McCarthys in Oz

We've Moved!

2010-10-18T05:18:00.003+10:00

We have moved and so has our blog....

Come check out our new home at http://mccarthysinms.blogspot.com/

Adios, Australia! It's been one heck of a ride...

Bed Time & Black Eyes

2010-05-08T07:24:00.002+10:00

About a week ago Liam started waking up in the wee hours of the morning (again) and coming into our room. He acted very casual about the whole process -- no fussing, just climbing up into our bed & settling in like he belonged there. I would promptly get up, walk him back to his room & put him back into bed with just a little protest. We developed a sort of routine to this for about 5 nights in a row. However, on night 6 the pitter patter of little feet was followed by a loud thump, which of course was followed by a loud wail. Liam had miscalculated in the dark and walked right into our bedside table...cheek first.

At first it didn't look so bad...jut a little cut on his cheek, but each day it's gotten worse as the bruising has creeped toward his eye. Day 2

Day 3

Side Note: I know I shouldn't get any pleasure out of my little boy's pain, but ever since his run-in with the bedside table, we have not had a night visitor to our bed.

Montessori: Liam

2010-04-24T06:30:00.009+10:00

Some photos of Liam from 1st term at Montessori this year

Handing out birthday cupcakes

Asking a question

Easter hats

The bouncing board

Montessori: Julia

2010-04-23T13:08:00.007+10:00

Julia and Liam have been going to a wonderful Montessori school, but this year they only went 1st term so last week was their final week. Unfortunately, it's just too far away from our house and between the drive & the expense (and the requirement that they attend at least 3 days per week), we decided it wasn't working out. Here are some photos from 1st term (Jan - April).

Showing where we live on the giant world map

Petting the baby chicks they had watched hatch

Obstacle course for gross motor development

Gossip girls, Julia & Valentina

Julia in a bucket:
Anne Geddes Photo Moment

Checking out an Australian lizard
(no matter how many times I added this photo -- which is the right way up in my computer -- it still goes sideways on the blog)

Waiting their turns for a matching game
Julia & Willow

Julia's teacher asked me to teach a yoga class for Julia & her classmates. We had a great time:

Lion pose

Painting

Learning numbers

Pouring tea for the class

Julia & Liam got to play together on the big playground

Sorting eggs

St. Paddy's Day Cookies

Learning to sew

Tracing the new letter of the week

Weekend With My Little Man

2010-04-23T12:45:00.004+10:00

Last weekend Matt & Julia spent the weekend at Wellington Point (and unfortunately didn't take a camera), so I got some quality time with my little man. The weather was perfect on Saturday (finally!), and we spent almost 4 hours park-hopping and walking around the lakes. I was so impressed with how much he walked. I had the stroller, but he walked at least a mile by himself (probably even two) -- and that was after playing hard at two playgrounds! He is such a nature lover and collected flowers and sticks and rocks along the way.

I know the picture quality's bad, but look at that expression -- sheer joy!

On Sunday we went to yet another playground then headed to the Brookwater Markets.

Liam was fascinated by the face painting but didn't want the paint on his face. The lady was great and painted a redback spider on his arm instead.

He was so proud of it!
It started raining on our way home, and he made me carry him (running) while he covered his arm with the other hand to insure his spider didn't get wet.

Morning tea at the markets

Rewind: Mantra Salt Beach

2010-04-22T12:27:00.007+10:00

Playing catch-up with my photos again. These are from our trip to Kingscliff, NSW while my mom was here in February. Excellent family vacation...the resort was great, the beach was beautiful, and the children had a wonderful time! We also took a day trip to Tropical Fruit World. Sounds cheesy, but it was so fun! The exotic fruit tasting was delicious, and they had some great activities for the children. Riding the miniature train at Tropical Fruit World

Happy little man on our balcony

Squealing at the incoming waves

Julia & Matt braved the waves

In her element...loving the many swings at Tropical Fruit World...

Trying out the zipline...
Julia was a rockstar, holding on the whole way without help!

Eager to get to the pool

The civilized first 10 minutes of our breakfasts

Then catching the wild ones who bolted from the table as soon as they'd finished eating

Feeding the animals at Tropical Fruit World

Liam was sound asleep for at least half the tour

One minute he was awake...

...the next, out like a light.

Rewind: February & March

2010-04-22T08:45:00.008+10:00

Some photos and events I missed out on blogging about in the past few months (in no particular order)...Julia, proud of her Liam-art

The boys (Pop & Liam) & their pink parasol -- a very manly accessory

Peek-a-boo

Playing down at Wellington Point on the day a tsunami was forecast

"And the big waves will come up like this..."

Pop & Gran

Tsunami? What tsunami?

Liam, Pop, Gran, Nana, Julia & me

Our little swimmer
(the water's actually about 8 inches deep here)

Monkey-girl
(she kept trying to convince Matt to let go)

Chug-a chug-a...

Choo choo!

Teatime with Nana

Storytime with Nana

STICKS!!

Snacktime with Nana
(Are we sensing the theme here? We LOVE Nana!)

Nana's Puppet Theatre

and her excited audience

Breakfast birthday cupcakes
(The day Julia turned one I had to work all day, so we had her cakes that morning while we were all together. The next year I had an exam on her birthday, so we did the same thing. After that, it became a tradition.)

Checking out his birthday loot

On the big girl bike she got for Christmas

The next few pictures are all from the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Brisbane. Matt's parents took the children there during their first weekend to keep both children. The children had a great weekend overall but really seemed to love this outing most-- lots to explore!

The buddhas started out white, but the museum has the patrons cover them in assorted stickers.

Family dinner
(a fairly accurate picture -- food surrounding Liam's plate and the floor, a pouty-faced Julia, and me looking pretty worn out -- despite it all, I do like when we can all sit down together)

"Mirror mirror on the wall, who IS the fairest of them all?"

Liam picked out my dress up clothes and his

Date night (a wonderful treat while my mom was here to babysit)

"Fun time with Nana? And no parents? This is great!!"
The children were actually thrilled at our departure.

Liam supervised the baking of his birthday cupcakes

My Little Gentleman

2010-04-16T20:39:00.003+10:00

Liam really is such a gentleman. He loves holding doors open for people. He always makes sure I have everything I need when I leave the house to go teach class ("Don't forget your water, Mommy" or "Take your purse"). And he is incredibly affectionate. He even blew kisses to the FedEx delivery woman last week after she'd brought us a package.

Today was the children's last week at Montessori (more on that later), so his teachers gave us a CD of all of the photos of Liam from the year so far. There are so many cute ones that I will post later, but this sequence of photos was particularly precious.... (the little girl is Liam's friend, Violet)

(this one is my favorite!)

Easter at Wivenhoe

2010-04-07T06:57:00.004+10:00

Some photos from our wonderful camping weekend at Wivenhoe. This has been a McCarthy family tradition for 20+ years, but Peter & Jennie are now selling the property, so this year was our last. The property was looking even more beautiful than usual with all of the rain we'd had in the past few months. We will certainly miss these Easters!

Chillin'
(See the water in the dam behind Julia? This is the 1st time in 4 years that I'd seen any water on that side of the property. My 1st year we actually rode the 4-wheelers all through those dry lake beds.)

Different chair, same chilled out pose

"Hmm...I'm not so sure about you taking my picture..."

"Oh, okay, I'll pose for you."

"Liam and cousin Mikey"
(Mikey is the same age in this photo as Julia was her first year at Wivenhoe when she stood unassisted for the 1st time -- nearly 8mos)

Grant prepares the Hangi (prounounced "hungy") -- there are metal crates of meat (lots of it) under those blankets and a huge fire pit under the crates -- ice gets poured on top of the blankets next

Julia & Daddy at the Hangi Pit

Cousin Drew

Drew & Tracey's youngest son, Cooper (he's a few months younger than Liam)

An Easter egg!! (Julia and Maverick-- in the background -- were not thrilled that Cooper found it first)

Like father...

like son.

"Whatchya drinkin', Daddy?"

"Ah, a fine lager, indeed, I see."

"I don't get to have some?!?"

Sophia seemed to have the same fixation with beer bottles (maybe it's the Aussie in these kids)

Devlin, Liam & Julia were kept very entertained by the gravel and some plastic cups

Seriously, this lasted for over an hour!

Doing some yoga stretches with Mama

Viribhadrasana III

The Mommy & Me version of Warrior II

I was trying to get Liam to put his palms together over his head, but I realized his arms are actually too short to reach ;-)

Devlin and Liam were so cute together. They were born one week apart, but Devlin doesn't have any siblings, so Liam was a bit more outgoing and was the instigator of mischief.

Liam had a train here (behind his back). I heard him say, "I throw it...."

"Now you go get it." (A good game of fetch). But then as soon as Devlin got close to the train, Liam said to him, "Oh, look!" and pointed in the opposite direction. As soon as Devlin turned to see what Liam had pointed to, Liam picked up the train and walked off (very happy with himself).

The Easter egg hunt was a a huge hit!! There are probably way more photos here than y'all want to see, but I promise you this is only a small fraction of the ones I took! Easter egg hunts in Australia are quite different to American ones. Instead of hiding plastic eggs or dyed real ones, all the hidden eggs are solid chocolate (and at Wivenhoe, there is no shortage of hidden eggs -- I think Jennie had bought about 4 kilos of chocolate eggs for us to hide around the property!). Consequently, there is usually a massive group meltdown (i.e. sugar crash) about 2-3 hours after the egg hunt each year.

Sophia & Liam

Stopping mid-hunt to eat a few

Julia & Maverick made a pretty good team and filled the entire basket (well, briefly filled it before eating a bunch)

Cousin Anna

Cousin Trishelle & her hilarious dog, Jimmy (this dog doesn't bark -- instead he snorts like a pig. He also snores at night.)

Brett: "Are you sure you need some more of these chocolate eggs?"
Liam: "Yes, see? I've still got room in my belly!"

The beautiful moon we slept (or at least rested -- not much sleep) under each night

Cousin Jono

Hi-5 Concert

2010-04-06T12:04:00.004+10:00

Julia & Caydence had a blast at their very first Hi-5 concert last month.

Waiting patiently for the show to start

Trying out their Hi-5 "Hyperlights"
(Julia loves hers so much that she has slept with it almost every night since)

Mesmerized

Singing and dancing along
(a bit hard to get photos in the dark)

Liam's Birthday Party

2010-04-06T10:28:00.006+10:00

As promised, here are some photos from Liam's 2nd birthday and his party at Perrin Park in Toowong:

Practicing with his new sword (either knighting Matt or beheading him)

Sir Liam on his noble steed

Liam absolutely loved his party and would've simply stayed for hours after everyone left just playing with the party blowers and going back for more cake.

Full steam ahead!

Napkins please!
(Liam & Angus with their sticky blue fingers after the cake)

Our little hitchhiker.
We did not know these people, but Liam had no problem flagging them down and catching a ride around (and around and around) the park.

Harry (Liam's classmate), Caydence & Julia

"Ooh, what did you bring me, Auntie Julie?!"

"And that's for me. And that one. And that one..."

Mesmerized by the candles as we sang happy birthday

Liam didn't need any prompting to blow out the candles.

And finally, the sugar crash....

Back in the Blogging World

2010-03-15T18:50:00.017+10:00

Every day I intend to resume blogging, but it goes something like this: The children are entertained with their toys. I sit down at the computer. I hear a crash (Liam breaking a vase with a palm frond from the backyard) or a scream (Julia whacking Liam on the head with said palm frond). And I abandon the blogging to settle the chaos.

But today the kids are at school. They have only 4 more weeks to go (too long a commute and too expensive to continue), so I'm indulging in the little luxuries of my remaining 8 (yes, I'm counting) child-free days with blogging and watching movies while I do the ironing (can't indulge completely--there's still housework to be done).

So here's the rapid replay of our last few months:

We had a fabulous trip to the States for Thanksgiving. Lots of family and friends and even some snow! We will definitely make the effort to do it again this year, and hopefully this time can stay for Christmas too.
We left the snow in Mississippi to return for a blazing Christmas in Queensland. I hosted the McCarthy Family Christmas Party at a local park, and all the young ones enjoyed swimming and running around while the adults sought out what little shade we could find. Santa brought trains galore for Liam and a big girl bike AND a scooter for Julia. After opening presents we headed down to Brunswick Heads for our beach Christmas with Matt's immediate family (and their next door neighbors), and the children had day after day of playing on the beach, swimming in the river and riding bikes (Liam hitched a ride with either Matt or me while Julia practiced on her new bike).

Enjoying cupcakes at the family party

As close as we could get to a photo with Santa
(Liam wouldn't even get that close!)

Testing out the new train table

Christmas morning with my darling daughter who insists on wearing her clothes backwards

Matt had to work on my birthday, so after breakfast all together, the children celebrated with me at the Thomas the Train Extravaganza at the Rail Museum in Ipswich. Our friends Deb & Steve came over that night to ring in the New Year, but we were all back in our own beds by 10 or 11 (and up at 5am on New Years Day!).Early morning birthday greetings from the kiddos

The New Year brought a big change for me as I started my own yoga business, Serenity Yoga. No studio of my own yet, but I have nearly 100 clients and teach between 6-10 classes per week out of the local gyms and community centres. All very exciting! Advertising and getting everything up and running continues to consume a lot of my time, but I'm also making a point to work on my own practice in preparation for the next step -- getting certified in Yoga Therapy (to help people with serious injuries and severe illnesses, including mental health problems). I've started working with a Multiple Sclerosis patient, and that work has been so rewarding (and such a learning experience) for us both!January and February also brought household changes and celebrations. We got new carpet, painted walls, rearranged furniture and held a garage sale to start clearing out some of the clutter. Matt & I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary on January 14th and Liam turned 2 on February 18th. I'll do a separate post about Liam's party and my big boy, but the quick recap is that he had a wonderful time --presents at home and a mini party at school on the actual day and a party with family and friends (and a blue truck cake) the following weekend.My mom arrived just before Liam's birthday and almost a whole glorious month with us, playing with the children, going to yoga classes with me, and helping out tremendously around the house! We all had a fabulous weekend down in Kingscliff, NSW at Mantra Salt Beach -- sun, sand and actual relaxation with 3 adults looking after the kids -- such a treat! We were so sorry to send her off to the plane and have spent the past 2 weeks just getting back into our normal schedule.March hasn't been all about getting back to reality though. I enjoyed a blissful 3-day yoga retreat in the hinterland of NSW at Black Sheep Farm with a great group of yogis, deepening our practice with some advanced classes and soaking up the meditative mountain air. I can't say that I've been able to entirely hold that meditative, calm attitude since then, but the break sure helped!The children continue to make me laugh and also throw new challenges my way daily. Julia has been easing away (permanently, I hope) from most of the thrashing 3's behavior we'd been witnessing since December, and she has even become quite the comedian (when she's in the mood). I hear her putting on shows for Liam, complete with different voices to narrate her story lines. Liam continues to enjoy dressing in Julia's princess outfits and having his nails painted, but he is somehow at the same time all boy -- every object can quickly turn into a weapon of mass destruction and trucks and trains are the centre of his universe.

The next few months promise to be equally (if not more) hectic than the last few as we transition the children out of their pre-school and into a few new activities (soccer and dance) and as Matt completes his FINAL (yay!) semester of his Masters of Commerce degree. I take the Australian Citizenship Test on April 9th (wish me luck!) and will hopefully be invited to the Citizenship Ceremony within a few months after that. Once the test has passed, we will turn our attention to Matt's American green card and our eventual move (most likely January 2012) to the States (still not sure which one yet, but Colorado's top of the list for now).

I'd like to promise that I'll be better about blogging, but we all know how life is....

Who needs a footrest when you've got kids?!

A new favorite hiding spot

Ring around the rosy....

...they all fall down.

More fun times at the family Christmas party:

Liam loved his new wheels:

But the kids quickly found a new way to travel:

Loving the binoculars from Aunt Connie

Check out that concentration....
Liam was determined to find every last goody hiding in the stocking

Attempting a Raulston family photo
(notice Julia peeking out from behind the chairs and Liam's fake "smile")

Exciting stocking stuffers

Goggles!!
(Julia is quite the fish these days and can now swim on her own!)

Gassing up the new bike

Our new sand pit (minus the sand) from Gran & Pop

Brothers in pseudo-serious conversation

Liam weighing in on the big boys' conversation
(check out the picture above and compare father and son's stance)

The long, bouncy couches at Brunswick...hours of entertainment!

Trying on her snazzy new clothes

Trains, trains & more trains at the Thomas extravaganza:

Lifesize Thomas the Tank Engine

Riding the real train

Making an announcement to the passengers on the platform

This is how Aussies do Christmas dinner:

Prawns, oysters, lots of salads and fresh white bread and butter
(plus a ham just for good measure)

Just making sure he'll fit on the plane

1st Day of School

2010-01-17T19:24:00.005+10:00

Julia and Liam had their first day of school last week. Apparently we are as (un)talented at taking first-day-of-school photos as we are at taking family Christmas shots. 15 pictures later, this was the best I could do....
Despite the lack of cooperation for the photo shoot, both children were thrilled to have their first day back (Julia had only been away for 2 weeks, but Liam was really starting fresh for the first time -- out of the baby room and into the 2-yr-old preschool room). I was very nervous about leaving him. He has been firmly attached to me for the past few months, and I wasn't sure how he'd fare. Within minutes of entering his classroom, however, he had forgotten all about me, and when I picked him up he was so busy playing with a classmate that he barely noticed I'd arrived. Julia was a bit disappointed that her closest school friend, Sara, would not be in her class this year, but she still had a great day. When I got to Julia's room to pick her up she told me I'd come "too early, Mama!"

It started raining when we got home that afternoon, and Julia was thrilled at the (rare) chance to don her raincoat and boots and stomp around in the rain. Liam looked forlornly at Julia's outfit (he's outgrown his coat and boots), so I loaned him my rain jacket....

As you can see, he was very excited!

Julia just looked him up and down and said,
"Um, Mama, you really need to go to the store and get him a new raincoat."
(So much for my improvisation)

My little hobbit

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T14:17:00.003+10:00

Dancin' our way into 2010!

Halloween

2009-11-01T12:26:00.003+10:00

Halloween is kind of a non-event around here. A lot of kids are getting more interested in the holiday (probably because of all the American shows on TV), but nobody really decorates their houses and the grocery store is the only place to get a carving pumpkin ($20 for a very small one that rotted in 2 days!). Matt likes to tell the story of how his brother Josh went trick-or-treating once when they were younger and came back with fruit, canned goods & even a pair of shoes.Not only do people not decorate though, but many houses don't even allow trick-or-treaters to knock on their doors! Ours was one of about 4 houses on our whole street that didn't have a big sign on the door, saying, "NO TRICK-OR-TREATING! DO NOT KNOCK!" Instead, we (Liam & I) dressed up as Americans ;-) and answered the door with a big bowl of candy bars (which Liam then attempted to drop into each person's bag), wishing everyone a Happy Halloween.Matt was off studying that night (yes, on a Saturday...we're both so ready for exams to be over!) and Julia was at Gran & Pop's (Matt's parents) house for the weekend, so earlier in the week we did a mini Halloween trick-or-treat through our house. Julia's friend Caydence was over here, and the girls picked out their favorite princess/ballerina outfits. Liam was not game to dress-up (can't blame him when most of his options are either covered in feathers or bright pink or both), but he did let the girls put a big hat on his head. I'd made simple little Halloween bags (about the limit of my craftiness and creativity), and I'd hidden little treats behind each of the closed doors in our house. They all thought it was great fun, and as much as I always loved Halloween, our version was probably much more appropriate for 2 pre-schoolers and a toddler (and far easier to control the sugar intake as every other door had something non-edible like bubbles or stickers).

Watergun Take Down

2009-11-01T07:09:00.004+10:00

*Note: Julia was not injured and the rest of the video (too long to post) is of her laughing hysterically for about 45 seconds and then getting up to do it all over again (and again and again).

Big Boy Bed

2009-10-31T13:38:00.000+10:00

Liam has struggled with his transition to the "big boy bed" in the past few months. He liked being free from the crib (and I liked that he couldn't catapult himself over the crib railing anymore), but he spent about 3 weeks sleeping on the floor (we did put a small mattress there for cushioning) right in the doorway. Anyway, he's now sleeping in the bed, and usually snuggles in the normal way -- head on a pillow, covers pulled up. Last night, however, we went to check on him, and this is how he was sleeping....

Mt Tamborine

2009-10-28T06:12:00.000+10:00

One of our favorite weekend excursions is Mt Tamborine. The drive is not too long and has gorgeous views of the Gold Coast, and at the top, there are some easy hiking trails for the kids, quirky shops to explore and yummy pies (Matt's favorite reason to go). We headed up a couple of weekends ago, intending to hike and window shop and, of course, eat pies, but the weather turned on us when we were already on the mountain. Our clear blue skies turned grey and the hot spring day turned cold. No worries! We ate our pies, took refuge in the funny shops, and the children still had a great time.

My little girl, looking like a true Aussie....

Sleep Update: Adenoids, Tonsils & Asthma - Oh My!

2009-10-28T05:56:00.001+10:00

A few people have commented or e-mailed to ask whatever happened with Julia's sleep problems and all, so here's a post to follow up with that. As many of you know. Julia didn't sleep through the night for nearly 3 years despite trying everything (controlled crying, massage, nightlights, sleeping with us, nasal sprays, vaporisors, etc.) Even on the nights when I thought she'd slept pretty well, she was incredibly tired (and cranky) the next day. She drooled profusely even after all her teeth had come in, and her speech was delayed. She did not like eating meet or crunchy fruits like apples. The ENT and speech therapist both suggested removing the tonsils and adenoids, but that option scared me. She just seemed so little for invasive surgery.

In May of this year, however, I gave in. We visited our Mississippi ENT, Dr. Sneed (it helped comfort me that he's a family friend), and 6 months later I am still very happy with our decision to have the surgery. Julia is sleeping through the night, and even though she still wakes early with the sun, she generally wakes up refreshed and happy. The drooling has stopped (although occasionally I have to remind her to close her mouth when she's concentrating hard and has it open out of habit), and she is eating so many more foods (especially all the meats that she wouldn't before). When she gets colds now, they are generally very short lived, and she looks peaceful now when she sleeps. And, of course, she talks all the time-- very clearly!

But just a warning for those moms who said they're considering the surgery for their children, the recovery may not be all popsicles and milkshakes. Julia had a very hard recovery and ended up back in the hospital for a week after the surgery to get IV fluids and different pain medications because she refused to eat or drink anything and got dehydrated. That said, I still don't regret it. In fact, I wish we'd done it earlier, but as Dr. Sneed pointed out, the mother has to be ready, and for my own peace of mind, I had to rule out all the non-surgical options first.

**Note: Little Liam fortunately does not seem to have any of the problems with tonsils and adenoids, but we have found out that he does have asthma. The pediatrician is pretty certain it can be managed with Singulair (non-steroidal tablets, not inhalers), so we are hoping this will finally rid him of the persistent cough he's had for about 6 months and stop his recent trend of interrupted nights.

Spotlight on Julia

2009-09-21T14:51:00.004+10:00

My Pig-Tailed Princess

The blog spotlight has certainly been on Liam for the last few posts, but my little drama queen sure still steals (demands) the spotlight at home. At age 3, Julia is becoming wonderfully self-sufficient...not only does she insist on doing most things by herself, but she's now actually capable of doing them unassisted! Just this morning I came back from a run at 6:30am to find Julia happily awake, fully dressed and ready for school with her little sheet set for naptime and an extra set of clothes. She had already helped herself to a banana from the fruit bowl and didn't mind entertaining herself while I showered before fixing her breakfast. Of course not every morning goes so brilliantly, but it's nice to brag whenever it does happen!

In many ways Julia is a girly girl. She loves all things pink, carries her baby dolls everywhere and loves playing dress-up. One of her favorite games right now is to play mommy to Liam, especially putting him to bed (amazingly, he loves this game too...maybe I should let her have a go at putting him down for the night cause whatever we're doing isn't working!). She tucks him in, "reads" him a book, and even sings songs to him. Her other favorite game is hide-n-seek, though her version of it is actually count-n-find-me-where-I-told-you-I-was-gonna-hide. She is very interested in cooking, and she's actually becoming very helpful in the kitchen, helping to stir or sift or measure out ingredients. She told me that breaking the eggs is the best part of cooking, so making a quiche (with 5 eggs) was a huge hit the other night.

For all the girliness, though, Julia sure can keep up with the boys (even the big boys) when it comes to running and climbing and jumping. She races up play structures and climbs rope ladders with such speed and confidence (but fortunately has a healthy notion of danger too, unlike her little brother). She's already telling everyone excitedly about starting gymnastics again (in January).

I think my favorite of her interests is singing. She loves music of all kinds and has a really good memory for song lyrics (can't get her to do memory picture games at all and I've experimented with telling her grocery items to remember, but it seems to only apply to music). It keeps us really amused too because her song repertoire is really diverse. My iPod has a lot of children's music that we listen to often, but Julia also likes for me to just scroll through a couple of seconds of each song in the playlist (from Van Morrison to Counting Crows, Metallica to Bach) until she decides what she's in the mood for (Keb Mo singing "Better Man" is a current favorite). Matt has a very limited repertoire, but it ranges from "The Purple-People Eater" to the Dirty Dancing classic, "I've Had the Time of My Life" and even an Australian jingle from the 80's for the shampoo Decore (which Julia just calls "The Shampoo Song"). And Julia has learned at least the chorus to pretty much all of them. Since that seems to be the best medium to get her to listen, we sing A LOT around our house. Now when she gets annoyed with Liam invading her space, we all sing Sting and the Police "Don't Stand So Close to Me."

Pneumonia

2009-09-19T10:56:00.003+10:00

As you can probably tell from the tired, sick eyes in the picture, our little man has not been well. We'd been having a really active week with new outings and a new playgroup, and the kids had been having a wonderful time. Liam has had a mild cough that he just can't seem to shake, but the doctor had said he was still getting over his cold and not to worry. So I didn't...until we were on our way home from the grocery store on Wednesday afternoon, and Liam started making a sort of grunting noise. Not to be crass, but at first I thought he was just "working on his diaper" (as my grandmother called it). We were only a few minutes from home, but it was clear pretty quickly that that wasn't it, and when I took him inside he just lay down on the floor looking really limp and pitiful. I called the doctor, put the kids straight back in the car and headed to the doctor's office (fortunately it's only a few blocks away!).

By that point it was obvious to me that he was having trouble breathing (breathing troubles and head injuries are my two major fears when it comes to childhood accidents and illnesses...2 weeks ago it was a mild concussion and then this?!? seriously, this boy is going to give me a heart attack!). While we waited with the nurse for the doctor, Liam's temperature spiked. The doctor said it could either be a "simple" respiratory infection or pneumonia. We were sent away with antibiotics and orders to go to the hospital if he got worse, come back in the morning he stayed the same, or say a prayer of thanks and continue the antibiotic for a week if he got better.

No sleep that night (or the next 4 and counting...) as I watched him and listened to his ragged breathing. No worse but certainly no better, so back to the doc the next morning where the doctor confirmed pneumonia. I'm a bit paranoid about hospitals (as in, I think you're just as likely to get sick as to get well there), and our doctor actually shares those feelings, so he upped the dose of antibiotic, added in a second one and got us on a strict routine of fever-reducers and sent us home (again with orders to go to the ER for any change). By Friday morning, his breathing sounded MUCH better and he actually started to perk up & play with some toys for a bit (I knew he was feeling better when he put on Julia's high-heeled princess dress-up shoes).

The doctor was very pleased with his progress and we were able to drop the meds down a bit (good news since they were not making his tummy happy), and we had a pretty good day on Friday. But as with most illnesses, we had a bit of a backslide on Saturday (see pictures above and below)...
Since he didn't want to be more than 2 inches away from me all day, I sat him on the kitchen counter and stood next to him while I fixed lunch. Within a few minutes he had stretched out and fallen asleep, ragged breathing and fever again. Not good. I called the doctor and gave a rare thanks for the Aussie medical system that lets doctors make house calls! Of course, the doctor then took nearly 5 hours to arrive and by that time (and 2 doses of antibiotics and a dose of Tylenol later), Liam was up and playing and breathing like a champ! Guess the bug just needed to raise its ugly head for one last hoorah (let's hope that's the end of it).

As an aside-- Liam has refused to sleep in his own bed since Thursday. I know I should just be thankful for his relatively speedy recovery, but I am really really hoping this is not a permanent side effect of the illness!

Spotlight on Liam

2009-08-22T11:32:00.007+10:00

Liam at 18 months

This little man is a ball of energy! Liam is tall for his age--he usually stands at least a head taller than the other children his age-- and any child even an inch smaller, he immediately declares "Baby." Liam walks and runs (though still in a drunken-sailor fashion as he gets ahead of his feet at times), and he climbs EVERYTHING -- jungle gyms, slides, furniture, the curtains (before pulling them out of the wall...), the bookshelves, and me.

Liam is still a very happy-go-lucky boy. He wakes up smiling and can keep himself entertained very well. He loves looking at books (though will rarely sit still long enough for me to read one to him), he's great with puzzles, and he is obsessed with trucks. He absolutely loves nature too -- trees, birds, the sky -- he can sit outside for hours just looking in awe (at something as spectacular as a sky full of stars or something as mundane as a single brown leaf on the ground). He laughs a lot (he's even got a great fake laugh for when he's missed the joke that has everyone else cracking up), and he's even a little comedian himself too. Mostly slapstick -- pretending to bang into a wall, smearing food on his face, putting strange objects on his head as hats, etc.

He's also very affectionate! He'll come running with arms outstretched, saying, "Cuddles!" and give a big hug. He also give lots of kisses-- he makes the sound, "mmm-ma" and then bumps his face into yours. He's can be really persistent with his kisses too. He's had a cold most of the winter (yes, it's been winter here), and I must say we all shied away from his snotty kisses, offering a cheek instead. But Liam wouldn't settle for that. He'd take your face in his hands and pull you around till he could plant a slimey kiss right on your lips (no wonder we all caught his cold!).

But that's not to say that he hasn't also figured out how to get his point across when he's frustrated or upset. He's got a grip better than a badger when you go to take something away from him (you know, the butcher's knife or China teapot that he's managed to get hold of after circumventing the house's child-proofing). And most times instead of just screaming in upset, he growls at you, as if in warning..."You may think you're teaching me cause and effect, but just you wait to see the consequences of taking away my beloved bludgeoning stick."

And he talks...a lot! His favorite words are "truck" and "water" and "cuddles" but he has quite a repertoire. I can understand most of his single words, but he also tells whole stories at times and that just becomes a blur. He's a good imitator as well, and he is forever trying to copy Julia -- in speaking, in their play, in how he eats (he will only eat a banana if Julia is eating one too).

Liam and I are about to have two days a week together-- just us while Julia's at pre-school-- and I'm looking forward to my one-on-one time with my little man.

Julia's 3rd Birthday

2009-08-14T20:42:00.017+10:00

My 3-year-old!

Julia had a great birthday! She woke up to find her new dollhouse waiting for her, and then after breakfast we headed to Rocks Riverside Park for her party. Since we are always hearing so much about her little pre-school friends, we decided to invite her whole class this year. It was so fun to see all the littlies running around together, and I enjoyed getting to know some of the parents better. Of course, we also had a great turnout from the extended family and friends as well, and with fantastic weather, lots of food, and lots of space to play, we had a fabulous day! Here are some of the pictures (in no real order):

"Yesterday, I was this many"

"But now I'm this many"

Uncle Michael, Auntie Di & Cousin Scott

All eyes on Julia as she prepared to blow out her candles

Julia took too long to blow them out, so Elana stepped in and helped her

"Hip hip hooray!"

Close-up on the cake:
Julia chose a butterfly and was very particular about the colors as I iced the cake

Liam did his part to help the men with the tent

Then he tried to make off with someone's bike...
Hard to steal a bike when your feet don't reach the pedals!

Relaxed and contemplative.
I think Simon's blowing bubbles.
(Note: all the children were actually distracted elsewhere so this was purely for his own amusement)

Shyly opening her many wonderful presents

These next two pictures are my favorites:

Dirt-smeared and tuckered out

More presents

Cousins Melia and Cooper

Biker dude

Liam waited till he thought no one was watching then made of with one of the presents

Liam & Julia's friend, Indiana took off across the park...we found them in these bushes playing hide-n-seek -- very cute!

Kickin' back with seconds of cake

Cousins Connor, Maverick, Quinn, & Drew playing footy

School friends Emily & Monica

Cousin Tracey & son Cooper with Aunt Julia

Unwrapping her butterfly cupcake (round one of cakes)

Busy, busy

2009-08-13T13:47:00.006+10:00

We have been very busy ever since Nana arrived. In just the first week we went to the Train Museum, the Children's Library, Downfall Creek Bushland Reserve (not to mention all the local playgrounds and 2 days at their pre-school!).

Our new discovery, Downfall Creek Bushland Reserve, has a great playground (nice and shady in the middle of the bushlands) and miles and miles of walking trails. I had an appointment close by and Liam was at home with our nanny-in-training, so Julia and Nana explored the reserve. They got really lucky because a young school group arrived when they did, and they were able to follow the children on their nature walk and learn about some of the Australian flora and fauna. When I joined them later, Julia had retained a lot of the information and told me about the different plants and even the snake skin they had found!

Sleepy eyes and dirt-covered knees....signs of a fun outing!

I am so glad that Julia loves books! The library is always a fun excursion for us (despite having to stop The Destructor, a.k.a. Liam, from pulling down every book on the shelf), and this time was even better because Nana and Daddy got to join us!

The giant books are always a hit!

Proud of her book selections

The Ipswich Rail Museum is also always a fun outing, and Liam is now old enough to really enjoy it too. We went for the Little Nippers Activity Time, but both children decided that they didn't want to be confined to structured play, so we just wandered through the museum instead and found plenty of fun things to see and do!

Climbing down from the steam engine

Tea time in the dining car....

Liam discovered the perfect seat to stop and have a snack

Liam was more than happy to hitch a ride from Julia

Science lesson: How trains move along the tracks

A Liam-sized train track

And a Julia-sized train

The simulator where you learn to drive the train --
I pretend Julia's the one interested, but really it's MY favorite toy at the museum!

Bridge climb

And the fun continues....more pictures soon!

Nana Arrives!

2009-08-13T13:28:00.003+10:00

We were all very excited when my mom called me one Thursday morning and said, "I'm coming to visit." When? The following Monday!! Even better...no waiting around in anxious anticipation, just make the decision, hop on a plane, and come! Julia decided that we needed to make Nana a welcome banner, so that weekend we had a family art project...

Liam was more interested in drawing on himself than the paper.
He decided most of the stickers belonged on him too.

Julia pulled out a little foam cut-outs project we'd gotten months ago and with only minimal assistance created a beautiful butterfly for the banner.

Welcome to Australia, Nana!!

Matt's 31st Birthday

2009-08-13T12:29:00.007+10:00

Another late post, but Matt turned 31 on July 26th. We had a fun gathering with his parents and brothers down at the Gold Coast on the weekend of his birthday, and then last week he and I went to see David Copperfield (the magician) as his big birthday present. The show was amazing, and it was such a treat to have a true date night!

Before the show

Family photo attempt #3,672

After brunch at the Sheraton Hotel....
Liam wanted to stick his face in the water, of course!

Like father, like son

The boys
(from L: Jon, Shane, Josh, Liam & Matt)

Julia reminded us many times that day that her birthday was next!

Happy Birthday, Matt! We love you!

Liam & The Roo

2009-08-09T04:17:00.005+10:00

I know, I know...I can't just post a picture of Liam post-kangaroo fight and then disappear from the blogging world for weeks. Sorry! So first to update:

Liam's scratches were not too deep, and his face has healed well
That's right, roos. Don't mess with me.
I'm one tough little guy!

And now for the back story:

I've posted quite a few times about Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. We have an annual pass and now go at least once a month to visit the animals. The children love it, and it's great for me too because they run around so much that a good nap is pretty much guaranteed afterward.

Just as an aside, the girl in the pictures with the children is not some random stranger but our nanny-in-training. She is from Thailand and goes by 'Apple'. We signed up to be a practice family for a local nanny agency, so for 2-3 days each week for 7 weeks she has been helping out with the children (for free!) and on the other days she attends classes on childcare and child development.

Anyway, we headed out to Lone Pine and had a wonderful few hours of seeing all the animals. We watched the sheep dog show and then stayed for the sheep shearing. We saw tons of koalas. We fed the lorikeets....

And then we headed over to feed the kangaroos just like we've done the last 10 times we've been to Lone Pine. These are the same kangaroos who are so docile and well-fed that sometimes they don't even bother to get up from their lounging when you put the food right under their noses and instead just offer a belly to rub just like a pet dog.

These two huge roos were sweet as can be

Then along came this little guy...
seeming all sweet and innocent...

My best guess is that it got spooked, not by Liam but by the other animals lurking around us --
a duck, a pigeon and a very pushy bush turkey (like the one in the background). Because about one second after I took this photo, the kangaroo swiped at Liam's face with both front paws and made a hissing sound like a cat.

Liam cried briefly and then wanted to get back down and pat the other roos. Julia wanted to leave immediately, although later she said, "Maybe he was trying to give Liam a cuddle." Yeah, we can settle on that. Cute cuddly kangaroo wasn't trying to hurt Liam (all hissing aside). He just went in for a hug and got his claws caught in Liam's cheek!

Only in Australia...

2009-07-24T17:46:00.000+10:00

Liam's war wounds (3 days later) from his run-in with a KANGAROO!

Caydence Turns Three

2009-07-11T07:40:00.003+10:00

The countdown to Julia's 3rd birthday is upon us. Her best friend, Caydence, turned three at the end of June, and we celebrated with a fun party at Rowdy Rascals (Julia has been not-so-subtly hinting that she should have her party there too).

Julia and the birthday girl, Caydence

While the girls were off playing on the big climbing structures, Liam tried on all of their shoes

A Tale of Three Flights

2009-06-06T13:26:00.012+10:00

Just in case you were already wondering how the tale ends, we did make it back home safely (about 27 hours later). If you want to still have any faith in airline personnel, perhaps you should stop reading now and instead just scan the photos (all random ones from our time in MS, not from the flights).

It all began pretty well at the Jackson airport. Of my 5 check-in bags, only 2 were over the weight limit (easily remedied by some creative rearranging, which I did while the SkyCap guy laughed at my odd assortment...6 boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, a container of wooden fruit, Spray 'n Wash, etc).

My mom & Liam were happily playing, and Julia returned from an excursion through the airport with G-Da with a giant chocolate chip cookie and equally giant grin (just what you want to give a toddler before confining her to an airplane seat for hours on end!).

We loaded the children and luggage into our newly acquired sit-n-stand double stroller...a great fit that let me avoid becoming a pack mule with kids, bags, and a carseat on my back for the duration of the trip (or so I thought), and waving goodbye to Nana and G-da, away we went.

The flight to Dallas was wonderfully uneventful, and we got off the plane and waited patiently by the door for our stroller. It was delivered promptly by one of the luggage handlers who so delicately threw it at our feet. As the baggage handler walked away, so did the wheels of our stroller...or rather, away they rolled down the skybridge like rats abandoning a sinking ship.

As the stroller was still new to us, I thought for a brief moment that perhaps the wheels were meant to be removeable, and I could simply click them back into place. But that was not the case. Strollers are built to take such an incredible beating from the children who ride in them and the parents who lug them in and out of car trunks, but somehow the airline had actually managed to break through plastic and metal, detaching the wheels so thoroughly that no amount of duck tape (which they offered me) was going to hold it together (and I've known duck tape to hold car doors in place!) well enough to support the weight of two children and our bags safely (or otherwise).

I'll skip the next two hours of arguing with the airline staff and laughing at their ridiculous suggestions (e.g. the proffered loaner stroller to which Julia said, "I have one of those"....for her doll!). We were eventually put on one of those carts that takes the handicapped people, and I even convinced the driver to stop at the food court and wait for us while I got dinner for the kids. With all of 6 minutes to spare before our flight departed, we were situated on the plane bound for LA.

Our seatmate was a godsend! She played peek-a-boo with Liam while I took Julia to the bathroom, helped Julia dress her dolls while I took Liam to change his diaper, provided me with such much-needed adult conversation while the children briefly slept, and even carried all our luggage off the plane when we landed in LA!

Of course, in LA we still had no stroller. I had firmly told the airline that they needed to have someone meet us at the airplane to provide assistance, and amazingly someone was indeed waiting for us...with a wheelchair. Now I was prepared to simply use the wheelchair to hold our bags (or the children even, had they been willing), but the man in control of said wheelchair took one look at us, proclaimed, "But you don't need a wheelchair" and promptly abandoned us. A few more firm "conversations" with the airline supervisors and the man reappeared sans wheelchair.

We both became pack mules then as I carried both children and a backpack while he shouldered the other carry-on bags and carseat, and we got quiet a few stares making slow progress to the next gate (which, thankfully, was in the same terminal). But again we had a problem. Liam didn't have a ticket.

For some bizarre reason, infant tickets on international flights are still issued only as paper tickets. Since we had extended our trip by two weeks and due to yet another airline incompetency, his new ticket had not been mailed to us in time for our flights. We had been told that we couldn't just go to the gate but had to go all the way to the international check-in desk for Qantas to be re-issued the new ticket.

Again cutting short the story of the next two hours, I did manage to track down a very disgruntled Qantas supervisor who allowed us to complete that process over the phone while our very jumpy luggage handler threatened at any second to abandon us again (I actually resorted to dog commands, "Sir, stay....no, stay" since polite pleading had previously failed).

Finally, the time to board was nearing (nearly midnight Jackson time), and all we had to do was wait for the overly cheery Qantas lady to issue our actual boarding passes. Liam was in my arms, but Julia was standing down at my side, out of this lady's view. She handed over our boarding passes and chirped, "Now we've gotten you a bassinet for the infant" (fantastic) "so you'll be in 47J...and Julia is 53F. Have a great flight."

I just stared at her, smiled, picked up Julia, sat her up on the counter in front of the lady and said, "Alright, so that's 47J and 53F." Then I stared calmly at her again. It took her a full minute to register. "Oh, now that's not going to work, is it?" the lady said. Well, ma'am, it sure would make MY life a lot easier to sit a few rows away from the 2-year-old, but I'm not sure how the person in 53G will feel!

An hour later we settled ourselves into 47J & 47K next to yet another wonderfully helpful and extraordinarily patient person who provided just enough help and support to make the flight bearable.

Since those of you who are still reading this are beginning to feel as if you too have been dragged through 14 or more hours of travel, I'll wrap this up. 14 hours later we arrived in Brisbane. 2 hours after that we were released from health quarantine. 1 hour more and we were released from agricultural quarantine and finally allowed to walk beyond the nearly impenetrable barrier that is Australian customs. Matt greeted us and our entourage (the carry-ons, the carseat, stray dolls and toys, a flight attendant and two trolleys piled high with luggage), and finally we went home.

Rain Boots

2009-05-26T22:41:00.004+10:00

Nana has some rain boots that she wears around the yard for gardening, and ever since we arrived, Julia has been saying she wants some too. When it started raining and the yard filled with some great puddles, we decided it was high time to fulfill that request. Julia and I went on a shopping excursion to find the perfect rain boots, and about 6 pairs and much debating later we left with a very cute pair with flowers on them for Julia and (on Julia's recommendation) frog boots for Liam. Back at my parents' house, we had a rare moment of happy sibling playtime, stomping around in their boots and playing catch (or rather throw-and-find)!

Liam had to abandon his boots for the walk down the long driveway since he's still not too steady on his feet

Hattiesburg, MS

2009-05-26T09:40:00.005+10:00

Our first weekend back in Mississippi, we drove down to Hattiesburg. We always like visiting Grandma, and it was a treat this time to also get to see my Aunt Carol, Aunt Cathy & Uncle Vance. The children enjoyed our outing to Camper Park Zoo and lots of playtime in the backyard.

Colorado Girls' Trip

2009-05-24T09:05:00.010+10:00

At the LA airport, we all parted ways. Nana, G-Da, & Liam headed back to Mississippi while Julia & I hopped on a plane to Boulder, Colorado. Liam looked slightly stunned, and my parents looked way too comfortable with this arrangement (they had not yet had the pleasure of flying with Sir Squirms-A-Lot). After flying with both children, our short flight to Denver with just Julia was an absolute breeze!

The mountains were still covered in snow when we first arrived, and Julia was thrilled to find that there was some still left on the ground in the parking lot even for her to stomp through (pretty much just sludge, but she didn't mind). We had perfect weather though cause the next day it was sunny and just warm enough to be out without coats.

It was so great to be back in Boulder! I told Matt it was lucky my parents had taken Liam with them or else I probably would've just told Matt that we were staying in Colorado for good and for him to just hurry up and join us! In addition to just soaking up the wonderful mountain air and showing Julia around my favorite city, I got to catch up with some good friends and meet their children. Julia was in heaven-- time as an only child again and lots of playmates too!!

Julia & Fiona at Chatauqua Park

Eamonn & Sarah's daughter, Fiona -- she was so precious, and once she and Julia had gotten over their initial shyness, they had a ball playing together!

Flying child!

This is why I love Boulder, CO... not many places have a playground right at the base of the mountains!

Emily and two of her children, Rosie & Lily

Lily and Julia are only a couple of months apart, and Rosie (a bit older than Liam) worked hard to keep up with the big girls!

Playing tag

Hide-n-seek

Queens of the Mountain

Julia loved their playhouse and told me very matter-of-factly, "Mama, we have to get one of these"

Tulips in full bloom on Pearl Street....have I mentioned how much I love Boulder?

More from Pearl Street (for those of you who don't know Boulder, it's a great pedestrian street with cute shops and restaurants. Plus there are all these little child-friendly features, like the animal statues to climb on and a water play area in the summer)....

Jack (Emily's oldest child) with Lily & Julia

We also got to go to Lily's 3rd birthday party at Chuck E Cheese, and Julia had a blast!

Ski-ball champions

Julia & Jack in a heated air-hockey match

"1, 2...I think we're missing a few kids"

While we were all distracted with the older children, Rosie snuck over to the tables and stuck her face in the side of the chocolate cake

Birthday girl, Lily

Just making sure she gets every last crumb!

We had a great trip, and if I have my way we'll be back very soon (at least for another visit)!

Disneyland - Part III

2009-05-22T07:25:00.007+10:00

Last pics from Disneyland...

Nana and Julia on the Winnie-the -Pooh ride (for the second time!)

Descending into Ariel's Grotto for the Princess Breakfast

Seated with our slightly overwhelmed little princess

"Seriously, guys, what's with the chick in the funny hat?"

Julia loved the parade of princesses....

And now on to the rest of our trip...photos to follow soon!

Disneyland - Part II

2009-05-18T01:38:00.011+10:00

In no particular order, here are some photos from our wonderful few days at Disneyland! I have to admit, I was skeptical about the Disney experience, thinking it would be gaudy, in-your-face marketing, but I was wrong. Yes, there are a million places to buy Disney paraphernalia, but the whole concept of Disneyland is just so impressive, appealing to adults and children alike. I was won over immediately (and not just by the Pirates Suite!).

Nana & Julia in the princess outfit that G-da got her (you can tell which photos are from the first day because that was the only day she didn't wear her princess dress)

"Hey, Mickey? Yep, I'm here in Disneyland. Where are you?"
(Liam's new favorite past time...talking on the 'phone')

Playing the steel drums in Tarzan's Treehouse

"But mom, it's a lot quicker if you just crawl under this pesky ole rope"
Liam didn't understand the concept of waiting in line

The lines weren't actually all that bad, and with lots to look at Julia didn't usually mind the wait

Waiting with sleeping Liam

Except for the scary tunnel filled with giant dinosaurs, the train that went around the whole perimeter of the park was great fun!

Skipping down Main Street

Watching a parade

Mesmerized by Playhouse Disney- Live .... best thing we did! Both children absolutely loved the show!

Dancing along to Handy Manny

Nana's favorite character meet-and-greet

The children weren't the only ones excited by the candy shop!

Relaxing during a parade

Tired princess with her giant baloon

Hanging out on Main Street

If you look closely enough you can see Nana, G-da, & Liam on the Alice in Wonderland ride

Relaxing at our banquet table after a long day at Disney

Disneyland - Part I

2009-05-11T04:08:00.008+10:00

As usual, this post is long overdue... The children and (more importantly) I survived the 13-hour flight from Brisbane to LA. Although they only slept for about 3 hours total, they did as well as could be expected. Julia thought it was such a treat to get virtually unlimited TV-viewing time, which left me free to wrangle monkey-man Liam as he tried to crawl over the seats and out of the plane. Liam is a little ham though when he's got an audience, so once he discovered that he could stand up in the carseat facing the back of his seat and "perform" (i.e. crowing and squealing) for row upon row of people behind him, he was pretty content. He also got some good walking practice as he and Julia and I did laps around the plane...walking down a narrow aisle on a slope in the middle of turbulence is a great way for a 1-yr-old to improve his balance!

No matter how well a flight goes, when you're traveling by yourself with 2 toddlers on a 13-hour flight, you're gonna be completely exhausted by the time you actually get off the plane. It was such a joy to finally clear customs with 2 tired littlies and a lot of luggage and be greeted by my parents who were well-rested (for perhaps the last time on this visit) and ready to help! We somehow managed to get us all on the Disneyland Express and headed straight to the Disneyland Hotel. Julia excitedly chatted with Nana & G-da about seeing Mickey Mouse and Cinderella.

Checking-in

When we got to the hotel (around 10am) they told us our rooms wouldn't be ready till 3pm. I was so ready for a shower and a chance to unload all our stuff, and I must have just looked and sounded incredibly pitiful when I said to the lady, "Is there ANY other room that might be ready now?" She said to wait a minute and then disappeared into the back. When she came back, the manager was with her, and they were both grinning. "I think you'll like this room," she said, and she told us to come with her to just "check and see if it'll work for us."

They ushered us into the elevator and up to the top floor of the hotel. Down at the end of one hall, beyond all of the ordinary hotel-room doors was a set of dark wooden double doors and a doorbell. She pressed the doorbell, opened the door, and as "A Pirate's Life for Me" played on the doorbell, she showed us into the Pirates of the Carribean Suite. As we all stared wide-eyed and grinning, they gave us the tour of the penthouse suite.

Our entry hall

Looking from the entry hall into the living area with banquet table, chandelier, fireplace, bar...oh yeah, and a lot of the actual props from the Pirates of the Carribean movie (e.g. Jack Sparrow's gun). Basically the only thing missing was Johnny Depp himself!

The living room

Part of the view from mine and Julia's bedroom (looking down you could see the pool). From our living room we could see the fireworks each night, and the balcony went around the whole place. I didn't get any photos of the master bedroom but it was massive!

As we walked around we kept waiting for the "catch", but there wasn't one. I never win anything, and suddenly we'd been upgraded from the most basic room to the nicest suite in the hotel (which we were told normally rents for $7000/night!) at no extra charge! When we asked why we were so lucky, the manager said. "We just like to make a little magic!" Welcome to Disneyland!!!!

After we got over the awe and shock of the suite, we headed to Downtown Disneyland for lunch at Brennan's. Julia slept through a delicious meal, but Liam enjoyed his lunch and lots of people-watching from our patio seats.

Sharing his grilled cheese with G-da

By the time we actually entered the Disneyland park, though, both children were sound asleep...
It actually worked out well though, because we walked all around while they slept, getting our bearings and scoping out the best toddler-friendly rides for when they woke up. More on that soon....

Easter at Wivenhoe

2009-05-06T22:17:00.005+10:00

Every Easter Matt's family gathers at Wivenhoe Dam. Peter (Matt's dad's cousin) and his wife Jennie have a house there with lots of land and horses -- perfect for camping out while still having access to all the amenities, including a lot of good food! This year my exams started the week after Easter, so Matt took the children to Wivenhoe on Friday, and I stayed home studying till Sunday then went to join them. Julia and Liam had a fabulous time with lots of cousins to dote on them and keep them busy (I think Matt even got a bit of a break despite my absence).

A small slice of the view of Wivenhoe Dam

Not sure what Matt was going for with the first few of these posed pictures, but here are some glimpses of the family...

Taylor

Jennie & Greg (family friend)Connor, Jessie-Claire, Tobias

Happy Liam playing with the pebbles by the BBQ grill --
'Hey Mom, look at these great snacks I found!'

Peter (Jon's cousin) with Jon & Liam -- Julia calls Matt's dad 'Pop' and when she saw Peter with similar features (including a moustache), she began calling him 'Uncle Pop'

This year for our big Easter dinner, we had a traditional New Zealand 'Hungi'. I'd never heard of a Hungi (traditional or non-traditional), so I was interested to see the process which began with digging a huge pit in the ground. It's a lot more involved than your average pig roast (not that I'm entirely clear on the process there either), and the preparations took nearly 3 days! Rocks are placed in the pit and then the food is prepared...

Pound after pound of meats (lamb, chicken, pork) were placed into these foil-lined crates. Potatoes, cabbage, and corn went into other crates, and then the crates were placed on top of the pit on sticks (I think) with a fire over the top. They poured ice onto the hot rocks below to create steam and halfway through the cooking process, the crates then drop down onto the hot rocks. I'm sure there was a lot more to it than that, but the result was some incredibly tender meat and delicious veggies! Quite an experience!

**Pictures from our USA trip coming soon***

Bunny Eggventures

2009-04-20T14:10:00.007+10:00

The weekend before Easter, the Ipswich Rail Museum (a current favorite destination) put on the "Bunny Eggventures"-- a day of Easter-themed train activities (or train-themed Easter activities)...either way, it was a great outing! Julia and I usually have most of Saturday as a girls' day out. She has gymnastics first thing in the morning, and I take her to that and then out for morning tea and an activity most weekends. Meanwhile, Liam and Matt have a boys morning together and then head to Gymboree. So after gymnastics, Julia and I headed over to Ipswich and ended up spending most of the day there!

We started with some of the standard favorites....

The Thomas-the-tank-engine bouncy house is always a hit!

Climbing over the train bridge

And the first of many kid-sized trains to drive.

Then the Easter bunny stopped in for a visit...

Julia wasn't interested in waiting in line for a proper photo (which was fine with me!), but she was VERY interested in his basket of chocolate eggs!

We spent awhile at the craft station, decorating Easter bonnets and coloring in pictures of bunnies (too busy there to take pictures). Then we headed to the 'Little Nippers' train station....

Driving her car to the station

Have to buy a ticket to board the train

All aboard!

Doing some construction work on the rails...have to put on a helmet!

While everything was fun at the Museum, the absolute highlight of our day out was getting to ride the real train! On these special event weekends, they have an old-fashioned steam train that goes for a couple of hours on a scenic tour of rural Queensland. I was a little hesitant about it (once you're on it, there's no getting off for the full 2 hours), but I'm glad I took the gamble because Julia absolutely loved it and so did I!

Cushy leather seats from back when riding trains was a luxury -- very comfortable!

Julia was glued to the window before we even left the station

Looking up at the massive bridge supports as we crossed over the river

More views from the bridge

We spent a lot of time out on the verandahs between the carriages

Julia tried out the sleeping berths

Great day out! We're ready for the next adventure!

Montessori Picnic

2009-04-07T16:40:00.013+10:00

A few weekends ago, Julia and Liam's school had a wonderful family picnic day. Unfortunately, Matt had to stay home sick with the stomach bug Liam had had the week before, but the children and I had a great time! I had volunteered to help set up the grounds that morning, so Julia and Liam had a couple of extra hours to play before the crowds arrived. Luckily, the other two mothers helping out have daughters in Julia's class.

Liam tried for a little while to keep up with the girls...

but decided that with his breadstick and a whole playing field to explore, he didn't need their company

*Side note: I've mentioned to some of you my concern with his turned-in foot (which is really apparent in this photo). The doc said it doesn't seem to be a structural problem and should self-correct as he gets stronger with his walking

Elsa, Indiana, and Julia

(10 photos and not one of them all looking in the same direction)

Lucy and Julia (chowing down on a sausage)

Julia was so excited about the pony ride the whole time up until the moment she actual sat in the saddle

Meanwhile, Liam could've stayed with the 'Barnyard Babies' for hours
(hanging out with the goats here)

Trying to figure out how to get into the pig pen

"Oooh, girlfriend..."
(Julia and Elanna, enjoying snacks and a chat)

Tuckered out Liam
(after hours of excitement, Liam crashed for a bit in the pram)

Julia LOVED the baby animals (as long as she was on the outside of the fence!)

Not quite getting the concept of the 'Limbo' but loving it anyway

Liam really mastered his walking this weekend. He took off across the playing fields, and instead of crawling when he got tired or took a spill, he'd just squat down (as pictured) and take a bit of a break before toddling off again.

'Roary' the mascot for the Queensland Lions soccer team
Reaching out for Roary after she'd warmed up to the concept that a giant, mute lion chasing the children was actually supposed to be fun

That's Julia, 2nd from the left, keeping up with the big kids with a little soccer ball and Roary's giant one.

Relaxing at the end of the day with a banana. This was right after I told Julia it was time to leave (notice, she is not in the picture)...
she immediately bolted, thinking that if I couldn't find her then she wouldn't have to leave (it did prolong the process, but I was glad she was having such a great time).

Photo Catch-Up: Beach Pics

2009-04-03T22:09:00.008+10:00

Photo Catch-Up

2009-04-02T20:21:00.006+10:00

Just a few photos from Nana's visit last month that I never got around to posting...

Playing in the mall before Julia's haircut

She was so patient! And it was precious when the lady asked her to close her eyes to do the bangs, Julia took it so seriously and kept them closed pretty much till the end of the haircut.

Eating lunch out with Liam is always an adventure...
especially when the restaurant doesn't have high chairs

Chillin' out, maxin', & relaxin' all cool

Teatime at Nana's

All ready to go to the beach

What a treat having the ocean right outside the door!

Julia is very industrious these days and likes to help clean. The mess often covers far more ground AFTER she finishes 'cleaning' than when she started, but I don't want to discourage the enthusiasm!

"I don't get it, guys. Cleaning is supposed to be fun?!?"

Liam's Birthday Party (last month)

2009-03-21T05:50:00.003+10:00

Liam has definitely become a toddler since turning 1 last month. He is now walking pretty confidently, and he is talking a lot (not that we can understand him most of the time, but he's certainly making the effort!). Julia still beats up on him a bit, but he is now standing up for himself, and it's only a matter of time before he's the bigger kid in the house! (Just as a comparison, Liam weighs 23lbs and Julia weighs 30lbs...not much difference considering there's a year and a half age gap between them). Liam had a wonderful birthday week. We spent his actual birthday at Nana's condo at Burleigh. Julia and I had made mini chocolate cakes in the shape of dinosaurs, and Liam got to blow out his 1st candle while Julia repeatedly sang "Happy Birthday" (to herself...she kept saying, "No, it's MY birthday")

"Whoa, Mom, that flame's a little close"

That evening Gran and Pop (Matt's parents) came by for supper, and Liam got to open more presents. Julia got her "chicky chair" for her 1st birthday, and Matt had made Liam his own chair.

Liam was very proud of himself sitting in his big boy chair

We had Liam's dinosaur-themed birthday party that weekend. We started off at our favorite local park till the rain drove us away. No worries, though. The party just relocated to our house and continued for a few more hours. Julia loved playing with her cousins, and Liam seemed to know that he was the centre of attention and ate it up.

Julia and Liam playing with the new train set before the party

Uncle Bink hamming it up for the kids

My first real attempt at a theme cake. I was pretty proud of how it turned out!

Aunt Julie, Jono, Jono, & Michael

Sydney - Part 7 (last one, I promise!)

2009-03-14T14:45:00.010+10:00

Even with a near-constant drizzle of rain and a chill in the air, Bondi was gorgeous! The beach was much smaller than I thought, and I can't possibly imagine it filled with the 30-40,000(!) people it gets on a sunny weekend. But I could've happily spent all day on the headlands that snake up from the beach (complete with walking trails for miles in both directions). In fact, I've found my new dream spot for teaching yoga! The first photo is the advertisement for the classes. The second photo is the studio. Yes, that's right...at low tide just grab a mat and head on out to the flat rocks that for much of the day are IN the ocean and have a peaceful yoga session...how amazing!

We met up with Edson, Matt's friend from London. He's now living at Bondi and working in Sydney, and it was fun catching up with him again.

Nana helped Julia decide what to order at one of the beachside cafes

After lunch we went for a walk around the headlands

Coolest swimming pool ever! Having waves crash over you sure makes doing laps more exciting!

"Ahhh...glorious sea air"

Julia loved all the statues along the way

And some group shots....

(always impossible to have a family photo with all of us looking at the camera...and this is the BEST of about 8 we took!)

Sydney - Part 6

2009-03-10T17:28:00.003+10:00

We drove out of the city toward the beaches north of Sydney....

The rain was alternating between a drizzle and a downpour, so we headed for lunch at a cafe in Manly rather than a walk on the beach.

An afternoon nap in the car as we headed to see Brett (Matt's cousin) and his wife Nicole. Their son Devlin is just one week older than Liam.

"You've got to be kidding, Mom...isn't it enough that I have to put up with ONE little boy and now there are TWO?!"

Liam was thrilled with the assortment of new toys to play with. He didn't even fight me getting into the high chair for dinner that night!

And Julia warmed up once she realized that Liam was occupied with Devlin and that they wouldn't bother her playing with the toys. The boys weren't playing together but they were playing side-by-side in such a similar manner....it was cute.

Liam is so used to having Julia constantly in his space, his toys, his bath that he didn't think it weird at all when we bathed them together. Devlin, on the other hand, kept looking up at his mom with this bewildered look that said, "Who IS this guy in my bathtub?"

After the children went to bed, we had a wonderful dinner that Nic had prepared. It was great to catch up (we usually only get to see them at Easter when we go to Wivenhoe Dam), and we wish that we lived closer so the boys could play together! Thank you again for such a lovely evening!

The next day was Valentine's Day, and we opened cards and the little pressies that I'd gotten for the kids (plastic jewelry for Julia and for both of them those washcloths with their names on them that are in a tiny little square but expand in the water -- it's the little things in life!)

Storytime with Nana while we got ready to go out for the day*

*We spent the whole day at Bondi, but I'll put all those pictures in my final (I promise!) Sydney post

Room service picnic

My mom kindly offered to keep the children while Matt & I went out to celebrate Valentine's Day-- what a treat! Not only did we get a wonderful, romantic break but we opted out of a big dinner and instead went to the Guylian Chocolaterie for the most decadent dessert feast (complete with champagne)! That's how I want to celebrate every holiday/anniversary/birthday from her on! We paid the babysitter in chocolate truffles ;-) Thank you, Nana!

Sydney - Part 5

2009-03-08T13:57:00.007+10:00

Our primary reason for going to Sydney was to apply for Liam's U.S. citizenship, which has to be done in person at the U.S. Consulate there. Aside from many formalities (stacks of paperwork, entry through metal detectors and on private elevators), the appointment was much less of an ordeal than I thought it would be. Matt & I signed on the dotted lines and answered the relevant questions, and Liam woke up just long enough for the registrar to check that the passport photo was actually of him.

Our newest U.S. Citizen

Julia stayed with Nana while we were the appointment and had a ball trying on some of Nana's jewelry (she even let Nana do her hair-- amazing!)

Then they met us in Hyde Park, and we headed over to the Australian Museum

Pausing for a family photo op in front of another statue of Captain Cook

Julia always starts by insisting that she wants to walk but somehow always ends up hitching a ride

And then there's the prince in his palanquin...

Hard to get past the gift shop at this museum. Julia loves umbrellas and thought this was a fantastic twist on the standard.

We went to the Australian Museum specifically for a dinosaur exhibit they were advertising, but the whole museum was great for the children as most of the rooms had at least a few hands-on exhibits. The whole front room had stuffed Australian animals that the kids could pet...

Listening to the sounds of the ocean in a conch shell. Julia proclaimed, "It's got waves in it!"

Morning tea break...Julia's favorite treat these days is "pink milk" (strawberry-flavoured milk...is this an Aussie thing cause I don't ever recall seeing it in the States? You can also get banana-flavoured milk...chocolate milk is one thing, but I find this completely bizarre!)

We must have gotten so enthralled with the museum that we completely neglected taking any more photos. We did see the dinosaur exhibit and we spent a long time in a fabulous children's area that had painting stations, animal tails and ears for dress-up, kid-friendly science exhibits and so much more. Definitely a must-do if you're in Sydney with children!

The children slept the whole way back. Matt went to pick up the rental car so we could head out of the city a bit, and my mom and I took the opportunity to wander through Chinatown.

Sydney - Part 4

2009-03-08T13:20:00.005+10:00

From the Opera House we walked over to The Rocks district. I really liked this area of the city -- older area with neat little restaurants & shops and dotted with small parks and green spaces (and some random statues). It reminded me a lot of Georgetown. (The pictures don't really show the area, sorry).

Imitating the Captain Cook statue

Afternoon tea break

Apparently, a famous dog once lived in the area.

The only noteworthy rocks that we saw at "The Rocks"--
this was taken just beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Note: the security guard in the back ground is there solely to make sure no one climbs on or grafittis the bridge supports on that one side (I assume there's another on the other shore)-- needless to say, he seemed very relaxed

We walked under the bridge, through the business districts, around one harbour and to the other, Darling Harbour where our hotel was. A long walk but a great way to see a lot of the city. We passed by all of the theaters and museums that I'll have to come back to one day.

"Want a drink, Mommy?"

Just one of the many delicious meals we had in Sydney

Sydney - Part 3

2009-03-07T11:16:00.014+10:00

Nana (my mom) arrived in Sydney after well over 30 hours of traveling, and we didn't even give her a chance to rest before we were headed out for more exploring.

Matt & Julia were napping, so Nana, Liam & I enjoyed a late lunch of pizza at one of the harborside cafes

Not sure if Liam really remembered Nana from her last visit, but he certainly warmed to her immediately. Here he was busy showing her his new favorite activity of putting objects in and taking them out of containers (raisins into his plastic snack cups are always entertaining)

Side note: After multiple weeks of hearing in the news about the record high temperatures in New South Wales, I had packed very summery clothes for us all. However, we arrived in Sydney to cool, fall weather & overcast skies -- a great break from scorching Queensland but I had to go out and buy warmer clothes for the children.

The sleepy heads joined us after lunch, and Julia was ecstatic to see Nana (the other pictures are really out of focus but it was so cute to see her catch sight of my mom from a distance and then take of running, full-sprint, to give her a hug)

Girl talk:
Julia was telling Nana about our trip so far while we walked to the ferry

Meanwhile the lack of sleep finally caught up with Liam

On the ferry from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay (the Sydney Harbour that everyone knows from pictures)

Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background

(Last year I gave Matt a plane ticket to Sydney for his birthday to go visit his friend, Edson, and my parents gave him a gift certificate for a bridge climb where you actually go up to the top of the Harbour Bridge. Matt pointed out the people climbing that day as he told Julia all about his bridge climb. She stared intently until she spotted the little figures, and for the rest of the day she talked about the "tiny people" who climb the bridge as if they were all midgets...guess you can't teach a 2 yr old about perspective)

Approaching the Opera House

The rain forced us inside temporarily but Liam (in his 1yr old way) thought the inside of the ferry was far more exciting than the faraway sights we were looking at from the deck

Meanwhile, Julia stayed glued to the window

We walked around Sydney Harbour to the Opera House for a closer look

Liam and Matt waving to us from down below
(there were too many stairs to take Liam up, so we took turns walking all around the outside -- they won't let you see much inside without a long guided tour or a ticket to a show).

I was surprised that the roof wasn't actually smooth like it looks from a distance but was made up of tiny little tiles

Julia much preferred riding on Daddy's shoulders to sitting in the pram

Still more to come: The Rocks, Valentine's Day, Manly, Bondi Beach, & a visit with Matt's cousins

Syndey - Part 2

2009-03-07T10:28:00.007+10:00

We arrived early enough on the first day to explore a bit close to our hotel at Darling Harbour. I liked our location because we were an easy walk to the Sydney Aquarium, and the area is very child-friendly with playgrounds, fountains, and oddities like a sculpture of sheep jumping through a pen (see below).

Just another jungle-gym for our little climber

A band was playing at an amphitheater by the water, and the harbor was full of boats of all sizes. Needless to say, the children (and I) were big-eyed just taking in all the sites.

The fountains all over were a real highlight for Julia. She ran around this one pretending to be one of the flying swans like the sculptures.Completely in her element (and in her own world) running all around the harbor

The Maritime Museum was on one side of Darling Harbour and not only did it have some interesting exhibits but it was free, so we spent a long time in there. The children actually paid attention to the exhibit called "Souveniers of Travel"-- everything from the fine china off cruise ships to little plastic toys made in Indonesia.

But since they are only 1yr and 2yrs old, they were most intrigued by the little cutouts beneath one display that made for a great combination game of peek-a-boo/hide-n-seek/tag. Matt & I didn't mind because it meant we could actually look around while they were entertained.

Once the children had tired themselves out for the afternoon (or so we thought), we made our way back to the hotel for room service and an early night. All four of us in the one small hotel room did not create a calming place for sleep, and by about 2am, I'd pretty much just resigned myself to the fact that sleep was not going to happen.

Matt wasn't feeling well the next morning (he's not as used to pulling all-nighters with the kiddos), so he slept in while I took the kids to the Aquarium for the morning. We had a great time, and I was able to let Liam out of the pram a lot to crawl up to the glass tanks and look at the fish. I wasn't able to take many pictures since I was juggling the two of them and a stroller by myself, but here are a few:

Julia and the Dugong (manatee)

This part of the aquarium was my favorite. After looking down into that pool to see the dugongs feeding (on lettuce, by the way), you walked down a long ramp and ended up below that pool in these glass tunnels. These weird-looking animals were just inches away from us (along with all the other fish)...all the perks of scuba diving without having to worry about wetsuits, sharks, or that whole oxygen business!

"Um, mom? Are you sure this glass is thick enough?"
(Liam looking a bit apprehensive after watching a huge shark swim by him)

Parenting fact #27: If you have paid a small fortune to go to any museum/amusement park/child-friendly activity, at least one of your children will be equally (if not more) amused by something you could just as easily have found (or already have) at home.

After a relatively civilized lunch, the children and I headed back to the hotel to meet Nana! More on that in the next post...

Sydney - Part 1

2009-03-07T10:03:00.003+10:00

Long overdue, but here are the first of the pictures from our trip to Sydney a few weeks ago. I'll post them in batches and narrate using the photos. The days were wonderful (the nights not-so-much since the children didn't really sleep), and I really liked the city. It's one of those places that really requires at least 2-3 trips to really cover all the main sites, but we got a great overview and hopefully will go back again in the near future!

Packing for the trip was slow-going. For every two items I put in the suitcase, Liam took out at least one other item. He was so happy with his "game" though that I didn't really stop him.

Just reading up on the safety features of our Qantas aircraft

Apparently, no Furbies allowed!

"Insert the metal buckle into the fitting and pull tight and low across your lap..."
~our little stewardess-in-training

Liam playing peek-a-boo with the very nice (and patient!) lady behind us

So that's the end of post #1 on Sydney. Yes, I realize the photos are all from before we even landed, but I think any plane ride with two children under 3yrs old deserves its own post. And that flight was less than 2 hours! (I don't think I'm truly prepared for the commitment I've made to flying back to the States -- 13 hours just to get to LA-- with both kids by myself in April).

Flat Tire

2009-03-03T16:04:00.003+10:00

We got out of the house early this morning to run a couple of errands before taking Julia to pre-school. However, our plans were cut short when 15 minutes from home we had a flat tire. Fortunately, we were close to a few offices buildings, and I was able to ease slowly off the highway and into a parking lot.

Determined to be upbeat about the whole situation so that the children wouldn't get upset, I very cheerily said to Julia, "This is going to be an adventure, Julia. Are you ready for an adventure?" Her response...

"Maybe later."

*Just FYI, we did get the tire changed quickly thanks to the kindness of strangers. I had hauled the spare out of the trunk and was getting the jack set up when one of the employees arriving (it was morning rush hour and we were in an office parking lot) noticed our plight and took over. Liam slept through all of it.

Happy Birthday, Liam!

2009-02-19T20:51:00.004+10:00

Our little man is not so little anymore. One year old! Happy birthday, Liam! We love you!

We'll be having his party this weekend, so more pictures to follow (and also many from our fantastic trip to Sydney last week).

Around the House

2009-02-08T11:58:00.004+10:00

"So Dad, it's time we talk about getting me a cell phone."

"Whatever you want, dear"

Daddy's (not so) little girl

"This driving thing's a breeze...get me out on the open road!"

"Bedtime?....I don't think so!"
(Julia and Caydence had a slumber party Saturday night)

Liam loves brooms of all sizes, and yesterday he took it upon himself to organize a back patio clean-up. Prior to picking up the broom he had piled up the loose rocks lying around. The fact that he's still unsteady on his feet doesn't hinder him one bit!

Trampoline euphoria!

Thomas the Tank Engine -- Take 2

2009-01-31T17:07:00.006+10:00

Our second trip to the Thomas exhibit was great too! We even discovered some parts of the museum we hadn't made it to the first time around...

"First we'll check-in with Thomas. Then we'll hit up the gift shop..."

"See-ya later, Mom...I'm on the express train out of town"

"I'll just reach up quick as a bunny and they'll never even notice one's gone..."

Julia went to the unoccupied double scooter, sat in the back seat and waited. Smart girl. Moments later Caydence hopped on the front and peddled her all around the play area.

"Round and around it goes over and over again...what do ya say we shake things up a bit..."

"And see how the town fares with a giant in town"

"Y'all come back now, ya hear"

I Would Walk 500 Miles...

2009-01-30T15:58:00.003+10:00

Okay, so not 500 miles. Just 2 steps. But in the world of this 11-month-old little boy, that's a lot. Yes, that's right. Mr. Liam took his first 2 steps today! He must have woken up this morning saying, "Hey, I think I'll walk today" because right from the start our day was different. For months he has been able to pull up and walk along the furniture, but this morning he simply stood up unassisted. Then a few hours later while playing out on the patio, he stood up again and then took two strong steps forward before standing still a moment and then sitting right back down. When I cheered him on, he just looked up at me like, "Yeah, I know I'm clever" and then proceeded to eat a stick of chalk like it was a banana (just when you think they're moving out of the baby stage..." ;-)

Of course, I didn't have the video camera handy for his first steps, but here's another one of the funny little man practicing his favorite sport of wrestling (on his favorite sheepskin rug):

Love Your Enemy

2009-01-16T20:11:00.004+10:00

Last night Julia was saying her prayers with me before bed. She had gone through the usual family members and the friends she usually mentions (Caydence & Debbie, Simon & Sarah). I thought she was about to say Amen, but then this darling girl adds....

"And God bless Jack. He hit me. With a hammer."