New Digs

The Family Danaflav is now settled into our new Thornbury digs. All our furniture is rattled into place, our things unpacked and we're slowly getting used to our new suburb.
But the less said about that, the better. It's pretty dull here compared to the hustle and bustle of Collingwood. So far we've found a good food market, maternal child health nurse, playpark and brekky cafe.
But the real problem for me is the isolation. I know nobody around here and there's nowhere exciting to walk to, so I tend not to walk places as much as I used to. Weekdays are long and boring with no-one to talk to, but I'm sure that will get better. In Collingwood, I felt like I was part of the world. Here, I don't.
On the upside, our new home is spacious, comfortable, quiet and fairly razzy. It has lovely modern things like ducted heating, an ensuite and air-con.
Ari has plenty of floor space and back/front yard to explore and we finally have a guest bedroom for our future babysitters.
I still miss our old house, but I have to keep reminding myself that we have moved for Ari, not for ourselves. Crawling and walking is only a month or so away for our little lad and here he has lots of space to explore - and no syringes to pick up with his curious little hands.
Ari is sleeping a lot better in this house - it's quieter here and his room is much darker. We can also entertain people at night without having to keep our voices down because Ari's room is sectioned off from the lounge room.

Life, The World and Everything

A fabulous present from Ari's "Choose Your Own Deity"-father, Dean, has prompted some thought on religion and how to answer our boy's questions about religion and spirituality.
As a Recovering Catholic, I'm more than a little bit sceptical of religion, in all its forms, whether it be Scientology, Christianity or Buddhism.
But, if you want to be a devout whatever, that's fine with me. Just don't push it on me, or carry on like it's Fact. It ain't. It's what you believe.
Having said that, I've been searching for a good way of answering the inevitable "What is God?" and "Does God exist" questions from Ari.
The other day I heard the perfect answer... for me, anyway.
It came from science guru Dr Karl Kruzelnicki on his regular Triple J phone-in segment, where he answers all sorts of crazy questions.
A girl threw the "do you believe in God" question at him and his response was fascinating.
Basically, he said that he believed the Universe might have been created by some sort of spiritual being, but he could not possibly believe there is a caring God watching over us all. Why? Because millions of children die every year from things like starvation. Any caring God could not let that happen. Simple as that.
So that's the answer I'm giving Ari.
Thanks Dr Karl.

Profile Update Number 3

Name: Ari Murdoch Danaher-Flavell
Age: Nearly 9 months
Hair: Ginger, but getting browner
Eyes: Hazel
Favourite food: Fruit, yoghurt, pumpkin
Hobbies: Grabbing at things, chewing on things, shaking things.
Likes: See above, people singing and dancing for him.
Dislikes: The vacuum cleaner (he cries whenever it starts up).
Current fashion trend: Bonds jeans/stretchy pants, Muppet Show Beaker t-shirt.
Favourite book: The Eye Book by Dr Seuss
Number of teeth: 4
Can say: "Dada", "Baba".