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a portrait of my son, once a week, every week in 2016

Jimmy: At LAX...

This was not our gate. It was also 6 hours before our estimated departure time. And I just missed the moment Michael's hand was on Jimmy's head (sadface), but we were there. We'd made it and we could relax because we had a 7 hour stopover to recover from the last of the clearing out of our apartment, the drive to Kansas City International Airport, the returning of our hire car, the check in and baggage drop (and shuffle) and the flight to LAX. It was a long, long day and Jimmy was a brilliant travel companion. 

And that night we left the USA...

The winter funk...

[About 35 days ago this post would have been titled "daylight fading" after the Counting Crows song, but we're past the Winter Solstice and the days are slowly lengthening, so that title doesn't make sense.]

Yep. The winter funk.

Except that it doesn't start in winter. It starts around the beginning of October, about the time when we have to set alarms and wake and get ready for work in the dark for a few weeks until daylight savings is no longer in effect. The days are still warm, but there is a chill in the air and the first rays of light no longer reach the kitchen.

And then November first rolls around, no more daylight savings, and we're getting up with the sun again - winter might be coming, but getting up with the sun is good. For a few weeks.

As December and the Winter Solstice creep closer, we find ourselves getting up before the sun rises or short on time if we wake when our bedroom starts filling with light. By the time we are out of the apartment, the sun is up and doing its best to warm the air, but it sets quickly and we find ourselves coming home in the dark...

We're not so far north that the sun rises and sets between 9 am and 5 pm, but Michael and I are more used to living closer to the equator and this lack of sunlight hours really does have a negative impact on our mental health.

I noticed it in Michael last year, this winter funk. And the reprieve brought on by the turning back on the clocks. And I noticed it in myself this year. It doesn't help that we're homesick, cold, stressed, anxious, and feeling very down on our luck. It also doesn't help that Michael doesn't like December-January in general and I don't like being away from my parents and siblings at this time of year, for more than one year at a time.

Ah winter funk...

And then it ices or snows and we feel like the cold is worth it (although snow is preferable).

We made the effort to indulge Jimmy's recent obsession with Christmas lights, and realised that they're not just Christmas lights - they're Winter lights, bringing light into the dark, lifting spirits (as well as electricity bills and carbon emissions...).

Speaking of Jimmy: he is the only member of our little family who seems immune to the winter funk. He's a happy little Vegemite, for whom all this seasonal stuff is the norm. He also lights up our life in a way Christmas lights never will.

The winter funk is a little debilitating, a little draining, and takes a bit of effort to shake, but it's seasonal. It's temporary. Now that we are past the Winter Solstice and the days are definitely getting longer, little by little, the funk is slowly lifting, even if the coldest days are yet to come.

When daylight savings start up in March we have a small relapse, even if the days are warmer, getting up in the dark is not my ideal. At least there is more afternoon light. Around this time the morning sunlight will no longer hit the map over the dining table and will move back across to the kitchen. The days will be longer, warmer, and we will be closer to returning to Australia... And then, hopefully, winter funk will be a memory and no longer an annual thing.

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

Jimmy: Posing with penguins...

So, we may have been in Chicago recently, which goes a little way in explaining the "radio silence" here of late. And we may have gone to the Lincoln Park Zoo to see the Christmas lights...

More on the trip later, but Jimmy and Daddy can be seen here, posing in front of some illuminated penguins. It was difficult to get a good light balance because of how bright the penguins were (or I need to get better at photography...). I would like to point out that it was about 5 pm when I took these photos, no sunlight, the Zoo was crowded, and I can't remember if Jimmy is "smiling" or making his scary face... We enjoyed the Zoo.

Giving thanks...

It's the Thanksgiving weekend, and I know it's been quiet here, but we're here, and there are things to be thankful for:

• Family. Our little family here. Our family in other countries. 
• Friends back home and around the world - you are missed.
• Friends here, for making life here easier.
• Good health. Yes, sometimes it feels like a stretch, given the toll living overseas is having on Michael and I, but, for the most part, we do have our health.
• Not having debt. We have our HECS/HELP back in Australia and haven't made back what it cost to move, but we only owe our saving account. There is something nice about that.
• Tea. Preferably leaf tea, shared with at least one other person.

And thank you for reading, always, always thank you.

Also, thanks to Michael for setting up the timer for the first photo and for taking the photo of Jimmy making tea at the Discovery Center, way back when Grandma was visiting.

On the needles: a beanie...

Way back before Jimmy was even born, back when he was inside my belly, and my belly was huge, Michael and I went to the 2013 Peace Festival and I bought this beautiful skein of alpaca from a local spinner. My plan was to make something for our baby with it, only I was going to wait until the baby was born before I did anything - the soft, soft yarn required something special, something that would suit our baby.

It was still untouched back in April, 2014, so it should come as no surprise that the wool made its way across the Pacific Ocean with us (did I mention that I brought wool over here, so that I could work my way through it and be less tempted to buy (even more) wool?).

After lots of umming and ahing, and realising that I hadn't started on any knitted project for Jimmy's 2nd birthday, I wound the skein into a ball and turned the very, very soft alpaca into a beanie.

I may have made the pattern up as I went along...

I did start with a measurement of Jimmy's head, and I did work out how many stitches of 3x3 rib went into 10 cm (or was it an inch or 5? Meh...), so I wasn't flying completely by the seat of my pants... And I kept notes, so that if I ever want to make another one, I have something to work from.

The process was fun and the project small enough to work on in the heat of July and August (I'm a slow knitter, so what). And every time I picked up my needles to work on the beanie I thought of Jimmy, and how the beanie would keep his head warm when his other beanies were not quite big enough or too cozy. I also thought of an old friend and school teacher and I remembered our brief conversation that day at the Peace Festival, and how he was ill and I was reluctant to get too close but still had trouble hearing the few words he said because his throat was so sore due to a recent bout of laryngitis - he would have appreciated the problem solving involved in the making of this beanie...

And now the beanie is finished, and after a very brief evening when the beanie was needed, Jimmy refuses to wear it. I think the fluffy alpaca is a little too warm for the mild autumn fall we're having in Kansas. Ah well! It fits, it stretches, and I know there isn't a photo of it, but the beanie comes to a point and is tied in a knot, because I wasn't wasting any yarn, so it's something of a gumnut beanie. Too bad the reference is lost on Jimmy. Perhaps we should tell him it's an acorn, then he might wear it.

One for the Scrabble board: biweekly...

From the Free Dictionary:

bi·week·ly (bī-wēk′lē) 
adj. 

1. Happening every two weeks.
2. Happening twice a week; semiweekly. 
n. pl. bi·week·lies
1. A publication issued every two weeks. 
adv.
1. Every two weeks.
2. Twice a week; semiweekly. See Usage Note.

Yes. It is a word. Perhaps only used in the USA, but it is a word nonetheless.

Biweekly = fortnightly.

Done. Easy. Every two weeks. Biweekly. I may have referred to the word previously, but as I am now being paid biweekly, I thought it was time to formally include it.

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

Jimmy: Not sure what all the fuss is about, but Grandma, Daddy, and Mummy are around. Life's pretty good.

On her last day in the USA Grandma wanted to go to Legoland Discovery Center, Kansas City. So, we went. It was a blast and lots of funny faces were made.

Losing my Australian filter: the cost of living...

When looking at the prices of anything in the USA, it's easy to think that things are cheaper than in Australia. And indeed they can be, especially blueberries and some fancy cheeses, but clothes and nonessential items can be a little harder to work out...

Last year I bought a pair of gumboots (rainboots over here), and I paid US$26 for them. Now, they're not plain gumboots, and I thought they might be solid enough to be Jimmy's winter boots, so long as he had woollen socks on, which sort of worked. Now, $26 is not cheap for children's shoes, not even in Australia, but I would buy them over there, without a second thought, because they would cost me about an hours work.

But what about in the USA? Well...

The median annual income for an individual in the USA is about US$30,000, this equates to roughly US$15/hour. That means Jimmy's gumboots cost nearly 2 hours work. But most of the population is not on US$30,000 and the minimum wage ranges from state to state. For arguments sake, let's call it US$7.25/hour (which is true of Kansas) and it's even less for workers who rely on tips.

Let that sink in...

Go on Australian readers. Take a minute. Think about it. Minimum wage is US$7.25/hour.

Cheaper gumboots, available online, might cost an hours work for most workers, or two hours for someone on minimum wage, plus tax. But sometimes there's no platform for product reviews, so there's no telling how good the gumboots are.

So, what does this translate for everything else? Well, regardless of how the Australian dollar compares to the US dollar, I find the best way to gauge how much something might cost in Australia is to double the figure. This mostly applies to clothes, sporting goods, some shoes, and beautiful things for the home - most of which we don't buy, because we're only here short term.

Coffee is an interesting item because depending on where you go (and how you take it), is very similar in price, if we're assuming $3.50 has the same value in Australia and the USA. But it doesn't. And most Americans like their coffee to be watery, often filter coffee that tends to sit around for hour or the made-to-order pour over - it's fancy little sister. Regular filter coffee can cost as little as $1 for a really big coffee. Fancy pour overs (and lattes) cost $3.50 or more, which is half an hours wage for most people. This can turn coffee into a luxury item - can you imagine paying AUS$7 for a latte?

There are some things that are cheaper here, or very similar in price. Some things can end up heavily discounted, such as clothes. Some places are amazing when it comes to sales. The other week I bought some new clothes for Jimmy, from the discounted section at one of these places. All the items were subject to a further 50% off the marked price, so I paid US$1 for socks that cost US$4 full price. A friend paid US$0.66 for socks for her son. Again, they were on sale, which is often the case with a lot of places - almost everything can be bought on sale if you know how to play the game.

Sometimes I wonder if this approach - doubling the price to get a feel for how much it might cost in Australia - might all be a waste of time because of the huge difference in wage conditions and workers rights, and so much more manufacturing occurs on US soil than in Australia, plus there is market size to consider too. And transportation costs... Have I left anything out? Basically, there are a lot of factors involved before a price is placed on an item, and the buying power of the average worker may not be a consideration.

What I am certain about is Jimmy's need for new gumboot. His new ones have arrived and his old ones have been given to a friend who will get some use out of them. Did I pay US$26 for the new little gumboots? Yes. Do I scold Jimmy when he doesn't look after them? Yes I do, because I understand the true local value of those boots.

Changes...

We are about to have a very big change here at the Playground: I am going back to paid work. Here in Manhattan.

The last big piece fell into place over the weekend with the arrival of my US work permit.

The other big pieces? A job and daycare. Both of which are sorted, but require a bit more paperwork.

And yes, I had the job lined up before I applied for my work permit. The permits cost a bit of money, so I wasn't going to apply for one without something lined up. Turns out there are two people who would like to employ me based on my CV and a brief chat. Yay me.

I did what was needed to apply for the work permit, sent it off and hoped it would come through. Recently I had been kicking myself for not filling out a contact form so that I might hear about the progress of my application but I realised that too late. Oh well.

Once the permit was in I needed to find a place in a nearby daycare for Jimmy. That came through a week or so ago and we arranged for Jimmy to start at the end of August, or earlier should the permit come through. There was a possibility that Jimmy would start daycare and we would still be waiting on my permit. Did I mention that Jimmy was only on one waitlist?

Yes, it might seem like I went about things in a contrary manner, but since signing the new lease money is tight we weren't prepared to pay for the permit without someone wanting to employ me.We also needed to make sure that Jimmy would be in good hands, either at daycare or with Pop, who was going to come over and look after our little man.

Naturally, I had to work out if it was going to be financially worth me returning to paid work. And it will be. Not by much, at least initially, but hopefully working here will make me more attractive to prospective employers when we return to Australia.

What does this mean for the Playground? Well, mostly it means that I might only manage to maintain the 52 Project for a few weeks while we find our new rhythm. It also means that Michael will be contributing written pieces, not just lovely photos. Who knows, I might manage to write enough posts in the next few weeks that there is no difference here, but if not, well, we'll be finding our new rhythm.

Ch-ch-ch-changes.

Missing/Enjoying: Fresh air...

It might be difficult to tell, but I took this photo in winter. January to be precise. And yes, the windows were wide open.

No, I'm not crazy.

Ok, maybe I am, I am from Queensland, Australia, after all.

Now, coming from Queensland, I know a few things about the cold - mostly that the novelty is nice, even if I feel I need to sit on a heater just to stay warm. Having lived in the tropics and subtropics for the best part of the last 10 years, I know a lot more about living in hot, humid climates. The most important thing to remember is when to open the windows and curtains or blinds.

In winter, in Warwick, Queensland, I have memories of my parents opening windows for short periods during the warmest part of the day and usually on the sheltered or sunny side of the house. The windows were shut tight an hour or two (or three) before the sun went down, and might not open the next day. In summer, east facing windows were shut and curtains drawn after 8 am and opened after midday, when the windows and curtains on the west side of the house were closed up. In Brisbane it was relatively easy to do the same thing, although in summer we would open the house up once the sun was down, to let the heat out.

This practice allowed for some fresh air coming into the home, most of the year. And it was good. It wasn't until last summer, our first in Manhattan, KS, that I realised how much I like sleeping with windows open when night time temperatures are above 20 C (~70 F). I realised this because there were many nights when we couldn't open the windows because it was either raining or hotter outside than inside, even if we were only 'cooling' the place to ~30 C (85 F). We would sleep with the ceiling fan moving the hot, heavy air around while we stewed in our sweat.

Summer passed, and there was a brief period in the autumn fall when we could leave the windows open just a little, without getting a chill. And then it was winter proper.... and it was cooooold - Queenslanders know nothing*. The apartment was closed up, stuffy even, so every chance I had, I opened those east facing windows until the thermostat hit 15.555 C (60 F) and then I'd close the place up again.

It was worth it.

And now it's summer again. And it can be really, really hot - over 38 C (100 F) in-the-shade hot. And our apartment faces east. It's on the top story. There's a concrete carpark outside. Oh and the hottest part of the day is around 2-3 pm, sometimes later. Hot-box much? Some days there's nothing else to do but close the windows and blinds and turn on the A/C....

Initially, just like last summer, we were 'cooling' the place to ~30 C, but Jimmy and I were still sweaty, cranky creatures in the stuffy hot-box. So, after a few really, really hot days, I turned the A/C to 28 C and it made a huge difference. The apartment was still warm, but the temperature much more bearable, and we weren't sweating anywhere near as much. Even Michael noted that the 2 degrees Celsius made a huge difference. And no, the A/C doesn't seem to be working harder to maintain the lower temperature.

But the funny thing is that when the day is mild and the maximum hovers around 30 C, it is actually nice having the windows open, letting the air flow through the apartment, and having the noise of the day drift in and out. The apartment might be hotter than it would be if we closed the place up and turned on the A/C, but there is just something about fresh air.

Hot or cold, fresh air is what it is: fresh. And I like it. I miss being able to sleep with a window open 9+ months of the year, but we're aiming to move back to Brisbane, so I'll enjoy the dramatic changes in the air, when they come... in a few months... In the meantime, there is always the A/C to keep us from melting, even if it means no fresh air for a few days.



*Ok, ok, so there has been a cold snap across Australia, and there has been snow in parts of Queensland, but 3 days is nothing compared to 3 months. Just saying.

This book!

Oh man, this book... Jimmy and I were at the library, and I had a small collection of books for him, one for me, and a few DVDs, and as we were leaving the children's section I saw this lovely book on a shelf, standing there, just asking to be borrowed, on display because it was new to the library.

Well, with a dust cover as pretty as this I couldn't leave it on the shelf. So I didn't.

At first I thought Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt was going to be a little beyond Jimmy, given that it is not rhyme-y or sing-songy like his all-time favourite books, but I was oh so totally wrong - he loves it, and so do I.

The illustrations are beautiful and playful, the content informative, and for Jimmy it is a good introduction in the notion of gardening, it helps him make sense of the changing seasons (not that it has confused him, but any little bit about changing seasons helps), and it has planted a seed in his mind, so that when we visit Granny and Pop or Grandma he has an understanding of what a veggie garden is - which is the main reason why I picked it up off the shelf, it wasn't just the lovely dust cover.

The content is north American centric, but, for now, that is appropriate. When we are back in Australia, it will be worth finding ourselves a copy because the illustrations really are beautiful.

And most importantly, there are insects on almost every page, making Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt a nice follow on from this book.

Over the weekend we...

Went to the Wamego Independence Day parade and fireworks. Here are the highlights!

Jimmy found the motorbikes a little noisy... little did he know how loud the fireworks would be.

Oh don't mind the really big American flag, held up by two crane-type-things, creating an arch over the parade.

Funny little cars and old tractors caught Jimmy's attention. So did the horses, and the huge sprayers and harvesters.

Somehow Dorothy brought a few friends with her when she made it back to Kansas.

The local bus service made an appearance in the parade! I was pretty excited. Later, we found our favourite bus driver, and I think we made her night - it was definitely a highlight for Jimmy.

Can you see the big slide? It's right in the middle of the photo, at the back, almost in the trees. Jimmy kept bringing it up, and our friends kept pointing it out, and I had to keep breaking Jimmy's little heart because he is far too little to go on it... Perhaps in a few years he might get to go on something similar. As you can see, the street carnival was pretty crowded, and I think we would have avoided it completely if one of our group wasn't interested in getting funnel cakes - we know what they are, but I'll give them a miss next time.

Between the funnel cakes and fireworks we had a picnic potluck - these are the leftovers. We were all very hungry, and it was hard to believe that we were eating dinner around 9pm - it was still really light out.

It was between dinner and the fireworks that Jimmy and I caught up with our favourite bus driver. And once the fireworks started, Jimmy stayed in my lap, one ear against my chest and the other covered by one of my hands, and he went to sleep there.

Jimmy found the fireworks a little overwhelming, but he was a good sport and told us the colours of the small fireworks that people were setting off in their yards. He pointed to the small hot air balloons, and seemed to be excited to see those. The big fireworks were loud and caused my sternum to vibrate - I was glad Jimmy was able to settle and sleep through it. I'm glad he wasn't upset by the noise.

We wanted to know if Jimmy actually enjoyed the fireworks, which was a little tricky, because he usually repeats what we ask him:

"Did you enjoy the fireworks?"

"Did you enjoy da firewooorks."

Hmmmm, so we asked him if he would like to see fireworks again:

"Would you like to see fireworks again?"

"Want see firewooorks agaain."

So, yes. Jimmy enjoyed the fireworks, because after this conversation he became agitated, wouldn't settle and go to sleep, because he wanted to see more fireworks. Win.

I want to thank our friends who invited us, and drove us, to see the Wamego Independence Day fireworks. They organised the group of people we shared dinner with, and it was a lovely afternoon and evening. And I have Michael to thank for the first photo and the last two photos in this post.

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

Jimmy: No kisses!

Dear Jimmy,

Daddy and I love you. We love giving you kisses, even if you sometimes don't like receiving them. We were at the 2015 Independence Day parade in Wamego, KS, and Daddy was trying to keep you entertained. He also wanted to give you a kiss. You didn't want one, as is often the case when we are got and about. I decided to take a photo of the two of you, and this photo is the result.

Why is it on the blog? Well, Daddy and I couldn't help but laugh when we saw it. Your response was priceless too, you said "Daddy almost make a mess" as you referred to the contortions on your face. It is also the best photo of you that we took this week - it is a clear image, with an interesting subject and you made us laugh.

You are a sweet, funny, zaney, strong-willed little boy and we love you. If you decide that you don't like this photo, where Daddy "almost make a mess" of your face, I will remove it from the blog. You only need to tell me.

Love,
Mum

Taking stock...

This list keeps popping up on different blogs - it was started by Pip, and it is a lovely list. And after the last week and before the coming week starts - Jimmy is turning 2 - I thought it was time to sit down and take stock. 

making: a beanie for a little boy - he's my winter baby, even if it's summer in Manhattan, KS

cooking: as little as possible because of the heat, although I keep baking, which is almost worse

drinking: tea that arrived today, all the way from Australia

reading: Euphoria by Lily King

wanting: to go home, back to Australia

playing: "where's Jimmy?" with pillows, in the wardrobe, and with the shower curtain

deciding: how to celebrate Jimmy's second birthday

wishing: we were closer to home, so that family and friends in Australia could join in the celebrations

enjoying: the cooler days of summer

waiting: for good news

liking: ice cream and iced coffee

wondering: how my siblings are settling into their new homes

loving: how much Michael and Jimmy enjoy each others company

considering: what kind of cake to make Jimmy for his birthday

pondering: another cup of tea 

watching: Dr Martin

hoping: for some good news

marvelling: at the fireflies 

needing: the random fireworks to stop

questioning: our decision to stay

smelling: sweaty boys, sunscreen, and the pool

wearing: light, loose items, preferably cotton

noticing: the sun setting a little earlier every night

knowing: that time flies when living in the moment

thinking: about the future

sorting: baby clothes because we can't take every item back

buying: very little, although there might be a birthday present for Jimmy

getting: time to read my book

disliking: all the practice fireworks that everyone is setting off in preparation for the 4th of July

opening: packages from Australia

giggling: with Jimmy as we run around

feeling: homesick for Australia, while trying to remember that Jimmy thinks of here as home

snacking: on watermelon, carrot cake, soda bread and marmalade

coveting: new clothes

helping: a little boy learn new things

hearing: fireworks and cicadas

looking: at my son growing up and changing from a baby into a little boy

Quick reads...

It's been feeling like summer, Brisbane summer, and I keep thinking that Christmas is coming, even though we're seeing fireflies and Jimmy's second birthday is coming up. Clearly I'm mixing things up in my head...

This weekend is a big one: the Summer Solstice and Father's Day are both on Sunday. It's also going to be hot. Proper hot. The coming heat wave will not make things any better, but here's to a weekend at home, drinking lots of iced water, staying out of the sun, and enjoying the pool. Happy weekend!

Here are a few things I've enjoyed reading this week:

139 new species identified!! It's very exciting.
I gave it all up...
Luxury-communism anyone?
An interesting look at saying thank you.
The women whom science forgot.
How to recognise the artists of paintings.

Plus some I have been meaning to share for a while:

The Birth Centre at the Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital turned 20 a few months ago.
Green is the new denim.
A gentle, reflective piece on miscarriage.
A crafty life
Why too much Facebook is not good for you.


(How to recognise the artists of paintings via A Cup of Jo, world events and green is the new denim via Reading My Tea Leaves, crafty life via Down to Earth)

One for the Scrabble board: furlough...

From the Free Dictionary:

Furlough (fûr′lō)n.

1.

a. A leave of absence or vacation, especially one granted to a member of the armed forces.

b. A usually temporary layoff from work.

c. A temporary leave of absence granted to a prisoner under special circumstances, such as the need to attend the funeral of a family member, or for a special purpose, such as participation in a work program.

2. The papers or documents authorizing a leave: The soldiers had their furloughs in their breast pockets. 

Until Thursday this week, I had never heard this word, neither had Michael, and yet it has been added to our vernacular because the Kansas State government is implementing one, starting Sunday, due to budget shortfalls and the budget not passing before the new fiscal year.

So, this means a "temporary layoff from work" for all non-essential State employees, until the budget is passed. This could be more than 30 days of forced leave-without-pay for these non-essential workers. And this particular furlough is unusual because there are usually 30 days notice before one is implemented.

We are fortunate enough that Michael will not be furloughed - his funding comes from Kansas State. I know we wouldn't be able to stay here if Michael were furloughed for more than two weeks.

My heart goes out to the 24,000+ people waiting for the news on Sunday night, the news that the budget has been passed, so that they can go to work on Monday. It seems unfair to penalise those who can least afford it - the politicians are not taking pay cuts to help with monetary shortfalls. I know this sort of thing would not happen in Australia, at least, it wouldn't be quite so explicit.

Just in: a bill has been passed, although yet to be signed by the Kansas State Governor, preventing the furlough from taking place. At least for the next two weeks.

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?

Snot...

After a lovely warm weekend, filled with running around Manhattan and lots of time spent playing outside, Jimmy has a snotty nose. I think he's coming down with a cold, which sucks, because I hate seeing him sick. I was also promising myself that I would get my morning act together and get us to playgroup, for the first time since I was sick in December...

So, while I have worried-mother-writers-block, I thought I'd share some photos that haven't made it to the blog yet. They are mostly iPhone photos... and they are a little bit grainy but fun nonetheless... and from our trip to KC.

 

 Actual sourdough on the Saturday night... Jimmy playing with Daddy's phone...

Consumed coffees at Quay... Holding Jimmy's hand while he slept on the couch at Quay...

Just mucking about as it had been a while since I took a selfie with Jimmy... Jimmy playing with dough...

No really, the pizza makers gave Jimmy some pizza dough to play with and he had lots of fun...

And made a lovely mess too...

Fingers crossed Jimmy is just snotty and teething, but if he is actually sick there will be more posts of mostly photos.