Thursday, July 31, 2014

getting used to girls

he
We recently had some old friends stay with us for the weekend, with their 3 fantastic, beautiful, fun, witty, caring, creative girls. I cannot describe how thrilled he was! I think it helped him get excited about his sister's fast-approaching arrival...

me
I'm still having a lot of fun collecting little girl clothes - surprising myself at how much I'm continuing to enjoy this. We've received lots of lovely hand-me-downs and loans, some very cute and cuddly things that his clever Nanma has found in op shops, and I'm still allowing myself to buy bits and pieces that I see in 2nd hand stalls and op shops.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

celebrating our outdoors

he
After over a year of planning/campaigning/waiting/wondering... We got our new playground at Boggo Road! Ye-ha! This is him with his gorgeous neighbourhood pals, celebrating at the official opening/picnic recently.

me
In a much earlier chapter of life I landed at Googa Outdoor Ed Centre, instantly fell in love with the people, animals, forest, program and values, and spent a beautiful two years working/playing there. We even got married there, in the forest. This year is Googa's 25th anniversary and a past-student-turned-filmmaker made a video as part of the celebrations. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this and reminiscing.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

chopsticks

he
He did very well, for his first try! Turns out that tofu cubes are great for chopstick-stabbing.

me
I rarely remember to bust out the wooden chopsticks that we bought on our travels once, years ago, but I get excited when I do!

Thursday, July 24, 2014

daddy's work picnic

he
Once a year, B's work puts on a 'Family Fun Day'. Feeling guilty for not partaking last year, we headed along this time. It was very 'he' appropriate! Jumping castle, painting masks, juice boxes, snow cones...

me
Admittedly, I had to drag him onto the jumping castle with me, as I wasn't sure I was really allowed on my own. He quickly warmed up to it, brave boy. My other highlights were the popcorn and veggie sausages on the bbq.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

night noodles

he
We caught up with an old friend who is in town for a couple of days, and wandered down to the noodle festival at South Bank for dinner. Our little guy loved the noodles, he loved the fairy lights, he loved the dancing dragon and he loved hanging out with our friend's gorgeous daughter. She's a big kid and is very good with little kids!

me
How lovely it is to catch up with old friends, and to get to know their children.

Friday, July 18, 2014

friday fundays are back!

he
Now that daycare days have changed, Funday Fridays are back! Last week was Lone Pine, this week was the helicopter playground. This week was also the windiest day imaginable!

me
I took a big thermos of hot milo for the mummies...

Thursday, July 17, 2014

blood test

he
 He and his dad met me afterwards, and was so irresistibly cute in his sunnies and bike helmet that the friendly pathologist invited them to wheel the bike right into the waiting room, where he was given balloons and stickers.

me
 It was my pregnancy glucose tolerance test this morning. No one gave me stickers or balloons, just 3 puncture wounds, a bottle and a half of sickly sweet vile potion to scull (on an empty stomach) and a moderately comfy chair to slouch on for two hours while I waited for the final blood test. My ridiculous 'delicate' veins were being difficult, as usual, so there will be bruising around two of the three puncture sites. Despite this, it was a thoroughly enjoyable morning spent chatting to Dawson, the blood man, for a couple of hours, about rescue dogs, cheesecake, baby names, solar panels, Larissa Waters and the 80s.

we
We had breakfast together afterwards, around the corner at Desmond & Molly's - delicious and delightful (until he smashed a glass on the tiled floor).

Saturday, July 12, 2014

new room

he
A recent miraculous transformation of our former (largely ignored) store-room means that he actually has his own real bedroom. With a real bed! And a real door that really closes! And real cupboards which store his stuff! And a real door! And real space to play. And did I mention the door? His first four night-sleeps in his big bed have been PERFECT. Jury is still out on day-sleeps, though he's happy to stay/play on his bed for a couple of hours of 'rest' - which is almost as good as a sleep.

me
This has been a major feature of the past months at our home. It was a mammoth effort - discarding/recycling/donating/selling/freecycling carloads of clothes, furniture (including nine separate shelving units which previously lined the walls of the store room), books, toys, stationery, linen, craft supplies, teacher resources, CDs/DVDs and other technology... We had built-ins installed in 2 rooms and everything that had not been discarded was given a home behind the tidy sliding doors. It was a frustrating and tedious job but incredibly liberating and satisfying. And we really couldn't wait too much longer to clear enough space for him to call a real bedroom, leaving the little sun room/nook with the cot and change table for his little sister. 

Friday, July 11, 2014

round

he
 
There's a 3-week break from swimming lessons, so we've actually had to think about how to fill our Tuesday mornings. This week I remembered that South Bank's Kids' Club has free activities on Tuesdays, so we wandered down to see what their July program involved. There were a few different activities and crafts, but he was content to spend the entire morning in the ball pit. He was absolutely thrilled. He even, voluntarily and repeatedly, climbed out to pick up the mess of balls which had been thrown out of the pit, and passed me any misshapen balls that he discovered, confident that I could make them perfectly round again. (With a bit of finessing, and due to the glorious gift of extensive-time-sitting-still, which I was granted through his decision to stay in one place for so long, I usually could. Phew.)

me
There really is something about stripes on an expanding baby-belly.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

feeling welcome

he
Big boy - nearly 2 1/2 now - has just moved up to a pre-kindy room at Daycare, the Zebra room. He knows that he has to press the '3' button on the lift now, not the '2'. I was a little apprehensive when we first found out that he was to move; he'd been quite settled in the Grasshopper/toddler room, and loved his teachers. Once I'd visited the Zebras, however, I was excited! The teachers are lovely, clever, creative and kind. The program seems completely appropriate for him and his interests, the kids are friendly and chatty and the transition from one room to the other was gradual and thorough, taking the entire previous month. And I read this poster on the classroom door each time I enter. Wouldn't it be great if every door we walked through had a sign which explicitly told us what we could expect from the people inside?!

me
Being ridiculously shy around strangers and in unfamiliar contexts, I usually feel too awkward to spend long at any potential work-space/cafe, or to even step through the door, sometimes. However I've been feeling pretty comfortable spending my computer-work days at the Clarence Corner Bookshop/Cafe lately. It ticks all the boxes: has good music, walls lined with books (my favourite kind of wall) vegetarian food and daily soups, reasonable prices, a calm atmosphere, toys for little visitors, free wifi, pretty lead-light windows, chai tea on milk, raw vegan desserts, satisfying waves of busy and quiet times, a clean toilet... They support charities and local artists... And they seem happy for me to spend multiple hours hunched over one of their tables, ordering tea or soup every hour or two. Maybe the list I've just rattled off could be posted on their door for other apprehensive customers?

Friday, July 4, 2014

playing with friends

he
Jamming with his oldest pal.

me
It's school holidays! Treating myself, I spent a good chunk of yesterday feeling completely indulgent, hanging with my teacher friend - just the 2 of us - brunch at this gorgeous spot, op shopping at the bay and another cuppa to complete the gorgeous afternoon.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

goo

he
 Blue and wonderful. Bliss.

we
We have always loved taking our own little bucket to Flannery's, waiting as they pour peanuts into their machine, and watching our bucket fill up with delicious, 100% peanut, peanut butter. Apparently we're not the only ones -  last week the entire store was completely sold out of peanuts AND peanut butter. We were distraught. Our family will truly not survive a day without the stuff (this is a theory, we've never dared to actually test it, too risky) so, not to be beaten, we regrouped and wandered down to the fruit shop to buy peanuts, hurried home and blended our own in our magical food-zhooshing device. It is perfect! Obviously it is also all gone. Will make more this evening. We're yet to 'crunch' the numbers, but this may become our newest favourite home-made staple.