recovery

he

He drew me a beautiful hospital, took good care of Granny, made me herbal teas and often asked how my 'owees' were feeling. More than once, since recovering at home, he has asked me to go back to hospital as he really enjoyed visiting. 

For my birthday he gave me a handy cup holder for the pram, so we stopped for coffee/babyccinos on the way to kindy to try it out.

she

She gave Granny's helping hands a good work-out while I wasn't up to lifting, and searched for her each morning for many days after she flew home: "Gaddy? Gaddy?" Luckily, she usually ended up finding Gaddy in photos on the fridge which was never completely satisfactory but was a good distraction.

me

 I had an operation a few weeks ago, all good now! Granny came to help out for a couple of weeks which I LOVED! It was also the first time I've seen her on my birthday or Easter for 20 years! 

My sis sent an excellent book for me to read in hospital, I started and finished it while there. It was an excellent read and a timely reminder of how lucky/easy life is for us here.

chok-et!

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 He woke up VERY early (for him) on Easter Saturday, which gave us two extra morning hours to get creative! His first idea was this Easter door decoration. Then we made the first batch of Easter chocolates. Next, he decorated paper and wrapped Easter presents. I'm sure there was more - it's all a blur of colour and feathers.

During breakfast on Easter Sunday he happily led the expedition to find coloured eggs hidden in the yard and share the bounty with his sister, parents and Granny.

she

A fascinating new taste and an important new word...
"Chok-et! Chok-et!"
She's also been saying "Appy see-staaah!"

me

I was determined to have chocolates for Easter! I asked a friend how she makes hers (fructose-free) by sweetening 90% cocoa Lindt chocolate. Her response outlines her very technical recipe:

"I melt chocolate over saucepan and stir in dextrose, combines great. I've used syrup but it doesn't let the chocolate set properly again. You can add as much dextrose as you need to and it'll still set. Just keep it over the saucepan until you can't see it."

Yee-haa! That's my kind of recipe! Granny and Little He both helped and we ended up with dozens of tasty dark chocolates, each with a cashew inside.

some camping highlights

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Quality cousin time with Pa's birthday bubblewrap.

Much time spent doing exactly what he would have been doing at home, but on a different drawing table.

she

 Bike, family, food.

me

Delightful Woodford op shop.

Delightful wine game!

wild things

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Our favourite book shop, Where the Wild Things Are (where we attend Story Time each week), had its first birthday celebrations this weekend, including a visit from REAL wild things. He had a quick look at the creatures but then spied a book from the Pearlie series that he hadn't yet read, so sat in the corner and worked his way through it. He's a wild one.

she

She was very excited to see so many wild creatures that she could name and touch. Snake! Owl hoot hoot! Crocodile snap! Frog jump jump jump! Bird flap flap!

me

I'm so wild! I had an evening out with a friend last night and didn't get home until TEN PM! It's true! Wild. We ate dinner at The Burrow and were particularly impressed with the menus made from picture books (the stories are still in there).

inflatable world - rainy morning fun

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He spent the first half of the morning sitting at the cafeteria tables with his friends' Granny, the two of them quietly reading while the rest of us jumped. Eventually he decided to have a try and was hooked the moment his socks touched the colourful vinyl squishyness.

she

She started chanting "Castle! Castle! Castle!" as soon as we neared the entrance and jumped, rolled, pranced, slid and explored excitedly for the entire 2-hour session.

me

Oh my goodness, it was so much fun!

let them stay

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At the "Let Them Stay" gathering outside the hospital yesterday evening, he decided to make signs on his post-it notes.

she

She danced and played in the centre of it all.

empathy?

It's something I desperately want to help my kids develop. But it's so personal. And so complex! And so simple.

he

Earlier this week, I asked him to remind me to grab the lunch bag out of the fridge before we left the house. He said "I will write you a note to remind you!" Which was a lovely idea, except he got distracted and didn't do it. Luckily I remembered the lunch anyway and no one had to survive a morning without crackers and bananas. 
Then, yesterday, I was particularly exhausted. He came out of his room during rest time and found me looking pretty wrecked. He stared at me for a few moments, deep in thought, and said, "I will write a reminder!" I didn't know what he was talking about but nodded. Later, we found this reminder note on the computer desk! He could see I needed some support and came up with his own idea about how to help. 
For years I've been watching him, hoping for tiny hints of evolving empathy. Sometimes I have to look really, really, really hard. Other times, I get a reminder note.

she

After kindy drop-off this morning, she and I wandered down to the vigil outside the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, to show our support for the Doctors and Nurses who are refusing to discharge baby Asha (who's just a few months younger than Little She) to be deported to unsafe conditions in Nauru. We arrived during a beautiful gathering of 'Mums 4 Refugees' and spent the morning with them. Obviously, She was just interested in playing with everyone else's toys, eating their crackers and pulling her hat off but I hope to continue exposing her to gatherings of compassionate, informed people so that she may be inspired by what she sees/hears/learns!

bookfest 2016

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He behaved predictably and consistently!

she

During both visits to Bookfest last week, she spent the entire time announcing, "Ball! Ball!" when she saw kids clasping helium balloons, and "Quack!" "Moo!" "Baa!" "Woof!" depending on which book I had most recently passed her to distract her from the balloons. Thankfully she was handed a balloon on exit and proudly carried it on the train and walking home from the station with Daddy.

me

As always, I had a super time (twice so far - and there's still a couple more days before bookfest closes...) and was pleased with my loot of mostly young reader chapter books. I'm trying - unsuccessfully - to read each book (and get rid of those I don't like) before he gets his hands on them. I'm also currently enjoying a very silly book by Miranda Hart, called 'Is it just Me?' and 'The Happiness Show' by Catherine Deveny, which I borrowed from a friend at Book Club.

I also enjoyed reminiscing (thank you, blog) about past bookfest fun! 

lego

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Just before Christmas, we went to a lego show and, of course, he was awed and inspired. The inspiration was timely, as he received A LOT of lego for Christmas and birthday. He builds during play time, rest time and eating time. Last night he read 'Lego Ideas Book' (borrowed from friends) instead of sleeping, for much of the night. How much is too much?

she

She roamed the exhibition with her big pal/sis, and enjoyed finding and acknowledging familiar objects - plane, flower, car, hat...
At home she also loves to investigate and eat lego pieces - she's happy with lego, duplo, primo... They all taste the same!

me

 I won a family pass to the Lego exhibition "Brickman Experience" at the Convention Centre (of course, B had already purchased a couple of tickets before we found out...). I loved this collaborative piece.

four!

he

4 days of celebration:
Sunday: Lovely times with his little sis during our family morning at the market. In the afternoon he had a joint birthday party at the park with his pal - fancy dress (of course) with a great crowd and many hours of playing. 
Monday: We met another friend for a cupcake party at a playground, a visit to the dog park and drinks at the cafe (where he chose to sit on his own with his babyccino and read his new Zac Power book). We then picked up Daddy from work (his first day back there after 3 weeks off - he was ready for diversion, and cake) for a special lunch at the sushi train.
In the afternoon he had his first visit to the dentist (the mother of a friend, who ensured it was the MOST positive dental experience a child has EVER had... cheery conversation, playing with the up/down buttons on the chair, a take-home showbag and a 'rooster' balloon made from a rubber glove and dental floss). 
Tuesday: He received some cards and gifts in the mail and took cupcakes to kindy to share with his classmates for morning tea. Later, Nanma and Pa came to surprise him and stayed for dinner and a sleepover! Nanma helped him with some of his birthday lego and Pa helped him with his birthday bike.
Thursday: Our regular Thursday Dinner with friends included three birthday celebrations this week (a 4-year-old, an 8-year-old and a grown up)!

she

 

She relished every bit of every celebration.

me

Much sugar-free baking! 4-layer cake for the party ("four layers because I'm 4!") and cupcakes with homemade sugar-free sprinkles for kindy. 

christmas 2015: brisbane, caloundra, adelaide

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she

me