Things that are good this week

Five o'clock shadows in our kitchen :: The hinges on the doors of the church on our street :: A whole day of torrential rain in December :: Friday night pizza :: Shopping with my mum :: Looking for tricycles and rocking horses on ebay :: Going to the mailbox :: Neds face when he was sitting on Santa's knee :: Your partner saying the thing he loved about this week is you...and Ned :: Blackbirds nesting in the hedge right outside the lounge room window, who needs David Attenborough? :: Getting chocolate in an advent calendar :: Bathtime :: Chocolate pots from over the fence :: Listening to Vampire Weekend in the car :: Aaron & Ned putting the angel on our poor over burdened Christmas tree :: Over burdened Christmas trees :: Wiggle, Giggle, read at the library :: Relaxing on the couch :: Laughing at the frat boys marching on Amazing Race...too funny :: Ned + feet in mouth = fun ::  Suede is out of Project Runway. Lesley is so happy :: Home-made beef burgers :: Shoulder stands at yoga..aaah release :: Seeing your sister driving down Marion Road in the opposite direction and hanging a quick U-ey :: Dogger rocks the back seat of the car :: Tomato plants gone all jack and the beanstalk :: Making Aaron buy me a Santa Stop Here sign from the Christmas shop...he he :: Henley Beach at dinnertime ::

Dumb Car Stickers #1

I was traveling back from my parents house on the coast with Ned last week, when in the space of two minutes I saw two pretty disturbing car stickers. The first one read "If you don't love it leave" alongside a flag of Australia. I wasn't aware that to love a country or to consider yourself a patriot, you had to be totally uncritical. Surely, the more you love a country the more critical of it you should be. Is a patriot someone who blindly thinks that everything about their country is just perfect? It reminded me of a book I read recently by Billy Bragg, called The Progressive Patriot. He is referring to England in the book, but I think a lot of his arguments are universal. He considers himself a patriot, but not in the anti-immigrant-great old english values of cricket, Winston Churchill and cups of tea-sense of the word. It can also be tied up in the phrase that I hear ALL the time now about things being "Un-Australian". It seems to be a good cover-all phrase to use, when you don't agree with someone or their policies. What is "Australian" anyway? Can't it be conflicting things/values?

The second car sticker I saw had a picture of the Australian flag with the words "F*%k off, we're full" written inside it. I wondered if Aboriginal people thought the same thing when they saw the first fleet arriving in Botany Bay? Anyways, seeing both these stickers made me feel angry and sad at the same time. I don't want my little boy growing up in a country that is racist, aggressive and uncritical of itself. But then again, maybe thats what it means to be patriotic - to still love your country despite all its failings, and to want to share that with other people who come to these shores, usually looking for a peaceful life with more opportunities for their families.

Weekend away

casper the ghost

out for a walk

homeboy ned

my dream shack - I'm not fussy, it doesnt have to be big, just have nice type sign on the wall

Milestones

At 12 weeks old, Ned has come such a long way and changed so much since the day he was born. This week he has suddenly started sleeping 8 to 9 hours at night...brilliant! What a good little boy he is, always with a smile when you go to pick him up out of his cot. This week he is making loads more baby talk sounds and the different shapes he makes with his mouth when he is trying to express himself are SO funny. He has also just learnt to blow raspberries, so that seems to be an endless source of entertainment for him. His neck and head control are pretty solid now, like his legs which are constantly on the move...he loves to kick and push up with his legs, if he is sitting on your lap, the floor or on is play mat. Sometimes, you put him down in one place and two minutes later he has moved a few feet just from pushing himself along on his back. So, lots of milestones this week, but the best thing by far is the way his face lights up when you go to pick him up out of his cot in the morning..what a little joy he is in our lives.

Tough Life

Warm afternoon. Lunch in the park with dad. Asleep in my pram wearing my new sunhat.

Paper Tragic

Seeing as I never throw away any bit of paper or card no matter how small, I cleaned out my paper box yesterday. When I was sorting I found all these different collages that were made by accident.

The Polite Umbrella

The polite umbrella is a shrinkable umbrella that enables users to morph its shape in order to reduce occupied space and increase user maneuverablity. 

Photoshop Tutorial 101

Is this not the worst contour you have ever seen? This leaftlet I found for a Bed & Breakfast cracks me up. Looks like the dog has been done with a pair of scissors... wait... in fact... it has! LOL

I Like

We got this beautiful book Iggy Peck Architect by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts from the NGV in Melbourne. Its got the best story and illustrations about a little boy with a passion for architecture and building things.

A Big Day Out

Aaron & Mr Moo

Me & Mr Moo

Meegs & Gussa

It was a big day

Annie & Todd

On Sunday we went to Cheesefest 08 in Rymill Park. It was a beautiful warm spring day. Aaron, Mr Moo and I got there and bagged a good possie with a table and lots of chairs before it got too busy. Megan and Hewy, Angus and Todd and Annie all came. It was good just sitting in the sun drinking wine and eating cheese with friends. First time BF'ing in public and it went okay...a bit of muslin covered us up well. The warm day and relaxed atmosphere made me start to really look forward to summer when we will be able to get out and about heaps with Mr Moo. He enjoyed sitting in his pram looking out at everything and getting passed around. He slept well last night so all the fresh air must have done him good.

Threads

I rediscovered a bag of coloured threads the other day. They belonged to Aaron's Auntie Bella, who passed away a few years ago...a life of thrift. She had loads of zips and buttons also saved. I was fortunate enough to inherit them. Beautiful.

Yoga & Shopping

Today has gone in a flash. This morning while Mr Moo slept (briefly) I ran around and did all my jobs - dishes, shower, rubbish out, car out of the garage, made bed etc. Life with a baby means you are always thinking 3 steps ahead. We went to yoga class for the second time and Mr Moo was really good, laid on his mat quietly for most of the class and just got a bit upset towards the end when all the other babies were starting to get vocal too... it was like a chorus of babies. And funny how in a room of 8 or so crying babies you can still pick out your own baby's voice. Afterwards we managed a quick trip round the supermarket, well sort of. I kept getting stopped by old ladies wanting to admire and talk about my baby. Even the checkout chick got in on the act. Here is how a trip to the supermarket goes...park car, open boot and get out pram, get out bag, put keys down, get baby out of car and into pram, lock car, do shopping, stuff all groceries in bottom of pram, back to car, put baby in car, dismantle pram, get shopping out or pram, put shopping in car, put pram in car, shut boot, drive home and repeat above process minus the shopping bit to get inside the house. Phew! Just waiting for Aaron to come home so we can have cocktail hour....aaah.