"There's a mouse in the loungeroom" said Marcus. No, actually a headless rat. Elf put it in a bag and put it in the freezer.
We have had a lot of rat action, probably something to do with the chooks and their chook pellets freely available a couple of doors up. Our loquat tree might have attracted them once but it hasnt fruited lately. Hobart City Council sent a small officious man to inspect. The rat nests are over our back fence on council property so we can't do anything ourselves. Will the council help us? No - they are "native rats" and protected. Elf has inquired and the two species of native rat are the water rat and the swamp rat - neither of whom would be likely to live burrowed in a hill methinks.
So - the rat is frozen and Elf is going to drop it into the boys down at forensic (or something) who will do all that CSI stuff, recreate the scene of its murder and hopefully tell us that is a plain old rattus rattus. Then we'll see if the council can do something useful.
[The small officious man is the same one who visited our Amnesty stall at Salamanca and said we had to stop selling Graham's marmalade until we have it labelled with full nutritional information].
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Thursday, June 30, 2005
One day in India, 1998
15/9/98 AGRA Hotel Safari
We were up at 5 and on the road to the Taj Mahal at 6. We walked for half an hour through a sort of military reserve area and then through Taj Ganj to the Taj gates.
We were stalked by a few trishaws. Bree and PJ were taunting them in various ways. I thought up a new one: I just stood behind the trishaw while the driver was trying to talk to me. They are in a little enclosed shell. As he spun it around looking for me, I just jogged after him, staying right on his bumper so he couldn't see me. I ended up chasing him down the street as he fled.
It was overcast, so rather than pay 100R extra to get in for sunrise, we backtracked and had breakfast at Joney's, nice cheese parathas and great masala chai (spiced milk tea). Colourful, plastic Pepsi décor, with black velvet paintings of English cottages.
Back at the Taj a few guides approached us. We engaged a Mr. Hashmal, who cost us 250R between three. It only costs 15R to get in to the Taj Mahal, about 60 cents.
Inside the entry gate we walked 100m to a central square filled with Indian tourists, many in large groups. Mr Hashmal showed us where to stand to take all the classic photos. On our right as we came in was a huge gate, and through it was a tantalising glimpse of white. We took turns to occupy The Spot, as people in front of us obligingly ducked and people behind us grumbled good-naturedly.
We were searched on our way through the gate. PJ was carrying a carton of cigarettes for bartering, and they were seized. We waited for her, so we would all see the Taj together.
My first sight was a magical moment. It is very, very, very beautiful. We entered a large open garden from the right, with red sandstone colonnades on three sides. The Taj sat at the far end, with the Yamuna River behind it. On the left and right facing one another were two ornate identical buildings, the mosque and the guesthouse.
Mr Hashmal led us to the next Photo Spot for the famous symmetrical shot. Bree had with her a tray with cotton-wool kittens under glass, given to her as some sort of punishment by her work colleagues, and I had my Richmond Tigers sponge bag. We took a few silly photos featuring them. Indians are very fond of trick photos where people are leaning on/eating/wearing on their heads the Taj.
Most people know the story that Shah Jahan built the tomb for his beautiful wife who died. He planned to build an identical black one across the river, but his son Aurangzeb deposed him and locked him in a tower, with a tiny window to look out on the Taj.
Everywhere were crowds of Indians from all over the country. There was a large group of Communist convention delegates wearing green scarves. A group of women called Bree over to be in their photo, and she dwarfed them. A group of teenage boys asked us to be in their photos too - the girls especially seem to be a huge novelty. We got a few shots of the lads with the kittens and the sponge bag.
I met and talked to a couple with a little 2 or 3 year old boy. He was very shy and they scolded him for it. They kept picking him up and placing him back in front of me. I played pat-a-cake with him for a while. It was lovely and cool, sitting in the shade on the damp marble. It was their fourth or fifth trip to the Taj, I think they were from Ahmedabad.
We took our shoes off to go up the marble steps to the tomb. There is a large terrace around the main building, with a slightly sloping tower at each end. In case of earthquake or bombardment, the towers were supposed to fall away from the Taj. There was a welcome cool breeze up on the terrace - below in the garden it was quite hot and muggy. The foundation of the planned Black Taj can be seen on the opposite riverbank, and the red Agra Fort looms among the newer city buildings.
Up close to the walls you can see the pietra dura, inlay of semi-precious stones. The different colours came from all over the world; black marble from Belgium, red garnet from Zimbabwe, and jade from China, blue lapis from Afghanistan and yellow something from somewhere else. There are four-sided half-columns that have an Islamic chevron design that makes them look eight-sided.
The whole thing is so wonderfully designed, by Persian and Turkish architects. It is quite small inside. Mr Hashmal ruthlessly shoved Indians aside to let us see the wonders close up. There are natural draughts created by geometric pierced marble screens placed to catch the prevailing winds. The tomb, the doors and the gate in the distance line up perfectly. The glimpse of the outside world through the gate makes the profane world outside seem like another beautiful aspect of the Taj itself - I was quite affected by it. I found a quiet corner of the garden after we thanked and paid Mr Hashmal, and just enjoyed being where I was.
On our way out we saw a lawn being 'mowed' - a line of women and girls on their haunches with hand scythes, inching their way across the grass in the hot sun, and carrying the cut grass in their skirts.
Outside was an amazing ruck of trishaw touts and souvenir sellers. Everyone asks where you are from, where you're staying, what you're paying and where you are going next. One kid wanted to sell me tickets to Jaipur. I said I already had tickets, and why would I buy them from a total stranger like him? He said 'You spend some time with me, I buy you chai, you buy me chai, then we'll be friends and you buy ticket from me'. There were bright plastic cameras for sale that looked too cute to be real.
We engaged three pushbike rickshaws to take us back to the hotel. We wanted to have a race, and the drivers obligingly overtook one another so we could all take photos of each other. My driver calls the squirrels 'gillies'.
A friend of Bree's had raved about a site outside Agra called Fatehpur Sikri, an abandoned city. We found a taxi driver who agreed to take us for 350 R, guaranteed no shopping stops. Taxi and trishaw drivers seem to make a high proportion of their income from commissions. Merchants pay them to bring passengers to them, whether the passenger wants to or not, and it can be a major pain in the neck.
The taxi was comfy, and the driver was a really nice guy with nine fingers. We saw a lot of small thatched huts in the fields. We were shocked to see captive himalayan bears dancing under coercion by the road. We took a short cut that is also used by big trucks. The road had very soft edges and the trucks were heeling over at alarming angles. I shot some very jumpy super 8.
The taxi broke down in the middle of nowhere. Nine Fingers flagged down a covered jeep, and he and we got a lift to Fatehpur Sikri. He roused a few passengers out to make room for us - some were hanging on the outside and some were left standing on the road waiting for another hitch, while we looked out the back guiltily. Soon the jeep was flying along, overtaking and veering around bears. It was not at all scary since we were oblivious of each oncoming vehicle until we had already survived it.
We tumbled out at the village of Sikri. Nine Fingers pointed the way to the site. He didn't speak much English, but I think we agreed to meet in two hours. Two boys were labouring up the hill with a big market barrow called an 'Indian trolley'. PJ and I thought they were slacking, so we showed them how to do it, sprinting to the top with it and leaving them and Bree behind.
Fatehpur Sikri was really impressive at first sight. Guides came out of the woodwork and the girls engaged one while I was staring open-mouthed at the huge steep flight of steps that led up to the main gate. [Banana lassi has just arrived.] He asked where we were from in Australia. When Bree said Sydney, he said 'SCG - very good for Allan Border'.
We foolishly went off and wasted one hour on a fairly nasty lunch in a flyblown dhaba (truckstop). I had a mughlai paratha, thinking that for 40R it must be delicious (they are normally 12R - 20R. It was just a big fried crispy mess with no filling, very bad value. Yuk.
Fatehpur was a city built to commemorate a Mogul war victory. Sikri was a town of Rajput warriors on a hill. Our guide Ataullha had a great gesture to say 'fighting' - clenched fists pulling apart and banging together. 'Fateh' means victory. Another story says that the king Akbar came here to ask the local saint Chishti for a son. When a son was duly born, he built a city here in thanks and installed Chishti in a beautiful mosque. It was all abandoned after only sixty years. Ataullha says Chishti told Akbar that a holy man and a fighting man (the gesture here) could not live together, so the king would have to get out of town. Our guidebook says the water supply was unreliable. Whatever.
We wandered around the outside, the walls of beautiful red local stone. This is where the stone for the Red Fort in Delhi was quarried. There were a lot of smaller less important buildings going back to the jungle, their walls crumbling and the stone blocks disappearing for houses and cow pens in the villages around.
Then we entered through a side gate and found ourselves in an enormous open square. I had to wear a little sarong arrangement to cover my knees, as we would be going into a mosque. I was in a bad mood because my camera had mis-loaded so I was out of film. Ataullha said 'I am unhappy because I don't think you are happy today'. We saw the saint's tomb, which was opposite the main gate. We stepped over many tombstones of other holy men. Ataullha led us into the mosque, where prayers were just finishing. The crowd were all men and boys. As they filed out a couple of the boys practiced their bowling actions. I did one too and they grinned. One man had blue eyes - very odd.
The view from the main gate was (again) breathtaking. This hill dominated a vast flat plain, you could see for miles. I was soaking it up as much as I could, on account of having no camera, while a youth tried to sell me a sandalwood chess set. He understood and spoke English quite well, so when I said it was the ugliest chess set I'd ever seen and if he didn't beat it I'd push him down that flight of steps I mentioned earlier, he got the message.
Ataullha took us out behind the mosque through the modern village built literally against the wall of the old city. He was after a commission by taking us to a souvenir shop, but we were running late so we just marched back out again. The blue eyed man was running the shop. On the way we saw the grave of a prince, with a tiny grave next to it of his beloved parrot. An old man in the village had a grey beard fringed with red henna. Mr Hashmal had told us that henna in the hair kept the head cool, but it seemed to be largely a cosmetic thing.
Nine Fingers and his brother were waiting for us at the bottom of the steps, in a different and very flash taxi. On the way back we stopped to buy some old bike inner tubes, which became a towrope when we got to the stricken taxi.
Unfortunately, a bear-man was there. I tried to ignore him, but we had to have the windows down or we would have suffocated. It wasn't just the bear, the guy was a maddening bastard, so I had a go at him, and if he'd had somewhere handy to tether the bear I think we would have ended up toe to toe. I was having a surly day.
We finally got going, then stopped after nightfall in a no-tourists part of Agra to drop off the first car. On the way into town there was a broken down trishaw blocking a narrow market street. We somehow squeezed both taxis through.
What I saw today from the car; tin trunk shops, boys sliding down an upturned cart, a play fight, a real fight, loads of goats, some pigs, a moped graveyard, people squatting and talking right in the middle of fields, a beautiful house painted blue and green, walls painted pepsi pepsi pepsi pepsi pepsi, a female soldier, a huge railyard, a stationary train out in the country, lots of stuff.
Lots of small shops; goods are piled in front, then the shallow shop, then a long yard behind. Water is everywhere and people shitting in it. Barbers, electrical repair shops, lots of STD/ISD phone shops, baby clothes. The barbers have a picture of sixteen standard haircuts on the wall to choose from.
I am drinking plenty of chai as advised by Arian. Joney's masala chai is my favourite so far. I have spent 20R on clothes-washing soap, 150R on Relaxo thongs that don't fit, a little on drinks and food, and the rest through the kitty on meals, travel and accommodation. I have 800 rupees left from the $US50 I changed at the airport.
Geckos on the walls, squirrels on the ground.
We were up at 5 and on the road to the Taj Mahal at 6. We walked for half an hour through a sort of military reserve area and then through Taj Ganj to the Taj gates.
We were stalked by a few trishaws. Bree and PJ were taunting them in various ways. I thought up a new one: I just stood behind the trishaw while the driver was trying to talk to me. They are in a little enclosed shell. As he spun it around looking for me, I just jogged after him, staying right on his bumper so he couldn't see me. I ended up chasing him down the street as he fled.
It was overcast, so rather than pay 100R extra to get in for sunrise, we backtracked and had breakfast at Joney's, nice cheese parathas and great masala chai (spiced milk tea). Colourful, plastic Pepsi décor, with black velvet paintings of English cottages.
Back at the Taj a few guides approached us. We engaged a Mr. Hashmal, who cost us 250R between three. It only costs 15R to get in to the Taj Mahal, about 60 cents.
Inside the entry gate we walked 100m to a central square filled with Indian tourists, many in large groups. Mr Hashmal showed us where to stand to take all the classic photos. On our right as we came in was a huge gate, and through it was a tantalising glimpse of white. We took turns to occupy The Spot, as people in front of us obligingly ducked and people behind us grumbled good-naturedly.
We were searched on our way through the gate. PJ was carrying a carton of cigarettes for bartering, and they were seized. We waited for her, so we would all see the Taj together.
My first sight was a magical moment. It is very, very, very beautiful. We entered a large open garden from the right, with red sandstone colonnades on three sides. The Taj sat at the far end, with the Yamuna River behind it. On the left and right facing one another were two ornate identical buildings, the mosque and the guesthouse.
Mr Hashmal led us to the next Photo Spot for the famous symmetrical shot. Bree had with her a tray with cotton-wool kittens under glass, given to her as some sort of punishment by her work colleagues, and I had my Richmond Tigers sponge bag. We took a few silly photos featuring them. Indians are very fond of trick photos where people are leaning on/eating/wearing on their heads the Taj.
Most people know the story that Shah Jahan built the tomb for his beautiful wife who died. He planned to build an identical black one across the river, but his son Aurangzeb deposed him and locked him in a tower, with a tiny window to look out on the Taj.
Everywhere were crowds of Indians from all over the country. There was a large group of Communist convention delegates wearing green scarves. A group of women called Bree over to be in their photo, and she dwarfed them. A group of teenage boys asked us to be in their photos too - the girls especially seem to be a huge novelty. We got a few shots of the lads with the kittens and the sponge bag.
I met and talked to a couple with a little 2 or 3 year old boy. He was very shy and they scolded him for it. They kept picking him up and placing him back in front of me. I played pat-a-cake with him for a while. It was lovely and cool, sitting in the shade on the damp marble. It was their fourth or fifth trip to the Taj, I think they were from Ahmedabad.
We took our shoes off to go up the marble steps to the tomb. There is a large terrace around the main building, with a slightly sloping tower at each end. In case of earthquake or bombardment, the towers were supposed to fall away from the Taj. There was a welcome cool breeze up on the terrace - below in the garden it was quite hot and muggy. The foundation of the planned Black Taj can be seen on the opposite riverbank, and the red Agra Fort looms among the newer city buildings.
Up close to the walls you can see the pietra dura, inlay of semi-precious stones. The different colours came from all over the world; black marble from Belgium, red garnet from Zimbabwe, and jade from China, blue lapis from Afghanistan and yellow something from somewhere else. There are four-sided half-columns that have an Islamic chevron design that makes them look eight-sided.
The whole thing is so wonderfully designed, by Persian and Turkish architects. It is quite small inside. Mr Hashmal ruthlessly shoved Indians aside to let us see the wonders close up. There are natural draughts created by geometric pierced marble screens placed to catch the prevailing winds. The tomb, the doors and the gate in the distance line up perfectly. The glimpse of the outside world through the gate makes the profane world outside seem like another beautiful aspect of the Taj itself - I was quite affected by it. I found a quiet corner of the garden after we thanked and paid Mr Hashmal, and just enjoyed being where I was.
On our way out we saw a lawn being 'mowed' - a line of women and girls on their haunches with hand scythes, inching their way across the grass in the hot sun, and carrying the cut grass in their skirts.
Outside was an amazing ruck of trishaw touts and souvenir sellers. Everyone asks where you are from, where you're staying, what you're paying and where you are going next. One kid wanted to sell me tickets to Jaipur. I said I already had tickets, and why would I buy them from a total stranger like him? He said 'You spend some time with me, I buy you chai, you buy me chai, then we'll be friends and you buy ticket from me'. There were bright plastic cameras for sale that looked too cute to be real.
We engaged three pushbike rickshaws to take us back to the hotel. We wanted to have a race, and the drivers obligingly overtook one another so we could all take photos of each other. My driver calls the squirrels 'gillies'.
A friend of Bree's had raved about a site outside Agra called Fatehpur Sikri, an abandoned city. We found a taxi driver who agreed to take us for 350 R, guaranteed no shopping stops. Taxi and trishaw drivers seem to make a high proportion of their income from commissions. Merchants pay them to bring passengers to them, whether the passenger wants to or not, and it can be a major pain in the neck.
The taxi was comfy, and the driver was a really nice guy with nine fingers. We saw a lot of small thatched huts in the fields. We were shocked to see captive himalayan bears dancing under coercion by the road. We took a short cut that is also used by big trucks. The road had very soft edges and the trucks were heeling over at alarming angles. I shot some very jumpy super 8.
The taxi broke down in the middle of nowhere. Nine Fingers flagged down a covered jeep, and he and we got a lift to Fatehpur Sikri. He roused a few passengers out to make room for us - some were hanging on the outside and some were left standing on the road waiting for another hitch, while we looked out the back guiltily. Soon the jeep was flying along, overtaking and veering around bears. It was not at all scary since we were oblivious of each oncoming vehicle until we had already survived it.
We tumbled out at the village of Sikri. Nine Fingers pointed the way to the site. He didn't speak much English, but I think we agreed to meet in two hours. Two boys were labouring up the hill with a big market barrow called an 'Indian trolley'. PJ and I thought they were slacking, so we showed them how to do it, sprinting to the top with it and leaving them and Bree behind.
Fatehpur Sikri was really impressive at first sight. Guides came out of the woodwork and the girls engaged one while I was staring open-mouthed at the huge steep flight of steps that led up to the main gate. [Banana lassi has just arrived.] He asked where we were from in Australia. When Bree said Sydney, he said 'SCG - very good for Allan Border'.
We foolishly went off and wasted one hour on a fairly nasty lunch in a flyblown dhaba (truckstop). I had a mughlai paratha, thinking that for 40R it must be delicious (they are normally 12R - 20R. It was just a big fried crispy mess with no filling, very bad value. Yuk.
Fatehpur was a city built to commemorate a Mogul war victory. Sikri was a town of Rajput warriors on a hill. Our guide Ataullha had a great gesture to say 'fighting' - clenched fists pulling apart and banging together. 'Fateh' means victory. Another story says that the king Akbar came here to ask the local saint Chishti for a son. When a son was duly born, he built a city here in thanks and installed Chishti in a beautiful mosque. It was all abandoned after only sixty years. Ataullha says Chishti told Akbar that a holy man and a fighting man (the gesture here) could not live together, so the king would have to get out of town. Our guidebook says the water supply was unreliable. Whatever.
We wandered around the outside, the walls of beautiful red local stone. This is where the stone for the Red Fort in Delhi was quarried. There were a lot of smaller less important buildings going back to the jungle, their walls crumbling and the stone blocks disappearing for houses and cow pens in the villages around.
Then we entered through a side gate and found ourselves in an enormous open square. I had to wear a little sarong arrangement to cover my knees, as we would be going into a mosque. I was in a bad mood because my camera had mis-loaded so I was out of film. Ataullha said 'I am unhappy because I don't think you are happy today'. We saw the saint's tomb, which was opposite the main gate. We stepped over many tombstones of other holy men. Ataullha led us into the mosque, where prayers were just finishing. The crowd were all men and boys. As they filed out a couple of the boys practiced their bowling actions. I did one too and they grinned. One man had blue eyes - very odd.
The view from the main gate was (again) breathtaking. This hill dominated a vast flat plain, you could see for miles. I was soaking it up as much as I could, on account of having no camera, while a youth tried to sell me a sandalwood chess set. He understood and spoke English quite well, so when I said it was the ugliest chess set I'd ever seen and if he didn't beat it I'd push him down that flight of steps I mentioned earlier, he got the message.
Ataullha took us out behind the mosque through the modern village built literally against the wall of the old city. He was after a commission by taking us to a souvenir shop, but we were running late so we just marched back out again. The blue eyed man was running the shop. On the way we saw the grave of a prince, with a tiny grave next to it of his beloved parrot. An old man in the village had a grey beard fringed with red henna. Mr Hashmal had told us that henna in the hair kept the head cool, but it seemed to be largely a cosmetic thing.
Nine Fingers and his brother were waiting for us at the bottom of the steps, in a different and very flash taxi. On the way back we stopped to buy some old bike inner tubes, which became a towrope when we got to the stricken taxi.
Unfortunately, a bear-man was there. I tried to ignore him, but we had to have the windows down or we would have suffocated. It wasn't just the bear, the guy was a maddening bastard, so I had a go at him, and if he'd had somewhere handy to tether the bear I think we would have ended up toe to toe. I was having a surly day.
We finally got going, then stopped after nightfall in a no-tourists part of Agra to drop off the first car. On the way into town there was a broken down trishaw blocking a narrow market street. We somehow squeezed both taxis through.
What I saw today from the car; tin trunk shops, boys sliding down an upturned cart, a play fight, a real fight, loads of goats, some pigs, a moped graveyard, people squatting and talking right in the middle of fields, a beautiful house painted blue and green, walls painted pepsi pepsi pepsi pepsi pepsi, a female soldier, a huge railyard, a stationary train out in the country, lots of stuff.
Lots of small shops; goods are piled in front, then the shallow shop, then a long yard behind. Water is everywhere and people shitting in it. Barbers, electrical repair shops, lots of STD/ISD phone shops, baby clothes. The barbers have a picture of sixteen standard haircuts on the wall to choose from.
I am drinking plenty of chai as advised by Arian. Joney's masala chai is my favourite so far. I have spent 20R on clothes-washing soap, 150R on Relaxo thongs that don't fit, a little on drinks and food, and the rest through the kitty on meals, travel and accommodation. I have 800 rupees left from the $US50 I changed at the airport.
Geckos on the walls, squirrels on the ground.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Don Scott
1970s Hawthorn ruckman Don Scott is "a smelly bottom" according to Marcus. There is a picture of him on the back of a big football book that actually was a gift to Elf from her mum. The Fullagar family have a talent for quirky gifts. Have I mentioned the oxo cube wrapped in tinfoil? Best not.
Anyway. The back cover is a montage of old footy cards and so on, and this one has a caricature of big Don with his blousy long hair and big lips - he famously turned up to a tribunal hearing one evening carrying a manbag. And Marcus has taken one look at this outlandish caricature of this outlandish man and nailed him for what he always was. A smelly bottom. Perhaps the brown and yellow Hawthorn guernsey is to blame.
Anyway. The back cover is a montage of old footy cards and so on, and this one has a caricature of big Don with his blousy long hair and big lips - he famously turned up to a tribunal hearing one evening carrying a manbag. And Marcus has taken one look at this outlandish caricature of this outlandish man and nailed him for what he always was. A smelly bottom. Perhaps the brown and yellow Hawthorn guernsey is to blame.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Miscellaneous
Its mild today, I just walked to work in shorts. Yesterday the frost was inches thick on the shady sides of streets.
Tumbledryer psychology: I find that I set the timer dial according to how badly I want the items dry, rather than how long it will realistically take. Eg - pair of socks/running late for work = set timer to 80 minutes.
A friend of a friend won $500,000 on Millionaire last night. Its the first time I've watched it in ages. I knew Yemen, I knew Jaques-Louis David, but I didnt know lugubrious. I might have come away with a few grand though.
Idea for a cartoon - friend says to upper classy looking wife, "How is George going with retirement?" Wife - "Oh, you know, he sits on a few boards and so on". (Friend can't see George in the shed reading newspaper and sitting on a few boards).
Tumbledryer psychology: I find that I set the timer dial according to how badly I want the items dry, rather than how long it will realistically take. Eg - pair of socks/running late for work = set timer to 80 minutes.
A friend of a friend won $500,000 on Millionaire last night. Its the first time I've watched it in ages. I knew Yemen, I knew Jaques-Louis David, but I didnt know lugubrious. I might have come away with a few grand though.
Idea for a cartoon - friend says to upper classy looking wife, "How is George going with retirement?" Wife - "Oh, you know, he sits on a few boards and so on". (Friend can't see George in the shed reading newspaper and sitting on a few boards).
Monday, June 27, 2005
Piano-like
I have a very strange old piece of furniture. It has had a long happy life in an office at some time. It is a kind of hutch, with a few little square pigeonholes and large open area supported by turned wooden pillars like miniature chair legs. There once were six but by the time I bought it second hand, one of the central ones was missing. Marcus was looking at it the other day and he said "This is like a piano. There's three, then there's two". I thought it was an excellent observation - the remaining pillars look like the pattern of the black keys on a piano.
Michael is dancing beautifully now. A bit of foot stamping, some spinning and gyrating - he's quite a mover.
Michael is dancing beautifully now. A bit of foot stamping, some spinning and gyrating - he's quite a mover.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
White water
I walked to work this morning. It's stopped raining after about five days - so not quite biblical proportions. We really needed it too. The little rivulet actually had white water rapids this morning.
I went to Jeff Blake's solo show Cancelled by Popular Demand last night. I was very impressed and urge everyone to get along. I think I'll go again on Sunday with Elf. The saga about Bob de Niro falling in love with a zebra and being mauled by lions was superb.
I went to Jeff Blake's solo show Cancelled by Popular Demand last night. I was very impressed and urge everyone to get along. I think I'll go again on Sunday with Elf. The saga about Bob de Niro falling in love with a zebra and being mauled by lions was superb.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Japanese
Marcus had a bad dream last night. "We were flying to Japanese on a plane, and a bad man took our white bag so we missed our plane. Then another plane to Japanese came and we were going to go but a lot of people came and took our other bags".
Michael is saying "I running!" "I spinning!" etc as he does them. He can point to or waggle his; ears, nose, eyes, hair, fingers, hands, feet and head. He calls Marcus "Marcoose" and he calls Giz "Giz". He said "daddy" when I picked him up from Allisons on Monday - the first time he hasnt come running to me yelling "Mummy!"
It was the boys last day at "school" yesterday. A little traumatic but only for me. I was surprised no-one in the office had told the ladies who actually care for the boys. I told them and they were disappointed but understood it was unavoidable. Elf's new job starts next week and the boys will start at "New School" then too.
Michael is saying "I running!" "I spinning!" etc as he does them. He can point to or waggle his; ears, nose, eyes, hair, fingers, hands, feet and head. He calls Marcus "Marcoose" and he calls Giz "Giz". He said "daddy" when I picked him up from Allisons on Monday - the first time he hasnt come running to me yelling "Mummy!"
It was the boys last day at "school" yesterday. A little traumatic but only for me. I was surprised no-one in the office had told the ladies who actually care for the boys. I told them and they were disappointed but understood it was unavoidable. Elf's new job starts next week and the boys will start at "New School" then too.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Beach
We went to the beach on Saturday. Sounds mad doesnt it? It wasnt all that cold, probably about 12°, and no wind. We were visiting the Cruikshanks out at South Arm, and all the kids were a little bit stir crazy so we went for a walk. Its a lovely little beach, just down the lane and across the highway and down another lane from their front gate. The kids all dropped daks and skipped about in the water, mad little loons.
Marcus was right about Tingletree. It was the worst school in Australia. We have found somewehere else though, quite close to Elf's new job and quite close to mine too. The boys will have a visit there on Thursday with Elf and then start there the following Thursday and Friday.
I took the boys to the boat park yesterday, and my old soccer team were playing on the ground adjacent. I reckon I could still hold down a place in defence - they looked pretty pedestrian. I got out our soccer ball and both boys booted it about quite enthusiastically. I really enjoy taking them to wide open spaces because they so obviously love it.
Marcus was right about Tingletree. It was the worst school in Australia. We have found somewehere else though, quite close to Elf's new job and quite close to mine too. The boys will have a visit there on Thursday with Elf and then start there the following Thursday and Friday.
I took the boys to the boat park yesterday, and my old soccer team were playing on the ground adjacent. I reckon I could still hold down a place in defence - they looked pretty pedestrian. I got out our soccer ball and both boys booted it about quite enthusiastically. I really enjoy taking them to wide open spaces because they so obviously love it.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Harsh judgement
Elf is changing jobs. Well, her old job was a maternity leave position, so we knew it would end around now. Her old job was Monday - Wednesday, but the new job is Wednesday - Friday. This means we have to find new childcare places for the boys as the current place is booked out and can't just swap days. They are both enjoying what Marcus calls "school" so its a shame.
Elf is taking Marcus and Michael today to see "Tingletree" which is a daycare place in New Town. I mentioned it to Marcus (who has never heard of it before) that we were hoping it would be a good "school". He said, "It's a bad school. Its the baddest school in Australia!"
So - we'll see. I hope its like when he won't come to the table, and says he hates dinner because its yucky, then when he eats a bit he wolfs it all down and asks for more.
Elf is taking Marcus and Michael today to see "Tingletree" which is a daycare place in New Town. I mentioned it to Marcus (who has never heard of it before) that we were hoping it would be a good "school". He said, "It's a bad school. Its the baddest school in Australia!"
So - we'll see. I hope its like when he won't come to the table, and says he hates dinner because its yucky, then when he eats a bit he wolfs it all down and asks for more.
Leaves
There are a few hardy leaves still clinging to trees. The sun is very low now, and this morning as I walked to work it was making the usually dark leaves a translucent red-brown. It looked beautiful against the blue sky.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Go taxonomists, go
The scientific name of the lowland gorilla is gorilla gorilla .
Don't confuse this with the western lowland gorilla, which of course is gorilla gorilla gorilla. They get extremely pissed off if you mix them up with one another.
Don't confuse this with the western lowland gorilla, which of course is gorilla gorilla gorilla. They get extremely pissed off if you mix them up with one another.
Scratcho
Marcus: "Mum - Hattie scratched me!"
Elf: "Were you playing biffo with her?"
Marcus:" Yes, I was playing biffo with her, and she was playing scratcho with me".
Elf: "Were you playing biffo with her?"
Marcus:" Yes, I was playing biffo with her, and she was playing scratcho with me".
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Rees scores!
Marcus and I kicked a soccer ball around on the big soccer ground yesterday. We kicked a few goals, but Marcus got the idea in his head that to really be a goal the ball had to end up tangled at the bottom of the rusty chain-link fence. Unfortunately this ruled out one or two of my spectacular half-volleys from the edge of the penalty area.
Marcus dribbled a few through but he got the hang of running up to a dead ball to get more oomph, and then scored a beauty from outside the 6-yard box. Rees scores - Rees United are one up!
Another game Marcus devised required me to stand still on one side of the ground while he dribbled towards me from so far away that he was a mere speck in the distance. When he finally reached me I was bawled out (in oddly familiar phrases) for standing in the wrong place. "Next time listen to what I tell you!".
Marcus dribbled a few through but he got the hang of running up to a dead ball to get more oomph, and then scored a beauty from outside the 6-yard box. Rees scores - Rees United are one up!
Another game Marcus devised required me to stand still on one side of the ground while he dribbled towards me from so far away that he was a mere speck in the distance. When he finally reached me I was bawled out (in oddly familiar phrases) for standing in the wrong place. "Next time listen to what I tell you!".
Quotable quotes from the weekend
"So, we have seen two planes today - one jet plane, and one prr, er, pell, er.. one other sort of plane." - Marcus
"Fire!" - Michael
"3 plus 3 plus 3 is nine!" - Marcus
"Water!" - Michael
"Have you got any... kings?" - Marcus, who has taken to playing cards
"No - MINE!" - Michael
"Fire!" - Michael
"3 plus 3 plus 3 is nine!" - Marcus
"Water!" - Michael
"Have you got any... kings?" - Marcus, who has taken to playing cards
"No - MINE!" - Michael
Happy birthday Betty
Queen's Birthday long weekend. Usually long weekends are pretty hard work, but I felt like we got through this one pretty well. I have such a cushy job in such a convivial atmosphere that it is very hard to think of even ordinary weekends as "rest" anyway.
We went to Bonorong Park on Sunday to pat and feed kangaroos and wallabies. Marcus got to pat one of the koalas too. We go out there at least once a year, this was the first time both boys have been ambling around. Marcus took Michael's hand and led him down towards the first mob of wallabies - then left him and ran up to the first one, squatted down and said "Good morning". I thought that was hilarious.
We had a lot of roo poo on shoe and stroller wheels by the time we left, and I'm sorry to say (from a public health standpoint) that we tracked a lot of it into the Royal Hobart where we went to meet Nick and Anna's new baby Katherine Rose. Everything went well with the labour and she is bonny, sleeping and feeding well. Anna is tired but, one must say, radiant.
We went to Bonorong Park on Sunday to pat and feed kangaroos and wallabies. Marcus got to pat one of the koalas too. We go out there at least once a year, this was the first time both boys have been ambling around. Marcus took Michael's hand and led him down towards the first mob of wallabies - then left him and ran up to the first one, squatted down and said "Good morning". I thought that was hilarious.
We had a lot of roo poo on shoe and stroller wheels by the time we left, and I'm sorry to say (from a public health standpoint) that we tracked a lot of it into the Royal Hobart where we went to meet Nick and Anna's new baby Katherine Rose. Everything went well with the labour and she is bonny, sleeping and feeding well. Anna is tired but, one must say, radiant.
Friday, June 10, 2005
Space
I've been re-reading Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. Everyone should read it.
Did you know if you sat Pluto on top of the USA it would only cover about half? Its tiny. Its smaller than our moon. I thought Pluto was the edge of the solar system, but there is actually stuff orbiting our sun that is fifty thousand times further away than Pluto.
I thought that the diagram of the solar system in the front of my Jacaranda atlas was to scale. I have always pictured it being this way when I read about space stuff. In fact, if Jupiter was the size of a pea, Pluto would be about 2km away and it would be the size of a bacterium. I would quite like to make a proper scale model. But if the biggest planet was a pea and the whole shebang was 4 or 5km long there would have to be some big arrows pointing out the planets.
I'll get back to you on the scale model.
Did you know if you sat Pluto on top of the USA it would only cover about half? Its tiny. Its smaller than our moon. I thought Pluto was the edge of the solar system, but there is actually stuff orbiting our sun that is fifty thousand times further away than Pluto.
I thought that the diagram of the solar system in the front of my Jacaranda atlas was to scale. I have always pictured it being this way when I read about space stuff. In fact, if Jupiter was the size of a pea, Pluto would be about 2km away and it would be the size of a bacterium. I would quite like to make a proper scale model. But if the biggest planet was a pea and the whole shebang was 4 or 5km long there would have to be some big arrows pointing out the planets.
I'll get back to you on the scale model.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
September 11 explained
I was talking with Marcus about an old postcard from New York, and somehow we got onto the World Trade Centre being "knocked down by a plane". Actually it was my fault for saying they "used to be" the biggest towers in the world. Why did they get knocked down by a plane? "It was a big mistake" I lied.
Then a day later - were there people in the buildings? Were they at the top or the bottom? I told him lots of people were in there. They are dead now, they're gone for good. [We are trying to teach him not to lightly bandy around the words "kill" and "die" by teaching him that it is permanent and very serious].
"That's a little bit sad" he said. Probably empathising with the building - he hates it when the towers he builds get knocked down.
Then a day later - were there people in the buildings? Were they at the top or the bottom? I told him lots of people were in there. They are dead now, they're gone for good. [We are trying to teach him not to lightly bandy around the words "kill" and "die" by teaching him that it is permanent and very serious].
"That's a little bit sad" he said. Probably empathising with the building - he hates it when the towers he builds get knocked down.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Freezing fog
Fog. Frost. Freezing fogs and frosts. Fog was rolling down the valley past our place this morning. It seems to mimic the water - all the tributaries meeting at the main flow. The rivulet flows down into the Derwent River, and our little stream of fog follows along above it and joins the massive bank of fog going down the Derwent. The river fog here is called Bridgewater Jerry for some reason lost in time.
Question - does the fog come up from the water? Or does the fog originate in some mystical way at the same source as the water and just follow it? Water follows contours, and so does fog, but fog has a bit of extra gaseous freedom that lets it waft around with the wind.
So, in closing: fog eh?
Question - does the fog come up from the water? Or does the fog originate in some mystical way at the same source as the water and just follow it? Water follows contours, and so does fog, but fog has a bit of extra gaseous freedom that lets it waft around with the wind.
So, in closing: fog eh?
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Turkish body language
Turks indicate yes [evet] by nodding forward and down. To say no [hayır] nod your head up and back, lifting your eyebrows at the same time. or just raise your eyebrows - that's no too. - Lonely Planet Guide to Turkey
I hope this is helpful to anyone in Turkey, going to Turkey or just surrounded by Turks who are constantly asking them questions.
I hope this is helpful to anyone in Turkey, going to Turkey or just surrounded by Turks who are constantly asking them questions.
About Giants - by Marcus
Giants can be fat tall, tall tall or medium tall. Giants are kind. There are people giants, car giants, house giants, truck giants and bus giants. Yes, people giants live in house giants. Giants can do helicopters and aeroplanes too. You are tall Dad, but you aren't a giant.
Monday, June 06, 2005
McBirthday
We took the boys to a birthday party at Kingston McDonalds yesterday. One of the kids was named Zeno (mum and dad found the name in a book). Books have a lot to answer for. I relived my extreme skydiving bungy-jumping days by going in to help Marcus find the way out of Hamburglar's climbing gym/maze/slide. You have to be able to walk under Hamburglar's finger to be admitted, BUT the fine print says that kids 3 and under have to be accompained by an adult. Shoes must be taken off, and I noticed all the little slots in the shoe-tidy fitted probably size 6 shoes maximum. I don't think many mums and dads actually get in there, and I don't blame them. I am no gymnast, I am 6ft and nearly 100kg, and the downward double corkscrew at the end nearly did me in. They would have had to cut me out with an oxytorch. Lucky I had only eaten a filet-o-fish.
Michael has been saying things like "hand" and "finger" and Marcus is very keen to visit Central Park, New York - heavily influenced by the Wiggles mentioning that there are squirrels.
Michael has been saying things like "hand" and "finger" and Marcus is very keen to visit Central Park, New York - heavily influenced by the Wiggles mentioning that there are squirrels.
Friday, June 03, 2005
Exhaustion
Sorry - exhaustion starting to set in. Not a lot of brain power available for blogging. Will make notes this weekend for big blog week next week.
Here is a recent pic of the boys working out on the whiteboard. The world map in the background makes it look like they are planning world domination - and maybe they are.
Here is a recent pic of the boys working out on the whiteboard. The world map in the background makes it look like they are planning world domination - and maybe they are.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Grasshopper gloves
"Why is the grasshopper wearing gloves Dad?" asked Marcus. He's seen this video a few times and he always asks the same question. The grasshopper is also wearing a dandy straw hat and what we used to call "gym boots" but its the gloves that draw comment. Finally he worked it out on his own. "He's wearing gloves so when he changes the OTHER grasshoppers he doesn't get poo on his hands".
Today is Michael's first day at Friends Early Learning Centre ("school"). He seemed OK when I dropped him off and I havent heard anything so I hope its going OK.
Today is Michael's first day at Friends Early Learning Centre ("school"). He seemed OK when I dropped him off and I havent heard anything so I hope its going OK.
Monday, May 30, 2005
DOMS is live
Dust On My Shoes is now live on the internet at www.abc.net.au/dustonmyshoes/
I got a shock to navigate to the promotional site that has been there for nine months saying "coming soon" and the real thing started downloading before my eyes! I have worked on similar size projects before but always for CD-ROMS. Being live on the net means a) potentially many thousands of people could see it and b) its tempting to keep fiddling with it. When you send a CD-ROM off to the factory to be pressed its all over.
Note - it is a broadband site. If you have a dial-up connection don't even try to view it, it will just be too frustrating. Sorry. Send me a message and I'll email you some edited highlights.
I got a shock to navigate to the promotional site that has been there for nine months saying "coming soon" and the real thing started downloading before my eyes! I have worked on similar size projects before but always for CD-ROMS. Being live on the net means a) potentially many thousands of people could see it and b) its tempting to keep fiddling with it. When you send a CD-ROM off to the factory to be pressed its all over.
Note - it is a broadband site. If you have a dial-up connection don't even try to view it, it will just be too frustrating. Sorry. Send me a message and I'll email you some edited highlights.
Sorry Dad
I heard "Sorry Dad" about 47 times this weekend. Marcus is in a very trying mood. A few times he seemed to be disobeying just to see what would happen. Then twice he became really upset because I was annoyed with him and only calmed down when I assured him I wasn't angry any more. Elf and I both get really tired of yelling at him.
We have been sending him to his room but we are thinking of instituting the "naughty mat" near the front door. Sometimes when he's in his room with the door shut he just settles down with a good book and it has no effect at all. He says "sorry" a lot but he hasn't learned yet that it doesnt undo what's been done. It comes out very glibly sometimes.
I feel bad because Michael is a stubborn and sometimes naughty boy but he gets off scot free often because he is little. We try to be consistent but it is exhausting. Marcus is just terrific with him and loves to play with him, but because he is twice Michael's size we always have to stop them getting carried away.
We have been sending him to his room but we are thinking of instituting the "naughty mat" near the front door. Sometimes when he's in his room with the door shut he just settles down with a good book and it has no effect at all. He says "sorry" a lot but he hasn't learned yet that it doesnt undo what's been done. It comes out very glibly sometimes.
I feel bad because Michael is a stubborn and sometimes naughty boy but he gets off scot free often because he is little. We try to be consistent but it is exhausting. Marcus is just terrific with him and loves to play with him, but because he is twice Michael's size we always have to stop them getting carried away.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Bunks
We have passed Marcus' single bed on to Lily and bought bunks. Michael is still in his cot but some time in the next 6 months we will un-bunk the bunks and pop him in one. Marcus is keen for Michael to sleep in with him, which is endearing but not practical. I guess people short on money and space popped all the kids in one bed as a matter of course, maybe still do. I must ask Nick, he had the most deprived childhood of anyone I know.
What I started this post to say was I got some wooden letters out of the shed for the kids to play with - I made an unsuccessful mobile out of them years ago. Marcus laid the D on its back and said - its a bed! The D has big serifs that turn into the legs of the bed. Well observed and creative thinking. And now - a little D on its back on top of the big D - "They're bunks dad!"
Mum and Dad visited for a couple of days and the boys enjoyed seeing them a lot. They are off on a overland journey and we won't see them again until cricket season.
What I started this post to say was I got some wooden letters out of the shed for the kids to play with - I made an unsuccessful mobile out of them years ago. Marcus laid the D on its back and said - its a bed! The D has big serifs that turn into the legs of the bed. Well observed and creative thinking. And now - a little D on its back on top of the big D - "They're bunks dad!"
Mum and Dad visited for a couple of days and the boys enjoyed seeing them a lot. They are off on a overland journey and we won't see them again until cricket season.
Food
We're having trouble getting Michael to eat, again. He's got another tooth or possibly teeth coming through, so that might be why. He is soccer-dribbling a ball down the hallway now and then giving it a final boot as he goes off to do something else. Michael plays happily in the boys' bedroom in a way Marcus never has. Often we find him just sitting looking through books. He also stands in front of bookshelves and puts his head on one side the way one does when browsing for something to read. Does he recognise the spines of the books? Who can say.
From "Guide to Horses of the World" - one of the varieties of bit is the old, reliable jointed snaffle.
From "Guide to Horses of the World" - one of the varieties of bit is the old, reliable jointed snaffle.
Monday, May 23, 2005
Ratty
Marcus wouldnt have a midday sleep yesterday, and he got progressively rattier and more out of control as the day went on until he finally crashed out in front of a video. I had to ban him from going anywhere near the cats, and was close to banning him from going near Michael. They are both ambulatory now, and the size imbalance will never be greater than it is now, so hopefully things will gradually get easier to police.
Marcus "shirtfronted" Michael at one stage [quoting my mum - nice one mum] and was surprised and alarmed at the damage he might have done. Michael was fine though.
I am now on the Richmond bandwagon. They have beaten both last year's grand finalists, are 3rd on the ladder and only have 2 more interstate games. I have been hesitant because good starts have so often turned to ashes by July. I do feel it might be different this year. I will now boldly predict a finish in 5th spot, and a win in the first week of the finals. Go Tiges!
Marcus "shirtfronted" Michael at one stage [quoting my mum - nice one mum] and was surprised and alarmed at the damage he might have done. Michael was fine though.
I am now on the Richmond bandwagon. They have beaten both last year's grand finalists, are 3rd on the ladder and only have 2 more interstate games. I have been hesitant because good starts have so often turned to ashes by July. I do feel it might be different this year. I will now boldly predict a finish in 5th spot, and a win in the first week of the finals. Go Tiges!
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Marcus - nippy forward pocket
At dinner last night Marcus was telling us about what he did at the park with the daycare kids in the morning.
"I ran like this (runs around in a circle, arms pumping) and jumped like this (mighty leap) and then I caught a goal".
We asked - did the crowd cheer? Did they say "Marcus Rees scored a goal!"
"Yes. And daddy's radio said (adopts deep voice) 'Marcus Rees scores a goal and pops it through' "
"I ran like this (runs around in a circle, arms pumping) and jumped like this (mighty leap) and then I caught a goal".
We asked - did the crowd cheer? Did they say "Marcus Rees scored a goal!"
"Yes. And daddy's radio said (adopts deep voice) 'Marcus Rees scores a goal and pops it through' "
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
My hair is dancing!
So said Marcus this morning as he wagged his head along to the Wiggles.
Michael is walking about quite a bit. He is taking things with him now, which is a development.
Last night, two minutes after we got home, both boys were down on the floor seperately poring over jigsaw puzzles, quiet as mice. It gladdened the heart.
From "Guide to Horses of the World" - on the Camarguais pony of France:
Some tendency to upright shoulder, but chest good and body short and strong in the loins. Hindquarters slight, with a penchant for goose rumps.
What?
Michael is walking about quite a bit. He is taking things with him now, which is a development.
Last night, two minutes after we got home, both boys were down on the floor seperately poring over jigsaw puzzles, quiet as mice. It gladdened the heart.
From "Guide to Horses of the World" - on the Camarguais pony of France:
Some tendency to upright shoulder, but chest good and body short and strong in the loins. Hindquarters slight, with a penchant for goose rumps.
What?
Monday, May 16, 2005
Trading Up
We are now proud owners of the Ice Cream Car. It was nice taking the boys to Allison's this morning and cruising back to town listening to a CD. We do feel it is all a bit schmicko for us, but I guess in time it will be wall to wall crumbs, little plastic dinosaurs and wodged up tissues.
Marcus and I proudly stuck the Richmond membership stickers all over it last night. Elf was a bit resistant - but there are a lot of white Subaru Outbacks out there and its important we can tell it apart in the carpark. And the Tigers are travelling pretty well too.
Marcus is starting to get interested in the varieties of football. Yesterday he and I were kicking a soccer ball and he worked out some complicated rules where he would "catch a goal" by running up to the ball, doing a dance then diving on it. A goal is signalled by poking out two fingers a number of times. He was "the umpire" and I was "the person" and when the person catches a goal, the umpire says "That's a goal, person".
Michael is tearing around at terrifying speeds pushing the quadcycle now, like Marcus did - with the added excitement of Marcus running after him and tackling him to the ground or occasionally giving him an old-fashioned coathanger across the throat. We had hoped to be in a bigger house by the time Michael was this mobile. Winter in the hallway is going to be very lively I think.
Marcus and I proudly stuck the Richmond membership stickers all over it last night. Elf was a bit resistant - but there are a lot of white Subaru Outbacks out there and its important we can tell it apart in the carpark. And the Tigers are travelling pretty well too.
Marcus is starting to get interested in the varieties of football. Yesterday he and I were kicking a soccer ball and he worked out some complicated rules where he would "catch a goal" by running up to the ball, doing a dance then diving on it. A goal is signalled by poking out two fingers a number of times. He was "the umpire" and I was "the person" and when the person catches a goal, the umpire says "That's a goal, person".
Michael is tearing around at terrifying speeds pushing the quadcycle now, like Marcus did - with the added excitement of Marcus running after him and tackling him to the ground or occasionally giving him an old-fashioned coathanger across the throat. We had hoped to be in a bigger house by the time Michael was this mobile. Winter in the hallway is going to be very lively I think.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Counting baby
Michael is counting and alphabetising like a champ. He has a terrific ear for words and a good memory, like Marcus. He can sing all of the ABCDEFG... song, hitting every second or third letter and giving approximate wumfles for the others. If you say "one", he says "two". If anyone says "OK?" to anyone else, he butts in with "OK!" He is walking a little more often each day - I get a huge kick out of setting him down on his feet and seeing him wander off upright.
Marcus had his pneumococcal shot this morning. He was always a real trooper for injections when he was little, but he knows enough to get scared beforehand now. Afterwards he said "I'm never going to do THAT again". How wrong he is, poor sausage.
Marcus had his pneumococcal shot this morning. He was always a real trooper for injections when he was little, but he knows enough to get scared beforehand now. Afterwards he said "I'm never going to do THAT again". How wrong he is, poor sausage.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Roundabout
There is an enormous new highway roundabout under construction down at Kingston, on the way to Family Day Care. I've been talking to the boys about it over a few weeks, and have only just realised that Marcus has been expecting a different sort of roundabout. Poor kid - he thought all the bulldozers and graders and so on were building a carousel-style children's ride.
Some recent sayings:
"I'm a little bit angry because those cars are not driving properly" - copied from me
"See you round like a whistle" - copied inaccurately from Allison
"That car is a dammit because its not letting us through" - hmm, maybe Allison
"HANG ON A MINUTE - That's not right" - maybe Allison
Also, from this morning's drive, after I told Marcus it was 9 months to his next birthday
Marcus: "I can count to nine: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, NINE!!"
Michael "Ten"
Some recent sayings:
"I'm a little bit angry because those cars are not driving properly" - copied from me
"See you round like a whistle" - copied inaccurately from Allison
"That car is a dammit because its not letting us through" - hmm, maybe Allison
"HANG ON A MINUTE - That's not right" - maybe Allison
Also, from this morning's drive, after I told Marcus it was 9 months to his next birthday
Marcus: "I can count to nine: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, NINE!!"
Michael "Ten"
Monday, May 09, 2005
Wildlife
I encountered a brushytail possum on Saturday night. I jumped out of the car in the drive and he was sitting in the middle of Cascade Road looking at me. I was staggered when he started charging towards me as though he was going to have a piece of my leg. "Man mauled by attack possum", i thought. Then he swerved away and headed up the footpath, climbed a few metres up a power pole and took up surveillance again. Odd.
I have seen 3 wallabies, several possums and one UHM (unidentified hopping marsupial) in the last two months - all in fairly built up areas.
I have seen 3 wallabies, several possums and one UHM (unidentified hopping marsupial) in the last two months - all in fairly built up areas.
Michael Walks
Michael did quite a bit of walking on the weekend, which was very exciting. He even walked up to a ball and kicked it at one stage. I didnt see it but I like to think he chose a corner and slotted it away confidently (while looking the other way to fool the 'keeper).
I bought the boys a proper soccer ball on Saturday. We had been down to Cornelian Bay where they play school hockey, and walking around on the perfect grass (there has been hardly any rain here in the last 3 months) I was wishing we had brought a good solid ball with us to kick around. Now we have one.
We bought a pair of bunk beds yesterday - Marcus' bed has always been terrible - it was a bad buy. We hope bunks will work. They can be split into singles when the lads are a bit older and want to have their own rooms.
Marcus said "I look after Hattie. I'm Hattie's doctor...........Actually, I'm Hattie's vet.
Had a rushed dinner on Friday at aptly named Fish Frenzy wih Andrea and Phillip and their kids Isobel and Ronan who we met for the first time. Beautiful little boy. Both ours went to pieces for various reasons so we had to dash off. P and A are over briefly from Perth - it will be a long time before we see them again I guess.
I bought the boys a proper soccer ball on Saturday. We had been down to Cornelian Bay where they play school hockey, and walking around on the perfect grass (there has been hardly any rain here in the last 3 months) I was wishing we had brought a good solid ball with us to kick around. Now we have one.
We bought a pair of bunk beds yesterday - Marcus' bed has always been terrible - it was a bad buy. We hope bunks will work. They can be split into singles when the lads are a bit older and want to have their own rooms.
Marcus said "I look after Hattie. I'm Hattie's doctor...........Actually, I'm Hattie's vet.
Had a rushed dinner on Friday at aptly named Fish Frenzy wih Andrea and Phillip and their kids Isobel and Ronan who we met for the first time. Beautiful little boy. Both ours went to pieces for various reasons so we had to dash off. P and A are over briefly from Perth - it will be a long time before we see them again I guess.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Black stuff
Driving home last night after having dinner with the boys at Citrus Moon. It was about 7 and already pitch dark. Marcus asked "What's all that black stuff?" What black stuff? "In the sky".
When your child is 95% toilet trained (as Marcus now is) you feel quite free. Michael is still in nappies obviously, but the constant changing of one or the other's bot has reduced dramatically. This is great. There is a cost though, I have just realised. Now your conversation is interrupted, a bit like tourette's syndrome, with "Do you need to go to the toilet?"
Blah blah Marcus. Blah blah blah Daddy.
Do you need to go to the toilet?NOOOOO.
Blah blah blah Marcus. Blah blah Daddy.
Do you need to go to the toilet?NOOOOO.
Blah blah rhubarb Marcus. Blah rhubarb rhubarb Daddy.
Do you need to go to the toilet?NOOOOO.
Blah blah blah blah... I NEED TO GO TO THE TOILET!!!
When your child is 95% toilet trained (as Marcus now is) you feel quite free. Michael is still in nappies obviously, but the constant changing of one or the other's bot has reduced dramatically. This is great. There is a cost though, I have just realised. Now your conversation is interrupted, a bit like tourette's syndrome, with "Do you need to go to the toilet?"
Blah blah Marcus. Blah blah blah Daddy.
Do you need to go to the toilet?NOOOOO.
Blah blah blah Marcus. Blah blah Daddy.
Do you need to go to the toilet?NOOOOO.
Blah blah rhubarb Marcus. Blah rhubarb rhubarb Daddy.
Do you need to go to the toilet?NOOOOO.
Blah blah blah blah... I NEED TO GO TO THE TOILET!!!
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Marcus talks like an alien humanoid when half asleep
I went in to get something from the boys room last night, when Marcus was not quite awake. He was shuffling around and singing to himself when I clicked off a switch. He sat up and said "Why have you come here?". I felt like Captain Kirk trespassing on the Forbidden Planet.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Solo
Elf is in Melbourne until Wednesday. I had the boys to myself from Friday morning until this morning (Monday) when I dropped them at daycare. We got on very well I think, better than I expected. Had a 4th birthday party on Saturday for Eleanor, which was outdoors on a very blustery day. Marcus wore a large blue beanie and looked very funny with his pointy paper party hat atop. Michael slept through most of it. On Sunday we had another 4th birthday party, this one for Miranda. I think we had 8 pregnant women at our wedding in April 2001, so the 4th birthdays are coming thick and fast now. Both boys had a great time at the 2nd party.
Marcus's twin tyrannosaurus rexes were named John and Pikka this morning.
When Marcus yells "Dad! DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!" Michael says "com-ing".
Marcus's twin tyrannosaurus rexes were named John and Pikka this morning.
When Marcus yells "Dad! DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!" Michael says "com-ing".
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Media spotlight
Had my picture in the paper with Marta and Matt N from Roar on Friday. Matt N has just left to recreate Peter Pinney's journey (the centrepiece of the Dust On My Shoes broadband project) from Greece to Burma. Then my letter to the Coodabeen Champions was read on national radio on Sunday night, which was a hoot. Yesterday at the Anzac parade the whole family was filmed by someone or other with a pro camera. We might have been on the news but we didnt see it.
RIP large possum
All heading off to pool Sunday morning in the white car - large dead possum in the gutter. Could have dodged the issue with Marcus but showed him so he would know what we were talking about. Detour to tip to bury possum. Marcus asked a lot of questions. Seemed to rationalise it so it wasnt dead. "I think someoneone drew the possum on the road with a black pencil. And that's why it can't stand up." He was worried if we buried it, it wouldnt be able to run around. Sigh. Elf and I both sad too, quite grudgingly fond of possum presence around the place.
New Car
Its all happening. Buying a car. 02 Subaru Outback. White. Named the Ice Cream Car to smooth transition for sensitive 3 year old who is commendably loyal to old red car. Its a bit beefy but very safe. Lot of knobs and levers. Barry is doing us a hot deal.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Fish frocks
Just noticed on the cover of a ladies mag up at the shop(Take Five or That's Life or perhaps Vapid) this headline: I make clothes out of barramundi.
Tinkling the ivories
Marcus played us a loud piano piece, while stomping and leaping around (the stool was elsewhere). It was lively and raucous but not too violent. He said "That song is called Dinosaurs Coming"
This morning he showed us a sheaf of drawings and rattled off the titles. "This is a colourful banana lemon, this is some raindrops, this is a beautiful orange, and this is a blue greem". Dream? "Greem". A dream you had last night maybe? Hmm. He went along with that. "Yes, a blue dream"
Last night we were looking at photos of our house and playing with the design for the new house. He likes moving the trees around. I made a little picture of each of us and of the cats, and he moved them around too. We looked at another old picture of the current house and he asked a question that made me think he didn't recognise it. I told him that was our house, looking down the side from the clothesline. "Yes, I noticed that".
Michael has been a real handful this morning. He can be very uncooperative at times. A very determined and stubborn little character.
I test drove an 02 Subaru Outback yesterday, that we are thinking of buying. The salesman's name is Barry. I just can't imagine him doing anything except selling used cars. It was a manual, so smooth and quiet I had no idea what gear I was in half the time.
This morning he showed us a sheaf of drawings and rattled off the titles. "This is a colourful banana lemon, this is some raindrops, this is a beautiful orange, and this is a blue greem". Dream? "Greem". A dream you had last night maybe? Hmm. He went along with that. "Yes, a blue dream"
Last night we were looking at photos of our house and playing with the design for the new house. He likes moving the trees around. I made a little picture of each of us and of the cats, and he moved them around too. We looked at another old picture of the current house and he asked a question that made me think he didn't recognise it. I told him that was our house, looking down the side from the clothesline. "Yes, I noticed that".
Michael has been a real handful this morning. He can be very uncooperative at times. A very determined and stubborn little character.
I test drove an 02 Subaru Outback yesterday, that we are thinking of buying. The salesman's name is Barry. I just can't imagine him doing anything except selling used cars. It was a manual, so smooth and quiet I had no idea what gear I was in half the time.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Found text
Someone's old shopping list was in the basket I picked up at the supermarket last night. A pretty normal list except for "fagaroonies".
Marcus did a drawing last night of "a digger knocking down our house so that it can build our new house".
Marcus did a drawing last night of "a digger knocking down our house so that it can build our new house".
Monday, April 18, 2005
Wordy boys
Michael seems likely to be just as verbal as Marcus. He is talking a lot, parroting what he hears (such as "Richo!") but also learning and attaching those sounds to the right things. One of my favourites is "there y'go" when he gives you something.
Marcus has a hooded bath towel which is called the witches hat. He has to run around nudely with it on his head and flapping behind him. Last night he said - "If I'm a witch I could fly!" I said yes, witches can fly. "On a stickbroom!"
I read a nice story today about James Hird the Essesndon footballer (an ornament to the game). He was playing football with his 5 year old son Thomas in the backyard. Thomas said "I'll be Matty Lloyd. Who are you Daddy? You can be Mark Johnson."
Marcus has a hooded bath towel which is called the witches hat. He has to run around nudely with it on his head and flapping behind him. Last night he said - "If I'm a witch I could fly!" I said yes, witches can fly. "On a stickbroom!"
I read a nice story today about James Hird the Essesndon footballer (an ornament to the game). He was playing football with his 5 year old son Thomas in the backyard. Thomas said "I'll be Matty Lloyd. Who are you Daddy? You can be Mark Johnson."
Friday, April 15, 2005
Toilet success
Marcus has got going to the toilet down pat. He is wearing pull-ups most of the day now. For the uninitiated, a pull-up is a not-terribly-absorbent nappy with an elastic waist, that you put on like underpants. He takes himself off to the bathroom, pulling down his little dacks as he goes, and calls for help if needed to wipe his bot. It took a long time for him to be enthusiastic about it, then the penny dropped and he realised he doesnt like nappy changes. Now he can avoid them. We are all very pleased - not least because we save heaps now on nappies.
Michael is saying "I want" a lot. For the first time this morning I heard him say "I want 'puter". Groan.
Michael is saying "I want" a lot. For the first time this morning I heard him say "I want 'puter". Groan.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Computer v Books
Marcus is having a computer-free day today. I said to him that its important to remember to do other things, like drawing and reading and running and making things with blocks.
He said "Lets read books!" I enthusiastically said "Yes, its great to read books. You should read books every day". Marcus said "Its strange that you can read books every day but you can't do computer every day. Why is that? Why can't you do computer every day too". Erm.... He raved on and on "I have some books on the computer that I want to read. You click on the number 1 and it turnsd one page, you click on the number 2 and it turns two pages, you click...)
He really likes the computer.
Michael is rolling onto his back and lying there smiling with his hands behind his head. And saying "Yeeeeeeeeah!" a lot. Next we'll move onto the word "duuuuuuuuude".
He said "Lets read books!" I enthusiastically said "Yes, its great to read books. You should read books every day". Marcus said "Its strange that you can read books every day but you can't do computer every day. Why is that? Why can't you do computer every day too". Erm.... He raved on and on "I have some books on the computer that I want to read. You click on the number 1 and it turnsd one page, you click on the number 2 and it turns two pages, you click...)
He really likes the computer.
Michael is rolling onto his back and lying there smiling with his hands behind his head. And saying "Yeeeeeeeeah!" a lot. Next we'll move onto the word "duuuuuuuuude".
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Back In Town
Elf and I had a great time down on the Tasman Peninsula. The weather has been and still is great for April. We stayed at a place called Osprey Lodge that had lovely water views and steps to the beach. I had a pre-breakfast swim that I enjoyed but left me with an earache and frozen feet until nearly lunch time.
We walked all over the convict site at Port Arthur, and took a boat over to the Isle of the Dead which was the cemetery for the settlement. We walked for a long time until we were footsore and our brains had absorbed too much historic (and some not-so historic) brutality, lunacy and mayhem. Its a lovely setting for such dreadful suffering to have occured.
I would recommend Osprey Lodge except that you are required to chat constantly with the hosts, and I found that a bit tiring. People who are looking for a good long chat - this could be the B & B for you.
We escaped their clutches yesterday morning and drove around the peninsula pretty much at random until we reached Slopen Main, which is a dreamy beach with fine white sand dappled with shade by pine trees. Sorry, I turned into Charlotte Peterswald for a moment there.
I was going to link to her site for those unfamiliar with this real estate poet, but I just found this one which epitomises her work.
"A terraced garden entices the eye upward to this smoothly robust 3 bedroom family home embraces with an airy grace. As glorious sunlight deluges in through large windows into the open plan living an innate sense of generousness and capaciousness envelops this home. With lush carpets, velvety walls and graceful arcs the modern interior contrast softly with the lovely front timber deck inspirational for contemplating the expansive views of the gentle river and rolling hills. Change the focus and survey these rich views from any of the front rooms in quiet comfort. House size 127sqm and land size 703sqm approximately."
Is it generated by some kind of algorithm? Is she on drugs? Does she have 1000 monkeys and 1000 typewriters? What does "smoothly robust" mean? We await a learned commentary on her work to make it accessible to the average reader.
We walked all over the convict site at Port Arthur, and took a boat over to the Isle of the Dead which was the cemetery for the settlement. We walked for a long time until we were footsore and our brains had absorbed too much historic (and some not-so historic) brutality, lunacy and mayhem. Its a lovely setting for such dreadful suffering to have occured.
I would recommend Osprey Lodge except that you are required to chat constantly with the hosts, and I found that a bit tiring. People who are looking for a good long chat - this could be the B & B for you.
We escaped their clutches yesterday morning and drove around the peninsula pretty much at random until we reached Slopen Main, which is a dreamy beach with fine white sand dappled with shade by pine trees. Sorry, I turned into Charlotte Peterswald for a moment there.
I was going to link to her site for those unfamiliar with this real estate poet, but I just found this one which epitomises her work.
"A terraced garden entices the eye upward to this smoothly robust 3 bedroom family home embraces with an airy grace. As glorious sunlight deluges in through large windows into the open plan living an innate sense of generousness and capaciousness envelops this home. With lush carpets, velvety walls and graceful arcs the modern interior contrast softly with the lovely front timber deck inspirational for contemplating the expansive views of the gentle river and rolling hills. Change the focus and survey these rich views from any of the front rooms in quiet comfort. House size 127sqm and land size 703sqm approximately."
Is it generated by some kind of algorithm? Is she on drugs? Does she have 1000 monkeys and 1000 typewriters? What does "smoothly robust" mean? We await a learned commentary on her work to make it accessible to the average reader.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Holiday
Elf and I are off down the Tasman Peninsula for a couple of days. Mum and Dad have arrived to look after the boys until Tuesday. I've been a bit flat out trying to get Dust On My Shoes ready for the ABC to cast over a critical eye, so I have been tardy with my posting, as an alert reader in Carlton has pointed out.
Weather permitting we will spend a whole day at Port Arthur, which should give me plenty to write about next week.
Michael is holding his pencil correctly already, which is amazing. We have to hound Marcus to do it right, he tends to hold a pen or crayon in his fist.
When Marcus is upset lately he mutters that he's "going to put you in a tiny little bin".
Weather permitting we will spend a whole day at Port Arthur, which should give me plenty to write about next week.
Michael is holding his pencil correctly already, which is amazing. We have to hound Marcus to do it right, he tends to hold a pen or crayon in his fist.
When Marcus is upset lately he mutters that he's "going to put you in a tiny little bin".
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Boys bounce on bed
The gap is narrowing a little between what Marcus and Michael are physically capable of. They were bouncing like mad this morning, hanging onto the end of the bed and cackling like maniacs.
I went for a stroll before bed last night, across the bridge and up the steep street opposite our house, where you can look across the valley back to our place. I startled a wallaby which went crashing off into a vacant paddock by the road. It sat and watched me for a while then took off again. I walked down the hill, around the back of the Female Factory (it was a womens' prison in the 1800s) and home, This area reminds me a lot of Wivenhoe, the part of Burnie where my mate Joe lived when we were growing up there. A bit damp, a bit industrial, but interesting in a way my newer suburb up on a hill never was.
I went for a stroll before bed last night, across the bridge and up the steep street opposite our house, where you can look across the valley back to our place. I startled a wallaby which went crashing off into a vacant paddock by the road. It sat and watched me for a while then took off again. I walked down the hill, around the back of the Female Factory (it was a womens' prison in the 1800s) and home, This area reminds me a lot of Wivenhoe, the part of Burnie where my mate Joe lived when we were growing up there. A bit damp, a bit industrial, but interesting in a way my newer suburb up on a hill never was.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Strange but beautiful encounter
When we got through the school gate this morning I was really pleased to see Marcus break into a run, keen to get into it. He's sometimes much more reluctant. Then he turned around and ran back shouting "DAAAAAD!!" - he didnt seem scared though.
An african man had come out the door Marcus had been running towards. The next thing I know, I'm holding Marcus's hand and the man is holding his other hand, kissing his hand, murmuring to him, tousling his hair and then kissing him on the cheek and bustling off again. I couldnt help laughing all the way through it, it was so unexpected but lovely. Marcus seemed to take it in the spirit it was intended. I think the man thought he had scared Marcus and wanted to reassure him.
The man was gone and Marcus didnt seem to give it a second thought, but it left me with a good feeling.
An african man had come out the door Marcus had been running towards. The next thing I know, I'm holding Marcus's hand and the man is holding his other hand, kissing his hand, murmuring to him, tousling his hair and then kissing him on the cheek and bustling off again. I couldnt help laughing all the way through it, it was so unexpected but lovely. Marcus seemed to take it in the spirit it was intended. I think the man thought he had scared Marcus and wanted to reassure him.
The man was gone and Marcus didnt seem to give it a second thought, but it left me with a good feeling.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Justify your grunt
Marcus hears everything, but he has an extremely active filtering system. You know when you read or hear something and, without being moved to actually formulate a comment on it, you make a "heh" noise? Or sometimes "pfuh". Marcus, from the other side of the room, will give you a forensic look and demand "Why did you say "pfuh"? Then you have to make a long-winded explanation to him of what you thought was not-quite-actually remarkable.
But does he take it in when you tell him its TV, not a video, so we can't watch it again? No.
Big cheerios to Philip in Perth who actually left me a comment! Give it a go the rest of you, it doesnt hurt. If he can send me a comment all the way across the burning sands I think some of you could dig deep too.
But does he take it in when you tell him its TV, not a video, so we can't watch it again? No.
Big cheerios to Philip in Perth who actually left me a comment! Give it a go the rest of you, it doesnt hurt. If he can send me a comment all the way across the burning sands I think some of you could dig deep too.
Mondays
I find blogging hard on Monday because the weekend is usually a blur.
Elf and I went out to dinner at Gondwana on Saturday night, courtesy of an end-of-year bonus from Roar Film. It was lovely to be out together, although we were both too tired to really do it justice. They are very serious about food. The service was perfect and the atmosphere was quite relaxed - the impression was that its all about the stuff on the plates. Sometimes the theatrical-waiter-snow-white-linen-heavy-silver-ikebana type places are intimidating.
Yesterday we visited the Lovely Clarks at Mt Nelson. The kids entertained themselves mostly and we caught up and blathered on at length in a way you just can't if you are also supervising small folk.
Elf and I went out to dinner at Gondwana on Saturday night, courtesy of an end-of-year bonus from Roar Film. It was lovely to be out together, although we were both too tired to really do it justice. They are very serious about food. The service was perfect and the atmosphere was quite relaxed - the impression was that its all about the stuff on the plates. Sometimes the theatrical-waiter-snow-white-linen-heavy-silver-ikebana type places are intimidating.
Yesterday we visited the Lovely Clarks at Mt Nelson. The kids entertained themselves mostly and we caught up and blathered on at length in a way you just can't if you are also supervising small folk.
Friday, April 01, 2005
Lets Talk About Specialists!
This morning Marcus was very keen to watch a video called Doctor De Soto, about a dentist who is a mouse. Elf is bringing home many dentistry-related items from the library to try and get Marcus over a little phobia he is working on.
Marcus was insisting that the title was Dentist De Soto. So I explained that dentists are called Doctor because they are doctors, who happen to be tooth experts. There are also ear doctors, eye doctors, bot doctors and so on. He said I had forgotten one kind of doctor - the "take your cat to get his claws clipped doctor".
I heard Michael say a two word sentence for the first time last night. Elf says he says "bye daddy" occasionally but I had never heard it before.
Marcus was insisting that the title was Dentist De Soto. So I explained that dentists are called Doctor because they are doctors, who happen to be tooth experts. There are also ear doctors, eye doctors, bot doctors and so on. He said I had forgotten one kind of doctor - the "take your cat to get his claws clipped doctor".
I heard Michael say a two word sentence for the first time last night. Elf says he says "bye daddy" occasionally but I had never heard it before.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Paul Hester
A special post here just about Paul Hester, who died this week. He always impressed me with his warmth and humour. He drummed in Split Enz and then in Crowded House, and I think was an essential ingredient in the success of the latter. I saw Crowded House play once at a free "Save St Kilda" concert. At one point apropos of nothing in particular Paul yelled out that he was "the shah of Prahran", which still makes me laugh.
He appears in one of The Wiggles videos as a chef with a huge floppy white hat, mugging and mucking around and it is always a nice relief from the omnipresent purple, red, blue and yellow gentlemen of whom we see a bit too much.
I didnt know him and certainly know nothing about his personal circumstances. But I do know that no-one knows how things are going to turn out. Being depressed doesnt give you ESP. Sometimes it might seem that if you weren't around, it would be better for yourself and for others too. But we don't have the power, or the right, to decide that.
I wish he had given himself a chance for things to get better.
He appears in one of The Wiggles videos as a chef with a huge floppy white hat, mugging and mucking around and it is always a nice relief from the omnipresent purple, red, blue and yellow gentlemen of whom we see a bit too much.
I didnt know him and certainly know nothing about his personal circumstances. But I do know that no-one knows how things are going to turn out. Being depressed doesnt give you ESP. Sometimes it might seem that if you weren't around, it would be better for yourself and for others too. But we don't have the power, or the right, to decide that.
I wish he had given himself a chance for things to get better.
Walking to work
I walk to work once or twice a week. I walk down to the Hobart Rivulet, then along the rivulet track to the big hill where Boags wouldnt sell their riverside land to the council. Then up to the point where that track heads back down to the rivulet, and onto another track even steeper, up many steps and dirt ramps to the top of Liverpool Crescent. Up here people build stilt houses where only their front doorstep touches the ground. I guess on the other side of the road its their back doorstep.
There is a beautiful overview of South Hobart from here. Then along to Forest Road where there is a stunning view downriver to Bruny Island and Storm Bay. Then down and up and down and up through West Hobart to the old red brick church where I work. It takes about 40 minutes, its just about the only exercise I get and its nice. I'm pretty lucky I think.
Marcus is having little manic episodes where we have to shout to be heard, and it is very frustrating. He is wrapped up in his own world, muttering, cackling and blowing raspberries. If you ask "would you like some juice?" as a distraction, you get "Bood boo bike some boose!!!" and more cackling. I think it is "age appropriate" as the pundits say but it drives me nuts.
I asked the Tooth Gods for help and they responded. Tooth 3 appeared yesterday in Michael's mouth.
There is a beautiful overview of South Hobart from here. Then along to Forest Road where there is a stunning view downriver to Bruny Island and Storm Bay. Then down and up and down and up through West Hobart to the old red brick church where I work. It takes about 40 minutes, its just about the only exercise I get and its nice. I'm pretty lucky I think.
Marcus is having little manic episodes where we have to shout to be heard, and it is very frustrating. He is wrapped up in his own world, muttering, cackling and blowing raspberries. If you ask "would you like some juice?" as a distraction, you get "Bood boo bike some boose!!!" and more cackling. I think it is "age appropriate" as the pundits say but it drives me nuts.
I asked the Tooth Gods for help and they responded. Tooth 3 appeared yesterday in Michael's mouth.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Lunch convergence
Although Michael still only has two teeth, its seems that the lunches we pack for the boys are getting more and more similar. Marcus has 20 teeth but he's still quite a fan of the mushy stuff. I guess Michael's jaws are getting bigger and stronger, and he is learning how to better use the two teeth he has had for about 6 months now.
Still, we are getting pretty frustrated at Michael's slow teething. It really limits the foods we can introduce, and adds to preparation time of every meal because we have to put a lot of Michael's through the mouli.
Still, we are getting pretty frustrated at Michael's slow teething. It really limits the foods we can introduce, and adds to preparation time of every meal because we have to put a lot of Michael's through the mouli.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Richo!
I was listening to the footy on the radio with Michael. It was Richmond's first game of the season after claiming the wooden spoon last year. Our perennially disappointing full forward Richardson took a mark. "RICHO!!" said the radio. "Richo!" said Michael. Richo missed the shot, Richmond lost by ten goals. Our new coach said they might as well have spent summer in the pub instead of training, for all the difference it had made.
Easter was exhausting. We didnt really plan any activities or excursions, and we didnt do a big pre-easter shop, so we had to make it all up as we went along. I must not let myself get so micro-focused again. On Thursday I honestly had no idea that the next day was Good Friday and I wouldnt be at work the next day. I went to the corner shop for lunch and couldnt understand why it was bursting at the seams with eager shoppers.
We are thinking of covering up the full length mirror in the bathroom. When we are trying to get Marcus to stand still while we dry him, or use the potty, he dances about and makes gruesome and inane faces at himself.
Easter was exhausting. We didnt really plan any activities or excursions, and we didnt do a big pre-easter shop, so we had to make it all up as we went along. I must not let myself get so micro-focused again. On Thursday I honestly had no idea that the next day was Good Friday and I wouldnt be at work the next day. I went to the corner shop for lunch and couldnt understand why it was bursting at the seams with eager shoppers.
We are thinking of covering up the full length mirror in the bathroom. When we are trying to get Marcus to stand still while we dry him, or use the potty, he dances about and makes gruesome and inane faces at himself.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Funny, funny, funny yoghurt
Marcus brought home a very nice painted egg from Allison's yesterday that he did himself. I asked him what the process was. "We drew on the egg with crayons really hard so the colours would stick then we splodged them with funny, funny, funny yoghurt. But its not yoghurt for eating. If you eat the funny, funny, funny yoghurt you get sick".
Michael is reading books. Just sitting leafing through them on his lap like someone browsing in a bookshop. He is amazingly agile - he is climbing up onto the quadcycle on his own, and onto his little chair in the kitchen. We don't immediately rush out and grab 3 cushions to surround him with any more.
I had lunch with my old workmates Monica V. and Marcus M. yesterday which was great. Then last night we inspected a house with an agent called Marcus Freebody.
And - it was the best house we've seen so far, but right at the limit of our price range. Its in Union Street, a steep very narrow one way street in South North Hobart (ie very close to town). There is no parking on either side all the way up, but the house has a garage. Its a federationy 4-bedroom weatherboard in good nick, quite a good yard. The midweek yacht races were happening on the river and it was hard to discount the view from considerations. The location is a minus but the hoiuse itself is a gem. We will look at it again on Saturday and if we can muster the minimum asking price we will put in an offer - although its unlikely to succeed.
We are actually talking to our man Jonathan about drawing up plans for a 2-storey 4-bedroom weatherboard to replace our house. Demolition. We are talking about razing the little house we love and letting someone drive the bits away on the back of a truck. Its very hard to get my head around that aspect.
Nice new bigger house right where we are sitting now - GREAT!
$100,000 worth of character home full of happy memories pushed over by bulldozer and taken to the tip - ah, sorry, can you explain that bit again?
STOP PRESS: Our money man Alan (with a pattern of ice creams on his tie) says the smartest thing to do by far is to build. Maybe we need to start finding something to rent for 9 months while Casa Fantastica is built. Jonathan can't even start drawings for 4 months because he is so busy. We need to find a builder.
I'm a teapot! I'm a teapot!
Michael is reading books. Just sitting leafing through them on his lap like someone browsing in a bookshop. He is amazingly agile - he is climbing up onto the quadcycle on his own, and onto his little chair in the kitchen. We don't immediately rush out and grab 3 cushions to surround him with any more.
I had lunch with my old workmates Monica V. and Marcus M. yesterday which was great. Then last night we inspected a house with an agent called Marcus Freebody.
And - it was the best house we've seen so far, but right at the limit of our price range. Its in Union Street, a steep very narrow one way street in South North Hobart (ie very close to town). There is no parking on either side all the way up, but the house has a garage. Its a federationy 4-bedroom weatherboard in good nick, quite a good yard. The midweek yacht races were happening on the river and it was hard to discount the view from considerations. The location is a minus but the hoiuse itself is a gem. We will look at it again on Saturday and if we can muster the minimum asking price we will put in an offer - although its unlikely to succeed.
We are actually talking to our man Jonathan about drawing up plans for a 2-storey 4-bedroom weatherboard to replace our house. Demolition. We are talking about razing the little house we love and letting someone drive the bits away on the back of a truck. Its very hard to get my head around that aspect.
Nice new bigger house right where we are sitting now - GREAT!
$100,000 worth of character home full of happy memories pushed over by bulldozer and taken to the tip - ah, sorry, can you explain that bit again?
STOP PRESS: Our money man Alan (with a pattern of ice creams on his tie) says the smartest thing to do by far is to build. Maybe we need to start finding something to rent for 9 months while Casa Fantastica is built. Jonathan can't even start drawings for 4 months because he is so busy. We need to find a builder.
I'm a teapot! I'm a teapot!
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Brain Fog
I'm in the grip of some kind of mind-scrambling fog. Nothing interesting or amusing to relate. If I wasn't drawing maps at work today I'd go home sick. But maps are fun, so I'll stick it out.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Potty
Marcus is learning to use the potty. We make a big deal about it and give him a dinosaur sticker when he does. Lately he has started sending us out of the bathroom so he has some "privacy", but then yells a running commentary. He has been counting the poos, which is interesting and educational. Now he is yelling out "this one looks like a seal!" which is neither, but still funny. I will have to take him aside and explain that we don't describe poo in those terms.
He is building marvellous symmetrical mega-blok creations. Often they are crcodiles, or birds, or dinosaurs. Yesterday he made a tall structure with lots of holes in it, like windows in a house. It was in fact a bug house, then he made a bewildering array of striped bugs out of the multi-coloured mega-bloks - every one perfectly symmetrical.
He made an E out of blue and purple blocks on Saturday. It had two little black bumps on top. "They're the horns. Its a cow E."
He is building marvellous symmetrical mega-blok creations. Often they are crcodiles, or birds, or dinosaurs. Yesterday he made a tall structure with lots of holes in it, like windows in a house. It was in fact a bug house, then he made a bewildering array of striped bugs out of the multi-coloured mega-bloks - every one perfectly symmetrical.
He made an E out of blue and purple blocks on Saturday. It had two little black bumps on top. "They're the horns. Its a cow E."
Friday, March 18, 2005
Birthday
Its my 37th birthday today. Marcus bought a couple of Ernie and Bert Pez© lolly dispensers, one for me and one for him. I chose Ernie. No way. He wanted Ernie so I got Bert. Why does everyone want Ernie?
He likes to ask me what I did at work, when we are on our way home. Yesterday I told him, then he said that today at work he had done an invitation for my birthday party. While I was digesting this he added that today he had also done an animation at work, which featured a frog.
Last birthday Sally gave me an anatomically correct model of a Holstein bull. He has recently joined the Roar Film fish in their tank - they like to swim around his bollocks, apparently. Like all workplace pets, the fish have jokey names (Happy and Larry) and I thought after a year as a nameless (but anatomically correct) model, it was time to name the bull and bring a bit of warmth to our relationship.
So he is now Oceancrest Chubby Dominator TX8243.
He likes to ask me what I did at work, when we are on our way home. Yesterday I told him, then he said that today at work he had done an invitation for my birthday party. While I was digesting this he added that today he had also done an animation at work, which featured a frog.
Last birthday Sally gave me an anatomically correct model of a Holstein bull. He has recently joined the Roar Film fish in their tank - they like to swim around his bollocks, apparently. Like all workplace pets, the fish have jokey names (Happy and Larry) and I thought after a year as a nameless (but anatomically correct) model, it was time to name the bull and bring a bit of warmth to our relationship.
So he is now Oceancrest Chubby Dominator TX8243.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Invasion Plans
I'm keen to start negotiations with Andrew and Sharon next door about buying a wedge of their land. They have heaps and its just a paddock really, wth a bit of fennel infestation near our fence. I'm sure there is something in the Fennel Act (1924) about neighbours being allowed to seize unloved bits of backyard. Also there have been recent acts of aggression by their border troops (cat) against our homeland defence corps (cats). In a John Howard-like spirit of pre-emption I think we would be justified in establishing a buffer zone.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Bad Mans
Michael seems to have an essential scampiness. Elf has a photo of him when he was still in double-0 growsuits, and he has the most "Look out, I'm a scamp!" look on his face. This morning he slept in until it was time to get him up to go to daycare (This never happens, he is usually up at 6). I was sitting next to his cot lacing my boots, he was apparently still deep asleep, then he suddenly opened his eyes and broke into a mad grin. Arise, Sir Scampy! Scampy from the word go.
Marcus loves log trucks. And he loves flags. He loves OUR flag. He says "There's OUR FLAG!!". So we have discussions about big log trucks and the union jack on our flag and one day I'll have to break it to him that I'd rather have half as many log trucks and no union jack.
Yesterday we followed a police car for a little while. Slightly exciting for Marcus. Actually a police van. Marcus counted all the lights. Red, white, blue, red, red (brake lights), and a big white light inside the van. What is the big white light for? Er.. so the man shut inside can see. Conversation moved on to bad mans (which I can't resist calling them too). Bad mans stole our telly a few months ago. Marcus was pretty sure one of those bad mans was the one in the van. I said he was going to stay in jail for a while and he wouldnt be allowed to go home - Marcus thought that sounded pretty bad.
Marcus loves log trucks. And he loves flags. He loves OUR flag. He says "There's OUR FLAG!!". So we have discussions about big log trucks and the union jack on our flag and one day I'll have to break it to him that I'd rather have half as many log trucks and no union jack.
Yesterday we followed a police car for a little while. Slightly exciting for Marcus. Actually a police van. Marcus counted all the lights. Red, white, blue, red, red (brake lights), and a big white light inside the van. What is the big white light for? Er.. so the man shut inside can see. Conversation moved on to bad mans (which I can't resist calling them too). Bad mans stole our telly a few months ago. Marcus was pretty sure one of those bad mans was the one in the van. I said he was going to stay in jail for a while and he wouldnt be allowed to go home - Marcus thought that sounded pretty bad.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Expanding vocab
Michael had an amazing burst of new words over the weekend. Previously he had mummy, daddy, no, EIEIO, cooee and one or two more. Suddenly he can say Michael, Lily, water, honey, brother, sock, baby.
It was a long weekend due to Labour Day. Quite exhausting. I am contemplating going back to working 4 days, to spend more time with the boys and Elf, so I had better get used to more exhaustion and a few less sushi rolls and nice blueberry bagels.
It was a long weekend due to Labour Day. Quite exhausting. I am contemplating going back to working 4 days, to spend more time with the boys and Elf, so I had better get used to more exhaustion and a few less sushi rolls and nice blueberry bagels.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Temporary families
I'm find I am thinking a lot about what happened to Erwin Kasterberger. I guess my musings about that don't really belong here. Have you ever had a happy "temporary family" of flatmates or workmates? You spend more time with them than your real family, but they come and go and you may or may not keep an attachment. It was a fairly happy little family at the printshop in Melbourne where I used to work with Erwin's wife Robyn. After I moved back to Tasmania I popped in to see everyone there once when I was in town but I havent kept in touch at all since. Even so - its hard to see someone you have known pretty well, even years ago, suffering publicly as Robyn is now.
Home Computer
We have got an E-mac at home now, and got onto the internet for the first time the other night. Elf is using it to hunt for a new house for us. I don't think I will be able to stand the slow speed of a dial-up connection, being used to broadband here at work. Marcus has taken to it, he loves typing and is quite a deft hunt-and-peck typist. We write his name and the names of friends and family , then get the computer to say them out loud. Haw haw.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Leaf Blowers
Has there ever been a more useless appliance than the leaf blower? I just saw someone chasing a few leaves around with one.
There is an excellent denunciation of leaf blowers in one of Bill Bryson's books, maybe Lost Continent.
Its not something you see very often here. I couldn't help thinking the man could have made just as much noise to a similar leaf-tidying effect if he had been playing a tuba. And it might have made a more interesting post too.
There is an excellent denunciation of leaf blowers in one of Bill Bryson's books, maybe Lost Continent.
Its not something you see very often here. I couldn't help thinking the man could have made just as much noise to a similar leaf-tidying effect if he had been playing a tuba. And it might have made a more interesting post too.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Erwin Kastenberger
Erwin Kastenberger was a security guard for Chubb, in Melbourne. Yesterday he was delivering some cash to a bank when it was robbed. He did what he was told, but was shot dead anyway.
When I lived in Melbourne 15 years ago I worked with Erwin's wife Robyn. She was a great workmate and Erwin seemed like a very nice guy the few times I met him. He found me a rent-free place to live at one stage, in an art gallery in Toorak Road owned by a friend of his (I was supposed to deter burglars). It didn't work out though, the place gave me the heebie-jeebies and I wasn't allowed to have any visitors.
Now Erwin is gone and Robyn is wondering why. I wonder too.
I have been thinking more about Erwin and Robyn and now I remember meeting their son Mark a few times. He was my age, and I think he was their only child. I had just moved to Melbourne from Tasmania, and Robyn did quite a bit of transferred mothering while I was working there.
When I lived in Melbourne 15 years ago I worked with Erwin's wife Robyn. She was a great workmate and Erwin seemed like a very nice guy the few times I met him. He found me a rent-free place to live at one stage, in an art gallery in Toorak Road owned by a friend of his (I was supposed to deter burglars). It didn't work out though, the place gave me the heebie-jeebies and I wasn't allowed to have any visitors.
Now Erwin is gone and Robyn is wondering why. I wonder too.
I have been thinking more about Erwin and Robyn and now I remember meeting their son Mark a few times. He was my age, and I think he was their only child. I had just moved to Melbourne from Tasmania, and Robyn did quite a bit of transferred mothering while I was working there.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Yellowly white
We saw a white volkswagen this morning. Marcus loves volkswagens, so I pointed it out. It was kind of cream/off white, but of course, with a just-3-year-old, you keep it simple.
Me: "Look, see the white volkswagen?"
"Yeah! Its yellowly white!"
Me: "Look, see the white volkswagen?"
"Yeah! Its yellowly white!"
Monday, March 07, 2005
Leaping
Michael has started leaping. Not quite really walking. He stands up, then leaps in the air, lands on both feet, then does it again and again. Its not meant as a method of getting around, although he sometimes ends up at the other end of the room. He's very close to proper walking, certainly doing a lot more cruising.
Marcus was annoyed with his cup-with-a-straw this morning.
"I'm indicated with this cup".
"Do you mean irritated?"
"I'm IRRITATED with this cup".
We went down to South Arm to visit Monica, Jonathan, Lena and Elise yesterday (I think to save time we will just call them the Cruikshanks now), and Nick and Anna and Lily did too. Its about 45 minutes drive. The boys had a great time, it was very noisy though. We used to have three kids between us, now we have five and another due (Anna) in a couple of months - things just get noisier and noisier.
The Cruikshanks have a very different lifestyle to us - lots of land, lost of space inside too. When we went for a walk Jonathan detoured at one stage to crush the skull of a sick rabbit. Quite a few differences to us. J built the house himself, works from home as a draftsman. They spend a lot more time with their kids than we can. Sigh.
On the way to South Arm we dropped in at Meadowbank vineyard to have a look at Anna's exhibition. The opening was on Saturday - we were supposed to be there but it just slipped out of mind. We forgot dinner at Jeremy and Emma's place on Friday night too - we are both feeling snowed under by the social calendar I think. Anna's paintings and etchings looked great, Elf and I both particularly like the etchings. I'm annoyed with myself for forgetting, particularly because we missed hearing Nick give a speech. Its something he stresses about enormously but does really well - it would have been nice to be there to support them both.
Marcus was annoyed with his cup-with-a-straw this morning.
"I'm indicated with this cup".
"Do you mean irritated?"
"I'm IRRITATED with this cup".
We went down to South Arm to visit Monica, Jonathan, Lena and Elise yesterday (I think to save time we will just call them the Cruikshanks now), and Nick and Anna and Lily did too. Its about 45 minutes drive. The boys had a great time, it was very noisy though. We used to have three kids between us, now we have five and another due (Anna) in a couple of months - things just get noisier and noisier.
The Cruikshanks have a very different lifestyle to us - lots of land, lost of space inside too. When we went for a walk Jonathan detoured at one stage to crush the skull of a sick rabbit. Quite a few differences to us. J built the house himself, works from home as a draftsman. They spend a lot more time with their kids than we can. Sigh.
On the way to South Arm we dropped in at Meadowbank vineyard to have a look at Anna's exhibition. The opening was on Saturday - we were supposed to be there but it just slipped out of mind. We forgot dinner at Jeremy and Emma's place on Friday night too - we are both feeling snowed under by the social calendar I think. Anna's paintings and etchings looked great, Elf and I both particularly like the etchings. I'm annoyed with myself for forgetting, particularly because we missed hearing Nick give a speech. Its something he stresses about enormously but does really well - it would have been nice to be there to support them both.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Balloon
Marcus: Yak yak balloon yak...
Elf: "mmm..."
Marcus: Yak yakkity yak balloon yak yak...
Elf: Mmm-hmmm...
Marcus: Do you want this balloon Mummy?
Elf: No, not really. I'm busy making dinner.
Marcus (sadly): Its lovely. But you don't want it.
Friday, March 04, 2005
Shots
Michael had a couple of vaccinations this morning, one in each thigh. He wasn't fussed at all. He made a tiny wumfle at the first one, so tiny that I didn't realise Dr Thompson had done it until he asked me to hold his other leg out. Another tiny wumfle then he turned his attention to the plastic car on the floor.
Song lyric for today:
We were once so close to heaven
Peter came out and gave us medals
Declaring us
The nicest of the damned
- from Road Movie to Berlin by They Might Be Giants
Song lyric for today:
We were once so close to heaven
Peter came out and gave us medals
Declaring us
The nicest of the damned
- from Road Movie to Berlin by They Might Be Giants
Talk
Marcus just won't stop talking. Yap yap yap. Some of it is quite interesting - that's the stuff that is usually related here. A lot of it is repetitive, annoying and impossible to reply to sensibly. This is all completely normal for a 3 year old. He is not a good listener which is probably also completely normal. I shouted very loud at him last night, I was so enraged that he wasn't listening while I told him something I thought was important.
Then this morning at 2am I was selfish when he had woken from a bad dream, and when he was heading off to get into our bed I told him to stay in his bed. I have a private rule that unless absolutely necessary he can't get into bed with us until after 3am - it just makes the night very long and uncomfortable. But Elf rightly pointed out that if he is scared he should feel like he can get into bed with us.
I sang "Hit me with your rythym stick" to Michael this morning and now he can say "Hit me". Great.
So - not a good 24 hours of dadness.
On the radio as I walked to work this morning Richard Adey interviewed Prof. David Flint, ex head of the Australian Broadcasting Authority, mate of John Laws and prominent monarchist. Listening to him is like having lukewarm smelly sump oil poured into your ears.
Then this morning at 2am I was selfish when he had woken from a bad dream, and when he was heading off to get into our bed I told him to stay in his bed. I have a private rule that unless absolutely necessary he can't get into bed with us until after 3am - it just makes the night very long and uncomfortable. But Elf rightly pointed out that if he is scared he should feel like he can get into bed with us.
I sang "Hit me with your rythym stick" to Michael this morning and now he can say "Hit me". Great.
So - not a good 24 hours of dadness.
On the radio as I walked to work this morning Richard Adey interviewed Prof. David Flint, ex head of the Australian Broadcasting Authority, mate of John Laws and prominent monarchist. Listening to him is like having lukewarm smelly sump oil poured into your ears.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
A little italian
The animation I am working on has this in the script: "The proprietor was a German, who spoke no English but knew a little Italian."
I have to listen to it over and over as I tweak the animation. Every time I visualise the proprietor's short Sicilian acquaintance.
I have to listen to it over and over as I tweak the animation. Every time I visualise the proprietor's short Sicilian acquaintance.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Washing the car
We followed a very muddy car down the Southern Outlet this morning. Marcus said "When it rains it will wash all the mud off". I said that was how we got our car clean too - I think I have washed it once, just after we got it nearly 3 years ago. I told Marcus I didn't think washing the car with soap was important, and I'm too busy to do it. He said "I could help you daddy because you are too busy. But can you wash the top because I can't reach the top".
Other questions this morning: "Why do doctors wear gloves?" and "Why don't you sneeze when the sun shines like Mummy does and I do?"
Other questions this morning: "Why do doctors wear gloves?" and "Why don't you sneeze when the sun shines like Mummy does and I do?"
Monday, February 28, 2005
Thank you for the purrs
Marcus was talking to Gizmo, our old cat. "Thank you Giz. Thank you Giz. Thank you Giz. "
We asked why he was thanking Giz. "I'm saying thank you for the purrs".
Such a good idea. I've had him about 13 years and I've never thanked him for the purrs.
We asked why he was thanking Giz. "I'm saying thank you for the purrs".
Such a good idea. I've had him about 13 years and I've never thanked him for the purrs.
Stripy Birthday
Today is Marcus's 3rd birthday. We had a Stripy Party on Saturday down at the South Hobart Community Centre - there were a lot of stripy people, stripy food and stripy balloons. Elf did a magnificent job sewing, cooking and generally excelling at stripy home economics. Everyone had a great time. Marcus got piles of presents that we have to somehow fit into the house. Michael fell off the portable mini-roundabout and grazed his face a wee bit - my fault for putting him on it when he was too tired to hang on properly.
Yesterday we backed up for more parties. Elf took Marcus to Liam's 3rd birthday, while I took Michael up into the mountains to Big Ben's going away party. Ben is a programmer at Roar and one of the finest gentlemen its been my privilege to work with. His family live at Collinsvale above Hobart and they put on a terrific spread. Ten of us got a minibus from work. Michael was very well behaved, charmed everyone and demonstrated his various tricks.
Michael is now miaowing like a cat (where appropriate) and also singing the EIEIOs to Old Macdonald Had A Farm. He is also a dab hand on the saxaflute - Sally's present to Marcus. Marcus built a very impressive spiralling saxaflute this morning then played a short honking composition on it.
Yesterday we backed up for more parties. Elf took Marcus to Liam's 3rd birthday, while I took Michael up into the mountains to Big Ben's going away party. Ben is a programmer at Roar and one of the finest gentlemen its been my privilege to work with. His family live at Collinsvale above Hobart and they put on a terrific spread. Ten of us got a minibus from work. Michael was very well behaved, charmed everyone and demonstrated his various tricks.
Michael is now miaowing like a cat (where appropriate) and also singing the EIEIOs to Old Macdonald Had A Farm. He is also a dab hand on the saxaflute - Sally's present to Marcus. Marcus built a very impressive spiralling saxaflute this morning then played a short honking composition on it.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Moon
I saw the moon rise over the Meehan Range while I was bringing in the washing last night. I looked up and where there had been nothing there was a bright orange sharp-edged blob. My first thought was it was the tidiest bushfire I had ever seen. It rose so fast - it was entirely above the horizon in about 2 minutes. I am extremely urbanised and only very occasionally do I have such a strong feeling of being on a spinning planet looping through space.
We are looking for a new house at the moment, to have more space and hopefully a flat back yard for the boys. But we are going to miss our first house. Will we see the moon rise over distant hills from the new house? I hope so.
Elf brought home a roundabout/carousel thing from the toy library. Its amazing what that woman can fit into a standard station wagon. The boys love it. Michael just sits on it, going nowhere and and grinning. He lights up when he plays with Marcus.
Elf's father Bill arrives from Canberra today, for Marcus's 3rd birthday party tomorrow. My mum and dad will be driving down today as well. I think we are all getting together for dinner tonight down at Kingston Beach - at Citrus Moon as it happens.
We are looking for a new house at the moment, to have more space and hopefully a flat back yard for the boys. But we are going to miss our first house. Will we see the moon rise over distant hills from the new house? I hope so.
Elf brought home a roundabout/carousel thing from the toy library. Its amazing what that woman can fit into a standard station wagon. The boys love it. Michael just sits on it, going nowhere and and grinning. He lights up when he plays with Marcus.
Elf's father Bill arrives from Canberra today, for Marcus's 3rd birthday party tomorrow. My mum and dad will be driving down today as well. I think we are all getting together for dinner tonight down at Kingston Beach - at Citrus Moon as it happens.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Police Car
We have just returned a police car we got from the toy library. Michael and Marcus take turns climbing inside and pushing themselves up and down the hall. I have also seen Marcus pushing Michael around in it quite gently, which was sweet.
I was in a very lazy parenting mood last night so I subdued a minor ruckus by putting on a video. Michael cruised to a position where he could see the TV, then sat back in his vehicle quite comfortably, with his foot on the dashboard, to watch Little Robots. He just needed a takeaway coffee and bag of doughnuts.
I was in a very lazy parenting mood last night so I subdued a minor ruckus by putting on a video. Michael cruised to a position where he could see the TV, then sat back in his vehicle quite comfortably, with his foot on the dashboard, to watch Little Robots. He just needed a takeaway coffee and bag of doughnuts.
Fantastic Factoids
From a project Manuel, Rob, James and I are cooking up. Remember "fantastic" means "belonging in the realm of fantasy" not "really really good" as it is used these days.
• Taiwan is the only country with a national holiday to celebrate the invention of a synthetic fabric - Rayon Day on February 28th.
• The Burmese 3 wa and 6 wa stamps of 1938 became instant collectors items when it was realised that due to a printing mistake, instead of the Bhudda they featured Australian cricketer Stan McCabe.
• The bolivian stumpy duck is the only bird in the world to migrate by train.
[Further factoids removed on legal advice from Elf].
We are illustrating them (like the old Ripley's Believe It or Not) and hopefully we will find a newspaper who wants to run them.
• Taiwan is the only country with a national holiday to celebrate the invention of a synthetic fabric - Rayon Day on February 28th.
• The Burmese 3 wa and 6 wa stamps of 1938 became instant collectors items when it was realised that due to a printing mistake, instead of the Bhudda they featured Australian cricketer Stan McCabe.
• The bolivian stumpy duck is the only bird in the world to migrate by train.
[Further factoids removed on legal advice from Elf].
We are illustrating them (like the old Ripley's Believe It or Not) and hopefully we will find a newspaper who wants to run them.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Mulberries
We went to a snazzy open home on Saturday, 30 Swan Street in North Hobart. I took a dislike to it though because the kitchen was so self-consiously Jamie-Olivered up. It sold while we were there to a fat chain-smoking guy, so I hope they'll be very happy together.
But - there was a nice big tree shading the back lawn. I could see it was dropping fruit which had got squished into the grass. When i got closer I couldnt believe my eyes - this was a GIANT BLACKBERRY TREE. I tried one and they were fat and scrumptious.
Later Nick told me it was a mulberry tree. He and Anna lived next door at no. 28 for a few years.
Why has no-one told me about mulberries before?
WELL?
But - there was a nice big tree shading the back lawn. I could see it was dropping fruit which had got squished into the grass. When i got closer I couldnt believe my eyes - this was a GIANT BLACKBERRY TREE. I tried one and they were fat and scrumptious.
Later Nick told me it was a mulberry tree. He and Anna lived next door at no. 28 for a few years.
Why has no-one told me about mulberries before?
WELL?
Paean to the RCH
Its roughly a year since Michael came home from his three weeks at the Royal Childrens Hospital. I havent recorded here why he was there, so I'll do that briefly.
Michael was born with Transposition of the Great Arteries, which means the aorta and pulmonary artery are reversed. The aorta normally takes red (oxygenated) blood from the heart around the body. The pulmonary normally takes blue blood to the lungs to be re-oxygenated. In Michael the red blood circulated from the heart to the lungs continuously, while the blue blood was pumped around the body again and again, progessively reducing in oxygen. A few hours after he was born, a midwife at the Royal Hobart Hospital noticed his bluish skin, and did some tests to determine the cause. About seven hours later he, Elf and I were at the Royal Childrens Hospital in Melbourne.
We can't really express our gratitude in words, to the RHH, the RCH, and the Tasmanian State Government's medical emergency procedures. Also to our mums who teamed up to look after Marcus for two weeks until I could fly home.
The prompt action at RHH saved Michael's life. The State Government pays for evacuation, medical treatment and accommodation of anyone who has a medical condition that can't be treated within Tasmania. We had no idea this existed until we needed it. A man called Terry who works in a tiny office in the bowels of RHH organised Michael's transfer by air ambulance, seats on a commercial flight for Elf and I, and our accommodation. We did not have to worry about any of those details, which was great as our worry brain cells were fully occupied.
Michael had a temporary operation immediately that allowed some mixing of red and blue blood to happen in his heart. This bought some time until the "arterial switch" could be performed. We thought it would be done straight away, but for a variety of reasons we had 5 days of nervous waiting. The operation was a success. It was a difficult day for us - we ran out of ways to occupy ourselves, and ended up walking in circles around Parkville waiting for the mobile phone to ring.
Michael spent several days in ICU after his initial minor op, and another stint after his major op. A year on I think of the other children who were in ICU at the time and hope they have had successful outcomes like Michael.
The RCH is regarded worldwide as one of the best children's hospitals. People who can afford to, send their children there from Japan, Singapore, the Middle East. We were asked to pay just $75 towards the costs of Michael's treatment, our flights and accomodation. The RCH is a marvellous thing to have in our region. People (including Tasmanians) who say that we have poor facilities or that we are remote and unloved, should remember that if the worst happens with your kid, they can be at the RCH in two hours getting world class treatment.
Michael was born with Transposition of the Great Arteries, which means the aorta and pulmonary artery are reversed. The aorta normally takes red (oxygenated) blood from the heart around the body. The pulmonary normally takes blue blood to the lungs to be re-oxygenated. In Michael the red blood circulated from the heart to the lungs continuously, while the blue blood was pumped around the body again and again, progessively reducing in oxygen. A few hours after he was born, a midwife at the Royal Hobart Hospital noticed his bluish skin, and did some tests to determine the cause. About seven hours later he, Elf and I were at the Royal Childrens Hospital in Melbourne.
We can't really express our gratitude in words, to the RHH, the RCH, and the Tasmanian State Government's medical emergency procedures. Also to our mums who teamed up to look after Marcus for two weeks until I could fly home.
The prompt action at RHH saved Michael's life. The State Government pays for evacuation, medical treatment and accommodation of anyone who has a medical condition that can't be treated within Tasmania. We had no idea this existed until we needed it. A man called Terry who works in a tiny office in the bowels of RHH organised Michael's transfer by air ambulance, seats on a commercial flight for Elf and I, and our accommodation. We did not have to worry about any of those details, which was great as our worry brain cells were fully occupied.
Michael had a temporary operation immediately that allowed some mixing of red and blue blood to happen in his heart. This bought some time until the "arterial switch" could be performed. We thought it would be done straight away, but for a variety of reasons we had 5 days of nervous waiting. The operation was a success. It was a difficult day for us - we ran out of ways to occupy ourselves, and ended up walking in circles around Parkville waiting for the mobile phone to ring.
Michael spent several days in ICU after his initial minor op, and another stint after his major op. A year on I think of the other children who were in ICU at the time and hope they have had successful outcomes like Michael.
The RCH is regarded worldwide as one of the best children's hospitals. People who can afford to, send their children there from Japan, Singapore, the Middle East. We were asked to pay just $75 towards the costs of Michael's treatment, our flights and accomodation. The RCH is a marvellous thing to have in our region. People (including Tasmanians) who say that we have poor facilities or that we are remote and unloved, should remember that if the worst happens with your kid, they can be at the RCH in two hours getting world class treatment.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Peg Boy
Michael is standing up without wobbling pretty well now. It took me by surprise though when I set him down on his feet yesterday and instead of letting himself flop onto his bot, he stayed right where I put him. I felt like I had put a peg in a hole or planted a flag in the snow.
We went to a puppetry day at Tolosa Park yesterday, which was great. Everything from Punch and Judy to those spooky silent 12 foot tall ladies. We went with Anna and Lily (my god-daughter) and it tickled me to go off for a wander with Lily and Marcus - she's a great little girl and I enjoyed looking after her for a little while. There was a tiny 5-kids-at-a-time jumping castle. They get them out at the end of their go by using lollipops as bait. Marcus went off exploring on his own quite confidently which is a great development.
We went to a puppetry day at Tolosa Park yesterday, which was great. Everything from Punch and Judy to those spooky silent 12 foot tall ladies. We went with Anna and Lily (my god-daughter) and it tickled me to go off for a wander with Lily and Marcus - she's a great little girl and I enjoyed looking after her for a little while. There was a tiny 5-kids-at-a-time jumping castle. They get them out at the end of their go by using lollipops as bait. Marcus went off exploring on his own quite confidently which is a great development.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Vegetarian Beer
Well, I never knew there was such a thing. Then I was looking at pictures of sturgeon for work, and one of the uses of the poor old late sturgeon is his swim bladder lining is turned into isinglass which is sometimes used for refining beer. For those who are appalled here is a list of vegetarian- and vegan-approved beers.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
A country that starts with "Thene"
As we drove this morning marcus was looking through the flag book for france - I told him the flags were all in alphabetical order, so just go through the alphabet until they start with F then you'll see a red, white and blue one. I was wrong, i forgot that in that little book they are in some arcane order I don't understand - maybe in order of GNP or something. He was gamely paging through looking for red, white and blue flags that start with F - and he started reading out the names of all the flags he found with the right colours. He spelled out D O M I N I C A N R E P U B L I C, P A R A G U A Y , and T H E N E T H E R L A N D S.
I was puzzled for a while by THENE.
I was puzzled for a while by THENE.
I can smell buildings
Lately Marcus has been saying occasionally "I can smell something?" "What can you smell buddy?" In the car the other day "I can smell buildings". Yesterday in the lounge room "I can smell videos".
Last night at dinner he asked "When I put some food in my mouth and my mouth is full, and I shovel more in, thats OK isnt it?" I was laughing too hard to say "no".
We hopped onto the tall ship Windeward Bound yesterday for a look - its a sail training vessel. I am totally un-seaworthy and have no boat-sense at all, but I strove to dodge ropes and hop cat-like from poop to prow to impress Marcus. We both had a go at the helm. I imagined myself in a souwester, a lone hand at the wheel in a force ten gale, the rest of the crew below decks with scurvy etc etc. I don't know what Marcus imagined.
Michael is bursting into jolly laughter at the first line of almost any nursery rhyme. Which is handy.
"Wah!"
"The grand old Duke of York..."
"Haahahahahahah HAH!"
Last night at dinner he asked "When I put some food in my mouth and my mouth is full, and I shovel more in, thats OK isnt it?" I was laughing too hard to say "no".
We hopped onto the tall ship Windeward Bound yesterday for a look - its a sail training vessel. I am totally un-seaworthy and have no boat-sense at all, but I strove to dodge ropes and hop cat-like from poop to prow to impress Marcus. We both had a go at the helm. I imagined myself in a souwester, a lone hand at the wheel in a force ten gale, the rest of the crew below decks with scurvy etc etc. I don't know what Marcus imagined.
Michael is bursting into jolly laughter at the first line of almost any nursery rhyme. Which is handy.
"Wah!"
"The grand old Duke of York..."
"Haahahahahahah HAH!"
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Mouse Lesbians
A story by my sister Sally from a few months back, when she visited Lourdes:
At this time of year Lourdes is a ghost town. More than half the town is closed and the religious fervour is considerably lessened. The hotel I thought I had booked over the web turned out to be closed so we got the taxi driver to drop us off at Hotel de la Gare instead. The train station hotel. TL, being vegan, can not always find places she can eat that are 'kosher' so carries a lot of food wherever she goes. She was awoken by a leaping (actually jumping!) mouse in our room, chowing down on her organic pumpernickel and anything else he could find. Despite her screams I of course slept through this as because of her weird 'white-noise' sleep machine (set to 'running stream') I have been wearing earplugs. I did however examine the evidence with concern the next morning and we agreed to find a new hotel. I also agreed that TL, with a better grasp of French, could try to argue a cheaper or free price for the night.
So it was for the first time we assumed our bad-cop, good-cop roles. I'm the good-cop which means I stand in the background feebly pretending I don't understand French while TL does a maginificent line in "le souris, le souris! Combien pour le souris qui mange sour ma tete!" We still had to pay. They threatened to call the police. TL left her mouse nibblied bread and stuff on the counter and told them to serve it up in no uncertain terms.
Cue the Hotel Flandria, closer to the grotto, cheaper, warmer, bigger room but a piddly shower that you have to hold in your hand. TL suffered for my sake! What a through-and-through Catholic! She is officially WARTIME. Other hotels offers of extremely close twin beds led us to beleive that the entire town believed us to be lesbians. The strange looks we received in some places also led us to believe that the mouse story had quickly spread and that we were being referred to in the Lourdes hospitality industry as THE MOUSE LESBIANS.
At this time of year Lourdes is a ghost town. More than half the town is closed and the religious fervour is considerably lessened. The hotel I thought I had booked over the web turned out to be closed so we got the taxi driver to drop us off at Hotel de la Gare instead. The train station hotel. TL, being vegan, can not always find places she can eat that are 'kosher' so carries a lot of food wherever she goes. She was awoken by a leaping (actually jumping!) mouse in our room, chowing down on her organic pumpernickel and anything else he could find. Despite her screams I of course slept through this as because of her weird 'white-noise' sleep machine (set to 'running stream') I have been wearing earplugs. I did however examine the evidence with concern the next morning and we agreed to find a new hotel. I also agreed that TL, with a better grasp of French, could try to argue a cheaper or free price for the night.
So it was for the first time we assumed our bad-cop, good-cop roles. I'm the good-cop which means I stand in the background feebly pretending I don't understand French while TL does a maginificent line in "le souris, le souris! Combien pour le souris qui mange sour ma tete!" We still had to pay. They threatened to call the police. TL left her mouse nibblied bread and stuff on the counter and told them to serve it up in no uncertain terms.
Cue the Hotel Flandria, closer to the grotto, cheaper, warmer, bigger room but a piddly shower that you have to hold in your hand. TL suffered for my sake! What a through-and-through Catholic! She is officially WARTIME. Other hotels offers of extremely close twin beds led us to beleive that the entire town believed us to be lesbians. The strange looks we received in some places also led us to believe that the mouse story had quickly spread and that we were being referred to in the Lourdes hospitality industry as THE MOUSE LESBIANS.
Why we call Raef "G.P."
A story from Raef's wedding. Years ago Raef had a more self-expressive fashion sense than he does now. He favoured puffy white shirts and sometimes sported a fairly big bangle-style earring. One day a car broke down near Raef's house, and he helped the guys out with jumper leads or something.
A friend of Raef's was arriving just as they drove away - he heard one say - "That guy was really kind to help us out" and the other said "Yeah, but didn't you think he looked like a gay pirate?"
A friend of Raef's was arriving just as they drove away - he heard one say - "That guy was really kind to help us out" and the other said "Yeah, but didn't you think he looked like a gay pirate?"
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Woken by grizzling
I was woken at 5am by the sound of Marcus grizzling "I want to go back to the place with the water!"
He was really quite upset.
I picked him up and said "its OK, you're just dreaming"
He was more upset. "No I'm not dreaming, I want to go back to the place with the water."
I carried him back to our bed so he wouldnt wake Michael. After a few more repetitions he suddenly and lucidly broke off and said "You're right dad. I was dreaming."
Michael has a bad cold and touch of fever - I looked after him at home yesterday. Elf has got him all day today - hopefully he'll be well enough to go back to daycare on Wednesday.
Marcus ran around with a big round balloon hanging from a xylophone donger this morning saying "its a lantern" and was miffed that I wouldnt let him take it to "school" to show the carers.
Michael is saying "duck" and also "bear" I think. He has had very little book time compared to Marcus at the same age.
I'm back to work on Dust on my Shoes at Roar Film now. I have some help from Sean and Will for the next couple of months which will hopefully get the timeline back on the rails. I have a poster to do for Anna's exhibition and I must get back to the Factoid project as well.
And I'm worried about a new car. I want leg room but I don't want to drive a monster around town.
He was really quite upset.
I picked him up and said "its OK, you're just dreaming"
He was more upset. "No I'm not dreaming, I want to go back to the place with the water."
I carried him back to our bed so he wouldnt wake Michael. After a few more repetitions he suddenly and lucidly broke off and said "You're right dad. I was dreaming."
Michael has a bad cold and touch of fever - I looked after him at home yesterday. Elf has got him all day today - hopefully he'll be well enough to go back to daycare on Wednesday.
Marcus ran around with a big round balloon hanging from a xylophone donger this morning saying "its a lantern" and was miffed that I wouldnt let him take it to "school" to show the carers.
Michael is saying "duck" and also "bear" I think. He has had very little book time compared to Marcus at the same age.
I'm back to work on Dust on my Shoes at Roar Film now. I have some help from Sean and Will for the next couple of months which will hopefully get the timeline back on the rails. I have a poster to do for Anna's exhibition and I must get back to the Factoid project as well.
And I'm worried about a new car. I want leg room but I don't want to drive a monster around town.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Mr and Mrs Sawford get down
Raef and Leah's wedding went off well - they seemed to have a great time which is always the most important thing. They booked out a pub for the night instead of a regular sit down reception which was fun. Jeff, Robbo and I pushed back the boundaries of modern dance. The bar tab was rung up on the registers - it was up to $1870.65 or something by the time we left. The boys went to sleep on cue for Georgia but she didnt give them a fresh nappy beforehand.
Chonk bought us lunch on Saturday at Citrus Moon, Kingston Beach. They have a kids room which is pretty basic but amused the ladsfor a while. I had a brainwave that I might try out on Wednesday - to drop the boys at Allisons at 8.00 then have a swim or a run on the beach before work. It will cost half an hour a week maybe.
Then Chonk flew back to Canberra and we'll not see him now for a long time - Elf quite sad.
Chonk bought us lunch on Saturday at Citrus Moon, Kingston Beach. They have a kids room which is pretty basic but amused the ladsfor a while. I had a brainwave that I might try out on Wednesday - to drop the boys at Allisons at 8.00 then have a swim or a run on the beach before work. It will cost half an hour a week maybe.
Then Chonk flew back to Canberra and we'll not see him now for a long time - Elf quite sad.
Friday, February 04, 2005
Uncle Chonk
Elf's brother Chonk arrived last night to stay a few days. He's an engineer working in Switzerland. Their other brother Fred stayed for a few days after Christmas too - he's a scientist working in Sweden. I've already used the joke about sending their other sister imp to Swaziland to complete the set.
The boys had a great time climbing all over Fred and it seems like Chonk will be just as popular. We are going to Raef and Leah's wedding tomorrow so he might even get a bit of solo uncle work.
The boys had a great time climbing all over Fred and it seems like Chonk will be just as popular. We are going to Raef and Leah's wedding tomorrow so he might even get a bit of solo uncle work.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
As Easy as Falling off a Blog
The D of D surges back to life! Hopefully this will work, and hopefully someone or other will read it.
This will be a brief but hopefully regular journal about family life, recording what our boys (Marcus is nearly 3, Michael just turned 1) are up to.
Marcus: Has mastered small talk. Interrupted Elf and I in the car to say "So Daddy - what have you been up to this morning?"
Has a bad cold at the moment and is barking like a seal. Can we talk about phlegm here? I believe in expelling phlegm from the body (by the spit method, preferably down the drain, quietly and behind closed doors) - Elf thinks you just have to get it out of the lungs and let the stomach do what it likes with it. So - Marcus has had contrasting advice about what to do with his expectorations.
Michael: Is getting curlier and curlier. Says "yes" to questions which Marcus didnt for a long time. He's a top chap. he enjoyed his birthday party weekend before last - which is good going for a 1 year old. Most of them don't stay awake and work the crowd the way he did. He's resisting the cold so far. Marcus is very fond of him and hugs him a lot, but will abandon words and just scream if he is doing something "important" and Michael moves even slightly towards him. Michael is standing up frequently but doesnt look inclined to walk anywhere yet. Teeth are taking their time, still only has the 2.
This will be a brief but hopefully regular journal about family life, recording what our boys (Marcus is nearly 3, Michael just turned 1) are up to.
Marcus: Has mastered small talk. Interrupted Elf and I in the car to say "So Daddy - what have you been up to this morning?"
Has a bad cold at the moment and is barking like a seal. Can we talk about phlegm here? I believe in expelling phlegm from the body (by the spit method, preferably down the drain, quietly and behind closed doors) - Elf thinks you just have to get it out of the lungs and let the stomach do what it likes with it. So - Marcus has had contrasting advice about what to do with his expectorations.
Michael: Is getting curlier and curlier. Says "yes" to questions which Marcus didnt for a long time. He's a top chap. he enjoyed his birthday party weekend before last - which is good going for a 1 year old. Most of them don't stay awake and work the crowd the way he did. He's resisting the cold so far. Marcus is very fond of him and hugs him a lot, but will abandon words and just scream if he is doing something "important" and Michael moves even slightly towards him. Michael is standing up frequently but doesnt look inclined to walk anywhere yet. Teeth are taking their time, still only has the 2.
Friday, June 27, 2003
16 months old
This has been a really good week. Marcus has been healthy and happy and picking new things up all the time. We took him to Salamanca Marcket on Saturday, and he walked all around with us taking turns hanging onto the hood of his jacket. That afternoon we went for a walk without the pram, up to Wellesley Park playground behind our house. We are lucky to have two good playgrounds about 3 minutes walk from the door. We usually go to Cascade Gardens, but now he is so mobile, Wellesley is better because it is surrounded by a huge grassy field and he can plod about from swings to slides as he pleases.
He's been dancing this week, sometimes just when the spirit moves him, but I read something to him about dancing last night and he started jiggling about on my knee, so he understands the word. We've had a devil of a time keeping him away from the rubbish bin, but now he knows that's where fruit peel and things like that go, and he drops them in and closes the door. He's now saying "Giz" and "Hatty" (the cats), "block", "bath", and having a good go at imitating any sound we say to him.
We know now that Marcus has a sibling on the way. Sibling Singleton! Which means its probably time to take down the ultrasounds and so on of Marcus to make way for the new ones. Click here to send us name suggestions that we make no promises to pay any attention to at all.
He's been dancing this week, sometimes just when the spirit moves him, but I read something to him about dancing last night and he started jiggling about on my knee, so he understands the word. We've had a devil of a time keeping him away from the rubbish bin, but now he knows that's where fruit peel and things like that go, and he drops them in and closes the door. He's now saying "Giz" and "Hatty" (the cats), "block", "bath", and having a good go at imitating any sound we say to him.
We know now that Marcus has a sibling on the way. Sibling Singleton! Which means its probably time to take down the ultrasounds and so on of Marcus to make way for the new ones. Click here to send us name suggestions that we make no promises to pay any attention to at all.
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
15 and a half months old
Hoo-eee, its been nearly 4 months since my last confession. Life is busy here at work. As this is where I do the website now, (having folded up my home office) the poor site hasnt been getting a look in. Of course its great to be busy, and have a regular dependable income.
Now I have a chance to catch up a wee bit. Marcus, who is the chief subject of this er, weblog, is now terrifically independent and mobile. He strolls around like Walkie Walkerson. His balance is very good and he hasnt yet run headlong into anything sharp, which is a mercy.
Here is his current (intelligible) vocabulary, in reverse chronological order of when he picked the word up. Boots. Sock (actually Ock). The Door (its always The Door). Quaaaaaaaaaaagh(a very realistic duck sound whenever ducks are mentioned/visible). Thank you. Book. Ball. Bye bye. Bee. Mummy. Daddy.
He understands the most surprising things. We can ask him to bring us his boots, to shut the door, or to put his empty bottles in the sink. In most cases he's started doing this off his own bat.
He's eating with us most of the time, which has been a shock to the system for Elf ands I as we find ourselves sitting at the table eating a meal off a plate, like humans.
This breathlessy and brusquely brief update will be added to soon I hope. We have lots of great photos from Easter at Turners Beach, now receding into the past as well, but we'll get them up here soon. Cheerio.
Now I have a chance to catch up a wee bit. Marcus, who is the chief subject of this er, weblog, is now terrifically independent and mobile. He strolls around like Walkie Walkerson. His balance is very good and he hasnt yet run headlong into anything sharp, which is a mercy.
Here is his current (intelligible) vocabulary, in reverse chronological order of when he picked the word up. Boots. Sock (actually Ock). The Door (its always The Door). Quaaaaaaaaaaagh(a very realistic duck sound whenever ducks are mentioned/visible). Thank you. Book. Ball. Bye bye. Bee. Mummy. Daddy.
He understands the most surprising things. We can ask him to bring us his boots, to shut the door, or to put his empty bottles in the sink. In most cases he's started doing this off his own bat.
He's eating with us most of the time, which has been a shock to the system for Elf ands I as we find ourselves sitting at the table eating a meal off a plate, like humans.
This breathlessy and brusquely brief update will be added to soon I hope. We have lots of great photos from Easter at Turners Beach, now receding into the past as well, but we'll get them up here soon. Cheerio.
Thursday, February 20, 2003
Nearly 1!
Hmm, I've been away from the diary for a long time. I'm looking after Marcus all day Wednesdays now, and I think its better than the two half days we had last year. Elf is back at work full time, so of course she isnt seeing as much of Marcus as she'd like to, but she will be having 1 day off a fortnight, so hopefully we can make that day a good family day each time.
We've just let the garden go its own way over summer. Because it is so steep, theres not much shade and the grass is pretty yukky, its not a good place to play with Marcus at present, although we have grand plans. And the water restrictions put me off doing much watering. Standing watering the lawns in the evening with a G&T in hand is pretty nice, but its not very baby-compatible. We've been going over to the Cascade Gardens across the street pretty regularly, and M is very at home scrambling around on the grass there now. We've had quite a few barbies, and we always stop off and look at the bunnies on the way home. The Gardens are home to a large mob of very brazen rabbits.
Our trip to Canberra went very well, luckily we missed the fires. It was damned hot though, and we spent a lot of time downstairs where it was 10 degrees cooler. Its a strange feeling climbing the stairs and having your head markedly hotter than your feet. We had use of a car, and one day I took off on my own to revisit Mt Stromlo, where I'd been on the Grade 6 Burnie Primary trip in 1979. The big telescopes have always stuck in my mind. They were just as beautiful as I remembered. A week later they were just twisted scorched metal, so I'm glad I had a chance to see them. Bill and Felicity enjoyed very much having their youngest grandchild around.
We are enjoying Marcus more all the time, which is how people told us it would be. He responds when we tell him NO (usually when he has a handful of cat fur) and we havent had any major tantrums. He's sleeping pretty well, although still getting us out of bed before the alarm nearly every morning. He's eating a wide range of things and its not too far away we'll all be eating basically the same. We are only having to make up 1 or 2 bottles of formula each night now - such a nice change from making 6. We are heartily sick of washing bottles.
Elf's major pastime now is cooking for Marcus. We have never been great cooks on a day to day basis - we just assemble meals rather than creating them usually. To have a good healthy baby-edible meal ready for Marcus 3 times a day, plus snacks, has required a major increase in our kitchen time. Elf has practically done it all, and considering she is working full time its a pretty heroic effort.
We're now approaching the little ningbat's birthday, and feeling pretty pleased to have made it this far with only minor abrasions and no serious mental scars.
Congratulations Jacki, Tim, Pip, Sam and Brin and welcome to the world to Marcus's new cousin Malachy James McTaggart.
We've just let the garden go its own way over summer. Because it is so steep, theres not much shade and the grass is pretty yukky, its not a good place to play with Marcus at present, although we have grand plans. And the water restrictions put me off doing much watering. Standing watering the lawns in the evening with a G&T in hand is pretty nice, but its not very baby-compatible. We've been going over to the Cascade Gardens across the street pretty regularly, and M is very at home scrambling around on the grass there now. We've had quite a few barbies, and we always stop off and look at the bunnies on the way home. The Gardens are home to a large mob of very brazen rabbits.
Our trip to Canberra went very well, luckily we missed the fires. It was damned hot though, and we spent a lot of time downstairs where it was 10 degrees cooler. Its a strange feeling climbing the stairs and having your head markedly hotter than your feet. We had use of a car, and one day I took off on my own to revisit Mt Stromlo, where I'd been on the Grade 6 Burnie Primary trip in 1979. The big telescopes have always stuck in my mind. They were just as beautiful as I remembered. A week later they were just twisted scorched metal, so I'm glad I had a chance to see them. Bill and Felicity enjoyed very much having their youngest grandchild around.
We are enjoying Marcus more all the time, which is how people told us it would be. He responds when we tell him NO (usually when he has a handful of cat fur) and we havent had any major tantrums. He's sleeping pretty well, although still getting us out of bed before the alarm nearly every morning. He's eating a wide range of things and its not too far away we'll all be eating basically the same. We are only having to make up 1 or 2 bottles of formula each night now - such a nice change from making 6. We are heartily sick of washing bottles.
Elf's major pastime now is cooking for Marcus. We have never been great cooks on a day to day basis - we just assemble meals rather than creating them usually. To have a good healthy baby-edible meal ready for Marcus 3 times a day, plus snacks, has required a major increase in our kitchen time. Elf has practically done it all, and considering she is working full time its a pretty heroic effort.
We're now approaching the little ningbat's birthday, and feeling pretty pleased to have made it this far with only minor abrasions and no serious mental scars.
Congratulations Jacki, Tim, Pip, Sam and Brin and welcome to the world to Marcus's new cousin Malachy James McTaggart.
Monday, December 09, 2002
9 months old - first Christmas
Merry Christmas everyone - you should get cards sometime in March at this rate. Marcus has been a bit crook, with throat and ear infections, but he's going along very nicely now. Since being sick he's lost interest in his dummy, but his sleeping has gone backwards a bit too and we're now expecting him to wake up at about 11 and sometimes 2, and then for good about 5.30.
On the plus side he's developing really well, hair coming along quite nicely, thickening up. Its a little bit, just a tiny bit, sandy - might be Auntie Sally's colour. He is scrambling around with tremendous confidence, but he seems to have a very sensible attitude to his adventures. He is pulling himself up and standing very well, and when he's feeling wobbly or uncertain he kneels back down again, rather than clutch-and-cry or let-go-and-hope which are two other common techniques I have observed.
Grandma Ruth and Grandad John came to visit and looked after a sometimes noisy Marcus while Elf and I went out to dinner with Simon & Mary (whose mum was looking after Miranda). It was terrific to have a grown up evening - we went to the Tandoori house. Its the last time we'll see the grandparents before Christmas because they're off to Sydney for a while. Grandma came with us to the pool and we all had a great time. I have been back since with Marcus and he seems so happy there that we've bought him a wading pool for Christmas.
We have bought a new car, a 97 lantra sportswagon. Its got a/c to keep the little man nice and cool. Anyone who hasnt sat in a car in Hobart on a sunny day, even in midwinter, won't appreciate how hot you can get. I think its the hole in the ozone layer maybe - it certainly didnt seem like this when I was a kid.
Elf went over to Marcus O and Kelly's wedding in Melbourne, leaving Marcus R and I to fend for ourselves. Fend. Its a strange expression isnt it?
The cats are doing a lot of fending at the moment, fending off a small baby who wants to put parts of them in his mouth. Ears and tails mostly. As Hat is always preying on Gizmo as well he is feeling quite put upon and finds new and ingenious ways to avoid all the attention - sleeping on the change mat for instance.
I've just finished and delivered a commissioned drawing. I'm really pleased with the result and pleased to have actually got back to the drawing table. I tried out a few new things like stitching collage to the paper. I can't show the drawing here because its a Christmas present.
We three are off to Canberra for a week over Christmas, to stay with Marki Felicity and Grandad Bill, and catch up with all the other Fullagars, Imp and Ed and Karri who are in Canberra (in Swinger Hill in fact), Fred who's coming back from Brisbane and Chonk who is coming back from Switzerland. It should be a good break, but hopefully not too hot.
Happy holidays all.
On the plus side he's developing really well, hair coming along quite nicely, thickening up. Its a little bit, just a tiny bit, sandy - might be Auntie Sally's colour. He is scrambling around with tremendous confidence, but he seems to have a very sensible attitude to his adventures. He is pulling himself up and standing very well, and when he's feeling wobbly or uncertain he kneels back down again, rather than clutch-and-cry or let-go-and-hope which are two other common techniques I have observed.
Grandma Ruth and Grandad John came to visit and looked after a sometimes noisy Marcus while Elf and I went out to dinner with Simon & Mary (whose mum was looking after Miranda). It was terrific to have a grown up evening - we went to the Tandoori house. Its the last time we'll see the grandparents before Christmas because they're off to Sydney for a while. Grandma came with us to the pool and we all had a great time. I have been back since with Marcus and he seems so happy there that we've bought him a wading pool for Christmas.
We have bought a new car, a 97 lantra sportswagon. Its got a/c to keep the little man nice and cool. Anyone who hasnt sat in a car in Hobart on a sunny day, even in midwinter, won't appreciate how hot you can get. I think its the hole in the ozone layer maybe - it certainly didnt seem like this when I was a kid.
Elf went over to Marcus O and Kelly's wedding in Melbourne, leaving Marcus R and I to fend for ourselves. Fend. Its a strange expression isnt it?
The cats are doing a lot of fending at the moment, fending off a small baby who wants to put parts of them in his mouth. Ears and tails mostly. As Hat is always preying on Gizmo as well he is feeling quite put upon and finds new and ingenious ways to avoid all the attention - sleeping on the change mat for instance.
I've just finished and delivered a commissioned drawing. I'm really pleased with the result and pleased to have actually got back to the drawing table. I tried out a few new things like stitching collage to the paper. I can't show the drawing here because its a Christmas present.
We three are off to Canberra for a week over Christmas, to stay with Marki Felicity and Grandad Bill, and catch up with all the other Fullagars, Imp and Ed and Karri who are in Canberra (in Swinger Hill in fact), Fred who's coming back from Brisbane and Chonk who is coming back from Switzerland. It should be a good break, but hopefully not too hot.
Happy holidays all.
Wednesday, October 23, 2002
Nearly 8 months old - christening
The latest excitement was Marcus's christening. Bill and Felicity came down again from Canberra, and Elf's cousin Ashley came over from Melbourne to be godfather. Marcus performed impeccably in church. The service was fairly long, (there was an astonishing amount of incense, bowing and ringing of little bells) but he was very well behaved, and sensible went to sleep once he was safely within the Christian fold. He wore a christening gown that has been in Felicity's family for 127 (I think) years.
After the service everyone came back to our house for a nice babies 'n' champagne party. We had about 40 people including 15 babies and toddlers. I have to thank Ashley for his superhuman efforts cleaning up around the house & garden - we have named the patio the A.P. Banks Recreation Area in his honour.
Marcus is sleeping in 8 hour chunks now - often goes to sleep at 7 or 8 and doesnt wake until 4 or 5. Its not quite sleeping through the night but its a great improvement. He is having 3 solid meals a day, and we're pretty sure that's why he's not waking up as much. Almost all his food is home-made, and Elf is doing a fantastic job keeping the supplies of mushy stuff coming.
In other news: we have a brand new tabby kitten named Hatty/Harriet. I keep forgetting her name and calling her Betty. Gizmo is a little offside but not as badly as when Claude arrived a couple of years ago.
After the service everyone came back to our house for a nice babies 'n' champagne party. We had about 40 people including 15 babies and toddlers. I have to thank Ashley for his superhuman efforts cleaning up around the house & garden - we have named the patio the A.P. Banks Recreation Area in his honour.
Marcus is sleeping in 8 hour chunks now - often goes to sleep at 7 or 8 and doesnt wake until 4 or 5. Its not quite sleeping through the night but its a great improvement. He is having 3 solid meals a day, and we're pretty sure that's why he's not waking up as much. Almost all his food is home-made, and Elf is doing a fantastic job keeping the supplies of mushy stuff coming.
In other news: we have a brand new tabby kitten named Hatty/Harriet. I keep forgetting her name and calling her Betty. Gizmo is a little offside but not as badly as when Claude arrived a couple of years ago.
Tuesday, October 01, 2002
7 months old
Its been 8 weeks since my last entry, and they've been pretty busy weeks. It seemed like we were just back from Sydney and it was time to fly to Melbourne for Alex and Suparna's wedding.
To make things interesting we drove up to stay the night at my Mum and Dad's at Turners Beach, then down the next morning to fly in and out of Launceston. Marcus covered most of Mum and Dad's large loungeroom on his belly.
We enjoyed the wedding very much, it was in the conservatory in the Treasury Gardens - very tropical and floral, Alex was dressed like Imran Khan complete with curly slippers. It was good to introduce Marcus to Alex and to John McG, old Tasmanians-in-Melbourne mates from when I was also a T-i-M.
We hired a car and dashed about all over town with Marcus in the back in a childseat. It was so nice to have control of the situation after the Sydney taxi debacles. We caught up with lots of folks - John S & Kristy met Marcus for the first time, and so did Di in Doncaster. The hotel we booked in had tiny, tiny rooms, we could hardly open up the portacot and the walls were paper thin. We received a lot of knowing looks at breakfast from people who were obviously thinking "so YOU'RE the people with the baby". So we moved to another hotel with a bit more space and privacy.
It was a very demanding routine for Marcus, but he rose to the occasion, and he rose even higher in our esteem too. It seems that when things are a bit wild and crazy he's at is best. He had big smiles for every stranger and every relative he was presented to - usually about 2 minutes after waking up from sleeping in the car on the way across town. We think he's a bit of alright.
To make things interesting we drove up to stay the night at my Mum and Dad's at Turners Beach, then down the next morning to fly in and out of Launceston. Marcus covered most of Mum and Dad's large loungeroom on his belly.
We enjoyed the wedding very much, it was in the conservatory in the Treasury Gardens - very tropical and floral, Alex was dressed like Imran Khan complete with curly slippers. It was good to introduce Marcus to Alex and to John McG, old Tasmanians-in-Melbourne mates from when I was also a T-i-M.
We hired a car and dashed about all over town with Marcus in the back in a childseat. It was so nice to have control of the situation after the Sydney taxi debacles. We caught up with lots of folks - John S & Kristy met Marcus for the first time, and so did Di in Doncaster. The hotel we booked in had tiny, tiny rooms, we could hardly open up the portacot and the walls were paper thin. We received a lot of knowing looks at breakfast from people who were obviously thinking "so YOU'RE the people with the baby". So we moved to another hotel with a bit more space and privacy.
It was a very demanding routine for Marcus, but he rose to the occasion, and he rose even higher in our esteem too. It seems that when things are a bit wild and crazy he's at is best. He had big smiles for every stranger and every relative he was presented to - usually about 2 minutes after waking up from sleeping in the car on the way across town. We think he's a bit of alright.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)