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Thursday, 19 February 2015

Daily Pics: Gong Hey Fatt Choi

Chinese New Year takes on a different meaning with a little one. So much more fuss is made and to see well worn events through the eyes of a little one is just magical. Spending it with family is so very special, more than words can ever describe. The lunar new year is always a turning of the page. New luck and fortune, a new chapter. Change will come and may we have the courage and compassion to accept things as they are.

 

Baby with red plum mess all over his high chair

A prosperous red start to the new year

 

Mum grandma and baby in a chinese outfit

Our little china doll

 

Baby in Chinese outfit with grandparents in red

Thanks for the ang pow Gong Gong and Poh Poh

 

Baby in Chinese outfit with ang POWs

Happy year of the goat!

 

Mum and baby in Chinese outfit

My heart melts 

 

Family photo in front garden

Everyone say cheese!

 

Sisters with ang pow

Show me the money says Squee

 

Car parked at an angle

Special parking

 

Red money tree

Let it rain down under the money tree

 

Feeding baby under grey shawl

Under cover moment

 

Dragon dance drums

Finally the drums start to roll

 

Grandpa carrying baby with love

Not scared at all as Gong Gong keeps his hand on his heart

 

Dragon dance

Loving the dragon dance

 

Baby starring

Completely captivated

 

Dragon dance troupe

Walking the halls, meeting and greeting

 

Aunt feeding baby

Delicious dim sum lunch at Lucky Chan

 

Melbourne in sunshine

Perfect Melbourne sunshine day

 

Chinese red lanterns strung across trees

Celebration

 

Great aunt with baby and dad

Chance meeting

 

Shadow of a couple on a pier

Off for a walk

 

Man by river with city in background

Exploring the Yarra

 

Path along the docklands

And a quick shop at the Docklands

 

Family at home

Home is where the family is

 

Vegetarian dinner

Delicious dinner whipped up by dad

 

Super mum and greatest dad mugs

So very true

 

Yesterday’s post:

Tomorrow’s post:

 

 

 

Tuesday, 10 February 2015

Daily Pics: The Local

Hanging out locally and at The Local. Morning hungry hippo breakfast down Main Street, followed by a walk by the beach back home. Then another day of photo scanning and digitizing of memories. A seemingly endless Sisyphusean project. Bath time and bed time sneaks up and the little one is put to bed and grandparents are on babysitting duty. We sneak off to drinks and dinner at The Local with the sisters plus two. Another great day in Melbourne. 

 

Men and woman eating breakfast

Breakfast on Main Street

 

Shark mural

Shark attack

 

Baby and grandma playing the piano

Light entertainment

 

Old photos and scanner

Then back to work

 

Grandma reading to baby

Some of the helpers are slacking off! 

 

Beer wisdom

The truth…

 

Shelves with beer

…on tap

 

Man and woman smiling

One sister…

 

Two couples having a beer outdoors

Two sisters…

 

Six tubs of ice cream

…six tubs of ice cream. Sounds fair!

 

Yesterday’s post: Photos

Tomorrow’s post:

 

 

 

Monday, 9 February 2015

Daily Pics: Photos

The generational gap is best exemplified by preferences for photos. I like them digital where there is no need to categorize them, put them in photo albums, or worry that may disappear in a flood or fire. They are there at your fingertips (cloud access willing) and digital photos are even capable of telling you where they were taken. Crazy Daisy falls in the other camp. Mum likes the feel of a photo, the flip of the page, the ability to show them to her friends in a nicely laid out book. So we’ve spent the better part of the day sequencing and sorting baby photos and putting them into albums. I have to admit there is something nice and satisfying about the end product, a book that pages through Baby Boy O’s first few months. 

 

Batch coffee shop

So very Melbourne. Best coffee culture in the world

 

Mum smooching baby

Smooches with…

 

Baby in space cadet onesie

…my little space cadet

 

Two women walking down driveway

Off she goes to audit the shops with her carer

 

Mum sorting photos at dining table

Sorting photos

 

Grandma with photo of crying baby

Such precious moments captured

 

Grandma holding baby in stripped tank top

But nothing is a good as the real thing!

 

Yesterday’s post:

Tomorrow’s post:

 

 

 

Friday, 6 February 2015

Daily Pics: Walk Down Memory Lane

I remember summer days like these where we would feel slow and lethargic. As a kid the days would feel so very long and the sun shone so very hot. The breeze offers no relief. The ding of the bell announcing recess was over was a welcome sound just to escape the outdoors. That smell of grass and sunshine and baking dirt. Now, given we are all grown up, we jump in the car and escape to Southland to get out of the heat.

 

Baby in high chair surrounded by grandparents

Who are these crazy people?!

 

Baby resting on grandpas shoulder

It’s so hot I’m melting

 

Woman eating Hokkien me

Lunch at Southland

 

Baby eating hot cross buns

Baby Boy O is in on the action with a fistful of hot cross buns

 

Two women and baby in Southland

Only last week Stinky and I were wondering what happened to Sarah and Michelle. The universe has a funny way of bringing people together

 

Man sliding

Evening walk with my honey

 

Yesterday’s post:

Tomorrow’s post:

 

 

 

Monday, 2 February 2015

Daily Pics: Laksa Night

Our days are packed with so many activities that by night’s end we are exhausted. It’s a lovely feeling, days so full of things I want to do, people to see and places to be. Poor English Hubby has been working at home whilst Baby Boy O and I scoot all over town. Today we took our first Melbourne train ride together, off to Richmond to meet Cookes for lunch. Aunty Cycle Janice and Uncle Nurse Kev came over for laksa dinner and chats on Darwinism at its best. Add a couple of bags of chips, Vietnamese sweeties, fresh cut mango and a tub of salted caramel ice cream and tummies are way full before bed. 

 

Baby with papaya and surprise look on face

What?! No more food?

 

Baby at mordialloc train station

Introducing Baby Boy O to Melbourne public transportation

 

Baby and mum looking out train window

Someone loves looking out the window

 

Football art in Richmond

Richmond

 

Baby held by man crying

Don’t you know I’m famous?

 

Poached than fried egg

Had to try this place because it had Rambo in its name

 

Grandma reading baby A Bumbelbee book

Loving the present from Poh Poh

 

Grandma feeding baby

Loving the doughy sweetness of a bao more!

 

Baby playing with buckets held by Aunty

Cuddles with Cycle Janice

 

Baby playing buckets on table

Build it up just to tear it down

 

Baby playing with red packets

More to add to the baby bank account. Thank you!

 

Auntie feeding baby a nectarine

Pre bath time feeding frenzy continues

 

Woman with tub of ice cream

What are the rest of you having?

 

Sisters sitting at dining table

Sisters (junior)

 

Mum with her sister

Sisters (senior)

 

Yesterday’s post: Building

Tomorrow’s post:

 

 

 

Sunday, 1 February 2015

Daily Pics: Building

Reno Charlie and Opera Cat have been renovating their place for years. Seeing it come together is beautiful. A happy place, full of life and light. Just like their lovely family. Building takes years. Gardens take time to grow, then taste so very sweet. We look forward to the dinner party with the long rustic table that stretches from the deck, through the window and into the garden. Cheers. 

 

Pot of congee

Made with love – 5am and Gong Gong is in the kitchen

 

Grandpa and baby watching the rain

Watching the world go by through a curtain of rain

 

Grandpa feeding baby

Loving every spoonful

 

Baby skyping with grandparents

Baby Boy O skyping with all the grandparents

 

Driving over the west gate bridge

Over the West Gate Bridge

 

Lego pincer on the nose

Lego nose job

 

Boy with present

Where there’s a will there’s a way

 

Baby sitting on woman's lap

Playing pick up toys with Opera Cat

 

Dad cutting up a plum cake with boys looking on

What can you do with a plum?

 

Boys playing with building blocks

Master builders

 

Boy holding basil and tomato dish

Youngest foodie on the block

 

Baby and dad

Like peas in a pod

 

Man watching final of Australian open

Big game in play

 

Yesterday’s post: 

Tomorrow’s post:

 

 

 

Tuesday, 27 January 2015

Daily Pics: Tonight We Are Enemies

Much sporting excitement tonight with Murray playing Krygios in the quarter finals of the Australian Open. Crazy Daisy is worth her weight in gold, especially when she turned to English Hubby and declares, “tonight are enemies”! Unfortunately there are no remaining Aussies in the competition, and mum has also lost her lover boy, Federer, so the field is wide open for her vocal support. 

 

Grandpa pushing stroller along street

Off to see the ducks (part 2)

 

Father and son in carrier infront of Main Street cafe

Brunch at Main Street with my boys

 

Baby with cap and bib

Noshing on roast beef and vegetable purée with Turkish bread

 

Beach on a cloudy day

Off to the beach

 

Man and laughing baby on the beach

For a wind swept walk…

 

Family selfie on mordialloc beach

…and family selfie

 

Man and baby on beach with segues in the background

Chasing seagulls

 

Baby with food all over

C’mon gimme a hug!

 

Man in car holding bags of chips

Pre game dash for munchies

 

Murray v Krygios tennis match on tv

England v Australia

Yesterday’s post:

Tomorrow’s post:

 

 

 

Saturday, 24 January 2015

Daily Pics: Relativity

In a blink of an eye 20 years flies by. Cousins grow up, new families are created, and conversations move from Barbies and Lego to house prices, grandsons and worldly travels. They say it’s always about journey, but when you’re on that path every day it is hard to notice the gradual change. Then all of a sudden over afternoon tea the passing of time becomes evident and more memories are made.

 

Grandma lying on play mat with baby

The look of pure joy

 

Baby with bug toy

Love bug

 

Family at table having afternoon tea

Catching up over a cosmopolitan afternoon tea

 

Aunty carrying baby holding plastic duck

Playing duck with Grand Aunty S

 

Baby rolling on play mat

This is how we roll

 

Baby and uncle looking at cuckoo clock

Captivated by the cuckoo

 

Extended family

Theory of relativity…Energy = Memories and Cousins Squared

 

Yesterday’s post:

Tomorrow’s post:

 

 

 

Thursday, 15 January 2015

Daily Pics: Muffins And Cupcakes

I’m reminded of why Melbourne is known to have ‘four seasons in one day’. It has threatened to rain since the morning, with intermittent sprinklings under an ominous looking sky. Nevertheless we pushed on and managed to fit in a walk to the local coffee shop this morning, muffins and coffee on a park bench, lunch and cupcakes at Soniana’s place, zoo dancing, the case of a missing trailer, and a walk to the park to play. It has been a wonderful day with wonderful friends. This is what make it feel like home. 

 

Grandma walking with stroller

Braving the weather

 

Cookie jars and New Years resolution

One cappuccino with two sugars and a decaf soy latte please

 

Mum and me eating muffins

Muffin break

 

Baby in stroller smiling

Baby Boy O gets his little super puff snacks

 

Aunty and baby

Coffee break and cuddle with Smelly

 

Woman making cupcakes with kids looking on

Making butterfly cupcakes from scratch

 

Girl asking for cupcake

I want…

 

Tray of cupcakes

…CUPCAKE!

 

Man reading book

English Hubby doing some light reading and seeing the error of his ways

 

Little girl cutting cucumber

Making lunch, with olives too!

 

Baby with kiddies

Loving the attention

 

People walking to the park

Off to the park

 

Three best friends

The most amazing women in the world, reunited

 

Two boys and two girls

Cheeky bunnies – one hard head, one dibber dobber, one five year old going on fifteen and one smiley olive eating princess

 

Four kids jumping

This picture says it all

 

Best friend holding my baby

Soniana always knew this day would come

 

Chicken parmigiana

Capping off a perfect day with dinner at The Local with Scoobes and Fatty Patty

 

Yesterday’s post: 

Tomorrow’s post:

 

 

 

Thursday, 16 October 2014

Daily Pics: Around The World In 91 Days

Airline tickets are now booked. In December we will depart on the next leg of our nomadic lives, with stops in London, Singapore, Bali, Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and back to Dallas to resume our road trip. 91 days hopping countries, and continents via plane. Lugging baggage and adjusting to time zones with a little one in tow. All I can say is thank goodness for our brilliant travel agent who helped us through a monumental booking exercise – juggling a multi-city gig, making flight times as reasonable as possible and planning with precision to avoid rush hour traffic en route. As John “Hannibal” Smith of the A-Team genre use to say, I love it when a plan comes together. 

Really looking forward to quality time with family and friends all round the world. 

  • Thanksgiving in Dallas: ~24 Nov to 1 Dec
  • Christmas in London: 1 Dec to 27 Dec
  • Years’ end in Singapore: 28 Dec to 31 Dec
  • Wedding in Bali: 31 Dec to 7 Jan
  • Sun n Surf in Sydney: 7 Jan to 13 Jan
  • Chinese New Year in Melbourne: 13 Jan to 23 Feb
  • Hanging out in Hong Kong: 23 Feb to 28 Feb
  • Lounging around Los Angeles: 28 Feb to 2 Mar
  • Returning to the RV in Dallas: 2 Mar onwards, heading east
 
 
Computer

Planing frenzy: Tickets – check. Travel insurance – check. Request for bulk head bassinet seats – in progress. Visas – to do…