The return to the Isle of Man from America was not without some pain, but at least my coming back sooner meant that, although the flight back with two kids was miserable for Cori, at least I was around to soak up the jet leg needs. Though when I was back to work, it meant that the boys got to watch more tele than usual, even with lunch on their laps(!), with Cori sleeping in a corner:
Perhaps it was also a lack of sleep which could account for Cori doing something as foolish as sticking a sucker toy thingy on her head and leaving it there for long enough for a mark to be left...
It was only three days after Cori's return from America that she had her re-booked driving test. Unfortunately, the test was for 8.30am, which works out as being equivalent to 3.30am for Ohio time. This didn't bode well for the test. Indeed, nor did the fact that Cori hadn't driven for a month. We drove the evening before, and that was it. And then this...
... She was off! ...
And the result was... pass!
It was a great achievement. Not so much because driving was difficult for Cori (she has, of course, been driving for decades in America!), but because it finally unlocked an important part of life on the Isle of Man. A great relief - both at being allowed to drive at last, and at not having to worry about testing and practicing and the like ever again!
We celebrated by paying our first visit to St. Trinian's Church. We had been planning to tell the story of the Buggane of St. Trinian's, but it was too wet in the long grass. Instead we satisfied ourselves with eating the lush blackberries off the bushes.
There were some other Manx firsts for us too. Such as the first family trip to Scarlett, a bit of the coastline near to Castletown which is famed for being beautiful and for having unusual geology. It didn't really sound like the place to take the boys, but it actually ended up that it was the boys who had a great time, fooling around on the rocks, and even doing a bit of rock climbing - definitely a place to get back to...
Also, we went to Silverdale Glen, which was great very exciting for everyone, and especially so for me, who had not been there since the magic of Sunday School visits aged 8 or whatever it was. I was delighted to see the same things still there, and that they were winners with Finn and Orry also:
As I child I did not appreciate how brilliant the water-powered merry-go-round is. Victorian brilliance at its Victorian brilliant best!
We also got out to see the Laxey Wheel, and go in the 10 metre stretch of mine, as ever. But this time we did it rather excitingly; we went to Groudle, near the start of the line in Onchan, and travelled on the 30 minutes on the tram to Laxey and back. It was a lovely trip, and my first of the year, complete with happy sleeping children on the way home:
And, as always, a trip was paid to the Wildlife Park:
Perhaps also on a water theme with the penguins, we took our first ever trip with Finn and Orry to the NSC swimming pool in Douglas/Braddan. This is the place for kids in the Isle of Man, complete with slides, Jacuzzi, a river and other such delights. Finn and Orry were in awe of it, and now we're a little frightened that we'll be pestered to go back there all the time.
Perhaps obviously, we don't have pictures from this, so instead here is a picture of Finn and Orry having fun at my work with their friend, as Cori and the other grown-ups were in a meeting about the Celtic Festival. Although I was the one at work, it ended up me managing their Lego playing and dressing up etc. Fun was had though:
When we were dropping things off at the tip we take a look at all the 'Luckies' available to take home ourselves. (Which appears to be how our house is full of slightly broken rubbish children's toys!). When there last Finn happened to pick up a book and cried out gleefully, "Ah! Deedah will love this!"
He was very proud to hand it over and then asked me intermittently over the coming weeks whether I had read it yet. I am sorry to say that I have not read it, yet...
One of the most impressive things for visitors to our house in August was the lush array of plants outside our house, which the boys were very proud of:
You will note the sunflowers ascending out of shot here. It transpired that our landlord, who runs the shop below us, took it upon himself to water the plants twice a day when we were away, ensuring that they flourished, to this impressive height!
So, a happy Manx end to August.
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