Where you don't go to shop...

Today at the local library, I chatted to a couple of parents and we all ended up swapping tips on a perennial Parenting Dilemma.
Where on earth do you take your toddler/baby on a wintry Melbourne day?
My favourite place is the Melbourne Museum - a huge open space of running around room, with an excellent children's section that can happily fill a few hours on a rainy morning.
Other places we take Ari include Northland's Toys R Us, Ikea (great ball pit) and the humble Northcote Plaza.
Ari and I have been at good old Northcote Plaza a bit lately - it's such an odd little shopping centre.
Ari loves the train and car rides (that always remain stationary but he doesn't seem to mind) and the pet store, and I just love the fact that it's inside and warm.
The place is not so much a retail centre as a drop-in centre for parents with small children and lots and lots of old people.
Old men sit around on benches in big groups and talk all day. The shops are pretty strange - lots of cheap shops, mostly.
It's similar to our beloved Smith St in a way - full of crazy people. I find it fascinating. I struck up a conversation with an old lady on the bus the other day who was on her way to the plaza to meet a group of women for her weekly coffee out.
Say what you like about modern shopping centres, but they are really are a haven for some - I think without them a lot of older folk wouldn't have anywhere warm to go on a freezing cold day.

Oh do shut up, Peter Costello

Our Federal Treasurer was on again today about boosting our population.
Last time he opened his mouth on the subject, it was budget time and he was urging us Patriotic Australians to have a child for mum, a child for dad and one for the nation.
Bah to that, I say.
And double bah to what he's said today - we must breed or risk a country transformed by a migrant influx.
This statement upsets me on so many levels I hardly know where to begin.
Firstly, immigration has been the making of Australia in the past - I mean, we are ALL immigrants of some kind, aren't we? And immigration has made us the rich and diverse country that we are. Been to Lygon St, Sydney Rd or Victoria St lately Pete?
But this recurring message to breed at all costs is positively laughable.
Women are voting with their feet - many have chosen not to have kids. If they do, it's usually only one or two.
What incentive is there in a country with no compulsory paid maternity leave and child care queues longer than the loo line at the Big Day Out?
How about giving all women 2 years maternity leave, Pete?
That would free up a lot of childcare places and give women greater freedoms and choices. I think you'd find a lot more would go back to work (after one year is tough - children aren't children, they're still babies really).
Throwing piddling bloody family benefits and tax "cuts" at us isn't going to do it. A grand gesture is needed in this country if you want more babies Mr Treash.

Kiddie buying gone mad

This morning we were in Baby Bunting buying Ari a new sleeping bag and we overheard the most hilarious sales pitch.
A couple had wandered in wanting to buy a car seat for their child. The saleswoman led them straight to this super duper, whackadoo car seat - the first feature she pointed out was that it came with a set of in-built speakers. Apparently you can plug a CD player or iPod into it.
WHAT?!
Rob and I nearly fell over.
Not to say we're not guilty of indulging our boy a little from time to time (the kid has his own trike, wheelbarrow AND toy motor mower, he's doing alright), but this was Crazy Town.
Next they'll be selling a pram with its own surround sound, plasma screen and DVD player.
We really ARE too rich these days.

Kiss kiss

This is an extremely soppy post, but my boy gave me an actual kiss goodbye this morning as I left for work. Not just one kiss, but three...on the mouth!
He is such a smoocher at the moment - he loves cuddles. Whenever he comes into bed with Rob and I of a morning, he lies between us with one arm behind each of our necks, as if giving both of us a big morning hug.

Train! Train!

Ari is utterly obsessed with trains.
Every time we see a train, a railway crossing, a tram, even some overhead tram wires, he will yell "train, train!" from the pram or car.
I don't know what it is about trains that he adores so much, but I think it's my first foray into the World of Boys Stuff I Don't Understand.
I was made aware of this recently at a playground when Ari and Rob spent ages playing with a digger in a sandpit. Boys just LOVE to dig holes. Rob can't seem to explain why in any way that makes sense to me - the closest he has come is to say that it's a satisfying task. Mmmm. Still don't get it.
Another example was at Coburg Lake recently when Ari picked up a stone. Rob said "watch him, he'll throw it in the river". Sure enough, he did.
The world of boys...

FAME! I'm gonna live til Tuesday...*

Ari had his picture in the paper today. Page 13 of the Herald Sun, to be exact. Except his name was "Alister".
To explain...we met up with a swimming classmate of Ari's and his parents at Collingwood Children's Farm on Sunday, in the drizzling rain.
On our way out, we were accosted by a photographer wanting to take pics of the kids splashing in puddles. We obliged and Ari's pic ended up in the paper, with Alister's name. It's a cute photo anyway - Mike, your coat came up a treat!





*Obscure quote from The Commitments.

Food glorious food

Taking after both his parents, Ari LOVES food.
At every meal, he happily sits up in his high chair and says "yum yum" after mouthfuls. His favourite thing is to take a big sip of his water and say "aahhh!". He knows it always makes us laugh...

Ari profile: 17 months

Name: Ari Murdoch Danaher-Flavell
Age: 17 months
Hair: Blondey gingery brown
Eyes: Brown-hazel
Favourite food: Ham and cheese omelette, chicken, yoghurt, tiny teddy biscuits.
Favourite drink: Milk or orange juice
Likes: Waving to everyone, tilting his head on the side and smiling, dancing and clapping, sweeping the floor, birds, dogs, walking up slides.
Dislikes: the vacuum cleaner.
Can say: Mum, Dad, Nanny, higher, spider, Ari, meow, nana (banana).
Favourite clothes: knitted jumpers and tracky pants, converse sneakers.

My favourite Ari photo

Rob's not so fond of this one, but I think he's as cute as a button.

Even more holiday photos

More holiday photos

First Family Holiday

Apologies to regular readers for the distinct lack of blogging action.
We've just returned from our first holiday with child - 5 days in Port Douglas.
After a nightmare trying to organise the bloody thing with a travel agent (it's a long story that basically ends in "we had a crap travel agent, we'll never use one again"), we set off on a Jetstar flight to Cairns on June 24.
The flight up was a bit of a mission. Ari is at that age where he can move around and doesn't want to sit still, but isn't old enough to settle in and watch a video. So we had to entertain him on our laps for three hours - not a fun task, by any stretch (the trip home was a million times better, thanks to the empty seat next to us).
The last 15 minutes of the flight were really tough - Ari was tired and cranky and would not keep still - he tried to kick his way out of his little seat belt. The people around us must have HATED us.
Rather frazzled, we set off in our little Hyundai Getz hire car for the hour-long drive to Port Douglas. Arriving at our hotel, we discovered our room wasn't cleaned yet (it was 3pm!), but decided to smile through our frustration and head for the beach.
Ari's first moments on the beach were a thing to behold. He dashed straight for the water in his clothes and Rob and I shed a little tear. He LOVED the water, the sand, the people, everything.
We immediately crowned him King of the Beach. Over the next 5 days he made royal visits to his patch of Four Mile Beach. He waved and smiled at everyone, making new friends every day. One lady even wanted her picture taken with him!
During our time in Port Douglas we swam at the beach, played at a lovely playground overlooking the ocean, visited Mossman Gorge in the Daintree and had a morning at the Rainforest Habitat nature park.
This included a Breakfast With The Birds - a kind of paradise for Ari. What could be better than food and lots and lots of "oi ois" (as he calls birds, dogs, or any other creature). He also patted kangaroos and saw crocodiles and koalas.
The trip was hard work (not really restful, or a holiday for that matter), but it was lots of fun and Ari had so many wonderful new experiences.