someone is reading!

Thanks so much to Nicole from Healthy Earth Healthy Me for sending over my first blog award.

So for seven things about me:

1. I love to travel and have - a lot.  I lost count of the counties I visited after about number 40 and have to visit South America and Antarctica and then I will have set foot on every continent (above is my favourite travel pic taken in an Indian desert);
2. I once appeared in a Bollywood movie (during Indian travels above);
3. DK and I have been together since I was 17 years old - so our next major anniversary will be 20 years! Shhhh that makes me feel old.
4. DK and I got matching tattoos after knowing each other for three weeks - yeah we're classy...
5. I was born in a country that no longer exists - Rhodesia which is now Zimbabwe and we immigrated to Australia when I was seven.
6. I'm a terrible procrastinator - seriously I can waste months before getting started on something.
7. I'm a reformed spend-thrift. 

Seven new blogs:

1. http://champagne-and-bubbles.blogspot.com/ - adventures of being an expat living abroad
2. http://colourlikewater.blogspot.com/ - there should always be more poetry;
3. http://jowilliamsphotography.blogspot.com/ - lovely pics;
4. http://esmeandthelaneway.blogspot.com/ - super stylish vintage;
5. http://ballynoecottage.blogspot.com/ - a green guru;
6. http://heathernetteking.blogspot.com/ - wonderful interior stylist;
7. http://renoblogo.blogspot.com/ - a new "reno" in progress.

Gee that took me days... what am I going to do when I got back to work soon and you know .. have deadlines to get things done!

He's off

You're crawling.  Well more often reversing than crawling but you're getting around. And banging your head.  A lot.  Still smiling though. And I thought I was busy before...

intruder alert #2

Remember that friend you made in the bedroom mirror last week HK?  Well you made a new one today - on the floor.  Half an hour playing with your own shadow - who needs toys?

yay it's friday

Given I am on maternity leave I don't really know why I get excited about Fridays.  But I still do especially when the sun is shining like today - years of habit I suppose.  Also getting very excited about our beach holiday coming up in a few weeks.  We are going to Wye River the most beautiful place on earth. Picked up a couple of cute beach suits for HK today - with this little cutie on the butt of one :-).  Have a great weekend.

peggies on the way

Exhibit A: zonked out in pram after sleepless night

Exhibit B: gnaw marks on your toy



Judgement: case against new peggie toothy proved

84 years young

The final member of the clan - the ray-ray; raggie; the jag-it man - its JayJay.  He turned 84 doggie years this week but you'd never know it.  He's always had the face of an old man but plays like a puppy.  He offered you a ball to throw for him yesterday little HK.  You're a little young to grasp the concept yet but your DK and I are always saying that if the old dog lives long enough the two of you will be great playmates.  Happy birthday boy.

oh no not the pause ...

Mummy mummy mummy ... you can't even talk yet little HK yet you have been saying it in your own way non stop ALL DAY.  You will play quite happily provided that you remain in physical contact with me at ALL TIMES.  If I should .. oh I don't know propose to do something clearly unreasonable like get a glass of water or go to the bathroom (or run out of butter chicken and rice at dinner time) .. oh is there trouble.  Your DK and I clearly know when we're in trouble with you - you make it absolutely clear with the dreaded ... PAUSE.  It's when the crying stops but just long enough for us to wince and to know we're gonna get it ... and then comes the SCREAM.  But I guess the regular MK saying applies - better out than in my angry little man.

garden rehab

DK and I attended to some garden rehab last night.  There were some very sad shady spots.  Only took an hour or so and its looking 100% better.  Now to pick a shed ... decisions decisions...

intruder alert

"Hey - who's that baby?"

"He looks friendly"

"Give us a kiss cutie"

lazy Sunday with DK

hello old girl

Little HK this is belle aka the evil beagle.  So sweet but oh so dumb.  And she is not too sure about you. She is most put out by the fact that you have just waltzed on into the pack and seem to have usurped her.  Hopefully she will warm up.  You love her, you flap your arms and try to pat her when she's near - she gives you a wide berth.  She sure loves all the stuff you drop under your high chair though - maybe you can win your way into her heart with food?

what a beautiful ducky you are

After Danimezza's glowing review I finally made time today to attend Angie Baxter's Love your Camera course.  And TA-DA ... my first ever shots in manual mode (except of course for the several hundred rubbish ones I deleted):

 

keepsakes...

I am not overly sentimental about things (as in physical things) - I've never been one to keep little trinkets or mementos (some times much to DK's disgust).  But there are a few things I've kept.  Including my 1970's fisher price toy collection.  I grew up in Zimbabwe (well it was mostly Rhodesia when I was living there) and every year my aunt and grandmother from Wales would send over the latest Fisher Price release.  And I still have them all, in full sets!  And now little HK is enjoying them.

But Ryan over at Pacing the Panic Room got me thinking - how do I reconcile my usual lack of sentiment (which some ie DK might describe as obsessive minimalism) with my new mummy job of being the official historian of little HK's childhood.  Advice gratefully accepted - what do you keep and why?  How do you stop it from getting out of control?  Is your blog your keepsake (oh my minimalist heart loves that idea...)

fishy fishy fishy

We took you to the aquarium today to see the fish.  You really enjoyed it - as evidenced by the fixed "ohh" shape of your mouth in every photo!  

As we were leaving you had a go on some of the rides and amazed your DK and I by pulling your self up to standing for the very first time.  You were very pleased with yourself!

who me?

Yes little HK you understand your name! Your little brain has certainly developed in these last few weeks.  You 'chat' constantly including up to 10 min monologues when you have a particularly exciting experience you need to relay to me.  Favorite word - DADA! Of course.  You have not quite got the concept on "no" yet and mostly look at me puzzled with a "why does she keep saying that" expression.  Your current favorite food - feta - strange but true.

I made these!

Wow.  Wholemeal, white chocolate, raspberry and blueberry muffins.  They are seriously good.  I even made up the recipe.  Wholemeal and blueberries! I'd say that was practically a health food.