Life with the Little Prince of Collingwood

Ari's 4th birthday

2009-04-01T19:42:00.000+10:30

Ari's 4th birthday party

2009-04-01T19:34:00.002+10:30

The Big Four

2009-01-26T19:58:00.003+10:30

Today was Ari's fourth birthday party - his actual birthday was yesterday.
It was an exhausting day, but one full of great excitement. We had a party at home - themed "old school". Translation = Mum and Dad don't really do the hired party entertainment thing.
So we had pass the parcel, sack races and a pinata for party games, and lots and lots of cupcakes with yellow icing (Ari's current favourite colour).
Pics to come...

Ari update

2008-11-08T20:16:00.002+10:30

Age: 3 years, 10 months.
Weight: 17kg
Favourite song: Never Really There by Ryan Sterling
Likes: Queen guitar solos, trains, lawnmowing, banana smoothies.
Dislikes: Anything he's never tried before, the noise from the blender.
Personality: Becoming so much more social, has a friend at school, talks to people more, loves jokes, very affectionate.
Favourite books: Mr Men, especially Mr Tickle, Mr Happy and Mr Strong.

Emotions takin' me over

2008-11-08T19:51:00.002+10:30

It's been an emotional week. I'm not ashamed to say I drove down the freeway to Geelong on Wednesday listening to Barack Obama's acceptance speech on the radio quietly weeping tears of joy. When Ari chimed in from the back seat wanting to know "why the people were singing Yes We Can", I started up again.
But I got to thinking about emotions and how they take over you when you have a child.
I've mused from time to time on this blog about the vast gulf BC (before child) and AC (after child). I thought I knew what having a child would be like. I was wrong, like nearly all new parents are. You can't possibly know how much work it will be, how much effort it takes and how much it will change your life. But above all, you can't ever imagine what it feels like. And it's the feeling part of it all that matters most. When your child cries, it actually hurts inside. It feels terrible. When they are upset, you feel distraught. When they are ill, your whole world stops.
A friend recently told me how much she finally got this when she had her own son. She recalled a time she was walking with me with Ari in his pram when he was a small baby. He was crying and I kept stopping the pram, trying everything I could to make him stop. At the time, she thought I was trying to stop him cry so it didn't disturb her. Now, after having her own child, she realises I was trying to make him stop because it was upsetting me so much.

Farewell, Antilop

2008-11-08T19:44:00.002+10:30

This week we farewelled an old friend.
Our tried and true workhorse high chair, the Ikea Antilop, was retired in favour of a nifty (Ikea again) stool/chair for Ari (I can't remember its Swedish name).
If ever there was proof that the most expensive baby product is not always the best, it has been in the track record of our $39 Antilop - three years of solid service, only one replacement tray (at a bargain $10) and literally thousands of wipe-downs.

Googreev

2008-10-08T19:18:00.003+10:30

Much to our delight, Ari has been enjoying the Wallace and Gromit short movies.
If you're going to watch something a lot, at least it's something clever and funny. Ari's favourite one is A Grand Day Out, but he also loves The Wrong Trousers (my personal fave).
Recently Ari and I were walking hand in hand to the local library when we were discussing The Wrong Trousers. He had just been playing with Rob's Feathers McGraw (pictured) figurine in the car (Feathers is the villainous penguin from The Wrong Trousers) and he said: "He's called Googreev."
I corrected him: "No, darling, he's called Feathers McGraw". But Ari was insistent. "No, he's Googreev!"
Then it dawned on me. There is a scene in The Wrong Trousers when Feathers takes off his "disguise" (amusingly, it's a rubber glove on his head to make him look like a chicken). He takes off the glove and Wallace exclaims: "Good Grief! It's you!"
Googreev = Good Grief!

It never ceases to amaze me how clever little children are.

Beautiful boy

2008-09-26T19:57:00.001+09:30

My boy lollipop

2008-09-26T19:56:00.001+09:30

gold panning

2008-09-26T19:55:00.003+09:30

Train to Sovereign Hill

2008-09-26T19:55:00.002+09:30

More farm action

2008-09-26T19:54:00.003+09:30

At Uncle Murdoch's farm

2008-09-26T19:54:00.002+09:30

At Uncle Murdoch's farm

2008-09-26T19:53:00.001+09:30

Top bunk joy

2008-09-26T19:50:00.003+09:30

On the farm

2008-09-26T19:50:00.002+09:30

In the truck

2008-09-26T19:49:00.001+09:30

New puppies!

2008-09-26T19:48:00.001+09:30

Ole goo eye

2008-09-07T18:15:00.003+09:30

A quick update: Ari has conjunctivitis and a cold.
We are dealing with this with thanks to the wonders of Bleph10, Dr Flood and a steady diet of Rage - yesterday we watched Tricky program Rage and it was ace.

Scene from a Saturday morning...

2008-09-05T12:42:00.000+09:30

Me: Come and listen to this Ari (Ramones' Blitzkrieg Bop on 3RRR).
Ari: (Pauses). That sounds like the Clash, Mama.

We couldn't have been any more proud if we tried.

What we're...

2008-09-05T12:38:00.000+09:30

Ari

Reading: "Dog Biscuit's House" book, I Wish That I Had Duck Feet.

Watching: Poko, Wallace and Gromit's The Wrong Trousers.

Listening to: Amy Winehouse, MGMT.

Carla

Reading: When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris.

Watching: The West Wing - almost through season one. Project Runway Australia - as hard as I try, it just aint as good as Heidi, Tim and co.

Listening to: Black Francis.

A political rant

2008-09-05T12:28:00.002+09:30

I don't normally get political on this blog. But something I read in The Age in the past couple of days has set my blood boiling.
It concerns the State Government's decision to order public hospitals to stop admitting mums and babies with breastfeeding or settling problems.
This story highlights an alarming trend - government encourages people to have more babies + gloats about its baby boom - but fails to deliver on any kind of new services to support said new babies.
While family reporter at the Herald Sun, I wrote a story on the blowout of waiting lists for sleep schools - back then it took MONTHS for desperate, sleep-deprived parents to even get near a public sleep clinic in Melbourne. If that's not depressing enough, the recent breastfeeding help debacle is enough to make me want to storm parliament.
It's small things that can make a huge difference in the early stages of parenting. Just a couple of hours spent with a lactation consultant can lead to a "hallelujah" moment when what only hours ago was painful and impossible is now possible.
A week in a sleep school can change the entire livelihood of a family.
I don't want to appear to be whingeing, but it seems this government is struggling under the weight of a crush for services. And as a person who uses the metropolitan train system, I honestly do mean crush.

Scene from a dinner table

2008-09-05T12:27:00.000+09:30

Rob: Every time I blew my nose today I filled a hanky. Honestly, I really don't know where all that stuff comes from...
Ari: I think it would come from your nose, Dadda.

Scene from a Subaru

2008-09-05T12:25:00.002+09:30

Ari: Mama, I thought you were going to drive off and leave me!
Me: Darling, I would never, ever leave you.
Ari: But one day I might leave you. Then Dadda will look after you.

Goin' military

2008-09-04T12:07:00.002+09:30

Every now and then I have the urge to go military on some parents. Just stand in front of them and yell, like the drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket.

It happened the other day at a local supermarket.

A father with his two young daughters – both under the age of five – were hanging out in the toy/magazine aisle and appeared to be picking up toys and books and playing with them.

As I browsed through the magazines, I overheard his desperate pleas to move them all along.

“Please put that down darling,” he’d whisper.

“Come on, it’s time to go,” he’d plead, barely audible, then (bizarrely, I thought) under his breath would mutter “Oh, I hate the supermarket” and “Daddy is going to go insane if we don’t go soon.”

The girls were not being brats, but they were simply not responding to his feeble attempts to get them to do what he wanted.

It was a good three or four minutes (I was busy browsing Shop Til You Drop) of this that almost prompted me to go military on him. But I did it in my head instead -“for god sake man, grow some balls and tell those kids what for!” I imagined yelling.

I know parenting is hard. Really hard. And Ari is nowhere near the Perfect Child (if, indeed he/she exists). But yeesh, who on earth is in charge here? Some days I wonder...

Some home truths

2008-08-09T17:16:00.006+09:30

Parenting is a different experience for most of us, but I can safely list a few definites that expectant parents can anticipate:

You will need family. I am sure some people manage without their parents/relatives' help, but geez, it must be tough. I can honestly say I could never have managed without the help of family. Friends help, but family is essential.

You will have a Groundhog Day moment. Mine came a few weeks in when I woke up one Saturday morning and realised that every single day of my life was exactly the same as the last one. Weekends were no longer weekends. Every day was the same. Of course, as kids get older, that changes. But three years on, I can't kick back on the couch with a bag of chips and watch videos all day, have a lie-in, go see a movie just because I need a day off.

You will cry. If any new-ish Mum has never cried at any stage, I'd like to shake their hand and give them some kind of parade. Whether it's the sheer frustration of trying to get a baby to sleep, the sheer isolation of suddenly being home alone all day with a child or the sheer fear of having a sick child and not knowing what to do, you will cry.

You will spend (a lot) less time with your partner. Of course, if you are Princess Mary or Angelina Jolie, you'll just drop baby into the arms of one of your nannies and head out for a movie/film premiere/whatever with your beloved. In the real world, some days you can barely have a decent conversation with your partner. It's tough, especially for a couple like us who were used to doing absolutely EVERYTHING together.

You will question your identity. I am not saying that you will become a different person, but more that you will wonder who the hell you are some days.

It's hard work. It's physically, emotionally and mentally exhausting.

You will be busy. I used to think I lived a full, busy life. Think you're too busy now? You just wait until you take jobs, family, friends, hobbies and everything your life is now and add...mmm... a person who needs 100 per cent attention 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now I look back and wonder what on EARTH I did with my time before Ari.

BUT ....

You will laugh uncontrollably. Like the other day when Ari and I were strolling through the airport and he caught sight of Oprah Winfrey on a TV screen. He said "that's Oprah! Nanny likes Oprah. And Judge Judy". The sound of a three-year-old talking about Judge Judy cracked me up.

Your heart will soar. And not just in that "wow, look at my newborn baby" way. But in a continuing, every-single-day kind of way. Like every time I catch a glimpse of Rob looking lovingly at his son. Or every single time he smiles at me. Or when I watch him make people happy, like his grandparents or auntie. It's golden moment after golden moment, people.

You will have new respect for all parents. If you were one of those people who quietly dissed parents for all sorts of things before you were a parent (hands up me), then you are in for a rude shock. I personally am in awe of anyone who has more than one child.

I read this quote in a blog today...

2008-06-12T14:48:00.002+09:30

"The first year of your first child's life is the greatest loss of control you could ever experience."

Just the one?

2008-06-12T11:19:00.005+09:30

It's a difficult question. To have Just The One, or possibly Number Two?
It's something that's been playing on my mind lately, as we are suddenly surrounded by new babies and more babies on the way.
That, and the fact that every old Italian or Greek lady I meet with Ari asks if he's an only child and when I answer in the affirmative, they ALWAYS tell me I need to have another one.
I always knew that if I did have another child, it would not be until Ari was three, four or possibly even five or six. The idea of having two babies sounded as appealing to me as a hot poker in the eye.
Many people have children in quick succession to "get it out of the way". In many ways, it's a good, logical way to go. Your time out of the workforce (if that's what you like doing) is minimal and - let's face it - you are "out of commission" in so many ways, why not make the most of it?
Not for me, I'm afraid.
Though the idea of starting from scratch again scares me, having two babies terrifies me more!
So, like Miranda in SATC, I have been making a list of pros and cons on the subject:
Pros

Ari would have a brother or sister.
We would have another child.
The second time around we would actually have some idea what we were doing and be more confident and realistic about the whole thing.
We would likely be a lot more relaxed and enjoy it more.

Cons

Ari was a dream sleeper (still is, touch wood) - I don't know if I'd cope with a bad sleeper.
Taking time off work (I like it and the $$$ is obviously handy).
Balance - I think after three years, I finally have balance in my life again.
Having a baby is bloody hard work, no getting around that fact.
I'm not sure I want to be a baby's primary carer again for a whole year - I felt very isolated at home last time.

In the end, I don't think logic will actually come into it. I imagine whatever decision we make will be based wholely and solely on our emotions. Do we WANT to do this? It's how we decided to have a baby in the first place - we just said one day "let's do it", and we did. It's generally how we live our lives. And I wouldn't have it any other way. No point living life according to boring logic, I say.

A quote I like...

2008-06-09T14:45:00.001+09:30

The other day I read a quote I like about parenting...

I was a fantastic parent...until I became one.

It's so spot on.

Our Perfect Child

2008-06-09T14:09:00.002+09:30

Lately, Rob and I have marvelled at just how perfect Ari is. We are his parents, so we are of course bound to think that!
But for people who love music as much as we do, it's been sheer heaven to watch our son discover the joy of music for himself. There's nothing quite like playing your child a song you love and seeing him delight in it.
His most recent obsessions have included Band of Horses (he listens to it so much that even my parents are beginning to know it) and Nirvana's Nevermind, particularly Smells Like Teen Spirit. He rocks around the lounge room pretending to play guitar and drums to it. He also likes to watch Band of Horses and The Strokes on You Tube, mimicking their movements.
Band of Horses is touring Melbourne in August and we would absolutely love to take him to see them. Ah well, plenty of time for that, I suppose.
Today Ari's blossoming musical appreciation surprised even Rob and I. Apart from picking Heartattack and Vine as a Tom Waits song (well, he does have a fairly distinctive voice), Ari heard the Marilyn Manson song, Beautiful People. His reaction was to say "This sounds like the song we listen to in the car, mama."
Here is Beautiful People http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY0536g_6Wc
And here is the song he was referring to, Atlas by Battles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpGp-22t0lU

Not bad, eh?

A quote of note

2008-06-04T12:49:00.002+09:30

"That's an instrumental," said Ari to his nanny the other day.
My Mum, Ari's nanny, could not believe he knew such a word.
I explained.
Our Saturdays are usually spent listening to 3RRR's Film Buffs Forecast, which plays a lot of themes and songs from movies. Many of them are instrumental. One day, Paul Harris (FBF host) was playing a soaring theme from a movie, to which Ari commented "Mama, there's no singing!"
Hence, I explained the concept of an instrumental.
And a music critic is born...

At Hays Paddock

2008-05-04T19:58:00.002+09:30

Out and about

2008-05-04T19:55:00.001+09:30

The three of us

2008-05-04T19:53:00.002+09:30

Lovin' the Scienceworks pumphouse

2008-05-04T19:51:00.002+09:30

School boy

2008-05-04T19:50:00.002+09:30

A boy and his trains

2008-05-04T19:41:00.003+09:30

An old one - at the Darebin Kite Festival

2008-05-04T19:35:00.002+09:30

King of Budget Style

2008-05-04T19:04:00.005+09:30

It occurred to me this week as I bought Ari a few highly necessary new winter clothes from Target that Ari is pretty much dressed from head to toe by budget department stores.
As baby has grown to toddler, the prevalence of Bonds gear has depleted slightly as I've ventured more and more into the heady world of Big W, Target and The Mart of K.
But I'm pleased to say that what hasn't come from aforementioned cheapie shops has been lovingly hand-knitted by his Nanny and Granna.
And I am working on sewing him a few pairs of cords.
There are a few notable exceptions - his lovely new Clarks leather boots for winter (think Indiana Jones. Haven't ever looked at his shoes? Look next time! Indy wears ace shoes!), a solitary pair of Pumpkin Patch trousers bought last year when we were truly desperate and his Threadless tshirts.
Some of our recent awesome cheap buys have been:
1. Very cute flannelette PJs in the generic KMart homebrand. So far they've washed really well and look a treat.
2. Excellent Target skivvies in stripes and a funky green.
3. KMart black hoodie with skulls and crossbones all over it (pictured).

Ari and mummy

2008-04-07T08:19:00.002+09:30

Ari's favourite thing at the moment is...

2008-04-07T08:13:00.003+09:30

Dancing around the lounge room, singing and pretending to play the drums to the first two tracks from the Band of Horses album, Cease to Begin.

First gig

2008-04-07T07:59:00.002+09:30

Ari attended his first gig on Saturday. Well, his first gig out of the womb (he did hear lots of live shows in utero, including Jurassic 5 and Elvis Costello when I was quite, quite pregnant).
He saw Ryan Sterling, a fabulous Melbourne musician, at the La Terra Acoutstic Festival in Collingwood. A small disclosure - Ryan is also Ari's uncle (check him out at http://www.myspace.com/ryansterlingmusic)
It was lovely to be able take him a daytime show. I've often wondered why no one has offered rock music for little people - there are baby discos, baby symphony performances, baby yoga classes and baby music lessons.
When we recently went to the Big Day Out, part of our day was spent feeling a little bit guilty because a lot of Ari's favourite bands were playing - he would have absolutely loved dancing to Battles or seeing the Arcade Fire perform. But the music is too loud and the day too long for a little boy - it will be a few more years until he can go to a proper music festival.
Unless of course our dream comes true and the Arcade Fire come back to Australia and play a daytime show for kids.

Ready? Ha!

2008-03-24T14:10:00.003+10:30

Recently, I compared notes with another parent about being "ready" for parenthood.
We both had a chuckle as we admitted to not having a single clue what we were in for. Absolutely NO idea.
We also discovered we had done exactly the same thing just before having our first child - we were both quite angry with people's negative views on parenthood and their comments - ie: "make sure you get lots of sleep now, you won't have any soon", "see every movie you can", etc.
I giggle now when I remember a comment I made to my Mum just before having Ari - "I'm not going to let a baby change my life - the baby has to fit into our life. I'm not going to let a baby stop me doing the things I want." (Okay, parents reading this can stop laughing hysterically now)
Do all first-time parents think this?
In retrospect, I actually can't believe how naive I was. I'm sure first-time parents who have seen their friends and family have children couldn't be as naive as I was. I hope my sister has a clearer picture of what's in store than I did.

What Ari is...

2008-03-08T20:06:00.002+10:30

Watching: Very little. Bits of Thomas the Tank and YouTube.
Listening to: Run To The Hills by Iron Maiden, 3 MCs and One DJ by Beastie Boys.
Wearing: His "If you can read this, make me a sandwich"t-shirt, school uniform.
Loving: Rummy the Dog (our friend's dog we are dogsitting), aeroplanes and helicopters, his train set, ice cream, pizza meine liebe (see pic).
Not loving: Rummy the Dog (it's a love-hate relationship that is very complex), the vacuum cleaner, the blender.
Reading: My Mummy and Me, Daisy All Sorts.

What I'm...

2008-03-08T19:58:00.003+10:30

Watching: Project Runway Season Four, Old Top Gear, Amazing Race (go Bama!), Soul Deep, Degrassi Junior High, This Life.
Listening to: The Smiths, The Libertines, Ross and John, BBC World Service, Bill Bryson talking books on my Zen.
Wearing: The same clothes I've been wearing for ages because my disposable income has vanished. Bloody home ownership...
Loving: Preston Market, Preston high street and library. So crazy and ace. And sewing class.
Not loving: Melbourne's god-awful public transport system, people who play games on their mobile phones on the train/tram with constant beeping, people who talk constantly in the cinema - I want to hit them.

Ari in the truck

2008-03-02T21:28:00.000+10:30

Pizza Meine Leibe

2008-03-02T21:24:00.002+10:30

The Danaflavs (ie: us) have a weekly tradition when it comes to eating out - Pizza Meine Leibe, in Northcote. The staff are wonderful (Ari knows nearly all of them on a first name basis) and really look after children - pretty rare for a place that serves up great food.
Children are offered pizza dough to make whatever they fancy-then the fantastic pizza cooks bake the dough for you. Ari has fashioned (with a little help from us) various things, including pizza men (see above), helicopters and guitars.
Note: Rob doesn't always look this scary. This was during Movember (during which he also appeared on the 7.30 Report).

Scraping the bowl

2008-03-02T21:23:00.000+10:30

Ari getting a haircut

2008-03-02T21:21:00.001+10:30

Arcade Fire. Whoah.

2008-02-10T21:53:00.000+10:30

Over a week ago, Rob and I had the pleasure of seeing Canadian 10-piece Arcade Fire perform at the Forum Theatre.
It was mindblowingly wonderful.
I abandoned my tall-ish gig companions and made for the front of the stage and it was an all-in worship.
They opened with Wake Up (from Funeral) and it was a singfest from the get-go.
The only disappointment (from Rob) was the absence of My Body Is A Cage from the setlist (being incredibly picky here) and that our Ari couldn't see them perform. He would have LOVED it.
I on the other hand rate it as one of my favourite gigs ever, right up there with Radiohead and Cold Chisel (both at Festy Hall). It was superb. I'm extremely sad that I didn't go and see them the night after - and that they probably won't be back again for ages...

New neighbourhood

2008-02-10T21:35:00.000+10:30

Maintaining the spirit of "Life with the Little Prince of Collingwood", we have shifted from Thornbury to Preston, but still refuse to change the blog's name.
Preston is wonderful, for many reasons:
1. It reminds us so much of Collingwood (which we adored). High St, Preston, is a curious mix of pawn shops, Vietnamese bakeries and curious $2 shops I call "Super Terrific Happy Shops". It's jut a little bit dodgy. It has absolutely no airs or graces. Rather like us, really.
2. The neighbourhood is friendly. Admittedly, we had terrific neighbours in Thornbury, who we will stay in touch with. But after less than a month in our new home we have already been greeted by our neighbours and feel welcome.
3. We live across the road from a primary school. And rather than the bank-of-cars hell I imagined it to be twice a day, it's turned out to be a delightful feature. We love the strange dance-y pop music played just before the school bell three times a day, and adore the sound of children playing at recess and lunch time.
4. We have a HUGE backyard. Big enough for a swing set, a clothesline, a cubby house, a vegie patch and still have room for a smallish backyard cricket match. It's awesome.
5. Preston market is close... and ace.
6. It is the first home that is ours. It's cool and quirky with lots of interesting features - like a pull-down ladder to the roof, evaporative cooling (who knew such a thing was so wonderful?), a bungalow and (gasp) a dishwasher.
7. Ari loves our house. He has had no problem adjusting to a new house and loves his new bedroom.
8. We are still close enough to all our usual haunts - Pizza Meine Liebe, Aunty Lauren's house, Northcote Plaza, Cozzella Bros.
9. Northland is close. Sounds Kath and Kim-ish, I know - and it is - but while it used to be handy to have cafes, restaurants and pubs on your doorstep, when you become a parent it's even handier to have Bunnings, Myer, JB HiFi, Safeway, KMart and a cinema close by. I know, we're all grown-up and boring.

Big Boy

2008-02-10T21:33:00.000+10:30

Ari has grown up a lot in the past month.
He now:
1. Attends 3yo kinder three days a week. So far, he varies widely between loving school or hating it. But we are told this is quite normal and may persist for weeks, even months. He looks so very cute in his uniform (pics to follow in later post).
2. Sleeps in a big boy bed. We bought it from a bed shop in Thornbury and decked it out with a space themed doona cover. I think it looks quite spiffy (pics also to follow later).

Woe is the modern home sewer

2008-02-10T21:22:00.000+10:30

I have been taking sewing lessons for a decent amount of time. This is not to say I can zippily whip up a frock for the races, pair of trousers for Ari or even a tea cosy.
Sewing is hard. Bloody hard.
Much harder than it looks. A lot like parenting then.
I was inspired by endless re-viewings of the fantastic US reality show, Project Runway (news to fans: Tim Gunn is rumoured to be coming to Oz for the Logies - oh, why aren't I an entertainment journo anymore?).
If those contestants could whip up couture garments in a day, why couldn't I?
Well, because they obviously have years of training and practise and I imagine most of them don't have jobs and three-year-olds, so have a lot more time to devote to the craft than my paltry two hours a week.
But I digress.
Sewing - though hard - is ace. The satisfaction of wearing a garment of one's own making is immense. I've even made garments (well garment) for others. It's a great feeling.
But finding modern, funky patterns for anything resembling an item of clothing in, say, an InStyle or Shop Til You Drop is incredibly hard.
I don't have hours to sit at the pattern books at Clegs - surely there's to got be a nifty website where you can just order something. Apparently not.
Tonight I entered "funky" and "sewing patterns" into Google, only to have this image (see above).
I was truly horrified.
So it's back to Clegs I go for longer hours spent wading through the endless pages of 80s-esque Melanie Griffith in Working Girl style garments for something resembling attractive workwear.
Sigh.

Okay, okay, so I'm a terrible blogger...

2008-01-12T18:40:00.000+10:30

Okay, so I haven't blogged in almost three months. Here's why...
1. I got a new job in October and it's been quite busy.
2. We bought a house in November. That was also a hectic time.
3. Christmas. I know it's a lame excuse, but it really was quite busy.
4. I have been watching Project Runway repeats and eating Choc Bits instead of blogging. There. I said it.

The definition of bizarre is...

2007-10-17T19:58:00.001+09:30

Overhearing one Best and Less shop-guy explaining to another Best and Less shop-guy what Donnie Darko is about in extreme detail as they stack babies singlets onto a display.

A selfish little note

2007-10-17T19:56:00.000+09:30

I know this blog is about Ari, but every now and then I get to note something about my life.
Tomorrow is my last day as a journalist at the Herald Sun. From next week, I will enter the scary, unknown world of PR.
We are also house hunting like crazy at the moment. It feels like a momentous time.
And here I was only a couple of months ago complaining to Rob that not much really happened this year!

Baby fever

2007-10-17T19:51:00.000+09:30

Nearly three years ago, Rob and I joined the parent club. Now, we finally feel like some of the people we know and love are following suit.
In the space of a few short months, two close friends have had their first children and another couple is expecting.
While we love our little boy, the past few years have been a lonely existence in many ways. For me, especially, being home with Ari so much. But also because virtually none of our friends have had children at the same time and I didn't have the joys of mother's group that so many women have.
Bring on the babies! Not least because it will be nice to have someone to share the experience with.

Ari's high rotation

2007-10-03T19:10:00.000+09:30

Ari has 5 distinct favourite songs at the moment. Poor me, I'm the one who has to listen to them over and over and over and over and over and over again.
Mind you, they're a lot better than bloody Hot Potato and Fruit Salad (which he will occasionally listen to):
1. Wake Up - Arcade Fire, pictured above, (off Funeral). He prefers the live version with David Bowie on You Tube, but will sing along with the CD version.
2. Neon Bible, Arcade Fire (off Neon Bible). He sings "ne-on bi-ful". It's very cute.
3. I Don't Want To Grow Up, Tom Waits (off Bone Machine). There must be something about the jauntiness of this tune. It's a great song. Certainly one of my favourite Tom tracks.
4. Goin Out West, Tom Waits (off Bone Machine). He says "man with guitar, man with guitar" about this song. Not quite sure what he's thinking, because almost EVERY song has a man with a guitar on it.
5. Highroyds, Kaiser Chiefs (off Yours Truly, Angry Mob). Again, a really jaunty track. I think it's just okay. Not the biggest Kaisers fan, but the boy likes them.

Potty training (warning: contains poo and wee references)

2007-09-17T19:56:00.000+09:30

Five days, countless pairs of soiled Big Boy Jocks (14 on one day, that's gotta be a record), three different toilet seats, two potties and one mum who nearly went potty.
That sums up my experience with toilet training. And that was just for wees. Getting Ari to poo on the potty took at least another week and a whole lot of accidents.
But what a life changer. And a dollar saver. With a box of nappies costing around $40, that's a lot of dosh we're suddenly saving.
The boy is now a toilet veteran, happily weeing and pooing on pretty much any loo. It's a huge leap from where we were when we first started - a boy who was quite terrified of sitting on the toilet for wees, let alone number twos.
After my experience (and like all parenting, every child is different), here's a few tips I can pass on. Do with them as you will...
1. Have a crack at using the big loo with some kind of insert seat, but if it ain't happening, switch to a potty pronto. I was insistent that Ari use the big toilet (in a "start as you mean to go on" kind of way), but the breakthrough came on day five when we went out and bought a comfortable potty he could get on and off ON HIS OWN. I think in Ari's case (and this really fits with the thought processes of the average 2yo, now that I come to think of it), he just wanted to be able to do it himself. They are independent little buggers.
2. Once you take the nappy off, don't put it back on. It's really easy to give up. I nearly did LOTS of times. But I guess it means starting all over again.
3. Persist. On my fourth day, I was beside myself. It seemed like we were making NO progress and it just wasn't clicking with Ari. I was really distraught. But my maternal child health nurse and my Mum said to keep going and it would eventually click. The next day, we bought a potty and I made a big fuss about it. That lunchtime, I heard the magic words I'd been longing to hear all week - "Mummy I need to do a wee". He sat on the potty, did a wee and we never looked back.
4. Buy lots and lots of knickers/jocks. I had 14 pairs and thought I was being excessive, until Ari soiled every last one of them in a single day.
5. Lots of praise. We made a big deal about how wonderful Ari was doing, what a big boy he was and he was incredibly proud of himself.

What I'm loving...

2007-09-17T19:51:00.000+09:30

1. The fact that Ari can use the potty.
2. Arcade Fire. I'm a woman obsessed. If you want your mind blown, check this out - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-wEBmLht5g
3. Project Runway repeats on Foxtel. Man, that Tim Gunn is one stylish man.
4. Long Way Round repeats on Foxtel. Rob and I are both in love with Ewan McGregor. The man can act, sing, ride a bike around the world AND he appears to be incredibly nice.
5. Sewing lessons. I can now hem! I fear I will now become like ute owners - everyone will be dropping around their clothes for hemming.

Bath boy

2007-09-17T19:48:00.001+09:30

Chocolate Face and Mummy

2007-09-17T19:44:00.001+09:30

Slack blogger

2007-09-11T07:33:00.000+09:30

Can it really be almost 3 months since I last blogged? Yeesh, apologies for the slackness there. A quick update:
1. Ari is now 2.5 years old, is a non-stop talker, loves helicopters, planes and all things machinery related.
2. We are off to Sydney on a short holiday soon, so we can take said plane enthusiast on the real thing - he's obsessed with flying his little toy aeroplanes and looking at them in books.
3. Rob has a new job and is loving it.
4. I'm still working 2 days a week as family reporter at the Herald Sun, and doing the odd freelance job. This week - spring racing fashion and EastLink, what a mix!
5. We are trying toilet training this week - I'm a little scared...

Cookbooks

2007-07-29T14:11:00.001+09:30

There are lots of things that have gotten me through raising a child: Foxtel, buckets of red wine...only kidding.
No, I'm talking celebrity chefs.
When you're trying to feed a family in a new and interesting way and coax your baby/toddler to eat nutritious food, cookbooks come in quite handy. And I simply could not have survived without 2 particular cooks - Bill Granger and David Herbert.
When it comes to cooking for a family with kids in mind, these guys simply rock. Jamie, Stephanie and Nigella all have their strengths, but I've found their recipies to be too fiddly, too time consuming, too something...
Granger I'm sure you'll have heard of - he of the white pants, open-buttoned shirts and gleaming smile. He has shows on Foxtel and even endorses toothpaste (well, obviously), apart from selling binsquillions of books.
Despite the fact that he is very smiley and drips Sydney, I love Bill's food. His recipes have kept this family fed - from his glorious butterscotch and banana pudding (the BEST dessert ever in the world - go on, I dare you to find one better) to his tomato and zucchini baked risotto. Ari has scoffed down so much of this risotto. It was, for a time, his favourite food - he would even eat it cold when we were out and about.
I also worship at the culinary altar of David Herbert, the man behind The Perfect Cookbook (the best cookbook in the world ever - go on, I dare you to find one better). I know his recipes for beef casserole and bolognese sauce off by heart.
Until recently I didn't know what Herbert looked like - then his toothy grin popped up in The Weekend Australian magazine as its resident food man. As it turns out, he used to be Paul Keating's personal chef. I like the man even more...

Strange Days

2007-07-29T14:07:00.000+09:30

If you don't travel on public transport regularly, I swear you are missing out on the most fascinating things, people and sights. I love my twice-weekly trips on the train to work - not the least because I get to read the paper in peace on the way in. Bliss.
Today I saw two things on public transport that were quite odd:
1. An empty passionfruit, sitting on the seat across from me on a train. Who on earth eats a passionfruit on the train?
2. A bus driver who was dressed in his version of Urban Cowboy. He had on his bus driver's uniform of navy blue knitted vest, white shirt and blue trousers. But he had a white bandanna, a black cowboy hat and was chewing on a toothpick.

Why I love Top Gear

2007-07-23T19:12:00.000+09:30

Top Gear (Monday nights, 7.30pm, SBS) is the funniest show on TV. And it's a show about cars, something I have only a passing interest in. How is this possible?
Is it because most TV today is crap? Partly. There aren't many great comedies around. In fact, are there ANY good comedies around?
These days the only thing that gives me a real belly laugh are snippets of the Colbert Report on YouTube, Andrew Hansen's whacky songs on the Chaser (I'm still humming his "I need a hammer") and Family Guy.
Okay, so why is Top Gear so great then?
For starters, it's beautifully shot, wittily scripted and the three presenters, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are funny, intelligent and charming. Clarkson's quips are utterly hilarious. And the in-jokes between the three are fantastic.
Apart from last week's "make a car into a boat" challenge, the funniest thing I saw on Top Gear this year was a segment where they invited celebrities to do a lap in their reasonably priced car. A few B-graders turned up, among them Princess Diana's former shag James Hewitt.
Hewitt turned up to the race track, was greeted by the gents, did his lap, hung around and chatted and left. The trouble was, the hosts had absolutely no idea who he was. So his lap time went on the leader board as "Well Spoken Man". I really love this show.

Ear, ear

2007-07-23T19:06:00.001+09:30

Ari has a middle-ear infection, but is holding up like a trooper. We've had 2 sleep-interrupted nights and a few short bursts of pure crying misery, but otherwise our lil' lad is holding up well under the circumstances.
We have been incredibly lucky with Ari - he's hardly been sick in his life and he's been to the doctor three times in the past week and has started his very first course of antibiotics.
Ari has pretty much been sick non stop for three weeks - he's had a cold, that led to a virus, that led to an ear infection. Barred from seeing other babies for fear of infecting them, I am starting to feel like somewhat of a social leper.

Winter boredom

2007-07-16T07:39:00.000+09:30

While our reservoirs and water storages look a lot healthier this year, the winter months have been a shock to the system. Last year, it was cold, but the number of rainy days that prevented Ari and I going outside I could count on one hand.
I know we need the rain and all, but it really does make it hard to entertain a lively 2.5yo when you are stuck inside all the time.
YOU try coming up with an activity for a toddler 7 days a week when it's pouring bloody rain. I have already run out of ideas: we regularly go to an indoor playground, the Melbourne Museum and Northland Shopping Centre (yes, I know, it's a bit naff, but hey, there's a Toys R Us that offers a little rainy day diversion).
I have tried the local library's reading sessions for kids, but Ari honestly (I kid you not) prefers to run up and down the ramp, play with the shelves and jump in the beanbags than sit and listen to a book. Plus there's usually about 5000 kids and their parents there, so there's never enough room anyway.

The model 2.5yo

2007-07-16T07:29:00.000+09:30

To say Ari has been a tad fussy of late would be a serious understatement. Mr Particular was starting to drive us crazy until we received a letter in the mail from our Maternal and Child Health Nurse saying it was time for him to come in for his 2.5yo weigh-in.
Accompanying the note was a leaflet titled "Two and a Half Years". It reads:
"This is an age about which parents may need warning because so much that the child now does naturally, almost inevitably, is directly contrary to what his or her parents would like....Parents often say that they can't do a thing with a child of this age."
Basically, it reads like a perfect descriptor of Ari's behaviour and personality at the moment. So, bacially, I have a textbook 2.5yo on my hands.
Among its many insights:
1. 2.5yolds are rigid and inflexible: Damn right, they are! Ari has little routines and will not be swayed by them to, say, get dressed or put on a clean nappy.
2. They must give the orders. If they decide "mummy do", daddy cannot be accepted as a substitute. If they decide "me do it myself", then no one is allowed to help them.
This one is particularly rigid with Ari - not a day goes by without at least one frantic "my do it! my do it!".
3. It is an age of opposite extremes. Children of this age shuttle back and forth between two extremes, trying to include both in their decision - "I will, I won't." "I want it, I don't want it."
This one drives me spare some days. Ari will declare he wants a drink of milk, or a piece of chicken at dinner, then 2 seconds later, look at you as if you were crazy to even give it to him.
Needless to say, this glorious piece of yellow paper has become our solace - it's perfectly normal to have a crazy toddler.

Radio, radio

2007-07-03T13:31:00.000+09:30

There are many ways to survive being a stay at home parent. Not really being the scrapbooking type, I personally couldn't get through the day without radio.
My listening is usually blissful grabs at various points of the day, because, as you may have guessed by now, no parent of a 2yo could possibly sit around all day and listen to the wireless. Unless you are fabulously rich and quite frankly if that's the case, you should be tripping around St Tropez, not curled up next to 774.
When the alarm goes off, it's Ross and John on 3AW breakfast until Ari wakes up - and then I strain to hear the Rumour File through Ari's morning warblings. I used to be a committed Breakfasters listener (on 3RRR), but the likes of Tony Wilson, John Safran and even Angus Sampson couldn't compete with Ross and John in the end. I know it's probably not very cool, but no other show sets me up for the day quite like Ross and John.
Then it's pretty much a no go zone until lunchtime and the glorious Get This on (gulp) Triple M. Tony Martin and Ed Kavalee are hilarious - believe me, it's worth sitting through the terrible music of Triple M for the wonderful repartee of Tony and Ed.
I usually manage only about a half-hour of the show, while Ari eats his lunch, and it always gives me a laugh. I couldn't stop banging on to everyone I know about their hilarious "Caperil" - where they encouraged listeners to wear capes for the month of April.
Now if only I could find something for the "afternoon nap" and "cooking dinner" listening timeslots, I'd be set.

Ari, Ari, quite contrary

2007-07-03T13:24:00.000+09:30

It seems the Terrible Twos have descended upon us at last. It was inevitable, I guess, that the odd tantrum and naughty bit of behaviour should creep into our lives, but I've been trying to deal with it for the best part of two weeks now and it's quite a change.
Let me start by saying that our Junior Chop has not suddenly become some crazed terror of a child. Far from it. But he's starting to test us in little ways, that sometimes results in feet stamping, tantrums and the occasional wailing crying mess.

Another change has been a strange contrary turn of phrase, eg:
Ari: What's that?
Me: That's a crane.
Ari: That's not a crane, that's a truck!
Me: Oh, a truck is it?
Ari: No, not a truck! A crane!

And so on.

I have no idea what's going through his little noggin' when he has these strange conversations, but I'm sure it's all normal and part of figuring out the world. Or maybe he's just devised a superb way of frustrating his parents.

What I'm lovin...

2007-06-25T13:55:00.000+09:30

1. Project Runway. I am obsessed. So obsessed, in fact, that I have signed up for a sewing course in a vain bid to be Thornbury's Next Great Fashion Designer. Ha!
2. Family Guy. Particularly the "Hic-a-doo-la" episode. Obsessive fans will know what I'm talking about. All three of you.
3. The fact that I own the Traveling Wilburys CD. I jumped on that sucker the minute it was out in the shops. Any wonder it's No.1 on the charts with crazies like me around.
4. My new mobile phone. I was a bit sceptical at first, but the fact that I can have The Strokes "Reptilia" as my ringtone and the guitar intro from Pixies "U-Mass" as my message tone has won me over.
5. Ari is not sick anymore. Thank goodness. Last week was a loooooong week...

Jekyll and Hyde? Or Ari and Ari?

2007-06-06T12:36:00.000+09:30

What a difference a day makes.
Yesterday, Ari was a perfect angel, as he usually is. Fearing he would freak out getting a hair cut, he was the perfect child - he sat still in the chair, let the lady cut his hair and even admired himself afterwards.
Today, after a night of broken sleep (highly, highly unusual), he's a contrary little boy. He doesn't seem to want to eat much, or behave himself. It's incredibly frustrating as he's suddenly become a little boy I don't know and don't know how to handle.
Worse still, I've had to let him cry himself to sleep, which I hate doing. He just desperately needs to sleep, which is why he's being a little terror. I feel like the worst mother right now, but I know it's for the best.

Blonde boy

2007-05-22T19:18:00.001+09:30

Music = even more ace

2007-05-22T18:48:00.000+09:30

We are a routine family, there's no doubt about it. Ari eats, sleeps, bathes and reads by a fairly strict schedule - not that we're looking at the clock every second of the day, just that I happen to be one of those people who think children thrive on routine. Well, Ari does anyway.
I've considered the downsides of this - that he may never adapt to life at child care, kinder, etc, that he won't cope when we travel (he always does). But the upsides always seem to win.
One of the bits of the routine is that one parent bathes Ari while the other does the dishes. And to this part, we always have a loud soundtrack. We toyed with the idea of playing all of our CDs, going right through from A-Z, but considering how many we have, this seemed absurd.
And so our bathtime music is as random as can be, spanning from Bjork to U2 and everything in between. Lately it's been a lot of Arcade Fire (do yourself a favour if you haven't bought their CD. Wow).
Inevitably, Tom Waits features a lot. So much so that Ari, at the ripe old age of 2, can spot a Tom Waits growl instantly. He doesn't have a favourite Waits period or album yet, but with his father's encouragement, I'm sure by he's five he'll be requesting Rain Dogs over Swordfishtrombones.

Reading = ace

2007-05-22T18:16:00.000+09:30

If you ever had any doubt that reading is wonderful (and I'm sure you actually haven't), the impact books have on a toddler will convince you forever.
From his vast collection of (mostly secondhand) books, Ari has learned so many words and phrases.
From a book called Grandpa and Thomas by the wonderful Pamela Allen, he learnt how to say "Me too!" and now says it with gusto at every opportunity. Ditto "Looka looka" (from the seagulls in the book) and "paddle paddle".
He can wheel out words like volcano, caterpillar and triceratops, all thanks to books.
We read to Ari twice a day, usually 3-5 books per session. There's no hard and fast rules on how many books, but we always finish with his alphabet book - and this is already paying off, as he's spotting letters on number plates and signs.

More bloody jeans

2007-05-21T13:20:00.000+09:30

There are lots of things that change when you have a baby. And I'm not just talking about the (extremely) limited social life, or the fact that you find yourself driving along humming the theme to Thomas the Tank Engine (oh, woe is me).
There are the physical changes no one tells you about. In my case they were:
1. Half your hair falls out (breastfeeding)
2. Boobs unrecognisable (breastfeeding again); and
3. Strange dark blemishes on your face (called cloasma, or "the mask of pregnancy", which I think sounds far more dramatic).
I add to this list: You need to buy new jeans all the damn time.
I think I've gone through about six pairs of jeans in two years. At first it was due to changing sizes - from maternity back to regular jeans.
But then emerged a pattern - all the knees in my jeans would be out before I could even wear the damn things in. My latest pair, bought only about four months ago, just developed a little knee hole yesterday.
It's the constant kneeling down to pick up things, pick up Ari, dress Ari, bath Ari, etc, that has created this problem, of course.
So I either accept the fact this is going to happen and shell out $100 or more every four months, or hope like hell that little knee patches come back into fashion.

Great thoughts on life...

2007-05-15T13:50:00.000+09:30

My favourite quote in the world is one I have pinned up on my toilet door:

"If you know exactly what you are going to do, what is the point of doing it?"
Pablo Picasso

Today I finally found my favourite other quote on the web:

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid."

Frank Zappa.

A weekend away

2007-05-14T14:42:00.000+09:30

We have just returned from our first weekend away since having Ari, almost 2.5 years ago. (If you think that's unusual, all you childless folk, think again. We were fortunate enough to have someone willing to look after him for 2 nights - a lot of couples aren't that lucky!)
The destination: Hobart. The occasion: a friend's wedding.
It was a wonderful weekend, full of all the things you don't get to do once a little one arrives: linger in a bookshop, read the papers for hours over many coffees and big breakfasts, sleep in past 7am.
The wedding itself was great too, but the sheer liberation of only having to worry about ourselves for 2 whole days was fantastic.
Of course coupled with this was the inevitable: We missed our boy like crazy. Every single child I saw gave me a little pang inside.
He had a wonderful time staying with his Nanny and Poppy in Geelong and apparently never asked for us once. Even when he arrived home yesterday, he seemed nonplussed by the whole thing. He is such a good boy.

PS: Photos coming. Have been very busy and have barely been able to post, let alone load pics onto blogger. Stay tuned...

Baby fever

2007-04-24T13:41:00.000+09:30

A friend of ours has just had her second baby and one of my best friends is having her first in just ten short weeks.
It has really hit home that we no longer have a baby, but a boy.
They are (or soon will be) grappling with breastfeeding, night waking, dummies, swaddling, tummy time, bottles, sterilising and wondersuits. It seems like a million years since we even thought about all of that, and it brings into sharp focus what we'll have to encounter again if we have another child.
It's true that the next time I won't have to agonise over every little detail. I now know that whether or not to rock a baby isn't a life or death decision.
Am I ready for all that again? Certainly not yet. Even if Ari is pointing out babies left, right and centre. He even pointed them out to me in a Toys R Us catalogue today. Talk about pressure!

Wilco World

2007-04-24T13:25:00.000+09:30

I should really call this a baby/music blog. There seems to have been a lot of it lately.
Last week was all about Wilco. For anyone not familiar, they're a band from Chicago formed from the roots of alt-country band Uncle Tupelo and led by singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy.
Wilco means a lot to Rob and I - our wedding waltz was to a Wilco song called California Stars.
Their Palais show last week was only the second time we'd seen them live - the first was at a Big Day Out about four years ago.
It was a brilliant show, but for many people, their last show at the Palais (we stupidly didn't go) can't be topped. A few people I know rate it as their best-ever concert.
Still, it was bloody fantastic. Jeff Tweedy has kicked his drug habit and looks so much more together. The band were awesome. I didn't even notice two hours go by. Not even some drunk, talky-talks in front of us could ruin the show. Tweedy finished with an acoustic Uncle Tupelo song. It was so ace, I bought a Wilco hoodie!
The only downside is our concert ticket wad is all used up. No more shows on the horizon...

Snippets from a conversation over lunch

2007-04-24T13:13:00.000+09:30

Ari: Daddy car?
Carla: No, darling. Daddy's car isn't here anymore. It wasn't really Daddy's car, even though we called it that. It belongs to Andrew, Daddy's cousin. Daddy was just minding it for Andrew. Now Andrew has taken his car back. I know it must be hard for you to understand that.
Ari: Daddy car?
Carla: No, darling. (Repeat of long-winded explanation)
Ari: Daddy little car (pointing to Rob's treasured toy Trabant car from Germany).
Carla: Oh! You mean Daddy's toy car? Oh, of course, darling. Sorry, Mummy should have realised.

Man, what a dimwit I am some days!

Funny, funny boy

2007-04-15T17:26:00.000+09:30

Ari is utterly hilarious. At least, we find him so. Some examples to push my case for the affirmative:
1. At our getaway cottage this weekend, Rob and I were busying ourselves with unpacking in the bedroom. We walked into the lounge room to find Ari, remote control in hand, trying to switch on the wood heater.
2. If he spills something in his high chair, he says "ooh..bugger". It's so, so hard not to laugh. We shouldn't laugh at him (sort of) swearing, but it is very very funny.

Holiday!

2007-04-15T17:08:00.000+09:30

Well, not really. But that's what Ari called our weekend sojourn to the Yarra Valley.
It was lovely. We stayed at the beautiful Yering Gorge Cottages*, which Ari just adored. The cottages are set on a gentle slope, just perfect for top-speed bike fanging. We went on a short bushwalk to a nearby waterfall and the boy relished the opportunity to pick up lots of sticks (a relatively new obsession).
Ari also had the chance to try out his new travel cot, called a KinderKot. We found ourselves in a little bind - Ari had outgrown his conventional travel cot (the boy really does take after his tall, tall Dad), but it seemed silly to shell out on another travel cot when he'll soon be in a bed. Trouble is, in between that time, we'd still like to travel. The Kinderkot (basically a mini tent with its own inflatable mattress) is supposed to sleep kids as old as four, so we thought it would be a good investment. It was a hit...Ari loved sleeping in his "tent bed".
Today we took the boy to Healesville Sanctuary, which was okay (loads of American tourists + not too many native animals = not much fun), until we got to the Birds of Prey demonstration. Ari was absolutely enthralled. He sat almost perfectly still for a full half-hour and for the first five minutes of the demonstration yelled "WOW!", to the hilarity of some around us (I think others were a bit peeved). Whenever a bird flew back to its HQ, he would say "come back bird!"
Needless to say, it was the highlight of Healesville Sanctuary for us.
So a trip to the Yarra Valley and not a single winery visit. I think that's what you'd call parenthood.

*Disclosure: Rob designed the website for Yering Gorge Cottages.

Off with the Pixies

2007-04-02T12:48:00.000+09:30

The past week of our lives has been dominated by one thing: the Pixies.
After waiting all of my adult life to see them live, I have seen them twice, with one more time to come on Wednesday night at V Festival.
In our Festival of Pixies we have been listening to their albums, discussing their lyrics, watching them on You Tube, trying to stalk them at our local pub (failed dismally) and relishing the utter joy of seeing them perform live.
I won't bore you with the details, other to say that seeing Pixies at the Northcote Social Club last Tuesday was without a doubt the best gig I have ever seen (the reigning champ was Radiohead at Festival Hall, 1998).
It wasn't just the thrill of seeing your favourite band perform for the first time, it was a secret gig, it was at OUR LOCAL, they sounded amazing, Jarvis Cocker was there. It was huge. Did I get a little teary when they played Where Is My Mind? My oath I did. At one point they opened the curtain in the bandroom and all you could see was people's faces pressed up against the glass watching from the bar. I'm told it was deathly quiet in there because everyone wanted to listen to the band. There was also a crowd outside listening. It was incredible.
After the gig we had to rush home to relieve our babysitters, but my sister and her friends decided to stay on for a beer and debrief in the bar. They all bought their beers and just sat around shocked. That's what it was like for at least a day after that gig. None of us could quite believe we were there.
Then came Wednesday night at the Palace, St Kilda. Despite an almost identical set-list, it was a completely different vibe - a massive singalong celebration. The band sounded amazing once again. I could go on for hours, but I won't. More after V on Wednesday...

We're back

2007-03-24T19:32:00.000+10:30

Apologies again for our long absence from blogging...
Lots has happened around Danaflav Central: Rob and I have been married for 5 years, Carla is now 33 years old and Ari has a cold. The poor little sod's nose is running like a tap, but I refuse to give him any cold medicine, as it sent him positively batty last time. Sorry Dimetapp, but never again!
My birthday booty was pretty cool: a year's "surprise" CDs from Rob (meaning he buys me a random CD a month for the next year - CD No.1= Arcade Fire) and a Scorsese DVD pack from Loz = The Departed and The Aviator.
We are off to see The Pixies next week - regular readers will understand how significant this is.
We are trying to plan a holiday for later this year, but are undecided about where to go. Overseas is obviously out of the question with a wriggling 2yo. In fact, I have ruled out anywhere that involves a travel time of more than 3 hours.
So it looks like we'll be heading up to Queensland again, unless I can come up with a better idea. Possibly Port Douglas again, maybe with some Daintree action thrown in.

Busier than a one-armed paper hanger

2007-03-02T19:26:00.000+10:30

I know everyone is busy these days, but by god us Danaflavs are busy at the moment.
Between my job, Rob's job, Rob's freelance work, his master's degree, my freelance work and
of course AriWrangling, we just don't have time to scratch ourselves. Add to this the fact that my poor Mum has injured her back (she and Dad look after Ari while I work) and you have a couple of frazzled adults.
It was our fifth wedding anniversary the other day and my 33rd birthday is fast approaching. I don't think we will have time to mark either in any signficant way.
To all this I must factor in Ari's increasing demands. He has suddenly hit the Terrible Twos (which always makes me think of a little Bart Simpson banging a pot screaming "I am so great"). He is still a relatively well-behaved little boy, but has suddenly become so incredibly demanding and picky at times. Food was never really a problem before and now he seems bored during mealtimes and seems to want to do something else. He is really particular about lots of things and loses his temper more frequently. I hardly have Little Lucifer on my hands, but this sudden change has thrown us (as it always does - will we EVER get used to it?).

Charm School

2007-02-25T19:47:00.000+10:30

It seems Ari's charm knows no bounds.
I'm reminded of Ray Liotta's young Henry Hill in Goodfellas when I frequent our local shops. The kid just has this neighbourhood wired.
Every day we visit a local Baker's Delight, where in exchange for a few blown kisses, Ari receives a free hot-cross bun (or fruit bun when it's not Easter).
At the Italian deli up the road, he's handed free pieces of ham to sample.
A few days ago, Ari was in the shopping trolley at our local Coles when an older couple in front of us in the queue were quite taken with his smiles.
They cooed over him before handing him one of a dozen Lindt easter eggs they'd bought. Then another. And then another.
Ari has never eaten chocolate that I can recall, so this presented quite a situation. The couple clearly wanted him to tuck in straight away, but I made some feeble excuse about it being close to his lunchtime and tucked them away in a shopping bag.
The kid's already learned the incredible power of a smile. And I'm (really) not talking about the free food here. I love the fact that he's already figured out he can make people happy by being a nice boy and smiling at them.
It's a lovely, lovely trait that I hope he never loses.

Ari update: 2 years, 1 month old

2007-02-20T13:23:00.000+10:30

Name: Ari Murdoch Danaher-Flavell
Age: 2 years, 1 month.
Favourite past-time: Using his new toy drill to help Rob fix up an outdoor setting, watching "diggy-digging" (eg: any kind of roadwork, construction), dancing and clapping.
Favourite TV show: Doesn't have one yet, but likes to dip into a bit of Ernie (from Sesame St, on DVD).
Favourite book: "Construction" (basically a picture book of every kind of digger, tool and dump-truck), "Share Said the Rooster" by Pamela Allen, "Crazy Colours" by Dr Seuss.
Favourite food: rice, chicken, watermelon, mango, ice cream (a rare treat).
Favourite drink: orange juice or milk.
Favourite toy: new toy drill and screwdriver.
Favourite song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Do the Rubber Duck by Sesame Street gang, Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear.
Favourite outfit: Well, mine is his Meredith Music Festival t-shirt. Nothing like rock cred on a 2yo and I can't tell you how many comments he gets when he wears it. He once had a table full of drunk English backpackers in a pub fawning over him because of it.
Favourite playground: Coburg Lake, Hays Paddock, Melbourne Museum playground.
Favourite pool: Fitzroy.

At Scienceworks

2007-02-05T19:03:00.000+10:30

More party pics

2007-02-05T19:00:00.002+10:30

This boy was made for talkin’

2007-02-02T18:59:00.000+10:30

After a slow start, Ari is now talking a LOT. It’s as though a little switch has been turned on and his mouth is finally in gear with his brain.
For months and months he was stuck on a fixed vocab of “mummy”, “daddy”, “nanny”, etc. Now, he doesn’t stop. And it’s lovely to finally have someone to talk to who will answer back.
My favourite of his new sentences is "Mummy, car, bye-bye!". I know that must sound a bit lame to the adults reading this, but believe me, when you've been talking to someone for 2 years and they finally talk back, it's exciting!
Every day we go through his little alphabet book and he has a decent crack at most the letters. But the most exciting part of all this is that every single day he understands a new concept and is really starting to figure out his place in the world. He has started to interact with other children in the playground. All this has happened in the past few weeks.

Party!

2007-02-01T19:56:00.000+10:30

Ari’s birthday was a big success, despite the fears of a perennially-nervous party planner (ie: me).
We hosted a morning tea for 30 guests, featuring Rob’s legendary cupcakes and his now-legendary chicken sandwiches.
Despite the gloomy skies, the rain held off and it turned out to be a lovely morning at Hays Paddock. The kids (all four of them – can you tell hardly any of our friends have children?) enjoyed the playground and the adults enjoyed the food.
Ari was a little bewildered by all the people, but loved all his new toys and hoed into the cupcakes with gusto.
But I’ve learned a valuable lesson for next year’s party – don’t host it on the Australia Day long weekend! (Ari’s actual birthday is Jan 25). Less than half the people we invited could attend, with lots of events over that long weekend, including a christening, a wedding and the Big Day Out.

Sleep trickiness

2007-01-23T18:58:00.000+10:30

Ari has clocked up a few days of no daytime sleep. As any parent of a toddler will understand, this is a frightening prospect.
After days of trying to attribute it to The Heat (we've had a shocking run of near 40C days recently), I came to the conclusion today that he may be dropping his daytime sleep.
I may be overreacting (as is my usual style). But Rob and I suddenly have to face the prospect that our blessed 1-3 hour toddler-free time could be coming to an abrupt end.
But, as I remind myself constantly, we have lived a charmed life compared to some other families with little 'uns.
Ari has almost always slept through the night. For some parents of 2 year olds, this is a situation they could only dream of.
We'll see what the next few weeks brings...

Bob the Builder

2007-01-13T19:34:00.000+10:30

For so long, Ari was not the slightest bit interested in TV. We rejoiced in the fact that our lives weren't plagued by The Wiggles or Hi-5 (but secretly wished sometimes he was sit still for two minutes straight, even if it meant watching a bit of TV).
This all changed a little while ago when we switched on an episode of Bob the Builder - we figured that he loves all things digging, so what the hey?
We are now hassled for "diggy dig" at least 10 times a day. And so Bob the Builder has entered our lives. We limit his viewing to a little Bob once a day, sometimes twice if it's a rainy or stinking hot day and we're all going a little stir crazy inside.
In truth, Bob ain't so bad. I love hearing Neil Morrissey's voice (he was Tony from Men Behaving Badly) and the stories have a great message. Then there's that catchy song that stays in your head for days and days...

The museum...tot haven

2007-01-11T19:49:00.000+10:30

Gawd bless the Melbourne Museum. It's been our home away from home for a good year now, with good reason.
It offers an abundance of indoor running space on cold, rainy days and super hot, steamy days (and we've had plenty of those lately), has a wonderful children's gallery with lots of fun stuff, both indoors and out, and pretty good coffee for the grown-ups.
We honestly couldn't get by without it. I reckon we are there once, maybe twice a week on average. And with an annual membership, it's free for us to go. Free, I tells ya!
I know I sound a tad over enthused about it, but I don't know how any parent could get by without it. Ari particularly loves the "piders" in the insect exhibit, riding the escalators up and down (and up and down and up and down) and the cool outdoor playground.

Our other favourite Melbourne tot-spots include:
1. Hays Paddock - ace playground for kids of all abilities.
2. Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
3. Fitzroy Pool - beautiful pool, shady trees and very hip people-watching.
4. Scienceworks - a little boy's heaven.
5. Fairfield Boathouse playground.

Ari's hair

2007-01-11T19:31:00.000+10:30

Ari's hair, after a few months of post-crappy-haircut hiatus, is fantastic again.
Some days it's a side-parted HG Nelson slick look, others it's a crazy Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future-style mop. Either way, I love it. It finally has character again.
I'm encouraging a forward momentum in hair growth in a bid to create a Noel Gallagher mop (pictured left).
We'll do our best to encourage some of Noel's sharp wit and songwriting prowess too, of course.

A new year wrap-up

2007-01-01T17:52:00.000+10:30

Just to prove that we did pay attention to the outside world and remain parents of a toddler, I present our new year's list of hot and not stuff...

Best album: Joan As Policewoman or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Best TV show: We Could Be Heroes, Oz, The Cut.
Best movie: Match Point. Honorable mentions to Brokeback Mountain, Borat and Casino Royale. Best doco: An Inconvenient Truth and LoudQUIET Loud (about the Pixies).
Worst movie: Mission Impossible 3. Even Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the bad guy couldn't save it.
Worst TV show: Australian Idol or Dancing With The Stars.
Best song: One Crowded Hour by Augie March. Sublime.
Gig of the year: The Strokes at Festy Hall.

Happy New Year

2006-12-31T19:03:00.000+10:30

It was a year ago today...
1. That the temperature was about 40C at midnight. We watched Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers on DVD, then went outside at midnight to scan the sky for fireworks, only to be greeted by a hot, hot wind. It was the hottest night I could ever remember.
2. Our boy walked for the first time. He hasn't stopped since...

Kiss kiss...

2006-12-31T19:01:00.000+10:30