I Love You Mumma

She finally said it....the words you long to hear..."I Love You Mumma."

Granted it is only parrot fashion but it's still one of those milestones you love to record.

For that record she also says "I Love You Daddy (Gaggy)."

(Kitty also suffers from photographer's child syndrome - she can't bear to look at the camera.....)

A Photographer's Child

We recently had a conversation that went something like this....

The Chop - Mum, I don't really like photographers.

Me - Why my darling?

The Chop - They take too many photographs.

End of conversation. I think you can see here her attitude has not altered since that little chat took place......

A Smattering of Freckles

She thinks they're awful - I think they're lovely......

Jammin'

When Besty came to visit he brought his drum kit so he and Luke could have a bash. Here's Luke on drums and Besty on guitar.





Ava didn't want to be left out of the action.



Luke and Kitty doing a duo on drums.....

Kitty

Just a few of Kitty ...she is growing up way too fast......

Besty and the girls came for a visit. Seeing the girls in the tub like this, I couldn't resist pulling out the camera to get some shots.


I couldn't decide if I liked the colour or black and white version best so here are both!


Will post some of Luke and Besty havin' a jam later...

The Monster At The End Of This Book

This was one of my favorite books as a kid and Mary-Ella loves it too.

For those who've not encountered the fun and joy that is "The Monster At The End Of This Book" - a brief plot outline - Grover (of Sesame Street fame) asks us not to turn the page as there is a monster at the end of the book, but of course being the curious creatures we are, can't help ourselves and turn the page. Grover tries many remedies including tying the pages together and building a brick wall. Despite his best efforts the reader continues to turn those pages, scary Grover silly. There is a major plot twist just before the resolution and I don't want to spoil it those who've not had the pleasure!

I'm so happy that The Chop digs this book the way I did!!

Kitty came and joined in listening to big sister spin the tale too.

Girls Day Out

Mary-Ella, Jas Rose and I had a girls day out not too long ago. We headed to Bulimba, caught a movie and then took the girls to House and Doll (tired to get a link for the store but couldn't access the site). It's a little girls dream store.....they have minature everything (I need a macro lens) as well as tiny furniture and dolls, they have tiny cakes, fruit bowls, dogs, sewing kits, jars with lollipops. It's insane. There is so much to look at. I wish you could see more in the photos ( I was too chicken to whip my camera out inside the store.)

After that we went to Cold Rock icecream for some indulgence. A great girls day out.

On the Road - 26 Things

Well my 26 Things (Photography scavenger hunt) is going pretty miserably.....
I think this may be 1/2 that I have accomplished so far.

I thought Mary-Ella looked coolio and snapped this as we were driving - hence "on the road."

Blog Banner!!

After a lot of procrastination, a lot of rumaging blindly around in photoshop and a battle to the death with html (and a lot of help from Luke ) I finally have a blog banner. I learnt a lot of new things so I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself - and Luke too. Enjoy!!


PS - the photo was edited with Anna's awesome Indie Actions

100 things about me

After being inspired by Amy and some of my fellow photographers and bloggers (check the links to the right) I have compiled a list of 100 things about me. It was tough. It's taken me days. I was surprised by how much ofmy identity is wrapped up in me as mother and wife - but they are the most important things in my life so it stands to reason doesn't it?

Okay here goes....

100 things about me

1. I love red shoes

2. I drink copious amounts of tea.

3. I always wanted a daughter. I got 2!

4. I have a grass is greener mentality and have to force myself to live in the here and now.

5. I can be lazy.

6.I have always talked too much.

7. Vanilla is my favorite flavor ice-cream. Not boring, no no but classic.

8. For breakfast I eat two slices of multi-grain toast with vegemite almost 330 days a year (with a cup of tea.)

9. Sometimes I like the smell of petrol.

10. I love getting mail.

11. I am a magazine junky.

12. I used to hate technology - read scared.

13. I love the internet.

14. I love techonology but can't keep up to date - I'm tech challenged.

15. I love wild thunderstorms and love to watch them roll in over the mountains near my house.

16.I obsess about car accidents and snakes.

17. I want to like long hot baths but they go cold too soon.

18. I'm allergic to daffodils.

19. I can't stand really really loud music.

20.I love to swim laps. I like the loneliness of it and the quiet - I can hear my own thoughts more clearly than anywhere else.

21.I love the night sky but can't be bothered to learn about - hence I didn't last long as a telescope operator at Charleville Cosmos Centre.

22. I lothe dusting and ironing.

23. I was clinically dead as an infant - my lungs collapsed - obviously I was revived!!

24.I long for a beautiful garden but don't actively pursue it.

25. I met my husband during "Asian Studies" at Griffith Uni.

26.I think putting a sticky lollipop on someone elses eyelid (namely my husband) is funny - Luke doesn't.

27. Mary-Ella likes pink marshmellows, I like white - we can share a packet easily.

28. When my girls do something precious I want the moment to last forever.

29.I want to travel more.

30. When others travel I feel sick with envy - not nice but at least I can own it.

31.I love to op-shop and find cool vintage things.

32. I'm scared of heights.

33. I love to fly despite no.32.

34. I have a rule about no TV's in bedroom's.

35. I love the smell of new school books and can't wait to get Mary-Ella's for Year 1.

36. I like the smell of sellotape too.

37. I wear mascara each and everyday - even if I am not going to encounter another human being my lashes with not be naked.

38.I love that I am a woman and a mother - it makes me feel connected to the world.

39. Having coloured pencils in the order they were purchased makes me happy.

40. I truely love rainy days. Luke thinks I'm nuts. I like to read, or get creative around the house. I like going out in the rain. I will always let my kids play in the rain.

41.I love London's public transport - even 18months of it didn't cure me.

42. I'm a day dreamer.

43. I like walking on the beach on rainy days.

44. I love to read literature, classics and modern.

45. My favorite season changes - usually to the opposite of whatever season it is (grass is greener.)

46. I like words - how they sound and what they mean - I have favorites.

47.The love of reading is a gift I hope both my children accept - Mary-Ella has already (proud mumma boast - she can read but hasn't started school yet) - just Ava to go.....

48. I loved high school - english and art - and the social aspect.

49. My numeracy skills are abysmal.

50. Despite my love of english I'm terrible at spelling and had to check abysmal.

51. I love people watching in train stations and airports.

52. I love Triple J (radio station) and love music but an terrible at remembering song titles.

53. I like to get out and about - I get cabin fever if I have to stay at home all day.

54. I used to have a wonderful memory but I fear it's slipping.

55. I cry easily in books, movies, tv shows and songs too. I don't cry so easily about my own life.

56. I'm level headed in a crisis but crumble and go into shock later.

57. I love Wagamama food.

58. My sister in law introduced us to Wagamama in London and I love her for it. I don't get to eat there often but I have their cookbook.

59. Speaking of in-laws - I'm lucky I love mine.

60. I'm blessed with great family and am grateful for that.

61. I make an awful public speaker but can write speeches that aren't too shabby if I do say so myself - that delievery always lets me down....

62.I once lost my favorite scarf on the Tube, an hour later I found a tripped out man wearing it - I shouted "Hey!! That's my scarf" He draped it about my sholders and skipped off. I still have it and it still my fav.

63. I spend too much time on the computer.

64. I couldn't stand being pregnant - except the kicking- that was nice.

65. I always wanted to be born into an Italian family and grow up in Italy.

66. Sometimes I have romantic notions. See no.65.

67. Sometimes I am very unkind to myself and often feel guilty for all sorts of things (Catholic upbringing?????)

68. I'm blonde and live in Australia.

69. I love BIG books stores - Ahhh the possiblilities.....

70. Most of the time street threate (mimes/buskers etc) makes me feel embarrassed- I move on quickly.

71. Before children I was always the first person awake- no matter where I lived...

72. I have moved about 29 times.

73. I am 30.

74. I have lived in two countires, 2 states, 4 cities and 3 towns.

75. I wish I was smater/funnier/thinnner ......

76. I'm afraid of getting really old but not so much of death.

77. I am afraid of dying before my children grow up. I want to be there for them for everything.

78. I love that my friends are a mix of the new and the old and dear. Friendship is supremely important to me and I love that each person brings something unique and special to the relationship.

79. I miss my Nan, her stories, our talks, her unconditional love and just resting my hand on her arm.

80.I'm becoming addicted to blogs. Never thought that would happen.....

81. I'm jealous of the shopping I see in the US and very few companies ship internationally.....

82. I'm interested in people and am infinately surprised at the diversity of perspectives and beliefs others hold.

83. I have a tatoo that I regret.

84. I'm not at all competitive and it sometimes means I get left behind.

85. I love lists.

86. I don't like cleaning out my Inboxes - email/phone or otherwise.

87. I wish I had more time and money.

88. I wish I was more of an activist and more charitable. Prehaps if no.87 comes true I will follow through.

89. I don't want to be filthy rich - it disgusts me that some people have so much and others have nothing.

90.I'm generally happy but like revelling in melancholy for short periods.

91.I used to bite my nails - badly - grew them for a few years until I had the girls. They are finally growing for the first time in years.

92.I'm struggling with this list.

93. I love the light at sunset.

94. I've mananged not to mention photography so far but can't neglect it any longer. I'm passionate about capturing portraits and photography makes up a huge part of my life and I feel so lucky I found what it is that makes me happy.

95. We don't own a video camera and when I think about all that I have missed of the girls I feel sick. I think this will become one of my greatest regrets in life. We NEED a video camera.

96. I look for beauty everywhere I go.

97. I wish I knew what the future had in store - but I think the journey is much better not knowing.

98. Usually I make good decisions about my life.

99. I could take more risks but maybe my decisions would be more flawed.

100. My life is far from perfect but with all it's flaws and inadquesies it's still a pretty charmed life - one that I wouldn't be willing to swap or change for anything. My life's a good one.


This was a lot harder than I thought but I think I learnt a few things about myself and feel pretty good after completeing it. Thanks for challenge!!

I wanna be a wallaby

This is our little rock wallabie and her joey - they are regular visitors to our paddock in the early mornings. This was the first time we got to see little joey out of her pouch, usually his little head just pops out. I love that the girls get to see this out of our window - the world is big and wide with so much to see and this is something a little special.

Don't Forget

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New Year's Resolutions

Well...it's that time again.
I make resolutions every year. And no I don't always keep them but I love that opportunity to start afresh. I look forward to the new year, I love how excited I am by the prospect of always making things better. Yeah the excitement fades but my intentions are good and the world (or my life) is full of possiblility.

I will list just some of my resolutions (they are always many in number - perhaps a reason for not seeing them all through) but you can't hold me too them....I'm only human....

Random resolutions for 2007

*Be a better MOTHER...more patience (serenity now) and a better WIFE - more thoughtful.

*Be a better PHOTOGRAPHER- onwards and upwards....

*Eat more VEGES and LOSE those last baby KILOS (yes -she's almost two I can't keep calling them baby kilos for much longer...)

*Read more BOOKS again and watch more MOVIES. I used to read a lot before kids and it's slowly became less and less. I just read "Cuba. A Novel." by Emily Barr and have started "Zigzag Street" by Nick Earls - so I'm off to a good start. I joined a new Video Store and got out some DVD's - the local one is terrible and I do like to support local economy but the it's a terrible shop so now I have to drive 30mins!!

*Spend more time doing not much else but hanging out with family and friends. I always try to think about what I will remember about my life as it ends and I want it to be filled with happy times filled with those who mean the most to me.

A have almost a million more but these are the things most important to me.

Good luck to all those who've made resolutions. May all your dreams and wishes for 2007 come true.

Camping Noosa

After our stay in Toowoomba we headed north to Noosa to meet the McGuane's and the Wildman's for 3 nights of camping over New Year.

We weren't sure how we would go with 3 kids under two...we all agreed we would do it again soon but we all felt that watching babies with no containment lines is tough work but it will only get easier as the kids get older.

I hadn't been camping since Luke and I went to Spain and Portugal in 2000. It was a lot of fun and I am keen to do it again.

Noosa is a beautiful spot and the main beach is gorgeous but very crowded. I was on a photography break but coming home and just having a few bad snapshots was dissapointing. I was planning on going to photograph the beach at sunrise on the last morning but it was raining and overcast. I have a pic from the Noosa council website so that you get an idea of just how beautiful it is. The water is so clear - we could see the fish swimming around our legs. I will definately go back again but maybe when it's not so crowded.

US

We rarely ever get a photo together - in fact there may be only a few in existence and they were mostly taken at the hospital when Ava was born.....
Thanks for taking them Pete!!

Oh and one of Luke and the girlies....

Beer Fest - State of Origin

Beer Fest was something that was started back in Charleville - it is something akin to wine tasting....but not as bourgeois and there is definatley no spitting!! The process has been refined and changed with time but this Fest was known as State of Origin - 6 beers from 6 different states where pitted against each other and put to the taste test. (For any non-Australians reading Ozzies tend to feel quite attached to beers from their home state and are ready to defend their name and reputation (similar to supporting a sporting team).

In the past we have had blends of local and imported beers as well has an all international fest. This time however was to name a beer and it's State of Origin the winner.

Beers are poured into glasses so that none of the participants can tell which beer is which and guessing (or judging) correctly which beer is which is an important aspect. The best score of the day was 3/6 (round of applause for all those you recieved this score). Admittedly I scored only 1/8 on the all international day......
Pete came up with hardest score card yet....intially you rated your beer out of ten and made a few comments about the flavor, colour and clarity etc but Petey had some very specific categories such as Palette, Aroma, Appearance etc and the total was out of 30.

Drumroll for the winner.........da na na nah......Tasmania with James Boags. Followed by Redback Western Australia. The bottom of the pile was Melbourne Bitter from Victoria.

I think we are the next hosts for Beer Fest - we'd better get planning.......

Luke turns 30

While visiting with Pete and Jasmine we celebrated Luke's 30th birthday. I must say he faced it with more bravery than I did.

Luke doesn't like that his birthday falls between christmas and new year - he using slips through the cracks ...but as we were away and surrounded by friends he had a great time.
The fact that the Beer Fest was held on the same day certainly added to the fun times. Beer Fest next......

Summer Lovin

You have to love holidays!! Each school holidays we get to catch up with a couple of families that we met in Charleville (outback Australia) . Luke, Dave, Pete and Jasmine are all teachers and did their remote teaching service together (once known as School of the Air). We've all moved on now (most recently Pete and Jas to their new home which all the families decended upon to check out the new pad). But as their shared profession means the same holidays we always try to get together over the break and catch up.

Pete and Jasmine's new place was awesome and although it is mid-summer and we are used to heat and humidity the weather has been cold but that didn't stop the kids and the dads from jumping in the pool - it was straight in for hot showers once lips starting turning blue.

Been A Bad Blogger

I've been a bad blogger over christmas and new year - sorry about that!! I will have some photos and stories to post very soon.....I promise.....