Melbourne, exams, fish

We had a visit to Melbourne for my exams (passed the two I was expecting to, failed the two I hadn't picked up a book for, but not by much (one mark in one) which bodes well for the next round of exams in six months). This was an ordeal as it meant carrying the two boys on the plane with the predictable boredom and ear issues for Callum and Hamish wanting to clammber all over everything.

Melbourne is a very european feeling city with lots of trams, which Callum still goes on about. We were very central which meant that the non-exam sitting family (Jen, the boys, and Jen's parents, who kindly came along or the two nights that I was sitting exams after to give Jen a hand with the boys while I was away).

Other gossip - none really. Hamish is talking (vaguely) - 'mum' and 'dad' only though. Crawling, standing supported ,weighing a lot. Callum is speaking a lot more but is only beginning to put words together. Still says the last part of words and rarely the beginning, so 'train', 'crane' and 'plane' are all 'ane'. Context is everything.

Albert park lake, beside where I sat my exams.

Callum meets a fish at the Melbourne Aquarium

And a long-neck turtle

They had a huge tank with lots of big fish including sharks and manta rays that you can walk through. Apparently the curved surface makes things look about a third smaller than they are here.