'get' the satire. Lucky really enjoyed riding his ripstik around with his mate!

After we had farewelled the other families, the boys and I decided to chill in the Rocks for a while. We fed seagulls with our toes and tried to get them to land on our heads (no success), marvelled at the sheer enormity of the cruise ships docked at the overseas passenger terminal and chatted a bit about the gritty history of the area. Check out the lady sitting on the bench in the photo below - she was laughing at our attempts to commune with the seagulls but I have to say - for two hyper energiser bunnies, my boys can  sit stiller than zen monks mediatating when they have a reason to!

We found a Guylian shop (LOVE) and indulged. You know it's rich when even your 7 and nearly 9 year olds can't finish the gold leaf chocolate brownie.

And then - joy of joys - we realised that we had stumbled upon the famous Rocks' moonlight markets. Well.....the boys tolerated me while I browsed the stalls (finally purchasing a cute Mona Lisa pendant) and I tolerated them while they tried on grotesque rubber masks. While exploring a cool upstairs gallery space we happened upon an amazing artist called Ping Lean Yeak - an autistic savant who creates vibrant, pulsating works of incredible beauty and energy. The boys were gobsmacked to see the works he had done when he was merely 9 years old, and to hear his story. They were even more enthralled to meet him and teach him how to ride a ripstik. It was a truly rich experience - my boys were gentle and kind to him and he was STOKED to 'play' with some other kids. His mother had tears of joy in her eyes and told me how happy she was as Ping Lean rarely connects with ANYONE. He is 19 now and I look forward to following his artistic career...
We then sat at a little al fresco cafe, had yummy drinks (Sangria for me, ginger beer for them) and listened to the incorrigible Christa Hughes (my MC idol) work the crowd and a fabulous honky tonk piano player and her washboard rockin' husband play good old boogie woogie. After that it was time to 'be a tree' at an interactive live graphics project and enter the tiny and definitely weird world of a conjoined twins ventriloquist act.....who developed a crush on Flex (much to his squirming discomfort/delight).
I love a little bohemia on a friday evening!

On saturday it was Avalon market day which is arguably one of the best market days in the universe. After a few hot hours of circus play on the oval, shopping for a beach umbrella, new cossie, cool water beads and magic pens, accompanied by the eating of popsicles, sugary sweet lolly straps and snow cones we were BOILING and ready for a swim. And this brings me to the whole point of this post....(better late than never huh!) the joy of watching your kids experience something that you loved as a child. 
At the beach pool the waves and tide were perfect for 'wave braving'. This is where you hold on tight to the chain around the pool and wait for giant waves to splash over you. The anticipation is delicious! The shock of cold water and the bit of fear and the sun on your face and the squeals of yourself and the other kids makes this one of the FUNNEST THINGS EVER! And while I lolled in the water in my new (awesome) red cossie watching my sons enjoy this thing that I have enjoyed countless times myself in a younger less saggy body, I don't think I could have been smiling any wider.....