December Story 13: December 2020 Summer Christmases

December here is summer, and with the exception of a few days it is usually crazy hot. It is usually a busy time of the social calendar as well so usually weekends are maxed out with fun catch-ups with people and festive preparations. Our Christmas here is so very different from the European experience and instead of snow and a fire place, it is hot, we hang out in togs swimmers and we have air-conditioning (if you’re lucky). We have cold sweet soft drink in festive flavours instead of hot cocoa. We have BBQ’s instead of roasts, and bushfires and cyclones instead of blizzards. Summer in Australia is hot. The kids are also finishing off the year, and are often very tired as we draw to the end of the school year. The sun shines on us making longer days.  Summer showers or a bath under the hose is something we have treated the girls to this summer instead of coming inside for a bath, they have been able to jump on the trampoline. Sometimes it has been us standing there spreaying them, sometimes it is a sprinkler under the trampoline, and sometimes it is an elaborate sprinkler hose set up in the in the trampoline shade cover. Either way the girls have enjoyed a little change in routine.

The other things I want to remember is the sound of loud insects noise throughout the day, particularly while we are working from home due to COVID. I want to remember the waterparks and timing the visit so we are staying out of the heat in the most intense parts of the day. I want to remember how quickly the laundry dries in the sun and how crisp it feels when we pull it inside. I want to remember the heavy heat before the storms, and how exhausting it can be until the storm breaks and the excitement of wind, thunder, and lightening can be. I want to remember how incredibly fun it is to experience this all with a little four year old, and a little six year old. We love you baby girls Kaiya Kelly Puggle and Kirra Isla Kubbi.