Joan

It's been a big couple of weeks. Biggest news is that Sweeney's grandma died last week and was buried on Tuesday. She was really nice. She took nice to a whole new level. She made nice people look rubbish. She was actually supernice. There was a big turnout for the funeral.

One thing I really like about funerals is the stories you hear. I found out that Joan was actually a bit of a slob in her youth. Left her clothes on the floor, kept her room like a tip, that sort of thing. This wouldn't be news, except that I always knew her as the tidiest, cleanest, most fastidious person ever. Can't wait for that transformation to come down on me.

Sweeney's been on the go. Here are some highlights:

• turns out Sweeney can ride a bike without training wheels. I had no idea. I think he had no idea, either. He just wanted to be like his friend Frank;
• he's been pottering in the garden with me, now that the afternoons are stretching out a bit. Noticing buds forming on trees, flowers on the bean seedlings, the bowl of hyacinths blooming on the deck;
• he's been catching up with his cousins, especially Victoria and William, who were up for the funeral;
• actually, the funeral was an absolute blast for him - he wore his Spiderman shirt, enjoyed hot and cold running uncles, aunties and cousins, the lovely Jackson, chocolate slice, football out the back of Grandad O'Neill's house, throwing clumps of clay into Grandma's grave with William while the uncles filled it in. When we got home, he curled up on the living room floor to go to sleep - so knackered;
• Blessing came for a sleepover last weekend. Everyone was completely exhausted by the time it was over. Just how it should be;
• Sweeney's been just the loveliest company the last couple of days. Actually, much longer than that, but there was a Terrible Incident on Wednesday and it blew the good run. I hate to say it, but I think sticker charts really work at cutting back the obstreperousness ...

Here's a picture Sweeney took on the night of Joan's funeral. We went home the long way and stopped at Breaker Bay to take in the hysterically full moon and the water.
Oh, and so much more happened, but I can't remember what I had for lunch today, let alone anything from last week. We did stuff. It was nice.