I've just finished (with the help of a mate) putting up some Christmas lights around the house. The job is a bit underdone but it's a first attempt and provides a starting point for future endeavours. I've already got next years plans figured out (and the requirements I will provide for a willing electrician).
I should also mention we did it in the rain. I'm pretty excited about showing the kids - as dodgy as it is I'm quite sure they will be impressed by it.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
A Guest
We had an unexpected visitor last night - Mrs G bought a friend home from the Christmas gathering!!! As is my custom I won't reveal her name but apparently Miss L was a little under the weather and there were some concerns about her getting home. It took them so long to get a cab back to our place that both of them were sober by the time they got here so I presume the fears may have been a touch unfounded ...
As a result our spare room was inhabited and I made very sure I was with LGR when he woke up this morning - I could very easily imagine the hysterics if he woke up and found an unidentified person wandering around the house.
Today was a very average day. It rained again. I did very little at work again. I went out for lunch again. The main point of delineation between today and yesterday is that Clan Jones went out for dinner - ending up at a 'hole in the wall' Chinese place that served very good food. When we went in there all tables were empty but by the time we left it was packed and they were having to turn people away. Even the kids liked it. We'll be using them as a takeaway venue in the future ...
What else? I finally got my first edition of a magazine subscription I took out a while ago. For some reason the first attempt to send a magazine to me didn't work and then it took several days to get in touch with someone who could answer my questions - then another week for me to actually receive the magazine. I also got a free hat :-) It's a small scale magazine but also a very good magazine - and it's all about running.
Which I'm able to do again. I've run 3 out of the last 4 days (I missed this morning - slept through the alarm) but on the other days it was relatively pain free. By pain free I mean injury pain free.
I've got a long way to go before I can call myself a runner again ...
As a result our spare room was inhabited and I made very sure I was with LGR when he woke up this morning - I could very easily imagine the hysterics if he woke up and found an unidentified person wandering around the house.
Today was a very average day. It rained again. I did very little at work again. I went out for lunch again. The main point of delineation between today and yesterday is that Clan Jones went out for dinner - ending up at a 'hole in the wall' Chinese place that served very good food. When we went in there all tables were empty but by the time we left it was packed and they were having to turn people away. Even the kids liked it. We'll be using them as a takeaway venue in the future ...
What else? I finally got my first edition of a magazine subscription I took out a while ago. For some reason the first attempt to send a magazine to me didn't work and then it took several days to get in touch with someone who could answer my questions - then another week for me to actually receive the magazine. I also got a free hat :-) It's a small scale magazine but also a very good magazine - and it's all about running.
Which I'm able to do again. I've run 3 out of the last 4 days (I missed this morning - slept through the alarm) but on the other days it was relatively pain free. By pain free I mean injury pain free.
I've got a long way to go before I can call myself a runner again ...
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The Smell
It's raining as I type. And the air smells of rain. That beautiful mid summer end of a stinking hot and/or humid type rain smell. It's fantastic. So is the sound of rain on the back deck. All very Australian and the type of thing you wish you could bottle.
Hayzey has started going to sleep with ballet slippers on. She got them as part of a fairy outfit and is completely besotted by them. It's very sweet to walk in to give her a goodnight kiss and see those tiny feet in those tiny slippers.
For a complete change of topic ...
Traffic. Grrr. It's been horrible this week. All week long the traffic reports are telling me how much better the traffic is in the lead up to Christmas because people are on holidays. What a pile of crud. It's still taking me over an hour to get into work in the morning and in the afternoons .... well, it seems as though a lot of people are getting new brake pads during the day and feel the urge to break them in by jamming on the breaks. Frequently.
To make it even better there are 3 new buildings going up on the block on which I work. One of them will house at least 1500 people and the other two will be between 500 and 1000. That's a lot of extra cars. On top of this is the new telco campus which opened recently for 5000 folk and at least 5 other large office type buildings going up.
Things are not going to get better. I need to get out of Sydney. Time for a new trade ....
Maybe I'll be a baker. Or a short order cook. A barman. A gardener. A coach. A restaurateur. A publican. A politician. A teacher. Who knows? There's definitely more to life than sitting in traffic and watching the guy next to you pick his nose while he talks on the phone.
Another random topic change. Mrs G is out at another Christmas party tonight. I believe it's with a group of lawyers at the MCA. Maybe I could be a lawyer. Then I would get to have fancy drinks with Mrs G while the kids are at home asleep :-)
Hayzey has started going to sleep with ballet slippers on. She got them as part of a fairy outfit and is completely besotted by them. It's very sweet to walk in to give her a goodnight kiss and see those tiny feet in those tiny slippers.
For a complete change of topic ...
Traffic. Grrr. It's been horrible this week. All week long the traffic reports are telling me how much better the traffic is in the lead up to Christmas because people are on holidays. What a pile of crud. It's still taking me over an hour to get into work in the morning and in the afternoons .... well, it seems as though a lot of people are getting new brake pads during the day and feel the urge to break them in by jamming on the breaks. Frequently.
To make it even better there are 3 new buildings going up on the block on which I work. One of them will house at least 1500 people and the other two will be between 500 and 1000. That's a lot of extra cars. On top of this is the new telco campus which opened recently for 5000 folk and at least 5 other large office type buildings going up.
Things are not going to get better. I need to get out of Sydney. Time for a new trade ....
Maybe I'll be a baker. Or a short order cook. A barman. A gardener. A coach. A restaurateur. A publican. A politician. A teacher. Who knows? There's definitely more to life than sitting in traffic and watching the guy next to you pick his nose while he talks on the phone.
Another random topic change. Mrs G is out at another Christmas party tonight. I believe it's with a group of lawyers at the MCA. Maybe I could be a lawyer. Then I would get to have fancy drinks with Mrs G while the kids are at home asleep :-)
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
So much to say ...
Hopefully I won't miss anything in this post ...
First and foremost is a loud and joyous happy birthday to Mrs G. She turned 'an age' on 13th December. Nice one sweetie :-)
14th December was a big day for LGR and Hayzey - it was the kindy Christmas Party. The affair was quite mellow. Usually the kids put on a show for all of us but for some reason this wasn't done this year. They did get pressies from Santa and we got to take ownership of their development portfolios. It's a good thing the staff there aren't teaching the kids how to spell ...
The most important part of the evening was a little 'graduation' ceremony for the kids going to school next year. They got a certificate and a big clap from everyone. I had tiny little tears in my eyes. Later that night while looking through the portfolios I got some more tears in my eyes. I still have problems accepting that LGR is getting bigger ....
15th December was my Dad's birthday. So - happy birthday Dad. Hope you had a good one.
Clan Jones went up the mountains on the 15th for a bit of lunch and then an afternoon lounging around Grandma's place putting up Christmas decorations. Lunch was good - Uncle G is a chef (and a damned good one at that) so we visited his restaurant to sample the new menu. Very impressed. I would go so far as to say the total dining experience was far better value for money (and at least as tasty) than my lunch at a prestigious Sydney restaurant the previous day. At the prices Uncle G's place offers it is very good eating.
In the evening Nanna and Aunt LU/Lillee joined us for a bit of dinner. Mrs G got another birthday cake and more presents ....
We spent the night in Katoomba - something we haven't done for years. Sunday morning was very relaxed - casual breakfast and showers followed by a walk with the dog. Nice and easy. The Clan was back in Prestons by lunchtime and spent the early afternoon looking for Santa and Christmas gifts. We succeeded on both counts - and don't need to worry about shopping for Christmas any more!!!
First and foremost is a loud and joyous happy birthday to Mrs G. She turned 'an age' on 13th December. Nice one sweetie :-)
14th December was a big day for LGR and Hayzey - it was the kindy Christmas Party. The affair was quite mellow. Usually the kids put on a show for all of us but for some reason this wasn't done this year. They did get pressies from Santa and we got to take ownership of their development portfolios. It's a good thing the staff there aren't teaching the kids how to spell ...
The most important part of the evening was a little 'graduation' ceremony for the kids going to school next year. They got a certificate and a big clap from everyone. I had tiny little tears in my eyes. Later that night while looking through the portfolios I got some more tears in my eyes. I still have problems accepting that LGR is getting bigger ....
15th December was my Dad's birthday. So - happy birthday Dad. Hope you had a good one.
Clan Jones went up the mountains on the 15th for a bit of lunch and then an afternoon lounging around Grandma's place putting up Christmas decorations. Lunch was good - Uncle G is a chef (and a damned good one at that) so we visited his restaurant to sample the new menu. Very impressed. I would go so far as to say the total dining experience was far better value for money (and at least as tasty) than my lunch at a prestigious Sydney restaurant the previous day. At the prices Uncle G's place offers it is very good eating.
In the evening Nanna and Aunt LU/Lillee joined us for a bit of dinner. Mrs G got another birthday cake and more presents ....
We spent the night in Katoomba - something we haven't done for years. Sunday morning was very relaxed - casual breakfast and showers followed by a walk with the dog. Nice and easy. The Clan was back in Prestons by lunchtime and spent the early afternoon looking for Santa and Christmas gifts. We succeeded on both counts - and don't need to worry about shopping for Christmas any more!!!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Christmas Season Has Begun
Since the last update there has been a lot going on.
Mrs G and myself have both been to our respective work Christmas parties. Mrs G come out of hers in an entirely more respectable than I did out of my own. In my defense however I should state that my work Christmas went for a very big portion of the day and I had a lot more fun.
We've knocked off just about most of our Christmas shopping. It's a nice feeling. There are still a few folks who we need to pick up some things for but at least it's only one or two things and not 30 or 40 things. Unfortunately for me one of these people is Mrs G - and I suspect she hasn't bought anything for me either. Maybe we could go without gifts this year ....
There's been a couple of late nights put in of recent times. Sunday night saw us get home at about 22:00 after an afternoon and dinner with the families McK and Chef and then a walking tour of the neighbourhood to see Christmas lights. It doesn't sound late but when you add in the requirement to have the kids at kindy on Monday morning in time for the adults to get to work it gets late. I've been told that LGR had stern words with Mrs G about how late we were out and how tired he was on Monday morning.
Mrs G was out late on Monday and Tuesday - one for personal reasons and one for work reasons. This left me at home with two kids. I missed some phone calls and will get back to you all eventually. Maybe even tonight.
Mrs G and myself have both been to our respective work Christmas parties. Mrs G come out of hers in an entirely more respectable than I did out of my own. In my defense however I should state that my work Christmas went for a very big portion of the day and I had a lot more fun.
We've knocked off just about most of our Christmas shopping. It's a nice feeling. There are still a few folks who we need to pick up some things for but at least it's only one or two things and not 30 or 40 things. Unfortunately for me one of these people is Mrs G - and I suspect she hasn't bought anything for me either. Maybe we could go without gifts this year ....
There's been a couple of late nights put in of recent times. Sunday night saw us get home at about 22:00 after an afternoon and dinner with the families McK and Chef and then a walking tour of the neighbourhood to see Christmas lights. It doesn't sound late but when you add in the requirement to have the kids at kindy on Monday morning in time for the adults to get to work it gets late. I've been told that LGR had stern words with Mrs G about how late we were out and how tired he was on Monday morning.
Mrs G was out late on Monday and Tuesday - one for personal reasons and one for work reasons. This left me at home with two kids. I missed some phone calls and will get back to you all eventually. Maybe even tonight.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
It's Raining, It's Pouring ...
We got some rain last night. And we got a very large amount this morning between 04:00 and 05:00. 66mL apparently. It was very heavy. There was thunder and lightning. It was terrific.
I know all this because LGR woke up and was terrified. Too loud. Too bright. He has developed a fear of lightning and is currently asking a lot of questions about where you can be during a storm that is safe. He believes lightning can sneak through doors and windows but seems to have accepted that if you're inside then you will be pretty safe.
I was listening to a meteorologist talk late yesterday and he reckons we'll get 'a lot of rain' next Monday and Tuesday, that the East Coast is very firmly in a La Nina weather pattern and it should last until next March or April. I found out today that the Sydney water supply is currently about 60%. A nice improvement from the 38% it was about 6 months ago.
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Hayzey has been spending plenty of time in the pre-school room at kindy. So far this week she has been in there every day for most of the morning. She loves it and is very proud to be a 'big kid'. She has also become much more disciplined when it comes to toilet things - going in her pants is now the very rare exception. It's been quite a battle and I'm sure it's not quite won yet but we feel as though a massive hill has been crested and we're on the downhill run to home.
I know all this because LGR woke up and was terrified. Too loud. Too bright. He has developed a fear of lightning and is currently asking a lot of questions about where you can be during a storm that is safe. He believes lightning can sneak through doors and windows but seems to have accepted that if you're inside then you will be pretty safe.
I was listening to a meteorologist talk late yesterday and he reckons we'll get 'a lot of rain' next Monday and Tuesday, that the East Coast is very firmly in a La Nina weather pattern and it should last until next March or April. I found out today that the Sydney water supply is currently about 60%. A nice improvement from the 38% it was about 6 months ago.
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Hayzey has been spending plenty of time in the pre-school room at kindy. So far this week she has been in there every day for most of the morning. She loves it and is very proud to be a 'big kid'. She has also become much more disciplined when it comes to toilet things - going in her pants is now the very rare exception. It's been quite a battle and I'm sure it's not quite won yet but we feel as though a massive hill has been crested and we're on the downhill run to home.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Back in the World
It had to happen eventually. We are back at work. And the kidlets are back at school. A notorious rogue (or criminal - depends on your point of view) once said "Such is life" and so it is ....
The reintroduction hasn't been too bad for either of us. A lot of the holiday mellowness is still hanging around and the difference betweeen pre-holiday dinners and post-holidays is very obvious. The quality of food is better, and the nutrition of the food is better. Most importantly of all the conversation around the dinner table is much better. It makes us all smile :-)
It doesn't hurt that there's a bit of rain about either. It's very pleasing to open the back doors and hear the sounds of cool, fat raindrops plopping down onto the pergola. We've even been treated to the occasional flash of lightning and crack of thunder. Our garden is terrifically green and, when it rains, the air smells superb.
The kids have been tremendously sweet. And they do it very frequently. They have been quite loving and very honest with their assessments of 'things'. Hayzey frequently tells Mrs G how beautiful she is and LGR shows us in a myriad of ways how much he has grown, but how young he still is.
It's hard to explain in words - more the type of thing you need to see and live to understand. Those of you out there with kids (or can remember when the kids were young) will almost certainly understand.
The reintroduction hasn't been too bad for either of us. A lot of the holiday mellowness is still hanging around and the difference betweeen pre-holiday dinners and post-holidays is very obvious. The quality of food is better, and the nutrition of the food is better. Most importantly of all the conversation around the dinner table is much better. It makes us all smile :-)
It doesn't hurt that there's a bit of rain about either. It's very pleasing to open the back doors and hear the sounds of cool, fat raindrops plopping down onto the pergola. We've even been treated to the occasional flash of lightning and crack of thunder. Our garden is terrifically green and, when it rains, the air smells superb.
The kids have been tremendously sweet. And they do it very frequently. They have been quite loving and very honest with their assessments of 'things'. Hayzey frequently tells Mrs G how beautiful she is and LGR shows us in a myriad of ways how much he has grown, but how young he still is.
It's hard to explain in words - more the type of thing you need to see and live to understand. Those of you out there with kids (or can remember when the kids were young) will almost certainly understand.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Happy Birthday
Crazy Hayzey has turned 3 - and isn't she proud of herself. As she should be.
The big day was actually yesterday and we did manage to make quite a decent day of it. The festivities started virtually as soon as Hayz woke up - there was a pile of pressies on the dining table and with minimal encouragement she started ripping into them and with various proclamations of 'wow' and 'cool'. It was very sweet to see her open the cards and then proceed to 'read' them before placing them all in a very neat pile.
After pressies we had a very quick breakfast and then it was off to swimming lessons before coming home to build the new climbing/monkey bar thing and getting ready for a small birthday lunch with family (Nanna, Grandma, the Kuckeks, Aunt and Uncle U with baby Lillee and Aunt BJ). The lunch was a last minute sort of affair but in the end both Mrs G and myself were very glad it occurred - it gave us a chance to sit down and actually talk to people without all the noise that comes with a full scale party.
There were more pressies from the various attendees which were duly ripped open and proclaimed in various ways. There was noise as the kids played and questions and answers about what's been going on in the world. It was very nice and very much enjoyed.
After lunch we headed off to the 'proper' party at a play centre. It's the first time we've done one of these and, I have to confess, it is very easy. We shared the party with Hayzey's best (who shares the same name and was born less than 12 hours after our own princess) and it worked well - for everyone I think. All the kids certainly enjoyed it and, for whatever reason, the party ran over and we got an extra 30 minutes of playtime.
Once we left the playcentre a small group headed off to dinner at a local restaurant. We were (luckily) given a table outside. Two tables actually. Not that the kids needed one - none of them sat at it for more than 2 minutes and they spent most of the night running around in the piazza/plaza type area. The adults got to sit back and have a chat.
So, as a final message - happy birthday my sweet little angel.
The big day was actually yesterday and we did manage to make quite a decent day of it. The festivities started virtually as soon as Hayz woke up - there was a pile of pressies on the dining table and with minimal encouragement she started ripping into them and with various proclamations of 'wow' and 'cool'. It was very sweet to see her open the cards and then proceed to 'read' them before placing them all in a very neat pile.
After pressies we had a very quick breakfast and then it was off to swimming lessons before coming home to build the new climbing/monkey bar thing and getting ready for a small birthday lunch with family (Nanna, Grandma, the Kuckeks, Aunt and Uncle U with baby Lillee and Aunt BJ). The lunch was a last minute sort of affair but in the end both Mrs G and myself were very glad it occurred - it gave us a chance to sit down and actually talk to people without all the noise that comes with a full scale party.
There were more pressies from the various attendees which were duly ripped open and proclaimed in various ways. There was noise as the kids played and questions and answers about what's been going on in the world. It was very nice and very much enjoyed.
After lunch we headed off to the 'proper' party at a play centre. It's the first time we've done one of these and, I have to confess, it is very easy. We shared the party with Hayzey's best (who shares the same name and was born less than 12 hours after our own princess) and it worked well - for everyone I think. All the kids certainly enjoyed it and, for whatever reason, the party ran over and we got an extra 30 minutes of playtime.
Once we left the playcentre a small group headed off to dinner at a local restaurant. We were (luckily) given a table outside. Two tables actually. Not that the kids needed one - none of them sat at it for more than 2 minutes and they spent most of the night running around in the piazza/plaza type area. The adults got to sit back and have a chat.
So, as a final message - happy birthday my sweet little angel.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Catching Up
Getting back home from a trip is hard work - there's plenty to do.
Cribby was diligent in ensuring the house was clean when we got back - but we still needed to do quite a bit of washing of clothes, a massive grocery shop and unpack the perishable groceries we'd stored in large plastic containers and eskies. There was also the small issue of the yard - it was completely overgrown with grass up 2 feet tall and many, many weeds taking advantage of our absence.
Suffice to say it is all much more presentable now. The washing is done, we have food and the yard looks very lush. Our tomatoes and strawberries are fruiting and we only lost the coriander and one 12 month old tree while travelling.
Cribby was diligent in ensuring the house was clean when we got back - but we still needed to do quite a bit of washing of clothes, a massive grocery shop and unpack the perishable groceries we'd stored in large plastic containers and eskies. There was also the small issue of the yard - it was completely overgrown with grass up 2 feet tall and many, many weeds taking advantage of our absence.
Suffice to say it is all much more presentable now. The washing is done, we have food and the yard looks very lush. Our tomatoes and strawberries are fruiting and we only lost the coriander and one 12 month old tree while travelling.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Almost Ready
Today was a busy day. We did some packing and some cleaning and, in the case of LGR, some crying. He tells us, repeatedly, that he will miss his friends and I believe him.
There's not much left for us to do. We need to sleep and then get up in time to be ready for the airport transfer that arrives at 04:30. From then on we just wait and see what unfolds.
I'll try to post every couple of days - and will try to check emails. No promises though.
See you all soon.
:-)
There's not much left for us to do. We need to sleep and then get up in time to be ready for the airport transfer that arrives at 04:30. From then on we just wait and see what unfolds.
I'll try to post every couple of days - and will try to check emails. No promises though.
See you all soon.
:-)
Art - Hayzey presents ...
Pink Scribble
There's no real sense of what this might be. I like it just the same. I've cropped the image somewhat - in the real world it's on an A4 sheet of paper and takes up about 1/4 of the page. I guess Hayzey likes to use white space in her visual arts?
Paper Bag Art
This was a craft activity. Hayzey cut out the shapes (mostly) by herself, arranged them and then glued them. I like the nice sense of symmetry which begins at the top - and then gradually moves into a sense of generalised chaos as the work progresses. Much like a day with Hayzey really :-)
There's no real sense of what this might be. I like it just the same. I've cropped the image somewhat - in the real world it's on an A4 sheet of paper and takes up about 1/4 of the page. I guess Hayzey likes to use white space in her visual arts?
Paper Bag Art
This was a craft activity. Hayzey cut out the shapes (mostly) by herself, arranged them and then glued them. I like the nice sense of symmetry which begins at the top - and then gradually moves into a sense of generalised chaos as the work progresses. Much like a day with Hayzey really :-)
Art - LGR presents ...
Air Mattress
I'm not really sure how this one is an air mattress - but if the artist says it is then we had better believe it :-) When asked for an explanation LGR said "That's the middle and this side is the side and that side is the other. At the top is a pillow."
Maybe I can see it after all ...
New Swimming Lessons
A few weeks back LGR was moved from the 'little' pool to the 'big pool' at swimmng lessons. This is his artistic impression of the new pool. You can see the chairs surrounding the pool, folks sitting in the chairs and the pool itself. The tiny character in the bottom left corner is LGR getting ready to swim.
The Little Handsome Boy
There's very little commentary about this one. No word on who the boy is or what he's been up to.
He is, however, sitting down with his legs straight. I have been reliably informed it's hard to draw people sitting down with straight legs.
I'm not really sure how this one is an air mattress - but if the artist says it is then we had better believe it :-) When asked for an explanation LGR said "That's the middle and this side is the side and that side is the other. At the top is a pillow."
Maybe I can see it after all ...
New Swimming Lessons
A few weeks back LGR was moved from the 'little' pool to the 'big pool' at swimmng lessons. This is his artistic impression of the new pool. You can see the chairs surrounding the pool, folks sitting in the chairs and the pool itself. The tiny character in the bottom left corner is LGR getting ready to swim.
The Little Handsome Boy
There's very little commentary about this one. No word on who the boy is or what he's been up to.
He is, however, sitting down with his legs straight. I have been reliably informed it's hard to draw people sitting down with straight legs.
Friday, November 09, 2007
I Forget
I had all these terrific stories to tell about stuff that has been going on - but can't remember any of them right now. I know the kids have been equal parts brat and sweet but right now all that comes to mind is the brat components. It's been one of those days and some events have left me feeling quite .... horrible. I get to leave it all behind for three weeks but suspect that it will all be lurking in my mind. And waiting for me when I get back.
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Sweet things. I took the kids out for haircuts last night. It was quite cute. Hayzey was somewhat intimidated by the whole thing and whispered for about 25 minutes. When she could be encouraged to speak. LGR is an old hand at it. He asked for a 'Peter Parker' haircut and that's what he got. When we brush it forwards :-)
What else? When I dropped the kids off this morning Hayzey did this beautiful little thing she does - where she gently clasps my face and slowly brings her hands towards her face to give her a kiss. It's so sweet.
LGR gave me a massive hug. Also very sweet.
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Sweet things. I took the kids out for haircuts last night. It was quite cute. Hayzey was somewhat intimidated by the whole thing and whispered for about 25 minutes. When she could be encouraged to speak. LGR is an old hand at it. He asked for a 'Peter Parker' haircut and that's what he got. When we brush it forwards :-)
What else? When I dropped the kids off this morning Hayzey did this beautiful little thing she does - where she gently clasps my face and slowly brings her hands towards her face to give her a kiss. It's so sweet.
LGR gave me a massive hug. Also very sweet.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Furniture Removalist
I had a busy day today. I think we all did.
I did a bunch of stuff to prepare for our holidays - grabbed some foreign currency, cleaned out the garage (via getting rid of a lot of the furniture that was leftover from our recent purchase and then clearing out loads of cardboard boxes), learnt how to use the video camera .....
It's a good camera. I haven't been able to fully test it but in low light and overcast conditions it is noticeably better than the old camera. Easy to use (once you figure out the menus) and with a lot of options that may or may not be used. Money well spent I would say.
I also sat down with LGR and we had a bit of a look at Google Earth and some of the places we will be visiting. He's definitely getting excited about it now.
Mrs G wasn't home. Out for lunch and dinner with work. Turns out she won $60 on the horses and got a couple of pretty good feeds. Yay!!
I did a bunch of stuff to prepare for our holidays - grabbed some foreign currency, cleaned out the garage (via getting rid of a lot of the furniture that was leftover from our recent purchase and then clearing out loads of cardboard boxes), learnt how to use the video camera .....
It's a good camera. I haven't been able to fully test it but in low light and overcast conditions it is noticeably better than the old camera. Easy to use (once you figure out the menus) and with a lot of options that may or may not be used. Money well spent I would say.
I also sat down with LGR and we had a bit of a look at Google Earth and some of the places we will be visiting. He's definitely getting excited about it now.
Mrs G wasn't home. Out for lunch and dinner with work. Turns out she won $60 on the horses and got a couple of pretty good feeds. Yay!!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
"It's Good"
LGR got out of bed this morning and told Mrs G and myself "It's good to be me." I'm very glad he feels it's good to be him too.
We started packing for our little trip last night. What looks like a tiny pile of clothes on the bed/lounge/wherever starts to look much bigger when you put them in the suitcase. The worst part is the suitcases are quite big. I suspect that I, at least, will have to leave some of my chosen clothing behind ...
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It's been raining quite a bit of late. I believe my part of the world has already had above the average volume for November in just 5 days .... My tomatoes are coming along beautifully and beginning to bear fruit. They'll probably start to ripen in about 2-3 weeks. The strawberries are quite lush little bushes but no signficant fruit yet. The 2 bits we have had have been magnificent. The capsicums look like they are just starting to bud and the herbs are quite good - with the exception of the coriander which is starting to seed. This always happens and I'm not sure why. Maybe I'm planting it in the wrong season ....
We started packing for our little trip last night. What looks like a tiny pile of clothes on the bed/lounge/wherever starts to look much bigger when you put them in the suitcase. The worst part is the suitcases are quite big. I suspect that I, at least, will have to leave some of my chosen clothing behind ...
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It's been raining quite a bit of late. I believe my part of the world has already had above the average volume for November in just 5 days .... My tomatoes are coming along beautifully and beginning to bear fruit. They'll probably start to ripen in about 2-3 weeks. The strawberries are quite lush little bushes but no signficant fruit yet. The 2 bits we have had have been magnificent. The capsicums look like they are just starting to bud and the herbs are quite good - with the exception of the coriander which is starting to seed. This always happens and I'm not sure why. Maybe I'm planting it in the wrong season ....
Monday, November 05, 2007
In Review
It turns out more people read this than I thought .... So I'll start updating again.
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Just under two weeks ago Mrs G and I took a few days off work to get some things done. What sort of things I hear you asking? Well .... we took LGR to his new school (he begins school next year) for an induction session. This was terrifically exciting and he loved it. We also visited a new kindy for Hayzey which we were very impressed with. Ironically Hayz is the only person in the family who hasn't seen it yet ... We also visited the after-school care centre LGR will be going to and he seemed moderately impressed. I'm hoping this will grow on him but if it doesn't then we'll come up with something else.
That was all nice and important but the real reason for the days off was my mystery birthday trip. We ended going down to Wollongong to see Powderfinger and Silverchair play. It was a good night and we ended eyeballing several members of Powderfinger - they were staying in the same place as us :-)
Musically it would be fair to say Powderfinger had it all over Silverchair. After some conversations it seems the chair had a very poor night and the sound quality was fairly poor.
It was a good night. A late night. Fun.
---
What else? There's been a couple of family gatherings of late. About 10 days ago Grandpa and Aunt J were in town. Time was tight for all but we managed to catch up Seesa and Alice's place in the afternoon. Then the weekend just passed was a little birthday gathering for Seesa. This time we got to catch up with Nanna and the Cousins C. The kiddies enjoyed this. The highlight of the day was watching Hayz stroke Lillee's hair while Lillee was having a feed.
---
Yesterday we went to the beach. It stopped raining for long enough for ourselves and the family Chef to pack up a couple of cars and head on down to the 'Gong. We've 'discovered' a lovely park which runs straight on to a fairly gentle beach. The sun was out, the water freezing and the kids loved it. After the beach we played in the park for a bit (gotta love playing soccer in bare feet) and then moved on to the local RSL for a spot of dinner. Must have a good time at dinner because we were there for 2.5 hours :-)
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Final thing for today? I guess so. We got a whole bunch of new loungeroom furniture a few weeks back. It looks fantastic and makes the room so much more friendly. Only problem is we now have a garage full of old furniture and cardboard boxes. This will all disappear quite quickly.
----
Just under two weeks ago Mrs G and I took a few days off work to get some things done. What sort of things I hear you asking? Well .... we took LGR to his new school (he begins school next year) for an induction session. This was terrifically exciting and he loved it. We also visited a new kindy for Hayzey which we were very impressed with. Ironically Hayz is the only person in the family who hasn't seen it yet ... We also visited the after-school care centre LGR will be going to and he seemed moderately impressed. I'm hoping this will grow on him but if it doesn't then we'll come up with something else.
That was all nice and important but the real reason for the days off was my mystery birthday trip. We ended going down to Wollongong to see Powderfinger and Silverchair play. It was a good night and we ended eyeballing several members of Powderfinger - they were staying in the same place as us :-)
Musically it would be fair to say Powderfinger had it all over Silverchair. After some conversations it seems the chair had a very poor night and the sound quality was fairly poor.
It was a good night. A late night. Fun.
---
What else? There's been a couple of family gatherings of late. About 10 days ago Grandpa and Aunt J were in town. Time was tight for all but we managed to catch up Seesa and Alice's place in the afternoon. Then the weekend just passed was a little birthday gathering for Seesa. This time we got to catch up with Nanna and the Cousins C. The kiddies enjoyed this. The highlight of the day was watching Hayz stroke Lillee's hair while Lillee was having a feed.
---
Yesterday we went to the beach. It stopped raining for long enough for ourselves and the family Chef to pack up a couple of cars and head on down to the 'Gong. We've 'discovered' a lovely park which runs straight on to a fairly gentle beach. The sun was out, the water freezing and the kids loved it. After the beach we played in the park for a bit (gotta love playing soccer in bare feet) and then moved on to the local RSL for a spot of dinner. Must have a good time at dinner because we were there for 2.5 hours :-)
---
Final thing for today? I guess so. We got a whole bunch of new loungeroom furniture a few weeks back. It looks fantastic and makes the room so much more friendly. Only problem is we now have a garage full of old furniture and cardboard boxes. This will all disappear quite quickly.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
A Record?
It's been almost a month since I last posted. That's got to be a record.
What's been going on?
Heaps ....
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Over the long weekend we went camping with a few other families down at a little place call Green Patch - just near Jervis Bay. Ironic name - there's no grass there. What they do have is wildlife everywhere including kangaroos and bilbies that will virtually eat of your hand and will definitely invade open tents to steal food (this didn't happen to us but I was talking to some folk who it did happen to ...).
We were gone for 4 days in total. It was an absolute blast. The beach was picture perfect but incredibly windy (the whole state was windy as it turns out) and the water was freezing. Didn't stop any of the kids though.
What else?
Birthdays of course. I got a bit older and so did LGR. He turned 5!! My baby boy is getting bigger and smarter and sweeter. I can't tell you how proud Mrs G and myself feel. In a blessed life LGR (and Hayz) are truly marvels that we still struggle to comprehend.
Enough guff. We had a party. As always. Through some mates we procured a huge superhero jumping castle which formed the entertainment basis of the superhero/dressup party. A lot of folks did dress up. Mrs G was the Karate Kid, I was some dodgy looking hippy type thing, Hayzey was a ballerina and LGR was Leo from TMNT.
Who else turned up? Top Cat, He-Man and She-Ra, an assortment of Batman, Spiderman and TMNT characters, a bumblebee, Batgirl, a fairy, Reg Regan, the cowgirl from Toy Story and some Mickey Mouse ears!!! It was fun. I should also pause to publicly thank those who helped us with the massive cleanup during and after the day. 50 odd people make a lot of mess and the help was truly appreciated.
The picture below will tell you all about my age.
The kids were very proud of this one. As they should be.
---
What else? It's kind of hard to ignore the birth of Lillee. Aunt LJ and UA (I'm going to have to give Aunt LJ a new nickname soon ...) had a beautiful little girl on 11th October. The same day as LGR!!
We paid them a little visit (after some discussion about the merits of letting them have some space - which we know from experience is appreciated after having a baby) and she is the most beautiful fresh bub I have ever seen - including my own angels. Maybe it's time lending me a sense of perspective on these things but I'll check the pictures later to find out ... Regardless she is a beautiful little girl and is already quite clearly being doted on. As all babies should be!!!
So congrats to all involved - Aunt LJ and UA and, of course, Lillee.
What's been going on?
Heaps ....
---
Over the long weekend we went camping with a few other families down at a little place call Green Patch - just near Jervis Bay. Ironic name - there's no grass there. What they do have is wildlife everywhere including kangaroos and bilbies that will virtually eat of your hand and will definitely invade open tents to steal food (this didn't happen to us but I was talking to some folk who it did happen to ...).
We were gone for 4 days in total. It was an absolute blast. The beach was picture perfect but incredibly windy (the whole state was windy as it turns out) and the water was freezing. Didn't stop any of the kids though.
What else?
Birthdays of course. I got a bit older and so did LGR. He turned 5!! My baby boy is getting bigger and smarter and sweeter. I can't tell you how proud Mrs G and myself feel. In a blessed life LGR (and Hayz) are truly marvels that we still struggle to comprehend.
Enough guff. We had a party. As always. Through some mates we procured a huge superhero jumping castle which formed the entertainment basis of the superhero/dressup party. A lot of folks did dress up. Mrs G was the Karate Kid, I was some dodgy looking hippy type thing, Hayzey was a ballerina and LGR was Leo from TMNT.
Who else turned up? Top Cat, He-Man and She-Ra, an assortment of Batman, Spiderman and TMNT characters, a bumblebee, Batgirl, a fairy, Reg Regan, the cowgirl from Toy Story and some Mickey Mouse ears!!! It was fun. I should also pause to publicly thank those who helped us with the massive cleanup during and after the day. 50 odd people make a lot of mess and the help was truly appreciated.
The picture below will tell you all about my age.
The kids were very proud of this one. As they should be.
---
What else? It's kind of hard to ignore the birth of Lillee. Aunt LJ and UA (I'm going to have to give Aunt LJ a new nickname soon ...) had a beautiful little girl on 11th October. The same day as LGR!!
We paid them a little visit (after some discussion about the merits of letting them have some space - which we know from experience is appreciated after having a baby) and she is the most beautiful fresh bub I have ever seen - including my own angels. Maybe it's time lending me a sense of perspective on these things but I'll check the pictures later to find out ... Regardless she is a beautiful little girl and is already quite clearly being doted on. As all babies should be!!!
So congrats to all involved - Aunt LJ and UA and, of course, Lillee.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
More Talking
We went out tonight. Picked up some party supplies for LGR's pending event, some random clothing items (my new t-shirt tells all and sundry 'Global warming is not cool' - I found this very funny ...) and some new 40L pots to put a recently gifted rainbow frangipani and maybe some capsicum, tomato and/or chilli plants in. We even had some very tasty, but quite disgraceful, fish and chips.
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For the last day or two Hayzey has been walking around the house telling us all she is "funny and beautiful". Sometimes this is emphasised by a good hair shake or a barely concealed giggle. The best is that she is funny and beautiful :-)
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LGR solemnly informed me about his likes and dislikes tonight. He definitely likes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and mostly likes Superman and Batman and Spiderman. Dinosaurs are cool, music (and guitars in particular) are way cool and monster truck movies have somehow made it onto the list. I'm not sure that he even knows what a monster truck does ....
On the downside it appears that The Wiggles and Bob the Builder are no longer on the list - "I'm too old for them now Dad".
--
For the last day or two Hayzey has been walking around the house telling us all she is "funny and beautiful". Sometimes this is emphasised by a good hair shake or a barely concealed giggle. The best is that she is funny and beautiful :-)
--
LGR solemnly informed me about his likes and dislikes tonight. He definitely likes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and mostly likes Superman and Batman and Spiderman. Dinosaurs are cool, music (and guitars in particular) are way cool and monster truck movies have somehow made it onto the list. I'm not sure that he even knows what a monster truck does ....
On the downside it appears that The Wiggles and Bob the Builder are no longer on the list - "I'm too old for them now Dad".
Politically Aware
I think everyone out there is aware that Mrs G and I have a very strong belief that LGR is quite intelligent. Last night we had a conversation that amazed us. We were all watching the TV and a newsflash came on about John Howard and his statements that, if re-elected, he would most likely retire as PM during the next term.
LGR asked us what this meant and we told him it meant there would be a new Prime Minister.
The following is paraphrased but very much in line with the flow of the conversation.
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LGR: If John Howard finished will the new Prime Minister be Peter Garrett?
Gazzarus: Probably not. He's on a different side to John Howard.
LGR: Is he on the right side or the left side? It's the right isn't it?
Gazzarus: No - Peter Garrett is on the left.
LGR: Is he the boss?
Gazzarus: No. His boss is called Kevin.
LGR: Kevin Rodd?
Gazzarus: That's right. How did you know that?
LGR: It's easy. His name is just like my fishing rod!!!
----
Maybe it was a contextual conversation - maybe not. Either way we were amazed.
LGR asked us what this meant and we told him it meant there would be a new Prime Minister.
The following is paraphrased but very much in line with the flow of the conversation.
---
LGR: If John Howard finished will the new Prime Minister be Peter Garrett?
Gazzarus: Probably not. He's on a different side to John Howard.
LGR: Is he on the right side or the left side? It's the right isn't it?
Gazzarus: No - Peter Garrett is on the left.
LGR: Is he the boss?
Gazzarus: No. His boss is called Kevin.
LGR: Kevin Rodd?
Gazzarus: That's right. How did you know that?
LGR: It's easy. His name is just like my fishing rod!!!
----
Maybe it was a contextual conversation - maybe not. Either way we were amazed.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
A Very Big Week
The last week has been very busy; but also with some nice quiet moments thrown in.
Rewinding .......
Mrs G flew down to Canberra last Wednesday for a bit of work - meaning I had the pleasure of looking after the kids. It gets easier every time - both are champs when it comes to bedtime and in many ways they more or less look after themselves. I ended up giving LGR a camera and he very proudly took a plethora of photoes for us to use.
Thursday was a short day at work - because I had to drop off and pick up the kids from Kindy. It's a bit inconvenient but a short day is usually a good day. The evening was tinged with sadness. LGR's new camera was smashed - by Hayzey in a fit of 2 year old rage. LGR cried for almost 20 minutes and kept telling me about how much he wanted to be a 'retrographet' when he got bigger. It was very sad and I felt terrible for him.
Once all this was down we packed the car and headed down the Hume to Canberra - to meet Mum and visit Grandpa. As expected there was a lot of traffic on the freeway - APEC had certainly caused folks to leave town en masse. The trip itself was quite good - apart from the traffic and the handful of morons who were driving very erratically.
Friday was mostly cruisy. We rocked into Grandpa's cafe for brekky and then took the scenic route to a discount factory outlet to get some clothes for the kids. It was right next to Canberra airport and LGR liked watching the planes. The afternoon was nothing much - mainly hanging around Grandpa's house. Mrs G and I did manage a run (in the rain) which was quite a novelty for us.
At about 17:00 Aunt LJ and UA arrived and by about 18:00 we were out for dinner. Unfortunately LGR got quite crook and the evening was somewhat circumvented ....
Saturday ... A very late breakfast at Grandpa's cafe and then off to Questacon. Every man and his dog was there - and then a few more as well. I'm not sure if the kids enjoyed it or not. They certainly got very tired towards the end and I got on several wrong roads on the way back to Grandpa's.
The afternoon consisted of LGR, myself and UA going out to hit some golf balls. This was a lot of fun. For me it was great to hit again and for LGR it was a buzz to get the balls off the tee. I think UA just enjoyed hitting something really hard ....
Dinner was roast. Lamb and chicken. Quite good. My only complaint is that I didn't get myself enough food. No-one to blame except myself for that one .... The day was topped by a rousing victory by the mightly Eagles in the first round of the semi-finals.
Sunday .... Everyone seems to be a little tired. We all travelled a very short distance to visit the Dinosaur Museum. Both kids enjoyed this one. A lot. It was much better than I anticipated too. They got certificates (which we've lost) and some pressies. Next was a quick stop at the markets and then back to Sydney via lunch somewhere along the way.
During lunch I asked LGR what his favourite part of the trip was. The answer? Playing with Cherid the dog!!! I almost fell off my chair ... Apparently we are getting a dog soon.
The week since getting back has been quite busy. The kids have done a million sweet things. Hayzey has gone 5 consecutive days since messing her pants at Kindy (this will surprise those who saw her on Friday afternoon ...) and LGR has claimed to discover the concept of a sleepin. He hasn't practiced it however.
Rewinding .......
Mrs G flew down to Canberra last Wednesday for a bit of work - meaning I had the pleasure of looking after the kids. It gets easier every time - both are champs when it comes to bedtime and in many ways they more or less look after themselves. I ended up giving LGR a camera and he very proudly took a plethora of photoes for us to use.
Thursday was a short day at work - because I had to drop off and pick up the kids from Kindy. It's a bit inconvenient but a short day is usually a good day. The evening was tinged with sadness. LGR's new camera was smashed - by Hayzey in a fit of 2 year old rage. LGR cried for almost 20 minutes and kept telling me about how much he wanted to be a 'retrographet' when he got bigger. It was very sad and I felt terrible for him.
Once all this was down we packed the car and headed down the Hume to Canberra - to meet Mum and visit Grandpa. As expected there was a lot of traffic on the freeway - APEC had certainly caused folks to leave town en masse. The trip itself was quite good - apart from the traffic and the handful of morons who were driving very erratically.
Friday was mostly cruisy. We rocked into Grandpa's cafe for brekky and then took the scenic route to a discount factory outlet to get some clothes for the kids. It was right next to Canberra airport and LGR liked watching the planes. The afternoon was nothing much - mainly hanging around Grandpa's house. Mrs G and I did manage a run (in the rain) which was quite a novelty for us.
At about 17:00 Aunt LJ and UA arrived and by about 18:00 we were out for dinner. Unfortunately LGR got quite crook and the evening was somewhat circumvented ....
Saturday ... A very late breakfast at Grandpa's cafe and then off to Questacon. Every man and his dog was there - and then a few more as well. I'm not sure if the kids enjoyed it or not. They certainly got very tired towards the end and I got on several wrong roads on the way back to Grandpa's.
The afternoon consisted of LGR, myself and UA going out to hit some golf balls. This was a lot of fun. For me it was great to hit again and for LGR it was a buzz to get the balls off the tee. I think UA just enjoyed hitting something really hard ....
Dinner was roast. Lamb and chicken. Quite good. My only complaint is that I didn't get myself enough food. No-one to blame except myself for that one .... The day was topped by a rousing victory by the mightly Eagles in the first round of the semi-finals.
Sunday .... Everyone seems to be a little tired. We all travelled a very short distance to visit the Dinosaur Museum. Both kids enjoyed this one. A lot. It was much better than I anticipated too. They got certificates (which we've lost) and some pressies. Next was a quick stop at the markets and then back to Sydney via lunch somewhere along the way.
During lunch I asked LGR what his favourite part of the trip was. The answer? Playing with Cherid the dog!!! I almost fell off my chair ... Apparently we are getting a dog soon.
The week since getting back has been quite busy. The kids have done a million sweet things. Hayzey has gone 5 consecutive days since messing her pants at Kindy (this will surprise those who saw her on Friday afternoon ...) and LGR has claimed to discover the concept of a sleepin. He hasn't practiced it however.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Motorbikes
LGR's Story:
Once upon a time we went to see some motorbikes with my friends CMcK and KC. We went with some grownups - clan McK and the chefs. And Mum and Dad. It was so dirty that I think I might have got sick. They jumped up and did cool cool tricks and they did some without hands, they did some with hands, they landed on a truck and they motored down.
It was so cool. It was loud. I just wanted to stay. After the show we went onto the track and got stuff, their names, written on our arms and our t-shirts and our hats. We got to go on the bike but it wasn't moving but when my friend KC went on one of them started their engine!
I went with lots of people.
The end.
Once upon a time we went to see some motorbikes with my friends CMcK and KC. We went with some grownups - clan McK and the chefs. And Mum and Dad. It was so dirty that I think I might have got sick. They jumped up and did cool cool tricks and they did some without hands, they did some with hands, they landed on a truck and they motored down.
It was so cool. It was loud. I just wanted to stay. After the show we went onto the track and got stuff, their names, written on our arms and our t-shirts and our hats. We got to go on the bike but it wasn't moving but when my friend KC went on one of them started their engine!
I went with lots of people.
The end.
Spring
I love Spring - it is without a doubt the finest of all the seasons. I love the colours and the freshness and the sense of optimism that it brings. Summer is too hot, winter is occasionally a bit dreary and autumn is pretty in its own way but there's a sense of melancholy and winding down. For me spring is where it's at.
I was just outside watering my developing tomato bushes. I'm pretty sure I got the timing right on these ones - they're about 12-15 inches tall and full of beautiful smells and bright green foliage. The smell of them gives an impression of childhood memories. I don't know if this is accurate or not but something about them makes me think of being 6 years old and living in Leeton ....
We had a pretty good weekend. It was busy, as always, but good busy. Saturday was a trip down to The Gong for a birthday party by the sea and then a spot to eat with a group who also attended. The kids had a ball and ran themselves ragged - so much so that dinner had to be short circuited because they all got very tired and very 'mischievous'. Nice day though and it got me thinking that maybe we should consider moving .... Again :-)
Sunday was Father's Day. We were given a nice breakfast of pancakes and French toast and then it was off to lunch at a local pub with some friends. The beer garden was great - we got a table underneath a big old tree and right next to it was a very free form style of sandpit which all the kids loved. The food was pretty good - I'll definitely be back because it had a bit of something for everyone.
After lunch it was off to see the freestyle motocross bikes. It was hot and dusty and we got into strife for taking beers in with us (only after we'd drunk the vast majority of them) but the kids loved it - and because they loved it we all loved it. LGR thought it was a great trick to hang over the fence and high five the riders. Hayzey though it was great to wander around aimlessly.
In the end it went for about 3 hours and I got nicely burnt. It was a very nice pleasure to arrive home, have a very thorough shower and slip into some very clean and soft pyjamas.
---
Hayzey slipped without a rail on her bed for the first time last night. She didn't fall off. LGR was very proud of her this morning - I didn't see it but apparently he kept hugging her and saying "I'm so proud of you Hayley."
He also mentioned how sad it was that Hayley was growing up :-)
I was just outside watering my developing tomato bushes. I'm pretty sure I got the timing right on these ones - they're about 12-15 inches tall and full of beautiful smells and bright green foliage. The smell of them gives an impression of childhood memories. I don't know if this is accurate or not but something about them makes me think of being 6 years old and living in Leeton ....
We had a pretty good weekend. It was busy, as always, but good busy. Saturday was a trip down to The Gong for a birthday party by the sea and then a spot to eat with a group who also attended. The kids had a ball and ran themselves ragged - so much so that dinner had to be short circuited because they all got very tired and very 'mischievous'. Nice day though and it got me thinking that maybe we should consider moving .... Again :-)
Sunday was Father's Day. We were given a nice breakfast of pancakes and French toast and then it was off to lunch at a local pub with some friends. The beer garden was great - we got a table underneath a big old tree and right next to it was a very free form style of sandpit which all the kids loved. The food was pretty good - I'll definitely be back because it had a bit of something for everyone.
After lunch it was off to see the freestyle motocross bikes. It was hot and dusty and we got into strife for taking beers in with us (only after we'd drunk the vast majority of them) but the kids loved it - and because they loved it we all loved it. LGR thought it was a great trick to hang over the fence and high five the riders. Hayzey though it was great to wander around aimlessly.
In the end it went for about 3 hours and I got nicely burnt. It was a very nice pleasure to arrive home, have a very thorough shower and slip into some very clean and soft pyjamas.
---
Hayzey slipped without a rail on her bed for the first time last night. She didn't fall off. LGR was very proud of her this morning - I didn't see it but apparently he kept hugging her and saying "I'm so proud of you Hayley."
He also mentioned how sad it was that Hayley was growing up :-)
Friday, August 31, 2007
Behaviour
Hayzey:
We were sitting down eating dinner and Hayzey started having a conversation. With herself. I can't recall what it was about and it doesn't really matter. She was babbling away to herself and every now and then would blurt out "Right Mummy?" or "OK Daddy?" or something similar. She didn't care that we had no idea what she was talking about or that we weren't particularly listening. All that matters was that she wanted to talk and that was what she did.
I remember another child of my'n who used to conduct in similarly amusing conversations.
---
LGR:
The poor duffer was exhausted last night and needed to sleep but wouldn't admit it. We took him up to bed and encouraged him to go to sleep. I was told not until a drink was delivered. I replied that I would probably take longer to get the drink then it would take for him to go to sleep but would get one just to be nice. About 10 minutes later I decided to go to bed and though I should check on LGR.
He was stil awake - flat on his back and staring at the ceiling. I pretended I had left his drink downstairs, made one up and bought it up. He said thanks, asked what it was and when I told him it was water he said thank you again then put it (undrunk) on his bedside table and asked me to turn off his light so he could go to sleep!!
We were sitting down eating dinner and Hayzey started having a conversation. With herself. I can't recall what it was about and it doesn't really matter. She was babbling away to herself and every now and then would blurt out "Right Mummy?" or "OK Daddy?" or something similar. She didn't care that we had no idea what she was talking about or that we weren't particularly listening. All that matters was that she wanted to talk and that was what she did.
I remember another child of my'n who used to conduct in similarly amusing conversations.
---
LGR:
The poor duffer was exhausted last night and needed to sleep but wouldn't admit it. We took him up to bed and encouraged him to go to sleep. I was told not until a drink was delivered. I replied that I would probably take longer to get the drink then it would take for him to go to sleep but would get one just to be nice. About 10 minutes later I decided to go to bed and though I should check on LGR.
He was stil awake - flat on his back and staring at the ceiling. I pretended I had left his drink downstairs, made one up and bought it up. He said thanks, asked what it was and when I told him it was water he said thank you again then put it (undrunk) on his bedside table and asked me to turn off his light so he could go to sleep!!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Early Start
I had to get up at 01:00 to start work at 02:00 this morning. I'm going home soon :-) I'll need to get some sleep today - the work I was doing didn't pan out as expected and we (there's a group of us covering 4 different sites and 3 companies) need to have another crack at it tomorrow. Bugger.
I'll put up some more pictures later today.
I'll put up some more pictures later today.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Smiling LGR
We went to a 5th birthday party on the weekend which ended up covering two days and approximately 15 hours .... LGR had a ball. So did Hayzey. They got to hang out with their mates for a very long play, dress up, eat cake, have a BBQ, jump on a superhero jumping castle and completely and entirely wear themselves out.
Mr and Mrs Gazzarus had a good time too.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Snow Day?
We got busy again today - this time going up the mountains to Katoomba for what had been advertised (in some very professional brochures) as 'Snow Day'.
I have never felt more ripped off in my whole life - and everything at 'Snow Day' was free. It turns out that 'Snow Day' actually meant a couple of chunks of ice in front of an inflatable snowman, 4 small fans blowing 'snow flakes' and a game that involved throwing a ball through a hole in some plywood.
Geez. Not good.
The rest of the day was ok however. We cut our losses pretty quickly and went driving out to Blackheath and out to a place called Anvil Rock. It was magnificent. I lived in the mountains for approx 12 years and never knew this place existed. More people should know about it - but maybe it's better they don't. The vista was amazing - vertical orange and sandstone cliffs topped by rolling mountains and intermittent views to the horizon. Fantastic. While there we also visited a spot called the wind eroded caves which are also quite amazing. The 4 of us went for a bit of a clamber on the 'cave' and there should be some reasonable pics out of the adventure.
Best of all LGR has decided that driving on rough dirt roads, walking through the bush, looking at views and climbing rocks is all pretty ok. We now called it 'adventuring'.
I have never felt more ripped off in my whole life - and everything at 'Snow Day' was free. It turns out that 'Snow Day' actually meant a couple of chunks of ice in front of an inflatable snowman, 4 small fans blowing 'snow flakes' and a game that involved throwing a ball through a hole in some plywood.
Geez. Not good.
The rest of the day was ok however. We cut our losses pretty quickly and went driving out to Blackheath and out to a place called Anvil Rock. It was magnificent. I lived in the mountains for approx 12 years and never knew this place existed. More people should know about it - but maybe it's better they don't. The vista was amazing - vertical orange and sandstone cliffs topped by rolling mountains and intermittent views to the horizon. Fantastic. While there we also visited a spot called the wind eroded caves which are also quite amazing. The 4 of us went for a bit of a clamber on the 'cave' and there should be some reasonable pics out of the adventure.
Best of all LGR has decided that driving on rough dirt roads, walking through the bush, looking at views and climbing rocks is all pretty ok. We now called it 'adventuring'.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Delayed
I've missed a few days - sorry. Been busy.
Going back to the weekend ..... We had a good one. The kidlets were back to swimming lessons on Saturday morning. The kids are in their own class now - just the two of them. The both loved it and neither of them have suffered too much from the break.
The afternoon was spent at the Chef's place - mainly so the kids could all ride their bikes around the park. It was a beautifully sunny day but quite a chilly breeze. Nobody was overly upset when the kids decided they would rather play inside.
Afternoon tea turned into dinner so our night out at a local pizza restaurant was missed. No biggy - it was cheaper this way and the kids probably had more fun.
Sunday was a similarly mellow day. We did the groceries in the morning (incredibly expensive this week - but we did stay buying stuff for LGR's pending 5th birthday ...) and had a visit from Aunt BJ in the afternoon. What happened during the visit? Not a lot really. Aunt BJ and I went out with LGR while he rode his bike (I was surprised by how much stronger he has gotten in the space of a few short weeks), and then some time was spent on the back deck enjoying the sun. Very mellow; quite nice.
The work week has been a mish mash. I've personally gone from having nothing to do to (seemingly) every person int he company suddenly converging on me telling me their issue is the most important thing in the world. Mrs G missed most of Monday because poor little Hayzey was throwing up everywhere. She's got yet another ear infection and also had some sort of tummy bug ... She seems to be getting much better now.
Our air-con is still broken. The manufacturer is coming out next Tuesday to take it away and completely rebuild it. On a positive note we are certainly saving on electricy costs (and being a bit 'greener' I would imagine) bu I guess it goes without saying that it's missed quite a bit - particularly on those mornings when you get up and there's a frost outside and the radio says it is 0 degrees. I'd prefer it happened now than in summer however ....
What else? I've booked most of our accommodation for our trip to NZ later this year. All of my enquiries have been via email and it's amazing to see the range of responses. Some businesses just don't respond at all - which to my way of thinking is as rude (and stupid) as not returning a phone call. Why would a business advertise a contact method and then not reply to information requests via that medium? I dunno .... There are some who reply but are very short in their reply (I got one that simply said 'Can't help you') then there are others who are prompt and very helpful - even if they don't have vacancies.
Suffice to say I've gone with the businesses who are more friendly.
I owe some people some phone calls. I'll try to call tonight but can't make a promise ...
Going back to the weekend ..... We had a good one. The kidlets were back to swimming lessons on Saturday morning. The kids are in their own class now - just the two of them. The both loved it and neither of them have suffered too much from the break.
The afternoon was spent at the Chef's place - mainly so the kids could all ride their bikes around the park. It was a beautifully sunny day but quite a chilly breeze. Nobody was overly upset when the kids decided they would rather play inside.
Afternoon tea turned into dinner so our night out at a local pizza restaurant was missed. No biggy - it was cheaper this way and the kids probably had more fun.
Sunday was a similarly mellow day. We did the groceries in the morning (incredibly expensive this week - but we did stay buying stuff for LGR's pending 5th birthday ...) and had a visit from Aunt BJ in the afternoon. What happened during the visit? Not a lot really. Aunt BJ and I went out with LGR while he rode his bike (I was surprised by how much stronger he has gotten in the space of a few short weeks), and then some time was spent on the back deck enjoying the sun. Very mellow; quite nice.
The work week has been a mish mash. I've personally gone from having nothing to do to (seemingly) every person int he company suddenly converging on me telling me their issue is the most important thing in the world. Mrs G missed most of Monday because poor little Hayzey was throwing up everywhere. She's got yet another ear infection and also had some sort of tummy bug ... She seems to be getting much better now.
Our air-con is still broken. The manufacturer is coming out next Tuesday to take it away and completely rebuild it. On a positive note we are certainly saving on electricy costs (and being a bit 'greener' I would imagine) bu I guess it goes without saying that it's missed quite a bit - particularly on those mornings when you get up and there's a frost outside and the radio says it is 0 degrees. I'd prefer it happened now than in summer however ....
What else? I've booked most of our accommodation for our trip to NZ later this year. All of my enquiries have been via email and it's amazing to see the range of responses. Some businesses just don't respond at all - which to my way of thinking is as rude (and stupid) as not returning a phone call. Why would a business advertise a contact method and then not reply to information requests via that medium? I dunno .... There are some who reply but are very short in their reply (I got one that simply said 'Can't help you') then there are others who are prompt and very helpful - even if they don't have vacancies.
Suffice to say I've gone with the businesses who are more friendly.
I owe some people some phone calls. I'll try to call tonight but can't make a promise ...
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Proud as Punch
This is LGR's first medal. He went up on to the stage in the auditorium to receive it. He has since told me he was very nervous about going on the stage in front of all the people, and he thought he might have to 'somersault all around the stage'.
All parents involved were proud as punch.
I chose this picture because it also shows some of LGR's mates. They were all thrilled to do this together.
All parents involved were proud as punch.
I chose this picture because it also shows some of LGR's mates. They were all thrilled to do this together.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Dad and Truck
This is a picture LGR drew a while back. He's moved on quite a bit from this type of picture now - they tend to be much more detailed and a lot neater. This one is Dad and Truck - apparently it's me. I don't have a truck. I suspect it's our recently acquired SUV ...
There's not much art comes home from kindy these days - for either of the kidlets. I think they are far more interested in socialising and performing.
There's not much art comes home from kindy these days - for either of the kidlets. I think they are far more interested in socialising and performing.
Sweet and Sad
Hayzey is very sweet. While I was cooking dinner tonight she was playing with her stove set. She was crouched over and fussing around quietly; then suddenly stood up and walked over to the kitchen bench. In her hands was a little toy saucepan with some toy veges in it. She reached up to give it to me while saying "For you to cook. Don't burn yourself."
Fantastic :-)
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Some sad news. One of the fist at kindy died this week. The kids had a little funeral for it. They made a small cross out of paddle pop sticks and buried Mr Fish (apparently the fish was a male) in the garden. LGR tells us the fish died because nobody in his class fed it in the morning. He was very solemn when relaying the story to us and concluded with "Sometimes sad things happen."
Fantastic :-)
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Some sad news. One of the fist at kindy died this week. The kids had a little funeral for it. They made a small cross out of paddle pop sticks and buried Mr Fish (apparently the fish was a male) in the garden. LGR tells us the fish died because nobody in his class fed it in the morning. He was very solemn when relaying the story to us and concluded with "Sometimes sad things happen."
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Sleep Walk
I'm not 100% certain but I think LGR had his first sleepwalk last night. At about 22:00 we heard him start yelling out "Mummy, Mummy." He sounded a bit worried but not scared, not agitated. I wandered out of the adults bedroom to find him standing at the top of the stares apparently thinking Mummy was downstairs watching TV.
I'm a bit vague on what was said by me (I probably told him Mummy was asleep); but LGR said nothing. I took his hand and walked him back into his room and without a single word he climbed back into bed. No conversation, no requests. Nothing. As soon as his head touched the pillow he was straight into his sleep breathing rhythm.
LGR can't remember a thing about it.
I'm a bit vague on what was said by me (I probably told him Mummy was asleep); but LGR said nothing. I took his hand and walked him back into his room and without a single word he climbed back into bed. No conversation, no requests. Nothing. As soon as his head touched the pillow he was straight into his sleep breathing rhythm.
LGR can't remember a thing about it.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
I Forgot To Add ...
I was in a bit of a hurry last night. So I should add some things.
LGR's medal is now sitting very proudly around the neck of the teddy bear we got you all to sign when he was born. It's quite cute and was all his own idea.
The other thing I forgot was that LGR made us a salad last night. The whole thing. He chose the ingredients, cut them up (under supervision) and put all in the bowl. I don't think he actually ate any of it but that's not what counts. It's his first full 'dish' of food and we all though it was fantastic.
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Hayzey has started doing something new when we take her to bed. As we prepare to leave the room she asks for a cuddle and then stands up on her bed. She puts both arms very firmly around your shoulders and squeezes very tight while lightly tapping on your back. After some time (anywere between 5 and 20 seconds) she will let go and pucker up for a kiss.
It's all very sweet.
LGR's medal is now sitting very proudly around the neck of the teddy bear we got you all to sign when he was born. It's quite cute and was all his own idea.
The other thing I forgot was that LGR made us a salad last night. The whole thing. He chose the ingredients, cut them up (under supervision) and put all in the bowl. I don't think he actually ate any of it but that's not what counts. It's his first full 'dish' of food and we all though it was fantastic.
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Hayzey has started doing something new when we take her to bed. As we prepare to leave the room she asks for a cuddle and then stands up on her bed. She puts both arms very firmly around your shoulders and squeezes very tight while lightly tapping on your back. After some time (anywere between 5 and 20 seconds) she will let go and pucker up for a kiss.
It's all very sweet.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Missed a few
We had a very long and busy weekend. Sort of. Saturday was long and busy. Sunday not so much.
We woke up feeling pretty good on Saturday morning. It was cold but that's ok. I was up by 06:00 and the others wandered on down whenever the mood took them. By 09:30 we were up at the library and by 10:00 at Kindy for a working bee. This went on until about 14:00 (?) - the kids got too tired. I think they had a buzz banging around in the Kindy playgrounds with hardly any kids around to get in the way.
The afternoon was fairly mellow. We all recharged a little and then headed on out to LGR's athletics presentation. It was worth turning up. He got his first proper medal and was pleased as punch about it. All the kids were. They were so excited.
After the presentation we all went back to the Chefs place and had a bit of a celebratory party.
Sunday was slow. The kids ended up staying at the Chefs place (they went to sleep and it was easier just to leave them) so we picked them up on the way to the shops for some food. What next? Back home for a snooze for most of us then a bit of laizing around the house. LGR and I went out for a bike ride at some point and Mrs G cooked up a delicious roast chicken dinner.
Today we had the air-conditioning repair man come to look at our machine. I think it's a bit cactus - because they've offered to completely rebuild the internals in it. The only downside is that they have to cart away the entire external unit to do it. Which means we'll be cold for longer. It's still not fixed - just to replace the valve would have taken about 4 hours apparently.
The silver lining is that should be quieter due to some new piping and better insulation - and also a bit cheaper to run.
I heard a rumour it's supposed to get cold soon :-(
We woke up feeling pretty good on Saturday morning. It was cold but that's ok. I was up by 06:00 and the others wandered on down whenever the mood took them. By 09:30 we were up at the library and by 10:00 at Kindy for a working bee. This went on until about 14:00 (?) - the kids got too tired. I think they had a buzz banging around in the Kindy playgrounds with hardly any kids around to get in the way.
The afternoon was fairly mellow. We all recharged a little and then headed on out to LGR's athletics presentation. It was worth turning up. He got his first proper medal and was pleased as punch about it. All the kids were. They were so excited.
After the presentation we all went back to the Chefs place and had a bit of a celebratory party.
Sunday was slow. The kids ended up staying at the Chefs place (they went to sleep and it was easier just to leave them) so we picked them up on the way to the shops for some food. What next? Back home for a snooze for most of us then a bit of laizing around the house. LGR and I went out for a bike ride at some point and Mrs G cooked up a delicious roast chicken dinner.
Today we had the air-conditioning repair man come to look at our machine. I think it's a bit cactus - because they've offered to completely rebuild the internals in it. The only downside is that they have to cart away the entire external unit to do it. Which means we'll be cold for longer. It's still not fixed - just to replace the valve would have taken about 4 hours apparently.
The silver lining is that should be quieter due to some new piping and better insulation - and also a bit cheaper to run.
I heard a rumour it's supposed to get cold soon :-(
Friday, July 27, 2007
Chinese
We went out for dinner tonight with my Dad and his wife, and Aunt LJ (who is not an LJ any more but will continue to be in this blog) and UA. It was good. The kids were great. They sat down for pretty much the whole meal and ate plenty. And they were funny.
I had a good night.
I had a good night.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
A Long Day
My day started at about 03:00 (work....) and I feel as though I've been going ever since. In reality I have been; but not all for work.
Today was the day I finally booked us on flights to/from NZ for our 10 year anniversary holiday. The kids are coming with us so it won't be overly romantic but there's no way either of us would consider leaving them behind.
I also booked a car, got travel insurance and registered with the Oz Embassy in NZ as a traveller. This all took a surprising amount of time.
Mrs G is out tonight - working just south of Wollongong and won't be home until tomorrow evening. Had a nice evening with the kids. I played some dominos with LGR and Hayz was content to sit around doing not much at all. There was no whingeing or crying and it was very much appreciated. Bedtime was very sweet - LGR read Hayz some books while I watched from a distance (they were both sitting on his bed) and then Hayz called me back (twice) for a kiss when I was putting her in bed. It's things like that which reaffirm why life is fantastic.
Today was the day I finally booked us on flights to/from NZ for our 10 year anniversary holiday. The kids are coming with us so it won't be overly romantic but there's no way either of us would consider leaving them behind.
I also booked a car, got travel insurance and registered with the Oz Embassy in NZ as a traveller. This all took a surprising amount of time.
Mrs G is out tonight - working just south of Wollongong and won't be home until tomorrow evening. Had a nice evening with the kids. I played some dominos with LGR and Hayz was content to sit around doing not much at all. There was no whingeing or crying and it was very much appreciated. Bedtime was very sweet - LGR read Hayz some books while I watched from a distance (they were both sitting on his bed) and then Hayz called me back (twice) for a kiss when I was putting her in bed. It's things like that which reaffirm why life is fantastic.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Grrrr .....
We've heard it said that you can tell when your kids are ready for school by the sudden changes in behaviour - they get bored and into all sorts of 'mischief'.
LGR is there. Big time. He is massively bored by kindy and is getting into strife almost every day. He still does the most incredibly sweet things but is now mixing it up with some horrible things. 6 months 'til school .....
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Congrats to the folks in my family who are popping out kids. Lots of boys!!! We hope to catch up with the various guilty parties before to much longer for a bit of a look/see and a chance to re-affirm that we are definitely not having any more babies ourselves (not that such a chance is needed).
LGR is there. Big time. He is massively bored by kindy and is getting into strife almost every day. He still does the most incredibly sweet things but is now mixing it up with some horrible things. 6 months 'til school .....
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Congrats to the folks in my family who are popping out kids. Lots of boys!!! We hope to catch up with the various guilty parties before to much longer for a bit of a look/see and a chance to re-affirm that we are definitely not having any more babies ourselves (not that such a chance is needed).
Monday, July 23, 2007
Travel Agent
I went to visit a travel agent today. We discussed airfares for a pending holiday. I was given some very specific information which I decided to cross-reference for my own benefit.
Interesting .....
The price I was given for airfares was about 30% higher than what I can get, for the same airline and same flight times, over the Internet. I wonder which option I'll choose when it comes time to book?
The sad thing is that after talking to other people this experience is not uncommon. I guess the agency has to earn a commission somehow :-)
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I let the kids choose what we were having for dinner tonight. Between us we arrived at pumpkin soup, garlic bread, tomatoes, cucumber and sausage. The tomatoes and cucumber turned into a salad with red and yellow cherry tomatoes, capsicum and cucumber and the sausages were the always popular chorizo. A bizarre meal but you do what you can ....
Interesting .....
The price I was given for airfares was about 30% higher than what I can get, for the same airline and same flight times, over the Internet. I wonder which option I'll choose when it comes time to book?
The sad thing is that after talking to other people this experience is not uncommon. I guess the agency has to earn a commission somehow :-)
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I let the kids choose what we were having for dinner tonight. Between us we arrived at pumpkin soup, garlic bread, tomatoes, cucumber and sausage. The tomatoes and cucumber turned into a salad with red and yellow cherry tomatoes, capsicum and cucumber and the sausages were the always popular chorizo. A bizarre meal but you do what you can ....
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Slow Sunday
Today was a bit of a nothing doing sort of day. We all got out of bed in dribs and drabs - as usual I was up first, then LGR then Hayz and eventually Mrs G. It was cold - air con is busted (did I mention that earlier? Can't remember).
We bought some suitcases today. They're quite bag - they could easily fit one of the kids inside them. They were also surprisingly cheap. Also picked up a couple of funky locks which should tell us if someone has opened them (allegedly all airports have a master key for them??? If you don't have a 'master key lock' any lock you use just gets smashed open in the event of a search ....). Not overly exciting but enough to keep us amused.
The afternoon consisted of a long ride for LGR (at various points he was convinced he couldn't go any further but he managed) and a nice walk for me.
At some point Aunt LJ and UA arrived to 'borrow' our cot and, in turn, loan us some camping gear. We also had some dinner and all watched in amusement as the kids ran riot through the house :-)
We bought some suitcases today. They're quite bag - they could easily fit one of the kids inside them. They were also surprisingly cheap. Also picked up a couple of funky locks which should tell us if someone has opened them (allegedly all airports have a master key for them??? If you don't have a 'master key lock' any lock you use just gets smashed open in the event of a search ....). Not overly exciting but enough to keep us amused.
The afternoon consisted of a long ride for LGR (at various points he was convinced he couldn't go any further but he managed) and a nice walk for me.
At some point Aunt LJ and UA arrived to 'borrow' our cot and, in turn, loan us some camping gear. We also had some dinner and all watched in amusement as the kids ran riot through the house :-)
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Almost forgot ....
I was just about to go to bed and remembered that I had to post. Wouldn't want to break my pie-crust promise so early on in the piece :-(
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Our air-conditioning is busted again. I'm hoping the motor has run out of gas and it's an easy fix. Time will tell I suppose. In the interim we just have to hope the kids sleep under the covers and don't lose their slippers and dressing gowns.
LGR went for another bike ride today. He learnt a new skill - how to skid. He was quite excited when he looked behind him and saw a black line left on the concrete. Today was also a nice chance to explain the concept of steep in relation to hills. He definitely understood the difference between uphill and downhill - but also pointed out that when you're in a car it's just as easy to go up hill as down hill :-)
Hayzey has begun to transfer her thoughts and emotions to her Dora doll. There are definite advantages to this - it becomes much easier for us to determine what she is thinking and how she feels about things. LGR is also doing it with Tommy but in a different way - he is Tommy's Mum/Dad and the way LGR treats/relates to Tom is how he views Mrs G and I relating to him. It's all very interesting and a nice way of getting honest feedback from someone who doesn't know they are giving it.
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Our air-conditioning is busted again. I'm hoping the motor has run out of gas and it's an easy fix. Time will tell I suppose. In the interim we just have to hope the kids sleep under the covers and don't lose their slippers and dressing gowns.
LGR went for another bike ride today. He learnt a new skill - how to skid. He was quite excited when he looked behind him and saw a black line left on the concrete. Today was also a nice chance to explain the concept of steep in relation to hills. He definitely understood the difference between uphill and downhill - but also pointed out that when you're in a car it's just as easy to go up hill as down hill :-)
Hayzey has begun to transfer her thoughts and emotions to her Dora doll. There are definite advantages to this - it becomes much easier for us to determine what she is thinking and how she feels about things. LGR is also doing it with Tommy but in a different way - he is Tommy's Mum/Dad and the way LGR treats/relates to Tom is how he views Mrs G and I relating to him. It's all very interesting and a nice way of getting honest feedback from someone who doesn't know they are giving it.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Bike Ride
LGR went for his first 'proper' bike ride today. It was only 2km (or maybe a bit longer) but he rode all the way - up and down hill. He chatted the whole way and has a habit of putting his heels on the pedals. For some reason he doesn't understand that you have to watch where you are riding. If I walk/jog next to him he always steers towards me. But he loves it. Riding bikes is great. I think he has found a passion.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Rabbit Mask
The kidlets had a visit from the local police at kindy today. Apparently the police lady had a rabbit's mask and sang songs while she was wearing it. It was 'cool'. LGR wants to go to a jail now .... Sometimes I want him to go to a jail also :-)
Hayzey, LGR and myself have all had confirmation in the past 2 days that our passports have been issued. My own is currently at the post office waiting to be picked up. Now all we have to do is decide where we are going and how long for. Decisions, decisions everywhere.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Beautiful
I love this picture. So does Mrs Gazzarus.
I'm sure you can see why :-)
I can hear a certain reader asking why Hayzey has a Tigers jersey on. Simple answer - I love the Eagles and am thrilled to hear Hayz wandering around the house yelling out 'Go Eagles'; but I also believe the kids should make up their own mind about who they support. So we have an Eagles and Tigers bean bag and now an Eagles and Tigers jersey.
It must be said though - it's fantatic to hear Hayz say 'Go Eagles' while she's wearing the Tigers kit!!!
I'm sure you can see why :-)
I can hear a certain reader asking why Hayzey has a Tigers jersey on. Simple answer - I love the Eagles and am thrilled to hear Hayz wandering around the house yelling out 'Go Eagles'; but I also believe the kids should make up their own mind about who they support. So we have an Eagles and Tigers bean bag and now an Eagles and Tigers jersey.
It must be said though - it's fantatic to hear Hayz say 'Go Eagles' while she's wearing the Tigers kit!!!
I Promise to Do Better
Sounds like something a kid would say .... doesn't it? I've been slack.
Not really. I've actually been really busy. Work is extracting it's pound of flesh and by the time I get home each day I feel as though I'm ready to pass out. Such is life. It only takes 5 minutes to update the page so "I Promise to Do Better".
Is that a pie-crust promise?
----
What's been happening?
Hayzey is developing into a very determined and assertive individual. She really enjoys having things go the way she wants and isn't shy in pointing out why things are not to her liking - and directing how they could be made to her liking :-)
LGR has developed passions for the Eagles and bike riding. He thinks a 4 year old with training wheels can ride a half pipe or do the Tour de France .... I've trained to explain why he might need to wait for a bit but who wants reality?
He's also been accepted into the school we were after - meaning moving is no longer on the agenda.
Mrs Gazzarus is moving along nicely in life. She's currently on a study break but should be back into it quite vigorously in the next few weeks. Work is pretty good for her - a promotion was just offered (not applied for but offered).
I'm busy. My brain hurst mostly and there's been a lot of early starts. I'm still in physio for my latest knee injury but should be able to begin jogging (I hate the word jogging but it's very appropriate for my condition) in the next couple of weeks. Maybe.
Not really. I've actually been really busy. Work is extracting it's pound of flesh and by the time I get home each day I feel as though I'm ready to pass out. Such is life. It only takes 5 minutes to update the page so "I Promise to Do Better".
Is that a pie-crust promise?
----
What's been happening?
Hayzey is developing into a very determined and assertive individual. She really enjoys having things go the way she wants and isn't shy in pointing out why things are not to her liking - and directing how they could be made to her liking :-)
LGR has developed passions for the Eagles and bike riding. He thinks a 4 year old with training wheels can ride a half pipe or do the Tour de France .... I've trained to explain why he might need to wait for a bit but who wants reality?
He's also been accepted into the school we were after - meaning moving is no longer on the agenda.
Mrs Gazzarus is moving along nicely in life. She's currently on a study break but should be back into it quite vigorously in the next few weeks. Work is pretty good for her - a promotion was just offered (not applied for but offered).
I'm busy. My brain hurst mostly and there's been a lot of early starts. I'm still in physio for my latest knee injury but should be able to begin jogging (I hate the word jogging but it's very appropriate for my condition) in the next couple of weeks. Maybe.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Portrait
This is a picture LGR drew. It's me. It's about 6 months old and he was very proud of it at the time. I would imagine a picture of me now would look substantially different.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
A Sign of Advancement
LGR's pictures are getting much more detailed. Below is a case in point.
What the picture doesn't show you is how much he has advanced in his other passions - 'playing' guitar, singing and telling stories.
He pens his own lyrics and has figured out that strumming a guitar makes a nice sound. It's very common to hear him singing a song whilst making up the lyrics as they go. And they're real lyrics telling a story. He usually gets a rhyme in while doing it and there is a definite rhythm to it. You have to see it to fully appreciate how amazing it is.
What the picture doesn't show you is how much he has advanced in his other passions - 'playing' guitar, singing and telling stories.
He pens his own lyrics and has figured out that strumming a guitar makes a nice sound. It's very common to hear him singing a song whilst making up the lyrics as they go. And they're real lyrics telling a story. He usually gets a rhyme in while doing it and there is a definite rhythm to it. You have to see it to fully appreciate how amazing it is.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
x4nex
LGR's Story:
His name is John Funny and his special name is Michael Tickle. Tickle.
He tickles everyone. He tickles all around the world.
He lived when dinosaurs were around. And the dinosaurs wanted to eat him. Then Batman flew in without a cape; with his Bat Rope. He thought the 'X' was a goodie and he was and Batman said "You are like an X-ray."
And then Robin flew in with a cape, and then Superman flew in with a cape and then the 'X' said "Hello. What's your name?" And they said "I'm Batman" and "I'm Robin" and "I'm Superman".
Robin and Superman thought he was a baddie and then Batman said "No - he's not a baddie."
The Jones' House
LGR's Story:
This is a picture of when we were going to have a dog. His name was Boonie. We didn't get Boonie because I was too scared. Boonie was a little dog and he is yellow in this picture.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Growing Up
My kids are getting so big. At times I feel quite sad and melancholic about it - particularly when we stumble across an old photo album and flick through it. The kids love it. We all love it. It's fantastic to look back and remember times gone by. At the same time it's quite sad to think that those versions of our children now exist in our hearts, minds and various pictures and videos but we can no longer hug them or play with them.
Then we remember that life is truly a journey and our's is still in it's early stages :-)
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Our weekend was quite busy. It all started on Friday night when Clan McK visited for some dinner and a game. The kids all made a lot of noise and a lot mess and had a lot of fun. For some reason they all chose to walk around the house with no shirts on - including Hayzey. I'm convinced she thinks she's a boy ...
Saturday started off with some swimming lessons. Again. LGR reckons he doesn't have to go any more. He readily acknowledges that he can't swim properly yet but for some reason seems quite content with what he can do. I think it's because he can stand up in the pool now. Cheeky bugger. Hayzey is quite happy. It's still a game for her.
From swimming it was up to Katoomba for Grandma's birthday. First stop was her home for swim quick cake (and banana and grape and cheese if you're aged 4 or less); then a walk up to the top of Katoomba St for lunch. It was a nice, leisurely old stroll and the kids handled it very well considering the massive hills we had to traverse.
We did run into a little issue at lunch time - the place we wanted to go was shut!! No matter. Plan B swung into action and we ended up at the Carrington. I've never eaten there before - but have had plenty of loud, long nights there in a life long since past. The food was good - cafe style unfortunately at restaurant prices. In balancing that out the serves were generous and it was tasty. The kiddies loved the little play area near where we sat - so we all got something out of the meal.
The afternoon consisted of a quick snooze, some games and a run in the park before packing up and heading over the Nanna's for dinner. The kids continued a very active day by heading out into the backyard to ride bikes, throw balls and generally keep moving. A bath was very much required (Hayzey had all sorts of stuff in her hair - mainly from the park) and very much enjoyed. The bath toys were quite novel and Nanna's bath is a touch bigger than ours.
Dinner was eaten (Hayzey was thrilled - the salad had fetta, tomato and olives), dishes done and a further bit of gamery had before we began the not too long but very weary trip home.
Sunday ....
Sunday started very early for me. At about 04:00 we heard a very loud bang inside the house. We got up to investigate but couldn't figure out what it was. Alas my sleep was disturbed so I stayed up. Mrs G had no such issues ....
LGR wandered downstairs at about 06:45 and Hayzey and Mrs G joined us at about 07:45. LGR had a crack at some American style brekky pancakes but I got some quantities mixed up and they ended up tasting terrible. Better luck next time. It was fun making them and that's what I really wanted to get out of it.
The day was busy - grocery shopping with some side trips for birthday's, Mum's day and whatever else is coming up. Lunch was quick and easy. LGR and I then mowed the grass while Mrs G and Hayzey went out to a party. After the grass mowing we had an 'Eagles party' which was really just the two of us eating some corn chips, sipping a drink and watching the footy. This lasted for about 20 minutes and then it was off for a shower and some house work.
The rest of the day was more of the same. Dinner was anything but ordinary.
While out shopping we bought a nice, fat round of beef. LGR and I marinated it and then we roasted it up with some potato, pumpkin and onion; boiled some broccoli and cauliflower and ate it. The meat was fantastic. We were a bit unsure when we bought it but in hindsight we can see where the extra money that we paid for it was spent and were well satisfied.
Then we remember that life is truly a journey and our's is still in it's early stages :-)
---
Our weekend was quite busy. It all started on Friday night when Clan McK visited for some dinner and a game. The kids all made a lot of noise and a lot mess and had a lot of fun. For some reason they all chose to walk around the house with no shirts on - including Hayzey. I'm convinced she thinks she's a boy ...
Saturday started off with some swimming lessons. Again. LGR reckons he doesn't have to go any more. He readily acknowledges that he can't swim properly yet but for some reason seems quite content with what he can do. I think it's because he can stand up in the pool now. Cheeky bugger. Hayzey is quite happy. It's still a game for her.
From swimming it was up to Katoomba for Grandma's birthday. First stop was her home for swim quick cake (and banana and grape and cheese if you're aged 4 or less); then a walk up to the top of Katoomba St for lunch. It was a nice, leisurely old stroll and the kids handled it very well considering the massive hills we had to traverse.
We did run into a little issue at lunch time - the place we wanted to go was shut!! No matter. Plan B swung into action and we ended up at the Carrington. I've never eaten there before - but have had plenty of loud, long nights there in a life long since past. The food was good - cafe style unfortunately at restaurant prices. In balancing that out the serves were generous and it was tasty. The kiddies loved the little play area near where we sat - so we all got something out of the meal.
The afternoon consisted of a quick snooze, some games and a run in the park before packing up and heading over the Nanna's for dinner. The kids continued a very active day by heading out into the backyard to ride bikes, throw balls and generally keep moving. A bath was very much required (Hayzey had all sorts of stuff in her hair - mainly from the park) and very much enjoyed. The bath toys were quite novel and Nanna's bath is a touch bigger than ours.
Dinner was eaten (Hayzey was thrilled - the salad had fetta, tomato and olives), dishes done and a further bit of gamery had before we began the not too long but very weary trip home.
Sunday ....
Sunday started very early for me. At about 04:00 we heard a very loud bang inside the house. We got up to investigate but couldn't figure out what it was. Alas my sleep was disturbed so I stayed up. Mrs G had no such issues ....
LGR wandered downstairs at about 06:45 and Hayzey and Mrs G joined us at about 07:45. LGR had a crack at some American style brekky pancakes but I got some quantities mixed up and they ended up tasting terrible. Better luck next time. It was fun making them and that's what I really wanted to get out of it.
The day was busy - grocery shopping with some side trips for birthday's, Mum's day and whatever else is coming up. Lunch was quick and easy. LGR and I then mowed the grass while Mrs G and Hayzey went out to a party. After the grass mowing we had an 'Eagles party' which was really just the two of us eating some corn chips, sipping a drink and watching the footy. This lasted for about 20 minutes and then it was off for a shower and some house work.
The rest of the day was more of the same. Dinner was anything but ordinary.
While out shopping we bought a nice, fat round of beef. LGR and I marinated it and then we roasted it up with some potato, pumpkin and onion; boiled some broccoli and cauliflower and ate it. The meat was fantastic. We were a bit unsure when we bought it but in hindsight we can see where the extra money that we paid for it was spent and were well satisfied.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Happy Birthday Fafa
Hi there Fafa (aka Grandma). The Jones Clan of Prestons wish you a very happy birthday and an outstanding year to come.
We'd like to sing you a song but I understand that's already been done ;-)
We'd like to sing you a song but I understand that's already been done ;-)
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Bonfire
LGR still hasn't managed to finish telling his last story. Every time we decide to do it he tells me he is 'too tired'. I guess that's a phrase he has heard Mummy and Daddy mutter from time to time ...
Over the weekend we had the bux night for UA. Over the course of the previous weekend a bonfire building exercise had been held - but Saturday night was the first time I'd seen it. Impressively tall.
What to say about the night? I liked the bonfire - a lot. I met some interesting guys and learnt a thing or two about UA's past. Nothing bad or embarrassing - just stuff about when he was a kid and some of his growing up experiences. I learnt the thrill of being a hunter/gatherer type of guy and appreciated some quiet, reflective moments when I could look up into the clear, cool sky and see stars.
I enjoyed it.
Sunday was a bit hard - due to fatigue and not the mildly anticipated hangover (I drank 3L of water during the course of the evening and this seems to have helped out a lot). I had to leave the farm early in order to be home for a 3 year old's birthday party. At the Wiggles play centre of all places.
We had a great dinner - although it won't sound like much. It was some teriyaki beef and fried rice - all home made. LGR gulped the meat down. Massive surprise - he usually won't even try red meat. The rice was liked by all and a 30cm fry-pan of it was consumed during the course of a single meal. I may have had 2 or 3 serves but I wouldn't be alone in that regard.
I was shot by this time; and I ended up passing out while watching a show on SBS at about 19:50 .... I'm not sure if Mrs G was amused or horrified.
----
LGR is convinced I'm the funniest guy in the world courtesy of my outstanding knock knock jokes and something I unleashed in the car yesterday. On the way home from Kindy Hayzey was asking for her blanket (which is still called a mimi). I got a bit frustrated and uttered some words to the effect of "I can't just pull one out of my ..... nose."
The effect was instantaneous - a riot of laughter from a 4 year old boy. He would start to slow down - then say "Out of my nose!" and start up again. It was a real deep, full throttle laugh which I love hearing. It got even better when Hayz picked up on it and started saying "Mimi nose; mimi nose". More hilarity followed.
Over the weekend we had the bux night for UA. Over the course of the previous weekend a bonfire building exercise had been held - but Saturday night was the first time I'd seen it. Impressively tall.
What to say about the night? I liked the bonfire - a lot. I met some interesting guys and learnt a thing or two about UA's past. Nothing bad or embarrassing - just stuff about when he was a kid and some of his growing up experiences. I learnt the thrill of being a hunter/gatherer type of guy and appreciated some quiet, reflective moments when I could look up into the clear, cool sky and see stars.
I enjoyed it.
Sunday was a bit hard - due to fatigue and not the mildly anticipated hangover (I drank 3L of water during the course of the evening and this seems to have helped out a lot). I had to leave the farm early in order to be home for a 3 year old's birthday party. At the Wiggles play centre of all places.
We had a great dinner - although it won't sound like much. It was some teriyaki beef and fried rice - all home made. LGR gulped the meat down. Massive surprise - he usually won't even try red meat. The rice was liked by all and a 30cm fry-pan of it was consumed during the course of a single meal. I may have had 2 or 3 serves but I wouldn't be alone in that regard.
I was shot by this time; and I ended up passing out while watching a show on SBS at about 19:50 .... I'm not sure if Mrs G was amused or horrified.
----
LGR is convinced I'm the funniest guy in the world courtesy of my outstanding knock knock jokes and something I unleashed in the car yesterday. On the way home from Kindy Hayzey was asking for her blanket (which is still called a mimi). I got a bit frustrated and uttered some words to the effect of "I can't just pull one out of my ..... nose."
The effect was instantaneous - a riot of laughter from a 4 year old boy. He would start to slow down - then say "Out of my nose!" and start up again. It was a real deep, full throttle laugh which I love hearing. It got even better when Hayz picked up on it and started saying "Mimi nose; mimi nose". More hilarity followed.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
The Batman
LGR: Knock knock
Me: Who's there?
LGR: Justin
Me: Justin Who?
LGR: Justin the neighbourhood - thought I'd drop by!!
----
LGR's story for this evening:
One day there was a person called Batman and then he told a joke. He said "Knock knock" and then said "Just in the neighbourhood - thought I'd drop by!".
The person inside that costume is actually called LGR.
And then that's the end.
The end.
Me: Who's there?
LGR: Justin
Me: Justin Who?
LGR: Justin the neighbourhood - thought I'd drop by!!
----
LGR's story for this evening:
One day there was a person called Batman and then he told a joke. He said "Knock knock" and then said "Just in the neighbourhood - thought I'd drop by!".
The person inside that costume is actually called LGR.
And then that's the end.
The end.
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