tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-362755932024-03-13T22:02:04.231+11:00Camille's ChronicleUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-57489636771688149722021-08-26T15:29:00.003+10:002021-08-26T15:29:39.142+10:00<p> testing as to whether I can post</p>vickigoodmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12383699731373946922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-61599716609132311222018-09-04T19:28:00.001+10:002018-09-04T19:28:09.606+10:00Turning 13Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-5994130501135868362017-08-30T20:08:00.004+10:002017-08-30T20:08:40.197+10:00Turning 12....!Another year has flown byUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-30974714834339199752016-08-18T21:34:00.003+10:002016-12-30T19:30:34.281+11:00And now I'm 11...!<br />
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Age 11 <br />
Height 155 cm<br />
Weight 39kg<br />
Grade 5 with Amanda<br />
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Camille continues to be a happy go lucky girl who approaches life and all it has to offer with enthusiasm<br />
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<u>Special events</u><br />
A school trip to Nanjing in China<br />
Sailing up the Yangtze<br />
Snorkeling on the Barrier Reef<br />
Catching the train to school by herself!<br />
Being a thoroughly independent girl<br />
A minute-to-win-it party 11th birthday party<br />
Off to see Matilda the musical<br />
Entertaining Chinese visitors<br />
Swags of medals won at gymnastics comps<br />
Joining the Darebin Purples and having a few wins<br />
Off to school camp for the first time<br />
Our annual visit to see the tiges play<br />
And of course our summer trips to OG this time with Mei and Anna both staying<br />
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<u>Books</u><br />
A random mix of books<br />
Limney Snicket<br />
Ruby Redfort<br />
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<u>Films</u><br />
Gymnastics films<br />
The BFG<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-37594393906950189012015-08-17T15:40:00.000+10:002016-05-04T22:21:34.431+10:00Double Digits!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It truly is a special birthday when you finally hit the double digits!!<br />
Age: 10 years<br />
Height: 1.44<br />
Weight: About 32 kg<br />
Grade 4 with Amanda<br />
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Camille is a happy enthusiastic girls who loves school, soccer, gymnastics and her friends.<br />
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<i><u>Special events</u></i><br />
Our family road trip form Port Fairy to the Grampians via Nelson<br />
The FCC camp at Ballarat<br />
A surprise visit to Ms Fisher's exhibition for mother's day<br />
Watching Richmond at the G<br />
A midwinter trip to Phillip Island with Anna Denton & co<br />
A trip to the NGV to see Jean Paul Gautier<br />
A cinema party to turn 10<br />
A digital watch for Christmas<br />
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<br />
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Books<br />
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<u><i>Television</i></u><br />
This was the year we found Merlin<br />
Wacky workd beaters<br />
Arthur<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-57279578589590811892014-08-16T19:22:00.003+10:002021-08-27T07:09:08.379+10:00And now I am nine<br />
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<strong>At Monet's garden Giverny</strong></div>
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<strong>Age; 9 years</strong></div>
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<strong>Height: 1.37 m</strong></div>
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<strong>Weight 29.5 kg</strong></div>
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<strong>Grade 3 </strong></div>
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Tomorrow our gorgeous girl will turn 9. It has been 4 years since I have written this blog which is a shame as so much has happened. Camille has flourished at school and loves RWPS. The only reason she seems to miss a day is if she is on holidays. We have returned to China twice and taken Mu to France. We are quite the jet setting family<br />
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<u>Recent accomplishments</u><br />
Camille is becoming fluent in Mandarin. She loves school and is doing very well in all areas.<br />
She is now a member of the Darebin Falcons soccer club and so enthusiastic. She also is a keen gymnast, and loves going to Kaygees and entering competitions whenever she can.<br />
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<u>Happy events</u><br />
Getting Polly our beautiful cat<br />
Going to France<br />
Our road trip around SW Victoria<br />
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<u>Television shows</u><br />
Loves our weekly movies. Operation Ouch - not the slightest bit squeamish. The Octonaughts. Shaun the Sheep. Ben and Holly's big adventures and of course still Peppa Pig.<br />
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<u>Books </u><br />
Harry Potter all 7 of them in this last year. She is a fabulous focused reader. <br />
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<strong>In a school project Camille described herself as</strong><br />
Chinese Australian<br />
Long hair, flexible, sweet tooth,<br />
Art lover, science girl, biologist<br />
Joful, crazy, adventurous, noisy, happy<br />
Fabulous, polite, experimental, beautiful, extraordinary<br />
Loves gymnastics, <br />
Loves soccer,<br />
Book lover<br />
Favourite colours: purple, green, blue<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-61949341929314255552010-08-17T08:39:00.005+10:002010-08-17T08:51:05.159+10:00Have you heard the news: I'm five!!!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/TGm_yHjM7OI/AAAAAAAAA7A/jxeNkOdRXN4/s1600/pic+4+-+Copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506142887178202338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 223px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/TGm_yHjM7OI/AAAAAAAAA7A/jxeNkOdRXN4/s320/pic+4+-+Copy.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>Age:</strong> 5 years<br /><strong>Height:</strong> 109 cm <div><strong>Weight:</strong> 15.8 kg<br /><br /><strong><u>Recent Accomplishments/cognitive development</u></strong> </div><div>Read the word Docklands without any help from a magazine 12/5/10<br />Inserted a word into a story and she said ‘There’s no green in the story Mum!’ (can she read a bit or just remember very well?)<br />Knew how to turn up the volume on the computer without having been taught (must have seen me!)<br />Knows all the months of the year<br />Lots of Chinese words<br />Slept all night in her own bed for the first time in 2and ½ years (she must have been sick or something because it has never happened again)<br />Can tie her own shoelaces 24/5/10<br />Knows our home telephone number 20/5/10<br />Knows Mum’s mobile number<br />Counted to 68 by 2s<br />If it’s 5 past, then why is it on a 1?<br />Can wrap a present and tie the bow<br />Has learnt to tell a fib ‘I’ve already washed my hands and flushed the toilet’<br />Beginning to reason ‘When it’s hot you eat cold food and when it’s cold you eat hot food’<br />Can manage chopsticks<br /><br /><strong><u>Cute /funny things</u></strong><br />I’m a vision in pink Mum!<br />Oh it’s so cuuute!!!<br />I actually didn’t feel myself going into your bedroom….. You carried me!<br />Lizzie the mouse was found in the bath and was let out into our backyard never to be forgotten nor seen again ( ‘I wonder if she’s still there, I wonder if a cat ate Lizzie?’)<br />Practising her Wiggles dances the night before the concert<br />The <strong><em>SLUG NIGHTMARE</em></strong>: woke up screaming that there were slugs all over her bed (Camille hates slugs!)<br />‘True life Mum’ = it’s true<br />But what did you think about the porridge at Waratah Bay… Yuck I didn’t like it! (but she said when she was there that she couldn’t eat any more)<br />Where are your manners??? They’ve gone away on holiday<br />O my God that was embarrassing!<br />I’m waiting for my darlings to come home<br />What would you like for dinner? ‘Just let me get my cookbook and I’ll show you’<br />Boots off dad, I’ve just vacuumed the floor<br />I’m 5 and 5/4 (meaning nearly 5)<br />Mum decamped to Camille’s bed, leaving Tim on Mum’s side of the bed. Camille feels Dad’s leg when she’s still half asleep, but suddenly realizes it’s much too hairy, wakes up and decamps to join up with Mum.<br />Learnt this song up at The Gold Coaster from her cousins<br /><em>An aeroplane in the night sky<br />With shooting stars<br />I really could use a wish right now<br />Wish right now<br />OOOh baby </em></div><div><br /><strong><u>Magic Moments</u></strong></div><div>Playing golf together before book club<br />The 20 minute improvised dance performance<br />Toasting marshmallows together at the Buchan caves<br />Sitting in front of the heater getting drowsy at Buchan<br />The performance of Camille’s magic show<br />Spending ages in the platypus enclosure at the zoo, watching the platypus swim up and down<br />At Mangala: dancing and creating shadows on the wall<br />Going down the waterfall ride at SeaWorld<br />Her determination to master chopsticks<br /><strong><u>Foods<br /></u></strong>Chicken and bean casserole, fried rice, spring rolls<br /><strong><u>Television<br /></u></strong>Tinkerbell, Sesame Street, Playschool<br /><strong><u>Play<br /></u></strong>Craft rules. Dot drawing at kinder. A bird’s nest with birds and eggs just hatching. Prolific in her production of paintings, drawings and craft items<br /><strong><u>Books</u></strong></div><div>Fairy tales and revisiting all her books</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-71892057573870747782010-04-09T16:06:00.008+10:002010-04-11T12:30:54.580+10:00The Kinder Kid is 4 years and 8 months<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/S77HQgS98aI/AAAAAAAAA6g/phHcnt7UPVA/s1600/DSC01580.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458018884780945826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/S77HQgS98aI/AAAAAAAAA6g/phHcnt7UPVA/s400/DSC01580.JPG" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458020371256015058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/S77InB2PeNI/AAAAAAAAA6o/x1e3XXwOG2Y/s400/DSC01421.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458021305109369858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/S77JdYuO1AI/AAAAAAAAA6w/UZU_PkcZekw/s320/DSC01614.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><strong><u>Milestones: I’m 4 years and 8 months<br /></u>Age:</strong> 4 years 8 months<br /><strong>Height:</strong> 106 cm<br /><strong>Weight:</strong> 14.5 kg<br /><br /><strong><u>Recent Accomplishments/cognitive development</u></strong><br />Is much quieter at times as she is tending to internalise her thoughts more<br />Learnt to ride her bicycle on 2 wheels with her Dad at Johnson’s Park<br />Will finally take a shower </div><div>Can reach the front door<br />Drawings more interesting and elaborate eg Mum in the rain, Dad pushing me on the bicycle<br />Wanting me to read chapter books to her (The Magic Faraway Tree was the first, then Tashi)<br />Is not too bad at using chopsticks<br />Started to draw herself with black hair<br />Can read (remember?) The months of the year<br />Saying ‘2 plus 2 is 4. What’s 4 plus 4? It’s 8. What’s 8 plus 8? It’s 16. What’s 16 plus 16? It’s 32. What’s 32 plus 32? It’s 64. ie working out a pattern and repeating it.<br /><br /><strong><u>Cute /funny things</u></strong><br />Did you kick some goals today Daddy?<br />I think I’ll call you Victoria Station (to Mum)<br />Walking around the house saying ‘Touch the spindle, touch it I say’ (from Sleeping Beauty)<br />Tim fell asleep during the Winter Olympics, woke to find that Camille had put water all over the floor and was pretending to ice skate<br />Tim’s a number 1 hindrance because he’s not helping<br />I started talking before you talked, actually<br />I’m not impressed with my Dad, he watered me<br />Pretending to be a doctor and taking everybody’s temperature and even reading the temperatures correctly (sometimes)<br />After watching the Paralympics and being fascinated by the different disabilities (one leg, blind, no arms etc), said to me ‘But everybody has to have a head Mum’<br />Looking up at the night sky and saying ‘Hey look at all the fireflies! Just joking, they’re really stars!’<br />Mum came home late and didn’t read her the next chapter of the Faraway Tree. So Camille woke up in bed at 4am (next to me of course) and had a major meltdown insisting that I read that chapter, and just for peace I did it!! The things we do..<br />Playing doctors with Tim and saying ‘My baby Lili’s head was cut off by a woodcutter’<br />Dressing up in a cardboard box, pretending to be a robot and eating her dinner with it on<br />Talks nonstop about her birthday party, has made a list already, sends letters to friends saying they are invited, but we don’t quite know what the date is, but sometime in August<br /><br /><strong><u>Magic Moments</u></strong><br />Taking Mei by the hand as they went into Mangala for the first class (so that Mei would not be scared)<br />Did a drawing of Mum and Camille: Camille had black hair and a purple dress, Mum had yellow hair and a blue dress, (because they’re our favourite colours Mum)<br />In Brunetti’s watching Camille and Mei ecstatic as they looked at the huge variety of cakes, lollies, eggs etc. They were laughing and giggling and could hardly believe that so many yummy things were there right in front of them. Camille ‘Imagine if I ate all that cake Mum, it’d be like having a baby in my tummy!’<br />Swimming in the outside pool at Northcote after swimming on a Monday night, with Camille diving off the side of the pool and swimming through my legs, over and over again<br />Mad watering of each other in the backyard. Me with the hose from the tap and Camille with the hose from the tank, both of us ending up soaking wet.<br />Watching Poh cook meals on TV together</div><div>Camille making peanut butter sandwiches by herself, and putting them in our pink and orange containers for our adventure to the Botanic gardens<br /><br /><strong><u>Foods<br /></u></strong>Now will eat cutlets, still won’t eat much breakfast, but has a good appetite at the end of the day. Loves rice, pasta noodles, Chinese chicken and corn soup, and LOVES ice cream<br /><strong><u>Television<br /></u></strong>Dirt girl world, Sesame Street, Waybaloo, Nanigugu, Timmy Time, Chuggington and of course beloved Playschool. Poh’s cooking show<br /><strong><u>Play<br /></u></strong>Loves craft, craft and more craft, likes to play doctors, playing beautifully with little friends, little conflict and lots of laughter. Always hanging off Miranda’s gate waiting for her. Loves play dates<br /><strong><u>Books</u></strong><br />Chapter books like the Magic Faraway Tree, Tashi. The Jolly Postman. Many, many books borrowed from the library as well</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-14832704164120035312010-01-22T10:30:00.006+11:002010-01-22T11:14:00.930+11:00Milestones Christmas: I'm 4 and 1/4 and I've been living in Autralia for 3 years now!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/S1jksikPOfI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/aBIsNa2x5U8/s1600-h/Camille+with+Santa+20009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429340804639308274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 258px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/S1jksikPOfI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/aBIsNa2x5U8/s400/Camille+with+Santa+20009.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><u>MUM</u></strong><br />Camille is enthusiastic, energetic, affectionate<br /><u>DAD</u><br />Camille is happy, inquisitive, social<br /><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><strong><u><em>Age:</em></u></strong> 4 and a 1/4<br /><strong><u><em>Height:</em></u></strong> 104 cm<br /><strong><u><em>Weight:</em></u></strong> 14.5 kg<br /><br /><br /><strong><em><u>Recent Accomplishments/cognitive development</u></em></strong><br />Why does the sun move over the sky?<br />Being brave while having her first filling Sept 22nd 2009<br />Can write her full name Camille Goodman<br />Mum is that a picture of a rooster? No it’s a hen Camille. Hens lay eggs, they are the girls, roosters are the boys. But Mum I’m a rooster? (born in the year of the rooster)<br />HP does that spell happy Mum?<br />Doing backward and forward rolls in the pool<br />Has learnt the difference between living and non-living, and has started asking what is living or not<br />Some understanding of time, but a bit hit and miss<br />Can count to 100, can read numbers to 100, beginning bigger numbers (by reading street numbers)<br />Can finally wipe, fluch, clean and dry hands at the toilet<br />Thinking about adding up eg 2+3 = using fingers<br />Can spell everything and can write (of a fashion) all letters<br />Loves to write letters and post them<br />Can tie knots, but not bows yet<br />Can cross the monkey bar at Johnson Park<br />Apparently can recognise some Chinese characters<br /><br /><strong><em><u>Cute /funny things</u></em></strong><br />After winning a game, cried out ‘I’ve go the yellow jersey!’<br />Sorry I was mean to your friends (after refusing to talk to book club ladies)<br />Call Dad Timbuktu and mummy Vickibuktu<br />Waking up at 5 am remembering ‘Mum we forgot to put the milk out for Santa’<br />That’s a very small bed Mum, let’s do top to tail<br />Someone at crèche was saying Jesus, and Camille was told not to say it. So when I was reading the Christmas story camille learnt that it was Ok to say baby Jesus. Later she was heard around the house saying when cross baby Jesus!’<br />I’m in a marching band (while wearing her tartan skirt)<br />Wearing her new ballet shoes to bed<br />Love to be swept around the floor with a broom like dirt<br />Crying her heart out when picked up by her dad and having to sit in the front. By the next day she was asking for a ride in the truck!<br />That’s OK Dad you can pick me up in the SAAB (and not the truck)<br />Can we go to the old market Mum (= can we buy some jam doughnuts)<br />When gloomy shadows come I can shine my light (=torch) on it<br />‘We need headbands to practise (tennis)<br />On when you’re speaking French can you say wee/oui<br />There’s only two seasons to my birthday, so that’s not a very long time (ie summer and autumn) She probably went to an owl meeting (after reading the story about Owl babies)<br />My 2 veronica’s = 2 harmonicas<br />What’s that Bix doing? Fannanbagging<br />I’m not 16. I’m not very keen on boys (after watching Sleeping Beauty who is 16 and in love)<br />Let’s go to Fairyfields Library (because she is dying to have a party at Fairyfields in Fairfield)<br /><br /><strong><em><u>Magic Moments</u></em></strong><br />Face painting me in bed using the Pooh Bear tissue box as her ‘palette'<br />Don’t be cross, love me Mummy<br />Making pizzas and muffins together,<br />Running through the sprinkler together on a hot summer’s night<br />Holding Nanna’s hand during the scary bits of Sleeping Beauty. Was Nanna scared? ‘Yes but she got through it’<br /><br /><strong><u><em>Foods<br /></em></u></strong>This is the summer of the ice-cream, soft serve or in a cone or on stick or from Mr. Whippy. Mangoes and most fruits are real favourites.<br /><br /><strong><u><em>Television<br /></em></u></strong>Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Sesame Street, Mr. Maker, Playschool<br /><br /><strong><em><u>Play</u></em></strong><br />Loves craft, craft and more craft, drawing, her scooter, bike, cricket, kicking a soccer ball<br /><br /><strong><u><em>Books</em></u></strong><br />Loves fairy stories, especially The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Red ThreadUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-40909806583103612052009-09-25T09:38:00.007+10:002009-09-26T07:51:45.923+10:00Milestones: I'm 4 years old now!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/Sr0609HIeTI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/R2FVZ2hei7M/s1600-h/DSC09259.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385525410837068082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/Sr0609HIeTI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/R2FVZ2hei7M/s400/DSC09259.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/Sr0vHwV-iPI/AAAAAAAAA6I/GQI9gsOb12E/s1600-h/DSC09259.JPG"></a><br /><br /><div>Age: 4 years<br />Height: 103 cm<br />Weight: 14.2 kg<br /><br /><strong><em><u>Recent Accomplishments/cognitive development</u></em></strong><br />1-10 in Chinese, as well as her colours blue, purple, red. Black, green, mum and dad<br />Hot and cold makes warm Muma<br />Knows her o’clocks and half pasts<br />But how can he (Santa) get up the chimney?<br />When writing the invitations to her part on the 16th, looks at me alarmed ‘But that’s not my birthday!’<br />Mix the (hot) pumpkin with the rice to make it cool Muma </div><div>Can turn the computer on and off, access the internet, and find ABC on the favourites list. Plays games on ABC kids. her favourite is bottletop Bill and Chuggington</div><div>Can now use arms, legs and blow bubbles when doing torpedoes. can fetch an object from teh bottom of 1.5m of water<br /><br /><strong><em><u>Cute /funny things</u></em></strong><br />I’m 62 and ½ . I can drive. You sit in the front and tell me when to turn.<br />You can’t understand Chinese Muma. You haven’t got black hair<br />A merangatang (aka an orangutan)<br />The hostible<br />Tim and I making arrangements in code spelt out M-E-I. Camille says excitedly ‘that spells Mei Daddy!'<br />In code ‘She doesn’t wants to go to the S-H-O-P-S.’ ‘The supermarket Mum?’<br />I’ve got fe hong se everywhere Mum! (being Chinese for pink)<br />If you love something it’s hard to share<br />I ate so much I’ve got a baby in my tummy<br />Go on Mum, say good thinking 99<br />Olivia quotes ‘Let’s help Mother nature by not wasting water’ ‘Sometimes children know better than their parents’<br />Chatting to the Japanese girls at dinnertime. ‘Hello Chico. How was your day? Did you go to school or did you go to work?<br />Listening to her talk to her mate Milly on the phone, asking her ‘What are you wearing to my party Milly?<br />Kissing the jellies before they go into the fridge ‘Goodnight sweethearts’<br />I spelt P-A-R-T-Y. And Camille said ‘ Anna’s party?’<br />I want to be private (in the toilet)<br />Playing Rat the shopkeeper with Camille as Rat with a sun visor on. And me as B1 or B2 or Morgan etc<br />Mum sweeping the floor yet again says ‘Just call me Cinders’ Camille looking on replies ‘Yes we’re too mean’<br />Saying to us ‘watch this parents’ (and we have to watch a dance)<br />Look there’s Kevin Rudd! We like him. He’s our favourite!<br />I’m STILL hungry (= please buy me a chocolate, cake or doughnut at the supermarket) </div><br /><div>Can we please go to the old market Mum (=can wwe go to Victoria Market so that I can have a hot jam doughnut)<br />If a dog gets lost he might ask another dog<br />I’m going to put it in my shed (aka her cubby)<br />I’m the president listen to me!<br />It’s not a unicorn because it doesn’t have a horn! Is it a pony I asked? No Muma it’s a Pegasus because it has wings. Where on earth did you learn that I ask? At dancing.<br /><br /><br /><strong><em><u>Magic Moments</u></em></strong><br />At the beach saying ‘I want to go home’ (and me thinking yes this really is her home now)<br />Watching her walk Pippa the dog along the beach at Waratah Bay<br />Dancing in the family room and singing Chinese songs<br />Let’s have family hug<br />One day when we visit my China…………………<br />Dancing for joy around the house in her new pink party shoes she chose at Pumpkin Patch<br />Sitting up in bed with her Mumma. Both of us wearing glasses and reading books. (Camille pretending to read one of my fiction books)<br />Doing a magpie dance around the house with her magpie puppet<br />Listening to her sing a melody of mixed up nursery rhymes as stream of consciousness<br />Saying. Is that before I was adopted Muma?<br /><br /><strong><u><em>Foods<br /></em></u></strong>Loves cake chocolate and sweet things, how surprising. But also loves all fruit. And will now eat chicken. Has an appetite and is slowly but steadily putting on weight.<br /><br /><strong><em><u>Books<br /></u></em></strong>I spy books. Angelina Ballerina. Charlie and Lola. And too many to list, many coming from the library.<br /><br /><strong><u><em>Television<br /></em></u></strong>The Bear in the Big Blue House. Playschool. Charlie and Lola. BBC craft show. Angelina Ballerina. Olivia. Chuggington. Chinese Wiggles, Mei Mei Dance and Learn</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-49125913837946203012009-04-17T14:49:00.002+10:002009-04-29T15:27:35.108+10:00Milestones: Three years and eight months<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SfflHyOgclI/AAAAAAAAA5g/leCVl3iN4NY/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+247.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329980605920735826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SfflHyOgclI/AAAAAAAAA5g/leCVl3iN4NY/s400/1.+January+2009+247.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><u><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Milestones: 3 ears and 8 months</strong></span><br /></u><strong>Age</strong>: 3years and 8 months<br /><strong>Height:</strong> 103cm!!!<br /><strong>Weight:</strong> 13.7kg<br /><br /><strong>Recent Accomplishments: </strong><br />Can write her name! 4/4/09<br />Has started spelling words<br />Typed out the alphabet on the computer 31/1<br />Uses the computer to write out names of friends and family31/1<br /><br /><strong>Language/cognitive development development</strong><br />Has a ting ting (bell) on her bike ‘mummy I tinged it!’<br />One year ago Camille said to Tim ‘pick <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Muma</span> up work Dada, now now now”<br />A year later she asked me on the phone “<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Muma</span> have you finished work yet?”<br />After being told that Pa <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">couldn</span>’t walk, she replied ‘Pa can’t walk, but he can open the door<br /><br /><strong>Cute Things<br /></strong>Saying ‘Where’s the rubbish bin? Over there.’ in a strange Yorkshire type accent (at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">OG</span>)<br />All packed at 7.20 for the first day of creche after the holidays<br />Are there <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">yabbies</span> in that dam Mum?<br />Singing 'On a rainy day we have some lemonade’ all around <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Waratah</span> Bay at Christmas time<br />Falling asleep on her Dad’s shoulders at the antique market at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Daylesford</span><br />Practising her ls “<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">lllola</span>” and saying ‘I’m just learning Mum’<br />Where’s your please Camille? “It’s gone out the window” (see below for elaboration of this story)<br />It’s very quiet round here (= put on the TV)<br />Woke at 3am, flicked on the light, took off her pull up and started to go downstairs (thinking it was morning)<br />Saying I’m not tired over and over (10 times at least) after reading the Charlie and Lola book ‘I’m not sleepy’<br />My funky shoes<br />That’s a cool bike Mum<br />I’m half <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">nuddie</span> Dada (= no undies)<br />Look Mum they <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">wroted</span> on the wall, what were they thinking, their Mummies will be very cross, they’ll have to sit on the step for a <em><strong>very</strong></em> long time<br />Mummy, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">icecream</span> makes children happy<br />Oh no my phone is ringing<br />They’re having a talking fight (= arguing)<br />Saying ‘That’s fair enough’ after I told her she <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">couldn</span>’t do something until later<br />After feeding me some rice I said ‘thanks Mum’, she replied, ‘that’s alright baby’<br />What’s rabbit in Chinese Camille? ‘I don’t know, I’m Australia person’<br />Who do you take to bed Camille? (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">ie</span> a teddy or a doll?) ‘Mummy’<br /><br /><em>The wildest story ever:<br /></em>Camille recklessly threw a cardboard tube and it hit me. She refused to say sorry and so had to sit on the step. Later at dinner she said. ‘Mummy you know before my manners went out the window to the zoo, no to the country and they got eaten by a horse and he’s got a button on his mouth’ (She really said this-Tim and I were both <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">flabergasted</span>)<br /><br /><strong>Magic moments</strong><br />Watching the man twirl pizzas in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Lygon</span> St every week before we go to dancing at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Mangala</span><br />Sitting next to Pa when he <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">couldn</span>’t walk and chatting away with him for just ages, and continuing to sit with him after he fell asleep in his chair<br />Sitting in the toilet in the dark with Mandy’s flashing blue cocktail glass<br />After finding the adoption Barbie, Camille went downstairs to get her Ken doll to complete her ‘family’<br />Having Camille play hairdressers on me for the first time ‘I’m Thanh…’<br />Camille doing the water spraying while I iron<br />Assisting me to cook dinner (peeling, pouring, measuring, mixing)<br /><br /><strong>Games<br /></strong>Pretending she is Rat (I’m a rat I’m a rat I’m a very clever rat), from Bananas in Pyjamas. Lots of sticking and pasting, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">dressups</span>. Wild jumping anywhere she can. Climbing around her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">cubby</span><br /><br /><strong>Toilet training<br /></strong>Fully trained in the day but not at night. Looks like we’re in for the long haul<br /><strong>Sleep<br /></strong>In bed at 6.30 asleep about 7 to 7.30. awake at about 6 to 6.30.<br />No daytime naps at all unless in the car. A total <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">disaster</span> if she does sleep as she’s up until 9 (poor Mum!)<br /><br /><strong>Foods<br /></strong>A much bigger appetite, no doubt due to her high level of activity.<br />Still adores rice and pasta. But has started eating meat (sometimes). Loves meat pies (thanks Tim!).<br />Loves chocolate and treats..In the supermarket says 'I’m still hungry or I’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">ve</span> been a very good girl today' (= give me a treat)<br /><br /><strong>Books<br /></strong>Prefers made up stories about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">KiKi</span> the koala at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">moment</span> to books (as this means she can take an active role in creating the stories)<br /><br /><strong>Television<br /></strong>Mei Mei over and over again</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-18496695039993634192009-04-08T15:16:00.003+10:002009-04-08T15:49:07.892+10:00Our First Pantomime<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzapUuSXfleGlOD_nFGczbU48eqrU_Sc3WiYrgD8wvMEDvE-QDZ0CPCk7UVh_UqoXDRCqglnvOEACY' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-22573320239056512262009-04-08T14:44:00.002+10:002009-04-08T14:51:06.287+10:00Who Just Loves ice Cream?<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SdwslY9BTpI/AAAAAAAAA4w/xn38Tr1z1M4/s1600-h/IMG_0565.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322177880510254738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SdwslY9BTpI/AAAAAAAAA4w/xn38Tr1z1M4/s400/IMG_0565.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-78200432375710633062009-04-08T14:29:00.004+10:002009-04-08T14:44:09.209+10:00Camille and the Sunflowers<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/Sdwq2iPxq8I/AAAAAAAAA4o/pc_eBhHtUkY/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+362.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322175976039361474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/Sdwq2iPxq8I/AAAAAAAAA4o/pc_eBhHtUkY/s320/1.+January+2009+362.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/Sdwp7WJUM1I/AAAAAAAAA4g/5zKXORizTKk/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+370.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322174959178756946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/Sdwp7WJUM1I/AAAAAAAAA4g/5zKXORizTKk/s320/1.+January+2009+370.jpg" border="0" /></a>My good friend Veronica Brunton gave Camille a special book called <strong><em>Camille and the Sunflowers</em></strong>. It’s about Vincent van Gogh and the time he spent in Arles in the South of France. Inspired by the title I just had to have a go at growing a giant sunflower this year, with splendid results, if I may say so. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-40320125707176795092009-02-18T10:20:00.002+11:002009-02-18T10:24:58.144+11:00Melbourne's Hottest DayWe all knew it was going to be hot, very hot. The FCC Chinese New Year was rescheduled as the predicted 43C was deemed too hot for any outdoors event. The evening was cool but the temperature started climbing quickly. I had organised to pick up my new bike. Unfortunately they only opened up at 10 so I had to ride home later than I’d wanted. By 10.30 it was already 38C. As soon as I got home I said let’s close all the doors and not go outside again for the day<br /><br />Around lunchtime the wind began to howl, and the temperature climbed rapidly. I was shocked when I saw 45.8C on my indoor outdoor themometer. Without air conditioning we were doing well inside at 32C. We whiled away the day watching DVDs, playing games, having a bath and not doing much at all. Fortunately Camille was oblivious and just played happily in the nude all day.<br /><br />Soon the smoke started billowing overhead. We listened to 774 and heard how fires were starting up all over the state. News reports confirmed this. We all realised it was serious, but as yet we didn’t know just how bad.<br /><br />Around 6.30pm the change came so we opened up the house and were able to sleep quite comfortably. During the night I woke up and went downstairs to listen to my radio and heard the shocking news. The whole town of Marysville was gone. Just wiped out. Stunned I went upstairs to wake Tim and tell him the news.<br /><br />Of course there was far worse news to come. Kinglake, Narbathon, Strathewen and all the other small communities were gone. Whole families. 200+ perished. Beautiful happy families and smiling faces we saw in the papers in the following days. We’re all totally shocked as we try to imagine the fear and terror they all suffered.<br /><br />I found out that one of my colleagues at work Laurie Carter lost his home at St. Andrews. Everything. Just gone. Harder still for Laurie given that he built his home himself and it was a true labour of love. As the fires were surrounding him all that we can be grateful for was the his family was safe.<br /><br />A southerly blew for a few days after the fire so there was no smoke in the city even though the fires are so close. The wind has now changed and we can smell the smoke everywhere. The sky has a eerie grey tinge to it and the sun is like a great big red ball of fire. And still the CFA are battling to control the fires, some 1½ weeks later. We’re all just lost for words during this sad time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-83716512258438460132009-02-12T16:41:00.006+11:002009-04-08T15:16:25.689+10:00Chinese New Year: the year of the ox<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SdwvhMdVLZI/AAAAAAAAA5A/R4sZyRZTOsY/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322181106971520402" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SdwvhMdVLZI/AAAAAAAAA5A/R4sZyRZTOsY/s320/1.+January+2009+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SdwubsJ-k0I/AAAAAAAAA44/2pFqE0msoQ0/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322179912889439042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SdwubsJ-k0I/AAAAAAAAA44/2pFqE0msoQ0/s320/1.+January+2009+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322183674132272194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/Sdwx2n4JlEI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/J3obi8IKuDE/s320/1.+January+2009+008.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><em><strong>If you are an ox you are<br />Loyal patient and dependable<br />Most compatible with a snake rooster or a rat<br />Could become a brilliant surgeon, general or hairdresser<br /></strong></em><br />Each year we learn something new. This year we enjoyed a whole fish remembering to leave some over (a symbol of abundance). On the eve of the New Year we vistied Linda, Sven and Anna’s home and enjoyed dumplings, noodles (for long life) and another whole fish. Our favourite festival-the Tianjin Kite festival at Royal Park-was again a lot of fun, with lanterns, kites and face painting. Nana, O and Chloe came along to enjoy the picnic.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SdwysLeJvKI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/UeE67XSk-J0/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+035.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322184594219973794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SdwysLeJvKI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/UeE67XSk-J0/s320/1.+January+2009+035.jpg" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322182861980618066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SdwxHWYGzVI/AAAAAAAAA5I/lugG-oETrjY/s320/1.+January+2009+129.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-13704009994044207562009-02-11T11:38:00.013+11:002009-04-29T16:01:48.826+10:00The summer that was................<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/Sffsv5IUMUI/AAAAAAAAA6A/66jAMYF4Rho/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+274.jpg"></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329985164808437570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SffpRJaCP0I/AAAAAAAAA5w/L8rD2d-5d9o/s400/1.+January+2009+260.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SffsDQYk-XI/AAAAAAAAA54/gsYCkixy8kE/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+285.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329988224698087794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SffsDQYk-XI/AAAAAAAAA54/gsYCkixy8kE/s320/1.+January+2009+285.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SffnDIZohtI/AAAAAAAAA5o/pKITV_z5KnY/s1600-h/!cid_218160805@18012009-2B1A.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIy9efBf6I/AAAAAAAAA4Y/cjJFHsMg318/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+181.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301355743105089442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIy9efBf6I/AAAAAAAAA4Y/cjJFHsMg318/s200/1.+January+2009+181.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIv2Vp2srI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/qfhxZHXaVdw/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+112.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301352321940632242" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIv2Vp2srI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/qfhxZHXaVdw/s200/1.+January+2009+112.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIut8bEDYI/AAAAAAAAA4I/awXlUI6nc7w/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+111.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301351078217125250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIut8bEDYI/AAAAAAAAA4I/awXlUI6nc7w/s320/1.+January+2009+111.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZItJlNQzDI/AAAAAAAAA4A/jWxH-inJ5qc/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+103.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301349353998306354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZItJlNQzDI/AAAAAAAAA4A/jWxH-inJ5qc/s200/1.+January+2009+103.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIqYUJWh9I/AAAAAAAAA3w/928XhOd6JWk/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+102.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301346308581656530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIqYUJWh9I/AAAAAAAAA3w/928XhOd6JWk/s200/1.+January+2009+102.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIoptET0UI/AAAAAAAAA3o/hy2f-goFTuU/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+093.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301344408305914178" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIoptET0UI/AAAAAAAAA3o/hy2f-goFTuU/s200/1.+January+2009+093.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZInw_X0NeI/AAAAAAAAA3g/r2cTPeTxncI/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+101.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301343433967023586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZInw_X0NeI/AAAAAAAAA3g/r2cTPeTxncI/s200/1.+January+2009+101.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZImqaXZjpI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/yaB-Q4e4ZC4/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+099.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301342221442322066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZImqaXZjpI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/yaB-Q4e4ZC4/s200/1.+January+2009+099.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIkEtgBQQI/AAAAAAAAA3I/n6s9TSpYlYI/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+063.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301339374720467202" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIkEtgBQQI/AAAAAAAAA3I/n6s9TSpYlYI/s200/1.+January+2009+063.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIk74F5a2I/AAAAAAAAA3Q/bUxKMMaen1Y/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+067.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301340322456496994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIk74F5a2I/AAAAAAAAA3Q/bUxKMMaen1Y/s320/1.+January+2009+067.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIh2cLhTEI/AAAAAAAAA24/LA_x8-az3WM/s1600-h/1.+January+2009+072.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301336930529659970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SZIh2cLhTEI/AAAAAAAAA24/LA_x8-az3WM/s200/1.+January+2009+072.jpg" border="0" /></a> Such is the hectic pace of my life, that I have not sat at the computer to write this blog for many weeks now. Tim and my birthdays, Christmas, New year and holidays have all passed. I think it’s time to make amends………..!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><em><u>My birthday</u><br /></em></strong></span>A wonderful night was spent with Mum, Dad and Jo at Rumi’s eating delicious modern Lebanese food. (Tim was the babysitter for the night) On the actual day Tim Camille and I went to the Red Emperor at Southgate, where Camille thoroughly enjoyed the chicken and corn soup.<br /><br /><u><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><em>Christmas<br /></em></strong></span></u>‘Twas the night before Christmas, so we carefully prepared Santa’s snack: milk and a mince tart. For the reindeers carrots of course. Camille as usual was awake early and was in seventh heaven as she opened her gifts and found that she finally had a scooter. Other gifts were a Chinese dinner set, and a game of crazy chefs.<br /><br />Christmas lunch was held at our place, so the whole Goodman clan arrived. After exchanging gifts we sat down to the traditional hot lunch (never again might I add as it was just too tricky to keep everything hot!!). The that night the Pyers arrived for a far more leisurely and relaxed Christmas dinner. Tim’s new speciality ham cooked in Coca-cola (a la Nigella) was despite my misgivings surprisingly good.<br /><br /><strong><em><u><span style="font-size:130%;">Our holiday</span><br /></u></em></strong>First we made a trip to Grannie Annie’s in Daylesford, where we ate divine cherries and splashed around on the verandah. We visited the Jubilee lake which was surprisingly lush and green given that it was mid-summer.<br /><br />Then off to Waratah Bay to visit Ruth Chris and Mei at their new holiday house. The Boote’s also made the long trek from Mt. Beauty (they sure do get around!). the house sits on top of a ridge and the view of the Prom is amazing. We all had a fabulous time and ushered in the New year with one too many wines. The weather was cool to say the least, but it didn’t matter in the slightest. The girls all had a great time, keeping themselves busy as only 3 year olds can.<br /><br />We made a short visit to Tim’s mates Dick and Jane in Cape Patterson before taking the ferry from Sorrento to Ocean Grove. There we spent our days at the Barwon River or at the beach or the rocks at Pt Lonsdale relaxing and generally doing not much at all</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-69483015653524002522008-12-24T13:02:00.007+11:002008-12-24T13:39:06.926+11:00Milestones: Two years with us. Age 3 ¼<div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SVGbaF5cACI/AAAAAAAAA2I/G5P1EUrYViM/s1600-h/16+December+2008+104.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283174710444294178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SVGbaF5cACI/AAAAAAAAA2I/G5P1EUrYViM/s320/16+December+2008+104.jpg" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283177168164230738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SVGdpJniFlI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/KlS-eeSrug8/s320/16+December+2008+089.jpg" border="0" /><strong><em>Camille on Pixie her beloved new bicycle</em></strong></div><div align="left"><br /><strong><em>Age:</em></strong> 3 years and 4 months<br /><strong><em>Time with us:</em></strong> 2 extraordinary years<br /><strong><em>Height:</em></strong> 97.5 cm<br /><strong><em>Weight:</em></strong> 12.9 kg<br /><strong><em>Teeth:</em></strong> 20<br /><br /><strong><em>Recent Accomplishments:</em></strong><br />Can spell her name 21/9.<br />Gives her full address<br />Can say the alphabet<br />Knows left from right 22/9,<br />Can tell o’clock times (learnt from Playschool, not me!!!)<br />Can pass the egocentrism test on a card with a Santa one side and a triangle the other side</div><div align="left"><br /><strong><em>Language/concepts</em></strong><br />I’m wearing these sandals because it’s summertime,<br />And then we start (the week again)<br />My special sparkly Dora undies 12/10<br />Understands that Meg is from Japan, and that Alex is in school in Canada, (and can find it on the map)<br />And bubbles make rainbows<br /><br /><strong><em>Cute Things</em></strong><br />I just popped out of my Chinese Mummy’s tummy,<br />Do you want to play snakes and ladders Camille? No I’m just sending my emails<br />T-I-M spells Dad.<br />Used a whole roll of toilet paper and blocked up the toilet<br />Looked at the lights of the city and said 'Look Mummy I can see Shanghai!'<br />I’m being careful actually<br />Christmas presents for my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Suixi</span> girls<br />I’m not naughty (When she has been. We never call her naughty, however she knows exactly what it means)<br />I had two meltdowns today </div><div align="left">Let’s dag around the house<br />Muttering bloody hell when things go wrong (I take the blame for this one!)<br />Custard’s healthy<br />Sat outside eating her dinner while using her binoculars looking for birds<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Mmmm</span> that’s very strange<br />What I can do? </div><div align="left"><br /><strong><em>Magic moments</em></strong><br />Going for her first ride around the block on Pixie her new bike<br />Making rainbows on the wall from a crystal in the upstairs bedroom,<br />Listening to her sing the lullaby <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Toora</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">loora</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">loora</span></em> to her baby doll </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><strong><em>Games<br /></em></strong>Pirate Snap (still). Snakes and Ladders. 20 piece jigsaws. Loves to play with her doll changing the nappy </div><div align="left"><strong><em>Toilet training</em></strong><br />Fully trained in the day but not at night. Will try to do <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">nighttimes</span> in January. </div><div align="left"><strong><em>Sleep<br /></em></strong>In bed at 6.30 asleep about 7 to 7.30. awake at about 6 to 6.30.<br />No daytime naps at all unless in the car. </div><div align="left"><strong><em>Foods<br /></em></strong>As before, but developing a very sweet tooth. The dentist said the patches where there is little enamel have now hardened up, fortunately.<br />Fried Rice would have to be her No 1 at the moment. </div><div align="left"><strong><em>Books<br /></em></strong>Everything and anything. Too many to mention. </div><div align="left"><strong><em>Television</em></strong><br />Sadly loves TV far too much. Especially Playschool, Madeline, Olivia, the Wiggles and Dorothy.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-76394813680675743752008-12-18T20:07:00.008+11:002008-12-18T20:53:22.755+11:00Dancing at Mangala Studio in Carlton<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUodJ9dTgsI/AAAAAAAAA2A/ZcVYxVrf8PQ/s1600-h/14.+September+2008+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281065569998832322" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUodJ9dTgsI/AAAAAAAAA2A/ZcVYxVrf8PQ/s200/14.+September+2008+019.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUocES2lNeI/AAAAAAAAA14/1npzVhvDbDc/s1600-h/16+December+2008+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281064373151151586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUocES2lNeI/AAAAAAAAA14/1npzVhvDbDc/s200/16+December+2008+019.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUoa8-5nlCI/AAAAAAAAA1w/IWP_8KZ_Naw/s1600-h/14.+September+2008+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281063148024468514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUoa8-5nlCI/AAAAAAAAA1w/IWP_8KZ_Naw/s200/14.+September+2008+014.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUoYutuDVpI/AAAAAAAAA1o/e7A5bWnXHXc/s1600-h/14.+September+2008+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281060703871129234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUoYutuDVpI/AAAAAAAAA1o/e7A5bWnXHXc/s200/14.+September+2008+008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUoXSpX3SeI/AAAAAAAAA1g/kdLQYGIBGYE/s1600-h/14.+September+2008+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281059122156358114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUoXSpX3SeI/AAAAAAAAA1g/kdLQYGIBGYE/s320/14.+September+2008+005.jpg" border="0" /></a> Classes at Mangala are so popular that there is waiting list for over a year. Fortunately since last November Camille and I were lucky enough to have a place. At Mangala the focus is upon creative dance and children are encouraged to express themselves in response to music and dance with the props provided.<br /><br /><br /><div>Every week the theme is different. We could be at the snow, the races, in a jungle, the outback…. How Sue manages to dream up so many different scenarios I can’t imagine. Camille has really flourished in the classes and now dances like a free spirit, full of joy and life.<br /></div><br /><br /><div>Sadly next year Camille will join the three year old class and Mum won’t be able to join in. Ah well, Brunetti's and Readings await.</div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-62494785043105625052008-12-17T21:47:00.009+11:002008-12-18T20:20:23.297+11:00Santa Claus is coming to town<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUjgivMTGnI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/DJZG5-WtWeU/s1600-h/16+December+2008+213.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280717450480130674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUjgivMTGnI/AAAAAAAAA1Y/DJZG5-WtWeU/s320/16+December+2008+213.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUjeexnVpHI/AAAAAAAAA1Q/t2hi6xlTV5g/s1600-h/16+December+2008+218.jpg"></a><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUjby7czbmI/AAAAAAAAA1A/3RcWzBUbqss/s1600-h/16+December+2008+189.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280712231090351714" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUjby7czbmI/AAAAAAAAA1A/3RcWzBUbqss/s200/16+December+2008+189.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUja3z7vmfI/AAAAAAAAA04/7LqsdPgAPvY/s1600-h/16+December+2008+191.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280711215460358642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUja3z7vmfI/AAAAAAAAA04/7LqsdPgAPvY/s200/16+December+2008+191.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="left"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUjZWPMMemI/AAAAAAAAA0w/_aNK5yjcJc8/s1600-h/16+December+2008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280709539149937250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUjZWPMMemI/AAAAAAAAA0w/_aNK5yjcJc8/s320/16+December+2008.jpg" border="0" /></a> This year Camille is old enough to understand that Father Christmas is the bearer of great presents to good children. Together we wrote a letter to Santa and posted it in the mailbox. Camille even managed to sit on Santa’s knee and almost smiled. Fortunately she <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">didn</span>’t miss out on telling him two very important things<br />1. What she wanted ‘a scooter’<br />2. Where she lived<br />Only 8 sleeps to go!!!!!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280714188461919842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SUjdk3OjTmI/AAAAAAAAA1I/1ha0xDV8yYI/s320/16+December+2008+152.jpg" border="0" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-82680679562336293632008-11-19T22:13:00.015+11:002008-11-20T20:29:32.667+11:00Ocean Grove<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSUon4VxsXI/AAAAAAAAAzw/uCRRU0lpI88/s1600-h/13.+August+2008+105.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270663604510765426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSUon4VxsXI/AAAAAAAAAzw/uCRRU0lpI88/s320/13.+August+2008+105.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSUqX5yG3OI/AAAAAAAAAz4/-9LvvLXxEqw/s1600-h/13.+August+2008+097.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270665529043377378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSUqX5yG3OI/AAAAAAAAAz4/-9LvvLXxEqw/s200/13.+August+2008+097.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSP4h56ALQI/AAAAAAAAAzo/EG9wgVprVZ4/s1600-h/15++october+2008+044.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270329250317085954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSP4h56ALQI/AAAAAAAAAzo/EG9wgVprVZ4/s200/15++october+2008+044.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSP3kMslENI/AAAAAAAAAzg/SHU6-yyz6D8/s1600-h/15++october+2008+038.jpg"></a><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSP4h56ALQI/AAAAAAAAAzo/EG9wgVprVZ4/s1600-h/15++october+2008+044.jpg"></a></p><div><br /><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSP3kMslENI/AAAAAAAAAzg/SHU6-yyz6D8/s1600-h/15++october+2008+038.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270328190209167570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSP3kMslENI/AAAAAAAAAzg/SHU6-yyz6D8/s200/15++october+2008+038.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSP4h56ALQI/AAAAAAAAAzo/EG9wgVprVZ4/s1600-h/15++october+2008+044.jpg"></a></p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSUrS_QG7tI/AAAAAAAAA0A/vUWFQhd4IGo/s1600-h/13.+August+2008+134.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270666544123670226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSUrS_QG7tI/AAAAAAAAA0A/vUWFQhd4IGo/s200/13.+August+2008+134.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSP4h56ALQI/AAAAAAAAAzo/EG9wgVprVZ4/s1600-h/15++october+2008+044.jpg"></a></p><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSP4h56ALQI/AAAAAAAAAzo/EG9wgVprVZ4/s1600-h/15++october+2008+044.jpg"></a></p><div><br /><br /><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSP4h56ALQI/AAAAAAAAAzo/EG9wgVprVZ4/s1600-h/15++october+2008+044.jpg"></a></p><br /><br /></div><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSP4h56ALQI/AAAAAAAAAzo/EG9wgVprVZ4/s1600-h/15++october+2008+044.jpg"></a></p><div><br /></div><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSP4h56ALQI/AAAAAAAAAzo/EG9wgVprVZ4/s1600-h/15++october+2008+044.jpg"></a></p><div><br /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><br /><div><br /></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Even when it’s cold we love going down to the beach to get some fresh air and have a bit of time out from city life. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Goodmans</span> have had their caravan at Ocean Grove for about 35 years. We've watched it grow from a small seaside town to large sprawling suburb of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Geelong</span>. But that doesn't worry us too much. As we are only 300m walk from the beach, we are oblivious to the new housing developments (although it must be said it does get a tad!! busy during January). Which of course makes our winter trips all the better.<br /><br />Tim is not too keen on the beach in the summer experience but he does love to watch the ships come through the head, and the maritime history of the area. Using his binoculars he checks out what birds are about, and he's even sighted dolphins in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Queenscliff</span><br /><br />Every time we come there is the obligatory trip to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Queenscliff</span> for fish and chips and a walk to the lighthouse at Pt. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Lonsdale. Lately we've taken to walking to Barwon Heads</span> which has some fantastic coffee shops.<br /><br />Camille adores visiting the caravan (aka the taliban) and spends her time frolicking on the sand, jumping waves, digging holes and generally having a wow of a time.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270327270801453906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSP2uross1I/AAAAAAAAAzY/AcWaoqj64IM/s320/15++october+2008+041.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270668209346871378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSUsz6sQgFI/AAAAAAAAA0I/v-ayk5W9jKQ/s320/13.+August+2008+123.jpg" border="0" /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-11490614221496205122008-11-19T21:54:00.003+11:002008-11-19T22:08:23.095+11:00Special Person's Day at creche<div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPx23O_hII/AAAAAAAAAzI/FxNf4IqKTpw/s1600-h/15++october+2008+134.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270321913795675266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPx23O_hII/AAAAAAAAAzI/FxNf4IqKTpw/s320/15++october+2008+134.jpg" border="0" /></a> At crèche we invited a special person to afternoon tea. This year I invited O, my aunt who came to China with my Mummy. O liked my crèche and was able to see all of the interesting things I do when I go there every Wednesday. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270323332116208818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPzJa49XLI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/BcFhP5VfaTg/s320/15++october+2008+133.jpg" border="0" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-65827372617235917172008-11-19T21:30:00.006+11:002008-11-20T20:51:28.996+11:008:30 am Tuesday: Swimming with Katrina<div><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSUvGR7eNUI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/rBD-uNcneZE/s1600-h/15++october+2008+157.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270670723845600578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSUvGR7eNUI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/rBD-uNcneZE/s320/15++october+2008+157.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270674341181217458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSUyY1jfWrI/AAAAAAAAA0o/pTn7RNofxCE/s320/15++october+2008+159.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><div align="left">Even in the depths of winter we didn’t miss a class. A true waterbaby Camille adores her swimming lesson and now floats, torpedoes and dives with astonishing confidence. Camille has now progressed to become a tadpole and Mum is no longer needed in the water. A sad moment for Mum.</div><br /><div align="left"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270315595726623746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPsHGl8lAI/AAAAAAAAAyw/DB2AjxmrSms/s320/15++october+2008+161.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><em>With Katrina my swimming teacher</em></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-52101324435025731692008-11-19T20:40:00.011+11:002008-11-19T21:20:32.585+11:00And now we are three!<div align="center"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPltI374_I/AAAAAAAAAyo/LOwWdAoa4wI/s1600-h/15++october+2008+112.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270308552592581618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPltI374_I/AAAAAAAAAyo/LOwWdAoa4wI/s320/15++october+2008+112.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><em> <span style="font-size:130%;">Jen and <u>that</u> cake<br /></span></em></strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPk3Xnw7pI/AAAAAAAAAyg/n-YVF4mUwCs/s1600-h/15++october+2008+109.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270307628838350482" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPk3Xnw7pI/AAAAAAAAAyg/n-YVF4mUwCs/s320/15++october+2008+109.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPj5S4gk8I/AAAAAAAAAyY/GJ76vSw4xls/s1600-h/15++october+2008+064.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270306562414515138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPj5S4gk8I/AAAAAAAAAyY/GJ76vSw4xls/s320/15++october+2008+064.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">All the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Suixi</span> girls gathered at our place for their annual combined birthday party. The girls are now a very grown up three. And let me tell you these six little three year <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">olds</span> already know how to party! The stunning cake (artfully made by the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">uber</span> talented Jen) was a reminder to us all of just how much our girls have grown.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPhYGx7uuI/AAAAAAAAAyI/MB8uAeGtudc/s1600-h/15++october+2008+103.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270303793206770402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPhYGx7uuI/AAAAAAAAAyI/MB8uAeGtudc/s320/15++october+2008+103.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></em></strong> </div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></em></strong> </div><div align="left"><strong><em><span style="font-size:100%;">The sandpit was the cool place to hang out at the party</span></em></strong></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPietFi4rI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/cz_tvZs561w/s1600-h/15++october+2008+072.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270305006080418482" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSPietFi4rI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/cz_tvZs561w/s320/15++october+2008+072.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"><strong><em><span style="font-size:100%;">Making mischief of one kind or another</span></em></strong></div><div align="right"></div><div align="right"></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36275593.post-20309954817181281002008-11-19T09:24:00.002+11:002008-11-19T09:41:38.823+11:00Helping in the garden<div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSNETUSywYI/AAAAAAAAAyA/Nr16YwAMlEE/s1600-h/15++october+2008+029.jpg"></a> </div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSNBpMejSWI/AAAAAAAAAx4/ew876OOVSgw/s1600-h/15++october+2008+025.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270128164933421410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSNBpMejSWI/AAAAAAAAAx4/ew876OOVSgw/s320/15++october+2008+025.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSNETUSywYI/AAAAAAAAAyA/Nr16YwAMlEE/s1600-h/15++october+2008+029.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270131087609348482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nvxooHLqrro/SSNETUSywYI/AAAAAAAAAyA/Nr16YwAMlEE/s200/15++october+2008+029.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br />There’s nothing I like better than pulling on my gumboots and helping my Mummy in the garden!<br /><br /><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com