Thursday 30 April 2015

"Mum cut hair."

Jimmy caught me trimming my fringe this morning.

"Mum cut hair."

The drawer with the nail scissors was open and Jimmy wanted use the them - not happening.

"Cut hair. Mum, cut hair."

So I picked up my little boy, stood him on the countertop, twisted the curl behind his right ear, told him to stand still, and cut his hair.

And then I did the same to the curl behind his left ear.

I had cut Jimmy's hair. No fuss, no fight, no problems - easy.

In a bewildered state, I returned Jimmy to the floor and secured the two curls with some sticky tape.

Both curls, one from behind each ear, bound together and stored safely in a little box.

Michael has wanted to cut the curls for a while now.

The curls that have been growing since before Jimmy was born.

The curls that have been protected by Jimmy's ears and not worn down.

Gone, because a little boy wanted to be like his mum.

"Cut hair."

First haircut done. And by my hand.

"Mum, cut hair."

Wednesday 29 April 2015

This book!

Seriously, this book is the best "bug" themed childrens' book I've come across in the last two years. Not only are the illustrations gorgeous, but the book is actually informative, and a little humorous at times. After checking the first few entries, The Icky Bug Alphabet Board Book made the cut and came home with us from the library.

And then we started reading it. Well, first time through, Jimmy wasn't impressed, so I stopped somewhere before F. It is on the wordy side for a board book, especially as it doesn't rely on rhymes to keep the audience's attention. Michael had better luck that evening, and discovered some of the funnier entries.

A few days later I was checking the copyright information, and found this:
Although the general public considers every creature in this book a bug, in fact only the Yellow Plant Bug and the Cotton Stainer are true bugs. The Velvet Mite and the Scorpion are arachnids. The Orb Weaver, Water Spider, and Tarantula are spiders, a specific type of arachnid. The rest, including the true bugs, are insects.
This insect ecologist is incredibly happy with this book, and this book is now on the "to buy" list of things for our home, when we are done moving around and have funds. We may not get the board book edition, but The Icky Bug Alphabet Board Book is an excellent find and will always be welcome in our home.

Tuesday 28 April 2015

Over the weekend we...

Went to a friend (and neighbours') birthday party. It was an adult birthday party, starting at 7pm, about 20 guests, sangria, music, food, and enough candles on cakes to know that we were celebrating an important birthday. And, because the birthday girl and her husband live just downstairs from us, we had no qualms about going, with Jimmy in tow. And it was the right thing to do. Why? Well:

  • Firstly, we take Jimmy almost everywhere with us, he has never had a babysitter, so he's used to the occasional late night out with Mum and Daddy and friends.
  • Secondly, the birthday girl and her husband are smitten with Jimmy, and he's a little taken with them too, so there would have been disappointment all around, had we left Jimmy at home, with a sitter or taken it in turns being at home with him.
  • And thirdly, with the party being just down stairs Michael or I could take Jimmy home when he was done and ready for bed. 

When we went downstairs, to the party, we were not the first to arrive, but we were there before most of the other guests, which allowed Jimmy to warm to the environment and the other guests. He was clingy to start with, and hungry, but after devouring the grapes and tasting the cheeses and lots of time in my arms, he was ready to work the room.

And work the room he did! Everyone was completely taken with Jimmy. Some were impressed by how friendly he was, others couldn't believe that he was eating broccoli without hesitation, others were blown away by how much love he could convey in the word "Mum". I'm pretty sure this all means that Michael and I are doing a good job as parents.

I don't remember what time we went home, but it was late. A few guests had already gone, and, with a little help from Daddy, Jimmy was making a little bed for himself on the couch. So, Michael and I gathered up our tired, but happy and very full, little boy and said our goodbyes - Jimmy highfived everyone and gave the birthday girl a little kiss on the cheek (I suggested it quietly to him and helped him lean in, and if he hadn't wanted to, we would have left it at a fistpump and that would have been fine).

On Sunday we were all tired, but fairly happy. We started the day Skyping with a close friend back in Australia who is a new dad. Michael and I are so excited for him and his wife, but we are also sad that we can't be there as they adjust to their new life as parents. Fingers crossed we'll get to meet the little guy before his first birthday.

Our day ended almost as late as Saturday because Jimmy refused to go to sleep. We're not sure why, but he just didn't want to go down. It is possible that he knew it was Sunday, which means Monday is the next day and Daddy goes to work. It is also possibly that he was hoping to relive the previous night. Either way, it was a late night. At least Michael's lunch was already made...

Thanks to Michael for the photo of the birthday cakes, although I take full responsibility for the editing.

Monday 27 April 2015

17/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2015

Jimmy: Dig dirt.

Jimmy and I took advantage of a warm afternoon and tested out his new-to-him sandals and jeans (the tshirt is also second hand, but we received it from my Cousin K and brought it over, along with a few other tshirts that now fit Jimmy, with a little room to grow). The sandals are possibly not going to fit all summer, but that is ok because it means that Jimmy is growing.

And for a brief moment, it looked like Jimmy and I would be "growing" our pine cone collection, but no. Digging in the dirt was far more important. And then he wanted to do something else and the dirt, and the pine cones, were forgotten.


Thursday 23 April 2015

Happy Earth Day!



Or our year without a car...

So, yesterday it was Earth Day, April 22, 2015. For something that's been around for 45 years, I do feel a little silly that this is really the first time I've really taken notice of it. The earth-child in me is hanging her head in shame... but only a little, because I do try to tread lightly on the planet of ours. Michael does too, and we're teaching Jimmy to do so, as much as we can.

We do the 3 R's: reduce; reuse; recycle. We do our best to minimise waste, both food and packaging (although some days I feel like I fail at this, especially when I forget our greensacks and only notice when we get to Dillons). We keep our consumption of animal protein to a minimum, eating a little most days, unless you include dairy... we like our milk and cheese... We managed to go through the whole winter with minimal heating, running the heating at 19.4 C (or 67 F) but next winter we might aim for something closer to 18 C (or 64 F). And our limited funds, and short-term situation, keep us from consuming a lot of 'stuff', which really helps with the feeling of treading lightly on the Earth, even if we don't feel light-hearted.

But the biggest thing that we do, the biggest thing we decided to do when we arrived here?

We decided not to buy a car. That's right. It seems crazy not to own a car, especially in the USA, but we are mostly happy with our decision.

(We do own a car, but it's in Australia, and from what I can gather it is probably only used a few times a week - I could be wrong.)

But when we were taking in all the costs of moving to Manhattan, KS, and our living costs vs income, Michael and I decided that we would try to go without a car.

And for the most part, we have managed without one, even though this town (and most of the USA) is not pedestrian friendly. We get funny looks sometimes, especially from people who have never seen anyone babywearing. We've walked to and from Dillons on really hot days, and really cold days too. Jimmy and I have stayed at home because the weather was not pedestrian friendly. We've come home drenched, sweaty, sore, or very cold. We've waited for the bus when the weather was not pleasant and we've walked to our intended destination in unfavourable conditions because we missed the bus, sometimes by a minute or two. We're still here.

But we haven't avoided cars completely. We have hired cars, four all up over the course of the last year. We have traveled in friends' cars, and we would be incredibly antisocial if we didn't. And there have even been moments when I wished we had one, usually when we've just missed the bus or have no milk and it's raining/snowing/freezing outside.

From an environmental viewpoint, not buying a car here has hopefully gone some way in offsetting our flights to get here. And when we do go anywhere by car, it's usually in someone elses' car, increasing the number of people in that car.

From a personal viewpoint, not buying car has saved us a few car-ownership headaches and given me lots of time really, really close to Jimmy. I have also lost weight I had been wanting to lose for a while, since before falling pregnant with Jimmy.

Not owning a car has limited how often we have been able to travel, but we have been able to explore Manhattan, KS, on foot and have seen a good amount of the town. Not owning a car has helped us come in contact with some of the local characters and connect with locals who are happy to share their local knowledge. Not owning a car gets us outside, having little adventures, and looking at animals and plants that might otherwise be overlooked.

We are unlikely to buy a car for the coming year, because we still have limited funds and we would have to deal with the whole getting rid of the car process, which we found stressful (and costly) in Samoa. Having one less thing to get rid of when we leave is actually a good thing, and really it was probably the main motivator in not buying a car this time last year. But we were also thinking about our environmental footprint...

Happy Earth Day!

More Earth Day stuff:

Celebrate Earth Day Everyday
Why more stuff does not equal more happiness
Earth Day Top 5

(Edit: I realized the irony of putting up a link to a shop as I was going to sleep (Earth Day Top 5 links to post on Kaufmann Mercantile), but they sell beautiful, well made things that I would buy if we could afford them or if we were staying for longer or if we had some certainty about where we are going after our time in Manhattan, KS, and I knew that the investment was worth it. They do not sponsor this blog, although that would be nice and welcome, but they stand for quality, and I prefer to spend a little more on something that will last a long time, instead of buying something cheap that will need to be replaced on a regular basis.)

Wednesday 22 April 2015

And now for something completely different: tree fungus!

As I mentioned, on Saturday we saw some fungi on some local red cedars. We'd never noticed it before.

We looked at them, Michael actually pulled one off and squished it and broke it open. It was hard on the inside.

Then we took a closer look at the trees and noticed blackish, porous-looking balls...

Where these fungus looking things part of the plants' reproductive cycle, triggered by the rain, or were they a parasitic fungus?

Over the weekend we...


Went out for coffee and a light breakfast at Sparrow Specialty Coffee. It was raining a little, nothing heavy, but rain coats were required. We caught the bus to the other side of town and chatted to the bus driver (it was her birthday and Jimmy, one of her favourite passengers, was suitably charming), discussing the rain and baseball - apparently baseball is one of the very few sports, in the USA, that will stop for the rain, something to do with slipping and sliding and breaking ankles.

We had upsidedown snickerdoodle muffins and really, really lovely lattes. Part of me wishes we lived closer to Sparrow Specialty Coffee, simply because their coffees are so good, but perhaps we wouldn't enjoy them as much. It's hard to say, but it is great that there are two coffee shops in Manhattan that we can go to and always, always, always get a lovely cup of coffee. It's even better when both places smell like Melbourne (Sparrow smells of raw wood and coffee, while Arrow smells of coffee and food). And just to clarify, for anyone who was wondering what a 'snickerdoodle' was, it's usually a cinnamon and raw sugar biscuit.


After coffee we headed to the Flint Hills Discovery Center. Jimmy started up the stairs to the children's area before Michael and I had finished at the front desk. Clearly, Jimmy missed the stairs. And then Jimmy found the train set...

Well, there was someone else playing with the trains, but she was happy to share - because it is a public space, everyone is very good about sharing and taking turns. Jimmy was engrossed by the trains and I think he was there for nearly an hour.


Meanwhile, Michael and I took it in turns to check out the Wild Weather exhibit, which explains spring weather - storms and tornadoes. It was a bit of fun. The thought of tornadoes still scares me...

After over an hour or so at the Discovery Center, we went home to pick up some sausages and snacks before heading to the 'baseball grill'. Between the bus stop and home we noticed a funny growth on the cedars that we walk past regularly. We'd never seen these growths before, so we investigated, and Michael found out what they are... Keep your eyes peeled for them in a future post.

The sun was out and we had a nice walk past the baseball stadium on our way to the barbeque. In fact, it was lovely weather for a grill/barbeque: not too hot and not too cold or windy. We had lots of fun exploring our friends' backyard - it was a novel concept for Jimmy; a home with grass right outside the door, no stairs in sight.


And after lunch, we went to the game! We arrived some time after the start of the 5th innings, and stayed until the end of the 9th, when the game was over. As we were arriving, K-State fans were already leaving, suggesting that the result was a forgone conclusion... We still went in, found seats, Jimmy seemed engrossed by the activity and was happy to sit on Daddy's lap for a bit, and then Jimmy was off, because little boys don't sit still for very long.


Between taking turns running around with Jimmy, Michael and I both saw some of the game, learned the rules and ins-and-outs of what was going on, and narrowly missed being hit by a foul ball (the young boys behind us scrambled to get it, once it landed). Thanks A and B for the 'baseball grill'!

Our Sunday was very quiet, as it was cold, wet, and windy. We stayed in, relaxed, and did laundry, which felt funny, but we have a dryer, so loads of washing can be done, even on the wettest of days.

Monday 20 April 2015

16/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2015

Jimmy: Taking in his first baseball game - it was serious business.


Saturday 18 April 2015

Quick reads...

Happy weekend! We're going to a 'baseball grill' tomorrow, hosted by a PhD student in the same lab group as Michael. We will be attending the grill (aka barbeque), so long as the weather holds (it's spring and that means storms), and we may attend our first baseball game - more likely we'll go home. We'll see. We might also see how the K-State Gardens are shaping up, as everything is in bloom - it is spring after all.

Hope you are having a lovely weekend, wherever you are!

Easter is gone, but I still wanted to share some thoughts on why the US doesn't embrace Easter chocolate.

One brave couple seriously going against a national trend.

Earlier is not better, when it comes to educating young children.

Apparently Mothers Day is coming... we don't really pay it much heed, but this is a nice gift list (albeit outside our budget).

French children don't get fussy.

One CEO is putting his staff ahead of his paycheque.

If you care about the people who make your clothes, you should read this.

What's for dinner? Insects, anyone? I've eaten (and enjoyed) #37.

Parents, don't forget to play.

The week in wildlife - in pictures.


Thursday 16 April 2015

What Jimmy is reading...


Jimmy loves books. Really, really loves books. He has a nice little collection of books, but sometimes something new needs to be added. And sometimes we can't afford to buy the new additions, because of funds and because of luggage allowance (we are coming back to Australia at some stage, even if it feels forever away, and can't bring back everything), so we make use of the library...

While shopping for a birthday present for someone else, we came across Alex Schertle's Little Blue Truck, a tale about a friendly little truck, who helps out a big dump truck, only to need a little help himself (herself?) from his/her animal friends. We were attracted by the Jill McElmurry's beautiful illustrations, but moral of the story sealed the deal (we bought the book from Claflin Books, and were able to read the whole story before buying it). Not only is it a lovely book, it's also a great introduction into animal noises, and it started a sound and word explosion to occur in Jimmy. We bought the book in December, and recently Jimmy has been making almost all of the animal noises, along with Little Blue's beep's, the honk's and roooooooom of the Dump Truck. It's a few kinds of cute and awesome.

A not-so-recent trip to the library yielded two very good finds: Room on the Broom; and Walter the Baker. I didn't think about it at the time, but what drew me to both books was the illustrations (again!). It turns out that Room on the Broom is written and illustrated by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, the pair who put together The Gruffalo, a favourite of Jimmy's that we brought with us. Room on the Broom is just as rhyme-y and fun and brains vs brawn as The Gruffalo, and tells the story of a generous, if somewhat careless, witch who says "Yes!" to a few too many requests by animals to ride on her broom. It almost ends in tears, but the animals come to her aid and save the day. We read it a lot and really, Michael and I didn't mind (too much). Oh and it turns out that the book has its own website and short movie!

Walter the Baker, by Eric Carl, is illustrated in true Carl fashion, and tells the story of a baker who is an excellent baker, held in high favour by the duke and duchess, until one morning when their usual order is messed up (due to the cat spilling the milk used in the bread). Walter must complete the dukes request or be banished from the whole duchy. It all ends happily, and while a little wordy for Jimmy, he still enjoys it - perhaps because he sees me making bread and so understands that I am a little like Walter the Baker. Or Jimmy just likes the pictures, and that's ok too, because they are nice pictures.

Hairy Maclary Scattercat arrived with Granny and Pop, way back in August last year, but it's still on high rotation. I don't know if it's the illustrations (which are lovely), or the story of the naughty Hairy Maclary as he chases the neighbourhood cats and the rhyming and sing-song style of Lynley Dodd, but Jimmy really enjoys Scattercat, and can now point to Hairy Maclary on each page, as he gets ready to disturb the unsuspecting cats. Hairy Maclary gets what's coming to him when he comes across Scarface Claw, and Jimmy recites the last lines that see Hairy Maclary seeking a safe place from the toughest tom in town.

The library books have since been returned and replaced with new ones, and we don't have to decide whether or not to bring back the other two (not to mention all the others we own...). There's still time to decide. And there's still time to find new favourites at the library.

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Over the weekend we...

Slept in, lounged around, went to Goodwill, Geocached, tried to attend a Michael Jackson tribute show only to be stuck breastfeeding a sleepy toddler who thought Granny and Pop had pretty poor timing with their Facetime call...

Movies were watched, mostly by Michael and I (Catching Fire, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The African Queen (they don't make many movies like it, which is a shame)), so was some computer animated Peter Rabbit, just for comparison - we didn't think much of it, and Jimmy kept asking to watch Peter Rabbit because he didn't recognise it as Peter Rabbit.
Jimmy and Michael went to the school playground via the tunnels. Jimmy loves going through tunnels, possibly more than he currently enjoys Peter Rabbit. I'm loving the fisheye effect of Michael's GoPro and Jimmy's teeth! Oh and those overalls are pretty neat too.
Michael took a few pictures of Jimmy in the dandelions using his Canon D550, and there was at least one really nice photo. The dandelions are out in force, and Jimmy is making sure to pick at least one every time we're out.

It was after their outing to the playground, and my outing to the shops, that Michael and I watched The African Queen while Jimmy slept (we only watch movies while he's asleep, because most of the time they're not suitable). Jimmy woke up before the climax of the movie, but it was very tame, by today's standards, and he seemed to grasp what was going on and wasn't troubled by it, so it's all good. We might let him watch the whole thing in a few years. It really is a very good film, great even. Movies like it go under the radar these days.

We spent the rest of Sunday hanging out at home. It was nice. Weekends are nice. Hope you enjoyed yours.

(All photos were taken by Michael.)

Monday 13 April 2015

15/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2015

Jimmy: Checking out the dandelions, and other new plant life.

Michael and Jimmy went out to the local school playground, while I was out doing the grocery shopping, and Michael snapped this lovely photo while Jimmy wasn't looking.

Jimmy is quite fond of dandelions. I think it's because they're just about the only flowers we let him pick - all the others are planted out in gardens etc. Jimmy is also quite fond of these overalls, as he picked them out this morning. I think they'll see a lot of wear over the summer - nice work Granny!


Friday 10 April 2015

The DVD baby-sitter...

Yes, this time around, I've been employing the DVD baby-sitter while sick with a cold this week. It was really more a coincidence that we happened to have some Jimmy-suitable DVDs at home, and he kept asking to watch "Peter Rabbit on Daddy's computer". So, I let him watch Peter Rabbit on Daddy's computer.

Yes, I feel a little guilty. The screen time isn't really good for him. But it is beautifully animated, just as I remembered from when the series was aired on the ABC, way back in the 90s.

When I put it on in the mornings, after Michael has gone to work, Jimmy sits and watches the story of Peter Rabbit, glued to the screen while Peter runs around Mr McGregors garden, sneaks past a cat, and returns home to bed.

And then Jimmy gets up and moves around, plays with this, that, and the other. He cares that the DVD is still running, but he's not really very interested in the rest, although he does like the tale of Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny. We even had a second DVD from the series, but it never interested Jimmy as much as the one with the tale of Peter Rabbit.

The only explanation I have for this, is that he knows the story of Peter, and not the other characters. We picked up an abridged copy of Peter Rabbit a while ago, and Jimmy knows when to say "stop thief!" and "kertyshoo!" and when we get to the end he'll say "again"- so it's clear that he likes the story of the cheeky rabbit.

In general Jimmy doesn't spend much time watching anything, and it's really only been a few days, and Jimmy is really good about the limits - no Peter Rabbit before Daddy goes to work and not after Daddy returns. It is sowing a very important seed in Jimmy's mind: that having a bed all his own will make him just a bit like Peter Rabbit.

The DVD is from the library, and it will have to go back at some stage, and we'll deal with that when the time comes. Hopefully the book will do, until we borrow it again. And we will, because sometimes it's ok to have employ the DVD baby-sitter.

Thursday 9 April 2015

Our first year in Manhattan, KS...

That's right, we've been here one year. We've mostly forgotten the craziness of that first week. We haven't forgotten the stresses of the move, even if I painted a rosy picture of our first month here.

Our financial situation hasn't improved, but it hasn't gone backwards, even though Jimmy eats more than he used to and is going to need bigger clothes over the coming months.

Speaking of Jimmy: Jimmy has changed so much - he actually likes slides now, and gets a little agitated when we're on the bus and we go past the slides at City Park. He's doing a really good job at getting bigger and developing. But he's still really little.

My favourite time of day is still when Michael comes home in the afternoons, although I am beginning to appreciate the mornings, as the sun is rising earlier and Jimmy is waking up around 6:30 am... especially when sick...

This cold of mine is nearly gone, and Jimmy is being really good, aside from waking earlier than I'd like. It's one of the easier illnesses that I've experience while here. The worst illness made me want to go home.

But we're not going home. Not yet. And we're not moving. For now.

As down and sad as we are about not coming home, at least in the coming months, as much as we don't like our financial situation, as much as we miss our old lifestyle, we do like Manhattan. It's a nice place - it's just a long way from home and our 'village', our established support network.

We have the beginnings of a support network: there's Michael's lab group; plus we've made some non-lab group friends; and there are familiar faces at playgroup. But it's not the same.

It's been a year since we arrived here in Manhattan, KS, and we're ok. Hopefully we'll be home sooner than June 2016, and if not, we'll be ok. We hope to be back sooner, but in the meantime, we'll keep on "making the most of it", so that we can remember this place fondly.

Tuesday 7 April 2015

Over the weekend we...

Ate homemade sourdough hot cross buns... More soon...
 And went Geocaching along the Linear Trail, walking about 5 km over the course of the day...
 Spring is well and truly here, with most plants showing signs of new growth...
 It was a lovely day, until the wind picked up, and it was like icicles cutting our skin, even through jumpers... 
 It was great to get out for a walk and explore a few parts of Manhattan, KS, we haven't seen before...
We saw cyclists, joggers, and other families out walking and enjoying the lovely weather...
 Jimmy was a little inspired by the joggers and wanted to run...
 Daddy joined in...
 And then Jimmy was a little tired and distracted. Oh well, that's what the Manduca is for - tired bubba's...
We kept going, and came across Wild Cat Creek, where my camera battery decided that I had been neglecting it... Oops! So, no photos of the cool footbridge we used to get across the creek, no photos of our snacks, which included hot cross buns with butter, and no photos of my leaking water bottle... It's dead... I might have a go at fixing it... We'll see...

 On Sunday we went for a picnic at Frank Anneberg Park, with our neighbours, who also gave us a lift, and a few others. This was after staying up far too late on Saturday night setting up a tunnel extravaganza for Jimmy, which included toys, tickle grass, little pine cones, snacks, emergency exits, his "down blocks", and some coloured hard boiled eggs. It was better than it sounds. And for a few hours it was the only way to get out of our bedroom... We'll be doing it again...
Michael wanted to take some pictures of Jimmy all dressed up for the picnic (thanks for the overalls Granny!). Jimmy decided to mess with Daddy...
 Michael really does have a way with the camera and Jimmy...
 It was another windy day, possibly windier... But a good time was had by all. There was yummy food to eat, turkey vultures and Canadian geese to watch, and we even threw a frisbee around, although sometimes it just hovered, held in position by the wind... 
Jimmy checked his pockets for sand, and sure enough there was a little sand in them. He and I discussed how dirt is different from mud, and I tried to tell him that dirt is important, not "yucky" (he was still happy to play in it), but I think it's a topic we will have to revisit... Once I'm over my cold... All that fresh air and exercise... Who would have thought? 

Monday 6 April 2015

14/52

a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2015

Jimmy: Run!

Michael took this great action shot. I love Jimmy's cheeks. And his soft scruffy hair. And his belly. And the way he runs.


Saturday 4 April 2015

Quick reads...


Happy Easter weekend! Once upon a time we would have been on a plane right about now, heading home... I'm trying not to think about it, while wishing my family good weather for camping... We'll do our best to be there next year. 

This week marks the end of March and I'm glad it's over. It wasn't very fun. It ended how it started: with tears and puffy eyes. Michael and I forgot about our first wedding anniversary and our more significant anniversary of seven years - that's how bad, confused, and full-on, the month has been. 

We're coming to terms with signing a new lease for our current apartment, and working on some sort of plan, but, with everything as clear as mud, it's hard to put into words. It doesn't help that we keep changing our plans, although a constant theme is getting back to Australia as quickly as is practical or reasonable or polite. It's doing our heads in, so at this rate we really will be here until June 2016... unless we get a job offer in Australia and then we'll be heading home, quick-smart.

So, yay for a new month, yay for green grass that needs mowing, and yay for Facetime and Skype. And yay for homemade hot cross buns - there's a post to write, I know. Here are some things to read and contemplate with your hot cross buns, morning coffee or tea...


I'm thinking about buy this book, but I'll probably borrow it from the library.

The sad state of science in Australia.

Just found out about KidKnits and I'm a little in awe of the young girl who got it all going.

Five things about raising boys.

A little chuckle for babywearers.

Why you shouldn't post anything about your children online. And why you should.

More thoughts on waking early.

Photos of our home.

"This family is full of brain problems and love."

A wonderful surprise pregnancy.


And a big thank you to everyone who stopped by here over the week - it means a lot to me.


(KidKnits via A Mighty Girl, the chuckle via the Flint Hills Babywearers.)

(I took the photos back in 2007, during our Easter weekend camping trip.)

Wednesday 1 April 2015

Letting it all sink in...

We signed a new lease for our current apartment. I'm not going to lie - we're not entirely happy about it. It's a nice place, our apartment, but it is on the pricey side and if we lived somewhere cheaper, it would be easier for us to travel around. Travelling around would be nice. Going home would be nicer...

Right before I came down with my round of gastro, we looked at a cheaper apartment. But we took nearly two weeks to put in the application, only to find out today that someone beat us to it. So, we signed a new lease, on the last day for lease renewals.

It feels like we panicked, but I know we didn't because we have been thinking it over, looking at other places online, weighing up the options. We were also thinking about going home, even though Michael's contract has been renewed.

Right now, at this very moment, it feels like it's going to be forever before we return to Australia.

But it's been a long day... It's all sinking in...

It's not so bad...

Really.

I hope.