family bike ride

he

He conducted a rigorous safety inspection before agreeing to hop on the bike with Dadda. 
He seems to be getting used to the whole process, it must be about time for me to take him on my bike.

me

We rode to Reverse Garbage, to see my guitar picks in the gift shop and to pick up a few bits and pieces for his explorer-board, then to the bike shop to buy me a new helmet - my old one was an oddly discoloured shadow of its former self. My incredible maturity was displayed when I chose the ugly, practical, light, well-vented option over the colourful, patterned, heavy and less comfortable ones. With the hindsight that comes from a simple bit of too-late googling, we should have bought it online (for half the price). Oh well...

we

The other stop on our family ride was a playground (we're keen to check out all of the parks within riding distance). All tuckered out, it was time for a rest and a well-earned drink of milk.

screen time

he

We've started having play dates with lovely new friends in the neighbourhood. The plan is that while the little people explore and eat each others' food, the big people chat and take turns 'getting stuff done'. This week we chatted a bit about how we feel about 'screen time'. We're both keen to keep it to a minimum for a while yet (his only screen time is spent skyping far-away friends and family, and watching nursery rhymes on youtube once a week while I cut his nails!). However, we wanted to see how the little people interacted with the 'piano' game on her screen. The 6 months' age difference meant a big difference in their responses. He quickly figured it out and used one finger to press different keys, while little-she grinned and tapped the screen with her whole hand. Fun for all, and very cute to observe!

me

I was lucky to be the one to 'get stuff done' this time. I took my laptop along and finished putting together my new website!

up-cycled skirts

he

Even if you're a busy little boy, if your mummy is making toddler skirts, you're going to have to try them on.

me

I've been making fun little toddler skirts this week. Then I found, in the depths of my clothes boxes, a very cute skirt which I once made from an op-shopped koala curtain (for me - not for little people), but haven't worn for years. I was very excited to unveil it, and he loved it! We discussed the different animals featured on it all day. Then, I had an email from a friend who I had made a similar curtain skirt for, many Christmases ago, saying she'd just re-found hers. Coincidence? 

squirts

he

He and his mate graduated into the next swimming group! They are no longer 'Babies' but 'Squirts'! Graduation celebrations were held by the 2 proud families at the pub around the corner, on 2-for-Tuesday last week. They had their first class of Squirts this morning and it looks like it will be much more challenging and even more fun. And even more splashing! 

me

I just really felt like something sweet this afternoon... All I could find was this glorious white bottle - a birthday gift. I flipped open the lid, tipped it upside down, and squirted it into my mouth. How naughty! When will I grow up?

drawing

he

This is not a photograph of paper. It's a photograph of the wall. The wall is near where the paper and crayons live. If it wasn't so beautiful I'd be upset...!

me

I've been playing with the etch-a-sketch today.

bubbler

he

He's been visiting a new park lately, even ran into one of his friends there! It's quite lovely and not too far from home. Yesterday morning, he wandered over to the water bubbler to conduct a safety inspection (he'd already given the pram, the bin and some of the play equipment the 'all cear'). He was quite pleased to figure out that pulling down on that shiny lever released a satisfying stream of water. He helped himself to a slurp. And a shower. Despite needing all of his clothes and shoes changed, and hair dried, he was very pleased with the morning's discovery. Water bubbler passes inspection with flying (wet) colours!

me

I do love bubbles. Bubble baths, bubble blowers, bubble machines. I keep bubble bath handy and a few bubble blowers around the house (and in my bag) and am pleased that my little person now provides an excuse for my habits. My favourite story at the moment is relevant: My friend told me how he was recently stopped in a frustrating traffic jam, when someone in a car up ahead leaned out the window and started blowing bubbles! It changed my friend's mood instantly! Everyone in the surrounding cars were watching and smiling. I really should keep a bubble blower in my car, too. I have some spares!

delivery

he

He was my delivery vehicle manager.

me

I've been having a great time designing and creating pants and other items for "The Button Designs", and yesterday was my first delivery to the Reverse Emporium gift shop. My pants and books will be in the upcoming exhibition (at the start of next month), "Thread Count", and the guitar picks may be in the gift shop already, as they're not part of the exhibition. They used my photo and quote in the press release, you can read the whole article here.

playground

he

He showed his dad one of his favourite playgrounds.

me

One of my favourite things at the moment is getting to know some new friends, with a bit of a purpose. We all live in the same neighbourhood pocket, and are campaigning together to get a playground built for families close by. We have locked in a date with our local councillor for a community picnic in our proposed playground location, to chat with others and garner support, and are each delivering flyers/invitations this week!

we

We all did a letterbox drop of the playground/picnic flyers on an evening stroll.

rolling

he

Cooking dinner, I heard the silliest noises coming from the living room, so went to take a peek. This is the game I happened upon. My goodness, I laughed soooo hard. 

me

I didn't get my favourite spot at the library yesterday (my baby-free work day), so explored some different sections (it's a big place!) and found this great spot - part of the newspaper reading room. I do love a chair on wheels but - so mature - showed great restraint by keeping my rolling to a very subtle circuit. Which, on reflection, probably just looked like nervous agitation.

stop to smell the flowers

he

He really does!

me

I took some time to metaphorically smell the flowers while I had the house to myself for a while this morning.

read aloud

he

Flicking through his books (which is how he spends a great deal of his time at home) is usually a quiet activity, but he read this page aloud! I was doing something on the other side of the room, and heard him say, to himself:
"Aaaap  ....  Bah-deee". 
It sounded just like his words for apple and birdy, so I looked over, and he was staring at this page! I asked him if that is what he'd just said and he repeated it for me, then turned the page and continued his silent study of the other pages.
This was so cute that it really did hurt. Owwww....

me

For as long as he's been sitting at the table, eating (and playing with) solid food, I've been reading this book aloud to him. We often only get through a paragraph - or a couple of pages if we're really lucky - and sometimes go a week or more without opening it, but we're getting there. We're up to the part where they go to the fair. Charlotte is grappling with imminent big changes, while trying to protect and prepare Wilbur.
This book is one of my favourites, a 9th birthday gift. I always felt very close to Fern. Whenever I read it, I pretty much believed I was Fern, and that I could really understand the chatter and emotions of animals. Sometimes I still do.

family jog

he

 If we're around on a Saturday morning, we usually go for a family jog (one of us rides most of the way in the pram). He and his dad stop once they get to the playground and I head off for a bit of a longer circuit. When I met them back at the playground this morning, they had a new trick to show me - this is it!

me

My favourite parts of jogging are the parts when we're not actually jogging, such as when we stop for a cuppa and breakfast on the way home. This is an aspect which is seriously lacking from my weekday jogs.

we

mobiles

he

He finds our mobile phones, no matter where we hide them. He's entranced by anyone's phone that makes an appearance nearby. Won't be long until he's giving you a call...

me

I helped make a felt mobile for a friend's new baby!

locals

he

A short stroll from home is our local water play park! Simple to get to and super fun to explore. This photo shows him (with his pal) trying very hard to figure out when the fountain will stop and start. Something else that I love about it is the 'Brisbane' theme! Our river is represented in a couple of places and you can explore the CBD and inner-city streets on the giant map. The high-rises are fountains. It's pretty cool.

me

I've been getting to know some other local mums - it looks like we'll be doing regular Friday morning walks together! It feels so nice to make new friends once in a while.

cuppa

he

 Our friend ordered him a babycino - his first ever! Since, at that moment, he had taken a walk with his Canadian Portlandian, I helped out by eating the chocolate layer from the top. When he returned, he thoroughly enjoyed the warm milk and spoon! Some of it even made it into his mouth.

me

This inaugural babycino happened at a cafe where I had a lunch meeting, for some work that I'm doing. I'm helping to organise a twice-yearly course and am really happy to be putting part of my mind and energy into it. I'm learning a lot and enjoying the contact with the committee. 
I don't have a picture of my own drink from the cafe, but this is a shot of my current favourite tea - Lady Grey - my pal put me onto it last year (before disappearing to the centre of this land for a while).

old friends

he

Old pals, back together again for a play this week!

 Originally it was looking like he and K might have matching birthdays, except that she decided she couldn't wait for January and popped out much earlier. I got to cuddle her in hospital during the coming months, the tiniest baby I'd ever met, and once - while she was snoozing peacefully on my pregnant belly, he gave her a big kick! He knew she was there and wanted to make sure it was a mutual awareness!

 L, on the other hand, was supposed to be a couple of months younger than he but was also an eager beaver, popping out just a few weeks after him. His very first social outing was L's baby shower, which was the last event that L was prepared to miss, popping out a few hours later!

me

I love having friendships that always feel comfortable, even though we don't see each other often.

crayons

he

 He's starting to get the hang of drawing (kind of). This morning's effort was by far the most successful and independent! Through some experimenting, he figured out that if he stabs the paper hard enough, the crayon will shoot out to the side and leave a gorgeous, curved line. 

me

Frustrated by the many limitations of small, straight crayons, a crayon-qualified pal and I spent far too long making chunky crayons for little hands to grip.

giving

he

He regularly likes to bring me books to read to him and toys to play with, with him, and he sometimes hands me food to taste (usually bits that he's already tasted). 
This time, for the first time, I felt that he was giving me something. Because he thought I wanted it. As a gift. He found a leaf, gave it to me. I responded thankfully - so he went to find another, brought it to me, then another...

me

I made truffles for Easter gifts.
- sugar-free date truffles (he was allowed to taste these)
- definitely NOT sugar-free chocolate truffles with a cookie dough filling
- white choc/cream cheese/lemon (my favourites)