I don't understand what's happening. Petrol costs about $1.40/L right now, and it's school holidays. That should mean less cars on the road. I thought. Somehow I managed to get stuck in a traffic jam on a 3 lane arterial road at 05:50 this morning. How is that possible?
It's one of many things I don't understand. I also don't understand how it is that the Snowy Mountain Scheme can be sold off. I don't understand how it is that nobody really seems all that concerned that senior members of parliament, and apparently the whole parliamentary system, didn't have an inkling about AWB (officially).
I don't understand how it is that Goulbourn's largest dam is now officially empty and yet there is no real government action. At the same time places that are deluged with water (ie Innisfail, Katherine) have people falling over themselves to help.
I don't understand why public transport has to be run at a profit. I don't understand why the Federal Government is running the national budget at a $14 billion surplus but can't find money for education and health (not withstanding the recent mental health initiatives).
I don't understand why a Federal Minister is being asked to take personal responsibility for somebody in another country putting the wrong casket on a plane; while at the same time the ministers involved in the Cole Enquiry are completely wiping their hands of any responsibility.
I don't understand why intrusive media is accepted (that's right - the people must know and the individual is merely a tool ...). I don't get reality TV. Unless it's sport. Sport is the ultimate celebration of life; but is unfortunately at risk of becoming a part of the entertainment industry.
I don't understand why people think they have a right to determine which government programs/areas the taxes they pay are channeled into. You know what I mean - "I don't have a car so don't use my taxes for roads" or "I don't have kids so don't use my taxes for family welfare". Do these people know what the greater good is supposed to be about.
I don't understand why it is that whenever a politician, or public figure for that matter, changes their mind on a position they have held they always do a 'backflip'. Why couldn't it be that they got new information or listened to the opinions of those around them?
I don't understand how it is that I have a Uni degree in Sport Science which I have never used; and how it could be that I am constantly injured. Actually - I do understand this. Doesn't mean I'm necessarily happy about it; particularly the injured part ...
Maybe I'm still far too naive. Quite true. I don't really care for the politics of the world, of life and everything else. What I do believe is that people should try to be good to each other, that we should help out where possible and we should look after those around us. Sometimes it's damned hard to do this - but it's not impossible.
---
'Nuff of that. Kidlets are good, knee is still crook and Mrs G is still studying. Australia won the cricket tonight, NSW won the Rugby and for some reason I've tipped Souths to beat Newcastle in the League. I also tipped Manly to beat Parramatta. I like the look of Manly this year - when they shutup and hold the ball. I don't expect they'll win the comp but they should put in a fair showing.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Bugger
Turns out my knee is now officially crook, and only likely to get worse.
This means surgical intervention on the 10th May.
Knee surgery was not on my list of things to do for this year ....
This means surgical intervention on the 10th May.
Knee surgery was not on my list of things to do for this year ....
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Physio - Again
Back to see the physio this morning. What I thought was going to be a 10 minute session to get my knee re-bandaged turned into a 90 minute marathon with two physio's and a referral to see a surgeon tomorrow.
The theory is that I have torn some of the meniscus in my knee. I did something very similar to this in my left knee about 5 years ago. This time it is my right knee. It might settle down with time but maybe it won't.
I have to see my GP later today to get some anti-inflammatory drugs and a referral to the surgeon. Apparently I need the referral to get a Medicare rebate ....
The rest of my body is healthy :-)
The theory is that I have torn some of the meniscus in my knee. I did something very similar to this in my left knee about 5 years ago. This time it is my right knee. It might settle down with time but maybe it won't.
I have to see my GP later today to get some anti-inflammatory drugs and a referral to the surgeon. Apparently I need the referral to get a Medicare rebate ....
The rest of my body is healthy :-)
Monday, April 24, 2006
Physio
I saw my physio tonight. He's taped up my right knee so tight that I can't bend it. I need to see him again on Wednesday.
There was some talk about an arthroscope to see why my knee is currently the size of a small soccer ball. Interestingly there is no pain; just a sensation of tightness in my knee.
We'll see what happens on Wednesday I guess ....
There was some talk about an arthroscope to see why my knee is currently the size of a small soccer ball. Interestingly there is no pain; just a sensation of tightness in my knee.
We'll see what happens on Wednesday I guess ....
Not Well
Poor little Hayzey is a bit crook at the moment - she has a very congested nose and throat and isn't that keen on food. She even had to miss swimming lessons on the weekend. We'll give her lots of hugs and kisses and she'll get better. Eventually.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Assorted Bits
I keep meaning to put an update up but for whatever reason I just haven't gotten around to it. Very slack.
Easter came and went. It was typically busy. Grandma came and stayed with us for a few days and we all got to visit Nanna on Easter day. The kidlets, Mrs G and myself all managed to have a very nice game of soccer after Easter lunch and LGR took great delight in playing all sorts of games with a very large cardboard box.
As usual we got a crapload of chocolate - most of it is for the kids. It'll (hopefully) take us a few months to get through it all.
---
The work weeks seem to be so ridiculously busy at the moment. Not because of work itself but because of all the stuff we're all trying to fit in around work. It doesn't help that Sydney's roads seem to get more congested as petrol prices rise (I can't explain it). Apparently it's school holidays but you couldn't tell by looking at the roads.
I'm back on the running thing again. And have a crook knee. Again. My physio is pretty sure it's to do with an overly mobile patella and some subsequent nerve pinching. There's no real pain but I do have a very definite sensation of tightness around the knee. It's kind of weird - I keep shaking my knee in the hope that shaking it will dislodge the sense of tightness. It's not working ...
Mrs G is still studying furiously. The coursework is finished so now it's just a bunch of assignments. I think they are due somewhere around late May or early June and then it's back to uni for some more study.
---
Hayzey coloured in her right knee at Kindy today using a dark blue texta. I scrubbed her with soap and it won't come off. It's very pretty. I'm sure she'll look fantastic for the next couple of days.
Easter came and went. It was typically busy. Grandma came and stayed with us for a few days and we all got to visit Nanna on Easter day. The kidlets, Mrs G and myself all managed to have a very nice game of soccer after Easter lunch and LGR took great delight in playing all sorts of games with a very large cardboard box.
As usual we got a crapload of chocolate - most of it is for the kids. It'll (hopefully) take us a few months to get through it all.
---
The work weeks seem to be so ridiculously busy at the moment. Not because of work itself but because of all the stuff we're all trying to fit in around work. It doesn't help that Sydney's roads seem to get more congested as petrol prices rise (I can't explain it). Apparently it's school holidays but you couldn't tell by looking at the roads.
I'm back on the running thing again. And have a crook knee. Again. My physio is pretty sure it's to do with an overly mobile patella and some subsequent nerve pinching. There's no real pain but I do have a very definite sensation of tightness around the knee. It's kind of weird - I keep shaking my knee in the hope that shaking it will dislodge the sense of tightness. It's not working ...
Mrs G is still studying furiously. The coursework is finished so now it's just a bunch of assignments. I think they are due somewhere around late May or early June and then it's back to uni for some more study.
---
Hayzey coloured in her right knee at Kindy today using a dark blue texta. I scrubbed her with soap and it won't come off. It's very pretty. I'm sure she'll look fantastic for the next couple of days.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Moments I Enjoyed
The kidlets have done some amazing things this week.
---
When I arrived at kindy yesterday to pick them up I found LGR and Hayzey sitting in a corner by themselves with a book. Lochie was flipping through the pages for Hayzey and singing the words to her - it was "Old McDonalds Farm". They were both having a ball and it was such an uplifting and unexpectedly good moment for me ...
---
Hayzey has well and truly discovered the joy of books. She will grab a book and walk over to either myself or Mrs G saying "Oosh oosh". The book gets passed over and Hayzey clambers on to our laps to read with us. The only issue is that she likes to turn the pages faster than we can read :-)
---
On Monday I came home from work and was having a chat with Mrs G in the kitched. We were very suddenly interrupted by peals of laughter from the lounge room. LGR was watching "Pingu" and something was very funny to him. We never found out what it was - everytime I asked him he started talking so fast that I lost track.
---
On Monday night I was going to bed and did my habitual kid check on the way through. LGR was on top of the covers so I put him under them, gave him a kiss on the forehead and whispered "Good night my beautiful boy". It was a very pleasant surprise to hear a very sleepy little voice whisper back to me "Nigh nigh Daddy".
---
When I arrived at kindy yesterday to pick them up I found LGR and Hayzey sitting in a corner by themselves with a book. Lochie was flipping through the pages for Hayzey and singing the words to her - it was "Old McDonalds Farm". They were both having a ball and it was such an uplifting and unexpectedly good moment for me ...
---
Hayzey has well and truly discovered the joy of books. She will grab a book and walk over to either myself or Mrs G saying "Oosh oosh". The book gets passed over and Hayzey clambers on to our laps to read with us. The only issue is that she likes to turn the pages faster than we can read :-)
---
On Monday I came home from work and was having a chat with Mrs G in the kitched. We were very suddenly interrupted by peals of laughter from the lounge room. LGR was watching "Pingu" and something was very funny to him. We never found out what it was - everytime I asked him he started talking so fast that I lost track.
---
On Monday night I was going to bed and did my habitual kid check on the way through. LGR was on top of the covers so I put him under them, gave him a kiss on the forehead and whispered "Good night my beautiful boy". It was a very pleasant surprise to hear a very sleepy little voice whisper back to me "Nigh nigh Daddy".
Monday, April 10, 2006
Why my antivirus software is no good
It's been a busy week since I last posted.
I've finally got a decent Internet connection - but have decided my antivirus software has been severely compromised by a virus!! I enjoy that irony. I was less than thrilled to discover my AV vendor now claims my software is not supported - particularly after I gave them money about 5 months ago for a year subscription to their AV feeds .... Bastards. Suffice to say they won't get any more money from my pocket.
On a more positive note I got to spend a big chunk of time with the kidlets over the weekend. Mrs G had a bit of a study day lined up on Saturday so the kids and I hung out. We spent some of the day at Aunt LJ's place and had the extra bonus of the kiddy cousins coming around. LGR was thrilled to see them but poor little took a while to warmup. All these weird faces and Mummy's not here?? Some rockmelon soon put her at ease.
Yesterday we went to the Easter show. I cannot believe just how expensive this is. By the time we had paid for parking, a show guide and two adult tickets we were already down $78. It gets even worse when LGR turns 4 ... You couldn't get a drink in the grounds for less than $3.50 and even a plain old bucket of hot (greasy) chips was $4. I'm glad we took some food and drink with us.
In spite of this it was fun. We visited all the animal parts and both kids thought this was great. We finally found something Hayzey is scared of - cows!! She kept trying to pull away from us when we were patting them. LGR liked them. They both enjoyed the pigs and ducks.
I also had the thrill of riding the giant slide with LGR I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it but he was very quiet on the way down. Once we got to the bottom he was all talk and keen to do it again.
Next stop was to meet up with some friends and we watched the stunt cars and bikes as well as a crazy girl get shot out of a cannon. It was cool. LGR loved the cars.
But in the end the kids just got too tired and there were too many people around. We ended up leaving at about 15:00 and Hayzey was asleep by the time we got out of the carpark.
I've finally got a decent Internet connection - but have decided my antivirus software has been severely compromised by a virus!! I enjoy that irony. I was less than thrilled to discover my AV vendor now claims my software is not supported - particularly after I gave them money about 5 months ago for a year subscription to their AV feeds .... Bastards. Suffice to say they won't get any more money from my pocket.
On a more positive note I got to spend a big chunk of time with the kidlets over the weekend. Mrs G had a bit of a study day lined up on Saturday so the kids and I hung out. We spent some of the day at Aunt LJ's place and had the extra bonus of the kiddy cousins coming around. LGR was thrilled to see them but poor little took a while to warmup. All these weird faces and Mummy's not here?? Some rockmelon soon put her at ease.
Yesterday we went to the Easter show. I cannot believe just how expensive this is. By the time we had paid for parking, a show guide and two adult tickets we were already down $78. It gets even worse when LGR turns 4 ... You couldn't get a drink in the grounds for less than $3.50 and even a plain old bucket of hot (greasy) chips was $4. I'm glad we took some food and drink with us.
In spite of this it was fun. We visited all the animal parts and both kids thought this was great. We finally found something Hayzey is scared of - cows!! She kept trying to pull away from us when we were patting them. LGR liked them. They both enjoyed the pigs and ducks.
I also had the thrill of riding the giant slide with LGR I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it but he was very quiet on the way down. Once we got to the bottom he was all talk and keen to do it again.
Next stop was to meet up with some friends and we watched the stunt cars and bikes as well as a crazy girl get shot out of a cannon. It was cool. LGR loved the cars.
But in the end the kids just got too tired and there were too many people around. We ended up leaving at about 15:00 and Hayzey was asleep by the time we got out of the carpark.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Lunch with the Family
Yesterday I had the very great pleasure of lunching with Mrs G and the kidlets. I only had an hour because of work - which was really only 40 minutes when you throw in travel time. But it was a blast.
I could sense it was going to be a bit special when LGR raced thru the food court to give me a hug. Hayzey was showing some very obvious signs of having had a snack - mainly in the form of a trail of food around her mouth and down her chin.
Lunch was your typical food court type of stuff - but the kids were in rare form. Both were quite animated and full of beans and making plenty of noise. LGR gave us his best shark and tiger impersonations - which included laying on the floor and pretending to swim and roaring at the top of his voice. Hayzey ate very politely. She gave us nods and head shakes to indicate what she did and did not want. Once completed she was out of her chair and racing off in all directions. Mrs G had to chase her several times.
When lunch was finished I very sadly said bye bye to both kids. Hayzey sobbed quietly and LGR chased after me and gave me a massive hug. "I'll miss you Daddy ..."
Very hard to leave :-(
I could sense it was going to be a bit special when LGR raced thru the food court to give me a hug. Hayzey was showing some very obvious signs of having had a snack - mainly in the form of a trail of food around her mouth and down her chin.
Lunch was your typical food court type of stuff - but the kids were in rare form. Both were quite animated and full of beans and making plenty of noise. LGR gave us his best shark and tiger impersonations - which included laying on the floor and pretending to swim and roaring at the top of his voice. Hayzey ate very politely. She gave us nods and head shakes to indicate what she did and did not want. Once completed she was out of her chair and racing off in all directions. Mrs G had to chase her several times.
When lunch was finished I very sadly said bye bye to both kids. Hayzey sobbed quietly and LGR chased after me and gave me a massive hug. "I'll miss you Daddy ..."
Very hard to leave :-(
Monday, April 03, 2006
Bike Ride
The temperature (in Sydney) dropped by about 5 degrees over the weekend and the kids are now wearing flannelette pyjamas to bed. We've never seen Hayzey in flannelette before and she manages to carry it off quite nicely. She still won't sleep under her covers and wakes up with really cold hands and feet each morning ...
The weekend was pretty good. We started off with swimming lessons and then headed into the city. LGR was given a choice of the city or markets and he thought the city was much better. We didn't anticipate quite how windy it would be and very quickly found ourselves feeling a bit chilly. We didn't do much - had some lunch (during which we spent most of our time chasing off hungry birds), caught the monorail and bought Hayzey some sneakers and boots.
On the way back home we detoured via Haberfield (just to have a look) and then went into Parramatta to get some fruit and veg. We came across a sensational fruit and veg shop a while back and finally had a reason to go there.
Sunday was another sunny day; and not as windy. The kidlets slept quite late so we had a very mellow morning. We finished our grocery shopping, went for a bike ride (well - this was what LGR and I did. Hayzey slept. LGR and I pretended we were planes everytime we went down hill - we both put our arms out by ours sides and pretended we had wings ...), mowed some grass and then wandered down to Helensburg to look at a Wollemi Pine and have some sausages.
And that was about it. Very relaxing and very mellow. Very fun.
The weekend was pretty good. We started off with swimming lessons and then headed into the city. LGR was given a choice of the city or markets and he thought the city was much better. We didn't anticipate quite how windy it would be and very quickly found ourselves feeling a bit chilly. We didn't do much - had some lunch (during which we spent most of our time chasing off hungry birds), caught the monorail and bought Hayzey some sneakers and boots.
On the way back home we detoured via Haberfield (just to have a look) and then went into Parramatta to get some fruit and veg. We came across a sensational fruit and veg shop a while back and finally had a reason to go there.
Sunday was another sunny day; and not as windy. The kidlets slept quite late so we had a very mellow morning. We finished our grocery shopping, went for a bike ride (well - this was what LGR and I did. Hayzey slept. LGR and I pretended we were planes everytime we went down hill - we both put our arms out by ours sides and pretended we had wings ...), mowed some grass and then wandered down to Helensburg to look at a Wollemi Pine and have some sausages.
And that was about it. Very relaxing and very mellow. Very fun.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Haircut
I got a haircut last night. When I returned home LGR looked at me quizzically and said "You look weird."
He then asked "What did they do to you?"
This morning he asked Mrs G why I still look like a boy after my haircut. Mrs G explained that I look like a boy because I am a boy and I like being a boy. Lochie thought about this for a moment or two and then said "Some Daddies like to look like girls." He even went on to explain the Daddy's that he knows of who like to look like girls :-)
---
Hayzey had an interesting moment when I was picking her up from kindy yesterday. On the way out we had to pick up a Wiggles CD that we had loaned the centre for a few days. Once this was found (it was in LGR's bag all along) LGR and I started walking towards the exit. Hayzey had different ideas and walked back towards the toddlers room!!! I called out to her and she turned around, waved, and kept walking ... In the end I had to chase her and pick her up. So she promptly started screaming and thrashing around. It's good to see she had a good time there yesterday.
---
I've started the whole exercise thing again - in earnest. I think my ankles and back are both ok so I'm giving the 'healthy lifestyle' thing a shot. Again.
As a result I'm a little bit sore (not nearly as bad as I was on Monday) and somewhat tired. But my brain feels better for knowing that I'm making an effort to ward off some potential health issues further down the track.
---
I've come across a Firefox browser plugin that converts $ prices into oil prices. For example if you bought some socks it would display them as $5, or alternately 0.05 of a barrel of oil ....
Very cool for these oil cost sensitive times :-)
He then asked "What did they do to you?"
This morning he asked Mrs G why I still look like a boy after my haircut. Mrs G explained that I look like a boy because I am a boy and I like being a boy. Lochie thought about this for a moment or two and then said "Some Daddies like to look like girls." He even went on to explain the Daddy's that he knows of who like to look like girls :-)
---
Hayzey had an interesting moment when I was picking her up from kindy yesterday. On the way out we had to pick up a Wiggles CD that we had loaned the centre for a few days. Once this was found (it was in LGR's bag all along) LGR and I started walking towards the exit. Hayzey had different ideas and walked back towards the toddlers room!!! I called out to her and she turned around, waved, and kept walking ... In the end I had to chase her and pick her up. So she promptly started screaming and thrashing around. It's good to see she had a good time there yesterday.
---
I've started the whole exercise thing again - in earnest. I think my ankles and back are both ok so I'm giving the 'healthy lifestyle' thing a shot. Again.
As a result I'm a little bit sore (not nearly as bad as I was on Monday) and somewhat tired. But my brain feels better for knowing that I'm making an effort to ward off some potential health issues further down the track.
---
I've come across a Firefox browser plugin that converts $ prices into oil prices. For example if you bought some socks it would display them as $5, or alternately 0.05 of a barrel of oil ....
Very cool for these oil cost sensitive times :-)
Friday, March 24, 2006
orweehoos
Yesterday we celebrated 5 years in our house. Initially I only planned to live there for three so I'm a little bemused by the whole thing. The time seems to have gone by pretty quickly and it would be fair to say that we have achieved a few things in that time.
Mrs G is back home. The kids were pretty happy to see her come home - Hayzey so much so that she tried to climb out of the bath to give her a hug :-) Apparently the trip was quite a success.
The kids have been quite amusing at kindy this week. Each day when I pick them up Hayzey rushes over for a hug (as does LGR) and then she drags me by the hand to pick up her bag. Once this is achieved Hayzey races to the door waving to everybody in her regal little way and saying "Bye" to everyone - but the way she says it is with a very definite Southern (American) inflection. It's very amusing and very cute. LGR is the opposite - he's content to hang around and talk to people and let everyone know that I'm there.
They have a student teacher for a couple of weeks - she told me LGR likes the Wiggles!! It's not like I wouldn't have noticed that .... She's helped LGR write a letter to the Wiggles, and has bought in a karaoke set which LGR loves to use. There's even pictures of him singing into a microphone on a stage he built out of wooden blocks. Mrs G and I are starting to seriously consider the possibility of taking him to some sort of entertainment/music classes. He loves it and never stops talking about instruments and the Wiggles.
---
I got this list of advice in an email earlier today. Words to live by?
1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto. The blockage will be almost instantly removed.
2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.
3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by simply using the sink.
4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.
5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.
6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.
7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget about the toothache.
8. Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are: You only need two tools: WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.
Mrs G is back home. The kids were pretty happy to see her come home - Hayzey so much so that she tried to climb out of the bath to give her a hug :-) Apparently the trip was quite a success.
The kids have been quite amusing at kindy this week. Each day when I pick them up Hayzey rushes over for a hug (as does LGR) and then she drags me by the hand to pick up her bag. Once this is achieved Hayzey races to the door waving to everybody in her regal little way and saying "Bye" to everyone - but the way she says it is with a very definite Southern (American) inflection. It's very amusing and very cute. LGR is the opposite - he's content to hang around and talk to people and let everyone know that I'm there.
They have a student teacher for a couple of weeks - she told me LGR likes the Wiggles!! It's not like I wouldn't have noticed that .... She's helped LGR write a letter to the Wiggles, and has bought in a karaoke set which LGR loves to use. There's even pictures of him singing into a microphone on a stage he built out of wooden blocks. Mrs G and I are starting to seriously consider the possibility of taking him to some sort of entertainment/music classes. He loves it and never stops talking about instruments and the Wiggles.
---
I got this list of advice in an email earlier today. Words to live by?
1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto. The blockage will be almost instantly removed.
2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.
3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by simply using the sink.
4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.
5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.
6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.
7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget about the toothache.
8. Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are: You only need two tools: WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
The Weekend
It's been a very long and somewhat rewarding weekend for me.
Friday night was a particulary good unwind. I didn't do anything special but did have a nice chat with Mrs G and this helped me put some things in perspective. We also watched some Comm Games and a bit of the cricket. It's always nice to see the Aussie cricket team go well. They get given a ridiculous hiding in the media for the tiniest thing so I tend to take a perverse pleasure in watching the media shut up when it goes back to business as usual.
We had swimming lessons on Saturday morning. I didn't realise we were starting at 08:00 (I expected 09:30) so I was happily laying in bed reading when I was jolted into the real world. We made it on time and the kids had back to back lessons - so were in the pool for an hour. They swapped teachers halfway through and both had good lessons. After this it was off to the shops to look for a printer and get some groceries. We found the printer we were after but decided there was no room in the boot when we allowed for groceries and a pram.
We didn't do a lot after lunch - we played some games in the backyard, watched some TV, drew some pictures and generally hung around home. It was fun and we all got a bit dirty.
Dinner was a bit on the lazy side - we got some pizzas.
Today was a weird one. I woke up at about 05:30 for no reason and Hayzey was awake by 06:15. Her nose was a bit runny and she was wheezing a little so I suspect she just wasn't comfortable sleeping. LGR had no issues and was up at about 07:00. Unfortunately the poor little soul had been crook during the night and had thrown up all over the place. This was on top of Hayzey having a massive chuck while going to be last night. We were suspecting food poisoning of some sort but are not sure how. Maybe it was just coincidence.
Hayzey was asleep again by about 08:30 and around 10:00 we decided to head out to get the printer. On the way we detoured via an outdoor play area in a shopping centre, and then a soft play centre. Upon reaching the spot designated for our purchase we were informed the last one was sold on Saturday - which was when we decided not to get ours!! Turns out there are some more coming in so maybe on Thursday night??
And then came the big part of the weekend. Or week. Depending on how you look at it. Mrs G had to leave to go up the coast for a work thing for a few days. Both kids handled it really well. Hayzey waved to Mrs G and even came up with the word "Bye" a few times. LGR kept wandering around to Cribby's side of the car to tell her something else. And then Mrs G (aka Mum) was gone and it was me and the kids.
First stop was a swim in the pool. Which I had to blow up. This took close to 15 minutes and I was very warm by the end of it. The playtime in it was nice. The water warmed up and the kids loosened up and we all got plenty wet. Afternoon tea was had and some rest time put in. Every now and then we'd all have a game together. Bath's came and went and then dinner. Both kids were excellent - eating well and without tantrums.
Going to be was a little hard. LGR got very clingy and wouldn't give Hayzey the space she needed. He also kept saying he wanted hugs from his Mummy and asking how many more days until she gets back :-(
He got to have a chat with Mummy on the phone and this made him feel ok but he was still quite clingy.
Having said I've been surprised by how well they have adjusted to Mummy's absence and Daddy's very different parenting style. I'm very proud of both kids and love them both to bits.
Friday night was a particulary good unwind. I didn't do anything special but did have a nice chat with Mrs G and this helped me put some things in perspective. We also watched some Comm Games and a bit of the cricket. It's always nice to see the Aussie cricket team go well. They get given a ridiculous hiding in the media for the tiniest thing so I tend to take a perverse pleasure in watching the media shut up when it goes back to business as usual.
We had swimming lessons on Saturday morning. I didn't realise we were starting at 08:00 (I expected 09:30) so I was happily laying in bed reading when I was jolted into the real world. We made it on time and the kids had back to back lessons - so were in the pool for an hour. They swapped teachers halfway through and both had good lessons. After this it was off to the shops to look for a printer and get some groceries. We found the printer we were after but decided there was no room in the boot when we allowed for groceries and a pram.
We didn't do a lot after lunch - we played some games in the backyard, watched some TV, drew some pictures and generally hung around home. It was fun and we all got a bit dirty.
Dinner was a bit on the lazy side - we got some pizzas.
Today was a weird one. I woke up at about 05:30 for no reason and Hayzey was awake by 06:15. Her nose was a bit runny and she was wheezing a little so I suspect she just wasn't comfortable sleeping. LGR had no issues and was up at about 07:00. Unfortunately the poor little soul had been crook during the night and had thrown up all over the place. This was on top of Hayzey having a massive chuck while going to be last night. We were suspecting food poisoning of some sort but are not sure how. Maybe it was just coincidence.
Hayzey was asleep again by about 08:30 and around 10:00 we decided to head out to get the printer. On the way we detoured via an outdoor play area in a shopping centre, and then a soft play centre. Upon reaching the spot designated for our purchase we were informed the last one was sold on Saturday - which was when we decided not to get ours!! Turns out there are some more coming in so maybe on Thursday night??
And then came the big part of the weekend. Or week. Depending on how you look at it. Mrs G had to leave to go up the coast for a work thing for a few days. Both kids handled it really well. Hayzey waved to Mrs G and even came up with the word "Bye" a few times. LGR kept wandering around to Cribby's side of the car to tell her something else. And then Mrs G (aka Mum) was gone and it was me and the kids.
First stop was a swim in the pool. Which I had to blow up. This took close to 15 minutes and I was very warm by the end of it. The playtime in it was nice. The water warmed up and the kids loosened up and we all got plenty wet. Afternoon tea was had and some rest time put in. Every now and then we'd all have a game together. Bath's came and went and then dinner. Both kids were excellent - eating well and without tantrums.
Going to be was a little hard. LGR got very clingy and wouldn't give Hayzey the space she needed. He also kept saying he wanted hugs from his Mummy and asking how many more days until she gets back :-(
He got to have a chat with Mummy on the phone and this made him feel ok but he was still quite clingy.
Having said I've been surprised by how well they have adjusted to Mummy's absence and Daddy's very different parenting style. I'm very proud of both kids and love them both to bits.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Footy
We played footy and trains in the backyard last night - at LGR's insistence!! He's suddenly decided that footy is great fun to play but still doesn't want to watch it. Same with cricket - he'll play it with us but couldn't be bothered watching it.
Hayzey tends to just run around aimlessly while all this is going on but takes great delight when we give her the ball. Normally she will look at it for 3 or 4 seconds and then politely hand it back but occasionally she hurls the ball back to/at us with an impish grin.
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I stumbled across some pictures from the Candadian territory of Nanuvut today. The spiel on the page says it all. I love the idea of a place so different from my everyday life.
Hayzey tends to just run around aimlessly while all this is going on but takes great delight when we give her the ball. Normally she will look at it for 3 or 4 seconds and then politely hand it back but occasionally she hurls the ball back to/at us with an impish grin.
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I stumbled across some pictures from the Candadian territory of Nanuvut today. The spiel on the page says it all. I love the idea of a place so different from my everyday life.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Sport
Wasn't it an interesting weekend of sport?
I'm registered in the work NRL tipping comp so I had a very big interest in the first round. I picked the Tiggers to beat St George/Illawarra; but was kind of lucky to do so. I meant to change my tip on Friday but ran out of time.
I also predictably picked the Beagles to wallop Canberra - but was wrong. I thought this might be a good year for the Beags but based on Saturday it's just going to be a long year. Things can change though and I hope they do.
All in all I tipped ok and am currently second in the tipping comp (courtesy of countback - we have one game per week where we have to pick the margin and I was only 3 points out on the Newcastle/Parramatta game).
I'm liking Rugby Union a lot these days - probably more so than league. I loved watching the Waratahs go around on Friday night. In the second minute I boldly predicted to Mrs G that there were plenty of points in the Tahs and soon after it was 14-0 (I think after 7 minutes). A 47 point was the biggest winning margin ever for NSW and fair indicator of the game.
And then there was the cricket. What the hell happened there?? Nice batting Mr Ponting. Nice batting Mr Gibbs. I never thought I'd see a 400+ score, and particularly not against South Africa. Once it was in place I seriously thought Australia might win the game by 300 runs but it turns out I was wrong. It kills me but I think this is one of the most remarkable wins in the history of cricket. Possibly even in the wider context of sport. How often does a team/individual break a world record by 10% and still get beaten? Not very often.
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The Jones Clan are all getting better. Hayzey has cleared up completely and LGR seems to be ok; but still has a croaky voice. Mr and Mrs G are also a bit better. Good moods have returned to our house.
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Check this out. A nice way to advertise your building. I can't see this happening in Australia :-)
I'm registered in the work NRL tipping comp so I had a very big interest in the first round. I picked the Tiggers to beat St George/Illawarra; but was kind of lucky to do so. I meant to change my tip on Friday but ran out of time.
I also predictably picked the Beagles to wallop Canberra - but was wrong. I thought this might be a good year for the Beags but based on Saturday it's just going to be a long year. Things can change though and I hope they do.
All in all I tipped ok and am currently second in the tipping comp (courtesy of countback - we have one game per week where we have to pick the margin and I was only 3 points out on the Newcastle/Parramatta game).
I'm liking Rugby Union a lot these days - probably more so than league. I loved watching the Waratahs go around on Friday night. In the second minute I boldly predicted to Mrs G that there were plenty of points in the Tahs and soon after it was 14-0 (I think after 7 minutes). A 47 point was the biggest winning margin ever for NSW and fair indicator of the game.
And then there was the cricket. What the hell happened there?? Nice batting Mr Ponting. Nice batting Mr Gibbs. I never thought I'd see a 400+ score, and particularly not against South Africa. Once it was in place I seriously thought Australia might win the game by 300 runs but it turns out I was wrong. It kills me but I think this is one of the most remarkable wins in the history of cricket. Possibly even in the wider context of sport. How often does a team/individual break a world record by 10% and still get beaten? Not very often.
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The Jones Clan are all getting better. Hayzey has cleared up completely and LGR seems to be ok; but still has a croaky voice. Mr and Mrs G are also a bit better. Good moods have returned to our house.
---
Check this out. A nice way to advertise your building. I can't see this happening in Australia :-)
Saturday, March 11, 2006
LGR and the Tree
LGR and I spent close to 5 minutes playing around with a variety of poses which revolved around this tree. The results were very amusing.
Hayzey's Slippery Dip
A picture from the park today. Hayzey found, and loved, a couple of slippery dips.
Hayzey does not lack any confidence when it comes to new or unusual situations ...
Hayzey does not lack any confidence when it comes to new or unusual situations ...
Airport
Today I had the pleasure of taking the kiddies out for a wee adventure whilst Mrs Gazzarus did some study (I still don't know what it's called - some HR thingy). We ended up going to a park at Arncliffe which was extremely proximal to Sydney airport - not that you would know it. Every now and then we heard a plan but didn't see one the entire time we were there.
The kidlets had a ball. We played on some toys, took some photoes and I even tried to teach them both how to cup your hands to catch water out of a tap. This wasn't successful. LGR got his face wet but I don't think he actually drank anything and Hayzey just managed to get herself wet.
It was fun. I took plenty of photo's and we all had a fairly carefree and spirited sort of time.
To finish it off I took the kids for a drive around the perimeter of the airport. LGR was fascinated. He loved the size of it all - the planes, the grounds, the buildings. It was great to hear him sit in the backseat oohing and ahhing at fairly regular and short intervals. Now we just have to get him onto a plane - something which he asks for on an almost dayly basis.
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Early in the evening (about 19:30) I was pushing LGR on the swing while Hayzey was being put to bed by Mrs G. We had a bit of a chat in which it eventuated that LGR wants to live in a place where it snows all the time. He also wants to be able to swim at the beach everyday, go to the pool everyday and it has to have lots of trees. I asked him if he knew where this place was. He did.
"Campbelltown"
Fantastic :-)
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For those that care there is a journal (sans pictures) from our recent holiday online. It can be found here. It's not quite finished but I'll post notices when I update it.
The kidlets had a ball. We played on some toys, took some photoes and I even tried to teach them both how to cup your hands to catch water out of a tap. This wasn't successful. LGR got his face wet but I don't think he actually drank anything and Hayzey just managed to get herself wet.
It was fun. I took plenty of photo's and we all had a fairly carefree and spirited sort of time.
To finish it off I took the kids for a drive around the perimeter of the airport. LGR was fascinated. He loved the size of it all - the planes, the grounds, the buildings. It was great to hear him sit in the backseat oohing and ahhing at fairly regular and short intervals. Now we just have to get him onto a plane - something which he asks for on an almost dayly basis.
---
Early in the evening (about 19:30) I was pushing LGR on the swing while Hayzey was being put to bed by Mrs G. We had a bit of a chat in which it eventuated that LGR wants to live in a place where it snows all the time. He also wants to be able to swim at the beach everyday, go to the pool everyday and it has to have lots of trees. I asked him if he knew where this place was. He did.
"Campbelltown"
Fantastic :-)
---
For those that care there is a journal (sans pictures) from our recent holiday online. It can be found here. It's not quite finished but I'll post notices when I update it.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
More Advice
The Jones clan are all a bit crook this week - not so sick that we are taking time off any of our respective duties (ie work, going to kindy) but sick enough to be taking a variety of OTC medications and, in the case of Hayzey, some stuff for yet another ear infection. I suspect we're through the worst of it and with some luck we'll have all picked up a bit by the time the weekend rolls around.
LGR has been dispensing some wisdom to me of late - such as:
"When I'm 4 years old I will live in a house next door to Mummy and Daddy; and I will drive my car to visit Mummy and Daddy every day"
"You go to work Daddy and I will stay home and look after myself" When questioned about whether he knew how to do this I got "No. Can you teach me?"
"I don't want breakfast" When asked why the response was scathing. "They make nice toast at kindergarten. Better than your toast."
Hayzey hasn't been left out. She's started using her voice rather than just shreaking and wailing and occasionally she even sounds like she's trying to engage in conversation. She knows the word 'more' and uses it a lot (usually with food). She also says 'yes' and if she wants to indicate no we get a very vigorous head shake.
Her comprehension is pretty good. She can identify facial features and her belly and actively participates in getting dressed and ready to go out - by preempting our requirements. If she sees with a nappy she will lay down. If she sees us with her shoes she will sit down to put them on. If we say we're going out she will walk to the front door and wait for us. There's other things but this is a nice example of where she's out.
----
I came across some fantastic, and often surreal, photographs of Mexico City. They were taken by a professional helicopter pilot and are little more than a collection of what he sees while working. Some of these shots are amazing - my personal favourites are those of the low income housing developments. To my eye they don't look real. But I'm assured they definitely are.
LGR has been dispensing some wisdom to me of late - such as:
"When I'm 4 years old I will live in a house next door to Mummy and Daddy; and I will drive my car to visit Mummy and Daddy every day"
"You go to work Daddy and I will stay home and look after myself" When questioned about whether he knew how to do this I got "No. Can you teach me?"
"I don't want breakfast" When asked why the response was scathing. "They make nice toast at kindergarten. Better than your toast."
Hayzey hasn't been left out. She's started using her voice rather than just shreaking and wailing and occasionally she even sounds like she's trying to engage in conversation. She knows the word 'more' and uses it a lot (usually with food). She also says 'yes' and if she wants to indicate no we get a very vigorous head shake.
Her comprehension is pretty good. She can identify facial features and her belly and actively participates in getting dressed and ready to go out - by preempting our requirements. If she sees with a nappy she will lay down. If she sees us with her shoes she will sit down to put them on. If we say we're going out she will walk to the front door and wait for us. There's other things but this is a nice example of where she's out.
----
I came across some fantastic, and often surreal, photographs of Mexico City. They were taken by a professional helicopter pilot and are little more than a collection of what he sees while working. Some of these shots are amazing - my personal favourites are those of the low income housing developments. To my eye they don't look real. But I'm assured they definitely are.
Monday, March 06, 2006
The Swing of Things
Ok. So we're back in Sydney. I think we're getting our Sydney hats back on but it hasn't been easy. Life is so much busier when you have things like work, kindy, groceries, study, traffic, bills and whatever else to think about.
Mrs G is firmly entrenched in a line of study which will see her having a very busy 6 weeks, and then a bunch of assignments to complete and hand in over the following 6. I guess she'll be 'back to normal' somewhere around June ....
The kids have settled back into Sydney time nicely. Both were pretty happy to be at kindy last week; and it's become obvious to us how much they've developed physically and mentally in the couple of weeks we were away. Rumour has it that LGR has bored everyone silly with his stories of Wiggles World; but he's also managed to sneak in a few stories about beaches, Australia Zoo and various other things we did up the coast.
Hayzey is developing far too quickly. She is taller, starting to talk and showing no fear of anything. To top it off she has the most amazing tan.
I hope to make the updates a bit more regular now; and provide some more detail about what the kiddies are up to.
Mrs G is firmly entrenched in a line of study which will see her having a very busy 6 weeks, and then a bunch of assignments to complete and hand in over the following 6. I guess she'll be 'back to normal' somewhere around June ....
The kids have settled back into Sydney time nicely. Both were pretty happy to be at kindy last week; and it's become obvious to us how much they've developed physically and mentally in the couple of weeks we were away. Rumour has it that LGR has bored everyone silly with his stories of Wiggles World; but he's also managed to sneak in a few stories about beaches, Australia Zoo and various other things we did up the coast.
Hayzey is developing far too quickly. She is taller, starting to talk and showing no fear of anything. To top it off she has the most amazing tan.
I hope to make the updates a bit more regular now; and provide some more detail about what the kiddies are up to.
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