My Doll With Her Doll

Quote of the Day

Since when did my 3 year old learn to read?

I'm sitting at my computer reading an email from our auto club. RACQ - Royal Automobile Club of Queensland just in case you are wondering.

E walks up behind me, points to the RACQ logo and says 'Look Mum. It says RACQ!'

I could only look at him. How he knew that and when he learned to 'read' it or recognise it, I have no idea.

Amazing what they get up to whilst you aren't looking isn't it? Like how he has learned to climb OVER the allegedly child proof pool gate. Child proof yes, Ethan proof no. But that is a story for another day.

Quote of the Day

The conversation went something like this.....

G: Mum? When is your birthday?

M: Tomorrow! One more sleep until my birthday.

G: Mum? What number?

M: Do you mean how old will be I on my birthday?

G: Yes. What number you be Mum?

M: I'll be 40

And there's silence from the back seat of the car so I know she's thinking about 40

G: Mum? What number our house?

M: 21 (author note.....our house street number is 21)

G: 40?

M: I'll be 40. Our house is 21. 40 is more than 21

G: WOW!!!!!

Why is it the three letters of WOW suddenly made me feel old enough to be put in a museum?

Nearly Happy Birthday to me!!!!

The last frontier has been conquered

The last frontier has been conquered. The world, as we know it, will never be the same again. Ok, I'm being slightly melodramatic. But it is a milestone that I was hoping would take a while to come. Unlike every other milestone that is so eagerly anticipated, hard fought and longed for.

And the cause of my melancholy? Ethan has finally learned how to open the gate. And it is not just any gate. It is the gate at the top of our stairs. The gate that for 3 years and 9 months has keep him safe from the stairs. Well, other than those two incidents where he tumbled down the steps many years ago but we won't mention them will we? The gate that has meant when we wanted him upstairs and not in the garage, laundry, Luke's office, the bedroom or the rumpus room (i.e. anywhere downstairs where I couldn't see him and he could get into far too much mischief!), we could close it and know he was confined. Those days are history. Sigh.

Georgia learned to open the gate at goodness knows what age. But thankfully Ethan has taken a while. Unlike everything else Ethan has done which has been in double quick time! We have had to train Georgia that when Ethan asks her to open the gate, she says 'No, ask Mummy or Daddy.' Rather than her helpful natural response which was 'Sure. There you go' and to wave him off downstairs with a smile and then come and tell me what she'd done.

Imagine my surprise when I saw the picture above. An open gate when I was sure I'd closed it. And then I went hunting for Ethan. And found him downstairs. Hmmmm. Maybe I just forgot to close the gate? So I brought him upstairs, closed the gate and he walked up to it, opened it and proceeded downstairs again.

I didn't know whether to sob, laugh, yell or all three at this achievement. So instead I made a note to myself....when a moment presents itself, blog about it! And now I have :)

Cold - Brisbane style

If you live in Canberra or Melbourne or Monk Bretton (Yorkshire, UK) or Upstate New York, you expect winter to be cold. But if you live in Brisbane, you expect winter to be rather mild. No swimming as the water temperature is below our loved tepid 29 degrees (85F), no singlet tops (Americans, think tank tops), no thongs (Americans, think flip-flops) and maybe even wearing jeans instead of shorts.

But yesterday and today were distinctly chilly. This morning it was 8 degrees (46F) on our back deck. But it felt like there was ice in the air.

Georgia was ready to go outside and wait for our lovely babysitter to arrive. So I dressed her in 'winter' gear.....singlet, long sleeve shirt, vest AND parka. She put on a winter hat but we couldn't top it off with gloves as they are hiding somewhere and resisted all efforts to be found :(

So I present to you a winter version of Georgia. Probably the only day of the year the parka will get worn! Bring back the sun and roll on Spring!

For Kate - A perfect winter day

I have long loved blogs. And there are many, many good bloggers out there in blog land. And by 'good' I mean people, usually Mums of small children, who write (a) beautifully, (b) things that are relevant and interesting and (c) update regularly.

One such lady is Kate. She is a Mum of three. She has a special child, another little boy and an Angel. And she inspires me. To be grateful for my Blessings, to not feel guilty being the *Mommarazzi* (her term, not mine....after all, if we don't document the journey of our children, who will???) and to do it all with a smile AND a sense of humour. So Kate, this post about us going on an outing to enjoy a perfect 'winter' day here in Brisbane was inspired by you. Thank you for reminding me to document the 'ordinary' as each day really is just another ordinary miracle....

Today is one day short of the Winter Solstice. Tomorrow is the shortest day of the year. So it is winter. And it is too cold to swim.....much to the disgust of our 'little fish'. We are having to wear jeans and the wind is often cool. This morning is was 9 degrees (aka 48 degrees F) and it was SO COLD that we put on the aircon to warm things up in our dining room/living room/kitchen. But the sun came out, the wind was just a light little breeze and we decided to get out and about with a trip to our favourite weekend haunt - the foreshore at Wynnum on Moreton Bay. It is a 60km (nearly 40 mile) round trip for us but the park, the outlook over the water, the great fish and chip shop opposite the park....it is a trip well worth it. We all had a ball.

It was busy at the takeaway place we frequent each visit. The munchkins were incredibly well behaved during the 20 minute wait for lunch. Amazing what happens when you tell them that if they don't wait, there will be no play! Ethan in his t-shirt (don't you love that? in winter?) waiting for lunch. Yes, being a Thomas t-shirt, he chose it HIMSELF.

'Georgia. Go and stand behind Ethan and give him a hug.' So G grabs his neck and puts him into a headlock. He yells 'Georgia - let me go!'. She loves him. Really she does. She just needs to work out how to love him without the headlock!

Shame on the shadow that jumped across Ethan's face as I snapped this picture. But he was having a wonderful time on the swings and the outlook across the water to the Bay was beautiful. The park was VERY BUSY. But on such a gorgeous day, that's not surprising.

Like the shadow of the chick with her iPhone trying to take photos? We took Ethan's Audi with us. And he rode it and rode it and rode it....except when it was abandoned for the huge climbing 'spiderweb'. He and G spent nearly an hour going from bikes to playground and back again. It was lovely. Ethan, who is never still, made it impossible for me to take a photo on him ON the Audi. I tried. I tried....lots. But it didn't happen. How he loves that Audi.

One very tired little boy fell asleep in the car on the way home. Always the sign of a good day!

What a wonderful day. I am grateful for all our Blessings. And I'm grateful for people like Kate who share their journey that remind me that I should share ours.

Planetary alignment!

In June 2003, Georgia arrived. And she spent approaching a month in the special care nursery in hospital until her weight climbed up over 5lbs and she could drink from a bottle (albeit SLOWLY). Whilst in hospital, she made some GREAT humidicrib buddies. And over the years, there are four of us who have stayed in touch.

Today we ALL caught up for the first time in we can't remember how long. We call it PLANETARY ALIGNMENT :)

In nearly 7 years, those little bubs swaddled up in their cots, have GROWN. And although it isn't a brilliant photo (blame the photographer!), take a look at them NOW - see middle pic.

Wow, they are all lucky to have each other. And to have the familiarity that comes with not knowing a life without each other. And no matter how long it is between visits, it is always lovely to see everyone.

I had to include the last photo. Sam, the big boy, with the little brothers of his 'girlfriends'. It was almost as if he was saying 'Look here boys. THIS is how it's done!'. I loved it.