Alice Springs has a toy library. I have decided that toy libraries are the coolest idea ever. For $88 per year I can borrow four toys every two weeks. Two weeks is perfect as that is about the amount of time that Nina stays interested in a toy. Thus she has access to an endless amount of toys (and cool ones, bikes, kitchens, bowling sets, play equipment etc) without ever contributing to landfill. Yay. So here she is playing on her slippery dip and see saw

I have seen two movies at the cinema already this year and it’s only Feb.  That’s a pretty good achievement given that in the previous 2.5 years since Nina has been alive I had been three times.  They were both fantastic too.  First we saw “Life of Pi” 3D.  Yes Alice has that now.  It was pretty spectacular.  3D really worked for this film.  I wasn’t that excited to go.  I had read the book which I had really liked but wasn’t convinced it would make a good film.  It did.  So many good conversations after it too about stories, theology, truth, topcis I really love.

Then on the weekend was the annual travelling film festival.  Alice goes a bit nuts for fims that weekend and many people including Ryan mob see all nine.  I saw one, “searching for sugarman” a doco about the singer Rogriguez whose first name is sometime Jesus and other time Sixto.  Anyway,  Rodriguez, an American, made some great music in the late sixties and early seventies but it never took off in the states so he went on to demolish houses and live a pretty basic life.  Meanwhile, his music takes off in South Africa, inspiring anti apartheid singers as well, and he’s really famous.  Some time in the ninties some journalists go looking for him and this unbelievably gorgeous, humble, generous man finds out he’s really famous.  It doesn’t go to his head though he keeps working at his job and living in the same house.  It’s the most incredibale story.   Everyone should see it.

Just a shame I din’t make it to Les Miserables when it was on.  I did really try as many know but it wasn’t meant to be I suppose.  I hope it’s still okay on DVD.

Nina has had her first lot of lice.  What a pain.  We have spent the last few days washing her hair with shampoo, spraying it with tea tree oil and trying to comb them out with those lice combs, not easy with a wiggly two year old.  She hates it, we hate it and progress is very slow.  Aaaahhhh.  The woman at her family day care which she goes to on Wednesday says she can’t come unless she is lice free.  I know that is totally understandable and she was very nice about it but despite how common lice is among kids, especially here, and knowing it has nothing to do with cleanliness one can’t help but feel a bit embarassed.  I did laugh on Saturday though when we were out at Ellery Creek and I am chatting to someone and Nina out of nowhere says in a very loud voice, “yo me got lice.”  At least she’s not embarassed.