Summer Holidays

Wow, I can't believe it's been three months since I last posted!  I have been a bit slack with my Sylvanians in the interim, just due to real life stuff taking precedence - it's been a busy time for us.  I haven't forgotten about my Sylvanians - some of them even came with us on a recent holiday (but more on that another day!), and I have a few other photos and stories I hope to get onto soon.

Today though, I have an entry for last month's Creative Challenge on the forum (better late than never, right?)  The prompt was "Summer Holidays", but just like here in Australia, the residents of Macadamia Grove are currently experiencing some chilly Winter weather.  It seems that some of them at least are getting rather sick of it...

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Zac Patches looked gloomily out the window as the rain beat down outside.  He sighed loudly.

"What's up with you?" asked his sister Sarah, glancing up from her book.

"It's raining again," said Zac.  

It wasn't fair.  The school holidays had begun a whole three days ago, and it had rained on all three of those days.  Zac didn't much care about being cold, but he hated being cooped up inside all the time.

"I mean what's the point of having holidays if you can't go out and play?" he demanded.

Sarah shrugged.  "It won't rain forever," she said.  "Why don't you read a book or something?"

Zac looked highly affronted by this suggestion.  He did not share his sister's enthusiasm for books.

"Look at one of the photo albums then," suggested Sarah.  "You like doing that - what about the one from Australia?  Or - ooh, I know!  This one."  She handed him a big photo album.

"This one's got the Sylvania photos in it," said Zac.  "It's not as interesting."

Sarah reached over and opened the album to a particular page.  "Not even these ones?"

Zac gave her a look.  "Oh, very funny," he said, but a little smile did tug at the corner of his mouth.  Sarah had given him the photos of their last Summer holiday to look at.  They had spent a week at Starlight Cape, enjoying the beach and the endless sunshine.

"Looks like we'd been to the Fish & Chip shop that day," said Sarah, peering over.

"Those chips were so good," said Zac.  "But the ice creams were even better.  Remember that chocolate one I got?  There should be a photo... Yeah, here it is!"

"They were awesome," he sighed, reminiscing.

"Oh look at this one.  You were such a rat," said Sarah.  "You kept on trying to splash me.  I didn't know Mum had taken this photo until afterward."

"I wasn't trying to splash you," Zac protested.

"Oh really?"

"No," he said with a grin.  "I was trying to throw you in the water."  Sarah poked him.

"It was a fun holiday.  We met nice people there too.  That rabbit girl was nice - Cherrie.  I liked her," said Sarah.  "I don't see a proper picture of her - just in the background of this one of you."

"Meh - she was just a girl," Zac said dismissively.

"Excuse me?  Honey Chocolat is just a girl, too," Sarah pointed out.  Honey was one of Zac's school friends.

"Yeah, but Honey is fun," said Zac.  "Anyway, Cherrie was too old to play with."

Sarah rolled her eyes.  "Well I think she was very nice.  And anyway, that is her float you were on, if I am not mistaken.  It was very kind of her to lend it to you."

"That's true," Zac admitted.  "I guess she was alright."

"It was a fun holiday," Sarah mused.  "I wonder if we'll go back next Summer?"  

"Hope so," her brother replied.  He wandered over to the bookshelf and pulled out another photo album.  "Hey, look. Italy."

Suddenly, Sarah noticed something.

"Zac, the rain's stopped.  Mum would probably let you go out now," she said, picking her book back up and settling into a comfy chair.

"Hmmm?  Oh, yeah... okay..." Zac mumbled absently, turning the pages of another album.  Sarah smiled to herself.  There was nothing her brother liked more than looking at their family photos - well, apart from running around making mischief with his friends, of course.  She guessed it was just the nature of little brothers to be a pain sometimes, but Zac was pretty fun, mostly.  She would never have admitted it, but she often missed him when she was away at school.  She was looking forward to next Summer, too.