Thursday, December 20, 2012

home

he
Although he thrives on the activity, variation, observation, stimulation and company of our daily outings, in those first moments of returning home each afternoon, being out of the pram and sitting in the yard or on the carpet, he is clearly thrilled and relieved to be back.

me
And I am thrilled whenever we get to eat our home-grown or home-made goodies. The muffins are made with our own bananas, eggs and yogurt, and the pasta has our own home-grown basil, tomatoes and snow peas.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

just the two of us

he
B is away for work. Just for a night, but it's the first time they've been apart for this long, and the first time it's been just the two of us for this long! Here they are skyping over breakfast this morning.

me
I got started (and finished) on my Christmas baking!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

blondie

he
Swimming at Southie with Daddy. And some dear old friends. Our little blondie needs to keep to the shady parts!

me
Blondie (band, not baby) played at Riverstage on Thursday night so we walked down to Kangaroo Point with our housemates to picnic and listen.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

toowoomba

he
Grandparents!

me
We made the most of his Grandparents/babysitters and spent the evening with some of our favourite friends. And Stump Jump and gelati.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

important

he
He has no doubt that he is the most important thing in the world and that we'll drop everything to lend our hands to help him "walk", whenever he chooses! Luckily (for my lower back) he is also content to walk around with the help of furniture, sometimes...

me
I just uploaded a book to the online printer. You can preview it here.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

tuesday

he
We ran into some familiar faces in the city today. He received a rock star's reception (as always)! 

me
I catch up with an old pal for lunch on Tuesdays, which is always lovely. 
Today he looked after himself a little, and let us girls catch up over our tasty focaccias.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

nan

he
Had a great time staying at Nanma and Pa's place over the weekend. He said 'ta' to Nanma when she handed him something and encouraged him to say it! He's also been saying 'star' when B reads his shapes book to him. His 'ta' and 'star' sound the same, but he really seems to be saying them!

me
At the rellie Christmas celebration today, I spent ages with cousins and aunties, looking through Nana's old photos. There are tins, boxes and bags full. Each tell a real story. It was so special and such a highlight of my weekend. One auntie shared a memory: Nana never had these photos in albums, just in a suitcase. If the kids were sick, stuck inside on the couch or in bed, they would beg to be allowed to look through the photo suitcase. Nana would get it for them and they'd spend hours, days, looking through them as we were today. She remembers spending her chickenpox days like this!

Saturday, December 8, 2012

heat wave

he
To escape the heat wave this week, he visited 3 (air-conditioned) libraries in 3 days. Such fun!

me
I know that this looks like a 'he' photo and not a 'me' photo but it'll make sense in a moment. Next to the Stones' Corner library is a Govindas (tasty vegetarian), which is air-conditioned, but also has low tables with big cushions to sit on, and a basket of toys, which means that he can stand and tap on the table, play, eat, chatter, and I can have a lovely, relaxing (seriously) lunch out. SUCH FUN! 

Friday, December 7, 2012

live music

he
He started a drummers-only band with his big friends. They haven't agreed on a name yet, but they have already had their first ("intimate") gig (pictured above). He is enthusiastically committed and practises constantly, tapping on whatever surface is handy. The esky lid has a great tone. He also quite likes the sound quality and volume of the metal shelving trolleys at the library. I can tell by the way that all of the grown-up people browsing books nearby stop to watch and listen to his drumming that they also like the sound and are potential fans.

me
Saw Regina Spektor last night. She may just be the nicest performer in the world. She's been unwell this week, and the show was delayed and delayed throughout the evening; the announcer kept thanking us for our patience and saying it wouldn't be much longer... B was convinced it would be cancelled but I was sure she'd at least say 'hi'. She did! She played and sang and finished each song with a big smile and a cute 'thank you so much'. Everything was gorgeous. Our 2nd row seats (!) let us watch her hands throughout the journey. They were spectacular, I've never watched a pianist so intently before, but it was entrancing. Each time she began a new song, it was as if that first chord was heralding the beauty that was imminent - you could hear the crowd's collective breath-holding every time, and the cheer as the song unfolded. 



Tuesday, December 4, 2012

wine tasting at the clare valley

he
Paying close attention to his Grandpa at the Magpie & Stump.

My family spent three days in the Clare Valley for my Mom's 70th, instead of a big party. It was a great decision! Such a lovely, picturesque part of our country, oh so many wineries, markets, wood-fired pizza, and a mid-1800s cottage, the Peppertree, which was our home for the duration. 

me
Sis and I being cheesy at Kilikanoon Wines. We tasted a lot. 

Saturday, December 1, 2012

robert louis stevenson

he
He chose this book at the library yesterday. We borrowed it, and two other board books: One Christmas book and one awesome book about collective nouns.

me
I think it's  the most one of the most beautiful books ever, it's a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson with gorgeous illustrations. I showed it to my Mom on skype last night, and asked if she knew it - I suspected she might. She didn't just know it, she responded by reciting it. This demonstrates why I think my Mom is so cool.