and so this is christmas

It will come as no surprise to most of you that I'm a little bit in love with the whole Christmas package!

Well, this year it's been a bit of a slow start in getting excited about it all.
Which is a bit horrifying for me.

However, you'll be pleased to know that as I sit here on a grey and wet Christmas Eve morning, I finally feel excited about it all.

I've had carols sung at me
I've hacked down a christmas tree and thrown decorations all over it and the rest of the house
I have plans to take the beloved niece to see Santa this morning
I've completed christmas shopping and wrapping (I love the wrapping)
I've planned and shopped for the various christmas meals

Yep, it's finally hit that tomorrow is christmas and there will be eating to be done and presents to opened and family and friends to see.
It's going to be great!

So, wherever and with whomever you spend your christmas, I hope it's happy and safe and filled with singing of dumb carols and love and that the big fat man in red leaves you some good loot.

merry christmas

torby hearts haircut day

my son is a long haired hippy no more.
now has a respectable haircut.
even has all his fingers despite trying to grab the scissors off the hair technician.
don't worry, also still has his fetching side part.
he's just like a big kid
sigh

dirt is good, right

dirt is good, right, originally uploaded by Miss DV.

wet slide + wet pine bark = this picture

On this day in 2005...

...our son was born
hip hip hooray!

at 14weeks

December - Santas littlest helper

January - the first trip to the park

February - those eyes, that neck control

March - like father like son

April - I blame his auntie for the easter bunny suit

May - Please sir, may i have some more?

June - aahh, solids

July - i can fly!!!!

August - the original davros

September - so cute

October - mulberry season!

November - looking innocent at the park

December again - birthday party

It's been a long , interesting, tiring, quick, confusing, tiring, funny, sad, uplifting, emotional and frustrating year that i wouldn't have traded for the world.
Thank you to all our friends and family who entertained us, looked after him and us, fed and beveraged us, listened to me cry, listened to him cry, listened to all the boring and sometimes gory details, had patience for us, laughed at the funny stuff, took beautiful photos of him and generally were there when required.

Torby, thanks for smiling when you were about to be sold off to the gypsies, for learning how to hug us and laugh and say mama and dada and pull funny expressions and be so cute and lovely, you make it all worthwhile.

I love you my little man.

one year ago today

we went to labour ward and had some lovely gel rubbed into unmentionable places to try to bring on contractions
more waiting
the people come back and break my waters
more waiting (with a little bit of pain thrown in)
now i get the drip that will definitely make me have contractions
waiting with lots of pain and walking
10 hours later i get an epidural
we go to sleep
we get woken by epidural machine regularly malfunctioning which means it lets out ear splitting beeps.
sigh

one year ago, on this date

we checked into RPA, I had a pessary thing put inside my lady parts to try and bring on contractions, we went for a walk up to King st to get some dinner (we didn't realise that we weren'tsupposed to leave the hospital grounds) and the waiting began

On this date last year

We were enjoying our last night at home as just us before the ursuper to stampys (the cat) affections joined us.

hooray for parties!

We had Torby's first birthday yesterday.
It was t'riffic to have friends and family crammed into the backyard eating party food and celebrating that we have haven't killed our child!

Mind you, Torby's lack of interest in present unwrapping makes me question if he's really my child.

I got to take some photos at the end of the day (too busy running around to do it earlier on).

If you took nice ones earlier on, let me know. please. thank you.

i'm exhausted.

davros the even younger still

davros the even younger still, originally uploaded by Miss DV.

My army of robot davros' grows even larger.
bwah hah hah

This time last year...

We had been for our final birth centre appointment where I had begged the midwives to get the leech, I mean baby, that was sucking all my energy and making my legs, feet and ankles ginormous out of me and do it now.

lack of brain space

that's my excuse for not being a good and loving and often posterer (yes, it's a word)
so, in lieu of a real post, you'll get a list instead

-I musn't make rash assumptions as to how people will act. a 'youth' the other day on the train was really quite polite and apologetic when asked to turn his music down. I expected surliness, i got manners. two boofy looking boys gave each other a hug in that mateybut genuine way good men do.

- I must find a way to stop torby from climbing up and finding the tub of nappy rash cream and smearing it all over himself. hilarious but probably not healthy

- I must call my friends more often. It's nice to catch up via electronic means but it's also really really nice to hear a voice.

- I must finish writing and actually post my christmas cards and presents

- I must clean the house for the inspection tomorrow afternoon

- I must harrass people to do stuff so I can finish the yule feast report.

_ I must not laugh when people describe me as competent and self assured. perception is nine-tenths of reality or something

okay, that's it for now.

I have a new niece

and she's beautiful!

so teensy and pink, originally uploaded by Miss DV.

when they have time to spare, I'm sure there will be the official announcement.

Until then.... Shhh, don't tell

I am a sheep, I tells ya

1.Open your music library.
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the 'next' button.
6. Don't lie.

Opening credits: Down - 311
Waking up: Day You Come - Powderfinger
First day of High School: I Can Make You A Man – Pansy Divivsion (Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show)
Falling in love: Suicide Blonde - INXS
Fight song: I Alone - Live
Breaking up: Babooshka – Kate Bush
Formal: Cry In Shame – Johnny Diesel & The Injectors
Life: Stalk - Tripod
Mental breakdown: Colossal - Wolfmother
Driving: Lightning Crashes - Live
Flashback: The Look of Love – Lisa Miller & Tex Perkins
Getting back together: Lovefool – The Cardigans
Wedding: Runaway Boys – Stray Cats
Birth of child: Good Day – The Dresden Dolls
Final battle: A Shandy Too Far - Tripod
End credits: Over At The Frankenstein Place – Alkaline Trio (Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show)

It's not that I don't love you...

It's just that I've exceeded my download limit so I'm being punished by my providor and made to sit in the slow corner wearing the slower-than-dialup-speed hat.

To tid eyou over 'till next month when i shall be zoomping along once again and have photos a-bungo, I give you my mottos for life

1 - On the whole people are stupid and ungrateful.

2 - It's not that someone doesn't like you, they just don't care.

3 - If you don't want to know the answer, don't ask the question.

Yes, I am a little ray of sunshine today.

I blame society.

Pick a Camille, any Camille

There are currently two artist called Camille.
There's this one
She's kind of a French conceptual pop who's album both hunnnydd and I own and love

Then there's this one
She's more along the lines of Irish chanteuse who we had never heard of before Wednesday night.

Guess which one we thought we were going to see and guess which one we actually saw*!

My excuse is that I've got a baby and hunnyddd's excuse is that she's blonde.

We both blame JD though.

Now, off to make sure that there isn't a Venezuelan yodelling group called Cat Empire who's playing in Sydney on Saturday night. Otherwise I'm going to get very pissy.

* She was fabulous and we had a ball. Everyone should go see her. Just make sure she's the right one.

He's getting cleverer by the day

I just put some shoes on Torby that look similair to the ones I've got on.
He's just spent the last 10 minutes grabbing his shoe, grabbing my shoe, playing with his laces, playing with my laces.
He's learning stuff!

my evil plans are coming along nicely

Finn innocently let me look after her beloved daughter on Monday night, little does she know that I am using her to increase my army of baby Davros'.
She'll never suspect until it's too late
Bwah-hah-hah

In which our brave adventurers go on a road trip to Canberra

So, what else do you do with a lovely weekend in November? Pile 8 people into 2 cars and head to Canberra for a cocktail party.

It was a hoot and the best bit almost was the travelling.

We walked to the party.

mmmmm so much suspicious alcohol for one party

What happens when you indulge in suspicious alcohol


It got cold and random jackets were appropriatedas were hats


I fell in love with the toilet wall art again (that just sounds dodgy)


Lewd photos were taken and they shan't be displayed here because this is a family friendly place.

A fun time was had by all.

would you like chips with that?

Everyone knows babies like to put things in their mouths. I know that my son is a champion at it and will launch himself at stuff mouth first (he is my child after all).
It's his love of eating the squishy fish in the bathtub that disturbs me slightly.
The way he can actually fit the whole thing in with just the tail hanging out.
I need to find some plastic chips or potato scallop.

what number follows 3? 4!!!

The 4th tooth broke the surface last night with much wailing and crying (not just from Torby) and not wanting to be in the cot but in his dad or mum's arms was quite fine thank you very much for asking and only sleeping each time for about 1-3hrs.
Everyone in Casa de Huntington-Smythe is a wee bit shattered this morning.

Am I the only one....

who snickers whenever she goes to her Flickr homepage and this appears

» Upload Photos (Or, look at our uploading tools...)

(tee-hee, they said tool)

Yes, I really am about a 14yr old boy on the inside.

scary huh!

Mulberries? What Mulberries?

I never saw no mulberries round these here parts, originally uploaded by Miss DV.

My husbands buttocks

Otherwise known as

'this is what happens to you when big men with sticks hit you on the butt where you don't have armour'

Nice huh?

Don't hate me because I'm well rested

Torby and I ditched our social responsibilities today and stayed at home. I ditched my domestic duties and had naps on the couch.
It was delightful.

We at casa de huntington-smyth have had a fairly full couple of weeks culminating in last weekend of afternoon teas, dinners, Mothers group combined birthday parties and having house invaded by nearly homeless people and friends for pizza and beer. All very lovely, but not very condusive (sp?) to sleep and rest and routines and happy babies.

That's all fixed now.
He did his favourite pattern of two hours awake, two hours asleep. I had naps on the couch, we ate own body weight of watermelon and apples. It was t'riffic.

Now house looks even more like a brothel (well, one filled with childrens toys, which is all a bit too icky for me) than normal, with a fine layer of toys throughout the rooms and the kitchen floor covered in discarded bits of sandwich and crackers. So yes, I'll spend a goodly portion of the this evening just getting back to almost liveable but it was worth it for I have slept!

From the desk of DV, Number One minion, Salt Mines Incorporated

Memo 1
There is a certain type of person who walks up to you at work and asks 'what do you do?'
Not 'Hello, my name is Pratty McTool, I've just started here, which section do you work in', or even just 'Hi, my name is Pratty McTool, how are you'.
No we go for straight for the 'what do you do' line.
You know the type I'm talking about.
One of them has just started on this floor.
I'm not in a pleasant mood today.
It wasn't pretty.

Memo 2
One of the (many and varied) things I do at work is run a report that lists everyone who has taken excessive sick leave. Oh the glamour of working down the salt mines (tm)

I then attach a letter to it the bosses and wait for them to come back to say that the person needs to produce certificates for sick leave for next 6mths or if it's all fine and there's a good reason for their leave. This report is not something I personally have control over. It's generated by the system.
So, if your boss had had a quiet chat to you about your sick leave, would you;

a) accept that you may need to be careful in the near future and not take it personally.
or
b) bitch and moan loudly for the next 30minutes that you are being persecuted and demand that my boss speaks to me regarding this issue as you are being singled out and what business do I have querying your sick leave anyway.

That's what I thought.

Really not a good day.

We have reached three teeth.
I repeat, we have reached three teeth.

My weekend by Torbenspang Huntington-Smyth, aged 10 months

We went to the South Coast and stayed at the Miz Speedy's Delightful Nanna's cabin at Shoalhaven Heads.

Day One.

Breakfast in bed

Went for a lovely drive to trick me to fall asleep again. It worked, damn it !!! Before I fell asleep I saw lots and lots of these.

Went to the beach

Played in sand

Ate sand (mmm tasty)

Water was too cold for my delicate young body.

Came home did boring stuff. Eventually rewarded the parents and went to sleep.

Day Two.

Went on another drive (what is it with parents and them wanting me to sleep. Sleep is for babies!!!) This time saw lots and lots of Silos on way to Berry.

went wine tasting

went to Minamurra Rainforest

They even made me crawl part of the way

had tasty bottle and came home.

Don't know why the parents bothered to pack the pram, I refused to sit in it all weekend. much nicer to be carried everywhere!

tee-hee

Found on someone who was on Finns friends list and now I can't find it again to link. hmm computer savvy is my middle name!

1. YOUR SPY NAME: (middle name and current street name)
Margaret Stanley

2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your dad's side, your favorite candy)
Pop Chocolate (I have no idea what my grandparents were called)

3. YOUR RAP NAME: (first initial of first name, first three or four letters of your last name)
A-WAT

4. YOUR GAMER TAG: (a favorite color, a favorite animal)
black cat

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Margaret Sydney

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (first 3 letters of your last name, last 3 letters of mother's maiden name, first 3 letters of your pet's name)
WatHoySta

7. JEDI NAME: (middle name spelled backwards, your mom's maiden name spelled backwards)
Teragram Elyoh

8. PORN STAR NAME: (first pet's name, the street you grew up on)
Duchess Park

9. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The", your favorite color, the automobile your mom drives)
The Black Yaris (I used our car)

10. YOUR ACTION HERO NAME: (first name of a main character in the last movie you watched, last food you ate)
Romeo Toast

4 simple steps for a very amusing afternoon

1. drag ball pit to backyard

2. fill with water

3. put son in baby's first budgie smugglers

4. put child next to water filled ball pit

5. go inside for warm bath

standing-man

Guess what Torby does when he's bored of sitting in his pram???

stands up.


yep, squiggles out of the straps and twists around and stands and kneels and pokes his head out the back.

yay for him., it makes shopping that much more pleasant for everyone concerned!!


sob, sob, sob.

a double vodka for me please!

Hmmm, what to do, what to do.

I have a day off. Yes a real live day off. No child, no going to the salt mines tm. yay for me!!!!
This post is going to serve as my to-do list for today

make batch of food for torby
do at least one load of washing
potter around and get the house a little bit cleaner than before
look up details of stuff near shoalhaven (we're going there for the weekend to throw the little one in the ocean and see what happens!!)
watch tape of boston legal from last night
have a lovely nap
plan menu for this week
plan new burgundian for yule feast
collect torby from daycare
do a little bit of actual work to contribute to my 'work from home wednesday' hours
check work emails
make dinner (spanish chicken with roasted corn salsa, thanks so much for asking)
trot down to westfield this evening to see devil wears prada with she who must not be named.
go to sleep!

now, if anyone has something thats actually fun to do, please let me kno. Other than the nap and the seeing the movie, I really could cheerfully procrastinate!

yes, we have no babies today

Mmmm lemming juice!

I shall have THIS emergency lemming rose, originally uploaded by Miss DV.

yes, maybe he's Daen's son too!!!

he stands, he crawls, he goes up slopes

I'm staining the keyboard as we speak....

.....with illicit mulberry juice.
No, that's not a euphemism for anything, although it should be.
One street across from us has a block of flats with a ginormous mulberry tree in the front yard. I figure that as it hangs over the footpath and the bottom of my shoes get stained by fallen and squished berries, I'm entitled to some mulberry goodness. I stopped there on my way back from the station and gorged myself. So yummy and soooo purple. Mmmmmmmm

I found this box of wine, sah!

I found this box of wine, sah!, originally uploaded by Miss DV.

In case we needed proof that he was my son, Torby is very pleased at his discover. Wine, wine and more wine!!