75/365
Each year we make our way to the Yackandandah folk festival (Yack to locals). It marks the true beginning of Autumn for us and has become a well loved family ritual. This year Zahra and I finally joined the community choir, something I've been wanting to do for years. When rehearsals started six weeks ago Zahara was a bit grumbly about it all, but straight after our performance today she asked if we could do it again next year. Perhaps this too will become part of our yearly folk festival ritual! Yes please. Singing is so good for the soul don't you think? And singing with people you don't know, but get to know and then become friends with, is even better. I did forget a few lines and had ridiculously wet armpits afterwards... nerves and stage lighting? but all in all we had a ball. I was hoping Will would get a little home movie thing happening of us singing, but I couldn't see his face in the crowd. Turns out he didn't make it in time to get inside the hall (standing room only was chock-a-block-) because he didn't see the tub of nappy cream in Niamh's hands as he put her down for her morning nap. Niamh and said nappy cream played happily together for one and a half hours. I know this has happened to many, many, many other people out there because there are forums and help pages and phone lines for this kind of thing. People like us who try unsuccessfully for far too long to get that stuff off cotton, wool, velour, carpet, before we cry for help. Did you know good old dishashing liquid seems to be the ticket? And whatever you do don't rub, dab, outside in. So no singing movie. But he took a lovely pic of Zahra and me afterwards, regardless of the "quick take the photo because the baby is staring those people down for their ice cream" expression on my face. There's Niamh hanging out in the park and Zahra catching a gig from a good vantage point.