Category Archives: Life

Life

BEETS, NOT BEATS – JANUARY 31ST 2009

>

No, he hasn’t been in a bar fight. This is what happens when we feed Samuel Beets (or Beetroot as they call them in Australia). They’re really not a baby-friendly food. The clean up is horrendous.

The upside? We can actually see where the food goes. With the amount this kid eats, it’s almost comforting to know it doesn’t all end up in his mouth.

SPRING IN THE AIR – JANUARY 29TH 2009

We’ve been experiencing just a teeny tiny little bit of Spring over the past couple of weeks and I am loving it. I don’t know what it is about a little bit of sunshine that makes me feel so invigorated. Almost like I want to spring clean the house – almost.

Speaking of weather, have to feel for my poor family back in Australia who are suffering through an incredibly hot summer. 10 days over 40 degrees (104F) and even a day of 45 (114F).

NEW LEAF – JANUARY 28TH 2009

Everyone is talking abut saving money right now and we are no different. Not that our situation has changed because of the economy, it’s the additional child and daycare costs that are killing us. Oh, and the little addition we did to our house.

One of my big efforts to save money? Borrowing library books instead of buying books. This is big for me. There’s something about library books that is a little gross. I think about all the people who’ve touched them and every now and then you find a crusty piece of leftover food between the pages. And then you get those books that smell for no reason. And don’t get me started on the downside of children’s books…

The other problem is that you have to wait for new releases. I think I was hold #118 on three copies at one stage. I suppose I will get that book around Christmas time. Or four hold books will come in at once and then I have to try and read them all in the three weeks I have them. And I can’t renew because 118 people still have holds on the same book.

Yes, there are many downsides, but I am making the effort to save $15 here and $25 there. I think my obsession with children’s book will continue though. They’re keepsakes.

And if worse comes to worse I’ll just have to start the Twilight series again.

PIRATES – JANUARY 25TH 2009

I’m not sure when Pirates became such an important part of our lives. This is the very favourite Christmas gift from Christmas 2008.

And now that Samuel is mobile, it doubles as a baby magnet.

RESPONSIBILITY – JANUARY 23RD 2009

We have started implementing the responsibility system with Thomas. At the end of each day we review the chart and Thomas gets a magnet for everything he has managed to do well that day like saying please and thank-you and putting his toys away. As you can see, we added a couple of extras that we deem important enough to track.

It seems to be working, at least for some things, although sadly we’re still working on the potty one. Sigh!

LEARNING – JANUARY 17TH 2009

I attended a two day photography class on the weekend and my head is ready to explode with the information I absorbed in just 16 hours. It felt good to get back to the basics and learn about just what my camera can do (turning down the flash – brilliant).

The downside is that now I am back to square one. I CAN’T use auto mode anymore. I have to move forward. Which means a lot of very bad photos while I learn to take good ones. The photo above was one of my first photos with my new knowledge of the reduced strength flash.

And that thing he’s carrying? That was Kei and Thomas’ project while I was at my course. Kei wanted a helmet and I imagined I would return home to some sort of knight’s helmet or a firefighter’s helmet. Instead I was greeted by Ned – Ned Kelly, that is.

Very impressive work. Kei is now officially in charge of all art projects.