Reflections

I am happy about the time I've spent with friends and family this past year. Time includes phone calls, and IM chats and blog conversations and WoW guildchat (*cough*nerd*cough*) hanging around in backyards or around tables or in the pool or in a tent in the middle of a field.

I am, as ever, awed at how much my son (and indeed my nieces and proto nieces and nephews) have grown this past year.

I am happy that I've made some new friends, reconnected with some old friends and reevaluated some long dead friendships. It's been comforting and liberating and pleasant and surprising.

I am amazed at some of the big decisions and actions my friends have made/done this year. Getting engaged, having babies, buying a house, renovating, moving country, moving states, starting new relationships, changing jobs. All these things are big leaps and I'm proud that you've done them.

I am happy with myself and that I've fixed some ways I deal with the world. Still not perfect and I still have the deeply manky hours/days/weeks but my coping mechanisms seem to be working a lot better than they were last year.

So, what happens next year?

I turn 32, Nw turns 40 and munchkin turns 4.I lose a smidge of weight.

I might even sew something other than some baby quilts and mending.

I continue spending time with and being amazed by, my friends and family.

I keep swimming laps while Torby has his swimming lessons.

I be better at calling people. I gave up on talking on the phone for any long period of time when i gave up smoking. they were just to connected. Lets see if I can manage it again.

I start working 3 days instead of 2. Oh the horror.

I somehow become even more t'riffic than I currently am. It will be a herculean effort!

I'm also toying with the idea of making sure I post something on my blog every day for a year. Might try it for January and see how it goes.

A glimpse into my life

Sometime between 6 and 7am I hear the rustle and thump and slam of Torby getting out of bed and closing his door after himself.

Then the shambling steps down the hall dragging his pillowandblanketandnuknuk down the hall to our room.

Next is to be swatted in the face with the pillow bit of the holy trinity and a cheery 'good morning my friend mummy'.

I then get to shuffle over on the bed until I am almost lying on top of Nw (who is still valiantly trying to sleep at this stage) so Torby can lie down and go sleep (swish my blanket. I want stripes, where's my nuknuk?) between me and Stampy the Cat.

There is much petting (gently, don't touch her tail mummy) and admiration of how soft his friend Stampy is.

All too soon this refreshing 'sleep' will have stopped and the 'time for some yoghurt/toast/cereal/watermelon/busy?' will start.

Any insistence that it's still sleep time will be met with a counter-insistence that 'I awake now. I finished sleep' (to be said in a slightly injured tone) and who can argue with that.

So then breakfast food of choice is served and tv or his computer turned on (He has my old laptop and a few games loaded on. The choices are 'dinosaurs', 'letters' or 'preschool'.)

I generally lie on the couch pretending to be an awake and responsible parent until it's time for that most favourite of activities - Wake up daddy time!

Lucky Nw then gets to hear Torby thundering down the hallway, a small child bodyslamming him, a cheery 'wake up daddy!', blankets dragged off and a few suggestions of 'open your eyes daddy'.

And then our day begins..

Bookishness

I've been reading 'Outliers - The Story of Success' by Malcolm Gladwell.

Meg gave it to Nw for xmas but I've run off with it. (bwahahahahah all your books are belong to me)
Reallyquite fascinating.

He looks at the way we view success and points out that it's not a personal thing but a series of factors that all combine to make a person succesful.

"We pretend that success is exclusively a matter of individual merit. But
there's nothing in any of the histories we've looked at so far to suggest things
are that simple. These are stories, instead, about people who were given a
special opportunity to work really hard and siezed it, and who happened to come
of age at a time when that extraordinary effort was rewarded by the rest of
society. Their success was not just of their own making. It was a product of the
world in which they grew up."

(part of the chapter titled The 10,000-Hour Rule)

I'm thoroughly enjoying it and looking forward to reading 'Tipping Point' by him as well.

Now I've discovered his website which has excerpts from his books (Outliers, Blink and Tipping Point) and an archive of articles he's written for The New Yorker.

I'm in a little happy-reading-pig-universe now.

When people ask me what do i want for xmas/bithday etc, this is kind of it

Tee-hee

Click to see it all.

So, I've shopped 'till I can shop no more, have had a lot of fun wrapping pressies and decorating them (plain red or gold paper and then ribbons or stars or reindeer), 'm starig down the barrel of 36hours of eating and drinking.

It must be almost christmas time!

Whatever you're doing, have a fabulous time, remember it's all about being with loved one/s and expressing how t'riffic you think your friends and family are. Oh, and the eating.
I'll see you online after the frenzy has finished and we can all fit back into our pants again.

Mwah!

Awesomeness

Daleks and Chhristmas. Together at last
(click on link to see video)

photo lives here

Torby hangs his decoration next to his dad's

Torby hangs his decoration next to his dad's, originally uploaded by Miss DV.

Two generations of handmade chrissie decorations. Loves it.

bugger

Torby went to sleep - 1:30
DV 'had a little doze on the couch' - 2:30
Everyone woke up - 5:15pm
Estimated bedtime for munchkin - 10pm

d'oh!

i love this

Apartment Therapy

thanks Miss Megzz for pointing it out

n which i ruminate on the New Years phenomonononon

it occured to me the other day that i have all my Christmas plans in order but have no idea what i'm doing for New Years.

i then realised that i'm really not bothered by this.

in fact i've never been that concerned with new years stuff. Generally i like it to involve my friends and watching the fireworks on tv or something. i think i must be be missing something.
i really don't understand the desire people seem to have to be at the bestest biggest party.

Always found it quite rude the way people will say, 'hmmm i'm not going to confirm or cancel until know what else i'm invited to'. The lengths people will go to. usually involving several different parties and 'oo we must end up at this place becuase they have a view of fireworks, oh crap we're running late, etc'

Much rather stay at one place (usually first one we're invited to) or at home (mmm home, on the couch, being like a grown-up and staying awake to watch the fireworks mmmmmm)

As i established earlier, never understood the phenomonononon.

For some reason pressing shift +i doesn't work on my keyboard. No capital i's for me!

Randomness

My oh my what a weekend.

The boys went to Yule Feast which involved more planning than a thing that requires a lot of planning.

Nw ended up taking Torby and the nieces down to meet up with Meaghan who had gone there straight from a party in Canberra (Yay for Dr Quatrefoil graduating at last).

I got to go to the lovely Mikey and Lou's big bumper birthday party. Was a lot of fun. Although I really have lost the art of standing for hours in high heels. Totally worth it though.

My niece, Bellabel's, first dance concert was on Sunday. Despite the atrocious 'slapper genie' outfit (I ask you, since when is a skimpy bikini top and harem pants is appropriate for a 4yr old???) she looked cute and did well and the whole concert was very very amusing. It was the pre-school concert for the dance school and there is nothing cuter than 3-5yr olds "dancing" and all the other costumes were actually quite cute and appropriate. They had some of the big kids doing performances as well which were interesting to watch. Nowhere near as funny though.

We then had a small ninner at the pub for Torby's birthday. Highly recommend the Newington Inn for kids. They give them paper and pens and they seem very tolerant of kids running around on sugar highs after eating icecream.

Needlees to say, Torby crashed when we got home after his big weekend of camping, spendinga large amount of time with ZoZo, dinner out etc.

I crashed soon after from hungoveredness and Nw celebrated his first chance at alone time all weekend (he really was surrounded by kids all weekend the poor thing) by staying up late playing warcrack.

Oh and we have a christmas tree now. Nw went past the chrissie tree farm on the way home from Yule and cut us down a small one. It got decorated this morning. (photos later) Torby was a bit entranced after he got to hang his decoration on it next to Nw's one. Mind you, I still get entranced by all the pretty decorations each year and I'm not 3yrs old. Do so love christmas and all the sparklyness.

Happy Birthday Torby

My little boy turns 3 today.

I'm so proud of who he is becoming and all that he's learnt.

All his photos are here

I tried to pick one for this post but I then got lost looking at how he's changed and how big he's getting and how cute he is and it all went downhill from there.

happy birthday little dude

Aussie sheep

1. Heard a kookaburra in person
2. Slept under the stars
3. Seen a koala
4. Visited Melbourne
5. Watched a summer thunderstorm
6. Worn a pair of thongs
7. Been to Uluru (Ayer's Rock)
8. Visited Cape York
9. Held a snake
10. Sang along with Khe San
11. Drank VB (flat, for a dare, blech!)
12. Visited Sydney
13. Have seen a shark
14. Have used Aussie slang naturally in a conversation
15. Had an actual conversation with an indigenous Australian (Aboriginal)
16. Eaten hot chips from the bag at the beach
17. Walked/climbed over the Sydney Harbour Bridge
18. Used an outside dunny, and checked under the seat before sitting down
19. Seen Chloe in Young & Jackson's (who?)
20. Slept on an overnight train or bus
21. Been to Sydney's Mardi Gras (Usually same night as my birthday party)
22. Have gone bush-bashing
23. Taken a sickie
24. Been to see a game of Aussie Rules football
25. Have seen wild camels
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Had a Tim Tam Slam
28. Ridden in a tram in Melbourne
29. Been at an ANZAC day Dawn Service
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Held a wombat
32. Been on a roadtrip of 800km or more
33. Seen the Great Australian Bight in person (one of my first memories is fishing off it with dad, well I would have been about 3, but he was fishing and i'm sure I was 'helping')
34. Had a really bad sunburn
35. Visited an aboriginal community
36. Seen a redback spider
37. Have watched Paul Hogan
38. Seen Blue Poles in person
39. Wandered barefoot in the bush/outback
40. Eaten Vegemite
41. Thrown a boomerang (but it didn't come back)
42. Seen the Kimberleys
43. Given a hitch-hiker a lift
44. Been to Perth
45. Have tried Lemon, Lime and Bitters
46. Tried playing a didgeridoo
47. Seen dinosaur footprints
48. Eaten Tim Tams
49. Been to Darwin
50. Touched a kangaroo
51. Visted the Great Barrier Reef (very very regularly)
52. Listened to Kevin Bloody Wilson (not by choice)
53. Killed a Cane Toad (many of them)
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre
55. Have read and own books by Australian authors
56. Visited Adelaide
57. Know the true story behind 'Eternity'
58. Been camping
59. Visited Brisbane
60. Been in an outback pub
61. Know what the term "Waltzing Matilda" actually means
62. Gone whale watching
63. Listened to Slim Dusty
64. Own five or more Australian movies or TV series
65. Sang along to Down Under
66. Have stopped specifically to look at an historic marker by the side of the road
67. Eaten a 4'n'20 pie
68. Surfed at Bondi (have swum and bodysurfed at least)
69. Watched the cricket on Boxing Day (by watched you mean glanced at tv occasionally while it's been on, right?)
70. Visited Hobart
71. Eaten kangaroo (too gamey)
72. Seen a quokka
73. Visited Canberra
74. Visited rainforests
75. Used a Victa lawnmower
76. Travelled on a tram in Adelaide
78. Used a Hills hoist (both the accepted usages)
79. Visited Kata-Tjuta (the Olgas)
80. Used native Australian plants in cooking
81. Visited the snow (in America)
82. Chosen a side in Holden VS Ford (never understood it)
83. Visited the desert
84. Been water skiing
85. Read The Phantom
86. Visited Parliament House
87. Gone spotlighting or pig-shooting
88. Crossed the Nullarbor (as a kid I think we did. Parents took us all on a 2yr adventure around Oz)
89. Avoided swimming in areas because of crocodiles
90. Listened to AC/DC
91. Called someone a dag
92. Voted in a Federal Election
93. Have been swimming and stayed between the flags
94. Had a possum in your roof
95. Visited the outback
96. Travelled over corrugated roads
97. Hit a kangaroo whilst driving
98. Been well outside any mobile phone coverage
99. Seen an emu
100. Have woken to the smell of bushfires

we got a big scared

You know the classic line 'I only took my eyes off him for a second'?

Wel,, I really did.

He chose that second to run away while we were in Target.

I walked around yelling his name increasingly more panicky each time.

A lovely woman alerted the staff and announcements went out.

A few other lovely people joined in the search.

Finally, the bestest announcement came over the speakers.

"Could Torby's mum please come to the front desk, we have her son here."

I ran, we hugged, I thanked people.

I am glad to be home and finally have that cry that I've been keeping inside for almost an hour.

As Torby put it

"We got a big scared"

a lolcat after my very own heart

Drowned rat is the new black

So yesterday involved;
Looong meeting
Talking to useless people at work who insist that everything is too hard and it's all someone elses fault
Redoing the formulas on an Excel spreadsheet AGAIN! I swear they purposely stuff it up each time before sending it back to me just to hear my screams of rage from a few floors away.
Having several gazillion litres of rain dumped onme by the storm on my way home. Despite my umbrella, only about 5cm spure patch of mewas left dry.
and the crowning moment was..
Having our toatser explode soon after I got home and take the electricity with it!
Luckily Nw fixed the fuse (yay for M&T having spare fuse wire) and we ccould return to our modern ways. Now need to call an 'lectrician today to see about getting that power point fixed.

However, I also got hugs and kisses from Torby (and Nw if you must know) and got to read books with him and revel in his cuteness and cleverness and got to have yummy dinner (lambchops with charsiu sauce and an asiany coleslaw thing that I can at buckets of) and all was soon right with the world.

Apparently we are all children

In our bathroom at work we now have one of those 'Make sure you haven't widdled on the seat and please wash your hands' notices.

It disturbs me that either;

There are people I work with who haven't learnt basic hygiene.

or

There are people I work with who feel that we need to be reminded of it just in case we decide to do away with rules of cleanliness.

Given that I've never noticed 'presents' left behind in the toilet and no-one has dysentry, I'm guessing it's the latter.

yay

Cat Empire concert
27th Feb (my birthday)
Enmore Theatre

Happy DV

Party!

Food was eaten, fun was had, giggling heard in abundance and presents delightfully received. Was a good 3rd birthday party for munchkin.

I loved having lots of our friends there. These people who are important in our life and Torby's life. Is nice to have them there.

Still can't quite believe we have an (almost) 3yr old.

Oh and I failed to take many photos so there's only a few on flickr. Let me know if you were much cleverer than I.

who knew?

1cup of unpopped popcorn makes an awful lot of popped stuff.

I'd forgotten that.

Popcorn anyone?

Had bad dream last night
Not scary, just sad
Would have preferred scary.

Zmombies! (Impish, I thought of you)

Oh and..

I looked out the door last night before going to bed and the happy face moon had become and slightly distorted sad face if you tilted your head and 45 degrees.

Still made me smile.

please note time this post was written..

Torby definately takes after Nw in a lot of ways, a certain look he gets, the fascination with numbers etc.

My contribution to his genetic makeup seems to be manky fingernails (short and wide and square) and the inability to sleep past 6:30.

No wonder Nw is the favourite.

weekend recap and rambleyness

Turkey day was gooood. Way too much delicious food, very very pleasant company including the fabulous Fliss and Porl who hosted it this year, being out till late and being fed home-made bailies all equaled a delightful occasion. Oh and the Punkin Pies were nummy.

Went swimming on Saturday morning while Torby had his lessons. Had forgotten how much I love to be in the water. Had also forgotten how much doing laps can hurt. Muscles I haven't used in a very long while were being used. Perserverance will pay off right? Right?

The boys went for the last 'Sunday Afternoon at Grandma and Papa's' for a while as the parents will be on holidays in Perth visiting the other kids and grandkids for a month or so. Torby will especially miss them I think. He gets very excited about going to there. I will miss my Sunday afternoons of alone-ness.

This weekend will be the birthday party for Torby and ZoZo. Because I'm crap, let me know if you haven't recieved an invite and would like to be there. There will be fairy bread. Torby is loking forward to his party bvecause there will be cabndles on a cake to blow out and party hats. He's a bit focused on those two things.

Speaking of the munchkin, he was very very unhappy to be left at daycare today. Feel like a bad mother for deserting him when he was so very very upset. Nw assures me he used to occasionally get freaked out being left at A's as well. Still feel bad.

Oh and on Sunday we'll be going out to a Christmas Tree farm and getting a tree. Squeee.

From Scratch!

This years Punkin Pie for Turkey Day is mostly made from this recipe.

Have added some brown sugar and maple syrup (instead of the a bit of the white sugar)

Makes lots and lots.

Will let you know how it tastes after Saturday.

mmmm pie...

Santy Claus!

Santy Claus!, originally uploaded by Miss DV.

He enjoyed telling the fat hairy man all about his sticker and the Thimas pressie he was gettinga nd going to see isobelandzoe (always said as one word)

I just like that we managed to get a photo this year.

I'm introducing Torby to one of my favouritest kids movies. Walt Disney's Robin Hood.
I'm pleased to say that he's enjoying it so far

so, what have I been up to?

Had birthday party for one of Torby's daycare chums on Saturday morning. Was lovely to see the boys and meet the parents and Torby had a hoot!

I then went on girly roadtrip to Canberra for The Cocktail Party (tm)
Was lovely and fun and got to chat to lots of people and felt much better the next day than I should have. Hoorah for drinking for Australia!

Was nice to get home on Sunday afternoon and see my lads.

Torby started daycare at his new carer on Monday. He seems happy enopugh. He still wants to go to A's house. Sooon it will be January and he can. Sooon.

Speak of the devil....he's now awake and telling me about his dream (or I think that's what it is - unsure when else the elephant was chased by the ladybugs and something about missing legs)

I shall leave you to your morning so i may bask in the munchkin being half asleep and cute and affectionate. It happens so rarely.

Oh and modem/router fixed. All it wanted was the technician man to come out and stand near it.

Makes me look like a crazy woamn for insisting it was broken to start with.

/sigh

Tomorrow will be swimming, birthday party and then roadtrip to Canberra to attend a friend's annual cocktail party.

I get to dress up all purty and wear silly high heels and drink suspicious cocktails.

Can't wait.

the modem/router saga is coming to an end.

Horray! Spoke to a nice tech man who understaood what was going on and who has organised a new modem for us for free.

I think that having an idea what was wrong (knew I memorised the jargon for a reason) and sounding very on edge helped.

Hopefully it will work and Nw and I can stop arguing over who gets to use the internet. Divorce was imminent I tells ya.

Dustbuster anyone?

Stampy likes the new couch.
The dark blue contrasts so nicely with her pale orange and white.
Typical cat.

happy/sad, grumpy/glad

Stuff that is making me happy at the moment.

New couch - comfy, can nap on it, comfy, blue, comfy - huuuge thank you to Mouse and Tops for being useful and traileriffic and enabling us to get it home.

New lipstick - different to the normal shade I end up buying. Nars Scarlet Empress if ya want the details.

First random birthday party invite - One of the boys Torby goes to daycare with is turning 3 and all the kids are invited. This is the beginning of a life of birthday party invites from kids that he knows. We'll be inviting all the boys to his birthday party but is nice that another mother broke the ice.

New expansion pack for Warcrack. - New content, more levels, lots of funky stuff.

Clean blankies - washed all our blankies and rugs that we're on the old couch. I do have a strange fondness for a washing line full of clean stuff. Then snuggying on the couch under them is an extra bonus.

Silly social season - well and truly in the season of socialness. I like it. I like seeing my friends, I like the traditions and celebrations.

Pressies - buying them, wrapping them, giving them, I love it all. I need to decide on my wrapping theme for Christmas. Don't mock!

Stuff that is making me go grrrr.

Our router and/or modem being broken so only one of us can be on the internet at once.

The annoying voice recognition hoops you have to leap through to get through to anyone at Optus.

Dumb Optus person not listening to me when I am telling him things. Stop asking me to restart the modem when a) I've told you a few times now that I'm not at home and b) we've done that so many times now, the poor switch is wearing out. Asking me to do 3 times in the conversation makes me think you're not actrually paying attention to me. Telling me that the problem we're having can't happen is also a little frustrating. Less telling, more fixing or at least acknowledging what is happening and trying to find a way around it.

Having to come into work on Friday again. Big meeting to be attended. Big boring meeting.
*sigh*

Okay have procrastinated enough so I should probably go do something.

Is it home time yet?

I am clean and cool (love cold showers in summer), listening to Nw read a pirate story to Torby for his naptime (complete with funny voices) and sitting on our new couch (hoorah!).

All is right with the world.

literally the funnerest thing evah!

*twitch*

The lovely peoples over at Progressive Dinner Party have blogged about a shield that goes over a birthday cake so no germs fall on it when the kid blows out the candles.

Because god forbid any child should be subjected to germs. they might develop and immune system or something.

*twitch*

Oh and I didn't have everyone's number saved onto the laptop (it all got wiped after it had to be rebooted last time and I never thought to redo it.

Luckily Nw has a few useful numbers and I shall just have to bug you all for your details again.

It's like fun, but different.

sky is wrong bloody colour

I woke up this morning far too early.

I woke up grumpy and cross and prickly.

Mood hasn't improved.

Maybe nap will help.

Torby will be sold to gypsies if he prevents my nap by not having one of his own.

After nap, sky may be a better colour.

EDIT: Nap worked, sky is a beeayootiful blue again. Torby has woken up feeble though.

horrid child

My techno geek toddler managed to give my mobile phone a new password yesterday.

I only discovered this wehn it ran out of battery and I turned it vack on this morning after recharging.

After a call to the manufacturer, it's been completely reset.

Good thing I downloaded photos yesterday and have most numbers saved onto the laptop at home.

/sigh


Oh and the day at home yesterday with him helped. He had a biiig nap and a good nights sleep and he was much chirpier this morning.

We also went and visited his replacement daycarer for when the beloved A goes on holidays. She (we shall call her R) seems nice, the other kids seem happy and hopefully he won't mind the temporary transfer.

When A gets back from her desertion holidays, she will look after Torby for an extra day. Makes my boss happy.

bug boy

bug boy (he requested them ), originally uploaded by Miss DV.

this is a photo of the face painting on Sunday.

There's ones of the other kids on my flickr site

Damn You Meggzzz!!!

3 episodes in and I'm addicted to Veronica Mars!

horrid enabling friends and their cunning choices in tv shows.

deeelightful!

Have had a most excellent weekend.

Friday was ninner with megzz and smurg, saturday was torby's swimming lessons, a visist to see the new Casa de Megzz and Smurg, baptime then Torby and I went to Meg &Jamies to stay the night. Nw was going to a friends 40th birthday party and this way he got to have a sleep-in and I got to go to the markets the next morning with disturbing him.

The kids giggled until about 10pm (it's like sleeping, but different), we watched The Tudors (delightfully trashy, nary a chemise in sight, lots of nipples and rumpy-pumpy and bad hats), the the kids woke up at 5:30 (sob)

There was much reading on the couch while they played and watched Playschool until it was markets time!

nummy gozleme, jumping castle, face painting, pleasant weather in the shade. Was all good and lovely. Nw cam e and picked us up and we went home. Despite the lte night/early morning liver had had, there was no nap until about 1:30 (sigh).

After nap, we went to J's 2nd birthday party. Careless of his parents to let him get all old and big like that. Torby behved well despite the lack of sleep. Nw pointed out that this was probably the first party we've taken him to were he required very litle involvemnet from us. He's getting big enough to interact more with the other kids and toys. Kinda cool. We got to chill out and chat to peoples.

The downside to this excelent weekend was that Torby got a bit overexcited and overtired by it all. Combine that wih a bit of a lurgy he's had for a while and it leads to a meltdown this morning and both of us staying home so he can get some sleep and have a restful day.

It's definately a couch day for us.

yucky!

We've been working on toilet traing Torby (so many T's)

He's already very fond of announcing that he has 'yucky pants' so we're trying t connect that that the yucky bit comes from his botttom and it should go in the toilet rather than his pants.

So this morning as Nw walked past us in a narkoo state to go get dressed after his shower, it was announced..

'dad's got yucky in his bottom. It goes inna toilet!'

Made me laugh a bit. Oh okay, a lot.

do munchkins dream of electric teddies?

The past couple of days, Torby has come out of his room after his sleep and told me about something that he's dreamt about

This afternoon it was a doggie that knocked him over and sniffed him.

Yesterday we heard about the bear that was dancing.

I think it's amazing that he's started to remember his dreams.

Human brain is pretty cool

lists of lists

I think i need a master list.

I have lists everywhere.
christmas cards/presents
birthday party invites (Torby turns 3 in dec. dec6th is that combo party with ZoZo)
work lists (things to do monthly, quaterly, yearly, next week, now, etc)
shopping lists

lists!
lists!
lists!

purple!

I love the spliotches of purple about from the Jacaranda trees.
Yet another reason to love spring really.

that is all.

I remember...

I have been reading the updates on Impish (aka Miss Doomkat) and baby (yay for her excellent husband who is provide us with daily information) and it's bring back a whole lot of memories of when Torby was born and we were in hospital.

I remember this wacky space where MrNw would disappear and come back with clean clothes or real food (the crunchysalads, the crisp vegetables, the joy!). Sometimes he would be gone for hours, sometimes seconds depending on how much sleep I'd had, how much crying Torby was doing and wether or not I'd recently been doped up on the painkillers. He'd also bring back news of the weather and the fact that Sydney was still there and hadn't dissapeared. People would visit and go away again.

I remember the wonder and the joy.

I remember the tears and frustration.

I remember the accomplishment of getting out of bed the day after the C-section for a slooooow hobble to the bathroom for my first shower (the delicious cleanliness).

I remember Torby lying so happily under the heatlamps after his bath. All warm and peaceful.

I remember demanding of a midwife at about 3am 'don't show me how to do it, just get him on and feeding' when the last 10attempts had been unsuccesful.

I remember the same midwife then suggesting that Nw takes Torby for a walk and leave the sobbing, overwrought mother alone to sleep for a bit.

I remember falling asleep in the middle of feedings. Waking up to find Torby off my bosoms and lying peacefully next to me.

I remember Torby hating the plastic box of doooom (aka his crib)

I remember getting home and wondering what we do now.

I remember finding out a week later that a friends son had killed himself while we were tucked away. People had, quite rightly so, made the call not to tell us at the time.

Such a weird headspace and time of our life. Your world narrows down to this new creature who has entered your life. It's quite odd.

tragedy!

The beloved Daycarer, A, is going on holidays at the end of the year!
Yes we'll get replacement care.
Yes she deserves a good long holiday.
Yes it's nice that she's going to see her parents again after 8years.
Yes, I'm sure the stand-in carer will be good and lovely.

She just won't be A!!!

weekend recap

Friday:

Met up with Finn and MissP for some shopping and a catch-up. MiisP is all big and growned-up and very very cute.

Dinner at Meg & Jamie's. Some glasses of wine and then a late dinner is an interesting combo. Damn that pizza place for not delivering instantaneously!

Saturday:

Got to sit in on Torby's swimming lessons. He's loving it! Only 3 kids in his class and a good instructor. Lots of squealey 'look at me mum, I'm swimming!'

Some shopping for new swimmers for him, a failed naptime for him (and therefore me) and then lounging around in a porl & fliss' backyard eating, drinking, laughing at all the childrens. Not sure I can forgive Mim & Richard for letting thier girls grow up. Who let Rachel be 12yrs old!! Carelessness I say.

Sunday:

Markets of yumminess, tea and kids doing painting in meg's backyard. Mr H dropped over with his delightful new girl Meg (no more meg's allowed, too too confusing).

Biiiiig nap for us all then the Ikea for a nightlight for Torby.

Only bad bit was the fact that MrNw got some lurgy and was feeling a bit manky. He's home today to sleep and hopefully get better.

Oh and we found a kids table and chairs set at the junk shop near meg & jamie's. Will replace the coffee table that MissCharlie had loaned us. Hoorah!

All-in-all, an excellent weekend.

The fabulous miss Impish had a baby girl on Saturday.

Welcome to the world little Chloe, we're very glad you're here.

There's something very odd about working on a Friday.

Less people in the office.

Everyone is dressed a bit more casual.

The atmosphere is a bit lighter.

Everyone can smell the weekend and they're happy.

I kinda like it.

cuteness

A new little Pixar short film

Tres cute

the update

This is the second night of being a pretend mother of three.

Last night there was much giggling from Torby and Zozo in lieu of actual sleeping. Eventually the room was quiet and we all were happy. The alternative was to have Torby in the room with us and I gotta tell you, he snores!

Before bedtime, there was playing and dinner and more playing. Everyone was mostly okay and it does seem to wok best when it's a group of two and one by themselves. The groupings would change regularly and it worked out nicely.

This morning the two little ones woke up at 6:30 and played happily seperately. I then dragged Isobel out of bed just before 8. My god that girl can sleep.

Nw and Torby drove off to get Torby to grandmama's and Nw to work and I kept getting girls ready for daycare.

There is a certain rythym to the morning with getting more than one child ready.

I managed to get (not enough) work done while everyone was out. Now there is bathtime for the girls and wine o'clock for me.

Tomorrow morning we have to be up and away early for swimming lessons and ballet class. The idea of actually getting everyone awake, fed and dressed that early is a bit frightening.

Will let you know how it goes.

hmm

Isobel (the 4yr old niece) asked me how Torby got inside my tummy.

eep!

What do you tell a 4yr old that she will understand and not scar her for life?

I went with

"Unky Nw helped put him there"

followed up with 'ooh, shiny thing'

Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segal do Les Mis

via The Park Bench

The shopping gods smiled upon me

I have been on a hunt for some simple long legged/sleeved cotton pyjamas for Torby.

It has been a doomed search. Apparently I should have been shopping for Spring jammies in Winter or something.

Today I found a pair on Cotton On ones (I likes lot of their kids stuff) in DJ's for a princely sum of $3.98 on sale.
They were the last pair

They fit him perfectly.

I may have gone hoorah! once or twice.

the boys doing the washing up

my boys, originally uploaded by Miss DV.

ah domestic bliss

have plan.

Have decided am joining nudist colony.

Have decided only way to stop the evergrowing dirty clothes pile.

Have been doing a few loads of washing everyday for the last twelvetyfive years and never seems to be the end of it.

As long as I don't have to see anyone else narkoo (people look funny narkoo and is probably rude to giggle at them) this is an excellent plan.

Please send snacks, supplies and eyemasks at regular intervals.

That family that nerds together, stays together

My lovely old laptop has been given to the munchkin to use. He likes typing letters and numbers and playing a few games through the ABC TV site.

We have just spent a very pleasant hour or so gaming together. My game was WoW, his was the letter matching game.
He would yell out (ignoring the fact that we're next to each other) when he got a letter right (every time, oh my ears) and I would let him know when i needed to get on my horse and run somewhere.

We are raising our very own gaming nerd.

Sizzles!

I want a Sizzles doll!
Umm, for Torby, yes that's it...for Torby

Charlie & Lola is a very cute kids show and there's a dog called Sizzles in it occasionally (he belongs to Charlie's best friend Marv)

and this is the only clip I could find on YouTube of it. It doesn't feature Sizzles though.

Torby climbs into bed with us at 5am (/sob)

'Bunny, go get pillow and blanket and nuknuk' (the holy trinity of sleep and comfort)

or order your mother to do it as you're too busy annoying Stampy

'Bunny, it's still sleep time, you lie between us and sleep. See daddy is sleeping and mummy is sleeping (LIES!) and Torby should be sleeping too.

Ah the restfulness of being perched on the very edge of the bed with a squirmy toddler kicking and squiggling and singing to himself and drawing things on your back and loudly sucking on his dummy.

These are the mornings of our lives.

AAARRRGGGHHHH

Despite it only being 2 days into October...I saw a whole bunch of Christmas displays and ornaments etc for sale.

OCTOBER!!!!!!!

oh baby, it's so big

..my shiny new computer toy is huuuge.

Well at least compared to my old laptop.

I'm sure I'll get used to how things work soon enough.

I've almost stopped going to the top right-hand bit to close a program.

Almost.

I feel so unclean

Normally at work, I listen to Triple J thropugh my little radio on my desk. I need music/background blather to concentrate.

For some reason my little radio has betrayed me and is refusing to get a good signal of JJJ.

I am forced to listen to Triple M instead.

repeat after me...eeewww, commercial radio.

I'll need a good scrub when I get home.

I'm changing sides

I'm going from being PC to a Mac girl.
I have finally succumbed to teh lure of all that shinyness and ordered an iMac.

The fact that my laptop is dying and we don't have room for another monitor with box etc in teh house.

yesh, I know, justifications.

They're just sooo pretty. How can a girl resist.

teehee

wirds

This article is interesting

Funner. Impactful. Blowiest. Territorialism. Multifunctionality. Dialoguey. Dancey. Thrifting. Chillaxing. Anonymized. Interestinger. Wackaloon. Updatelette. Noirish. Huger. Domainless. Delegator. Photocentric. Relationshippy. Bestest. Zoomable.

What do all these words have in common? Someone, somewhere, is using them with a disclaimer like "I know it's not a real word..."

found via LP

weee!

weee!, originally uploaded by Miss DV.

we went, we saw, we ate icecream.

Strathfield Spring Fair was on today and was chosen as our afternoon adventure.

We went on the suuuper slide and baby ferris wheel. Torby loved the 'clowns inna mouf' game (the one where you put the balls in the clowns mouth) and we ate fair food and came home with some balloons, a pinwheel and a few prizes.

A very entertaining afternoon.

post-wedding still-life, originally uploaded by Miss DV.

Our bedroom smells all nice from the flowers.

Just thought I'd let you know.

Soon it shall be time to venture out into the sunshine again. The Strathfield Spring Fair is on and it shall be our afternoon outing.

Torby made the cutest pageboy

He was very excited by his suit with 'necklace' (the bow tie) and 'matching flower' (the groomsmen and him had pink rose buttonholes).

He managed to deliver the pillow (with rings tied on very securely) to Unky Erik as practised. There was even a high-5.

I hope that there are photos of him and his two cousins (the flower girls) as they did their procession down the aisle.

He couldn't sit still during the wedding so I took him for a walk. Missed most of the official wedding bit but what I did see was lovely.

At the reception, he played with his etch-a-sketch thingy and books, he ate chocolate and chippes (mmm a well balanced meal) he took photos, he ran around with his pants around his ankles. Perfectly normal really.

The cutest moment was the three groomsmen having a conversation with him about their flowers and guessing what would come out of the sal & pepper shakers. All very serious and I am love that they took time to do it and treat him like a big boy.

There should be more weddings.

musical meme from LJ

Guess the songs these lyrics come from. you knwo you want to. (what? avoiding real work? nooooo)

1. I turned to my friend and the look in his eyes said
2. Have you ever been close to tragedy
3. It doesn't matter what I say, It doesn't matter what I do
4. Don't the hours get shorter as the days go by
5. Happiness is just a gash away
6. We believe, in the grass in the trees
7. When I go for a drive I like to pull off to the side
8. Well she wants to be a singer in the band
9. Yesterday, the sky looked sweet
10. Marky got with Sharon
11. I think it's getting to the point
12. Hang up the phone, no need to cry
13. One time a thing occured to me
14. I want them to know it's me
15. Light touch my hands, in a dream of Golden Skans, from now on.
16. Everybody, everybody, everybody livin' now
17. A heart of stone, a smoking gun
18. Good luck and don’t dare give up
19. My life was completely astrous when I met you
20. Go on and close your eyes, go on imagine me there

Colour

One on the nice things about the roadtrip was all the different colours that flashed past.
There were huge swathes of yellow from the canola fields, then all the different greens of the grasses and some surprising flashes of hot pink from random ornamental plum trees.

Was all very pretty.

Oh and here is a blurry photo of my beloved highway signs..


more photos on flickr (have a look at the sidebar over there and click on something to go there)

Picasso meets Cranach

Oh and I got a print of this chicky from the Art gallery.

I likes her

home again, home again, jiggety jog

well, we went, we had fun, we're glad to be home again.



Sapore was really yummy. no, really. We had the tasting plate for entree, I then had the beef with the yummiest truffled mas ever. Nw has the seafood linguine which was light and seafoodey and yummy. No dessert as we were a bit too full by that point. We'd spent most of the day lounging around in S&G's backyard having brunch and being amused by the antics of a 3yr old and a 14mth old. Oh and breakfast had been hot jammy donuts and a bratwurst from the Queen Vic Markets.

Yep, Sunday was all about the eating and drinking.

Monday, we went to the Art Deco exhibition at the NGV. Sooo much funky stuff to look at, such very sore feet by the end of it. We also looked at their collection on 14th-1thc stuff and then some of the later stuff as well. There was also a bit of wandering around town and showing Nw some of my favourite buldings.
Monday night we went and visited warcrack chums. Lots of fun and amusement ensued. Was very cool to see peoples in the flesh.

Tueday we caught up with MissDawn and Charlie for brekkie in Camberwell. Then Charlie, Nw and I hopped into the car for the trek back to Sydney. Roadtrips are never as exciting on the way home. Once I get the photos off my phone, I shall see if we managed to get a photo of my favourite road signs (Yawning? Powernap Now).

Bestest bit about Tuesday was seeing Torby again. I really did miss him a lot. Sooky mother that I am. Was also nice to sleep in my own bed and use my own shower and have my own stuff and pet Stampy again.

In summary..had a hoot, really glad we went, really nice to roadtrip it but soooo glad to come home again.

There will be photos soon. You have been warned.

we have arrived! Let the rejoicing begin

After waay too many hours in the car with Nw and MissCharlie, we arrived safe and sound in exotic Melboure last night.

Well okay, the hours did kinda pass by quickly and we had a few stops on the way and conversation was amusing but, I was really really really gald whe we finally got to stop, get ut of the car and know that we weren't gong to be back in it until tomorrow.
My notes from the trip so far;

I feel all Australian now for I have seen the dog onna tuckerbox.

'Ye olde Australian music' makes me want to hack my ears off.

3 people grooving along to 'Don't blame it on the boogie' in the car gets extra funny when you are spotted by anouther car overtaking you on the highway. The look on the guys face as he troed to figure out what the hell we were doing, was priceless.

Victoria has the bestest road signs ever. 'Droopy eyes? Powernap now' is my favourite. I like the directness of them. Shall endevour to get a photo (because Nw won't let me steal one of the signs. soooo mean) on the way home.

We managed to break the trip roughly every 2-3 hours which was cuning. Being fed coffee and shown the cows and being entertained by the very chatty and amusing 8yr old daughter at our friend Adrian's house in Seymour was the bestest stop for me. I wanna live o a farm now. Yes, yes, I now I'd get realy bored really quickly, but still!

Before we left, we got the car washed. It was clean, it sparkled, now it's decorated with bug innards in a nice speckly pattern on the front. It's not as attractive as you might think.

Nw and I wandered down to have dinner last night after dropping MissC off. All you Melbournites should go to Touks. I'd been there before with MissDawn and it's still really nummy. We ate or ninner, had a bottle of wine, trotted back 'home for two days' an promptly fell asleep. That sitting in a car for a day really takes it out of you.

MissDawn's house (our home for two days) is even cuter than last time I saw it. Her budgie makes an almost Stampy substitute despite the fact that he doesn't coem over when I waggle my fingers. I do however miss Torby a wee smidgen.

Soon I shall go and wake Nw up and drag him to Queen Vic markets for hot jammy donuts and then there shall be wandering around and purchasing of baked goods for brunch with the girls (and guys) and then maybe a visit to here if we can covince MissImpish to come eat chocolate. *snort* and then maybe a wander around the art gallery or a nice park to build up an apetite for dinner.

Rambleyness

Had one of those rare perfect moments late yesterday afternoon. Hanging with Nw and Torby cleaning up the front yard (such as it is). It was lovely weather, I had my boys with me, it's hard to explain but it was lovely.

Have wasted time at work doing googleymaps of our road trip.
Now I know how to get between home and Dawn's house on Saturday (via dropping Miss Charlie at her sister's house) then how to get from chums house in Glen Waverly (where we're staying after our nerdy warcrack night) to the cafe for brekkie with Dawn, to home again. Everything in between is unmapped and means we may get a wee bit lost.
I also have very little sense of direction in Melbourne, mountains are on the wrong side and the water isn't where it should be. Badly designed I say.

I'm really looking forward to the roadtrip. Will be nice to have MissCharlie's company in the car for extra conversation and to help Nw with driving. Then have lots of alone time and catching up with people and eating and walking and looking and squeeness.

I have a sneaking suspicion that we might miss Torbyboy a bit though. Just a smidge.

Oh and today is haircut day. Hooray for haircut day!

5 sleeps to go...

...till we're on the road on our way to exotic Melbourne... Squee!

Oh and sneezing when you have a thumpy thumpy headache is roolly roolly painful.
Just in case you were wondering.

tee-hee

DrNik just sent me this link

Tales for the leet: Romeo & Juliet

It iz teh funnee

A self portrait..or eleventyfive

Ovilah, originally uploaded by Miss DV.

oh, and..

8 sleeps to go!!

A decision at last!

Birthday/Aniversary dinner will be here

My son, the subtle one.

Torby loves going to the butchers so he can get some stamps on his hands (a red bumblebee and blue happy face).

We had discussed that we needed some lamb kebabs for dinner. We had also discussed that they migth not have any stamps and we would see.

So we arrive at the counter, I pop him up so he can see them and out comes 'six lamb babs and stamps please'.

The nice man laughed, a lot, and gave him his stamps and a kiss.

must be Nw's child..

... he just sat on me and farted.

Horrid creature

The shoe gods are pleased with me

So I had a mission this afternoon to get a new pair of shoes. I had a budget. I had a plan..

Well, instead of one pair of shoes, I came home with 3 pairs and still under budget.

I got these in purple and bronze (they were down to 30- each, how could I resist!)

and a pair of Colorado shoes (Gerty) (Also on sale)


I am happy shoe piggy, hear me go Squee!

Forgetfulness

I left my mobile at home today and I feel so naked.

Reliant much?

In other news...12 sleeps till Melbourne!

Heard during a TV ad for Sorbent 'Long Roll' Toilet Paper

"..so you can change the toilet roll less often and have more time in your busy day"

Excatly how long do they think it takes to change the roll?

hooray!

I may actually be able to vote Labor in the next state election now.

Iemma & Costa are out!!!

All the cool kids were doing it... well okay, just TOA, but still...

Your result for The Quick & Painless ENNEAGRAM Test...

9 - the Peacemaker

Thanks for taking the test !

you chose BX - your Enneagram type is NINE (aka "The Mediator")

"I am at peace"

Peacemakers are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union
with others and the world around them.

How to Get Along with Me

• If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially
  don't like expectations or pressure.



• I like to listen and to be of service, but don't take advantage of this.



• Listen until I finish speaking, even though I meander a bit.



• Give me time to finish things and make decisions. It's OK to nudge
  me gently and nonjudgmentally.



• Ask me questions to help me get clear.



• Tell me when you like how I look. I'm not averse to flattery.



• Hug me, show physical affection. It opens me up to my feelings.



• I like a good discussion but not a confrontation.



• Let me know you like what I've done or said.



• Laugh with me and share in my enjoyment of life.

What I Like About Being a NINE

• being nonjudgmental and accepting



• caring for and being concerned about others



• being able to relax and have a good time



• knowing that most people enjoy my company; I'm easy to be around



• my ability to see many different sides of an issue and to be a good
  mediator and facilitator



• my heightened awareness of sensations, aesthetics, and the here and
  now



• being able to go with the flow and feel one with the universe

What's Hard About Being a NINE

• being judged and misunderstood for being placid and/or indecisive



• being critical of myself for lacking initiative and discipline



• being too sensitive to criticism; taking every raised eyebrow and twitch of the mouth personally



• being confused about what I really want



• caring too much about what others will think of me



• not being listened to or taken seriously

NINEs as Children Often

• feel ignored and that their wants, opinions, and feelings are unimportant
  



• tune out a lot, especially when others argue



• are "good" children: deny anger or keep it to themselves
  

NINEs as Parents

• are supportive, kind, and warm



• are sometimes overly permissive or nondirective

Renee Baron & Elizabeth Wagele

The Enneagram Made Easy

Discover the 9 Types of People

Harper
SanFrancisco, 1994, 161 pages

You liked the test?

so S P R E A D I T ! tell everyone!!!
(use Quick-Paste below)

you wanna know MORE?

so check out, what Wikipedia says about your type...



...even more you'll find in Google

or do you prefer to

---

You are not completely happy with the result?!

You chose BX

Would you rather have chosen:

AX (SEVEN)

CX (TWO)

BY (FOUR)

BZ (FIVE)

Take The Quick & Painless ENNEAGRAM Test at HelloQuizzy

i is techno leet gurl!

I've managed to get haloscan installed and working - it does the recent comments thing.

yay for me and my leetness!

no wonder work wanted to keep me *grin*

Woot!

Well, my boss just called me to say that my interview technique dosn't suck and therefore I sill have a job. 

Well, it's a few grades higher and has a slightly different name and I will still be working in a different department to where I should be (gotta love the public service), but it means that I'm still employed and dont have to do more applications and interviews for a long while.

Hooray!

sleep is for babies.

why am I awake?
2am is a hateful time to be awake.
not as bad as 3am, I'll grant you.
but close.
all cold and boring and wrong.
well, would've been okay if I was awake after a raging night out instead of awake again after a nice nap in my warm and toasty bed with the warm and toasty husband next to me and the warma nd toasty cat near my feet.
gah I say!

I is lucky

Went to meet Miss J last night before she wooshes her way back to England. Despite her being out here for a month, due to a combination of sickness and feebleness and timing, this is the first chance I'd had to catch up with her.

Got to laugh at MissCharlie and her Lord Nelson/Hero of Waterloo confusion. So similair in so many ways, just not in location of pub :)

Got to catch up with lovely lovely chums and once again be made content by my friends.

Got to watch the excitement as MrH broke his news to people. I do so love to see my friends happy and excited.

Got to fall in love with Sydney again as I walked up Kent St from Wynard to The Rocks. Old little houses and glimpses of the water and the low sliver of a moon. Also when we got icecream and sat on a bench at Circular Quay and marvelled at the purtiness.

Got to be amazed at the adventures people are going on. Wether it's moving o/s to be with a boy, moving house, yachting to another country, announcing a new relationship or a new step in a relationship to people, job interviews and making decisions about where your life is going. All adventurous and all brave and all good.

It was a pretty cool end to a pretty cool day.

Get Some Freaking Perspective!!!

There are many things that could be called child abuse.
Beating, raping or starving them for instance.
Putting them in childcare doesn't even come close.
No matter what Mem Fox says.
Comparing one to the other is insulting and stupid on so many levels.

Grrrrrrrr!!!


cross-posted at ForRattle

yay!

Plans are slowly coming together for The Roadtrip of Dooooom!! (TM)

We have a place to stay (thanks MissDawn. You're t'riffic) .

We have recomendations of places to eat. Although if anyone can recomend a nice place in town, that would be good.

We have an Art Gallery to visit.

We have a breakfast and a brunch and a dinner organised where will get to catch-up with a variety of chums.

We have a fabulous sister and bro-in-law to look after Torby. (hooray for family!!)

We will soon have a cat feeder.

We have 19 sleeps to go!

Spring has Sprung

Stuff what has made me smile this morning;

That the first day of spring dawned warm and sunny aftter a wet and manky end of winter.

All the jamine I pass on the way to the train station was fragrant and made me extra happy.

My ipod only gave me happy, bouncy tunes to listen to.

My train was pulling into the platform as I got there and there were flowers on my desk when I got in.

All-in-all, it's shaping up to be a delightful day.

my little boy is getting all growned up

We just turned Torby's cot to a bed.

I may have just had a little teary moment.

He's getting all big and stuff.

very very funky

*claps hands in girlish glee*

njjihhokkkkjgkolppypojnSo the tummy bug I've had since Saturday seems to have released it's clutch on me. I haven't thrown up in 24hrs, my tummy is no longer really sore and I don't have that constant low grade nausea that drives you insane.

You may all do the happy dance for me (I'm not quite sure I want to jiggle about that much).

The good, the bad and the bleurghy

The good was Isobel's 4th birthday fairy party. So much pink, so much glitter, so many fairy outfits. Was gorgeous. Torbyboy had a hoot and even got to wear his wings and the beloved orange fairy skirt. He's very much in touch with his feminine side.

Beverages afterwards were also very nice.

Oo and I got a beeyootiful scarf and scarf pin for me and gloves for Torby from Miss Fliss. I love my clever friends.

The bad has been the not sleeping well and the having to write an EOI for my job and feeling manky enough (think I'm finally succumbing to the manky cold/flu thing going 'round) that I had to cancel having some chums around for ninner tonight to see the lovely MissJ :( Am all fuzzyheaded and achey and bleurghy.

The bleurghy is self explanatory.

purty

Thereis one advantage to waking up at oh-god-o'clock to haul your arse to work early...you get to see the most fabulous orange and pink sunrise as you walk to the train station.

It really was glorious.

torby talk

"I like it" - said about something he's been denied. Increas amount of tears and repeat often when it keeps being denied.
"it's not your's, it's mine" - said about everything!
"this one for .... and this one for Oviler" - said on the occasions when he's remembered to share.
"I love you mummy/daddy" - said when he is about 2seconds away from being sold to the gysies.
"I do it!" -said anytime help is offerd or a task is given. Putting shoes and socks on, for instance, now takes 3 times longer and a lot more tears until eventually one of us is allowed to assist.
"Neeples" - those two dots on your chest. You may know them as nipples.
"Strawbellies" - red berries that are better suited to daquiries in my opinion.
"Burp inna bottom" - a fart.
"Snoose me" to be said when you do any kind of burp.
"Deyicious pizza" or "Rice 'n' sauce" - the two acceptable types of take-away. Garlic Pizza and Plain rice with a bit of sweet and sour sauce.
"Bish Yoghurt" - Yoghurt in a tub. Long story.

yaaawn

I thinks we were all a wee bit tired last night.

Nw watched Dr who through closed eyelids last night, I dragged us both to bed at 9 and Torby had been asleep since 6:30 and he didn't wake up at all until just after 7am.

We Huntington-Smythes need our beauty sleep apparently.

i was looking at googlemaps at the same time as I opened this up... tea was spat across the room

Last night we wnet to te lovely Miss Pip's 50th birthday party. Despite getting lost (who knew there were 2 Luttrel S's in Glenmore Park) a sick toddler and then miss JD cracking her head on the floor thanks to the detergent left behind from the bubble machine the kids were using (my god that was a long sentence), we had a hoot. Lots of old friends who I don't see often enough, getting to shake my groove thang at the end of the night (Time Warp as performed by about 10 people around midnight was something I'm very glad has not been photographed), getting to have lovely long chats with people, seeing Pip get all teary at all the lovely things people were saying about her, all makes for an excellent evening.

Now to get dressed and go to the markets and eat gozleme and sit in the sun watching the children leap about. At least this time the squaling shall be outdoors.

Ad to that having drinks and yummy pasta on friday with spyd and the fight club girls and it makes for quite a delightful weekend.

Hope yours was as nice.

all the cool LJ kids were doing it..

Delvino Stays Sharp 'til The Bottom of the Glass.

Enter a word for your own slogan:

Generated by the Advertising Slogan Generator. Get more delvino slogans.

and it seemed somehow appropriate

Now I'm hungry and want bacon

Bacon Flowchart, originally uploaded by ChrisL_AK.

why I love my butcher.

They are making me a yummy lamb meatloaf after I mentioned that I really liked them and enquird if they were ever going to sell them again.


Yay for cunning and nice butchers.

It was a dark and stromy night...

"Hmm . . ." thought Abigail as she gazed languidly from the veranda past the bright white patio to the cerulean sea beyond, where dolphins played and seagulls sang, where splashing surf sounded like the tintinnabulation of a thousand tiny bells, where great gray whales bellowed and the sunlight sparkled off the myriad of sequins on the flyfish's bow ties, "time to get my meds checked."

Andrew Bowers

Runner up of the 2008 Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest

Also here is the list of all the winners

hoorah for plans

EDIT: It will be our 6th wedding anniversary. Hooray for friends who have much better memories and brains than me.

This morning on the way to work Nw and I were discussing what to do for our 5th wedding aniversary in September.
The idea was to go somewhere different. This ruled out South Coast, Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley. The problem with new areas was that we didn't know where was nice etc.
Then Nw had the brilliant idea of road-tripping to Melbourne. Basically leave Saturday morning and get home Tuesday night.

Hooray for road trips, hooray for Melbourne and hooray for plans.

speaking of plans.... now need to organise to see all my lovely Melbournites and find places to stay....

wootage

Went to the Fracture Clinic today for the foot of brokenness.

My foot was x-rayed and fondled and found to be healing well and I am officially allowed to walk around without the Boot of Gimpiness!!

Hoorah!

I went and was a big growned-up!

Torby went to grandma's yesterday so I could go to work (ewww, 4days!). I took advantage of the fact that I wasn't at home looking after him and didn't need to be home early so I organised to go out on the town with megzz and snerg and a chum called andy.

They showed me cunning places I didn't know existed!

My favourite was the Bambini Trust Wine Room on Elizabeth St (kinda near Hyde Park, down from The Sheraton). Small beautifully decorated room, nice wine, good staff etc etc.

The bar whose name I can't remember (is under the GPO building in Martin Place) had really good cocktails (I had an appley thing of yuminess and my mate Andy had the nummiest uber potent cognac, whisky, orangey thing) tres funky lighting and comfy couches. I seriously loved the fabric on the walls. Need to thieve it and make a frock out of it!


There was then snacky dinner at another place close to Wynard (333 i think) then last beverages at The Vault.

oh, teh excercise!

Was nice to be out and about and people watching (really loved the people watching) and hanging with peoples in an environment that wasn't a house or a park.

I could even forgive the mocking I received for being so excited.

smiley day

Despite the enormous amount of Pivot Tabley things I was forced to create today (It's like being down the saltmines but with Excel), I had a funky day at work.

Got lots achieved.
Got to watch a storm approach, dump it's rain on us, then be blown away again.
Got to eat lots of pastries leftover from some presentation thing. Our meal room is often a good place top graze for morninga nd afternoon tea as it seems to the dumping ground for parties and the like.
Got a lift home from my boss.
and most importantly of all...
Got to find out that I'm involved in a meeting tomorrow with the uber boss. Now I know not to wear the jeans and comfy shoes I was planning on. :)

Coming home to a lovely husband and child with lots of kisses and hugs and smiles to be had just tops it off really.

Hope yours was as nice.

I'm not a feminist, I just belive that women are humans too. Oh, hold on..

I liked it.

via a comment on TigTog's blog

Snolliver's breakfast..

2 strawberries (or strawbillies as they are called around these parts)
4 corn thins slathered in peanut butter
1 banana
1 apple.

All in the space of half an hour since he's been awake.

I swear there's a growth spurt on the way.

really is amusing me far too much..

The Warehouse

Just in case you were wondereing..

Chocolate brownie does not go well with green tea.

Just sayin'

oh the horror

To make up for being a big gumby who hurt her foot last week and needed to be couchbound and on painkillers again for a few days, I will be working a whole 4 days this week.

The freaking horror of it all.

The glee in my bosses' eye when I told him.

The mound of work that got dumped on my desk

eeek!

I think I might try and wangle a night of drinking in town of Friday to help me recover.

a very lovely day

We took the munchkins to the park this morning.

The weather was that glorious bright blue, ultra clear, warm in the sunshine, breezy winter's morning kinda weather.

Oh how I lurve it.


more phots on flickr

oh the giggling

The second Zoe and Torby are alone in a room together, theoretically going to sleep, the giggling begins.

You open the door to check that they are still in their cots and silence decends. Innocent and sleepy faces look up at you. They seem to imply that they heard no giggling and you were imagining things.

Door closes and the giggling recommences.

Eventually they went to sleep last night.

This morning there was more giggling.

I went to check and only saw still asleep babies who blearily blinked at me and rolled over.


Tricksy munchkins

Zombie Haiku

a woot-ish kinda day

squee for MissKrin moving o/s next year

squee for MissFinn booking her tickets home to visit us at the end of this year

squee for MissDawn making it home safely after her o/s jaunt

such squee-ness


oh and I woke from from my nap a pleasant few minutes earlier before Torby launched himself onto the bed with bed tousled hair and red cheeks an post-nap eyes telling me he loves me and wondering if I slept well.

teh woot!

This is my happy dance

I kept hearing a song on JJJ but never could catch the name of the song or the band. Tres frustrating.

I finally resorted to using Yahoo Answers and it worked!!!

This is the song. Silhouttic by Birds of Tokyo.

squeeee

owie

I managed to hurt my foot again this morning on the step between living room and hallway (I am teh clever and graceful)
Despite Torby kissing it berret and patting me on my back, it still hurts.

Painkillers, refried cous-cous,roast vegies and lamg, and a bakery treat from the markets, how water bottle and episodes of 'Angel' are helping to cheer me up.

I still want a real foot, bored of this one.

It's all her fault

So, Friday night was a 'lets get together at Meg & Jamies and get photos of the frocks Spyd made 'cause she hasn't seen them properly yet' session. (For those following along at hoime, Spyd is a friend and a chick what sews stuff. She recently made some beeyotiful frocks for a friend of ours who was being Queen in the SCA. Spyd also live in a state far, far away. okay, not that far but it may as well be. She was in Syd this weekend for some warmth and blue skies, the fool)

I arrived at about 4:30pm.

Wine was poured

Other people showed up at some point

Wine was poured

Dinner was had

Wine was poured

Frocks were put on

Wine was poured

Photos were taken

Wine was poured

Lovely conversations were had

Wine was poured

People left

Wine was poured

People went to sleep

Wine was poured

some more conversation

Wine was poured

you get the idea.

11hrs after starting, we finally stopeed.

Saturday was not very pretty for anyone involved.

We slept a lot.

We lay on the couch a lot

We watched 'Angel' and Nw fell asleep at about 9:30, I made it to about 10 before giving up.

As is our habit, we went to Meg & jamie's on Sunday morning to hang about and go to the local markets. There's a jumping castle and occasionally petting zoo and/or pony rides for the kids. There's the nummy bread and baked goods and the good meat and the good vegies and the nummy dumplings for the grown-ups.

As is also our habit, we then retired back to M&J's house for a cup of tea and some eating of the baked goods.
Other people returned to their own houses and Nw had already taken Torby away for a nap.

As is not our habit of a Sunday afternoon, some wine was poured....

11 hrs after arriving on their doorstep, we are now home again and I am lightly squiffy.

I completely blame Spyder.

Good thing she goes back down to stinky southern parts tomorrow, my liver can't handle it.


(shhh, don't tell her but it was also really t'riffic to catch up with her and the munchkin and watching all the kidlings running around together was an absolute joy. Shhhh)

this blog

urg

Drinking wine for 11hrs really isn't good for you is it.

fun though.

teh cute

This afternoon I got told by my son 'I love you mummy' several times in a row.

I just about melted.

After a teensy nap (half hour if that) Torby has been making my life hell alla fternoon. Very strung out and over-reacting to everything (never have so many hugs and kiss betters' been demanded and recieved) and causing generally causing havoc.
I finally convinced him 15 minutes ago to get his pilow, blanket and nuk-nuk and come lie on the couch with me.
10minutes ago, his eyes started dropping
5minutes ago, he completely passed out.

Now he's the cutest thing in the world and I can't imagine ever being cross with him.

Ahh the power of forgetfullness motherhood brings

I have just made 2 perfect cups of tea in a row.

Never underestimate the power of a good cup of tea, let alone a perfect one.

It's just Like Stampy

I love these

Simon's Cat

I am loveing watching Buffy and now Angel episodes (thanks mugzz and smerg) but the dvd interface is truly atrocious on both.
You have to select the episode and then select to play it.
This is after you've figured out which episode is next. Is it left to Right or Up and down first? It changes regularly.
When episode is over, you have to push buttons to get back to the main menu to start over.

I just want to call them uop and yell at them for a bit. How frigging hard can it be?

Now grumpy dv shall go back to the happy place, watching S1 ep3 of Angela nd Spike is in it. mmmmm such a happy place.

Notes from my Monday

Getting myself ready in the morning for work, takes a lot less time than it does to get myself and Nw and Torby ready.

Starting work at 9:30am is really weird for me. I normally start at about 7. Half the day was over before I checked my first email. I also seem to need more coffee to get through the day. 3rd cup and counting.

It’s really annoying when the report you’re meant to work on isn’t ready last week like promised but instead will be maybe possibly done by Wednesday and I normally only work on Mon/Tues. Luckily, the t’riffic Grandma can look after him so I can swap Tues for Friday.

The Walking Boot O’ Doom makes me walk funny because it’s so ginormous. However, wearing my fabulous pointy knee-high boot of loveliness on the other foot helps by putting both feet at same height (you know what I mean). Also good that the one that needs a new heel put on it is the left one. Really should fix that so I can wear both of them when my foot is better.

Having a chat with an up-the-duff friend about childcare has made me realise how grateful I am that Torby goes to a good daycarer. He loves his A and she seems to love him as well as do both her daughters. It’s this extra family unit he’s growing up with. The fact that she’d raised two kids already (the youngest is just finishing high school I think) and then has spent the last 15years looking after 5 kids every day means that she’s a freaking sadist learnt to manage kids pretty well. He enjoys going there every week. He enjoys seeing the other kids and being spoilt by the two daughters and going on adventures. Makes me a bit sad to think that one day he’ll stop going to her and go to school instead. Pesky children and their nasty habit of growing up! Sending them off to be looked after by someone else is such a leap of faith. Glad ours worked out.
I think Torby is getting scared at night. Last night we were repeatedly woken by him crying out. Nw would get up and go into his room, settle him down again, come back to bed and then a few seconds/minutes later, he would cry out again. A lot of it was delaying tactics and he answered ‘yes’ when I asked him if he was a bit scared. I offered to sit with him for a little bit while he lay down in his cot. He was eventually happy with the idea of me leaving the door open to his room when I left to go back to bed. Will see what happens tonight.

I'm looking forward to going home soon. I forget how much my foot hurts after a day of not lying on the couch popping chocolates into my mouth. Need to drug myself up and close my eyes for a second I think.

Time to stop procrastinating and do a final bit of work before I get to scurry out of here. *long drawn out sigh*