Magical Mastersons

  Narrated by Caroline Masterson Winterfest had rolled around again, and I couldn't help thinking about how much had changed; living in a much bigger place and the fact that all the children were school-aged. Once again, I'd purchased the children Christmas jumpers, although finding a yellow one for Xanthe had been impossible. She didn't mind, though, and looked happy as she played on the grand piano in the living room. I watched as she practised. Although she and Erytheia were both very creative, neither of them had mentioned anything about a dream career yet. Of course, they were still young, and could easily change their minds.  Later, we sat down for a traditional turkey meal. Peter finished first and said that he wanted to put a few more presents under the tree, so the kids and I had a chat. "This is great, Mum!" Xanthe grinned. "I love Winterfest food." "I am stuffed, though," Artemis replied. "I don't think I'll need to eat ...

  Narrated by Caroline Masterson One evening, I decided to head over to the Jasmine Suites Apartments to visit Anastasia and her family. Alexander was absent - I had, in fact, just left him at my place - and I met Helen in the hallway. "Hello! You must be Helen," I smiled. "Yeah, that's me!" she said. "Who are you?" "My name's Caroline. Your older brother Alexander is friends with my daughter, Erytheia," I explained. "And this little girl is my daughter Artemis." "I'm not little, Mummy," Artemis replied, not looking up from her tablet. "Sorry," I grinned. "Why don't you say hi to Helen?" Inside, I got chatting with Anastasia. Her husband Nicholas was busy on the computer, but still said a friendly hello. "So, how do you like living in the Spice Market?" I asked. "It's great," Anastasia smiled. "They've got a lovely little Indian food stall, I love a good curr...

  Narrated by Caroline Masterson Just a couple of hours after we got home, it was time for Erytheia and Xanthe's first Scouts meeting. I knew they'd have a lot of fun earning badges and going on camping trips. They looked very smart in their uniforms. I hoped the badges wouldn't have to be sewn on, as I wasn't much good at needlework... The weather that afternoon was lovely and warm, and I spent time outside with Artemis and Apollo. They too were growing up fast - Artemis in particular was very smart and inquisitive, always asking a lot of questions. Apollo was smart too of course, but seemed to have permanent ants in his pants and preferred running around (sometimes naked) to sitting down and looking at a book.  Peter's gardening was going very well now that the plants were able to be outside, and he had an abundance of crops. There was only so much space in the fridge for them, and so he invested in a juice fizzing machine. It seemed like a pretty complicated cont...

  Narrated by Erytheia Masterson When Dad told Xanthe and I that he wanted to take us somewhere, I was excited. He told us to grab hold of his arm. With his free hand, he took a weird blue stone out of his pocket and shouted "To the Realm!" And, before I knew what was happened, we were whooshing through the air, everything blurring in front of my eyes. Then, just as suddenly, we landed on the ground.  I had absolutely no idea where we were. The sky was a pretty mix of blue and purple, there was a giant building just in front of us, and we were standing beside an archway filled with a colourful, swirling mist. "Where are we?" I asked. "This is the Magic Realm," he explained. "We're all Spellcasters in our little family." "Wow! Does that mean we can do magic?" Xanthe asked. "Yes, but - " "COOL! I wanna turn people into frogs!" she exclaimed. "Not so fast," Dad smiled. "You can't actually practise...

  Narrated by Caroline Masterson One morning, I decided to visit the Perfect Balance Spa in Newcrest. Many of my co-stars talked about how relaxing yoga was, and I realised it would be a great way to relax and unwind. I loved the modern look of the building, particularly the bamboo plants growing near the entrance. Gentle music played from loudspeakers, and I spent some time soaking up the atmosphere.  At around midday or so, it was announced over the loudspeakers that a yoga class would be starting in half an hour, so I headed towards the studio and paid the fee. After a couple of other participants had arrived, the class began. Some of the movements were a little tough, but ultimately I enjoyed it and I decided to invest in my own yoga mat.  The weather was getting better, so we decided to purchase a barbecue, and, appropriately, I made some BBQ ribs. I loved the smell of meat grilling on the barbecue, and was again grateful that we'd managed to buy somewhere with outdo...