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I like riding around the house with my new tricycle. I can can reach the pedels, but I'm quicker if I just push myself along. You can see from this video of me on my tricycle that I'm pretty quick too!
I'm not feeling very well today. My eyes are weepy and ears hurt. I think it might be new teeth at the back because I've been seen with my fingers in my mouth. I hope I'm better within a week.
It's only a week until we fly to Australia. We're starting to get ready to go. Mummy has organized things for me to do while we're flying. They've explained that it will be a long trip, but it hasn't really sunk in.
I'm going to miss all my friends in Raleigh!
In addition to going to Australia, Mummy's going to Dublin on Wednesday, returning on Saturday. It's a work trip and unavoidable unfortunately. Daddy's going to look after me.
In other news, I should tell you about my what I know about driving:
Yep, I know all about traffic lights. If we're out in the car and the green light turns to yellow, I'll say to Daddy "oh oooh". Also since we're rapidly approaching Christmas, there are lots of houses that have set up Christmas lights. One of my favourite things is to drive around in the evening (on the weekends or on my way home from school) and look for Christmas lights. If I see one, I'll say "Look, Christmas!" or if I'm looking for some, I'll say "Christmas, where are you?!". I'm getting very good at finding Christmas lights. More?
Tricked 'em. Mummy took me to the doctor this morning as I had a 100.7 temperature. Turns out I have an ear infection, not teeth issues. So I now have some Amoxicillin, what I call my "pink yummy", which should set me straight.
Oh and did you know I'm a good counter: I can say: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 14, 15". I haven't mastered my 11s, 12s, or 13s yet.
My favourite saying at the moment is "What's that?". I ask it a lot.
Those paparazzi haven't taken any photos of me for over a week. Must be something wrong with them.
I had a great day today. I spent most of the day with Katie - we did all sorts of things including going to visit with Anna, a friend of Katie. Anna's just a few months older than me and we have a great time playing and stuff.
Tomorrow's a big day. We're off to Australia for a month. I let Mummy and Daddy pack all day in my absence. I left them a list of the things I'll need while I'm visiting my grandparents. It's going to be fun, but I don't really understandy what is involved with this traveling and airplanes and stuff.
We\'ve arrived in Melbourne
Well we had a good trip over here and we're now in Melbourne. It's great to see Grandma. I've been talking to Mummy & Daddy for a while about going on the aeroplanes - I was ready to expect the bumpy ride and the engine roar during takeoff and landing. It's really quite fun. I was on my best behaviour too - I slept well although I didn't eat much. I also got to watch my Dora the Explorer programs on Daddy's computer - about 10 times!
I was supposed to sleep on the seat and not on the floor, but at one point, I had to get down to get my blankie which had fallen on the floor. So I got down, but decided that it was actually more comfy to be asleep on the floor. Daddy was quite alarmed when he woke up because all of a sudden I wasn't there!
So we're now in Melbourne. I went to the shops this afternoon to buy some sandels. That was pretty good and we got some fruit buns and other nice things to eat. I was supposed to go down for a nap at 1pm (as usual), but after 5 minutes I got out of my bed and came out to play some more. I didn't want to miss out! Grandma bought me a Wiggles bed cover and pillow case - it's really cool.
Anyway, but 6:30pm, I was done. I was too tired to have any dinner, so Mummy made me a nice bath (I didn't want to do that either, but resistence was apparently futile), then some milk and my night time book (Time for Bed, the night time book I always have), then off to bed. Mummy packed my blankie and Baa Baa (my lamb) and also Rabbit and Bobo, so all my friends are with me.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow - Mummy, Grandma and I are going to see The Wiggles! Excellent.
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Catch, Mummy, catch!
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We're in Melbourne to visit Grandma and Grandpa. I'm outside the house playing catch with Mummy.
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I'm hiding the ball from Mummy. "Where'd it go?" "There it is!"
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Now it's my turn to catch.
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I'm exhausted from my big day today, plus the fact that it midnight in Raleigh and I'll still adjusting to the timezone.
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Daddy and I have gone to the local park to play on the slide. It's fun!
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You have to concentrate when you're about to go down the slide
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This neighbourhood slide is really fun. I went on it about 20 times!
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This is a great horsie too. I can climb up onto it all by myself (and get off too)
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Do you like my new Dora the Explorer pyjamas? Daddy bought them for me yesterday and slept in them last night. They're really fun to wear.
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Grandpa has arrived from London - excellent! I'm explaining all about my Dora the Explorer book.
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We've just come home after going to see The Lion King on stage. The show had very impressive costumes and puppets and the singing was great too. I wore this pretty new outfit just for the occasion. Grandma bought it for me at Pumpkin Patch when we were at the shops. That's my baa-baa at my feet with my blankie on him.
Well I had a great time at The Wiggles on Thursday. I went with Mummy and Grandma. Daddy stayed home as we only had 3 tickets - he installed Grandpa's new wireless network (something about a busman's holiday). I was a bit overwhelmed by all the people that were there to see the show. I spent most of the time on Mummy's lap. Even though I know many of the songs and all the moves, I was a bit timid so I just watched. The show lasted about 2 hours and afterwards, Grandma bought me a Dorothy the Dinosaur hat. After that, we caught a tram (my first tram!) into the city for a coffee and a snack, then another tram back to Grandma's house.
I'm sleeping OK. The last few nights I've woken up briefly, but only cried for a few seconds before going back to sleep. I woke up at 6am. On Thursday morning, I called out "Mummy! Mummy!" until she came, then on Friday morning, I called out "Daddy! Daddy!". Then this morning, guess what I called out? "Grandma! Grandma!". I like to spread the favours around. This morning, I got to sleep in Grandma's bed for a bit, then when she went to have a shower, I walked to Mummy & Daddy's room and snuggled in with them. That's always good.
It's quite different sleeping at Grandma's house. For a start, I'm in a big bed on the floor, so I have plenty of room. I can also climb out of bed and walk down the corridor all by myself. I've done that a few times already. The other thing is that Grandma got me some Wiggles bedclothes - a Wiggles pillow case and doona cover. Now that's really living!
Yesterday, I went to Highpoint Shopping Center (a mall) to do some shopping. Mummy bought me some very nice sandals and Grandma bought me a very cute outfit too. And Daddy bought me some Dora the Explorer pyjamas - they're fabulous! I found a Starbucks shop in the mall and I yelled out "Starbucks!". I was looking for a special Melbourne mug for Katie, but didn't find out. Hmmm. In the afternoon once we got back from the shops, I was really tired, so Daddy put me down for a nap. I slept for almost 3 hours, so everyone decided that I should wake up. I wasn't too impressed by that.
After I woke up and had a snack, Daddy and I walked to the local park to play on the slides and the swing. I like the slide. I went up and down about 100 times. I also got to play on the swing and on the springy horse too. I'm going to go there again - it was fun.
Then last night, Grandma and I hung out at home while Mummy & Daddy went out to dinner with Helen Waddington. That was good too - I had a bit of dinner, then some strawberries and ice cream. Yum!
This morning was special. We all went in the car to the airport to pick up Grandpa. He had flow in from London via China. He was over there because his sister Gurmit wasn't well and was in the sister. I hope she gets better soon. Anyway it was really great to see Grandpa again - he's a lot of fun.
This afternoon, we going to see The Lion King at the theatre. Should be good!
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It's early in the morning (actaully late for my standards - 8:30am) and I am playing in Mummy & Daddy's bedroom while everyone else is out in the lounge room. I've found this little container labelled "mascarra" with a cute little brush in it. I've seen Mummy use it - it can't be that hard. Do you like my self-artwork?
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I'm sitting in my chair that Grandma bought me watching a little bit of TV. Some people call me a "box watcher" - not sure I like that. Still, my chair is comfy and it's just the right height to sit in and drink one's milk.
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Daddy's sunglasses look cool on my, don't they! I put them on myself.
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I found Uncle Paul's old guitar in Mummy & Daddy's room. It's fun playing notes on it. I haven't mastered chords yet, but I can do plucking!
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This is where Anna and my Uncle Arun are buried at Faulkner. We brought nice flowers.
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A wider shot of where Arun and Anna are buried. Arun is my Mummy's brother and he died in a car accident in 1997.
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We had lunch here at Thresherman's Bakehouse. Mummy and I had sausage rolls and Daddy had a meat pie. Daddy and I had a lemon softdrink each. Thresherman's has all sorts of yummy food, from sandwiches to hot meals to milk shakes to cappucinno. Excellent!
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After my lunch at Thresherman's, Grandpa and I went for a walk down Lygon Street. We're just coming back from our walk.
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Helen Waddington has come over for dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We're having Wiener Schnitzel for dinner - one of Mummy's favourite home-cooked meals. I like it too!
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"Cheers!" I'm doing cheers with Grandpa.
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We've gone to Melbourne Zoo this morning. The giraffe and zebra are pretty amazing. I was told there was an ostrich there too, but I didn't see it.
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The are about five lions at the zoo. We're separated from them by some big fences so that no one gets eaten (like me!). They're pretty impressive, don't you think?
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There's lots to see at the Zoo. We saw most of the exhibits before it got too hot and we had to go home.
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This is a pretty amazing monkey, known as a Lion-Tailed Macaque.
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This elephant is very impressive. He was grabbing vegetables from the edge of the water and putting them in his mouth.
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Here's a heard of wooden elephants in the little hut where we were looking at the real elephants. They're just the right size to climb on!
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Here's one of the tigers at the Melbourne Zoo. He's a little bit shy and is hanging around in the shadows.
Well, we're off to Brisbane today, to visit my other grandparents. We're all flying together - including Grandma and Grandpa. Should be lots of fun, provided we can fit everything back into our suitcases!
Last night we went to a local Indian restaurant with Grandpa's good friends, Bhajan and Hardeep. The food was yummy (I tried some too) although the service was a bit slow. I was on my best behaviour and didn't complain or anything. I got to go for various walks to keep it interesting too - we went across the street and back again. I got to press the Walk button at the corner. We got home about 10:30 and I said to Daddy "me go night night".
So I got changed into my Dora PJs and got into my bed. However, 5 minutes later, I was up standing in the hallway, complete with my little purple blankie and baa-baa. So Daddy picked me up for a hug and explained the concept of actually going to bed. So all was quite. About 10 mins later, Daddy came to get stuff from their bedroom, only to find me in their bed! I had all my friends with me and I got into bed and under the covers all ready! Everyone thought that was quite amusing. They decided that neither of them would get any sleep with all three of us in the little futon bed, so Daddy won the toss to sleep in my bed.
So I got to sleep on one side, and Mummy got to sleep on the other. However, as expected, by early morning, I was right in the middle so I could be nice and close! Oh well.
Enough about sleeping. Yesterday, we also went to the Melbourne Zoo. That was lots of fun and I got to see giraffes, lions, gorillas, monkeys, and lots of other animals. My favourite was the elephants though- I showed everyone what noise elephants make - they were quite impressed. We took the stroller so I had the opportunity to run around or sit in my stroller ("lie down" as I put it). We had lunch there too, but it started getting too hot, so we decided to go home about 1:30 (in time for a nap too). Daddy took some photos too.
On Monday night, we had dinner at home and we had Helen Waddington. Grandma made her famous wiener schnitzel and it was very good. I liked having Helen over too - she's fun to play with. After dinner, we sat in the back room and chatted and I showed her one of my Dora shows - she liked it! We had some King Island cheeses - cheddar and blue - delicioso! Afterwards, I gave her a kiss and a hug too. Nice!
During the day on Monday, we all went to Faulkner where my Uncle Arun is buried along with his girlfriend Anna (whom I'm named after). We brought flowers to put next to their little plaques and generally tended to the area. That was nice. We had lunch at Thresherman's Bakehouse, a great lunch place in Carlton.
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We're packing up for Brisbane today, leaving Grandma's house in Melbourne. Of course when I say "we", I mean the royal "we". My staff are packing and I'm sleeping in -- and on their bed!
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We're starting to pack up the car to head for the airport. This is Grandma and Grandpa's house in Melbourne (the suburb of Parkville). I have my pretty dress that Aunty Jen bought me.
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This is the view from the house to Royal Parade. It's a very pretty street.
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We've arrived in Brisbane and we're downstairs in the back at Grandma's and Grandad's new pool.
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Let me show you my new toy - Pluto the pup. I call him "pup". Actually he's not new - Daddy had him as a toy when he was young (a million years ago apparently). The pool looks really great. I just know I'm going to love it!
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I've now changed to go swimming in the pool for the first time. I've got one water wing already, and I'm watching Mummy blow up the second one.
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My cousins Peter and Sarah have arrived now. Sarah and Grandma are in the pool with me telling me how it all works. These steps lead down to a really nice shallow part of the pool that's just the right height for me to stand up in.
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Me and Grandma in the pool. Nice. We're watching Peter go underwater.
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I'm playing with the balls in the pool. That's Sarah with her back to the camera, and Peter with his goggles on, and Grandma. Such fun!
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As well as the shallow pool area, there's also this ledge that grownups can sit on or people like me can walk along. Grandma's showing me how it works.
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I'm having dinner with Peter and Sarah at their little table. It's just the right height, and if you remove the lid, then there's a lego base underneath to play on!
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It's early morning and I'm sitting on the deck drinking my milk and admiring the nice view of the city.
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The pool has a great view of the city.
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Everyone other than me, Mummy and Grandma Gabriele went to the cricket where Queensland was playing Western Australia in a day-night match. Here's a WA player batting.
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Returning the ball back to the wicket.
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A Queensland fielder was trying to stop the ball from crossing over the boundary, but alas to no avail.
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A good hit by the WA batter against a Qld spin bowler.
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It's the dinner break between the two innings. Since everyone is Grandad's guest at the Queensland Cricketer's Club, we get to eat dinner in style. Clockwise from the left is Grandma, Daddy, Grandpa, Grandad, Aunty Jen, Lynn and Bob. Bob and Lynn are good friends of Grandma and Grandad.
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Now it's Queensland's turn to bat. So WA is fielding. Also in the picture is one of the two umpires. In the end Queensland won only in the last over by scoring two sixes!
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It's pretty early in the morning (before 7am) and I'm already up and about. Daddy and I are playing with the Duplo blocks that Peter, Sarah and I were playing with last night.
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My water wings on my arms are very important - I wear them whenever I go swimming.
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Back in the pool. I go swimming twice a day. My favourite pool toy is this half-noodle.
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I like to have all the pool toys in the pool. Grandma calls it the "flotsam and jetsam".
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I'm showing Grandma how to use the noodle to whack balls in the pool.
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I'm really good at hitting all the balls in the water with my noodle.
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Mummy and me in the pool. This is really fun and I'm getting quite adventurous.
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My cousins Peter and Sarah are giving me a piggy back ride - what fun!
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I have so much fun with my cousins!
Fun in Brisbane
Well I'm having so much fun in Brisbane with my cousins!
All five of us flew up from Melbourne and managed to sit across from each other in the plane. The trip was good and I fell asleep as we landed in Brisbane. Grandma Dorothy and Grandad Keith met us at the airport so we had no trouble fitting all our bags and ourselves in their car and the hire car that Grandma Gabriele and Grandpa Shiv hired. Grandma Gabriele and Grandpa Shiv are staying at a really nice apartment on the 9th floor of a complex that looks down the Brisbane river - a great view from their balcony!
We came home and admired the new pool - I was very excited about going in it. After cups of tea and other drinks and chitchat, Mummy went off and bought me some swim nappies. By the time she got back I was really really excited about it! The pool has a shallow section that's just right for me - I can stand up in it and the water is up to my chest. My cousins, Peter and Sarah and Uncle Nick, came over later and they jumped in the pool too. Grandad has lots of balls and other pool toys (including a noodle) and I had fun playing with all of them. Especially fun is the game where I bat the balls into the water with the noodle and then everyone else gets them out again.
Since I've arrived, I've been in the pool several times. It's best to go in the morning before it gets too hot (eg before 9am) and after 4pm after the pool goes into shade. I have "water wings" to wear on my arms so I'm safe. I like playing on the steps and in my little shallow area, but I've also been down the deep end (with Mummy or Daddy's help). The house also has a great view of the city from the balcony upstairs but also from the pool area downstairs. The last few nights there have even been fireworks which have been fun.
The other night, everyone except me, Mummy and Grandma Gabriele went the see the cricket at the Brisbane Cricket Ground (also known as the Gabba, since it's located in the suburb of Woolloongabba). Grandad is a member of the Cricketer's Club so they got to enjoy the game from inside the club lounge as well as out in the member's part of the stadium. Between the two innings (it was a day-night match, so that each side was limited to 50 overs), they had a very nice dinner in the member's dining room. Queensland played West Australia and by all accounts it was a great game. Queensland won in the end but only by scoring two sixes in the last over. [for you non-Cricket types, here's how the game is played]
It's been fun playing with Peter, who's 8, and Sarah, who's 6. They take care of me and show me round all the great hiding spots and all the fun things to do. I can walk up and down the stairs by myself and I love running around and being silly. Peter and Sarah have also shown my their Winnie the Pooh maths game on the computer and that's lots of fun.
Today we went back to Indooroopilly Shoppingtown to do some last minute Christmas shopping. We had some morning tea there too - I had a chocolate milkshake (I love chocolate milk) and some of Daddy's lamington too. Yummy!
Today is Christmas Eve so everyone is getting ready for Christmas. We're going to Christmas Mass and the local church where Grandma and Grandad go. That's were Father Jonathan is the rector - he baptised me when I was only 4 months old. Tomorrow at 10am everyone's coming over to open presents. I wonder what Santa brought me?
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Grandad's showing me the crabs he's about to cook. I was interested in looking at them but not too close!
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These crabs are live and still moving! Those claws look pretty sharp. Good thing they're tied up.
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Wow! Look at all of these Christmas presents! There are presents here for Mummy, Daddy, all of my grandparents, Peter, Sarah, Uncle Nick, Aunty Jen, Aunty Jude, Mike and hopefully some for me too. The tree is a real tree outside on the deck, but it's too hot to have the door open.
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My cousins, Peter, Uncle Nick, and Aunty Jen. Sarah was off doing something at the time.
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Grandpa Shiv and Grandma Gabriele out in the lounge ready for opening presents.
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Grandma with her very pretty Christmas earings. Nice!
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That's Grandma, Aunty Jen, and Sarah, all ready for Christmas presents.
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"Some?" Can we open our presents now?!
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Daddy is standing in for Santa Claus this year (like he often does), and Peter is his helper.
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Me and Peter and Daddy. We're about to start opening presents. Yippee!
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Peter's Christmas hat has stars on it that flash. I like it!
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We're more than half-way through opening all the presents. As you can see I'm already very busy playing with many of the toys I got, including this very cool book from Peter and Sarah. It has buttons on every page that make all sorts of sounds, such as letters and numbers and animals sounds, plus many songs including ones that I already know! Everyone can sing along!
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Just about all the presents are open now, and some of us (notably Uncle Nick) are exhausted. It's pretty hot too, even with the airconditioning on. Fortunately, there's a cool change predicted for this afternoon, in front of a thunderstorm.
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Sarah's wearing a University of North Carolina shirt she got for Christmas from us (Peter got an NC State one), and Peter's wearing a cricketing shirt from Grandma for Christmas.
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Aunty Jen has been learning to play the flute for about 6 months now and she's really good now. She got the music stand for Christmas.
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I got this great bucket and shovel for Christmas. I can wait to play with it in the sand to dig stuff.
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I'm helping Grandpa open one of my (many) presents
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Merry Christmas everyone!
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Grandma's set a lovely table for Christmas. All the Christmas bonbons were carefully selected by her - she arranged to have a special something in them, just for the intended person.
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Here our Christmas lunch feast! So much yummy seafood. There was Queensland Mud Crab (6 o'clock, and middle), fresh ham on-the-bone (8 o'clock), prawns (9 o'clock and 4 o'clock), Moreton Bay Bugs (10 o'clock), salad (12 o'clock), a chicken roll (1 o'clock) and some salmon (2 o'clock). A really yummy lunch!
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Everyone's seated for lunch. Clockwise, there's me (with my pink drink already to say "cheers"), Mummy, Grandpa Shiv, Grandma Dorothy, Grandad Keith, Grandma Gabriele (obscured), Mike and Aunty Jude, Uncle Nick, Peter and Sarah.
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After lunch, there were even more presents! Aunty Jude and Mike couldn't make it in time for our presents in the morning, but after lunch, we gave them some and they gave us some - isn't that nice! The temperature had fortunately gotten a lot more tolerable so we're outside on the deck. That's Peter there handing out presents with Mummy and Grandma in the background chitchatting.
Merry Christmas
Well I'm having the best Christmas ever here in Brisbane. Last night, my four grandparents plus Mummy & Daddy and I all went to Christ Church here in St Lucia for Christmas Mass. There was a telling of the Christmas story and lots of little kids came dressed as wise men and angels and others to be part of the story. We also all got glow sticks to have as they dimmed the lights. It was really good even though it was really hot.
Afterwards, we went back home and had a scrap dinner at got the table ready for Christmas lunch. The Crisps and Aunty Jude and Mike (Jude is Daddy's Aunty) were coming over too, so we needed to put two big tables together for everyone to fit. It was so hot that we decided that we'd eat inside tomorrow rather than out on the deck. I was very tired after all of that so I went to bed in my bed without any arguments or discussion. Anyway, I needed to let Santa visit - I was told he only came while I was asleep!
Christmas morning was fun. Everyone came over for a 10am start, although Jude and Mike came over a bit later. I had a swim before that and got changed into a pretty Christmas outfit bought especially for the occasion. Opening presents was really fun! Daddy was acting Santa (since the real Santa couldn't make it), with Peter's help. I got lots of presents from everyone and it was really fun - Whenever I got one, I'd come over and say "my present!". I could open many of them myself too.
After we opened presents, we had Christmas lunch. Grandad had cooked fresh mud crabs, Moreton Bay bugs, prawns, fresh ham on the bone, and salmon. A real treat. As was the Watts tradition, there were also lollies on the table too. I got to sit right in the middle on my booster seat so that I wouldn't miss anything. During lunch, I started getting tired, so Mummy and I went downstairs for a nap. I napped for almost 2 hours before I got up to play with Aunty Jen.
We had more presents after lunch, this time with Jude and Mike too. Then everyone all went downstairs to the pool. I really like going in the pool now. I put my special Nemo swim nappies on as well as my water wings, then I can splash around. Peter and Sarah and Daddy got a blowup water polo goal from Grandma for Christmas, so everyone who was in the pool played ball trying to get them into the goal. It was lots of fun. Aunty Jude, Aunty Jen and Grandpa all took turns being goalie. I didn't want to get out the pool. In fact, I wanted to swim all by myself!
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Peter and Sarah got a new swim ring for Christmas and Daddy is blowing it up in the pool. That's Sarah in the orange and blue in front and Peter looking on from another pool ring.
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I like throwing these into the pool, but I've also discovered that they're good on your head too.
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The Boxing Day dinner table. Grandma's put another fabulous spread together. Today, Bob & Lynn are over as well as the Crispies and Grandpa Shiv and Grandma Gabriele.
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Daddy's playing ball in the pool. He's about to throw it down the other end.
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I'm showing Bob how I can hold the noodle and wack people with it. He is suitably impressed. Aunty Jen is looking on as is Grandad.
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Grandpa Shiv is enjoying the pool and a beer.
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Uncle Nick is catapulting Sarah into the air. He's pretty good at it too!
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I really like being in the pool. With my floaties on, I'm not scared of the water at all. In fact, I'll happily step off the unwater ledge between the shallow and deep parts of the pool and drift or paddle towards someone. I also like to jump in, both with someone's help (I hold their hands), or all by myself. I'm starting to learn the arm and leg movements too.
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I'm swimming with Uncle Nick and Aunty Jen in the deep end! That's Bob in the background.
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Look Aunty Jen, I can pull myself up!
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Grandpa Shiv is playing keeper in the water polo match. He's pretty good at it too, even when 3 or 4 balls are thrown at him in quick concession.
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Grandad Keith is hard at work cooking steak and sausages for dinner.
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After dinner, Peter, Sarah and I have gone into the pool room to watch Dora the Explorer on Daddy's laptop. We all like to watch it.
This morning, Mummy and I played in the pool by ourselves. It was fun splashing and jumping in the pool. I like jumping in the pool, which is quite in contrast to summer in Raleigh where I wasn't hardly interested in going in the pool at all! After a while, I call out in a big voice "Daddy! Come and put your swimmers on!" Daddy took a little while to be convinced so I told him how much fun splashing was - that got him. It was great all three of us playing in the pool together. I like the pool - whenever anyone mentions it, my ears prick up and I ask if we can go in.
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We've just arrived at the Lone Pine Koala Sancuary and this big lizard was out on the path to greet us.
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There are lots of Koalas in Lone Pine, and some of them are quite close. Did you know that they aren't actually bears? They are marsupials. I know that now! Koalas sleep a lot because the Eucalypt leaves they eat don't have very much substance to them.
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This Koala is awake and resting comfortably in a fork made from branches.
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There are also a couple of Wombats living at the Sanctuary. These two are fast asleep in logs that are not as hot as the outside air. It's a very hot day today.
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We found this Scrub Turkey in amonst the bushes. They are wild here and Grandma Dorothy says they are a pest - they like to make huge mounds as nests and they're all over Brisbane, even in their back yard.
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Daddy and I are on the lookout for more Koalas.
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If you want to, you can hold a Koala at the Sanctuary and have your picture taken. Here's one of the guides explaining to a visitor how to hold the Koala. I was too little to hold one unfortunately.
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The Emus are in their own enclosure because they tend to bite!
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I'm in hot pursuit of this wallaby. He's not very interested in talking to me, but I'm perservering. Grandma Gabriele is helping me corner him. (Alas he still got away)
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This medium-sized Kangaroo isn't scared of me, but I've decided not to get too much closer.
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As you can see, this Kangaroo's pretty big - a lot taller than me! I'll stay clear.
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OK, I'm on the move looking for more Kangaroos to play with. I think I need some Kangaroo food.
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Ah! I've found a baby Wallaby that's just my size. I'm feeding him some food pellets and he likes them too. Mummy and Grandma are looking on.
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The baby Wallaby I was feeding a minute ago has hopped over to its Mummy so I'm feeding both of them now. I like feeding them.
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Do any other Kangaroos need anything to eat?
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Grandpa and I are looking for more Kangaroos to feed. I've got some food pellets in my hand all ready. It's getting really hot out here too. Mummy wishes I'd wear my hat.
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This Kangaroo doesn't want anything to eat, even if I put right next to his mouth and nose.
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The Emus are up against the fence because some other visitors are feeding them. Those beaks sure look like they'd bite if you got too close.
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It got too hot at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, so we went Indooroopilly Shoppingtown for lunch and airconditioning. Now, we're back at Grandma and Grandpa's apartment in a complex called Inn on the Park. As you can see, they have a spectacular view of the city.
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Brisbane City Council runs ferries up and down the river for tourists as well as locals. These high-speed cats are a great way to get into the city. We're going to catch one early in the new year to go to the Riverside Markets with Aunty Jen.
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This is Grandad's friend Adian Heyworth-Smith's boat, Achates, a 60' steel-hull yacht. Adrian went out on Moreton Bay with his daughter Kate along with Daddy, Aunty Jen & Uncle Nick, Bob & Lynn, Grandpa Shiv and Grandad Keith. That's Aunty Jen waving.
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Achates is motoring out of the Queensland Royal Yacht Squadron where it was berthed (satellite photo). We're off to Peel Island and Horseshoe Bay. See a map of the trip.
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There were a lot of jellyfish in the water!
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This is Lyn Milns looking very ready for a day yachting.
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That's Uncle Nick before he lost his Akubra to the wind and the ocean.
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Grandpa Shiv and Aunty Jen.
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This is Adrian Heyworth-Smith and Achates is his Yacht. He knows Grandma and Grandad through the Friends of Antiquity at the University of Queensland.
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Bob Milns is at the helm today, steering us towards one of the peaks of South Stradbroke Island and then onto Horseshoe Bay of Peel Island.
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This is Kate Heyworth-Smith. Cate's a barrister at the Queensland Bar.
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They've arrived at Horseshoe Bay and Grandad is lowering the anchor while Bob and Kate look on.
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After lunch, Grandad, Uncle Nick and Bob all jumped in the water for a swim around the boat. The rip was quite strong though so they had to either hold on or keep swimming!
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I'm all dressed in my cute outfit ready for The Waites (Alan, Jo, with Connor) and The McNeil-Bradshaws (Calvin, Mae, Alexander and Oliver). Did you know that I can walk up the stairs all by myself? I need a haircut though. And some shoes.
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I'm catching up on a bit of Dora while I have a snack.
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The Waite and Bradshaw families are over for a swim and a BBQ. But before all of that, there's more presents to open. This is Alexander Bradshaw - he's only a few months younger than me.
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Here are the Waites: Jo, Connor, and Alan. It's Alan's birthday today too.
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Here's Oliver Bradshaw and his Mummy Mae. Oliver's got a great wooden toy where you can whack things with a little hammer - looks like fun!
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I got this totally excellent PDA as a present. It opens up to screen that you can write on and there are lots of buttons and lights. Very fancy!
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This is Connor Waite. He's one year old.
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This is Oliver Bradshaw. He's about 9 months old.
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Alexander and I are playing with the new presents.
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We're all in the pool. Alexander and I are sitting on the steps splashing his Daddy, Calvin. What fun!
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Jo and little Connor are playing with the settings for the bubbles in the pool.
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Alexander and I are comparing our splashing methods. He's good at it!
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The Waites in the pool: Alan, Connor and Jo. Nice!
Had a great time yesterday afternoon and evening. Mummy and Daddy's friends came over for a barbecue with their kids. Calvin and Mae were escorted by their boys Alexander (who's only a few months younger than me) and Oliver (who's about 9 months old). In addition, young Conner brought his parental units Alan and Jo. So there were five of us. My Uncle Peter also came over (he's not really my uncle, but he is my godfather). We all had a great deal of fun in the water. I especially had fun with Alexander.
We had a yummy dinner. Grandma and Grandad cooked some lamb on the rotisserie over the barbecue as well as some sausages. Alexander and I had sausages with lots of tomato sauce! Afterwards, there was chocolate cake (made by Grandma) and a fruit tart (made by Mae). We celebrated Alan's birthday with a little candle too (Connor told me he is 41 but I'm supposed to keep that a secret).
It was a fun evening! I hope to see them all again New Year's Eve.
The previous day I went to the Art Gallery with Mummy and Grandma Gabriele, while Daddy and everyone else when sailing with Adrian, a friend of Grandad's. They went sailing on Moreton Bay to Peel Island which is just next to Stradbroke Island. The dropped the anchor in Horseshoe Bay to have lunch (chicken, Grandma's quiche, salad, plus some wine and soft drinks too). The trip back was a bit rough but Bob was helmsman and he navigated us very well.
Had a nice dinner out last night at the Regatta Boat Shed on the Brisbane River. There was a nice breeze so that was good (it was a very hot day). Unfortunately I wasn't feeling well so I didn't appreciated it all that much. In fact I didn't sleep well overnight at all, keeping both Mummy and Daddy awake on and off most of the night. I went to the doctor this morning and sure enough, another ear infection. Hmmm. Oh well. I have some "white yummy" Amoxycilin medicine so that's good.
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It's New Year's Eve and there are fireworks on the Brisbane River. In the background is the City. The city organised fireworks at 9pm and then again at midnight. I stayed up for the 9pm ones, but I was in bed before midnight - too much fun!
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That's Mummy and Kati Ritchie in the pool. I've lent them my noodles. Kati flew in from Sydney for the weekend just to see us! Very kind of her indeed.
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Alas Grandma Gabriele and Grandpa Shiv have to fly back to Melbourne today. I'm really pleased they came up to Brisbane to celebrate Christmas and New Year with us. I hope we'll see them again soon.
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Nice!
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I really like playing with blocks on Peter & Sarah's lego table. I can make my own tall towers. This time, I built a really tall car. Tigger is minding my schnoolie too.
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I love my Grandma! Cheers!
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We're at Shorncliffe on the fishing pier. It was a hot day today, but with the sea breeze, its really rather lovely.
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I like the view from here. This is the Pacific Ocean, you know.
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I like looking out to the ocean, but it's always good to hang on to Mummy's finger.
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We've walked all the way to the end of the pier. It's nice out here. Grandad likes it too.
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I'm imitating the birds that are flying around the pier.
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Here come Peter and Sarah on their scooters. Look out!
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Spending some quality time with Aunty Jen. Nice!
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Peter, Sarah and I are digging in the sand. It's good I have this shovel. I like Peter and Sarah.
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This water is very deep, but I have Grandad and Peter to hold my hands so I can be safe.
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Peter and Sarah are holding one of the hundreds of Jellyfish bodies that were scattered all over the beach.
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Check this out! Peter took me for a ride on his scooter. It was lots and lots of fun.
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The pier is very pretty at night. A 15 second exposure!
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I like my lemon drink. It's lemon-flavoured mineral water.
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Cheers Grandma!
Yesterday morning, Mummy, Daddy and I took Grandma Gabriele and Grandpa Shiv to the airport so they could fly back to Melbourne. It was fun having them here - we're all glad they came.
Yesterday afternoon, we went to Shorncliffe, a seaside town north of Brisbane. We drove to Moora Park on the beach. Grandma minded a picnic table we found while Daddy, Mummy, Grandad and I walked out onto the long fishing pier there. As we were coming back from the very end, we met up with Peter and Sarah on their scooters, and Aunty Jen. There was a nice wind off the water so it was really pleasant even though the sun was out.
We walked back and chatted for a bit then Peter, Sarah, Daddy, Grandad and I went and played on the sand for a bit then took our shoes off and waded through the shallow water that had formed as the tide when out. Peter and Sarah held my hands so I wouldn't trip and so I would step on any jellyfish that washed up on the shore. I really liked walking along the beach. We walked back to the picnic table via the slippery slides - that was fun too.
By the time we got back, Uncle Nick and Aunty Jen had already been to the local fish and chip shop and come back with dinner. We had crumbed fish, scallops, callamari and chips. I had my lemon drink, which I just love.
After dinner, Peter, Uncle Nick, Daddy and I kicked the ball around on the grass. Then Peter and Sarah showed me how they can climb the trees there. Some branches were low to the ground, so Daddy held my hand and I climbed on the tree a bit too. Then finally Peter took me for a ride on his scooter - now that was really fun!
A great evening!
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Daddy said "Zoe, stand there, take your schnoolie out, and smile.". so here I am! I got this cool t-shirt from Bob and Lyn so I can remember my Australian animals.
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I'm a "Dora" addict and I proud!
Did you know:
I love swimming. I'm really good at it now. Several months ago at home, you wouldn't get me past the first step in the pool. Now, if I even see the pool from upstairs, I'll say "go in the pool?". I first like to throw all the pool toys in (balls, rings etc), then I step in, or even jump in. There's a shallow part which ends at a ledge (grownups can sit there). I can now step in the deep part and drift/ paddle over to someone. My floaties hold me up. It's really fun.
I like to watch the cricket on TV. I especially like to watch it with Daddy or Grandma. In addition, when it's nap time, instead of going to my bed to nap, I'll say "no, lie down and watch cricket" - I like to lie on the sofa with my special pillow and watch the cricket.
If someone's going out, I'll say "I come too?". In fact, even when we're out in the car, once we get somewhere, I'll say "I come too?" just incase there's any question about what I'll be doing.
I can go up and down the stairs all by myself, completely unsupervised!
My sleep schedule is all over the place while I've been away. I nap from 3 or 4pm and sometimes for only an hour - too much going on. Also, I don't go to bed until 8:30 or 9. I was up until 11pm on New Year's Eve! I sleep in a big bed. Aunty Jen lent me a rail that attaches to the side of the bed so I don't roll out by mistake, but I can still crawl out if I want to.
In the morning when I wake up (around 6am), instead of getting out of bed myself, I'll just call out "Daddy!" or sometimes "Mummy!" until someone appears. This morning Daddy just pointed for me to get out of bed and come into his and Mummy's bed where I slept some more. They say I'm a bed hog.
I don't eat with a bib anymore. I can eat with a fork and spoon quite easily (although sometimes, I prefer to just eat with my fingers!)
My favourite TV program is Dora the Explorer. I have two DVDs, one I brought with me and one that Mummy bought me here.
I love Vegemite on toast! I'm an Aussie!
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Mummy & Daddy went with Grandad and Peter and Aunty Jen to the cricket today. It was a Twenty-20 game where each team has only 20 overs and 120 minutes to score as many runs as possible. The first innings was great (Queensland batting, Tasmania fielding), but just after the break with Tasmania batting, the sky opened up and the rain poured out.
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It rained so hard at the cricket that the Gabba grounds couldn't drain the water away fast enough. So "Lake Gabba" was christened. The covers on the right are covering up the pitch so it can stay (relatively) dry.
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There were strangely lit clouds hanging over the city tonight. The look pretty.
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We've gone to have a look around a house that Uncle Nick and Aunty Jen are considering buying. They arrived ahead of us, and Sarah and Peter and I are walking towards them. That's the real estate agent with them. I like Peter and Sarah.
I was overheard to say tonight: "Maybe Grandad go upstairs and get more chips?"
We spent the day today with Peter, Sarah, Uncle Nick and Aunty Jen. We went to a house they are looking at in the suburb of Robertson. Peter, Sarah, Mummy, Daddy and I went back home while the rest of them discussed it some more. We had some lunch, then I had a nap (even though I complained bitterly about it), while everyone else had a swim. Even after I woke up, I didn't want to swim. Mummy thinks I may still not feel 100% even though I've finished my antibiotics.
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Aunty Jude came over this afternoon one last time before we headed home. It was good to see her again.
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Daddy's friend Mark Armstrong came over for dinner tonight with his girlfriend Sue. Here's Mark and I playing with a baloon out on the deck. I like throwing baloons.
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Playing outside by the cars.
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Me!
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Grandma and I are playing morning tea. I'm pouring the tea for both of us. This is fun!
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Pouring takes a lot of concentration, I can tell you!
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Grandma is showing me her aeroplane impersonation. I'm not really sure why, but it's pretty funny looking.
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Tim Tams are yummy! Messy too.
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Grandma's letting my play on her piano. I've played the piano at Kati's house before, so I know my way around the keyboard.
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I like playing the piano. Of course, I have my schnoolie out of my mouth - it improves my playing.
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Now it's Grandma's turn to play. She's doing the music for Twinkle Twinkle and I'm helping out with the movements - "Like a diamond in the sky..."
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Peter, Sarah and I are watching TV. I'm in a comfy position on Peter - he's a good cousin.
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People say that I'm a TV addict and that's I'm always glued to the tube. I don't think that's accurate. Note the vegetables on my plate.
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We're leaving Brisbane today to fly home. It's be great fun spending three weeks with Grandma Dorothy and Grandad Keith and the Crispies too. Ahead of us is 24 hours of travel to get home again.
Bye bye Australia
On Monday, Daddy's friend Mark Armstrong came over for a swim and dinner. Mark and Daddy have known each other since high school - 1981 - they both went to Mackay State High School. Mark's girlfriend Sue also came for dinner. We had one of Daddy's (and Grandad's) favourite foods - rissoles in gravy with fried potatoes and vegetables. I like rissoles too. Grandma says she's made them a million times and can do them with her eyes closed. I like Mark - he's fun. On Tuesday, Daddy went over to Mark's unit to catch up some more over a beer.
Well we're on our way home after a wonderful holiday in Australia visiting my grandparents and cousins. It's really been lots of fun. I think the best part of my holiday was playing with my cousins Peter and Sarah. I know I'm going to miss them. I've had a lot of new experiences while I've been in Melbourne and Brisbane.
I'll be seeing Grandma and Grandad very soon as we are all going to France for a week in May. Grandma and Grandad have organised a place in Provence. That should be a lot of fun too I hope.
Daddy: "Zoe, where are your manners?!"
Zoe, pointing: "On the table."
Grandma Dorothy's in hospital recovering from her knee surgery. Since her first knee surgery was so successful a few years ago (a total knee replacement), she decided to have the other one done too. So the operation was yesterday and she'll be in hospital for about a week.
I'm not doing very well getting back to the normal sleep schedule, but I'm getting there. Since we arrived home on Wednesday night, I've woken up at 3am wanting to play. Instead of playing, Mummy or Daddy took me to their bed so we could all go back to sleep. They'd then take me back to bed an hour later even though I protested, "No bed! No Zoe's bed! I wanna go downstairs to Mummy's bed".
I'm napping in the afternoon from 2pm or 3pm (instead of the usual 1pm). But I'll get there. Mummy and Daddy have gone back to the pre-Australia rules about my schnoolie - I can't have it outside the house. It's been hard, but I'm coping (mostly).
I had a nice dinner with Katie and Kate at Sushi-Thai. They came to our house first for a glass of champagne and a bit of chitchat. Katie was getting over some food poisoning so she wasn't eating very much. I looked after her though. Of course we went to Starbucks ("SBUX" as Katie writes it) afterwards.
Grandma's doing well in hospital. Her knee replacement operation was a success, but there was a problem with in recovery in that the drip containing the pain killer was not inserted properly, resulting in it going down her arm and onto the sheets rather than into her system. So her first night was very rough. Shame on you Wesley Hospital, especially since no-one even apologised for the mistake.
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We're celebrating Katie's 22nd birthday with dinner at Weathervane in Chapel Hill. Here's Katie's Mummy, Missy, and Katie's Aunt Pennie.
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The Bowra family: Ken, Katie and Missy.
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Katie and I are spending some quality time drawing with my crayons. Do you like my sweater?
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We had a great time celebrating Katie's birthday. I had a really good time and was on my best behaviour, which was completelly in contrast to the drive from daycare to the restaurant!
Happy Birthday Katie
I had a fun time this evening. I had a lovely dinner with Katie and her family at The Weathervane, a restaurant in Chapel Hill. You can see our table in this photo: there's me, Katie, Katie's parents Ken and Missy, Katie's Aunt Penny, Daddy, and Kate. I'll post more photos soon (have to finish the Australia ones first).
I was very well behaved all evening - playing with everyone and generally being the centre of attention. Katie and Ken played the Tickle Bug with me, and I scared everyone with my lion imitation. I had lots of fun.
That was in contrast to the trip to the restaurant with Daddy. I sooked most of the way, wanting Mummy, my schnoolie, Dora, blankie, up, and just about everything else. In the end, Daddy stopped at a supermarket just near the restaurant to buy me a schnoolie, but buy the time we purchased it, I was OK again, so Daddy kept it in it's packet. As it turned out, I was quite happy to hold the packet.
Mummy's still in San Diego - I'm glad she's coming home tomorrow night. Also Grandma is continuing to recover from her knee operation. She's scheduled to go home tomorrow.
Daddy and I were singing in the car on the way home from my school today. I led the singing:
Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full
One for the master,
One for the dame,
One for Daddy,
One for Mummy,
One for Zoe,
One for Grandma,
and one for the little boy who lived down the lane!
I like singing!
I just read on Katie's blog (I bet you didn't know we have the Internet at my school), that she's now got a full-time job at ABC TV. Congratulations Katie.
I'm very glad that Mummy is back from San Diego. The bad news is that I'm sick. I have an ear infection in my right ear again, a temperature, and a very runny nose and a cough. I went home early from school and I went to the doctor to get a prescription for more antibiotics. I hope to get better soon!
I'm doing OK but Daddy's now sick. He has antibiotics too now, so he'll be better soon. Poor Daddy.
Congratulations to Mark and Brooklyn Abee from next door. Yesterday, Brook gave birth to Keever Jones Abee at 9 lb, 8 oz (4.3 kg). We haven't visited or spoken to them yet, but I know this because the stork told me. I'm looking forward to playing with Keever - he and I will be pals.
This weekend is a turning point in many ways. For a start, my new neighbour Keever was born on Friday and he's due home from hospital today with his parental units Mark and Brooklyn. Second of all, Mummy and Daddy have told me that Keever needs my schnoolies so I now only have one (a pink one) in my bed. We started that yesterday and so far that's what I've been doing. I've been pretty good about it. And the third thing, today I've started wearing big girl underpants. It feels pretty good, but Daddy thinks I should still wear a nappy to bed just in case.
Keever from next door sent me an email today with some photos:
Hello to all!
It has been a long time since I have written and there are so many cool things to tell. So much has happened! Over the past few months, Mommy’s stomach continued to get smaller and smaller. I tried to move around and even kicked her a few times to give me more room, but it was to no avail. Daddy and Mommy visited the doctor and he tried to blame it on me, saying I was getting bigger to the tune of 7 pounds.
Well, regardless of who was at fault, I decided I needed different scenery and made the decision to get out. Boy, was that an adventure. It took me an hour and 15 minutes to get out of Mommy and when I was out, I really wasn't sure if I wanted to be there. I couldn't think of doing anything, so I just cried and screamed out loud.
I immediately found myself on Mommy’s chest which was very comforting. But as soon as I settled, Daddy was waving scissors like a wild man and cut the piece of string connecting me to Mommy. It wasn't so bad because I couldn't feel it. Everything was so blurry but I could have sworn that there were a bunch of people other than Mommy and Daddy in the room, as they kept passing me around.
I heard a man say something about me being an 8-pounder, but a lady put me on something bouncy and cold and said I weighed 9 lbs and 8 ounces. Maybe I really was the reason Mommy’s stomach seemed so small. Another lady grabbed me and, holding a string from my head to my feet, said something about me being 22 inches long on the dot.
I immediately felt comfortable in Mommy’s and Daddy’s arms since I have heard their voices so much. I also recognized other voices, such as my Grandparents and my Aunts and Uncles. They were happy to see me so I didn't cry when they held me, as long as they rocked back and forth. They kept talking about how much dark hair I have, the fact that I have dimples, and the fact I have big hands or feet. I will take their word for it since things are still for the most part blurry.
Sunday Mommy and Daddy took me to a building they call home and showed me a place called a nursery they said I could sleep in. The place is huge! Finally, I have big place to sleep in once again! My dreams have come true. I wonder if I will get so big that I can't fit in there.
Anyway, I wanted to let everyone know that I am in this new world and I am starting to get used to it. If you get a chance, come to my new home to visit sometime. Until then, it has been fun writing you my baby diary.
Love to you all,
Keever Jones Abee, formerly known as “Baby Bee”
Mummy, Daddy and I went over to Keever's house on the weekend to say hello and give Keever some welcome-home presents. He's tiny! I was told I was that tiny once, even tinier! Mummy held him for a while and I was OK with that.
I have an enjoyable afternoon today. After my nap, I got dressed up and we went and visited Gail and Alfred for afternoon tea. I had some milk and some chocolate chip cookies. Gail and Alfred also gave me a belated Christmas present - a Paddington Bear and a Paddington Bear book! That was very nice of them! This evening was the Super bowl game on TV and I watched part of it before I had to go to bed. I also had a fun time playing on Mummy's big green exercise ball - bouncing on it and rolling back on it.
The new schnoolie rules are going well. I'm now only allowed to have it in my bed, and I'm OK with that. I ask for it occasionally, but Mummy or Daddy reminds me that it's only for bed time, and that's OK. I hope Keever is enjoying having all my other schnoolies - I now only have the one pink one.
Did you know that I am a property magnate? I'm slowly building a real estate empire and thanks to Katie and Kate last night, I've extended it further! I now have:
How about that! I had fun with them last night. Katie picked me up (Mummy and Daddy went to the theatre to see Wit) and we went back to her house to get Kate. We had dinner at Subway, then on to my favourite place, Starbucks! I always have fun there. And I got a Christmas present too - I love getting presents. I showed it to Daddy this morning - he was very impressed.
Yesterday at school we invited all the parents to come visit us and have snacks and drinks with us. We had ice cream, and cookies, and fruit, and chocolate cake. After our snacks we all gathered on the carpeted area and sang some songs for the grownups. That was fun.
