Happy New Year

Goodbye 0 nine- the nine key on this keyboard has been missing for a good year now, '10 will be so much easier... what a year! first birthdays, new homes, new community, - all in a happy and healthy year we have had. Trip to Capetown, Thailand, discovery of a wonderful 3 yr old girl who makes her large personality known to all that pause long enough. And the amazement of watching a newborn become a 1yr old character, with stronger opinions and feelings than most adults, so comfortable in her ways of communicating that only she understands, but still continually communicating with unwavering conviction. Watching her strong, healthy and very ticklish body grow has even been fast for me who sees her every minute. The emo hair is also too cute for words.

to travel

I look at these beautiful slides taken by my father as he and my mum traveled through Morocco, Zaire, and through many wonderful countries on their journey to South Africa. It was only last night as steve and i sat by the bbq cooked our yummy steaks, talking of all the amazing places we have travelled to. Our favourite last night, as it always changes, was Samuc Champay -not sure of spelling- but it is a little town in the hills of Eastern Guatamala, as has become a tourist spot because of this rare formation of sandstone rock that has been worn away by a raging river so the river now goes underground, and above is the mineral rick water that seeps through the limestone and creates aqua blue, tiered pools that are surrounded by cool rainforest walks. The backpackers there was memorable. It was about then that we started to talk about opening up our own.. It was run on a volunteer basis, so plenty of people feeling very important, but still very organised. You put your name down for the vego meal each night, and as the dinner bell rang you sat and ate a beautiful set meal. The rooms were funky and the river ran straight past the backpakers and ran really fast, so that all they had put there was a rope to hang onto or you could catch a ride upstream and hire a tube. Hence the need for the rope as we soon found out you quickly get sucked into a very low bridge downstream..My favourite memory is the fireflys. At dusk there were hundreds of them in the grass. Absolutley amazing! A warm night, some local rum and to sit and watch the fire flys that just fascinated me makes me smile.

And while I am on the random subject of my travels, another favourite shot of mine, that makes me smile from the tips of my bare feet to the top of my sunburnt head.

Ahh Carisbrooke

What a few relaxing days we have had. It helps that the car has been broken and will take a week or 2 to repair. Lots of swimming, making chain decorations, catching up on cooking and planning the very fancy christmas dinner that is creeping up on me. Have found pleasure in sitting outside at the finish of the day, listening to the galahs and watching the bush turkeys eat steves grass seed that he so lovingly put down on the weekend. mm fat bush turkeys but no grass to replace the patch of weeds.

Miss Pip 1!

What a weekend! not a chance to put up photos of my lovely one year old, but we certainly partied on her behalf. So much fun and the best reason to celebrate such a healthy, happy tittle one, that is at a stage where she recognises and shows she loves her family, plays games with you, 'kisses' are an open mouth moving towards yours, trying to walk, sometimes like a crab to get over the rough stuff, will laugh with you for hours on end, and copy EVERYTHING! her sister Eva does. Happy Birthday my little one, you are such a squidge.xx



The week has taken a turn for the annoying today as I drove sister back to Canberra, came to visit my 93 yr old nana and car decided to break down in the country. Fly country that is, no mobile reception mmm I did swear alot. Waiting for my husband in his shining armour (hair) and on his dark horse (Audi) to come and rescue me. In the meantime, liking the forced exile playing on the lawn with the dogs, walking to the shearing shed, and enjoying the hospitality and cold beer of my Aunt Sue.

my baby girl

I don't feel i did justice to Eva's birthday the other day. The whole week was so full of events that now i read back on my post I really did'nt let her know how I feel. (I hope in this age of technology she will be reading this as a teenager..). You are a world away from the person I first looked upon that emotional day at the hospital. 3! my god.
I thankyou Eva for making me who I am. As a three year old, you are old enough to share you passions with me, your fears, your love of all things tiny but life making! Your days are filled with swimming, bike riding, cutting, drawing (or 'working' 'busy' as you say and fill note books with your 'writing'). You have written your name for the first time. You can read alot of letter in the alphabet, and will stop me at any chance- numbers on a car park, street sign- to find out what they are. I watch you go about your activities and you are so happy just being with me, and now pip, that my days could not be more content. At night you will sleep snuggled in tight, and I confess I love it that way too.
'look at me mummy' has replaced 'but why?' as you display great balance and sometimes a surprising lack of fear... I waicth you with the slightly older girls on the street and even though your bike has training wheels you must leave it on its side, 'just like they do'. You crack me up when you tell your grandad why he cant hear with such big ears, and as you climb onto the blind society dog after putting money in it waiting for it to move. We have such fun racing around the shops and you are so patient with me when I am 'grumpy mum' You made me cry the other day as you gave me wild flowers to 'cheer me up'. I thankyou my bunny girl for making every day a joy, and letting life take its course through a hundred small daily happenings in the discovery of life and how you see it. xx

busy busy

What a week. Goodbye Birubi hello Newcastle. Into a bigger house so there is plenty of spare space, sure that wont stay. Has taken a little settling in and will be a few weeks before I find my groove again. In the meantime we have been on plenty of forest walks and the kids on the street love to get together and ride bikes/ chase bush turkeys/ fight over swing/ nurse half dead baby birds back to health.... eva has made plenty of friends.
The there was Halloween, 2 trick or treats, and eva soon got the hang of screaming out 'trick or treat' to anyone that would listen. Soooo pleased with her lolly pumpkin.
Goodbye Miss 2 year old, and hello the big 3! The first birthday I must say where there is expectations and a little wondering as to how I am 'suddenly 3'. Had a busy day with 3 different cakes and candles as groups of family and friends came. Eva was 'twinkerbell' all day, and rode her girly bike and climbed on her climbing frame and loved all her glorious prezzies.
Melbourne Cup lunch fell yesterday, not a great idea as it only proved to lose me money and make me tired. Today is a trip to Syd to see a fashion show and then a wedding on the weekend. mmm I might actuall enjoy that hair appt sitting on my arse for a few hours.

A day at Birubi

We have had beautiful weather. A nice day out had involved walking to the park, Eva now loves to take her trike up and down the hills in the skate park, and trip to the swings, and finish by walking back up the beach to fly our kite. Are we doing the right thing moving away from this paradise? I hope it all works out and the final uprooting is worth it. We are lucky not to have to sell Birubi, and we can have weekends away here.

Scary pelican

Will miss our fish co-op, love choosing fresh fish for dinner. Eva then enjoys feeding the pelicans some of our prawn out the front. They tend to chase you down and get the bag off you, Eva was not half as scared as I.

A package!

I love the love that is given to my girls. I can live with the fact that you are often a deliverer of goods, and your recent weekend away is not half as interesting as new teeth, dance moves, even an excited smile! So from the far shores of London a package is sent with cotton undies, PJs and ...wait for it... matching halloween costumes! I am so lucky that they not only have their mum and dad getting them excited about an event where you knock on doors and people give you lollies!, but also friends and family that are excited for us. I never anticipated haloween to be so fun!

Who's your sister?

Daylight Saving

Love daylight saving! A sundowner at about 7:30 on the veranda.

Fun Long Weekend

A fair! that we came across after a BBQ chick picnic lunch. Eva very excited to see her friends Ella and Abbi, horse riding, giant trampoline, and uncle Joel took her on the dodgems! The cheapest ride was the giant slide but Eva was not keen on this, and I feel she will be talking about that trampoline for weeks to come.
Pip enjoyed the small animals, and sat by the ducklings for ages, she had a good attempt at saying 'duck'. While on words she will pick up anything resembling a phone hold it to her ear and say 'herro'. She has also started the stair stage, and we spend plenty of time crawling the stairs. She is so impressed with herself. Eva is well into the 'look at me' stage where she will hold a pose, hop on one leg and the audience will respond with the ooo, ahhh tricky!! Steve has taught her to stand on one leg, lean on the wall, and put one finger in her ear mmmm, nice one daddy.

Eva fashionista

Eva is soooo independent at the moment, and loves dressing herself, sometimes 3/4 times a day! So armed with my new camera I will attempt to record them in all their glory.
Its all about stockings at the beach. The first really warm day of the Summer, so we had a wee picnic on the beach.

my journal

well, i am going to attempt this bloggy thing again. Eva is obsessed with Mary Poppins and everything is 'super-kala-fragalistic-..' and as the song goes, everything is 'atrocious'. Pip is saying 'Muma!' and 'Eda' and crawling too fast. She climbed the stairs at Birubi today, with my supervision, and she is pulling her self up on all things and very curious about all things, esp what Eva is upto.